UBV I CCD photometry of NGC 2353 is performed as a part of the "Sejong Open cluster Survey" (SOS). Using photometric membership criteria we select probable members of the cluster. We derive the reddening and distance to the cluster, i.e., E(B - V ) = 0.10 ± 0.02 mag and 1.17 ± 0.04 kpc, respectively. We find that the projected distribution of the probable members on the sky is elliptical in shape rather than circular. The age of the cluster is estimated to be log(age)=8.1 ± 0.1 in years, older than what was found in previous studies. The minimum value of binary fraction is estimated to be about 48 ± 5 percent from a Gaussian function fit to the distribution of the distance moduli of the photometric members. Finally, we also obtain the luminosity function and the initial mass function (IMF) of the probable cluster members. The slope of the IMF is Γ = -1.3 ± 0.2.
We calculate the energy spectra of cosmic ray (CR) protons and electrons at a plane shock with quasi-parallel magnetic fields, using time-dependent, diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) simulations, including energy losses via synchrotron emission and Inverse Compton (IC) scattering. A thermal leakage injection model and a Bohm type diffusion coefficient are adopted. The electron spectrum at the shock becomes steady after the DSA energy gains balance the synchrotron/IC losses, and it cuts off at the equilibrium momentum peq. In the postshock region the cutoff momentum of the electron spectrum decreases with the distance from the shock due to the energy losses and the thickness of the spatial distribution of electrons scales as p-1. Thus the slope of the downstream integrated spectrum steepens by one power of p for pb < p < peq, where the break momentum decreases with the shock age as pbr ∝ t-1. In a CR modified shock, both the proton and electron spectrum exhibit a concave curvature and deviate from the canonical test-particle power-law, and the upstream integrated electron spectrum could dominate over the downstream integrated spectrum near the cutoff momentum. Thus the spectral shape near the cutoff of X-ray synchrotron emission could reveal a signature of nonlinear DSA.
A small number of active galactic nuclei are known to exhibit prominent double peak emission profiles that are well-fitted by a relativistic accretion disk model. We develop a Monte Carlo code to compute the linear polarization of a double peaked broad emission line arising from Thomson scattering. A Keplerian accretion disk is adopted for the double peak emission line region and the geometry is assumed to be Schwarzschild. Far from the accretion disk where flat Minkowski geometry is appropriate, we place an azimuthally symmetric scattering region in the shape of a spherical shell sliced with Δμ =0.1. Adopting a Monte Carlo method we generate line photons in the accretion disk in arbitrary directions in the local rest frame and follow the geodesic paths of the photons until they hit the scattering region. The profile of the polarized flux is mainly determined by the relative location of the scattering region with respect to the emission source. When the scattering region is in the polar direction, the degree of linear polarization also shows a double peak structure. Under favorable conditions we show that up to 0.6% linear polarization may be obtained. We conclude that spectropolarimetry can be a powerful probe to reveal much information regarding the accretion disk geometry of these active galactic nuclei.
We report the results of our high resolution optical spectroscopic monitoring campaign (⋋ = 3800 ~ 8800 Å, R = 30000 - 45000) of the new FU Orionis-type object HBC 722. We observed HBC 722 with the BOES 1.8-m telescope between November 26 and December 29, 2010, and FU Orionis itself on January 26, 2011. We detect a number of previously unreported high-resolution K I and Ca II lines beyond 7500 Å. We resolve the Hα and Ca II line profiles into three velocity components, which we attribute to both disk and outflow. The increased accretion during outburst can heat the disk to produce the relatively narrow absorption feature and launch outflows appearing as high velocity blue and red-shifted broad features.