Browsing by Author "Covey, K."

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    Compact white dwarf binaries in the combined SRG/eROSITA/SDSS eFEDS survey
    (2024) Schwope, A.; Kurpas, J.; Baecke, P.; Knauff, K.; Stuetz, L.; Tubin-Arenas, D.; Standke, A.; Anderson, S. F.; Bauer, F.; Brandt, W. N.; Covey, K.; Demasi, S.; Dwelly, T.; Freund, S.; Friedrich, S.; Gaensicke, B. T.; Maitra, C.; Merloni, A.; Munoz-Giraldo, D.; Rodriguez, A.; Salvato, M.; Stassun, K.; Stelzer, B.; Strong, A.; Morrison, S.
    Context. X-ray surveys combined with optical follow-up observations are used to generate complete flux-limited samples of the main X-ray emitting source classes. eROSITA on the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission provides sufficient sensitivity to build significantly enhanced samples of rare X-ray emitting sources. Aims. We strive to identify and classify compact white dwarf binaries, cataclysmic variables (CVs), and related objects, which were detected in the sky area of eFEDS, the eROSITA Final Equatorial Depths Survey, and they were observed in the plate program of SDSS-V. Methods. Compact white dwarf binaries were selected from spectra obtained in the early SDSS-V plate program. A dedicated set of SDSS plate observations were carried out in the eFEDS field, providing spectroscopic classifications for a significant fraction of the optically bright end (r < 22.5) of the X-ray sample. The identification and subclassification rests on visual inspections of the SDSS spectra, spectral variability, color-magnitude and color-color diagrams involving optical and X-ray fluxes, optical variability, and literature work. Results. Upon visual inspection of SDSS spectra and various auxiliary data products, we have identified 26 accreting compact white dwarf binaries (aCWDBs) in eFEDS, of which 24 are proven X-ray emitters. Among those 26 objects, there are 12 dwarf novae, three WZ Sge-like disk-accreting nonmagnetic CVs with low accretion rates, five likely nonmagnetic high accretion rate nova-like CVs, two magnetic CVs of the polar subcategory, and three double degenerates (AM CVn objects). Period bouncing candidates and magnetic systems are rarer than expected in this sample, but it is too small for a thorough statistical analysis. Fourteen of the systems are new discoveries, of which five are fainter than the Gaia magnitude limit. Thirteen aCWDBs have measured or estimated orbital periods, of which five were presented here. Through a Zeeman analysis, we revise the magnetic field estimate of the polar system J0926+0105, which is likely a low-field polar at B = 16 MG. We quantified the success of X-ray versus optical/UV selection of compact white dwarf binaries which will be relevant for the full SDSS-V survey. We also identified six white dwarf main sequence (WDMS) systems, among them there is one confirmed pre-CV at an orbital period of 17.6 h and another pre-CV candidate. Conclusions. This work presents successful initial work in building large samples of all kinds of accreting and X-ray emitting compact white dwarf binaries that will be continued over the full hemisphere in the years to come.
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    Mapping the Stellar Content of the Milky Way with LSST
    (2012) Bochanski, John J.; Thorman, P.; Covey, K.; Olsen, K.; Dhital, S.; Beers, T. C.; Boeshaar, P.; Cargile, P.; Catelan, Márcio; Digel, S.; Guhathakurta, P.; Henry, T.; Ivezic, Z.; Juric, M.; Kalirai, J.; Kirkpatrick, J.; McGehee, P. M.; Minniti, D.; Mukadam, A.; Pepper, J.; Prsa, A.; Roškar, R.; Smith, J.; Stassun, K.; Tyson, A.
    The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will map half of the sky in six filters down to r=27.5 (AB mag; 5-sigma), with typical precision of one percent (0.01 mag). The ten year baseline of the survey will provide about a thousand multi-epoch observations for objects brighter than r=24.5, yielding variability, proper motions and trigonometric parallax measurements for hundreds of millions of stars. The resulting photometric and astrometric catalogs will enable novel and unique investigations, detailing the formation and evolution of the Milky Way's stellar populations, as well as neighboring galaxies. We highlight some of the enabled science studies, including results from the output source catalog derived from simulated LSST images. A few examples of the stellar populations projects will be shown: sampling a census of the MLT population near the solar neighborhood; mapping the structure and stellar metallicity content of the Milky Way's disk and halo; assembling catalogs of eclipsing binaries, subdwarfs and white dwarfs, suitable for measuring fundamental stellar parameters; and measuring the Milky Way's star formation history using stellar ages determined from gyrochronology and rotation periods, as well as the white dwarf luminosity function. We also highlight the studies enabled by the "Deep Drilling" fields, patches within the LSST footprint that will be imaged at a higher cadence over the course of the survey....
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    The Stellar Populations of the Milky Way and Nearby Galaxies with LSST
    (2011) Olsen, Knut A.; Covey, K.; Saha, A.; Beers, T. C.; Bochanski, J.; Boeshaar, P.; Cargile, P.; Catelan, Marcio; Burgasser, A.; Cook, K.; Dhital, S.; Figer, D.; Ivezic, Z.; Kalirai, J.; McGehee, P.; Minniti, D.; Pepper, J.; Prsa, A.; Sarajedini, A.; Silva, D.; Smith, J. A.; Stassun, K.; Thorman, P.; Williams, B.; LSST Stellar Populations Collaboration
    The LSST will produce a multi-color map and photometric object catalog of half the sky to r=27.6 (AB mag; 5-sigma) when observations at the individual epochs of the standard cadence are stacked. Analyzing the ten years of independent measurements in each field will allow variability, proper motion and parallax measurements to be derived for objects brighter than r=24.5. These photometric, astrometric, and variability data will enable the construction of a detailed and robust map of the stellar populations of the Milky Way, its satellites and its nearest extra-galactic neighbors--allowing exploration of their star formation, chemical enrichment, and accretion histories on a grand scale. For example, with geometric parallax accuracy of 1 milli-arc-sec, comparable to HIPPARCOS but reaching more than 10 magnitudes fainter, LSST will allow a complete census of all stars above the hydrogen-burning limit that are closer than 500 pc, including thousands of predicted L and T dwarfs. The LSST time sampling will identify and characterize variable stars of all types, from time scales of 1 hr to several years, a feast for variable star astrophysics; LSST's projected impact on the study of several variable star classes, including eclipsing binaries, are discussed here. We also describe the ongoing efforts of the collaboration to optimize the LSST system for stellar populations science. We are currently investigating the trade-offs associated with the exact wavelength boundaries of the LSST filters, identifying the most scientifically valuable locations for fields that will receive enhanced temporal coverage compared to the standard cadence, and analyzing synthetic LSST outputs to verify that the system's performance will be sufficient to achieve our highest priority science goals....