Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Ajhar, Edward A..
We report the unambiguous detection of individually resolved stars in the elliptical galaxy NGC 3379, a luminous member of the Leo I Group.
VRI photometric observations of surface-brightness fluctuation in 13 Virgo Cluster galaxies, M32, and NGC 3379, obtained using an 800 x 800 CCD array on the 4-m telescope at KPNO during March 1989, are reported. The data-reduction techniques are described in detail, and the results are presented in tables and graphs. Particular attention is given to distance estimates derived from the I-band fluctuations: it is shown that NGC 4365 is behind the cluster, while NGC 4468 and NGC 4489 are in the foreground. The average distance to the cluster is found to be 17 + or - 1 Mpc, with H0 = 78 + or - 6 km/sec Mpc; the corresponding values from a direct isochrone calibration are 21 Mpc and 64 + or - 5 km/sec Mpc.
Preliminary results from a project to measure the fluxes of giant stars in M32, NGC 3379, and five Virgo Cluster galaxies are presented. Since the Virgo Cluster galaxies are approximately equidistant, variations in observed fluctuation amplitude from galaxy to galaxy can be ascribed to variations in absolute luminosity of the giant stars in the galaxies. Assuming a distance of 0.72 Mpc for M32 and correcting for the color effect in m-bar, the typical brightness of giant stars, distances of 9 Mpc for NGC 3379 and 14 Mpc for Virgo, accurate to about 10 percent, are derived. This is used to find a Hubble constant of 88 km/s/Mpc. The method can be used to measure m-bar in galaxies at least 40-50 Mpc distant.
Hudec (1987) has reported the detection of three bright transient optical images from the same celestial location localized to alpha(1950) = 18 h 9 m 26.29 s + or - 0.03 s, delta (1950) = +31 deg 23 arcmin 19.7 arcsec + or - 0.6 arcsec. This paper reports the result of a deep CCD search in four colors undertaken to find the quiescent counterpart of the optical transients. No source is found at the location of the transients to m(B) = 24.5; however, 18 objects in the vicinity of the reported coordinates which are consistent with the source having a proper motion of 1 arcsec/yr. A search at 6 cm with the VLA revealed no source in the mu less than 1 arcsec/yr circle to a 3 sigma limiting flux of 83 micro-Jy.
Deep optical images of small gamma-ray burst error regions have generally resulted in the detection of several faint sources in each error region. It may be possible to identify the neutron star source of a GRB on the basis of a high transverse peculiar velocity if the source is at moderate distance. The results of searches for high proper motion objects in the error regions of GBS1412+78 and GBS2251-02 are reported.