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Pravdo, S. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Pravdo, S. H..

At least 19 records

Discovery of a New Nearby Star

We report the discovery of a nearby star with a very large proper motion of 5.06 +/- 0.03 arcsec/yr. The star is called SO025300.5+165258 and referred to herein as HPMS (high proper motion star). The discovery came as a result of a search of the SkyMorph database, a sensitive and persistent survey that is well suited for finding stars with high proper motions. There are currently only 7 known stars with proper motions greater than 5 arcsec/yr. We have determined a preliminary value for the parallax of pi = 0.43 +/- 0.13 arcsec. If this value holds our new star ranks behind only the Alpha Centauri system (including Proxima Centauri) and Barnard's star in the list of our nearest stellar neighbours. The spectrum and measured tangential velocity indicate that HPMS is a main-sequence star with spectral type M6.5. However, if our distance measurement is correct, the HPMS is underluminous by 1.2 +/- 0.7 mag.

Teegarden, B. J.

An update of the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking/Maui Space Surveillance System (NEAT/MSSS) collaboration

Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program has two simultaneously-operating, autonomous search systems on two geographically-separated 1.2-m telescopes; one at the Maui Space Surveillance System (NEAT/MSSS) and the other on the Palomar Observatory's Oschin telescope (NEAT/Palomar). This paper will focus exclusively on the NEAT/MSSS system.

NEAT MSSS

Stellar planet survey - STEPS

The Stellar Planet Survey (STEPS) is an astrometric search for planets around nearby stars. Our search for solar-like systems now, has a temporal baseline of 4 years, and has yielded preliminary evidence for low-mass companions to some of our targets.

extrasolar planets

Solar system surveys

Below, we list and briefly describe the ongoing Near-Earth Objects programs.

solar system astrophysics

X-Ray Spectral Evolution of the Crab Pulse

The Crab Pulsar was observed with the X-ray detectors on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) on May 2, 1996. The large area, high time resolution, extended energy range, and moderate energy resolution of the RXTE instruments provided an unprecedented measurement of the Crab pulsar spectrum as it evolved in phase across the 33 msec pulse.

Crab Pulsar nebular

Astrometric Calibration of Array Detectors

The high level of spatial uniformity in modern CCDs and other array detectors makes them excellent devices for astrometric and navigational systems. However, at the level of accuracy envisioned by the more ambitious projects, current technology produces devices with significant pixel registration errors. This paper describes a technique fot measuring relative pixel positions to an accuracy approaching 0.001 pixel. The technique has been applied to WF/PC II CCDs whicha re shown to have 500 nm step-and-repeat errors.

array detectors CCDs navigational systems astromet

The Astrometric Imaging Telescope Optical System

The Astrometric Imaging Telescope will detect extra-solar planetary systems with imaging and astrometry. The optical system contains a high-efficiency coronagraph and scatter-compensated mirrors to detect Jupiter-size planets around nearby stars.

Astrometric Imaging

X-rays from the magnetic white dwarf PG 1658 + 441

X-ray emission has been detected from PG 1658 + 441, a hot, isolated, magnetic white dwarf. The source was first detected in an Einstein IPC observation and was later identified in an Exosat channel multiplier array observation. Both imaging observations were motivated by an attempt to find the optical counterpart to the HEAO 1 soft X-ray source H1659 + 44. Spectral analysis, however, indicates that H1659 + 44 and PG 1658 + 441 are unrelated. The broad-band spectrum of this DA white dwarf can be explained as emission from a homogeneous, high-gravity, pure hydrogen atmosphere with a temperature near 28,000 K. The observations of PG 1658 + 441 support the suggestion that a correlation exists between temperature and helium abundance in white dwarf atmospheres.

Pravdo, S. H.