Study of variable stars in the MOA data base: long-period red variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud — II. Multiplicity of the period—luminosity relation

• Published in: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 348; no. 4; pp. 1120 - 1134
• Main Authors: Noda, S., Takeuti, M., Abe, F., Bond, I. A., Dodd, R. J., Hearnshaw, J. B., Honda, M., Honma, M., Jugaku, J., Kan-ya, Y., Kato, Y., Kilmartin, P. M., Matsubara, Y., Masuda, K., Muraki, Y., Nakamura, T., Ohnishi, K., Reid, M., Rattenbury, N. J., Saito, To, Saito, Y., Sato, H., Sekiguchi, M., Skuljan, J., Sullivan, D. J., Sumi, T., Yamada, R., Yanagisawa, T., Yock, P. C. M., Yoshizawa, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2004; Oxford University Press (OUP); Blackwell Science Ltd; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: Astronomy; catalogues; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Local group. Magellanic clouds; Long-period variables (miras) and semiregulars; Magellanic Clouds; Magellanic clouds and other irregular galaxies; Stars; stars: AGB and post-AGB; stars: oscillations; stars: variables: other; Stellar systems. Galactic and extragalactic objects and systems. The universe; Variable and peculiar stars (including novae); Light curves; stars: AGB and post-AGB; stars: variables: other; Long period variable star; Period luminosity relation; Infrared surveys; Pulsating variable stars; stars: oscillations; Multiplicity; Color-magnitude diagrams; Magellanic Clouds; catalogues; Mira stars; Asymptotic giant branch; Sky surveys; Large Magellanic Cloud
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07413.x

Data for 4.4 million stars from the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) project are compared with the near-infrared data of the Deep Near Infrared Southern Sky Survey (DENIS). More than 4000 stars observed in both projects show a quite periodic light curve. Among them, a number of stars are likely eclipsing variables, and the others seem to be pulsating stars. The KS magnitudes of these red variables are in the range 10–12.5 but a minor clump at KS≈ 12.2 mag is also found. The multiplicity of the period—luminosity relation is confirmed, but most of the regular, large-amplitude variables are found on the relation established for the Mira stars. We study the properties of the variables on the colour–magnitude diagram constructed with the MOA red band Rm and KS of DENIS. Multiplicity of the period—luminosity relation is briefly discussed in relation to the excitation mechanism of red pulsating variables.