paper

Color and Variability Characteristics of Point Sources in the Faint Sky Variability Survey

arXiv:astro-ph/0604449 · doi:10.1086/505300

Abstract

We present an analysis of the color and variability characteristics for point sources in the Faint Sky Variability Survey (FSVS). The FSVS cataloged ~23 square degrees in BVI filters from ~16--24 mag to investigate variability in faint sources at moderate to high Galactic latitudes. Point source completeness is found to be >83% for a selected representative sample (V=17.5--22.0 mag, B-V=0.0--1.5) containing both photometric B, V detections and 80% of the time-sampled V data available compared to a basic internal source completeness of 99%. Multi-epoch (10--30) observations in V spanning minutes to years modeled by light curve simulations reveal amplitude sensitivities to 0.015--0.075 mag over a representative V=18--22 mag range. Periodicity determinations appear viable to time-scales of an order 1 day or less using the most sampled fields (~30 epochs). The fraction of point sources is found to be generally variable at 5--8% over V=17.5--22.0 mag. For V brighter than 19 mag, the variable population is dominated by low amplitude (<0.05 mag) and blue (B-V<0.35) sources, possibly representing a population of gamma Doradus stars. Overall, the dominant population of variable sources are bluer than B-V=0.65 and have Main Sequence colors, likely reflecting larger populations of RR Lyrae, SX Phe, gamma Doradus, and W UMa variables.

34 pages, 16 figures, accepted in AJ

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