Overview

The VSTARSUSP database contains the machine-readable version of the New Catalog of Suspected Variable Stars (NSV), Kukarkin et al. 1982.

Parameters

Name
The identification of the suspected variable star.
RA
The right ascension of the star.
Dec
The declination of the star.
LII
The galactic longitude of the star.
BII
The galactic latitude of the star.
Class
The EXOSAT internal object classification flag.
Vmax
The magnitude of the star at maximum light.  Magnitudes are reported to
hundredths if the observations are photoelectric, to tenths or whole magnitudes
if they are not.  If only an amplitude has been measured photoelectrically,
then the maximum magnitude is generally given to tenths only and the minimum is
reported to hundredths.
Vmin
The magnitude of the star at minimum light.  See the `Vmax` parameter
description for comments regarding precision.
Catalog_and_Catalog_Number
The name and number of the catalog in which the variable appears.  
(This database parameter is no longer necessary, but is left over from when the
NSV was combined with Kholopov's General Catalog of Variable Stars into a 
single database called VSTARS.  As of September 1991, the two catalogs have
been split into two separate databases, VSTARSUSP and VSTARS.)
Type_of_Variability
Abbreviation for the possible type of variability of the star.  Below is a
table of brief descriptions of variability types; more complete descriptions
can be found in Volume 1 of the General Catalog of Variable Stars, 4th
Edition (Kholopov et al. 1985), and in the documentation for the 
machine-readable version (Warren 1988).  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Abbreviation          Description
      ------------          -----------
        ACV                 Alpha-squared Canum Venaticorum
        BCEP                Beta Cephei
        BL                  BL Lacertae
        BY                  BY Draconis
        CEP                 cepheid
        CST                 constant
        CW                  W Virginis
        DCEP                Delta Cephei
        DSCT                Delta Scuti
        E                   eclipsing
        EA                  Algol (Beta Per)
        EB                  Beta Lyrae
        EW                  W Ursae Majoris
        ELL                 ellipsoidal
        GCAS                Gamma Cassiopeiae
        I                   irregular
        IA                  white irregular
        IN                  irregular in a nebula
        INS                 rapid irregular in a nebula
        INT                 irregular of the T Tauri type
        IS                  rapid irregular
        L                   slow
        LB                  slow red
        M                   Mira (o Ceti) type
        N                   nova
        NL                  novalike
        QSO                 quasistellar object
        RCB                 R Coronae Borealis
        RR                  RR Lyrae
        RRC                 RRC
        RV                  RV Tauri
        S                   rapid
        SDOR                S Doradus
        SR                  semiregular
        SN                  supernova
        UG                  U Geminorum
        UV                  UV Ceti
        UVN                 UV Ceti in a nebula
        ZAND                Z Andromedae
        ZCAM                Z Camelopardalis
        ZZC                 ZZ Ceti
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mag_Band
The photometric system in which the magnitudes are reported.  The system coded
applies to both the maximum and minimum magnitudes or to the maximum light
magnitude and delta-m, except where there is a passband identified in the 
`Code Vmag` field.  The following codes are present:
---
 * P = the reported magnitudes are photographic;
 * V = the magnitudes are visual, photovisual, or V of the Johnson and Morgan
       UBV system.  The latter can be distinguished by the increased precision 
       to which the values are given (thousandths).  The V passband is centered
       at lambda = 550 nm, delta-lambda = 87 nm.
---

Other uppercase letters are used to denote, generally, passbands of the
broadband UBVRIK system; unfortunately, the use of all uppercase characters
in the catalog does not allow one to distinguish between R and other red (r)
magnitudes, nor between I and other infrared (i) magnitudes.  The following
list gives the characteristics of the broadband system for only those passbands
currently coded in the catalog (the J, H, L, M, N, O, and Q bands are mentioned
in the introduction to the published catalog, but these are not presently used
in the data file):
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filter          Effective              Effective        Absolute Spectral
 Band           Wavelength             Bandwidth       Irradiance for Mag 0.0
                                                           (W m-2 nm-1)

  U                365                     68             4.27 x 10-11
  B                440                     98             6.61 x 10-11
  V                550                     89             3.64 x 10-11
  R                700                    220             1.74 x 10-11
  I                900                    240             8.32 x 10-12
  K               2200                    578             4.17 x 10-13
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spectrum_Classification
Temperature classes and subclasses only are given.  Most luminosity classes are
III to V, but if a star is a supergiant, more detailed classification
information is given in the remarks to the published catalog.  The following
symbols are used:
---
 * AF = A-F
 * AM = Am
 * AP = Ap
 * BE = Be
 * E  = emission spectrum
 * EA = e subscript alpha
 * EV = variable emission in spectrum
 * FG = F-G
 * KM = K-M
 * OF = Of
 * PD = Pd
 * T  = characteristics of T Tauri stars
---
Precession_RA(1950)
Annual precession (RA), given in seconds of time.
Precession_Dec(1950)
Annual precession (Dec), given in arc minutes.

References

The present documentation has been taken almost entirely from "Documentation for the Machine-Readable Version of the New Catalog of Suspected Variable Stars" (Warren, NSSDC, September 1988). Consult that document, or the New Catalog itself, for more detailed information about the Catalog.

Contact Person

Questions regarding the VSTARSUSP database table can be addressed to the HEASARC User Hotline.
Page Author: Browse Software Development Team
Last Modified: Thursday, 18-Jul-2002 12:56:08 EDT