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

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