Robotic telescopes and grid technology have made significant progress in recent years. Both innovations offer important advantages over conventional technologies, particularly in combination with one another. Here, we introduce robotic telescopes use
d by the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam as ideal instruments for building a robotic telescope network. We also discuss the grid architecture and protocols facilitating the network integration that is being developed by the German AstroGrid-D project. Finally, we present three user interfaces employed for this purpose.
We present a detailed determination of the astrophysical parameters of the chromospherically active binary star EI Eridani. Our new radial velocities allow to improve the set of orbital elements and reveal long-term variations of the barycentric velo
city. A possible third-body orbit with a period of approximately 19 years is presented. Absolute parameters are determined in combination with the Hipparcos parallax. EI Eris inclination angle of the rotational axis is confined to 56.0 plus/minus 4.5 degrees, its luminosity class IV is confirmed by its radius of 2.37 plus/minus 0.12 R_Sun. A comparison to theoretical stellar evolutionary tracks suggests a mass of 1.09 plus/minus 0.05 M_Sun and an age of approximately 6.15 Gyr. The present investigation is the basis of our long-term Doppler imaging study of its stellar surface.
Beating the Earths day-night cycle is mandatory for long and continuous time-series photometry and had been achieved with either large ground-based networks of observatories at different geographic longitudes or when conducted from space. A third pos
sibility is offered by a polar location with astronomically-qualified site characteristics. Aims. In this paper, we present the first scientific stellar time-series optical photometry from Dome C in Antarctica and analyze approximately 13,000 CCD frames taken in July 2007. We conclude that high-precision CCD photometry with exceptional time coverage and cadence can be obtained at Dome C in Antarctica and be successfully used for time-series astrophysics.
