Star formation: study of the collapse of pre-stellar dense cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Commercon, Benoit

2009-01-01

One of the priorities of contemporary astrophysics remains to understand the mechanisms which lead to star formation. In the dense cores where star formation occurs, temperature, pressure, etc... are such that it is impossible to reproduce them in the laboratory. Numerical calculations remain the only mean to study physical phenomena that are involved in the star formation process. The focus of this thesis has been on the numerical methods that are used in the star formation context to describe highly non-linear and multi-scale phenomena. In particular, I have concentrated my work on the first stages of the pre-stellar dense cores collapse. This work is divided in 4 linked part. In a first study, I use a 1D Lagrangian code in spherical symmetry (Audit et al. 2002) to compare three models that incorporate radiative transfer and matter-radiation interactions. This comparison was based on simple gravitational collapse calculations which lead to the first Larson core formation. It was found that the Flux Limited Diffusion model is appropriate for star formation calculations. I also took benefit from this first work to study the properties of the accretion shock on the first Larson core. We developed a semi-analytic model based on well-known assumptions, which reproduces the jump properties at the shock. The second study consisted in implementing the Flux Limited Diffusion model with the radiation-hydrodynamics equations in the RAMSES code (Teyssier 2002). After a first step of numerical tests that validate the scheme, we used RAMSES to perform the first multidimensional collapse calculations that combine magnetic field and radiative transfer effects at small scales with a high numerical resolution. Our results show that the radiative transfer has a significant impact on the fragmentation in the collapse of pre-stellar dense cores. I also present a comparison we made between the RAMSES code (Eulerian approach) and the SPH code DRAGON (Goodwin 2004, Lagrangian approach

Collapsing stellar cores and supernovae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Epstein, R J [Nordisk Inst. for Teoretisk Atomfysik, Copenhagen (Denmark); Noorgaard, H [Nordisk Inst. for Teoretisk Atomfysik, Copenhagen (Denmark); Chicago Univ., IL (USA). Enrico Fermi Inst.); Bond, J R [Niels Bohr Institutet, Copenhagen (Denmark); California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena (USA). W.K. Kellogg Radiation Lab.)

1979-05-01

The evolution of a stellar core is studied during its final quasi-hydrostatic contraction. The core structure and the (poorly known) properties of neutron rich matter are parametrized to include most plausible cases. It is found that the density-temperature trajectory of the material in the central part of the core (the core-center) is insensitive to nearly all reasonable parameter variations. The central density at the onset of the dynamic phase of the collapse (when the core-center begins to fall away from the rest of the star) and the fraction of the emitted neutrinos which are trapped in the collapsing core-center depend quite sensitively on the properties of neutron rich matter. We estimate that the amount of energy Ecm which is imparted to the core-mantle by the neutrinos which escape from the imploded core-center can span a large range of values. For plausible choices of nuclear and model parameters Ecm can be large enough to yield a supernova event.

Gravitational wave generation by stellar core collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, T.A.

1981-01-01

Stars which have masses greater than 5 to 8 solar masses are thought to undergo a stage of catastrophic core collapse and subsequent supernova explosion at the end of their lives. If the core is not spherically symmetric, the bounce which halts its collapse at transnuclear densities will generate a pulse of gravitational waves. This thesis presents a fully relativistic model of core collapse which treats deviations from spherical symmetry as small perturbations on a spherical background. This model may be used to predict qualitative and quantitative features of the gravitational radiation emitted by stellar cores with odd-parity, axisymmetric fluid perturbations, and represents a first step in the application of perturbative methods to more general asymmetries. The first chapter reviews the present consensus on the physics of core collapse and outlines the important features, assumptions, and limitations of the model. A series of model runs are presented and discussed. Finally, several proposals for future research are presented. Subsequent chapters explore in detail the mathematical features of the present model and its realization on the computer

Some topics on nuclear astrophysics and neutrino astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakazato, Ken'ichiro

2010-01-01

Massive stars make a gravitational collapse at the end of their lives emitting a large amount of neutrinos. In this process, the density and temperature of matter become high. Therefore neutrino detection of stellar collapse can teach us properties of hot and/or dense nuclear matter. In this article, some subjects on the nuclear astrophysics and/or neutrino astronomy, on which we are now working, are reported. (author)

Neutrino emission spectra of collapsing degenerate stellar cores - Calculations by the Monte Carlo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levitan, Iu.L.; Sobol, I.M.; Khlopov, M.Iu.; Chechetkin, V.M.

1982-01-01

The variation of the hard part of the neutrino emission spectra of collapsing degenerate stellar cores with matter having a small optical depth to neutrinos is analyzed. The interaction of neutrinos with the degenerate matter is determined by processes of neutrino scattering on nuclei (without a change in neutrino energy) and neutrino scattering on degenerate electrons, in which the neutrino energy can only decrease. The neutrino emission spectrum of a collapsing stellar core in the initial stage of the onset of opacity is calculated by the Monte Carlo method: using a central density of 10 trillion g/cu cm and, in the stage of deep collapse, for a central density of 60 trillion g/cu cm. In the latter case the calculation of the spectrum without allowance for effects of neutrino degeneration in the central part of the collapsing stellar core corresponds to the maximum possible suppression of the hard part of the neutrino emission spectrum

Computational Laboratory Astrophysics to Enable Transport Modeling of Protons and Hydrogen in Stellar Winds, the ISM, and other Astrophysical Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, David

As recognized prominently by the APRA program, interpretation of NASA astrophysical mission observations requires significant products of laboratory astrophysics, for example, spectral lines and transition probabilities, electron-, proton-, or heavy-particle collision data. Availability of these data underpin robust and validated models of astrophysical emissions and absorptions, energy, momentum, and particle transport, dynamics, and reactions. Therefore, measured or computationally derived, analyzed, and readily available laboratory astrophysics data significantly enhances the scientific return on NASA missions such as HST, Spitzer, and JWST. In the present work a comprehensive set of data will be developed for the ubiquitous proton-hydrogen and hydrogen-hydrogen collisions in astrophysical environments including ISM shocks, supernova remnants and bubbles, HI clouds, young stellar objects, and winds within stellar spheres, covering the necessary wide range of energy- and charge-changing channels, collision energies, and most relevant scattering parameters. In addition, building on preliminary work, a transport and reaction simulation will be developed incorporating the elastic and inelastic collision data collected and produced. The work will build upon significant previous efforts of the principal investigators and collaborators, will result in a comprehensive data set required for modeling these environments and interpreting NASA astrophysical mission observations, and will benefit from feedback from collaborators who are active users of the work proposed.

Rotating collapse of stellar iron cores in general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, C D; Dimmelmeier, H; Marek, A; Janka, H-T; Zink, B; Hawke, I; Schnetter, E

2007-01-01

We present results from the first 2 + 1 and 3 + 1 simulations of the collapse of rotating stellar iron cores in general relativity employing a finite-temperature equation of state and an approximate treatment of deleptonization during collapse. We compare full 3 + 1 and conformally-flat spacetime evolution methods and find that the conformally-flat treatment is sufficiently accurate for the core-collapse supernova problem. We focus on the gravitational wave (GW) emission from rotating collapse, core bounce and early postbounce phases. Our results indicate that the GW signature of these phases is much more generic than previously estimated. In addition, we track the growth of a nonaxisymmetric instability of dominant m = 1 character in two of our models that leads to prolonged narrow-band GW emission at ∼920-930 Hz over several tens of milliseconds

Rate of stellar collapses in the Galaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lande, K.; Stephens, W.E.

1977-01-01

From an analysis of pulsar spatial and luminosity distributions, the number density of observed pulsars in the local region is determined to be 1.1+-0.4x10 -7 pulsar pc -3 . Multiplication by the detection factor and by the ratio of Galaxy mass to local matter density and division by a mean lifetime of pulsars of 3x10 6 yr suggests a pulsar birth every 4 yr. A stellar collapse might occur even more often. (Auth.)

Stellar core collapse and supernova

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, J.R.; Mayle, R.; Woosley, S.E.; Weaver, T.

1985-04-01

Massive stars that end their stable evolution as their iron cores collapse to a neutron star or black hole long been considered good candidates for producing Type II supernovae. For many years the outward propagation of the shock wave produced by the bounce of these iron cores has been studied as a possible mechanism for the explosion. For the most part, the results of these studies have not been particularly encouraging, except, perhaps, in the case of very low mass iron cores or very soft nuclear equations of state. The shock stalls, overwhelmed by photodisintegration and neutrino losses, and the star does not explode. More recently, slow late time heating of the envelope of the incipient neutron star has been found to be capable of rejuvenating the stalled shock and producing an explosion after all. The present paper discusses this late time heating and presents results from numerical calculations of the evolution, core collapse, and subsequent explosion of a number of recent stellar models. For the first time they all, except perhaps the most massive, explode with reasonable choices of input physics. 39 refs., 17 figs., 1 tab

On stellar collapse: continual or oscillatory. A short comment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, P.T.

1980-01-01

We comment on a previously published paper on the oscillatory dynamics of stellar collapse and conclude that the Schwarzschild interior solution applied to the 'inflection points' can never give rise to a 'turning back' motion, in spite of the fact that the geodesic equation really does not always describe an attractive gravitational acceleration

Solar astrophysics: ghettosis from, or symbiosis with, stellar and galactic astrophysics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pecker, J C; Thomas, R N [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 75 - Paris (France). Inst. d' Astrophysique

1976-07-01

The authors summarize how the solar-stellar symbiotic approach, an astrophysical research method, has led to the modeling of a star as a concentration of matter and energy. The observational aspect of the method is to discover an 'anomalous' feature, in either the Sun, where the feature is small, or in an unusual or exceptional star, where the feature is large. The theoretical aspect of the method is to discover some physical inconsistency in theoretical models of some phenomenon or in theoretical basis for some diagnostic method, and attempt to develop a better approach, guided by the observational application.

Flares: solar and stellar. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory workshop on astronomy and astrophysics, Abingdon, 19-21 May 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gondhalekar, P.M.

1986-05-01

The paper concerns solar and stellar flare phenomena reported at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Workshop on Astronomy and Astrophysics, May 1986. Eleven papers were presented at the Workshop on: the solar-stellar connection, observational evidence for solar and stellar flares, and flare models; and all are indexed separately. (UK)

MODULES FOR EXPERIMENTS IN STELLAR ASTROPHYSICS (MESA): PLANETS, OSCILLATIONS, ROTATION, AND MASSIVE STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paxton, Bill; Cantiello, Matteo; Bildsten, Lars; Arras, Phil; Brown, Edward F.; Dotter, Aaron; Mankovich, Christopher; Montgomery, M. H.; Stello, Dennis; Timmes, F. X.; Townsend, Richard

2013-01-01

We substantially update the capabilities of the open source software package Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), and its one-dimensional stellar evolution module, MESA star. Improvements in MESA star's ability to model the evolution of giant planets now extends its applicability down to masses as low as one-tenth that of Jupiter. The dramatic improvement in asteroseismology enabled by the space-based Kepler and CoRoT missions motivates our full coupling of the ADIPLS adiabatic pulsation code with MESA star. This also motivates a numerical recasting of the Ledoux criterion that is more easily implemented when many nuclei are present at non-negligible abundances. This impacts the way in which MESA star calculates semi-convective and thermohaline mixing. We exhibit the evolution of 3-8 M ☉ stars through the end of core He burning, the onset of He thermal pulses, and arrival on the white dwarf cooling sequence. We implement diffusion of angular momentum and chemical abundances that enable calculations of rotating-star models, which we compare thoroughly with earlier work. We introduce a new treatment of radiation-dominated envelopes that allows the uninterrupted evolution of massive stars to core collapse. This enables the generation of new sets of supernovae, long gamma-ray burst, and pair-instability progenitor models. We substantially modify the way in which MESA star solves the fully coupled stellar structure and composition equations, and we show how this has improved the scaling of MESA's calculational speed on multi-core processors. Updates to the modules for equation of state, opacity, nuclear reaction rates, and atmospheric boundary conditions are also provided. We describe the MESA Software Development Kit that packages all the required components needed to form a unified, maintained, and well-validated build environment for MESA. We also highlight a few tools developed by the community for rapid visualization of MESA star results

Gravitational waves from axisymmetric rotating stellar core collapse to a neutron star in full general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, Masaru; Sekiguchi, Yu-ichirou

2004-01-01

Axisymmetric numerical simulations of rotating stellar core collapse to a neutron star are performed in the framework of full general relativity. The so-called Cartoon method, in which the Einstein field equations are solved in Cartesian coordinates and the axisymmetric condition is imposed around the y=0 plane, is adopted. The hydrodynamic equations are solved in cylindrical coordinates (on the y=0 plane in Cartesian coordinates) using a high-resolution shock-capturing scheme with maximum grid size (2500,2500). A parametric equation of state is adopted to model collapsing stellar cores and neutron stars following Dimmelmeier, Font, and Mueller. It is found that the evolution of the central density during the collapse, bounce, and formation of protoneutron stars agrees well with that in the work of Dimmelmeier, Font, and Mueller in which an approximate general relativistic formulation is adopted. This indicates that such an approximation is appropriate for following axisymmetric stellar core collapses and the subsequent formation of protoneutron stars. Gravitational waves are computed using a quadrupole formula. It is found that the waveforms are qualitatively in good agreement with those by Dimmelmeier, Font, and Mueller. However, quantitatively, two waveforms do not agree well. The possible reasons for the disagreement are discussed

Current status of relativistic core collapse simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Font, Jose A [Departamento de Astronomia y Astrofisica, Universidad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot (Valencia) (Spain)

2007-05-15

With the first generation of ground-based gravitational wave laser interferometers already taking data, the availability of reliable waveform templates from astrophysical sources, which may help extract the signal from the anticipated noisy data, is urgently required. Gravitational stellar core collapse supernova has traditionally been considered among the most important astrophysical sources of potentially detectable gravitational radiation. Only very recently the first multidimensional simulations of relativistic rotational core collapse have been possible (albeit for models with simplified input physics), thanks to the use of conservative formulations of the hydrodynamics equations and advanced numerical methodology, as well as stable formulations of Einstein's equations. In this paper, the current status of relativistic core collapse simulations is discussed, with the emphasis given to the modelling of the collapse dynamics and to the computation of the gravitational radiation in the existing numerical approaches. Work employing the conformally-flat approximation (CFC) of the 3+1 Einstein's equations is reported, as well as extensions of this approximation (CFC+) and investigations within the framework of the so-called BSSN formulation of the 3+1 gravitational field equations (with no approximation for the spacetime dynamics). On the other hand, the incorporation of magnetic fields and the MHD equations in numerical codes to improve the realism of core collapse simulations in general relativity, is currently an emerging field where significant progress is bound to be soon achieved. The paper also contains a brief discussion of magneto-rotational simulations of core collapse, aiming at addressing the effects of magnetic fields on the collapse dynamics and on the gravitational waveforms.

Current status of relativistic core collapse simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Font, Jose A

2007-01-01

With the first generation of ground-based gravitational wave laser interferometers already taking data, the availability of reliable waveform templates from astrophysical sources, which may help extract the signal from the anticipated noisy data, is urgently required. Gravitational stellar core collapse supernova has traditionally been considered among the most important astrophysical sources of potentially detectable gravitational radiation. Only very recently the first multidimensional simulations of relativistic rotational core collapse have been possible (albeit for models with simplified input physics), thanks to the use of conservative formulations of the hydrodynamics equations and advanced numerical methodology, as well as stable formulations of Einstein's equations. In this paper, the current status of relativistic core collapse simulations is discussed, with the emphasis given to the modelling of the collapse dynamics and to the computation of the gravitational radiation in the existing numerical approaches. Work employing the conformally-flat approximation (CFC) of the 3+1 Einstein's equations is reported, as well as extensions of this approximation (CFC+) and investigations within the framework of the so-called BSSN formulation of the 3+1 gravitational field equations (with no approximation for the spacetime dynamics). On the other hand, the incorporation of magnetic fields and the MHD equations in numerical codes to improve the realism of core collapse simulations in general relativity, is currently an emerging field where significant progress is bound to be soon achieved. The paper also contains a brief discussion of magneto-rotational simulations of core collapse, aiming at addressing the effects of magnetic fields on the collapse dynamics and on the gravitational waveforms

Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Giant Planets, Oscillations, Rotation, and Massive Stars

OpenAIRE

Paxton, Bill; Cantiello, Matteo; Arras, Phil; Bildsten, Lars; Brown, Edward F.; Dotter, Aaron; Mankovich, Christopher; Montgomery, M. H.; Stello, Dennis; Timmes, F. X.; Townsend, Richard

2013-01-01

We substantially update the capabilities of the open source software package Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), and its one-dimensional stellar evolution module, MESA Star. Improvements in MESA Star's ability to model the evolution of giant planets now extends its applicability down to masses as low as one-tenth that of Jupiter. The dramatic improvement in asteroseismology enabled by the space-based Kepler and CoRoT missions motivates our full coupling of the ADIPLS adiab...

MODULES FOR EXPERIMENTS IN STELLAR ASTROPHYSICS (MESA): PLANETS, OSCILLATIONS, ROTATION, AND MASSIVE STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paxton, Bill; Cantiello, Matteo; Bildsten, Lars [Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Arras, Phil [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4325 (United States); Brown, Edward F. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, and Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48864 (United States); Dotter, Aaron [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Mankovich, Christopher [Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Montgomery, M. H. [Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Stello, Dennis [Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Timmes, F. X. [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States); Townsend, Richard, E-mail: matteo@kitp.ucsb.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)

2013-09-15

We substantially update the capabilities of the open source software package Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), and its one-dimensional stellar evolution module, MESA star. Improvements in MESA star's ability to model the evolution of giant planets now extends its applicability down to masses as low as one-tenth that of Jupiter. The dramatic improvement in asteroseismology enabled by the space-based Kepler and CoRoT missions motivates our full coupling of the ADIPLS adiabatic pulsation code with MESA star. This also motivates a numerical recasting of the Ledoux criterion that is more easily implemented when many nuclei are present at non-negligible abundances. This impacts the way in which MESA star calculates semi-convective and thermohaline mixing. We exhibit the evolution of 3-8 M{sub Sun} stars through the end of core He burning, the onset of He thermal pulses, and arrival on the white dwarf cooling sequence. We implement diffusion of angular momentum and chemical abundances that enable calculations of rotating-star models, which we compare thoroughly with earlier work. We introduce a new treatment of radiation-dominated envelopes that allows the uninterrupted evolution of massive stars to core collapse. This enables the generation of new sets of supernovae, long gamma-ray burst, and pair-instability progenitor models. We substantially modify the way in which MESA star solves the fully coupled stellar structure and composition equations, and we show how this has improved the scaling of MESA's calculational speed on multi-core processors. Updates to the modules for equation of state, opacity, nuclear reaction rates, and atmospheric boundary conditions are also provided. We describe the MESA Software Development Kit that packages all the required components needed to form a unified, maintained, and well-validated build environment for MESA. We also highlight a few tools developed by the community for rapid visualization of MESA star

Upper limits on gravitational-wave bursts radiated from stellar-core collapses in our galaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ando, Masaki; Akutsu, Tomomi; Akutsu, Tomotada

2005-01-01

We present the results of observations with the TAMA300 gravitational-wave detector, targeting burst signals from stellar-core collapse events. We used an excess-power filter to extract gravitational-wave candidates, and developed two methods to reduce fake events caused by non-stationary noises of the detector. These analysis methods were applied to real data from the TAMA300 interferometric gravitational wave detector. We compared the data-processed results with those of a Monte Carlo simulation with an assumed galactic-event distribution model and with burst waveforms expected from numerical simulations of stellar-core collapses, in order to interpret the event candidates from an astronomical viewpoint. We set an upper limit of 5.0 x 10 3 events s -1 on the burst gravitational-wave event rate in our galaxy with a confidence level of 90%

Relativistic MHD simulations of stellar core collapse and magnetars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Font, Jose A; Gabler, Michael [Departamento de AstronomIa y Astrofisica, Universitat de Valencia, 46100 Burjassot (Valencia) (Spain); Cerda-Duran, Pablo; Mueller, Ewald [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, 85741 Garching (Germany); Stergioulas, Nikolaos, E-mail: j.antonio.font@uv.es [Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124 (Greece)

2011-02-01

We present results from simulations of magneto-rotational stellar core collapse along with Alfven oscillations in magnetars. These simulations are performed with the CoCoA/CoCoNuT code, which is able to handle ideal MHD flows in dynamical spacetimes in general relativity. Our core collapse simulations highlight the importance of genuine magnetic effects, like the magneto-rotational instability, for the dynamics of the flow. For the modelling of magnetars we use the anelastic approximation to general relativistic MHD, which allows for an effective suppression of fluid modes and an accurate description of Alfven waves. We further compute Alfven oscillation frequencies along individual magnetic field lines with a semi-analytic approach. Our work confirms previous results based on perturbative approaches regarding the existence of two families of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), with harmonics at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. Additional material is presented in the accompanying contribution by Gabler et al (2010b) in these proceedings.

The formation of stellar black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Mirabel, Félix

2017-08-01

It is believed that stellar black holes (BHs) can be formed in two different ways: Either a massive star collapses directly into a BH without a supernova (SN) explosion, or an explosion occurs in a proto-neutron star, but the energy is too low to completely unbind the stellar envelope, and a large fraction of it falls back onto the short-lived neutron star (NS), leading to the delayed formation of a BH. Theoretical models set progenitor masses for BH formation by implosion, namely, by complete or almost complete collapse, but observational evidences have been elusive. Here are reviewed the observational insights on BHs formed by implosion without large natal kicks from: (1) the kinematics in three dimensions of space of five Galactic BH X-ray binaries (BH-XRBs), (2) the diversity of optical and infrared observations of massive stars that collapse in the dark, with no luminous SN explosions, possibly leading to the formation of BHs, and (3) the sources of gravitational waves (GWs) produced by mergers of stellar BHs so far detected with LIGO. Multiple indications of BH formation without ejection of a significant amount of matter and with no natal kicks obtained from these different areas of observational astrophysics, and the recent observational confirmation of the expected dependence of BH formation on metallicity and redshift, are qualitatively consistent with the high merger rates of binary black holes (BBHs) inferred from the first detections with LIGO.

Search for stellar collapse with the MACRO detector at Gran Sasso

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The first MACRO supermodule commenced data taking in February 1989. Two complementary trigger and readout systems have been used to monitor the horizontal scintillation counters, which contain 42 tonnes (∼1 ktonne for the full MACRO detector) of liquid scintillator, for bursts of low energy anti-neutrinos from gravitational stellar collapses. This paper reports on an initial search and discusses the present as well as ultimate sensitivity of MACRO to this class of events. 4 figs

Axisymmetric core collapse simulations using characteristic numerical relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siebel, Florian; Mueller, Ewald; Font, Jose A.; Papadopoulos, Philippos

2003-01-01

We present results from nonrotating axisymmetric stellar core collapse simulations in general relativity. Our hydrodynamics code has proved robust and accurate enough to allow for a detailed analysis of the global dynamics of the collapse. Contrary to traditional approaches based on the 3+1 formulation of the gravitational field equations, our framework uses a foliation based on a family of outgoing light cones, emanating from a regular center, and terminating at future null infinity. Such a coordinate system is well adapted to the study of interesting dynamical spacetimes in relativistic astrophysics such as stellar core collapse and neutron star formation. Perhaps most importantly this procedure allows for the extraction of gravitational waves at future null infinity, along with the commonly used quadrupole formalism for the gravitational wave extraction. Our results concerning the gravitational wave signals show noticeable disagreement when those are extracted by computing the Bondi news at future null infinity on the one hand and by using the quadrupole formula on the other hand. We have a strong indication that for our setup the quadrupole formula on the null cone does not lead to physical gravitational wave signals. The Bondi gravitational wave signals extracted at infinity show typical oscillation frequencies of about 0.5 kHz

Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics

CERN Document Server

2002-01-01

Interstellar medium, Light, Magnetisphere, Matter, Planet Earth, Public Impact, Solar Activity, Solar Heliosphere, Solar Interior, Solar Systems, Space, Stellar Astrophysics, Stellar Populations, Telescopes, Time The Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics covers 30 major subject areas, such as Active galaxies, Astrometry, Astrophysical theory, Atmospheres, Binary stars, Biography, Clusters, Coordinates, Cosmology, Earth, Education, Galaxies,

Laboratory Astrophysics Prize: Laboratory Astrophysics with Nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Wiescher, Michael

2018-06-01

Nuclear astrophysics is concerned with nuclear reaction and decay processes from the Big Bang to the present star generation controlling the chemical evolution of our universe. Such nuclear reactions maintain stellar life, determine stellar evolution, and finally drive stellar explosion in the circle of stellar life. Laboratory nuclear astrophysics seeks to simulate and understand the underlying processes using a broad portfolio of nuclear instrumentation, from reactor to accelerator from stable to radioactive beams to map the broad spectrum of nucleosynthesis processes. This talk focuses on only two aspects of the broad field, the need of deep underground accelerator facilities in cosmic ray free environments in order to understand the nucleosynthesis in stars, and the need for high intensity radioactive beam facilities to recreate the conditions found in stellar explosions. Both concepts represent the two main frontiers of the field, which are being pursued in the US with the CASPAR accelerator at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota and the FRIB facility at Michigan State University.

Terrestrial aurora: astrophysical laboratory for anomalous abundances in stellar systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Roth

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The unique magnetic structure of the terrestrial aurora as a conduit of information between the ionosphere and magnetosphere can be utilized as a laboratory for physical processes at similar magnetic configurations and applied to various evolutionary phases of the solar (stellar system. The most spectacular heliospheric abundance enhancement involves the 3He isotope and selective heavy elements in impulsive solar flares. In situ observations of electromagnetic waves on active aurora are extrapolated to flaring corona in an analysis of solar acceleration processes of 3He, the only element that may resonate strongly with the waves, as well as heavy ions with specific charge-to-mass ratios, which may resonate weaker via their higher gyroharmonics. These results are applied to two observed anomalous astrophysical abundances: (1 enhanced abundance of 3He and possibly 13C in the late stellar evolutionary stages of planetary nebulae; and (2 enhanced abundance of the observed fossil element 26Mg in meteorites as a decay product of radioactive 26Al isotope due to interaction with the flare-energized 3He in the early solar system.

Stellar astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

A number of studies in the field of steller astrophysics were undertaken by the South African Astronomical Observatory in 1986. These studies included; evolutionary effects on the surface abundances of an early-type supergiant; hydrogen deficient stars; t tauri stars; rotational modulation and flares on RS CVn and BY Dra stars; carbon and heavy element stars, and slow variability and circumstellar shells of red variable stars. 4 figs

Experimental studies of nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Jianjun; Zhou Xiaohong; Zhang Yuhu

2013-01-01

Nuclear astrophysics is an interdisciplinary subject combining micro-scale nuclear physics and macro-scale astrophysics. Its main aims are to understand the origin and evolution of the elements in the universe, the time scale of stellar evolution, the stellar environment and sites, the energy generation of stars from thermonuclear processes and its impact on stellar evolution and the mechanisms driving astrophysical phenomena, and the structure and property of compact stars. This paper presents the significance and current research status of nuclear astrophysics; we introduce some fundamental concepts, the nuclear physics input parameters required by certain astrophysics models, and some widely-used experimental approaches in nuclear astrophysics research. The potential and feasibility of research in this field using China’s current and planned large-scale scientific facilities are analyzed briefly. Finally, the prospects of the establishing a deep underground science and engineering laboratory in China are envisaged. (authors)

Relativistic astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Demianski, Marek

2013-01-01

Relativistic Astrophysics brings together important astronomical discoveries and the significant achievements, as well as the difficulties in the field of relativistic astrophysics. This book is divided into 10 chapters that tackle some aspects of the field, including the gravitational field, stellar equilibrium, black holes, and cosmology. The opening chapters introduce the theories to delineate gravitational field and the elements of relativistic thermodynamics and hydrodynamics. The succeeding chapters deal with the gravitational fields in matter; stellar equilibrium and general relativity

Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Convective Boundaries, Element Diffusion, and Massive Star Explosions

OpenAIRE

Paxton, Bill; Schwab, Josiah; Bauer, Evan B.; Bildsten, Lars; Blinnikov, Sergei; Duffell, Paul; Farmer, R.; Goldberg, Jared A.; Marchant, Pablo; Sorokina, Elena; Thoul, Anne; Townsend, Richard H. D.; Timmes, F. X.

2017-01-01

We update the capabilities of the software instrument Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) and enhance its ease of use and availability. Our new approach to locating convective boundaries is consistent with the physics of convection, and yields reliable values of the convective core mass during both hydrogen and helium burning phases. Stars with $M

Physics of stellar evolution and cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldberg, H.S.; Scadron, M.D.

1981-01-01

Astrophysical phenomena are examined on a fundamental level, stressing basic physical laws, in a textbook suitable for a one-semester intermediate course. The ideal gas law, the meaning of temperature, black-body radiation, discrete spectra, and the Doppler effect are introduced and used to study such features of the interstellar medium as 21-cm radiation, nebulae and dust, and the galactic magnetic field. The phases of stellar evolution are discussed, including stellar collapse, quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium, the main sequence, red giants, white dwarves, neutron stars, supernovae, pulsars, and black holes. Among the cosmological topics covered are the implications of Hubble's constant, the red-shift curve, the steady-state universe, the evolution of the big bang (thermal equilibrium, hadron era, lepton era, primordial nucleosynthesis, hydrogen recombination, galaxy formation, and the cosmic fireball), and the future (cold end or big crunch). 72 references

Topics in Nuclear Astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, K.C.

1982-01-01

Some topics in nuclear astrophysics are discussed, e.g.: highly evolved stellar cores, stellar evolution (through the temperature analysis of stellar surface), nucleosynthesis and finally the solar neutrino problem. (L.C.) [pt

Accreting CO material onto ONe white dwarfs towards accretion-induced collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Cheng-Yuan; Wang, Bo

2018-03-01

The final outcomes of accreting ONe white dwarfs (ONe WDs) have been studied for several decades, but there are still some issues that are not resolved. Recently, some studies suggested that the deflagration of oxygen would occur for accreting ONe WDs with Chandrasekhar masses. In this paper, we aim to investigate whether ONe WDs can experience accretion-induced collapse (AIC) or explosions when their masses approach the Chandrasekhar limit. Employing the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), we simulate the long-term evolution of ONe WDs with accreting CO material. The ONe WDs undergo weak multicycle carbon flashes during the mass-accretion process, leading to mass increase of the WDs. We found that different initial WD masses and mass-accretion rates influence the evolution of central density and temperature. However, the central temperature cannot reach the explosive oxygen ignition temperature due to neutrino cooling. This work implies that the final outcome of accreting ONe WDs is electron-capture induced collapse rather than thermonuclear explosion.

Gravitational wave extraction in simulations of rotating stellar core collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reisswig, C.; Ott, C. D.; Sperhake, U.; Schnetter, E.

2011-01-01

We perform simulations of general relativistic rotating stellar core collapse and compute the gravitational waves (GWs) emitted in the core-bounce phase of three representative models via multiple techniques. The simplest technique, the quadrupole formula (QF), estimates the GW content in the spacetime from the mass-quadrupole tensor only. It is strictly valid only in the weak-field and slow-motion approximation. For the first time, we apply GW extraction methods in core collapse that are fully curvature based and valid for strongly radiating and highly relativistic sources. These techniques are not restricted to weak-field and slow-motion assumptions. We employ three extraction methods computing (i) the Newman-Penrose (NP) scalar Ψ 4 , (ii) Regge-Wheeler-Zerilli-Moncrief master functions, and (iii) Cauchy-characteristic extraction (CCE) allowing for the extraction of GWs at future null infinity, where the spacetime is asymptotically flat and the GW content is unambiguously defined. The latter technique is the only one not suffering from residual gauge and finite-radius effects. All curvature-based methods suffer from strong nonlinear drifts. We employ the fixed-frequency integration technique as a high-pass waveform filter. Using the CCE results as a benchmark, we find that finite-radius NP extraction yields results that agree nearly perfectly in phase, but differ in amplitude by ∼1%-7% at core bounce, depending on the model. Regge-Wheeler-Zerilli-Moncrief waveforms, while, in general, agreeing in phase, contain spurious high-frequency noise of comparable amplitudes to those of the relatively weak GWs emitted in core collapse. We also find remarkably good agreement of the waveforms obtained from the QF with those obtained from CCE. The results from QF agree very well in phase and systematically underpredict peak amplitudes by ∼5%-11%, which is comparable to the NP results and is certainly within the uncertainties associated with core collapse physics.

Gravitational Waves from Gravitational Collapse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris L. Fryer

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Gravitational-wave emission from stellar collapse has been studied for nearly four decades. Current state-of-the-art numerical investigations of collapse include those that use progenitors with more realistic angular momentum profiles, properly treat microphysics issues, account for general relativity, and examine non-axisymmetric effects in three dimensions. Such simulations predict that gravitational waves from various phenomena associated with gravitational collapse could be detectable with ground-based and space-based interferometric observatories. This review covers the entire range of stellar collapse sources of gravitational waves: from the accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf through the collapse down to neutron stars or black holes of massive stars to the collapse of supermassive stars.

Gravitational waves from gravitational collapse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fryer, Christopher L [Los Alamos National Laboratory; New, Kimberly C [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2008-01-01

Gravitational wave emission from stellar collapse has been studied for nearly four decades. Current state-of-the-art numerical investigations of collapse include those that use progenitors with more realistic angular momentum profiles, properly treat microphysics issues, account for general relativity, and examine non-axisymmetric effects in three dimensions. Such simulations predict that gravitational waves from various phenomena associated with gravitational collapse could be detectable with ground-based and space-based interferometric observatories. This review covers the entire range of stellar collapse sources of gravitational waves: from the accretion induced collapse of a white dwarf through the collapse down to neutron stars or black holes of massive stars to the collapse of supermassive stars.

Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Convective Boundaries, Element Diffusion, and Massive Star Explosions

Science.gov (United States)

Paxton, Bill; Schwab, Josiah; Bauer, Evan B.; Bildsten, Lars; Blinnikov, Sergei; Duffell, Paul; Farmer, R.; Goldberg, Jared A.; Marchant, Pablo; Sorokina, Elena; Thoul, Anne; Townsend, Richard H. D.; Timmes, F. X.

2018-02-01

We update the capabilities of the software instrument Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) and enhance its ease of use and availability. Our new approach to locating convective boundaries is consistent with the physics of convection, and yields reliable values of the convective-core mass during both hydrogen- and helium-burning phases. Stars with Meffects of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities that, in combination with the coupling to a public version of the STELLA radiation transfer instrument, creates new avenues for exploring Type II supernova properties. These capabilities are exhibited with exploratory models of pair-instability supernovae, pulsational pair-instability supernovae, and the formation of stellar-mass black holes. The applicability of MESA is now widened by the capability to import multidimensional hydrodynamic models into MESA. We close by introducing software modules for handling floating point exceptions and stellar model optimization, as well as four new software tools - MESA-Web, MESA-Docker, pyMESA, and mesastar.org - to enhance MESA's education and research impact.

Introduction to Nuclear Astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iliadis, Christian

2010-01-01

In the first lecture of this volume, we will present the basic fundamental ideas regarding nuclear processes occurring in stars. We start from stellar observations, will then elaborate on some important quantum-mechanical phenomena governing nuclear reactions, continue with how nuclear reactions proceed in a hot stellar plasma and, finally, we will provide an overview of stellar burning stages. At the end, the current knowledge regarding the origin of the elements is briefly summarized. This lecture is directed towards the student of nuclear astrophysics. Our intention is to present seemingly unrelated phenomena of nuclear physics and astrophysics in a coherent framework.

Gravitational Waves from Gravitational Collapse.

Science.gov (United States)

Fryer, Chris L; New, Kimberly C B

2011-01-01

Gravitational-wave emission from stellar collapse has been studied for nearly four decades. Current state-of-the-art numerical investigations of collapse include those that use progenitors with more realistic angular momentum profiles, properly treat microphysics issues, account for general relativity, and examine non-axisymmetric effects in three dimensions. Such simulations predict that gravitational waves from various phenomena associated with gravitational collapse could be detectable with ground-based and space-based interferometric observatories. This review covers the entire range of stellar collapse sources of gravitational waves: from the accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf through the collapse down to neutron stars or black holes of massive stars to the collapse of supermassive stars. Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.12942/lrr-2011-1.

Observation results by the TAMA300 detector on gravitational wave bursts from stellar-core collapses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ando, Masaki; Aso, Youichi; Iida, Yukiyoshi; Nishi, Yuhiko; Otsuka, Shigemi; Seki, Hidetsugu; Soida, Kenji; Taniguchi, Shinsuke; Tochikubo, Kuniharu; Tsubono, Kimio; Yoda, Tatsuo; Arai, Koji; Beyersdorf, Peter; Kawamura, Seiji; Sato, Shuichi; Takahashi, Ryutaro; Tatsumi, Daisuke; Tsunesada, Yoshiki; Zhu, Zong-Hong; Fujimoto, Masa-Katsu

2005-01-01

We present data-analysis schemes and results of observations with the TAMA300 gravitational wave detector, targeting burst signals from stellar-core collapse events. In analyses for burst gravitational waves, the detection and fake-reduction schemes are different from well-investigated ones for a chirp wave analysis, because precise waveform templates are not available. We used an excess -power filter for the extraction of gravitational wave candidates, and developed two methods for the reduction of fake events caused by nonstationary noises of the detector. These analysis schemes were applied to real data from the TAMA300 interferometric gravitational wave detector. As a result, fake events were reduced by a factor of about 1000 in the best cases. In addition, in order to interpret the event candidates from an astronomical viewpoint, we performed a Monte-Carlo simulation with an assumed Galactic event distribution model and with burst waveforms obtained from numerical simulations of stellar-core collapses. We set an upper limit of 5.0x10 3 events/sec on the burst gravitational wave event rate in our Galaxy with a confidence level of 90%. This work shows prospects on the search for burst gravitational waves, by establishing an analysis scheme for the observation data from an interferometric gravitational wave detector

A new open-source code for spherically symmetric stellar collapse to neutron stars and black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Connor, Evan; Ott, Christian D

2010-01-01

We present the new open-source spherically symmetric general-relativistic (GR) hydrodynamics code GR1D. It is based on the Eulerian formulation of GR hydrodynamics (GRHD) put forth by Romero-Ibanez-Gourgoulhon and employs radial-gauge, polar-slicing coordinates in which the 3+1 equations simplify substantially. We discretize the GRHD equations with a finite-volume scheme, employing piecewise-parabolic reconstruction and an approximate Riemann solver. GR1D is intended for the simulation of stellar collapse to neutron stars and black holes and will also serve as a testbed for modeling technology to be incorporated in multi-D GR codes. Its GRHD part is coupled to various finite-temperature microphysical equations of state in tabulated form that we make available with GR1D. An approximate deleptonization scheme for the collapse phase and a neutrino-leakage/heating scheme for the postbounce epoch are included and described. We also derive the equations for effective rotation in 1D and implement them in GR1D. We present an array of standard test calculations and also show how simple analytic equations of state in combination with presupernova models from stellar evolutionary calculations can be used to study qualitative aspects of black hole formation in failing rotating core-collapse supernovae. In addition, we present a simulation with microphysical equations of state and neutrino leakage/heating of a failing core-collapse supernova and black hole formation in a presupernova model of a 40 M o-dot zero-age main-sequence star. We find good agreement on the time of black hole formation (within 20%) and last stable protoneutron star mass (within 10%) with predictions from simulations with full Boltzmann neutrino radiation hydrodynamics.

A new open-source code for spherically symmetric stellar collapse to neutron stars and black holes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Connor, Evan; Ott, Christian D, E-mail: evanoc@tapir.caltech.ed, E-mail: cott@tapir.caltech.ed [TAPIR, Mail Code 350-17, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2010-06-07

We present the new open-source spherically symmetric general-relativistic (GR) hydrodynamics code GR1D. It is based on the Eulerian formulation of GR hydrodynamics (GRHD) put forth by Romero-Ibanez-Gourgoulhon and employs radial-gauge, polar-slicing coordinates in which the 3+1 equations simplify substantially. We discretize the GRHD equations with a finite-volume scheme, employing piecewise-parabolic reconstruction and an approximate Riemann solver. GR1D is intended for the simulation of stellar collapse to neutron stars and black holes and will also serve as a testbed for modeling technology to be incorporated in multi-D GR codes. Its GRHD part is coupled to various finite-temperature microphysical equations of state in tabulated form that we make available with GR1D. An approximate deleptonization scheme for the collapse phase and a neutrino-leakage/heating scheme for the postbounce epoch are included and described. We also derive the equations for effective rotation in 1D and implement them in GR1D. We present an array of standard test calculations and also show how simple analytic equations of state in combination with presupernova models from stellar evolutionary calculations can be used to study qualitative aspects of black hole formation in failing rotating core-collapse supernovae. In addition, we present a simulation with microphysical equations of state and neutrino leakage/heating of a failing core-collapse supernova and black hole formation in a presupernova model of a 40 M{sub o-dot} zero-age main-sequence star. We find good agreement on the time of black hole formation (within 20%) and last stable protoneutron star mass (within 10%) with predictions from simulations with full Boltzmann neutrino radiation hydrodynamics.

Astrophysical Shrapnel: Discriminating Among Near-Earth Stellar Explosion Sources of Live Radioactive Isotopes

CERN Document Server

Fry, Brian J; Ellis, John R

2015-01-01

We consider the production and deposition on Earth of isotopes with half-lives in the range 10$^{5}$ to 10$^{8}$ years that might provide signatures of nearby stellar explosions, extending previous analyses of Core-Collapse Supernovae (CCSNe) to include Electron-Capture Supernovae (ECSNe), Super-Asymptotic Giant Branch (SAGBs) stars, Thermonuclear/Type Ia Supernovae (TNSNe), and Kilonovae/Neutron Star Mergers (KNe). We revisit previous estimates of the $^{60}$Fe and $^{26}$Al signatures, and extend these estimates to include $^{244}$Pu and $^{53}$Mn. We discuss interpretations of the $^{60}$Fe signals in terrestrial and lunar reservoirs in terms of a nearby stellar ejection ~2.2 Myr ago, showing that (i) the $^{60}$Fe yield rules out the TNSN and KN interpretations, (ii) the $^{60}$Fe signals highly constrain a SAGB interpretation but do not completely them rule out, (iii) are consistent with a CCSN origin, and (iv) are highly compatible with an ECSN interpretation. Future measurements could resolve the radio...

Theoretical astrophysics an introduction

CERN Document Server

Bartelmann, Matthias

2013-01-01

A concise yet comprehensive introduction to the central theoretical concepts of modern astrophysics, presenting hydrodynamics, radiation, and stellar dynamics all in one textbook. Adopting a modular structure, the author illustrates a small number of fundamental physical methods and principles, which are sufficient to describe and understand a wide range of seemingly very diverse astrophysical phenomena and processes. For example, the formulae that define the macroscopic behavior of stellar systems are all derived in the same way from the microscopic distribution function. This function it

The new astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Longair, M.

1989-01-01

The author offers a review of advances in astrophysics since 1945 when astronomers started to explore the universe beyond the bounds of the optical wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum, especially in the fields of radio, x ray and gamma ray, cosmic ray, ultraviolet and infrared astronomies, as well as neutral hydrogen and molecular line studies. Theoretical and technological advances have also kept pace. An overview of the new astrophysics is offered focusing on the large-scale distribution of matter and the background microwave radiation, galaxies, stellar evolution and the interstellar media (dust, gas and high energy particles). Nucleosynthesis in stars is mentioned in a broader discussion of stellar evolution, and dead stars including supernovae. Active galaxies and quasars are discussed. After considering what should be included in astrophysical cosmology, the author looks to the future of the science. (U.K.)

Electron capture and stellar collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, K.C.

1979-01-01

In order, to investigate the function of electron capture in the phenomenon of pre-supernovae gravitacional collapse, an hydrodynamic caculation was carried out, coupling capture, decay and nuclear reaction equation system. A star simplified model (homogeneous model) was adopted using fermi ideal gas approximation for tthe sea of free electrons and neutrons. The non simplified treatment from quasi-static evolution to collapse is presented. The capture and beta decay rates, as wellas neutron delayed emission, were calculated by beta decay crude theory, while the other reaction rates were determined by usual theories. The preliminary results are presented. (M.C.K.) [pt

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Gerard Vauclair. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 21 Issue 3-4 September-December 2000 pp 319-322 Session VII – Magnetoconvection & Stellar Activity. The Space Stellar Photometry Mission COROT: Asteroseismology and Search ...

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Annie Baglin. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 21 Issue 3-4 September-December 2000 pp 319-322 Session VII – Magnetoconvection & Stellar Activity. The Space Stellar Photometry Mission COROT: Asteroseismology and Search ...

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Corot team. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 21 Issue 3-4 September-December 2000 pp 319-322 Session VII – Magnetoconvection & Stellar Activity. The Space Stellar Photometry Mission COROT: Asteroseismology and Search for ...

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Gireesh C. Joshi. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 38 Issue 4 December 2017 pp 72 Research Article. Identification of Stellar Sequences in Various Stellar Systems: ESO65-SC03, Teutsch 106, Turner 6 · Gireesh C. Joshi.

Black hole astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blandford, R.D.; Thorne, K.S.

1979-01-01

Following an introductory section, the subject is discussed under the headings: on the character of research in black hole astrophysics; isolated holes produced by collapse of normal stars; black holes in binary systems; black holes in globular clusters; black holes in quasars and active galactic nuclei; primordial black holes; concluding remarks on the present state of research in black hole astrophysics. (U.K.)

Numerical simulation in astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyama, Shoken

1985-01-01

There have been many numerical simulations of hydrodynamical problems in astrophysics, e.g. processes of star formation, supernova explosion and formation of neutron stars, and general relativistic collapse of star to form black hole. The codes are made to be suitable for computing such problems. In astrophysical hydrodynamical problems, there are the characteristics: problems of self-gravity or external gravity acting, objects of scales very large or very short, objects changing by short period or long time scale, problems of magnetic force and/or centrifugal force acting. In this paper, we present one of methods of numerical simulations which may satisfy these requirements, so-called smoothed particle methods. We then introduce the methods briefly. Then, we show one of the applications of the methods to astrophysical problem (fragmentation and collapse of rotating isothermal cloud). (Mori, K.)

Hydrodynamics and stellar winds an introduction

CERN Document Server

Maciel, Walter J

2014-01-01

Stellar winds are a common phenomenon in the life of stars, from the dwarfs like the Sun to the red giants and hot supergiants, constituting one of the basic aspects of modern astrophysics. Stellar winds are a hydrodynamic phenomenon in which circumstellar gases expand towards the interstellar medium. This book presents an elementary introduction to the fundamentals of hydrodynamics with an application to the study of stellar winds. The principles of hydrodynamics have many other applications, so that the book can be used as an introduction to hydrodynamics for students of physics, astrophysics and other related areas.

Stellar astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

Enhanced mass loss occurs at critical stages in the evolution of stars over a wide range of stellar mass. Observationally, these stages are difficult to identify because of their short duration and because the star is often obscured by dust which condenses in the ejecta. A study of a G-type star, of which only the outer envelope was directly visible, was undertaken by the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). The star itself was obscured by dust clouds and its light was only feebly seen by reflection from some of these clouds. Other studies of the galaxy undertaken by the SAAO include observations of the following: the extreme carbon star IRAS 15194-5115; RV Tauri and T Tauri stars; pre-main sequence stars; the properties of circumstellar dust; rotational modulation and flares on RS CVn and BY Dra stars; heavy-element stars; hydrogen-deficient stars; the open cluster NGC6192; stars in Omega Centauri, and lunar occulations of stars. Simultaneous x-ray, radio and optical data of the flare star YZ CMi were also obtained. 1 fig

High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Lebedev, Sergey V

2007-01-01

During the past decade, research teams around the world have developed astrophysics-relevant research utilizing high energy-density facilities such as intense lasers and z-pinches. Every two years, at the International conference on High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics, scientists interested in this emerging field discuss the progress in topics covering: - Stellar evolution, stellar envelopes, opacities, radiation transport - Planetary Interiors, high-pressure EOS, dense plasma atomic physics - Supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, exploding systems, strong shocks, turbulent mixing - Supernova remnants, shock processing, radiative shocks - Astrophysical jets, high-Mach-number flows, magnetized radiative jets, magnetic reconnection - Compact object accretion disks, x-ray photoionized plasmas - Ultrastrong fields, particle acceleration, collisionless shocks. These proceedings cover many of the invited and contributed papers presented at the 6th International Conference on High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophys...

Minicourses in Astrophysics, Modular Approach, Vol. II.

Science.gov (United States)

Illinois Univ., Chicago.

This is the second of a two-volume minicourse in astrophysics. It contains chapters on the following topics: stellar nuclear energy sources and nucleosynthesis; stellar evolution; stellar structure and its determination; and pulsars. Each chapter gives much technical discussion, mathematical treatment, diagrams, and examples. References are…

Gravitational radiation from stellar collapse: The initial burst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, S.L.

1977-01-01

The burst of gravitational radiation emitted during the initial collapse and rebound of a homogeneous, uniformly rotating spheroid with internal pressure is analyzed numerically. The surface of the collapsing spheroid is assumed to start at rest from infinity with negligible eccentricity (''zero-energy collapse''). The adopted internal pressure function is constant on self-similar spheroidal surfaces, and its central value is described by a polytropic law with index n< or =3. The Newtonian equations of motion are integrated numerically to follow the initial collapse and rebound of the configuration for the special case in which the collapse is time-reversal invariant about the moment of maximum compression, and the total energy and frequency spectrum of the emitted quadrupole radiation are computed. The results are employed to estimate the (approx.minimum) total energy and frequency distribution of the initial burst of gravitational radiation emitted during the formation of low-mass (Mapproximately-less-thanM/sub sun/) neutron stars and during the collapse of supermassive gas clouds

Astrophysics in a nutshell

CERN Document Server

Maoz, Dan

2007-01-01

A concise but thorough introduction to the observational data and theoretical concepts underlying modern astronomy, Astrophysics in a Nutshell is designed for advanced undergraduate science majors taking a one-semester course. This well-balanced and up-to-date textbook covers the essentials of modern astrophysics--from stars to cosmology--emphasizing the common, familiar physical principles that govern astronomical phenomena, and the interplay between theory and observation. In addition to traditional topics such as stellar remnants, galaxies, and the interstellar medium, Astrophysics in a N

Astrophysical Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Pringle, James E.; King, Andrew

2003-07-01

Almost all conventional matter in the Universe is fluid, and fluid dynamics plays a crucial role in astrophysics. This new graduate textbook provides a basic understanding of the fluid dynamical processes relevant to astrophysics. The mathematics used to describe these processes is simplified to bring out the underlying physics. The authors cover many topics, including wave propagation, shocks, spherical flows, stellar oscillations, the instabilities caused by effects such as magnetic fields, thermal driving, gravity, shear flows, and the basic concepts of compressible fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics. The authors are Directors of the UK Astrophysical Fluids Facility (UKAFF) at the University of Leicester, and editors of the Cambridge Astrophysics Series. This book has been developed from a course in astrophysical fluid dynamics taught at the University of Cambridge. It is suitable for graduate students in astrophysics, physics and applied mathematics, and requires only a basic familiarity with fluid dynamics.• Provides coverage of the fundamental fluid dynamical processes an astrophysical theorist needs to know • Introduces new mathematical theory and techniques in a straightforward manner • Includes end-of-chapter problems to illustrate the course and introduce additional ideas

Astrophysics of Red Supergiants

Science.gov (United States)

Levesque, Emily M.

2017-12-01

'Astrophysics of Red Supergiants' is the first book of its kind devoted to our current knowledge of red supergiant stars, a key evolutionary phase that is critical to our larger understanding of massive stars. It provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental physical properties of red supergiants, their evolution, and their extragalactic and cosmological applications. It serves as a reference for researchers from a broad range of fields (including stellar astrophysics, supernovae, and high-redshift galaxies) who are interested in red supergiants as extreme stages of stellar evolution, dust producers, supernova progenitors, extragalactic metallicity indicators, members of massive binaries and mergers, or simply as compelling objects in their own right. The book is accessible to a range of experience levels, from graduate students up to senior researchers.

Allen's astrophysical quantities

CERN Document Server

2000-01-01

This new, fourth, edition of Allen's classic Astrophysical Quantities belongs on every astronomer's bookshelf. It has been thoroughly revised and brought up to date by a team of more than ninety internationally renowned astronomers and astrophysicists. While it follows the basic format of the original, this indispensable reference has grown to more than twice the size of the earlier editions to accommodate the great strides made in astronomy and astrophysics. It includes detailed tables of the most recent data on: - General constants and units - Atoms, molecules, and spectra - Observational astronomy at all wavelengths from radio to gamma-rays, and neutrinos - Planetary astronomy: Earth, planets and satellites, and solar system small bodies - The Sun, normal stars, and stars with special characteristics - Stellar populations - Cataclysmic and symbiotic variables, supernovae - Theoretical stellar evolution - Circumstellar and interstellar material - Star clusters, galaxies, quasars, and active galactic nuclei ...

Gravity wave and neutrino bursts from stellar collapse: A sensitive test of neutrino masses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnaud, N.; Barsuglia, M.; Bizouard, M.A.; Cavalier, F.; Davier, M.; Hello, P.; Pradier, T.

2002-01-01

New methods are proposed with the goal to determine absolute neutrino masses from the simultaneous observation of the bursts of neutrinos and gravitational waves emitted during a stellar collapse. It is shown that the neutronization electron neutrino flash and the maximum amplitude of the gravitational wave signal are tightly synchronized with the bounce occurring at the end of the core collapse on a time scale better than 1 ms. The existing underground neutrino detectors (SuperKamiokande, SNO,...) and the gravity wave antennas soon to operate (LIGO, VIRGO,...) are well matched in their performance for detecting galactic supernovae and for making use of the proposed approach. Several methods are described, which apply to the different scenarios depending on neutrino mixing. Given the present knowledge on neutrino oscillations, the methods proposed are sensitive to a mass range where neutrinos would essentially be mass degenerate. The 95% C.L. upper limit which can be achieved varies from 0.75 eV/c 2 for large ν e survival probabilities to 1.1 eV/c 2 when in practice all ν e 's convert into ν μ 's or ν τ 's. The sensitivity is nearly independent of the supernova distance

The Nuclear Astrophysics program at n_TOF (CERN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colonna N.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available An important experimental program on Nuclear Astrophysics is being carried out at the n_TOF since several years, in order to address the still open issues in stellar and primordial nucleosynthesis. Several neutron capture reactions relevant to s-process nucleosynthesis have been measured so far, some of which on important branching point radioisotopes. Furthermore, the construction of a second experimental area has recently opened the way to challenging measurements of (n, charged particle reactions on isotopes of short half-life. The Nuclear Astrophysics program of the n_TOF Collaboration is here described, with emphasis on recent results relevant for stellar nucleosynthesis, stellar neutron sources and primordial nucleosynthesis.

Six collapses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, R.H.; Smith, B.F.

1979-01-01

The self-consistent dynamical development of six stellar systems, started from rotating spherical configurations, has been studied by means of a fully three-dimensional n-body integration. The six examples had different initial angular velocities and velocity dispersions. All settled down into prolate bars rotating about a short axis within two initial rotation periods. The bars are long-lived, robust, and stable. Bars are the natural form toward which rapidly rotating stellar dynamical systems develop, instead of the flattened axisymmetric disks that had been expected.The early stages of each collapse are reasonably well described by a theoretical model according to which a collapse passes through a sequence of rigidly rotating, uniform-density spheroids. The first significant departures from spheroidal form were axisymmetric in all cases. Rings formed in some examples, sheets in others, with transition cases between these extremes. Nonaxisymmetry forms developed from these intermediate stages

Intracluster age gradients in numerous young stellar clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Getman, K. V.; Feigelson, E. D.; Kuhn, M. A.; Bate, M. R.; Broos, P. S.; Garmire, G. P.

2018-05-01

The pace and pattern of star formation leading to rich young stellar clusters is quite uncertain. In this context, we analyse the spatial distribution of ages within 19 young (median t ≲ 3 Myr on the Siess et al. time-scale), morphologically simple, isolated, and relatively rich stellar clusters. Our analysis is based on young stellar object (YSO) samples from the Massive Young Star-Forming Complex Study in Infrared and X-ray and Star Formation in Nearby Clouds surveys, and a new estimator of pre-main sequence (PMS) stellar ages, AgeJX, derived from X-ray and near-infrared photometric data. Median cluster ages are computed within four annular subregions of the clusters. We confirm and extend the earlier result of Getman et al. (2014): 80 per cent of the clusters show age trends where stars in cluster cores are younger than in outer regions. Our cluster stacking analyses establish the existence of an age gradient to high statistical significance in several ways. Time-scales vary with the choice of PMS evolutionary model; the inferred median age gradient across the studied clusters ranges from 0.75 to 1.5 Myr pc-1. The empirical finding reported in the present study - late or continuing formation of stars in the cores of star clusters with older stars dispersed in the outer regions - has a strong foundation with other observational studies and with the astrophysical models like the global hierarchical collapse model of Vázquez-Semadeni et al.

Recent results in nuclear astrophysics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coc, Alain; Kiener, Juergen [CNRS/IN2P3 et Universite Paris Sud 11, UMR 8609, Centre de Sciences Nucleaires et de Sciences de la Matiere (CSNSM), Orsay Campus (France); Hammache, Fairouz [CNRS/IN2P3 et Universite Paris Sud 11, UMR 8608, Institut de Physique Nucleaire d' Orsay (IPNO), Orsay Campus (France)

2015-03-01

In this review, we emphasize the interplay between astrophysical observations, modeling, and nuclear physics laboratory experiments. Several important nuclear cross sections for astrophysics have long been identified, e.g., {sup 12}C(α, γ){sup 16}O for stellar evolution, or {sup 13}C(α, n){sup 16}O and {sup 22}Ne(α, n){sup 25}Mg as neutron sources for the s-process. More recently, observations of lithium abundances in the oldest stars, or of nuclear gamma-ray lines from space, have required new laboratory experiments. New evaluation of thermonuclear reaction rates now includes the associated rate uncertainties that are used in astrophysical models to i) estimate final uncertainties on nucleosynthesis yields and ii) identify those reactions that require further experimental investigation. Sometimes direct cross section measurements are possible, but more generally the use of indirect methods is compulsory in view of the very low cross sections. Non-thermal processes are often overlooked but are also important for nuclear astrophysics, e.g., in gamma-ray emission from solar flares or in the interaction of cosmic rays with matter, and also motivate laboratory experiments. Finally, we show that beyond the historical motivations of nuclear astrophysics, understanding i) the energy sources that drive stellar evolution and ii) the origin of the elements can also be used to give new insights into physics beyond the standard model. (orig.)

Recent results in nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coc, Alain; Kiener, Juergen; Hammache, Fairouz

2015-01-01

In this review, we emphasize the interplay between astrophysical observations, modeling, and nuclear physics laboratory experiments. Several important nuclear cross sections for astrophysics have long been identified, e.g., 12 C(α, γ) 16 O for stellar evolution, or 13 C(α, n) 16 O and 22 Ne(α, n) 25 Mg as neutron sources for the s-process. More recently, observations of lithium abundances in the oldest stars, or of nuclear gamma-ray lines from space, have required new laboratory experiments. New evaluation of thermonuclear reaction rates now includes the associated rate uncertainties that are used in astrophysical models to i) estimate final uncertainties on nucleosynthesis yields and ii) identify those reactions that require further experimental investigation. Sometimes direct cross section measurements are possible, but more generally the use of indirect methods is compulsory in view of the very low cross sections. Non-thermal processes are often overlooked but are also important for nuclear astrophysics, e.g., in gamma-ray emission from solar flares or in the interaction of cosmic rays with matter, and also motivate laboratory experiments. Finally, we show that beyond the historical motivations of nuclear astrophysics, understanding i) the energy sources that drive stellar evolution and ii) the origin of the elements can also be used to give new insights into physics beyond the standard model. (orig.)

Solar, Stellar and Galactic Connections between Particle Physics and Astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Carraminana, Alberto

2007-01-01

This book collects extended and specialized reviews on topics linking astrophysics and particle physics at a level intermediate between a graduate student and a young researcher. The book includes also three reviews on observational techniques used in forefront astrophysics and short articles on research performed in Latin America. The reviews, updated and written by specialized researchers, describe the state of the art in the related research topics. This book is a valuable complement not only for research but also for lecturers in specialized course of high energy astrophysics, cosmic ray astrophysics and particle physics.

THE LINK BETWEEN RARE-EARTH PEAK FORMATION AND THE ASTROPHYSICAL SITE OF THE R PROCESS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mumpower, Matthew R. [Theory Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544 (United States); McLaughlin, Gail C. [Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Surman, Rebecca [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Steiner, Andrew W., E-mail: matthew@mumpower.net [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States)

2016-12-20

The primary astrophysical source of the rare-earth elements is the rapid neutron capture process ( r process). The rare-earth peak that is seen in the solar r -process residuals has been proposed to originate as a pile-up of nuclei during the end of the r process. We introduce a new method utilizing Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses in the rare-earth region, that includes self-consistently adjusting β -decay rates and neutron capture rates, to find the mass surfaces necessary for the formation of the rare-earth peak. We demonstrate our method with two types of astrophysical scenario, one corresponding to conditions typical of hot winds from core-collapse supernovae and stellar-mass accretion disks, and one corresponding to conditions typical of the ejection of the material from the tidal tails of neutron star mergers. In each type of astrophysical condition, this method successfully locates a region of enhanced stability in the mass surface that is responsible for the rare-earth peak. For each scenario, we find that the change in the mass surface has qualitatively different features, thus future measurements can shed light on the type of environment in which the r process occurred.

THE LINK BETWEEN RARE-EARTH PEAK FORMATION AND THE ASTROPHYSICAL SITE OF THE R PROCESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mumpower, Matthew R.; McLaughlin, Gail C.; Surman, Rebecca; Steiner, Andrew W.

2016-01-01

The primary astrophysical source of the rare-earth elements is the rapid neutron capture process ( r process). The rare-earth peak that is seen in the solar r -process residuals has been proposed to originate as a pile-up of nuclei during the end of the r process. We introduce a new method utilizing Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses in the rare-earth region, that includes self-consistently adjusting β -decay rates and neutron capture rates, to find the mass surfaces necessary for the formation of the rare-earth peak. We demonstrate our method with two types of astrophysical scenario, one corresponding to conditions typical of hot winds from core-collapse supernovae and stellar-mass accretion disks, and one corresponding to conditions typical of the ejection of the material from the tidal tails of neutron star mergers. In each type of astrophysical condition, this method successfully locates a region of enhanced stability in the mass surface that is responsible for the rare-earth peak. For each scenario, we find that the change in the mass surface has qualitatively different features, thus future measurements can shed light on the type of environment in which the r process occurred.

Nuclear physics in astrophysics. Part 2. Abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyuerky, Gy.; Fueloep, Zs.

2005-01-01

The proceedings of the 20. International Nuclear Physics Divisional Conference of the European Physical Society covers a wide range of topics in nuclear astrophysics. The topics addressed are big bang nucleosynthesis, stellar nucleosynthesis, measurements and nuclear data for astrophysics, nuclear structure far from stability, neutrino physics, and rare-ion-beam facilities and experiments. The perspectives of nuclear physics and astrophysics are also overviewed. 77 items are indexed separately for the INIS database. (K.A.)

Coronal seismology waves and oscillations in stellar coronae

CERN Document Server

Stepanov, Alexander; Nakariakov, Valery M

2012-01-01

This concise and systematic account of the current state of this new branch of astrophysics presents the theoretical foundations of plasma astrophysics, magneto-hydrodynamics and coronal magnetic structures, taking into account the full range of available observation techniques -- from radio to gamma. The book discusses stellar loops during flare energy releases, MHD waves and oscillations, plasma instabilities and heating and charged particle acceleration. Current trends and developments in MHD seismology of solar and stellar coronal plasma systems are also covered, while recent p

Nuclear astrophysics with radioactive beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertulani, C.A.; Gade, A.

2010-01-01

The quest to comprehend how nuclear processes influence astrophysical phenomena is driving experimental and theoretical research programs worldwide. One of the main goals in nuclear astrophysics is to understand how energy is generated in stars, how elements are synthesized in stellar events and what the nature of neutron stars is. New experimental capabilities, the availability of radioactive beams and increased computational power paired with new astronomical observations have advanced the present knowledge. This review summarizes the progress in the field of nuclear astrophysics with a focus on the role of indirect methods and reactions involving beams of rare isotopes.

Self-Gravitating Stellar Collapse: Explicit Geodesics and Path Integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balakrishna, Jayashree [Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, MO (United States); Bondarescu, Ruxandra [Department of Physics, University of Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Moran, Christine C., E-mail: corbett@tapir.caltech.edu [TAPIR, Department of Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)

2016-11-25

We extend the work of Oppenheimer and Synder to model the gravitational collapse of a star to a black hole by including quantum mechanical effects. We first derive closed-form solutions for classical paths followed by a particle on the surface of the collapsing star in Schwarzschild and Kruskal coordinates for space-like, time-like, and light-like geodesics. We next present an application of these paths to model the collapse of ultra-light dark matter particles, which necessitates incorporating quantum effects. To do so we treat a particle on the surface of the star as a wavepacket and integrate over all possible paths taken by the particle. The waveform is computed in Schwarzschild coordinates and found to exhibit an ingoing and an outgoing component, where the former contains the probability of collapse, while the latter contains the probability that the star will disperse. These calculations pave the way for investigating the possibility of quantum collapse that does not lead to black hole formation as well as for exploring the nature of the wavefunction inside r = 2M.

Self-Gravitating Stellar Collapse: Explicit Geodesics and Path Integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balakrishna, Jayashree; Bondarescu, Ruxandra; Moran, Christine C.

2016-01-01

We extend the work of Oppenheimer and Synder to model the gravitational collapse of a star to a black hole by including quantum mechanical effects. We first derive closed-form solutions for classical paths followed by a particle on the surface of the collapsing star in Schwarzschild and Kruskal coordinates for space-like, time-like, and light-like geodesics. We next present an application of these paths to model the collapse of ultra-light dark matter particles, which necessitates incorporating quantum effects. To do so we treat a particle on the surface of the star as a wavepacket and integrate over all possible paths taken by the particle. The waveform is computed in Schwarzschild coordinates and found to exhibit an ingoing and an outgoing component, where the former contains the probability of collapse, while the latter contains the probability that the star will disperse. These calculations pave the way for investigating the possibility of quantum collapse that does not lead to black hole formation as well as for exploring the nature of the wavefunction inside r = 2M.

Astrophysics at RIA (ARIA) Working Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Michael S.; Schatz, Hendrik; Timmes, Frank X.; Wiescher, Michael; Greife, Uwe

2006-01-01

The Astrophysics at RIA (ARIA) Working Group has been established to develop and promote the nuclear astrophysics research anticipated at the Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA). RIA is a proposed next-generation nuclear science facility in the U.S. that will enable significant progress in studies of core collapse supernovae, thermonuclear supernovae, X-ray bursts, novae, and other astrophysical sites. Many of the topics addressed by the Working Group are relevant for the RIKEN RI Beam Factory, the planned GSI-Fair facility, and other advanced radioactive beam facilities

Neutrino confinement in collapsing stellar cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, K.C.

1987-01-01

Neutrino confinement is expected to occur in the core of highly evolved stars, leading to the formation of a degenerate neutrino gas. The main neutrino sources are briefly reviewed and the neutrino processes relevant to the neutrino opacity in the stellar matter are discussed. Implications for the equation of state of neutrino-trapped matter are examined. (author) [pt

The Belgian repository of fundamental atomic data and stellar spectra (BRASS). I. Cross-matching atomic databases of astrophysical interest

Science.gov (United States)

Laverick, M.; Lobel, A.; Merle, T.; Royer, P.; Martayan, C.; David, M.; Hensberge, H.; Thienpont, E.

2018-04-01

Context. Fundamental atomic parameters, such as oscillator strengths, play a key role in modelling and understanding the chemical composition of stars in the Universe. Despite the significant work underway to produce these parameters for many astrophysically important ions, uncertainties in these parameters remain large and can propagate throughout the entire field of astronomy. Aims: The Belgian repository of fundamental atomic data and stellar spectra (BRASS) aims to provide the largest systematic and homogeneous quality assessment of atomic data to date in terms of wavelength, atomic and stellar parameter coverage. To prepare for it, we first compiled multiple literature occurrences of many individual atomic transitions, from several atomic databases of astrophysical interest, and assessed their agreement. In a second step synthetic spectra will be compared against extremely high-quality observed spectra, for a large number of BAFGK spectral type stars, in order to critically evaluate the atomic data of a large number of important stellar lines. Methods: Several atomic repositories were searched and their data retrieved and formatted in a consistent manner. Data entries from all repositories were cross-matched against our initial BRASS atomic line list to find multiple occurrences of the same transition. Where possible we used a new non-parametric cross-match depending only on electronic configurations and total angular momentum values. We also checked for duplicate entries of the same physical transition, within each retrieved repository, using the non-parametric cross-match. Results: We report on the number of cross-matched transitions for each repository and compare their fundamental atomic parameters. We find differences in log(gf) values of up to 2 dex or more. We also find and report that 2% of our line list and Vienna atomic line database retrievals are composed of duplicate transitions. Finally we provide a number of examples of atomic spectral lines

RUPRECHT 147: THE OLDEST NEARBY OPEN CLUSTER AS A NEW BENCHMARK FOR STELLAR ASTROPHYSICS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Curtis, Jason L.; Wright, Jason T. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Wolfgang, Angie [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Brewer, John M. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Johnson, John Asher, E-mail: jcurtis@psu.edu [Department of Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2013-05-15

Ruprecht 147 is a hitherto unappreciated open cluster that holds great promise as a standard in fundamental stellar astrophysics. We have conducted a radial velocity survey of astrometric candidates with Lick, Palomar, and MMT observatories and have identified over 100 members, including 5 blue stragglers, 11 red giants, and 5 double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s). We estimate the cluster metallicity from spectroscopic analysis, using Spectroscopy Made Easy (SME), and find it to be [M/H] = +0.07 {+-} 0.03. We have obtained deep CFHT/MegaCam g'r'i'z' photometry and fit Padova isochrones to the (g' - i') and Two Micron All Sky Survey (J - K{sub S} ) color-magnitude diagrams, using the {tau}{sup 2} maximum-likelihood procedure of Naylor, and an alternative method using two-dimensional cross-correlations developed in this work. We find best fits for Padova isochrones at age t = 2.5 {+-} 0.25 Gyr, m - M = 7.35 {+-} 0.1, and A{sub V} = 0.25 {+-} 0.05, with additional uncertainty from the unresolved binary population and possibility of differential extinction across this large cluster. The inferred age is heavily dependent on our choice of stellar evolution model: fitting Dartmouth and PARSEC models yield age parameters of 3 Gyr and 3.25 Gyr, respectively. At {approx}300 pc and {approx}3 Gyr, Ruprecht 147 is by far the oldest nearby star cluster.

RUPRECHT 147: THE OLDEST NEARBY OPEN CLUSTER AS A NEW BENCHMARK FOR STELLAR ASTROPHYSICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtis, Jason L.; Wright, Jason T.; Wolfgang, Angie; Brewer, John M.; Johnson, John Asher

2013-01-01

Ruprecht 147 is a hitherto unappreciated open cluster that holds great promise as a standard in fundamental stellar astrophysics. We have conducted a radial velocity survey of astrometric candidates with Lick, Palomar, and MMT observatories and have identified over 100 members, including 5 blue stragglers, 11 red giants, and 5 double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s). We estimate the cluster metallicity from spectroscopic analysis, using Spectroscopy Made Easy (SME), and find it to be [M/H] = +0.07 ± 0.03. We have obtained deep CFHT/MegaCam g'r'i'z' photometry and fit Padova isochrones to the (g' – i') and Two Micron All Sky Survey (J – K S ) color-magnitude diagrams, using the τ 2 maximum-likelihood procedure of Naylor, and an alternative method using two-dimensional cross-correlations developed in this work. We find best fits for Padova isochrones at age t = 2.5 ± 0.25 Gyr, m – M = 7.35 ± 0.1, and A V = 0.25 ± 0.05, with additional uncertainty from the unresolved binary population and possibility of differential extinction across this large cluster. The inferred age is heavily dependent on our choice of stellar evolution model: fitting Dartmouth and PARSEC models yield age parameters of 3 Gyr and 3.25 Gyr, respectively. At ∼300 pc and ∼3 Gyr, Ruprecht 147 is by far the oldest nearby star cluster.

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. N. Kameswara Rao. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 26 Issue 2-3 June-September 2005 pp 331-338. High Resolution Stellar Spectroscopy with VBT Echelle Spectrometer · N. Kameswara Rao S. Sriram K. Jayakumar F. Gabriel.

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Liu Zhong-Bao. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 37 Issue 2 June 2016 pp 12. Stellar Spectral Classification with Locality Preserving Projections and Support Vector Machine · Liu Zhong-bao · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF.

Stellar parameters for the central star of the planetary nebula PRTM 1 using the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory service TheoSSA

Science.gov (United States)

Rauch, T.; Demleitner, M.; Hoyer, D.; Werner, K.

2018-04-01

The German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (GAVO) developed the registered service TheoSSA (theoretical stellar spectra access) and the supporting registered VO tool TMAW (Tübingen Model-Atmosphere WWW interface). These allow individual spectral analyses of hot, compact stars with state-of-the-art non-local thermodynamical equilibrium (NLTE) stellar-atmosphere models that presently consider opacities of the elements H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Na, and Mg, without requiring detailed knowledge about the involved background codes and procedures. Presently, TheoSSA provides easy access to about 150 000 pre-calculated stellar spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and is intended to ingest SEDs calculated by any model-atmosphere code. In the case of the exciting star of PN PRTM 1, we demonstrate the easy way to calculate individual NLTE stellar model-atmospheres to reproduce an observed optical spectrum. We measured T_eff = 98 000± 5 000 K, log (g / cm/s^2) = 5.0^{+0.3}_{-0.2}, and photospheric mass fractions of H =7.5 × 10-1 (1.02 times solar), He =2.4 × 10-1 (0.96), C =2.0 × 10-3 (0.84), N =3.2 × 10-4 (0.46), and O =8.5 × 10-3 (1.48) with uncertainties of ±0.2 dex. We determined the stellar mass and luminosity of 0.73^{+0.16}_{-0.15} M_{⊙} and log (L/L⊙) = 4.2 ± 0.4, respectively.

Maximum stellar iron core mass

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

An analytical method of estimating the mass of a stellar iron core, just prior to core collapse, is described in this paper. The method employed depends, in part, upon an estimate of the true relativistic mass increase experienced by electrons within a highly compressed iron core, just prior to core collapse, and is significantly ...

Classical Collapse to Black Holes and Quantum Bounces: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniele Malafarina

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In the last four decades, different programs have been carried out aiming at understanding the final fate of gravitational collapse of massive bodies once some prescriptions for the behaviour of gravity in the strong field regime are provided. The general picture arising from most of these scenarios is that the classical singularity at the end of collapse is replaced by a bounce. The most striking consequence of the bounce is that the black hole horizon may live for only a finite time. The possible implications for astrophysics are important since, if these models capture the essence of the collapse of a massive star, an observable signature of quantum gravity may be hiding in astrophysical phenomena. One intriguing idea that is implied by these models is the possible existence of exotic compact objects, of high density and finite size, that may not be covered by an horizon. The present article outlines the main features of these collapse models and some of the most relevant open problems. The aim is to provide a comprehensive (as much as possible overview of the current status of the field from the point of view of astrophysics. As a little extra, a new toy model for collapse leading to the formation of a quasi static compact object is presented.

Transfer reaction measurements and the stellar nucleosynthesis of 26Al and 44Ti

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2086831

Progress in the description of stellar evolution is driven by the collaborative effort of nuclear physics, astrophysics and astronomy. Using those developments, the theory of the origin of elements in the Universe is challenged. This thesis addresses the problem behind the abundance of 44Ti and the origin of 26Al. The mismatch between the predicted abundance of 44Ti as produced by the only sites known to be able to create 44Ti, core collapse supernovae (CCSNe), and the observations, highlight the current uncertainty that exists in the physics of these stars. Several satellite based gamma-ray observations of the isotope 44Ti have been reported in recent times and conrm the disagreement. As the amount of this isotope in stellar ejecta is thought to critically depend on the explosion mechanism, the ability to accurately model the observed abundance would be a pivotal step towards validating that theory. The most in influential reaction to the amount of 44Ti in supernovae is 44Ti(alpha, p)47V. Here we report on a...

Hydromagnetic instabilities and magnetic field amplification in core collapse supernovae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cerda-Duran, P; Obergaulinger, M; Mueller, E [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-st. 1, 85748 Garching (Germany); Aloy, M A; Font, J A, E-mail: cerda@mpa-garching.mpg.de [Departamento de Astronomia y Astrofisica, Universidad de Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia (Spain)

2011-09-22

Some of the most violent events in the universe, the gamma ray burst, could be related to the gravitational collapse of massive stellar cores. The recent association of long GRBs to some class of type Ic supernova seems to support this view. In such scenario fast rotation, strong magnetic fields and general relativistic effects are key ingredients. It is thus important to understand the mechanism that amplifies the magnetic field under that conditions. I present global simulations of the magneto-rotational collapse of stellar cores in general relativity and semi-global simulations of hydromagnetic instabilities under core collapse conditions. I discuss effect of the magneto-rotational instability and the magnetic field amplification during the collapse, the uncertainties in this process and the dynamical effects in the supernova explosion.

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Zhao Wen-juan. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 38 Issue 2 June 2017 pp 21 Research Article. Classification of Stellar Spectra with Fuzzy Minimum Within-Class Support Vector Machine · Liu Zhong-bao Song Wen-ai Zhang Jing ...

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. PATRICK DAS GUPTA. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 39 Issue 1 February 2018 pp 14 Review. Collapsing supra-massive magnetars: FRBs, the repeating FRB121102 and GRBs · PATRICK DAS GUPTA NIDHI SAINI · More Details ...

The collapse of a molecular cloud core to stellar densities using radiation non-ideal magnetohydrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Wurster, James; Bate, Matthew R.; Price, Daniel J.

2018-04-01

We present results from radiation non-ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) calculations that follow the collapse of rotating, magnetized, molecular cloud cores to stellar densities. These are the first such calculations to include all three non-ideal effects: ambipolar diffusion, Ohmic resistivity, and the Hall effect. We employ an ionization model in which cosmic ray ionization dominates at low temperatures and thermal ionization takes over at high temperatures. We explore the effects of varying the cosmic ray ionization rate from ζcr = 10-10 to 10-16 s-1. Models with ionization rates ≳10-12 s-1 produce results that are indistinguishable from ideal MHD. Decreasing the cosmic ray ionization rate extends the lifetime of the first hydrostatic core up to a factor of 2, but the lifetimes are still substantially shorter than those obtained without magnetic fields. Outflows from the first hydrostatic core phase are launched in all models, but the outflows become broader and slower as the ionization rate is reduced. The outflow morphology following stellar core formation is complex and strongly dependent on the cosmic ray ionization rate. Calculations with high ionization rates quickly produce a fast (≈14 km s-1) bipolar outflow that is distinct from the first core outflow, but with the lowest ionization rate, a slower (≈3-4 km s-1) conical outflow develops gradually and seamlessly merges into the first core outflow.

An introduction to nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, E.B.

1987-09-01

The role of nuclear reactions in astrophysics is described. Stellar energy generation and heavy element nucleosynthesis is explained in terms of specific sequences of charged-particle and neutron induced reactions. The evolution and final states of stars are examined. 20 refs. 11 figs., 2 tabs

Core-Collapse Supernova Progenitors In The Era Of Untargeted Transient Searches

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Nathan Edward

2014-04-01

Core-collapse supernovae (SNe) are the highly energetic explosions of massive stars (≳ 8 M⊙) that are pervasive in their influence throughout astrophysics. They are the phenomenon with primary responsibility for enriching the universe with many of the heavy elements (like carbon and oxygen) that are needed for life, provide a critical feedback pressure which helps to shape the galaxies that host them, and are the likely formation mechanism for stellar mass black holes. In the past decade, the study of these explosions has been revolutionized by the advent of wide field, untargeted transient searches like Pan-STARRS1 (PS1). These new searches permit the discovery of SNe at unprecedented rates, and absent of many of the selection effects that have enforced biases on past, targeted transient searches. This thesis presents a broad survey of core-collapse SN phenomenology exhibited in the discoveries of untargeted searches, and statistically quantifies population properties of these explosions that link them to distinct classes of progenitor stars. Through studies of the host galaxy and explosion properties of extreme PS1-discovered events, and controlled samples of specific classes of core-collapse objects, we constrain the effect of progenitor star chemical composition (metallicity) on their eventual death states. We provide a new observational, photometric tool which lowers the cost of precisely and accurately measuring the metallicities of distant galaxies and supernova host environments. Moreover, we develop and apply a novel, multi-level Bayesian model for optical transient light curves which we apply to simultaneously interpret more than 20,000 PS1 images. This study illustrates how population-level modeling of data from large photometric surveys can yield improved physical inference on their progenitor stars through comparison to physical models. In the coming era, as next-generation facilities like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope come online, the

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. T. Sivarani. Articles written in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Volume 34 Issue 1 March 2013 pp 5-17 Review Articles. Stellar Relics from the Early Galaxy · T. Sivarani · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF. We reviewed the recent progress in ...

Neutrinos and supernova collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colgate, S.A.; Petschek, A.G.

1980-01-01

The neutrino emission resulting from stellar collapse and supernova formation is reviewed. The electron capture and consequent neutronization of the collapsing stellar matter at the end of evolution determines both the initial adiabat of core collapse as well as the trapped lepton fraction. The initial lepton fraction, Y/sub l/ = .48 supplies the pressure for neutral support of the star at the Chandrasekhar limit. High trapping values, Y/sub l/ = .4, lead to soft core collapses; low values to harder collapses. The value of Y/sub l/ is presently in dispute. The neutrino emission from initial electron capture is relatively small. A strong core-bounce shock releases both electron neutrino as well as thermal muon and tau neutrinos. Subsequent neutrino emission and cooling can sometimes lead to an unstable buoyancy gradient in the core in which case unstable core overturn is expected. Calculations have already shown the importance of the largest possible eddy or equivalently the lowest mode of overturn. Present models of low lepton trapping ratio lead to high entropy creation by the reflected shock and the stabilization of the core matter against overturn. In such cases the exterior matter must cool below an entropy of approximately s/k approx. = 2 to become unstable. This may require too long a time approximately one second for neutrino cooling from a neutrinosphere at rho approx. = 2 x 10 12 g cm -3 . On the other hand, high values of Y/sub l/ such as .4 lead to softer bounces at lower density and values of the critical stabilizing entropy of 3 or higher. Under such circumstances, core overturn can still occur

Nuclear reactions in astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnould, M.; Rayet, M.

1990-01-01

At all times and at all astrophysical scales, nuclear reactions have played and continue to play a key role. This concerns the energetics as well as the production of nuclides (nucleosynthesis). After a brief review of the observed composition of various objects in the universe, and especially of the solar system, the basic ingredients that are required in order to build up models for the chemical evolution of galaxies are sketched. Special attention is paid to the evaluation of the stellar yields through an overview of the important burning episodes and nucleosynthetic processes that can develop in non-exploding or exploding stars. Emphasis is put on the remaining astrophysical and nuclear physics uncertainties that hamper a clear understanding of the observed characteristics, and especially compositions, of a large variety of astrophysical objects

Habitable zones exposed: astrosphere collapse frequency as a function of stellar mass.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, David S; Scalo, John M

2009-09-01

Stellar astrospheres--the plasma cocoons carved out of the interstellar medium by stellar winds--are one of several buffers that partially screen planetary atmospheres and surfaces from high-energy radiation. Screening by astrospheres is continually influenced by the passage of stars through the fluctuating density field of the interstellar medium (ISM). The most extreme events occur inside dense interstellar clouds, where the increased pressure may compress an astrosphere to a size smaller than the liquid-water habitable-zone distance. Habitable planets then enjoy no astrospheric buffering from exposure to the full flux of galactic cosmic rays and interstellar dust and gas, a situation we call "descreening" or "astrospheric collapse." Under such conditions the ionization fraction in the atmosphere and contribution to radiation damage of putative coding organisms at the surface would increase significantly, and a series of papers have suggested a variety of global responses to descreening. These possibilities motivate a more careful calculation of the frequency of descreening events. Using a ram-pressure balance model, we compute the size of the astrosphere in the apex direction as a function of parent-star mass and velocity and ambient interstellar density, emphasizing the importance of gravitational focusing of the interstellar flow. The interstellar densities required to descreen planets in the habitable zone of solar- and subsolar-mass stars are found to be about 600(M/M[middle dot in circle])(-2) cm(-3) for the Sun's velocity relative to the local ISM. Such clouds are rare and small, indicating that descreening encounters are rare. We use statistics from two independent catalogues of dense interstellar clouds to derive a dependence of descreening frequency on the parent-star mass that decreases strongly with decreasing stellar mass, due to the weaker gravitational focusing and smaller habitable-zone distances for lower-mass stars. We estimate an uncertain

Advances in astronomy and astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Kopal, Zdenek

1962-01-01

Advances in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 1 brings together numerous research works on different aspects of astronomy and astrophysics. This book is divided into five chapters and begins with an observational summary of the shock-wave theory of novae. The subsequent chapter provides the properties and problems of T tauri stars and related objects. These topics are followed by discussions on the structure and origin of meteorites and cosmic dust, as well as the models for evaluation of mass distribution in oblate stellar systems. The final chapter describes the methods of polarization mea

Search for gravitational waves on short duration in TAMA300 data: stellar core collapse and black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honda, R; Kanda, N; Akutsu, T; Ando, M; Tsunesada, Y

2008-01-01

We present in the results of TAMA300 data analysis for short duration gravitational waves. The excess power filter, alternative linear filter (ALF) and TF(time-frequency) clustering methods have been employed for burst gravitational waves from stellar-core collapse, and matched filtering method used for the ringdown gravitational waves from black hole quasi-normal oscillations. The observational range of TAMA for the burst gravitational waves is roughly ∼ 1 kpc, and the range for black hole ringdown covers most of our galaxy. We have been developed new method 'time-frequency (TF) clustering' to find the burst waves. This is a TF clustering method on spectrogram (sonogram). Using this method, we can efficiently identify some predicted gravitational wave forms and can exclude typical unstable spike like noises

Solar and Stellar Dynamos Saas-Fee Advanced Course 39 Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

Astrophysical dynamos are at the heart of cosmic magnetic fields of a wide range of scales, from planets and stars to entire galaxies. This book presents a thorough, step-by-step introduction to solar and stellar dynamos. Looking first at the ultimate origin of cosmic seed magnetic fields, the antagonists of field amplification are next considered: resistive decay, flux expulsion, and flows ruled out by anti-dynamo theorems. Two kinematic flows that can act as dynamos are then studied: the Roberts cell and the CP-flow. Mean-field electrodynamics and derivation of the mean-field dynamo equations lead to the alpha Omega-dynamo, the flux transport dynamo, and dynamos based on the Babcock-Leighton mechanism. Alternatives to the mean-field theory are also presented, as are global MHD dynamo simulations. Fluctuations and grand minima in the solar cycle are discussed in terms of dynamo modulations through stochastic forcing and nonlinear effects. The book concludes with an overview of the major challenges in underst...

The new astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Longair, M.

1993-01-01

The various themes developed are: radioastronomy, X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, cosmic ray, ultraviolet, neutral hydrogen and molecular line astronomy, optical and theoretical astronomy; the large scale distribution of matter and radiation in the universe, the galaxies, stars and stellar evolution, the interstellar medium (gas, dust) and star formation, galaxies and clusters of galaxies, active galaxies and quasars, astrophysical cosmology, the astronomy of the future. 86 figs., 60 refs

Model independent spectroscopic information from an analysis of peripheral direct radiative capture reaction and its application for an extrapolation of an astrophysical S-factor to stellar energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igamov, S.B.; Tursunmuratov, T.M.; Yarmukhamedov, R.

2003-01-01

In this work, within the framework of the cluster potential approach we develop a method which can be used an independent source of getting information on the value of the nuclear vertex constant (NVC) (or respective asymptotical normalization coefficient (ANC)) from the analysis of the direct radiative capture cross section σ(E)(or the astrophysical S-factor S(E)) at extremely low energies by a model independent way as possible. The main idea of the proposed method is that at stellar energies peripheral direct radiative capture reaction of astrophysical interest proceeds mainly through the tail of the overlap integral, which is completely determined by the binding energy and the respective ANC (or NVC). The main advantage of the proposed method is that it allows us to determine both the absolute value of NVC (or ANC) and the astrophysical S-factor S(E) at solar energies (0-50 keV) by means of the analysis of the same experimental astrophysical S-factor S exp (E) in a correct self consistent way using the same potential both for the bound state and for scattering state. The method has been applied for an investigation of the direct radiative capture t(α, γ) 7 Li and 3 He(α, γ) 7 Be reactions at extremely low energies. At first, this method was used for analysis of the S exp (E) to determine values of the modulus squared of the NVC's (or the respective ANC's). The values of NVC's are presented. Then, the obtained NVC's are used by us for extrapolation of the S(E) of the reactions considered to stellar energies (E=0-50 keV) for the 3 He(α, γ) 7 Be reaction and for the t(α, γ) 7 Li reaction. The obtained results are compared with those other authors

Nuclear astrophysics away from stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathews, G.J.; Howard, W.M.; Takahashi, K.; Ward, R.A.

1985-08-01

Explosive astrophysical environments invariably lead to the production of nuclei away from stability. An understanding of the dynamics and nucleosynthesis in such environments is inextricably coupled to an understanding of the properties of the synthesized nuclei. In this talk a review is presented of the basic explosive nucleosynthesis mechanisms (s-process, r-process, n-process, p-process, and rp-process). Specific stellar model calculations are discussed and a summary of the pertinent nuclear data is presented. Possible experiments and nuclear-model calculations are suggested that could facilitate a better understanding of the astrophysical scenarios. 39 refs., 4 figs

Astrophysics on the Lab Bench

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Stephen W.

2010-01-01

In this article some basic laboratory bench experiments are described that are useful for teaching high school students some of the basic principles of stellar astrophysics. For example, in one experiment, students slam a plastic water-filled bottle down onto a bench, ejecting water towards the ceiling, illustrating the physics associated with a…

Carbon dioxide and climate: an astrophysical perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kandel, R S

1979-01-01

In this survey the earth is viewed from the astrophysical perspective, i.e. using global mean values of environmental parameters. The role of carbon dioxide is described in the processes of energy transfer from the earth's surface to space, which determine global climate as measured by the mean surface temperature. Analogies and differences between the problems of the terrestrial atmosphere and those of the solar and stellar atmospheres are examined, both in the computation of model atmospheres and in remote sensing of atmospheric temperature and composition. Subsequently, the temporal astrophysical perspective, with a review of the evolution of CO/sub 2/ abundance and climate on astrophysical or geological time scales, on earth as an Venus (the runaway greenhouse) and on Mars is introduced. Variation of CO/sub 2/ may have been critical to the maintenance of an environment in which life could originate and evolve, and may itself have been affected by life. On human time scales, the recent and continuing increase in atmospheric CO/sub 2/ raises new problems, which are briefly surveyed. It is argued, that the differential greenhouse effect of increased CO/sub 2/ in the earth's atmosphere is essentially identifical to the blanketing effect of spectral lines on the temperature structure of stellar atmospheres. The methods used by astrophysicists in such studies are reviewed and compared with those used to evaluate the differential greenhouse effect of CO/sub 2/ in radiative-convective models of the earth's atmosphere. The latter methods remain relatively crude, but recent results by different authors are in reasonably good agreement; however, the astrophysical perspective, i.e. the use of one-dimensional global mean models, remains a gross simplification of the real complexity of the earth's climate system, which is also true in stellar atmospheres.

Nuclear data needs in nuclear astrophysics: Charged-particle reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Michael S.

2001-01-01

Progress in understanding a diverse range of astrophysical phenomena - such as the Big Bang, the Sun, the evolution of stars, and stellar explosions - can be significantly aided by improved compilation, evaluation, and dissemination of charged-particle nuclear reaction data. A summary of the charged-particle reaction data needs in these and other astrophysical scenarios is presented, along with recommended future nuclear data projects. (author)

Asteroseismology of Stellar Populations in the Milky Way

CERN Document Server

Eggenberger, Patrick; Girardi, Léo; Montalbán, Josefina

2015-01-01

The detection of radial and non-radial solar-like oscillations in thousands of G-K giants with CoRoT and Kepler is paving the road for detailed studies of stellar populations in the Galaxy. The available average seismic constraints allow largely model-independent determination of stellar radii and masses, and can be used to determine the position and age of thousands of stars in different regions of the Milky Way, and of giants belonging to open clusters. Such a close connection between stellar evolution, Galactic evolution, and asteroseismology opens a new very promising gate in our understanding of stars and galaxies.  This book represents a natural progression from the collection of review papers presented in the book 'Red Giants as Probes of the Structure and Evolution of the Milky Way', which appeared in the  Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings series in 2012. This sequel volume contains review papers on spectroscopy, seismology of red giants, open questions in Galactic astrophysics, and discu...

High Time Resolution Astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Phelan, Don; Shearer, Andrew

2008-01-01

High Time Resolution Astrophysics (HTRA) is an important new window to the universe and a vital tool in understanding a range of phenomena from diverse objects and radiative processes. This importance is demonstrated in this volume with the description of a number of topics in astrophysics, including quantum optics, cataclysmic variables, pulsars, X-ray binaries and stellar pulsations to name a few. Underlining this science foundation, technological developments in both instrumentation and detectors are described. These instruments and detectors combined cover a wide range of timescales and can measure fluxes, spectra and polarisation. These advances make it possible for HTRA to make a big contribution to our understanding of the Universe in the next decade.

Research at the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Université Libre de Bruxelles

Science.gov (United States)

Karinkuzhi, Drisya; Chamel, Nicolas; Goriely, Stéphane; Jorissen, Alain; Pourbaix, Dimitri; Siess, Lionel; Van Eck, Sophie

2018-04-01

Over the years, a coherent research strategy has developed in the field of stellar physics at the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IAA). It involves observational studies (chemical composition of giant stars, binary properties, tomography of stellar atmospheres) that make use of the large ESO telescopes as well as of other major instruments. The presence of a high-resolution spectrograph on the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) would therefore be highly beneficial to IAA research. These observations are complemented and supported by theoretical studies of mass transfer in binary systems, of standard and non-standard stellar evolution (including the modelling of stellar hydrodynamical nuclear burning for application to certain thermonuclear supernovae) and of nuclear astrophysics (a field in which IAA has been recognized for a long time as an international centre of excellence), including the theory of nucleosynthesis. IAA also addresses the end-points of stellar evolution as it is carrying out research on the compact remnants of stellar evolution of massive stars: neutron stars.

Searches for astrophysical neutrinos with IceCube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, D.

2014-01-01

Powerful astrophysical objects such as active galactic nuclei (AGN), core collapse supernovae and gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are potential sources of the highest energy cosmic rays. Many models of cosmic ray proton acceleration predict a corresponding flux of neutrinos in the TeV-PeV energy range. The detection of astrophysical neutrinos requires the largest neutrino detector ever built: IceCube, a cubic-kilometer array located near the geographic South Pole. IceCube has been collecting data throughout its construction, which was complete in December 2010. Data from the partial IceCube detector have already set interesting limits on astrophysical neutrino fluxes, including stringent limits on neutrino production in GRBs. (authors)

Observational astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Smith, Robert C

1995-01-01

Combining a critical account of observational methods (telescopes and instrumentation) with a lucid description of the Universe, including stars, galaxies and cosmology, Smith provides a comprehensive introduction to the whole of modern astrophysics beyond the solar system. The first half describes the techniques used by astronomers to observe the Universe: optical telescopes and instruments are discussed in detail, but observations at all wavelengths are covered, from radio to gamma-rays. After a short interlude describing the appearance of the sky at all wavelengths, the role of positional astronomy is highlighted. In the second half, a clear description is given of the contents of the Universe, including accounts of stellar evolution and cosmological models. Fully illustrated throughout, with exercises given in each chapter, this textbook provides a thorough introduction to astrophysics for all physics undergraduates, and a valuable background for physics graduates turning to research in astronomy.

Stellar population synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickles, A.J.

1989-01-01

The techniques used to derive astrophysically useful information from observations of the integrated light of composite stellar systems are briefly reviewed. A synthesis technique, designed to separate and describe on a standard system the competing effects of age and metallicity variations is introduced, and illustrated by its application to the study of the history of star formation in bright elliptical galaxies in clusters. (author)

Recent Efforts in Data Compilations for Nuclear Astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dillmann, Iris

2008-01-01

Some recent efforts in compiling data for astrophysical purposes are introduced, which were discussed during a JINA-CARINA Collaboration meeting on 'Nuclear Physics Data Compilation for Nucleosynthesis Modeling' held at the ECT* in Trento/Italy from May 29th-June 3rd, 2007. The main goal of this collaboration is to develop an updated and unified nuclear reaction database for modeling a wide variety of stellar nucleosynthesis scenarios. Presently a large number of different reaction libraries (REACLIB) are used by the astrophysics community. The 'JINA Reaclib Database' on http://www.nscl.msu.edu/~nero/db/ aims to merge and fit the latest experimental stellar cross sections and reaction rate data of various compilations, e.g. NACRE and its extension for Big Bang nucleosynthesis, Caughlan and Fowler, Iliadis et al., and KADoNiS.The KADoNiS (Karlsruhe Astrophysical Database of Nucleosynthesis in Stars, http://nuclear-astrophysics.fzk.de/kadonis) project is an online database for neutron capture cross sections relevant to the s process. The present version v0.2 is already included in a REACLIB file from Basel university (http://download.nucastro.org/astro/reaclib). The present status of experimental stellar (n,γ) cross sections in KADoNiS is shown. It contains recommended cross sections for 355 isotopes between 1 H and 210 Bi, over 80% of them deduced from experimental data.A ''high priority list'' for measurements and evaluations for light charged-particle reactions set up by the JINA-CARINA collaboration is presented. The central web access point to submit and evaluate new data is provided by the Oak Ridge group via the http://www.nucastrodata.org homepage. 'Workflow tools' aim to make the evaluation process transparent and allow users to follow the progress

Recent Efforts in Data Compilations for Nuclear Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Dillmann, Iris

2008-05-01

Some recent efforts in compiling data for astrophysical purposes are introduced, which were discussed during a JINA-CARINA Collaboration meeting on ``Nuclear Physics Data Compilation for Nucleosynthesis Modeling'' held at the ECT* in Trento/Italy from May 29th-June 3rd, 2007. The main goal of this collaboration is to develop an updated and unified nuclear reaction database for modeling a wide variety of stellar nucleosynthesis scenarios. Presently a large number of different reaction libraries (REACLIB) are used by the astrophysics community. The ``JINA Reaclib Database'' on http://www.nscl.msu.edu/~nero/db/ aims to merge and fit the latest experimental stellar cross sections and reaction rate data of various compilations, e.g. NACRE and its extension for Big Bang nucleosynthesis, Caughlan and Fowler, Iliadis et al., and KADoNiS. The KADoNiS (Karlsruhe Astrophysical Database of Nucleosynthesis in Stars, http://nuclear-astrophysics.fzk.de/kadonis) project is an online database for neutron capture cross sections relevant to the s process. The present version v0.2 is already included in a REACLIB file from Basel university (http://download.nucastro.org/astro/reaclib). The present status of experimental stellar (n,γ) cross sections in KADoNiS is shown. It contains recommended cross sections for 355 isotopes between 1H and 210Bi, over 80% of them deduced from experimental data. A ``high priority list'' for measurements and evaluations for light charged-particle reactions set up by the JINA-CARINA collaboration is presented. The central web access point to submit and evaluate new data is provided by the Oak Ridge group via the http://www.nucastrodata.org homepage. ``Workflow tools'' aim to make the evaluation process transparent and allow users to follow the progress.

Advanced LIGO: sources and astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Creighton, Teviet

2003-01-01

Second-generation detectors in LIGO will take us from the discovery phase of gravitational-wave observations to the phase of true gravitational-wave astrophysics, with hundreds or thousands of potential sources. This paper surveys the most likely and interesting potential sources for Advanced LIGO, and the astrophysical processes that each one will probe. I conclude that binary inspiral signals are expected, while continuous signals from pulsars are plausible but not guaranteed. Other sources, such as core-collapse bursts, cosmic strings and primordial stochastic backgrounds, are speculative sources for Advanced LIGO, but also potentially the most interesting, since they push the limits of our theoretical knowledge

Indirect methods in nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertulani, C.A.; Shubhchintak; Mukhamedzhanov, A.; Kadyrov, A. S.; Kruppa, A.; Pang, D. Y.

2016-01-01

We discuss recent developments in indirect methods used in nuclear astrophysics to determine the capture cross sections and subsequent rates of various stellar burning processes, when it is difficult to perform the corresponding direct measurements. We discuss in brief, the basic concepts of Asymptotic Normalization Coefficients, the Trojan Horse Method, the Coulomb Dissociation Method, (d,p), and charge-exchange reactions. (paper)

Modelling the self-organization and collapse of complex networks

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Modelling the self-organization and collapse of complex networks. Sanjay Jain Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Astrophysical contributions of the International Ultraviolet Explorer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, Y.; Boggess, A.; Maran, S.P.

1989-01-01

Findings that have been made by the IUE in a variety of astrophysical areas are reviewed. Results on stellar chromospheres and transition regions, evolutionary processes in interacting binaries, winds from early-type stars, the ISM, SN 1987A, active galactic nuclei, and solar system objects are addressed. 158 refs

Numerical relativity beyond astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Garfinkle, David

2017-01-01

Though the main applications of computer simulations in relativity are to astrophysical systems such as black holes and neutron stars, nonetheless there are important applications of numerical methods to the investigation of general relativity as a fundamental theory of the nature of space and time. This paper gives an overview of some of these applications. In particular we cover (i) investigations of the properties of spacetime singularities such as those that occur in the interior of black holes and in big bang cosmology. (ii) investigations of critical behavior at the threshold of black hole formation in gravitational collapse. (iii) investigations inspired by string theory, in particular analogs of black holes in more than 4 spacetime dimensions and gravitational collapse in spacetimes with a negative cosmological constant.

Numerical relativity beyond astrophysics.

Science.gov (United States)

Garfinkle, David

2017-01-01

Though the main applications of computer simulations in relativity are to astrophysical systems such as black holes and neutron stars, nonetheless there are important applications of numerical methods to the investigation of general relativity as a fundamental theory of the nature of space and time. This paper gives an overview of some of these applications. In particular we cover (i) investigations of the properties of spacetime singularities such as those that occur in the interior of black holes and in big bang cosmology. (ii) investigations of critical behavior at the threshold of black hole formation in gravitational collapse. (iii) investigations inspired by string theory, in particular analogs of black holes in more than 4 spacetime dimensions and gravitational collapse in spacetimes with a negative cosmological constant.

Astrophysical black holes

CERN Document Server

Gorini, Vittorio; Moschella, Ugo; Treves, Aldo; Colpi, Monica

2016-01-01

Based on graduate school lectures in contemporary relativity and gravitational physics, this book gives a complete and unified picture of the present status of theoretical and observational properties of astrophysical black holes. The chapters are written by internationally recognized specialists. They cover general theoretical aspects of black hole astrophysics, the theory of accretion and ejection of gas and jets, stellar-sized black holes observed in the Milky Way, the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes in galactic centers and quasars as well as their influence on the dynamics in galactic nuclei. The final chapter addresses analytical relativity of black holes supporting theoretical understanding of the coalescence of black holes as well as being of great relevance in identifying gravitational wave signals. With its introductory chapters the book is aimed at advanced graduate and post-graduate students, but it will also be useful for specialists.

The Stellar Imager (SI) Project: Resolving Stellar Surfaces, Interiors, and Magnetic Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Schrijver, K.; Karovska, M.

2007-01-01

The Stellar Imager (SI) is a UV/Optical. Space-Based Interferometer designed to enable 0.1 milli-arcsec (mas) spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and, via asteroseismology, stellar interiors and of the Universe in general. The ultra-sharp images of SI will revolutionize our view of many dynamic astrophysical processes by transforming point sources into extended sources, and snapshots into evolving views. The science of SI focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe, particularly on magnetic activity on the surfaces of stars like the Sun. Its prime goal is to enable long-term forecasting of solar activity and the space weather that it drives. SI will also revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magneto-hydrodynamically controlled processes in the Universe. In this paper we discuss the science goals, technology needs, and baseline design of the SI mission.

Astrophysical constraints on scalar field models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertolami, O.; Paramos, J.

2005-01-01

We use stellar structure dynamics arguments to extract bounds on the relevant parameters of two scalar field models: the putative scalar field mediator of a fifth force with a Yukawa potential and the new variable mass particle models. We also analyze the impact of a constant solar inbound acceleration, such as the one reported by the Pioneer anomaly, on stellar astrophysics. We consider the polytropic gas model to estimate the effect of these models on the hydrostatic equilibrium equation and fundamental quantities such as the central temperature. The current bound on the solar luminosity is used to constrain the relevant parameters of each model

Impact of electron-captures on nuclei near N = 50 on core-collapse supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Titus, R.; Sullivan, C.; Zegers, R. G. T.; Brown, B. A.; Gao, B.

2018-01-01

The sensitivity of the late stages of stellar core collapse to electron-capture rates on nuclei is investigated, with a focus on electron-capture rates on 74 nuclei with neutron number close to 50, just above doubly magic 78Ni. It is demonstrated that variations in key characteristics of the evolution, such as the lepton fraction, electron fraction, entropy, stellar density, and in-fall velocity are about 50% due to uncertainties in the electron-capture rates on nuclei in this region, although thousands of nuclei are included in the simulations. The present electron-capture rate estimates used for the nuclei in this high-sensitivity region of the chart of isotopes are primarily based on a simple approximation, and it is shown that the estimated rates are likely too high, by an order of magnitude or more. Electron-capture rates based on Gamow-Teller strength distributions calculated in microscopic theoretical models will be required to obtain better estimates. Gamow-Teller distributions extracted from charge-exchange experiments performed at intermediate energies serve to guide the development and benchmark the models. A previously compiled weak-rate library that is used in the astrophysical simulations was updated as part of the work presented here, by adding additional rate tables for nuclei near stability for mass numbers between 60 and 110.

New Kepler Data Products At MAST For Stellar Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Scott W.; Shiao, B.; Tseng, S.; Million, C.; Thompson, R.; Seibert, M.; Abney, F.; Donaldson, T.; Dower, T.; Fraquelli, D. A.; Handy, S.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Levay, K.; Matuskey, J.; McLean, B.; Quick, L.; Rogers, A.; Wallace, G.; White, R. L.

2014-01-01

The Kepler Mission has collected high-precision, time-series photometry of over 200,000 stars. The reduced lightcurves, target pixel files, and a variety of catalog metadata are already available at MAST. We present new data products and services at MAST that will further aid researchers as Kepler begins its transition to a legacy mission, particularly in the realm of stellar astrophysics. New photometric catalogs to accompany the Kepler targets have arrived at MAST within the past year, and several more will be coming in the relative future. These include the second half of the Kepler INT survey (U,g,r,i,H_alpha; available now), an improved GALEX source catalog (NUV and FUV; available now), PanSTARRS (g,r,i,z; available soon), and WISE (3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 microns; planned). We expect searches for variability will become one of the most active areas of archive use, so MAST is including a wide range of variability statistics as part of the archive database. In addition to being searchable through database queries and web forms, each Preview page will now include a summary of these variability indices for each of the target's lightcurves within a Quarter. Along with updated NUV and FUV fluxes, a new tool at MAST called gPhoton will allow users to create time-series lightcurves, including animated movies and intensity images, from any set of GALEX photons with arbitrary aperture and bin sizes. We show some examples of the ways GALEX UV lightcurves generated with gPhoton can be used in conjunction with the Kepler data. Finally, MAST has released an initial version of its Data Discovery Portal. This one-stop, interactive web application gives users the ability to search and access data from any of MAST's missions (HST, GALEX, Kepler, FUSE, IUE, JWST, etc.), as well as any data available through the Virtual Observatory. It includes filtering options, access to interactive displays, an accompanying AstroViewer with data footprints on-sky, the ability to upload your own

Precision Astrophysics Experiments with the Kepler Satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Jackiewicz, Jason

2012-10-01

Long photometric observations from space of tens of thousands of stars, such as those provided by Kepler, offer unique opportunities to carry out ensemble astrophysics as well as detailed studies of individual objects. One of the primary tools at our disposal for understanding pulsating stars is asteroseismology, which uses observed stellar oscillation frequencies to determine interior properties. This can provide very strict constraints on theories of stellar evolution, structure, and the population characteristics of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. This talk will focus on several of the exciting insights Kepler has enabled through asteroseismology of stars across the H-R diagram.

The Tilt between Acretion Disk and Stellar Disk Shiyin Shen1,2 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, China. 2Key Lab for Astrophysics, Shanghai 200234, China. ∗ e-mail: ssy@shao.ac.cn. Abstract. The orientations .... shows the model prediction from the stellar dust model (section 5). 4. Result: The tilt between the accretion disk and stellar disk. We parameterize the inclinations of the ...

Nonlinear wave collapse and strong turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, P.A.

1997-01-01

The theory and applications of wave self-focusing, collapse, and strongly nonlinear wave turbulence are reviewed. In the last decade, the theory of these phenomena and experimental realizations have progressed rapidly. Various nonlinear wave systems are discussed, but the simplest case of collapse and strong turbulence of Langmuir waves in an unmagnetized plasma is primarily used in explaining the theory and illustrating the main ideas. First, an overview of the basic physics of linear waves and nonlinear wave-wave interactions is given from an introductory perspective. Wave-wave processes are then considered in more detail. Next, an introductory overview of the physics of wave collapse and strong turbulence is provided, followed by a more detailed theoretical treatment. Later sections cover numerical simulations of Langmuir collapse and strong turbulence and experimental applications to space, ionospheric, and laboratory plasmas, including laser-plasma and beam-plasma interactions. Generalizations to self-focusing, collapse, and strong turbulence of waves in other systems are also discussed, including nonlinear optics, solid-state systems, magnetized auroral and astrophysical plasmas, and deep-water waves. The review ends with a summary of the main ideas of wave collapse and strong-turbulence theory, a collection of open questions in the field, and a brief discussion of possible future research directions. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Measurement of reaction rates of interest in stellar structure and evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terrasi, F.; D''Onofrio, A.; Campajola, L.; Imbriani, G.; Gialanella, L.; Greife, U.; Rolfs, C.; Strieder, F.; Trautvetter, H.P.; Roca, V.; Romano, M.; Straniero, O.

1998-01-01

Accurate determinations of reaction rates at astrophysical energies are very important in stellar structure and evolution studies. The cases of two key reactions, namely 7 Be(p,γ) 8 B and 12 C(α,γ) 16 O are discussed, both from the point of view of their astrophysical interest and of the experimental difficulties in the measurement of their cross section. (orig.)

Numerical simulations of stellar collapse in scalar-tensor theories of gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerosa, Davide; Sperhake, Ulrich; Ott, Christian D

2016-01-01

We present numerical-relativity simulations of spherically symmetric core collapse and compact-object formation in scalar-tensor theories of gravity. The additional scalar degree of freedom introduces a propagating monopole gravitational-wave mode. Detection of monopole scalar waves with current and future gravitational-wave experiments may constitute smoking gun evidence for strong-field modifications of general relativity. We collapse both polytropic and more realistic pre-supernova profiles using a high-resolution shock-capturing scheme and an approximate prescription for the nuclear equation of state. The most promising sources of scalar radiation are protoneutron stars collapsing to black holes. In case of a galactic core collapse event forming a black hole, Advanced LIGO may be able to place independent constraints on the parameters of the theory at a level comparable to current solar-system and binary-pulsar measurements. In the region of the parameter space admitting spontaneously scalarised stars, transition to configurations with prominent scalar hair before black-hole formation further enhances the emitted signal. Although a more realistic treatment of the microphysics is necessary to fully investigate the occurrence of spontaneous scalarisation of neutron star remnants, we speculate that formation of such objects could constrain the parameters of the theory beyond the current bounds obtained with solar-system and binary-pulsar experiments. (paper)

Improving 1D Stellar Models with 3D Atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Rørsted Mosumgaard, Jakob; Silva Aguirre, Víctor; Weiss, Achim; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jørgen; Trampedach, Regner

2017-10-01

Stellar evolution codes play a major role in present-day astrophysics, yet they share common issues. In this work we seek to remedy some of those by the use of results from realistic and highly detailed 3D hydrodynamical simulations of stellar atmospheres. We have implemented a new temperature stratification extracted directly from the 3D simulations into the Garching Stellar Evolution Code to replace the simplified atmosphere normally used. Secondly, we have implemented the use of a variable mixing-length parameter, which changes as a function of the stellar surface gravity and temperature - also derived from the 3D simulations. Furthermore, to make our models consistent, we have calculated new opacity tables to match the atmospheric simulations. Here, we present the modified code and initial results on stellar evolution using it.

Atomic Data for Stellar Astrophysics: from the UV to the IR

Science.gov (United States)

Wahlgren, Glenn M.

2011-01-01

The study of stars and stellar evolution relies heavily on the analysis of stellar spectra. The need for atomic line data from the ultraviolet (UV) to the infrared (lR) regions is greater now than ever. In the past twenty years, the time since the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, great progress has been made in acquiring atomic data for UV transitions. The optical wavelength region, now expanded by progress in detector technology, continues to provide motivation for new atomic data. In addition, investments in new instrumentation for ground-based and space observatories has lead to the availability of high-quality spectra at IR wavelengths, where the need for atomic data is most critical. In this review, examples are provided of the progress made in generating atomic data for stellar studies, with a look to the future for addressing the accuracy and completeness of atomic data for anticipated needs.

A core-halo pattern of entropy creation in gravitational collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Wren, Andrew J.

2018-03-01

This paper presents a kinetic theory model of gravitational collapse due to a small perturbation. Solving the relevant equations yields a pattern of entropy destruction in a spherical core around the perturbation, and entropy creation in a surrounding halo. This indicates collisional "de-relaxation" in the core, and collisional relaxation in the halo. Core-halo patterns are ubiquitous in the astrophysics of gravitational collapse, and are found here without any of the prior assumptions of such a pattern usually made in analytical models. Motivated by this analysis, the paper outlines a possible scheme for identifying structure formation in a set of observations or a simulation. This scheme involves a choice of coarse-graining scale appropriate to the structure under consideration, and might aid exploration of hierarchical structure formation, supplementing the usual density-based methods for highlighting astrophysical and cosmological structure at various scales.

Preface: Eighth European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claudio, Spitaleri; Livio, Lamia; Gianluca, Pizzone Rosario

2016-01-01

In this book a collection of the lecture notes given during the Eighth European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics is given. The school, whose first edition was first held in 2003, took place from 13 to 20 of September 2015 in Santa Tecla, a small village about 15 km north of Catania, characterized by its position on the volcanic shores of the Ionian Sea, surrounded by the spectacular “Timpa” area, a green protected park specific for its mediterranean vegetation. 80 young students and researchers from more than 20 countries attended the lectures and were also encouraged to present their work and results. The school, has tried once more to present to the young students the global picture of nuclear astrophysics research in the last years. Thus the scientific program of the school covered a wide range of topics dealing with various aspects of nuclear astrophysics, such as stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis, neutrino physics, the Big Bang, direct and indirect methods and radioactive ion beams. Nuclear astrophysics plays a key role in understanding energy production in stars, stellar evolution and the concurrent synthesis of the chemical elements and their isotopes. It is also a fundamental tool to explain the ashes of the early universe, to determine the age of the universe through the study of pristine stellar objects and to predict the evolution of the Sun or Stars. The “bone structure” for the above aspects is based on nuclear reactions, whose rates need to be determined in laboratories. Although impressive progress has been made over the past decades, which was rewarded by Nobel prizes, several open questions are still unsolved, which challenge the basis of the present understanding. A list of the lecture topics is given below: —Big Bang Nucleosynthesis —Stellar evolution and Nucleosynthesis —radioactive ion beams —detector and facilities for nuclear astrophysics —indirect methods in nuclear astrophysics —plasma physics An

Velocity structure of protostellar envelopes: gravitational collapse and rotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belloche, Arnaud

2002-01-01

Stars form from the gravitational collapse of pre-stellar condensations in molecular clouds. The major aim of this thesis is to compare the predictions of collapse models with observations of both very young (class 0) protostars and starless condensations in millimeter molecular lines. We wish to understand what determines the masses of forming stars and whether the initial conditions have an effect on the dynamical evolution of a condensation. Using a Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code, we analyze rotation and infall spectroscopic signatures to study the velocity structure of a sample of protostellar condensations. We show that the envelope of the class 0 protostar IRAM 04191 in the Taurus molecular cloud is undergoing both extended, subsonic infall and fast, differential rotation. We propose that the inner part of the envelope is a magnetically supercritical core in the process of decoupling from the ambient cloud still supported by the magnetic field. We suggest that the kinematical properties observed for IRAM 04191 are representative of the physical conditions characterizing isolated protostars shortly after point mass formation. On the other hand, a similar study for the pre-stellar condensations of the Rho Ophiuchi proto-cluster yields mass accretion rates that are an order of magnitude higher than in IRAM 04191. This suggests that individual protostellar collapse in clusters is induced by external disturbances. Moreover, we show that the condensations do not have time to orbit significantly through the proto-cluster gas before evolving into protostars and pre-main-sequence stars. This seems inconsistent with models which resort to dynamical interactions and competitive accretion to build up a mass spectrum comparable to the stellar initial mass function. We conclude that protostellar collapse is nearly spontaneous in regions of isolated star formation such as the Taurus cloud but probably strongly induced in proto-clusters. (author) [fr

Measurement of reaction rates of interest in stellar structure and evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terrasi, F; D` Onofrio, A [Dipt. di Scienze Ambientali, Seconda Univ. di Napoli, Caserta (Italy); [INFN, Napoli (Italy); Campajola, L; Imbriani, G [INFN, Napoli (Italy); [Dipt. di Scienze Fisiche, Univ. Federico II, Napoli (Italy); Gialanella, L [INFN, Napoli (Italy); [Dipt. di Scienze Fisiche, Univ. Federico II, Napoli (Italy); [Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik III, Ruhr-Univ. Bochum, Bochum (Germany); Greife, U; Rolfs, C; Strieder, F; Trautvetter, H P [Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik III, Ruhr-Univ. Bochum, Bochum (Germany); Roca, V; Romano, M [INFN, Napoli (Italy); [Dipt. di Scienze Fisiche, Univ. Federico II, Napoli (Italy); Straniero, O [Osservatorio Astronomico di Collurania, Teramo (Italy)

1998-06-01

Accurate determinations of reaction rates at astrophysical energies are very important in stellar structure and evolution studies. The cases of two key reactions, namely {sup 7}Be(p,{gamma}){sup 8}B and {sup 12}C({alpha},{gamma}){sup 16}O are discussed, both from the point of view of their astrophysical interest and of the experimental difficulties in the measurement of their cross section. (orig.)

Weak-interaction processes in stars: applications to core-collapse supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez-Pinedo, G.

2003-01-01

The role of weak-interaction processes in core collapse and neutrino nucleosynthesis is reviewed. Recent calculations of the electron capture rates for nuclei with mass numbers A=65-112 show that, contrarily to previous assumptions, during core collapse electron capture is dominated by captures on heavy nuclei. Astrophysical simulations demonstrate that these rates have an important impact on the collapse. Neutrinos emitted by the collapsing core can interact with the overlying shells of the star producing substantial nuclear transmutations. This process known as ν-process seems to be responsible for the production of 138 La by charged current neutrino interactions with 138 Ba. The ν-process is then sensitive to the spectra of different neutrino species and to neutrino oscillations. (orig.)

Weak Interaction processes in core-collapse supernova

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez-Pinedo, Gabriel

2008-01-01

In this manuscript we review the role that weak interaction processes play in supernova. This includes electron captures and inelastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (INNS). Electron captures during the collapse occur mainly in heavy nuclei, however the proton contribution is responsible for the convergence of different models to a 'norm' stellar trajectory. Neutrino-nucleus cross sections at supernova neutrino energies can be determined from precise data on the magnetic dipole strength. The results agree well with large-scale shell-model calculations. When incorporated in core-collapse simulations INNS increases the neutrino opacities noticeably and strongly reduces the high-energy part of the supernova spectrum

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Neutron stars, the compact stellar remnants of core-collapse supernova explosions, are unique cosmic laboratories for exploring novel phases of matter under extreme conditions. In particular, the occurrence of superfluidity and superconductivity in neutron stars will be briefly reviewed.

Collapse of differentially rotating neutron stars and cosmic censorship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giacomazzo, Bruno; Rezzolla, Luciano; Stergioulas, Nikolaos

2011-01-01

We present new results on the dynamics and gravitational-wave emission from the collapse of differentially rotating neutron stars. We have considered a number of polytropic stellar models having different values of the dimensionless angular momentum J/M 2 , where J and M are the asymptotic angular momentum and mass of the star, respectively. For neutron stars with J/M 2 2 >1, i.e. 'supra-Kerr' models, on the other hand, we were not able to find models that are dynamically unstable and all of the computed supra-Kerr models were found to be far from the stability threshold. For these models a gravitational collapse is possible only after a very severe and artificial reduction of the pressure, which then leads to a torus developing nonaxisymmetric instabilities and eventually contracting to a stable axisymmetric stellar configuration. While this does not exclude the possibility that a naked singularity can be produced by the collapse of a differentially rotating star, it also suggests that cosmic censorship is not violated and that generic conditions for a supra-Kerr progenitor do not lead to a naked singularity.

Final phases of stellar evolution and the supernova phenomenon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gallino, R [Torino, Universita, Turin, Italy; Masani, A [CNR, Laboratorio di Cosmo-geofisica, Turin, Italy

1977-12-01

Various theoretical aspects of the final stages of stellar evolution are reviewed in the framework of gravitational collapse and thermonuclear reactions (C-12 and O-16) in degenerate electron conditions. Attention is given to the evolution of supermassive stars, massive stars, and low-mass stars and to such topics as neutrino emission in intermediate-mass stars, white-dwarf supernovae, rotational instability, and stellar collisions and eclipsing binary systems.

Selected topics in nuclear- and astro-physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sujkowski, Z.; Szeflinska, G.

1991-11-01

The subjects cover the properties of hot and dense matter created in laboratory (the dynamics of the nucleus-nucleus collisions, the structure of hot and spinning nuclei), the properties of hot and dense stellar matter, the nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest (including the latest developments of the tools such as e.g. the radioactive beams) and the nucleosynthesis (esp. R-processes). (author)

On the possibility of a two-bang supernova collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berezinsky, V.S.; Castagnoli, C.; Dokuchaev, V.I.; Galeotti, P.

1988-01-01

The possibility of a two-bang stellar collapse originating SN 1987a, and having the characteristics of the events recorded in Mont Blanc and Kamiokande, is discussed here. According to the ''standard'' collapse models of nonrotating stars, which predict the formation of a neutrino-sphere with a nondegenerate neutrino gas inside the star, the Mont Blanc and kamiokande data for the first burst give a too large stellar mass. On the contrary, a degenerate neutrino gas with low temperature T ∼ 0.5 MeV, and chemical potential μ ∼ (12-15), predicts a relatively low total energy outflow W ν ∼ (2-6) x 10 54 erg, and a small number of expected interactions in Kamiokande. A possible scenario is suggested: a massive (M ∼ 20M o ) rotating star is fragmented into two pieces, one light and the other heavy, at the onset of the collapse.The massive component collapses to a black hole, and produces the first burst. Neutrinos are trapped inside the collapsing star because of elastic scattering in the outer core off heavy nuclei, with A ∼ 300. It is shown that neutrinos fill up the quantum states, producing a degenerate neutrino gas. The second burst is explained by coalescence of the light fragment (M ∼ (1-3)M o ) onto the massive black hole. The time delay between the two observed bursts (4.7h) is mostly connected with gravitational braking, when the light fragment falls down onto the black hole, with an accompanying emission of gravitational waves for times of order of hours

Impact of nuclear 'pasta' on neutrino transport in collapsing stellar cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonoda, Hidetaka; Watanabe, Gentaro; Sato, Katsuhiko; Takiwaki, Tomoya; Yasuoka, Kenji; Ebisuzaki, Toshikazu

2007-01-01

Nuclear 'pasta', nonspherical nuclei in dense matter, is predicted to occur in collapsing supernova cores. We show how pasta phases affect the neutrino transport cross section via weak neutral current using several nuclear models. This is the first calculation of the neutrino opacity of the phases with rod-like and slab-like nuclei taking account of finite temperature effects, which are well described by the quantum molecular dynamics. We also show that pasta phases can occupy 10-20% of the mass of supernova cores in the later stage of the collapse

The formation of stars by gravitational collapse rather than competitive accretion

Science.gov (United States)

Krumholz, Mark R.; McKee, Christopher F.; Klein, Richard I.

2005-11-01

There are two dominant models of how stars form. Under gravitational collapse, star-forming molecular clumps, of typically hundreds to thousands of solar masses (Msolar), fragment into gaseous cores that subsequently collapse to make individual stars or small multiple systems. In contrast, competitive accretion theory suggests that at birth all stars are much smaller than the typical stellar mass (~0.5Msolar), and that final stellar masses are determined by the subsequent accretion of unbound gas from the clump. Competitive accretion models interpret brown dwarfs and free-floating planets as protostars ejected from star-forming clumps before they have accreted much mass; key predictions of this model are that such objects should lack disks, have high velocity dispersions, form more frequently in denser clumps, and that the mean stellar mass should vary within the Galaxy. Here we derive the rate of competitive accretion as a function of the star-forming environment, based partly on simulation, and determine in what types of environments competitive accretion can occur. We show that no observed star-forming region can undergo significant competitive accretion, and that the simulations that show competitive accretion do so because the assumed properties differ from those determined by observation. Our result shows that stars form by gravitational collapse, and explains why observations have failed to confirm predictions of the competitive accretion model.

Radiative properties of astrophysical matter: a quest to reproduce astrophysical conditions on earth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, James E.

2010-01-01

Experiments in terrestrial laboratories can be used to evaluate the physical models that interpret astronomical observations. The properties of matter in astrophysical objects are essential components of these models, but terrestrial laboratories struggle to reproduce the extreme conditions that often exist. Megajoule-class DOE/NNSA facilities such as the National Ignition Facility and Z can create unprecedented amounts of matter at extreme conditions, providing new capabilities to test astrophysical models with high accuracy. Experiments at these large facilities are challenging, and access is very competitive. However, the cylindrically-symmetric Z source emits radiation in all directions, enabling multiple physics experiments to be driven with a single Z discharge. This helps ameliorate access limitations. This article describes research efforts under way at Sandia National Laboratories Z facility investigating radiation transport through stellar interior matter, population kinetics of atoms exposed to the intense radiation emitted by accretion powered objects, and spectral line formation in white dwarf (WD) photospheres. Opacity quantifies the absorption of radiation by matter and strongly influences stellar structure and evolution, since radiation dominates energy transport deep inside stars. Opacity models have become highly sophisticated, but laboratory tests at the conditions existing inside stars have not been possible - until now. Z research is presently focused on measuring iron absorption at conditions relevant to the base of the solar convection zone, where the electron temperature and density are 190 eV and 9 x 10 22 e/cc, respectively. Creating these conditions in a sample that is sufficiently large, long-lived, and uniform is extraordinarily challenging. A source of radiation that streams through the relatively-large samples can produce volumetric heating and thus, uniform conditions, but to achieve high temperatures a strong source is required. Z

Formation of stars and stellar clusters in galactic environment

OpenAIRE

Smilgys, Romas

2018-01-01

Star and stellar cluster formation in spiral galaxies is one of the biggest questions of astrophysics. In this thesis, I study how star formation, and the formation of stellar clusters, proceeds using SPH simulations. These simulations model a region of 400 pc and 10⁷ solar masses. Star formation is modelled through the use of sink particles which represent small groups of stars. Star formation occurs in high density regions, created by galactic spiral arm passage. The spiral shock compresses...

Planets, stars and stellar systems

CERN Document Server

Bond, Howard; McLean, Ian; Barstow, Martin; Gilmore, Gerard; Keel, William; French, Linda

2013-01-01

This is volume 3 of Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems, a six-volume compendium of modern astronomical research covering subjects of key interest to the main fields of contemporary astronomy. This volume on “Solar and Stellar Planetary Systems” edited by Linda French and Paul Kalas presents accessible review chapters From Disks to Planets, Dynamical Evolution of Planetary Systems, The Terrestrial Planets, Gas and Ice Giant Interiors, Atmospheres of Jovian Planets, Planetary Magnetospheres, Planetary Rings, An Overview of the Asteroids and Meteorites, Dusty Planetary Systems and Exoplanet Detection Methods. All chapters of the handbook were written by practicing professionals. They include sufficient background material and references to the current literature to allow readers to learn enough about a specialty within astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology to get started on their own practical research projects. In the spirit of the series Stars and Stellar Systems published by Chicago University Press in...

The Value of Change: Surprises and Insights in Stellar Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Bildsten, Lars

2018-01-01

Astronomers with large-format cameras regularly scan the sky many times per night to detect what's changing, and telescopes in space such as Kepler and, soon, TESS obtain very accurate brightness measurements of nearly a million stars over time periods of years. These capabilities, in conjunction with theoretical and computational efforts, have yielded surprises and remarkable new insights into the internal properties of stars and how they end their lives. I will show how asteroseismology reveals the properties of the deep interiors of red giants, and highlight how astrophysical transients may be revealing unusual thermonuclear outcomes from exploding white dwarfs and the births of highly magnetic neutron stars. All the while, stellar science has been accelerated by the availability of open source tools, such as Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), and the nearly immediate availability of observational results.

General Astrophysics with the HabEx Workhorse Camera

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, Daniel; Clarke, John; Gaudi, B. Scott; Kiessling, Alina; Krause, Oliver; Martin, Stefan; Scowen, Paul; Somerville, Rachel; HabEx STDT

2018-01-01

The Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) concept has been designed to enable an extensive suite of science, broadly put under the rubric of General Astrophysics, in addition to its exoplanet direct imaging science. General astrophysics directly addresses multiple NASA programmatic branches, and HabEx will enable investigations ranging from cosmology, to galaxy evolution, to stellar population studies, to exoplanet transit spectroscopy, to Solar System studies. This poster briefly describes one of the two primary HabEx General Astrophysics instruments, the HabEx Workhorse Camera (HWC). HWC will be a dual-detector UV-to-near-IR imager and multi-object grism spectrometer with a microshutter array and a moderate (3' x 3') field-of-view. We detail some of the key science we expect HWC to undertake, emphasizing unique capabilities enabled by a large-aperture, highly stable space-borne platform at these wavelengths.

A general method of estimating stellar astrophysical parameters from photometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Belikov, A. N.; Roeser, S.

2008-01-01

Context. Applying photometric catalogs to the study of the population of the Galaxy is obscured by the impossibility to map directly photometric colors into astrophysical parameters. Most of all-sky catalogs like ASCC or 2MASS are based upon broad-band photometric systems, and the use of broad

VI European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

The European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics has reached the sixth edition, marking the tenth year's anniversary. The spirit of the school is to provide a very important occasion for a deep education of young researchers about the main topics of experimental nuclear astrophysics. Moreover, it should be regarded as a forum for the discussion of the last-decade research activity. Lectures are focused on various aspects of primordial and stellar nucleosynthesis, including novel experimental approaches and detectors, indirect methods and radioactive ion beams. Moreover, in order to give a wide educational offer, some lectures cover complementary subjects of nuclear astrophysics such as gamma ray astronomy, neutron-induced reactions, short-lived radionuclides, weak interaction and cutting-edge facilities used to investigate nuclear reactions of interest for astrophysics. Large room is also given to young researcher oral contributions. Traditionally, particular attention is devoted to the participation of students from less-favoured countries, especially from the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The school is organised by the Catania Nuclear Astrophysics research group with the collaboration of Dipartimento di Fisica e Astromomia - Università di Catania and Laboratori Nazionali del Sud - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare.

Measuring the Binary Black Hole Mass Spectrum with an Astrophysically Motivated Parameterization

Science.gov (United States)

Talbot, Colm; Thrane, Eric

2018-04-01

Gravitational-wave detections have revealed a previously unknown population of stellar mass black holes with masses above 20 M ⊙. These observations provide a new way to test models of stellar evolution for massive stars. By considering the astrophysical processes likely to determine the shape of the binary black hole mass spectrum, we construct a parameterized model to capture key spectral features that relate gravitational-wave data to theoretical stellar astrophysics. In particular, we model the signature of pulsational pair-instability supernovae, which are expected to cause all stars with initial mass 100 M ⊙ ≲ M ≲ 150 M ⊙ to form ∼40 M ⊙ black holes. This would cause a cutoff in the black hole mass spectrum along with an excess of black holes near 40 M ⊙. We carry out a simulated data study to illustrate some of the stellar physics that can be inferred using gravitational-wave measurements of binary black holes and demonstrate several such inferences that might be made in the near future. First, we measure the minimum and maximum stellar black hole mass. Second, we infer the presence of a peak due to pair-instability supernovae. Third, we measure the distribution of black hole mass ratios. Finally, we show how inadequate models of the black hole mass spectrum lead to biased estimates of the merger rate and the amplitude of the stochastic gravitational-wave background.

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The optical design and performance of the recently commissioned fiber fed echelle spectrometer of 2.34 meter Vainu Bappu Telescope are described. The use of it for stellar spectroscopic studies is discussed. Author Affiliations. N. Kameswara Rao1 S. Sriram1 K. Jayakumar1 F. Gabriel1. Indian Institute of Astrophysics, ...

Principles of astrophysics using gravity and stellar physics to explore the cosmos

CERN Document Server

Keeton, Charles

2014-01-01

This book gives a survey of astrophysics at the advanced undergraduate level.  It originates from a two-semester course sequence at Rutgers University that is meant to appeal not only to astrophysics students but also more broadly to physics and engineering students.  The organization is driven more by physics than by astronomy; in other words, topics are first developed in physics and then applied to astronomical systems that can be investigated, rather than the other way around. The first half of the book focuses on gravity.  Gravity is the dominant force in many astronomical systems, so a tremendous amount can be learned by studying gravity, motion and mass.  The theme in this part of the book, as well as throughout astrophysics, is using motion to investigate mass.  The goal of Chapters 2-11 is to develop a progressively richer understanding of gravity as it applies to objects ranging from planets and moons to galaxies and the universe as a whole. The second half uses other aspects of physics to addr...

Stellar clusters in the Gaia era

Science.gov (United States)

Bragaglia, Angela

2018-04-01

Stellar clusters are important for astrophysics in many ways, for instance as optimal tracers of the Galactic populations to which they belong or as one of the best test bench for stellar evolutionary models. Gaia DR1, with TGAS, is just skimming the wealth of exquisite information we are expecting from the more advanced catalogues, but already offers good opportunities and indicates the vast potentialities. Gaia results can be efficiently complemented by ground-based data, in particular by large spectroscopic and photometric surveys. Examples of some scientific results of the Gaia-ESO survey are presented, as a teaser for what will be possible once advanced Gaia releases and ground-based data will be combined.

Nuclear astrophysics with radioactive beams: a TRIUMF perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shotter, A.C.

2003-01-01

Explosive nuclear burning in stellar environments involves reactions with a wide range of isotopes. For isotopes that are unstable, information on relevant reaction rates can only generally be obtained at radioactive beam facilities. The ISAC facility at TRIUMF is purpose built to provide a wide range of radioactive beams for nuclear astrophysics purposes as well as a range of other science

Nuclear astrophysics: Recent results on CNO-cycle reactions and AGB nucleosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Cognata, M.

2011-01-01

Nuclear astrophysics aims to measure nuclear-reaction cross sections of astrophysical interest to be included into models to study stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. Low energies, < 100 keV, are requested for this is the window where these processes are more effective. Two effects have prevented to achieve a satisfactory knowledge of the relevant nuclear processes, namely the Coulomb barrier exponentially suppressing the cross section and the presence of atomic electrons. These difficulties have triggered theoretical and experimental investigations to extend our knowledge down to astrophysical energies. For instance, indirect techniques such as the Trojan Horse Method and new experimental facilities such as deep underground laboratories have been devised yielding new cutting-edge results.

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy; Volume 31; Issue 1. Issue front cover thumbnail. Volume 31, Issue 1. March 2010, pages 1-58. pp 1-2. Editorial · More Details Fulltext PDF. pp 3-16. Computational Developments for Distance Determination of Stellar Groups · M. A. Sharaf A. M. Sendi.

Intense electromagnetic outbursts from collapsing hypermassive neutron stars

Science.gov (United States)

Lehner, Luis; Palenzuela, Carlos; Liebling, Steven L.; Thompson, Christopher; Hanna, Chad

2012-11-01

We study the gravitational collapse of a magnetized neutron star using a novel numerical approach able to capture both the dynamics of the star and the behavior of the surrounding plasma. In this approach, a fully general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics implementation models the collapse of the star and provides appropriate boundary conditions to a force-free model which describes the stellar exterior. We validate this strategy by comparing with known results for the rotating monopole and aligned rotator solutions and then apply it to study both rotating and nonrotating stellar collapse scenarios and contrast the behavior with what is obtained when employing the electrovacuum approximation outside the star. The nonrotating electrovacuum collapse is shown to agree qualitatively with a Newtonian model of the electromagnetic field outside a collapsing star. We illustrate and discuss a fundamental difference between the force-free and electrovacuum solutions, involving the appearance of large zones of electric-dominated field in the vacuum case. This provides a clear demonstration of how dissipative singularities appear generically in the nonlinear time evolution of force-free fluids. In both the rotating and nonrotating cases, our simulations indicate that the collapse induces a strong electromagnetic transient, which leaves behind an uncharged, unmagnetized Kerr black hole. In the case of submillisecond rotation, the magnetic field experiences strong winding, and the transient carries much more energy. This result has important implications for models of gamma-ray bursts. Even when the neutron star is surrounded by an accretion torus (as in binary merger and collapsar scenarios), a magnetosphere may emerge through a dynamo process operating in a surface shear layer. When this rapidly rotating magnetar collapses to a black hole, the electromagnetic energy released can compete with the later output in a Blandford-Znajek jet. Much less electromagnetic energy is

Photographic colorimetry of stellar flares in the Pleiades and Orion. II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirzoian, L.V.; Chavushian, O.S.; Melikian, N.D.; Natsvlishvili, R.Sh.; Ambarian, V.V.; Brutian, G.A.

1984-01-01

Synchronous three-telescope UBV photographic colorimetry of Pleiades and Orion stellar flares obtained at Biurakan Astrophysical Observatory and Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory during 86 observing hours in 1980 and 1981 is presented. The data are compiled in tables and discussed in terms of color differences appearing at different stages of a flare. A total of 32 flares are observed (25 in the Pleiades and 7 in Orion), and four new flare stars are identified in each region. 12 references

The Stellar Imager (SI) - A Mission to Resolve Stellar Surfaces, Interiors, and Magnetic Activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christensen-Dalsgaard, Joergen; Carpenter, Kenneth G; Schrijver, Carolus J; Karovska, Margarita

2011-01-01

The Stellar Imager (SI) is a space-based, UV/Optical Interferometer (UVOI) designed to enable 0.1 milli-arcsecond (mas) spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and of the Universe in general. It will also probe via asteroseismology flows and structures in stellar interiors. SI will enable the development and testing of a predictive dynamo model for the Sun, by observing patterns of surface activity and imaging of the structure and differential rotation of stellar interiors in a population study of Sun-like stars to determine the dependence of dynamo action on mass, internal structure and flows, and time. SI's science focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe and will revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magneto-hydrodynamically controlled processes in the Universe. SI is a 'Landmark/Discovery Mission' in the 2005 Heliophysics Roadmap, an implementation of the UVOI in the 2006 Astrophysics Strategic Plan, and a NASA Vision Mission ('NASA Space Science Vision Missions' (2008), ed. M. Allen). We present here the science goals of the SI Mission, a mission architecture that could meet those goals, and the technology development needed to enable this mission. Additional information on SI can be found at: http://hires.gsfc.nasa.gov/si/.

The Stellar Imager (SI) - A Mission to Resolve Stellar Surfaces, Interiors, and Magnetic Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jørgen; Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Schrijver, Carolus J.; Karovska, Margarita; Si Team

2011-01-01

The Stellar Imager (SI) is a space-based, UV/Optical Interferometer (UVOI) designed to enable 0.1 milli-arcsecond (mas) spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and of the Universe in general. It will also probe via asteroseismology flows and structures in stellar interiors. SI will enable the development and testing of a predictive dynamo model for the Sun, by observing patterns of surface activity and imaging of the structure and differential rotation of stellar interiors in a population study of Sun-like stars to determine the dependence of dynamo action on mass, internal structure and flows, and time. SI's science focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe and will revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magneto-hydrodynamically controlled processes in the Universe. SI is a "Landmark/Discovery Mission" in the 2005 Heliophysics Roadmap, an implementation of the UVOI in the 2006 Astrophysics Strategic Plan, and a NASA Vision Mission ("NASA Space Science Vision Missions" (2008), ed. M. Allen). We present here the science goals of the SI Mission, a mission architecture that could meet those goals, and the technology development needed to enable this mission. Additional information on SI can be found at: http://hires.gsfc.nasa.gov/si/.

The Stellar Imager (SI) - A Mission to Resolve Stellar Surfaces, Interiors, and Magnetic Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jorgen; Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Schrijver, Carolus J.; Karovska, Margarita

2012-01-01

The Stellar Imager (SI) is a space-based, UV/Optical Interferometer (UVOI) designed to enable 0.1 milli-arcsecond (mas) spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and of the Universe in general. It will also probe via asteroseismology flows and structures in stellar interiors. SI will enable the development and testing of a predictive dynamo model for the Sun, by observing patterns of surface activity and imaging of the structure and differential rotation of stellar interiors in a population study of Sun-like stars to determine the dependence of dynamo action on mass, internal structure and flows, and time. SI's science focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe and will revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magnetohydrodynamically controlled processes in the Universe. SI is a "LandmarklDiscovery Mission" in the 2005 Heliophysics Roadmap, an implementation of the UVOI in the 2006 Astrophysics Strategic Plan, and a NASA Vision Mission ("NASA Space Science Vision Missions" (2008), ed. M. Allen). We present here the science goals of the SI Mission, a mission architecture that could meet those goals, and the technology development needed to enable this mission

Matter and gravitons in the gravitational collapse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Casadio

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We consider the effects of gravitons in the collapse of baryonic matter that forms a black hole. We first note that the effective number of (soft off-shell gravitons that account for the (negative Newtonian potential energy generated by the baryons is conserved and always in agreement with Bekenstein's area law of black holes. Moreover, their (positive interaction energy reproduces the expected post-Newtonian correction and becomes of the order of the total ADM mass of the system when the size of the collapsing object approaches its gravitational radius. This result supports a scenario in which the gravitational collapse of regular baryonic matter produces a corpuscular black hole without central singularity, in which both gravitons and baryons are marginally bound and form a Bose–Einstein condensate at the critical point. The Hawking emission of baryons and gravitons is then described by the quantum depletion of the condensate and we show the two energy fluxes are comparable, albeit negligibly small on astrophysical scales.

Matter and gravitons in the gravitational collapse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casadio, Roberto, E-mail: casadio@bo.infn.it [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Alma Mater Universià di Bologna, via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna (Italy); I.N.F.N., Sezione di Bologna, IS FLAG, viale B. Pichat 6/2, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Giugno, Andrea, E-mail: A.Giugno@physik.uni-muenchen.de [Arnold Sommerfeld Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstraße 37, 80333 München (Germany); Giusti, Andrea, E-mail: andrea.giusti@bo.infn.it [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Alma Mater Universià di Bologna, via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna (Italy); I.N.F.N., Sezione di Bologna, IS FLAG, viale B. Pichat 6/2, I-40127 Bologna (Italy)

2016-12-10

We consider the effects of gravitons in the collapse of baryonic matter that forms a black hole. We first note that the effective number of (soft off-shell) gravitons that account for the (negative) Newtonian potential energy generated by the baryons is conserved and always in agreement with Bekenstein's area law of black holes. Moreover, their (positive) interaction energy reproduces the expected post-Newtonian correction and becomes of the order of the total ADM mass of the system when the size of the collapsing object approaches its gravitational radius. This result supports a scenario in which the gravitational collapse of regular baryonic matter produces a corpuscular black hole without central singularity, in which both gravitons and baryons are marginally bound and form a Bose–Einstein condensate at the critical point. The Hawking emission of baryons and gravitons is then described by the quantum depletion of the condensate and we show the two energy fluxes are comparable, albeit negligibly small on astrophysical scales.

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy; Volume 38; Issue 1. Abundances of La138 and Ta180 Through ν-Nucleosynthesis in 20 M ⊙ Type II Supernova Progenitor, Guided by Stellar Models for Seeds. N. Lahkar S. Kalita H. L. Duorah K. Duorah. Research Article Volume 38 Issue 1 March 2017 Article ID 8 ...

On plasma radiative properties in stellar conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turck-Chieze, S.; Delahaye, F.; Gilles, D.; Loisel, G.; Piau, L.; Loisel, G.

2009-01-01

The knowledge of stellar evolution is evolving quickly thanks to an increased number of opportunities to scrutinize the stellar internal plasma properties by stellar seismology and by 1D and 3D simulations. These new tools help us to introduce the internal dynamical phenomena in stellar modeling. A proper inclusion of these processes supposes a real confidence in the microscopic physics used, partly checked by solar or stellar acoustic modes. In the present paper we first recall which fundamental physics has been recently verified by helioseismology. Then we recall that opacity is an important ingredient of the secular evolution of stars and we point out why it is necessary to measure absorption coefficients and degrees of ionization in the laboratory for some well identified astrophysical conditions. We examine two specific experimental conditions which are accessible to large laser facilities and are suitable to solve some interesting questions of the stellar community: are the solar internal radiative interactions properly estimated and what is the proper role of the opacity in the excitation of the non-radial modes in the envelop of the β Cepheids and the Be stars? At the end of the paper we point out the difficulties of the experimental approach that we need to overcome. (authors)

Precision Stellar and Planetary Astrophysics with TESS and Gaia

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Daniel J.; KELT Collaboration

2018-01-01

There is an ever-present need for precise and accurate stellar parameters, particularly for low-mass stars. For example, some fraction of measured M dwarf radii are inflated and have effective temperatures that are suppressed relative to predictions from models, but the physical cause of these effects is still uncertain. This is exacerbated by the fact that only a handful of M dwarfs -- all from double-lined eclipsing binaries (EBs) -- have both masses and radii measured to 3% or better. In the Gaia era, we can now measure model-independent masses and radii for single-lined EBs, thus expanding the sample of stars with precisely measured parameters by at least an order of magnitude, in principle. I will illustrate how one can combine Gaia parallaxes and broad-band stellar fluxes with the eclipse and radial velocity data to provide model-independent masses and radii. I will present our expected achievable constraints on the masses and radii of single-lined EBs. I will discuss both our current effort to turn several dozens of single-lined EBs discovered by the KELT and HATNet surveys into a catalog of exquisitely characterized stars and exoplanets as well as the prospects for achieving similar science for a much larger number of systems with TESS.

Suppression of the stellar enhancement factor and the reaction 85Rb(p,n)85Sr

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rauscher, T.; Kiss, G. G.; Gyuerky, Gy.; Simon, A.; Fueloep, Zs.; Somorjai, E.

2009-01-01

It is shown that a Coulomb suppression of the stellar enhancement factor occurs in many endothermic reactions at and far from stability. Contrary to common assumptions, reaction measurements for astrophysics with minimal impact of stellar enhancement should be preferably performed for those reactions instead of their reverses, despite of their negative Q value. As a demonstration, the cross section of the astrophysically relevant 85 Rb(p,n) 85 Sr reaction has been measured by activation between 2.16≤E c.m. ≤3.96 MeV and the astrophysical reaction rates at p process temperatures for (p,n) as well as (n,p) are directly inferred from the data. Additionally, our results confirm a previously derived modification of a global optical proton potential. The presented arguments are also relevant for other α- and proton-induced reactions in the p, rp, and νp processes.

The final outcome of dissipative collapse in the presence of

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

in the gravitational collapse of conformally flat, radiating spheres. ... Comprehensive studies of static fluid spheres in the presence of a cosmological constant have led .... tions with isotropic pressures in the presence of heat flux and cosmological constant ..... radiation from the stellar surface reaches our observer at infinity.

NUMERICALLY DETERMINED TRANSPORT LAWS FOR FINGERING ('THERMOHALINE') CONVECTION IN ASTROPHYSICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traxler, A.; Garaud, P.; Stellmach, S.

2011-01-01

We present the first three-dimensional simulations of fingering convection performed at parameter values approaching those relevant for astrophysics. Our simulations reveal the existence of simple asymptotic scaling laws for turbulent heat and compositional transport, which can be straightforwardly extrapolated from our numerically tractable values to the true astrophysical regime. Our investigation also indicates that thermo-compositional 'staircases', a key consequence of fingering convection in the ocean, cannot form spontaneously in the fingering regime in stellar interiors. Our proposed empirically determined transport laws thus provide simple prescriptions for mixing by fingering convection in a variety of astrophysical situations, and should, from here on, be used preferentially over older and less accurate parameterizations. They also establish that fingering convection does not provide sufficient extra-mixing to explain observed chemical abundances in red giant branch stars.

The Importance of Electron Captures in Core-Collapse Supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langanke, K.; Sampaio, J.M.; Martinez-Pinedo, G.

2004-01-01

Nuclear physics plays an essential role in the dynamics of a type II supernova (a collapsing star). Recent advances in nuclear many-body theory allow now to reliably calculate the stellar weak-interaction processes involving nuclei. The most important process is the electron capture on finite nuclei with mass numbers A > 55. It is found that the respective capture rates, derived from modern many-body models, differ noticeably from previous, more phenomenological estimates. This leads to significant changes in the stellar trajectory during the supernova explosion, as has been found in state-of-the-art supernova simulations. (author)

Nuclear astrophysics at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, M.S.

1994-01-01

The potential for understanding spectacular stellar explosions such as novae, supernovae, and X-ray bursts will be greatly enhanced by the availability of the low-energy, high-intensity, accelerated beams of proton-rich radioactive nuclei currently being developed at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These beams will be utilized in absolute cross section measurements of crucial (p, γ) capture reactions in efforts to resolve the substantial qualitative uncertainties in current models of explosive stellar hydrogen burning outbursts. Details of the nuclear astrophysics research program with the unique HRIBF radioactive beams and a dedicated experimental endstation--centered on the Daresbury Recoil Separator--will be presented

Stellar Archeology: What White Dwarf Stars Tell Us About the History of the Galaxy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Terry D. Oswalt

2012-06-01

Full Text Available White dwarf stars have played important roles in rather diverse areas of astrophysics. This paper outlines how these stellar remnants, especially those in widely separated “fragile” binaries, have provided unique leverage on difficult astrophysical problems such as the ages of stars, the structure and evolution of the Galaxy, the nature of dark matter and even the discovery of dark energy.

Some perspectives in nuclear astrophysics on non-thermal phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatischeff, V.

2012-01-01

In this HDR (Accreditation to Supervise Researches) report, the author presents and comments his research activities on nuclear phenomena in stellar eruptions (solar eruptions, lithium nucleosynthesis in stellar eruptions), on particle acceleration in shock waves of stellar explosions (diffusive acceleration by shock wave, particle acceleration in symbiotic novae, particle acceleration in radio-detected supernovae), of research on low energy cosmic rays (galactic emission of nuclear gamma rays, non thermal soft X rays as new tracer of accelerated particles), and on the origin of short period radioactivities in the primitive solar system (extinguished radio-activities and formation of the solar system, origin of berylium-10 in the primitive solar system). The author concludes with some perspectives on non thermal phenomena in nuclear astrophysics, and on research and development for the future of medium-energy gamma astronomy [fr

ASTERIA: Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Knapp, M.; Seager, S.; Smith, M. W.; Pong, C. M.

2017-12-01

ASTERIA (Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics) is a technology demonstration and opportunistic science mission to advance the state of the art in CubeSat capabilities for astrophysical measurements. The goal of ASTERIA is to achieve arcsecond-level line of sight pointing error and highly stable focal plane temperature control. These technologies will enable precision photometry, i.e. the careful measurement of stellar brightness over time. This in turn provides a way to study stellar activity, transiting exoplanets, and other astrophysical phenomena, both during the ASTERIA mission and in future CubeSat constellations. ASTERIA is a 6U CubeSat (roughly 10 x 20 x 30 cm, 12 kg) that will operate in low-Earth orbit. The payload consists of a lens and baffle assembly, a CMOS imager, and a two-axis piezoelectric positioning stage on which the focal plane is mounted. A set of commercial reaction wheels provides coarse attitude control. Fine pointing control is achieved by tracking a set of guide stars on the CMOS sensor and moving the piezoelectric stage to compensate for residual pointing errors. Precision thermal control is achieved by isolating the payload from the spacecraft bus, passively cooling the detector, and using trim heaters to perform small temperature corrections over the course of an observation. The ASTERIA project is a collaboration with MIT and is funded at JPL through the Phaeton Program for training early career employees. Flight hardware was delivered in June 2017, with launch expected in August 2017 and deployment targeted for October 2017.

BLACK HOLE FORMATION IN FAILING CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Connor, Evan; Ott, Christian D.

2011-01-01

We present results of a systematic study of failing core-collapse supernovae and the formation of stellar-mass black holes (BHs). Using our open-source general-relativistic 1.5D code GR1D equipped with a three-species neutrino leakage/heating scheme and over 100 presupernova models, we study the effects of the choice of nuclear equation of state (EOS), zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) mass and metallicity, rotation, and mass-loss prescription on BH formation. We find that the outcome, for a given EOS, can be estimated, to first order, by a single parameter, the compactness of the stellar core at bounce. By comparing protoneutron star (PNS) structure at the onset of gravitational instability with solutions of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkof equations, we find that thermal pressure support in the outer PNS core is responsible for raising the maximum PNS mass by up to 25% above the cold NS value. By artificially increasing neutrino heating, we find the critical neutrino heating efficiency required for exploding a given progenitor structure and connect these findings with ZAMS conditions, establishing, albeit approximately, for the first time based on actual collapse simulations, the mapping between ZAMS parameters and the outcome of core collapse. We also study the effect of progenitor rotation and find that the dimensionless spin of nascent BHs may be robustly limited below a* = Jc/GM 2 = 1 by the appearance of nonaxisymmetric rotational instabilities.

Electron Capture Cross Sections for Stellar Nucleosynthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. G. Giannaka

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the first stage of this work, we perform detailed calculations for the cross sections of the electron capture on nuclei under laboratory conditions. Towards this aim we exploit the advantages of a refined version of the proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation (pn-QRPA and carry out state-by-state evaluations of the rates of exclusive processes that lead to any of the accessible transitions within the chosen model space. In the second stage of our present study, we translate the abovementioned e--capture cross sections to the stellar environment ones by inserting the temperature dependence through a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution describing the stellar electron gas. As a concrete nuclear target we use the 66Zn isotope, which belongs to the iron group nuclei and plays prominent role in stellar nucleosynthesis at core collapse supernovae environment.

Experimental astrophysics with high power lasers and Z pinches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Remington, B A; Drake, R P; Ryutov, D D

2004-12-10

With the advent of high energy density (HED) experimental facilities, such as high-energy lasers and fast Z-pinch, pulsed-power facilities, mm-scale quantities of matter can be placed in extreme states of density, temperature, and/or velocity. This has enabled the emergence of a new class of experimental science, HED laboratory astrophysics, wherein the properties of matter and the processes that occur under extreme astrophysical conditions can be examined in the laboratory. Areas particularly suitable to this class of experimental astrophysics include the study of opacities relevant to stellar interiors; equations of state relevant to planetary interiors; strong shock driven nonlinear hydrodynamics and radiative dynamics, relevant to supernova explosions and subsequent evolution; protostellar jets and high Mach-number flows; radiatively driven molecular clouds and nonlinear photoevaporation front dynamics; and photoionized plasmas relevant to accretion disks around compact objects, such as black holes and neutron stars.

Direct Imaging of Stellar Surfaces: Results from the Stellar Imager (SI) Vision Mission Study

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Kenneth; Schrijver, Carolus; Karovska, Margarita

2006-01-01

The Stellar Imager (SI) is a UV-Optical, Space-Based Interferometer designed to enable 0.1 milli-arcsecond (mas) spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and stellar interiors (via asteroseismology) and of the Universe in general. SI is identified as a "Flagship and Landmark Discovery Mission'' in the 2005 Sun Solar System Connection (SSSC) Roadmap and as a candidate for a "Pathways to Life Observatory'' in the Exploration of the Universe Division (EUD) Roadmap (May, 2005). The ultra-sharp images of the Stellar Imager will revolutionize our view of many dynamic astrophysical processes: The 0.1 mas resolution of this deep-space telescope will transform point sources into extended sources, and snapshots into evolving views. SI's science focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe, particularly on magnetic activity on the surfaces of stars like the Sun. SI's prime goal is to enable long-term forecasting of solar activity and the space weather that it drives in support of the Living With a Star program in the Exploration Era. SI will also revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magneto-hydrodynamically controlled processes in the Universe. In this paper we will discuss the results of the SI Vision Mission Study, elaborating on the science goals of the SI Mission and a mission architecture that could meet those goals.

The Stellar Imager (SI) - A Mission to Resolve Stellar Surfaces, Interiors, and Magnetic Activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christensen-Dalsgaard, Joergen [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University (Denmark); Carpenter, Kenneth G [Code 667 NASA-GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Schrijver, Carolus J [LMATC 3251 Hanover St., Bldg. 252, Palo Alto, CA 94304 (United States); Karovska, Margarita, E-mail: jcd@phys.au.d, E-mail: Kenneth.G.Carpenter@nasa.gov, E-mail: schryver@lmsal.com, E-mail: karovska@head.cfa.harvard.edu [60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2011-01-01

The Stellar Imager (SI) is a space-based, UV/Optical Interferometer (UVOI) designed to enable 0.1 milli-arcsecond (mas) spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and of the Universe in general. It will also probe via asteroseismology flows and structures in stellar interiors. SI will enable the development and testing of a predictive dynamo model for the Sun, by observing patterns of surface activity and imaging of the structure and differential rotation of stellar interiors in a population study of Sun-like stars to determine the dependence of dynamo action on mass, internal structure and flows, and time. SI's science focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe and will revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magneto-hydrodynamically controlled processes in the Universe. SI is a 'Landmark/Discovery Mission' in the 2005 Heliophysics Roadmap, an implementation of the UVOI in the 2006 Astrophysics Strategic Plan, and a NASA Vision Mission ('NASA Space Science Vision Missions' (2008), ed. M. Allen). We present here the science goals of the SI Mission, a mission architecture that could meet those goals, and the technology development needed to enable this mission. Additional information on SI can be found at: http://hires.gsfc.nasa.gov/si/.

The Stellar Imager (SI)"Vision Mission"

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Ken; Danchi, W.; Leitner, J.; Liu, A.; Lyon, R.; Mazzuca, L.; Moe, R.; Chenette, D.; Karovska, M.; Allen, R.

2004-01-01

The Stellar Imager (SI) is a "Vision" mission in the Sun-Earth Connection (SEC) Roadmap, conceived for the purpose of understanding the effects of stellar magnetic fields, the dynamos that generate them, and the internal structure and dynamics of the stars in which they exist. The ultimate goal is to achieve the best possible forecasting of solar/stellar magnetic activity and its impact on life in the Universe. The science goals of SI require an ultra-high angular resolution, at ultraviolet wavelengths, on the order of 100 micro-arcsec and thus baselines on the order of 0.5 km. These requirements call for a large, multi-spacecraft (less than 20) imaging interferometer, utilizing precision formation flying in a stable environment, such as in a Lissajous orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. SI's resolution will make it an invaluable resource for many other areas of astrophysics, including studies of AGN s, supernovae, cataclysmic variables, young stellar objects, QSO's, and stellar black holes. ongoing mission concept and technology development studies for SI. These studies are designed to refine the mission requirements for the science goals, define a Design Reference Mission, perform trade studies of selected major technical and architectural issues, improve the existing technology roadmap, and explore the details of deployment and operations, as well as the possible roles of astronauts and/or robots in construction and servicing of the facility.

Global kinetic theory of astrophysical jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, T.

1989-01-01

We suggest that an astrophysical plasma stream flowing outward from a central object aling an open magnetic field line with decreasing field strength generally will have anisotropic velocity distributions. I particular, the electron distribution function of this type of plasma streams will contain a 'thermally populated' region and a stretche out high energy tail (or 'jet-like') region collimated in the utward direction of the magnetic field line. Our argument is based on a global, collisional, kinetic theory. Because the 'kinetic jets' are always pointed aling the outward direction of the field lines, thy are automatically collimated and will assume whatever the peculiar geometries dictated by the magnetic field. This result should be useful in the understanding of the basic structures of such diverse astrophysical objects as the extragalactic radio jets, stellar winds, the solar wind, planetary polar winds, and galactic jets. (author). 8 refs.; 2 figs

Nuclear Data for Astrophysics: Resources, Challenges, Strategies, and Software Solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Michael Scott; Lingerfelt, Eric J.; Nesaraja, Caroline D.; Hix, William Raphael; Roberts, Luke F.; Koura, Hiroyuki; Fuller, George M.; Tytler, David

2008-01-01

One of the most exciting utilizations of nuclear data is to help unlock the mysteries of the Cosmos -- the creation of the chemical elements, the evolution and explosion of stars, and the origin and fate of the Universe. There are now many nuclear data sets, tools, and other resources online to help address these important questions. However, numerous serious challenges make it important to develop strategies now to ensure a sustainable future for this work. A number of strategies are advocated, including: enlisting additional manpower to evaluate the newest data; devising ways to streamline evaluation activities; and improving communication and coordination between existing efforts. Software projects are central to some of these strategies. Examples include: creating a virtual 'pipeline' leading from the nuclear laboratory to astrophysics simulations; improving data visualization and management to get the most science out of the existing datasets; and creating a nuclear astrophysics data virtual (online) community. Recent examples will be detailed, including the development of two first-generation software pipelines, the Computational Infrastructure for Nuclear Astrophysics for stellar astrophysics and the bigbangonline suite of codes for cosmology, and the coupling of nuclear data to sensitivity studies with astrophysical simulation codes to guide future research.

Recent Astrophysical Studies with Exotic Beams at ORNL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardayan, Daniel W [ORNL

2006-02-01

The availability of exotic beams has produced great opportunities for advances in our understanding of the nucleosynthesis occurring in stellar burning and stellar explosions such as novae, X-ray bursts, and supernovae. In these extreme environments, synthesized radioactive nuclei can undergo subsequent nuclear processing before they decay, and thus to understand these events, we must understand reaction rates involving radioactive nuclei. At the ORNL Holi led Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF), we have made several recent measurements using proton-rich beams such as 18F and 7Be and neutron-rich beams such as 82Ge and 84Se that help clarify the structure of astrophysically-important nuclei. We are also poised to begin studies with doubly-magic 132Sn. The experimental methods and results are discussed.

Recent Astrophysical Studies with Exotic Beams at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardayan, Daniel W.

2006-01-01

The availability of exotic beams has produced great opportunities for advances in our understanding of the nucleosynthesis occurring in stellar burning and stellar explosions such as novae, X-ray bursts, and supernovae. In these extreme environments, synthesized radioactive nuclei can undergo subsequent nuclear processing before they decay, and thus to understand these events, we must understand reaction rates involving radioactive nuclei. At the ORNL Holi led Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF), we have made several recent measurements using proton-rich beams such as 18F and 7Be and neutron-rich beams such as 82Ge and 84Se that help clarify the structure of astrophysically-important nuclei. We are also poised to begin studies with doubly-magic 132Sn. The experimental methods and results are discussed.

Energy and Technology Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-03-01

This journal contains 7 articles pertaining to astrophysics. The first article is an overview of the other 6 articles and also a tribute to Jim Wilson and his work in the fields of general relativity and numerical astrophysics. The six articles are on the following subjects: (1) computer simulations of black hole accretion; (2) calculations on the collapse of the iron core of a massive star; (3) stellar-collapse models which reveal a possible site for nucleosynthesis of elements heavier than iron; (4) modeling sources for gravitational radiation; (5) the development of a computer program for finite-difference mesh calculations and its applications to astrophysics; (6) the existence of neutrinos with nonzero rest mass are used to explain the universe. Abstracts of each of the articles were prepared separately. (SC)

Stellar Atmospheric Modelling for the ACCESS Program

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Matthew; Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Bohlin, Ralph; Kurucz, Robert; ACCESS Team

2018-01-01

A goal of the ACCESS program (Absolute Color Calibration Experiment for Standard Stars) is to enable greater discrimination between theoretical astrophysical models and observations, where the comparison is limited by systematic errors associated with the relative flux calibration of the targets. To achieve these goals, ACCESS has been designed as a sub-orbital rocket borne payload and ground calibration program, to establish absolute flux calibration of stellar targets at flight candidates, as well as a selection of A and G stars from the CALSPEC database. Stellar atmosphere models were generated using Atlas 9 and Atlas 12 Kurucz stellar atmosphere software. The effective temperature, log(g), metallicity, and redenning were varied and the chi-squared statistic was minimized to obtain a best-fit model. A comparison of these models and the results from interpolation between grids of existing models will be presented. The impact of the flexibility of the Atlas 12 input parameters (e.g. solar metallicity fraction, abundances, microturbulent velocity) is being explored.

Long gamma-ray bursts and core-collapse supernovae have different environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Fruchter, A S; Levan, A J; Strolger, L; Vreeswijk, P M; Thorsett, S E; Bersier, D; Burud, I; Castro Cerón, J M; Castro-Tirado, A J; Conselice, C; Dahlen, T; Ferguson, H C; Fynbo, J P U; Garnavich, P M; Gibbons, R A; Gorosabel, J; Gull, T R; Hjorth, J; Holland, S T; Kouveliotou, C; Levay, Z; Livio, M; Metzger, M R; Nugent, P E; Petro, L; Pian, E; Rhoads, J E; Riess, A G; Sahu, K C; Smette, A; Tanvir, N R; Wijers, R A M J; Woosley, S E

2006-05-25

When massive stars exhaust their fuel, they collapse and often produce the extraordinarily bright explosions known as core-collapse supernovae. On occasion, this stellar collapse also powers an even more brilliant relativistic explosion known as a long-duration gamma-ray burst. One would then expect that these long gamma-ray bursts and core-collapse supernovae should be found in similar galactic environments. Here we show that this expectation is wrong. We find that the gamma-ray bursts are far more concentrated in the very brightest regions of their host galaxies than are the core-collapse supernovae. Furthermore, the host galaxies of the long gamma-ray bursts are significantly fainter and more irregular than the hosts of the core-collapse supernovae. Together these results suggest that long-duration gamma-ray bursts are associated with the most extremely massive stars and may be restricted to galaxies of limited chemical evolution. Our results directly imply that long gamma-ray bursts are relatively rare in galaxies such as our own Milky Way.

Key issues review: numerical studies of turbulence in stars

Science.gov (United States)

Arnett, W. David; Meakin, Casey

2016-10-01

Three major problems of single-star astrophysics are convection, magnetic fields and rotation. Numerical simulations of convection in stars now have sufficient resolution to be truly turbulent, with effective Reynolds numbers of \\text{Re}>{{10}4} , and some turbulent boundary layers have been resolved. Implications of these developments are discussed for stellar structure, evolution and explosion as supernovae. Methods for three-dimensional (3D) simulations of stars are compared and discussed for 3D atmospheres, solar rotation, core-collapse and stellar boundary layers. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) analysis of the numerical simulations has been shown to provide a novel and quantitative estimate of resolution errors. Present treatments of stellar boundaries require revision, even for early burning stages (e.g. for mixing regions during He-burning). As stellar core-collapse is approached, asymmetry and fluctuations grow, rendering spherically symmetric models of progenitors more unrealistic. Numerical resolution of several different types of three-dimensional (3D) stellar simulations are compared; it is suggested that core-collapse simulations may be under-resolved. The Rayleigh-Taylor instability in explosions has a deep connection to convection, for which the abundance structure in supernova remnants may provide evidence.

The astrophysical r-process and its dependence on properties of nuclei far from stability: Beta strength functions and neutron capture rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor, H.V.; Metzinger, J.; Oda, T.; Thielemann, F.K.; Hillebrandt, W.

1981-01-01

The question of the astrophysical site of the rapid neutron capture (r-) process which is believed to be responsible for the production of the heavy elements in the universe has been a problem in astrophysics for more than two decades. The solution of this problem is not only dependent on the development of realistic astrophysical supernova models, i.e. correct treatment of the hydrodynamics of gravitational collapse and supernova explosion and the equation of state of hot and dense matter, but is shown in this paper to be very sensitive also to 'standard' nuclear physics properties of nuclei far from stability such as beta decay properties and neutron capture rates. For both of the latter, strongly oversimplifying assumptions, not applying the development in nuclear physics during the last decade, have been made in almost all r-process calculations performed up to now. A critical discussion of the state of the art of such calculations seems therefore to be indicated. In this paper procedures are described which allow one to obtain: 1) β-decay properties (decay rates, β-delayed neutron emissions and fission rates); 2) neutron capture rates for neutron-rich nuclei considerably improved over what has been used up to now. The beta strength functions are calculated for approx. equal to6000 nuclei between beta stability line and neutron drip line. By hydrodynamical supernova explosion calculations using realistic stellar models it is shown that as a consequence of the improved β-rates explosive He burning is a convincing alternative site to the 'classical' r-process whose existence still is questionable. The new β-rates will be important also for the investigation of further astrophysical sites producing heavy elements such as the r(n)-processes in explosive C or Ne burning. (orig.)

Stellar Imager - Observing the Universe in High Definition

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Stellar Imager (SI) is a space-based, UV Optical Interferometer (UVOI) with over 200x the resolution of HST. It will enable 0.1 milli-arcsec spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and the Universe in general and open an enormous new 'discovery space' for Astrophysics with its combination of high angular resolution, dynamic imaging, and spectral energy resolution. SI's goal is to study the role of magnetism in the Universe and revolutionize our understanding of: 1) Solar/Stellar Magnetic Activity and their impact on Space Weather, Planetary Climates. and Life, 2) Magnetic and Accretion Processes and their roles in the Origin and Evolution of Structure and in the Transport of Matter throughout the Universe, 3) the close-in structure of Active Galactic Nuclei and their winds, and 4) Exo-Solar Planet Transits and Disks. The SI mission is targeted for the mid 2020's - thus significant technology development in the upcoming decade is critical to enabling it and future spacebased sparse aperture telescope and distributed spacecraft missions. The key technology needs include: 1) precision formation flying of many spacecraft, 2) precision metrology over km-scales, 3) closed-loop control of many-element, sparse optical arrays, 4) staged-control systems with very high dynamic ranges (nm to km-scale). It is critical that the importance of timely development of these capabilities is called out in the upcoming Astrophysics and Heliophysics Decadal Surveys, to enable the flight of such missions in the following decade. S1 is a 'Landmark/Discovery Mission' in 2005 Heliophysics Roadmap and a candidate UVOI in the 2006 Astrophysics Strategic Plan. It is a NASA Vision Mission ('NASA Space Science Vision Missions' (2008), ed. M. Allen) and has also been recommended for further study in the 2008 NRC interim report on missions potentially enabled enhanced by an Ares V' launch, although a incrementally-deployed version could be launched using smaller rockets.

MOSAIC at the E-ELT: A multi-object spectrograph for astrophysics, IGM and cosmology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hammer, F.; Barbuy, B.; Cuby, J.G.; Kaper, L.; Morris, S.; Evans, C.J.; Jagourel, P.; Dalton, G.; Rees, P.; Puech, M.; Rodriques, M.; Pearson, D.; Disseau, K.

2014-01-01

The Universe is comprised of hundreds of billions of galaxies, each populated by hundreds of billions of stars. Astrophysics aims to understand the complexity of this almost incommensurable number of stars, stellar clusters and galaxies, including their spatial distribution, formation, and current

The Trojan Horse method for nuclear astrophysics: Recent results on resonance reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cognata, M. La; Pizzone, R. G. [Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Spitaleri, C.; Cherubini, S.; Romano, S. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy and Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Gulino, M.; Tumino, A. [Kore University, Enna, Italy and Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Catania (Italy); Lamia, L. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Catania, Catania (Italy)

2014-05-09

Nuclear astrophysics aims to measure nuclear-reaction cross sections of astrophysical interest to be included into models to study stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. Low energies, < 1 MeV or even < 10 keV, are requested for this is the window where these processes are more effective. Two effects have prevented to achieve a satisfactory knowledge of the relevant nuclear processes, namely, the Coulomb barrier exponentially suppressing the cross section and the presence of atomic electrons. These difficulties have triggered theoretical and experimental investigations to extend our knowledge down to astrophysical energies. For instance, indirect techniques such as the Trojan Horse Method have been devised yielding new cutting-edge results. In particular, I will focus on the application of this indirect method to resonance reactions. Resonances might dramatically enhance the astrophysical S(E)-factor so, when they occur right at astrophysical energies, their measurement is crucial to pin down the astrophysical scenario. Unknown or unpredicted resonances might introduce large systematic errors in nucleosynthesis models. These considerations apply to low-energy resonances and to sub-threshold resonances as well, as they may produce sizable modifications of the S-factor due to, for instance, destructive interference with another resonance.

The Trojan Horse method for nuclear astrophysics: Recent results on resonance reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cognata, M. La; Pizzone, R. G.; Spitaleri, C.; Cherubini, S.; Romano, S.; Gulino, M.; Tumino, A.; Lamia, L.

2014-01-01

Nuclear astrophysics aims to measure nuclear-reaction cross sections of astrophysical interest to be included into models to study stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. Low energies, < 1 MeV or even < 10 keV, are requested for this is the window where these processes are more effective. Two effects have prevented to achieve a satisfactory knowledge of the relevant nuclear processes, namely, the Coulomb barrier exponentially suppressing the cross section and the presence of atomic electrons. These difficulties have triggered theoretical and experimental investigations to extend our knowledge down to astrophysical energies. For instance, indirect techniques such as the Trojan Horse Method have been devised yielding new cutting-edge results. In particular, I will focus on the application of this indirect method to resonance reactions. Resonances might dramatically enhance the astrophysical S(E)-factor so, when they occur right at astrophysical energies, their measurement is crucial to pin down the astrophysical scenario. Unknown or unpredicted resonances might introduce large systematic errors in nucleosynthesis models. These considerations apply to low-energy resonances and to sub-threshold resonances as well, as they may produce sizable modifications of the S-factor due to, for instance, destructive interference with another resonance

Multidimensional simulations of core-collapse supernovae with CHIMERA

Science.gov (United States)

Lentz, Eric J.; Bruenn, S. W.; Yakunin, K.; Endeve, E.; Blondin, J. M.; Harris, J. A.; Hix, W. R.; Marronetti, P.; Messer, O. B.; Mezzacappa, A.

2014-01-01

Core-collapse supernovae are driven by a multidimensional neutrino radiation hydrodynamic (RHD) engine, and full simulation requires at least axisymmetric (2D) and ultimately symmetry-free 3D RHD simulation. We present recent and ongoing work with our multidimensional RHD supernova code CHIMERA to understand the nature of the core-collapse explosion mechanism and its consequences. Recently completed simulations of 12-25 solar mass progenitors(Woosley & Heger 2007) in well resolved (0.7 degrees in latitude) 2D simulations exhibit robust explosions meeting the observationally expected explosion energy. We examine the role of hydrodynamic instabilities (standing accretion shock instability, neutrino driven convection, etc.) on the explosion dynamics and the development of the explosion energy. Ongoing 3D and 2D simulations examine the role that simulation resolution and the removal of the imposed axisymmetry have in the triggering and development of an explosion from stellar core collapse. Companion posters will explore the gravitational wave signals (Yakunin et al.) and nucleosynthesis (Harris et al.) of our simulations.

Astronomical optical interferometry, II: Astrophysical results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jankov S.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Optical interferometry is entering a new age with several ground- based long-baseline observatories now making observations of unprecedented spatial resolution. Based on a great leap forward in the quality and quantity of interferometric data, the astrophysical applications are not limited anymore to classical subjects, such as determination of fundamental properties of stars; namely, their effective temperatures, radii, luminosities and masses, but the present rapid development in this field allowed to move to a situation where optical interferometry is a general tool in studies of many astrophysical phenomena. Particularly, the advent of long-baseline interferometers making use of very large pupils has opened the way to faint objects science and first results on extragalactic objects have made it a reality. The first decade of XXI century is also remarkable for aperture synthesis in the visual and near-infrared wavelength regimes, which provided image reconstructions from stellar surfaces to Active Galactic Nuclei. Here I review the numerous astrophysical results obtained up to date, except for binary and multiple stars milliarcsecond astrometry, which should be a subject of an independent detailed review, taking into account its importance and expected results at microarcsecond precision level. To the results obtained with currently available interferometers, I associate the adopted instrumental settings in order to provide a guide for potential users concerning the appropriate instruments which can be used to obtain the desired astrophysical information.

Dynamics and evolution of galactic nuclei (princeton series in astrophysics)

CERN Document Server

Merritt, David

2013-01-01

Deep within galaxies like the Milky Way, astronomers have found a fascinating legacy of Einstein's general theory of relativity: supermassive black holes. Connected to the evolution of the galaxies that contain these black holes, galactic nuclei are the sites of uniquely energetic events, including quasars, stellar tidal disruptions, and the generation of gravitational waves. This textbook is the first comprehensive introduction to dynamical processes occurring in the vicinity of supermassive black holes in their galactic environment. Filling a critical gap, it is an authoritative resource for astrophysics and physics graduate students, and researchers focusing on galactic nuclei, the astrophysics of massive black holes, galactic dynamics, and gravitational wave detection. It is an ideal text for an advanced graduate-level course on galactic nuclei and as supplementary reading in graduate-level courses on high-energy astrophysics and galactic dynamics. David Merritt summarizes the theoretical work of the las...

Physical-chemical processes of astrophysical interest: nitrogen chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loison, Jean-Christophe; Hickson, Kevin; Hily-Blant, Pierre; Faure, Alexandre; Vuitton, Veronique; Bacmann, A.; Maret, Sebastien; Legal, Romane; Rist, Claire; Roncero, Octavio; Larregaray, Pascal; Hochlaf, Majdi; Senent, M. L.; Capron, Michael; Biennier, Ludovic; Carles, Sophie; Bourgalais, Jeremy; Le Picard, Sebastien; Cordier, Daniel; Guillemin, Jean-Claude; Trolez, Yann; Bertin, M.; Poderoso, H.A.M.; Michaut, X.; Jeseck, P.; Philippe, L.; Fillion, J.H.; Fayolle, E.C.; Linnartz, H.; Romanzin, C.; Oeberg, K.I.; Roueff, Evelyne; Pagani, Laurent; Padovani, Marco; Wakelam, Veronique; Honvault, Beatrice; Zvereva-Loete, Natalia; Ouk, Chanda-Malis; Scribano, Yohann; Hartmann, J.M.; Pineau des Forets, Guillaume; Hernandez, Mario; Lique, Francois; Kalugina, Yulia N.; Stoecklin, T.; Hochlaf, M.; Crespos, C.; Larregaray, P.; Martin-Gondre, L.; Petuya, R.; Quintas Sanchez, E.L.; Zanchet, Alexandre; Rodriguez-Lazcano, Yamilet; Mate, Belen

2013-06-01

This document contains the programme and abstracts of contributions to a workshop on nitrogen chemistry within an astrophysical perspective. These contributions have been presented in sessions: Introduction (opening lecture, experimental approaches to molecular astrophysics, theoretical approaches to astrophysics, observations in molecular astrophysics), Physical-chemical theory of the gas phase (time-dependent approach in elementary activity, statistic approach in elementary activity in the case of the N+H_2 reaction, potential energy surfaces for inelastic and reactive collisions, collision rate for N_2H"+, ortho/para selection rules in the chemistry of nitrogen hydrides, cyanides/iso-cyanides excitation in the ISM, CN excitation, radiative association with N_2H as new interstellar anion, ro-vibratory excitation of HCN) Laboratory astrophysics (measurement of reaction products in the CRESUSOL project, reactivity of the CN- anion, N_2 photo-desorption in ices, CRESU study of nitrogen chemistry, chemistry of nitrogen complex molecules), Observations and chemistry of astrophysical media (the problem of interstellar nitrogen fractioning, abundance of N_2 in proto-stellar cores, HNC in Titan atmosphere and nitrogen-related mechanisms in hot Jupiters, HCN and HNC in dark clouds or how theoretical modelling helps in interpreting observations, nitrogen chemistry in cold clouds, deuteration of nitrogen hydrides, nitrogen in interstellar ices, biochemical molecules on Titan, coupling between excitation and chemistry, radiative transfer of nitrogen hydrides, ortho/para chemistry of nitrogen hydrides), Physical-chemical theory of gas-grain interactions (nitrogen reactivity on surfaces, IR spectra of ices of NH_3 and NH_3/N_2 mixtures)

Nonlinear evolution of astrophysical Alfven waves

Science.gov (United States)

Spangler, S. R.

1984-01-01

Nonlinear Alfven waves were studied using the derivative nonlinear Schrodinger equation as a model. The evolution of initial conditions, such as envelope solitons, amplitude-modulated waves, and band-limited noise was investigated. The last two furnish models for naturally occurring Alfven waves in an astrophysical plasma. A collapse instability in which a wave packet becomes more intense and of smaller spatial extent was analyzed. It is argued that this instability leads to enhanced plasma heating. In studies in which the waves are amplified by an electron beam, the instability tends to modestly inhibit wave growth.

A directory of computer software applications: astronomy and astrophysics, 1970-May, 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-05-01

Astronomy and astrophysics reports that list computer programs and/or their documentation are cited. These software applications pertain to topics such as solar activity, atmospheric radiative transfer, stellar and galactic structure, lunar and planetary studies, and astrophysical data reduction. The directory contains complete bibliographic data for each report as well as a subject and a corporate author index. The computer software offered by NTIS was created by a variety of Federal agencies to meet their diverse but quite specific objectives. It is provided without installation, support, or maintenance services and sometimes requires customer modifications to run effectively in customer environments

Measurements of radiative material properties for astrophysical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, James E.

2010-01-01

The new generation of z-pinch, laser, and XFEL facilities opens the possibility to produce astrophysically-relevant laboratory plasmas with energy densities beyond what was previously possible. Furthermore, macroscopic plasmas with uniform conditions can now be created, enabling more accurate determination of the material properties. This presentation will provide an overview of our research at the Z facility investigating stellar interior opacities, AGN warm-absorber photoionized plasmas, and white dwarf photospheres. Atomic physics in plasmas heavily influence these topics. Stellar opacities are an essential ingredient of stellar models and they affect what we know about the structure and evolution of stars. Opacity models have become highly sophisticated, but laboratory tests have not been done at the conditions existing inside stars. Our research is presently focused on measuring Fe at conditions relevant to the base of the solar convection zone, where the electron temperature and density are believed to be 190 eV and 9 x 10 22 e/cc, respectively. The second project is aimed at testing atomic kinetics models for photoionized plasmas. Photoionization is an important process in many astrophysical plasmas and the spectral signatures are routinely used to infer astrophysical object's characteristics. However, the spectral synthesis models at the heart of these interpretations have been the subject of very limited experimental tests. Our current research examines photoionization of neon plasma subjected to radiation flux similar to the warm absorber that surrounds active galactic nuclei. The third project is a recent initiative aimed at producing a white dwarf photosphere in the laboratory. Emergent spectra from the photosphere are used to infer the star's effective temperature and surface gravity. The results depend on knowledge of H, He, and C spectral line profiles under conditions where complex physics such as quasi-molecule formation may be important. These

Time-Domain Studies as a Probe of Stellar Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Adam Andrew

This dissertation focuses on the use of time-domain techniques to discover and characterize these rare astrophysical gems, while also addressing some gaps in our understanding of the earliest and latest stages of stellar evolution. The observational studies presented herein can be grouped into three parts: (i) the study of stellar death (supernovae); (ii) the study of stellar birth; and (iii) the use of modern machine-learning algorithms to discover and classify variable sources. I present observations of supernova (SN) 2006gy, the most luminous SN ever at the time of discovery, and the even-more luminous SN 2008es. Together, these two supernovae (SNe) demonstrate that core-collapse SNe can be significantly more luminous than thermonuclear type Ia SNe, and that there are multiple channels for producing these brilliant core-collapse explosions. For SN 2006gy I show that the progenitor star experienced violent, eruptive mass loss on multiple occasions during the centuries prior to explosion, a scenario that was completely unexpected within the cannon of massive-star evolution theory. I also present observations of SN 2008iy, one of the most unusual SNe ever discovered. Typical SNe take ≲3 weeks to reach peak luminosity; SN 2008iy exhibited a slow and steady rise for ˜400 days before reaching maximum brightness. The best explanation for such behavior is that the progenitor of SN 2008iy experienced an episodic phase of mass loss ˜100 yr prior to explosion. The three SNe detailed in this dissertation have altered our understanding of massive-star mass loss, namely, these SNe provide distinct evidence that post-main sequence mass loss, for at least some massive stars, occurs in sporatic fits, rather than being steady. They also demonstrate that core collapse is not restricted to the red supergiant and Wolf-Rayet stages of stellar evolution as theory predicted. Instead, some massive stars explode while in a luminous blue variable-like state. I also present

Dimensional analysis and group theory in astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Kurth, Rudolf

2013-01-01

Dimensional Analysis and Group Theory in Astrophysics describes how dimensional analysis, refined by mathematical regularity hypotheses, can be applied to purely qualitative physical assumptions. The book focuses on the continuous spectral of the stars and the mass-luminosity relationship. The text discusses the technique of dimensional analysis, covering both relativistic phenomena and the stellar systems. The book also explains the fundamental conclusion of dimensional analysis, wherein the unknown functions shall be given certain specified forms. The Wien and Stefan-Boltzmann Laws can be si

Nuclear Data on Unstable Nuclei for Astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Michael Scott; Meyer, Richard A; Lingerfelt, Eric; Scott, J.P.; Hix, William Raphael; Ma, Zhanwen; Bardayan, Daniel W.; Blackmon, Jeff C.; Guidry, Mike W.; KOZUB, RAYMOND L.; Chae, Kyung YuK.

2004-01-01

Recent measurements with radioactive beams at ORNL's Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) have prompted the evaluation of a number of reactions involving unstable nuclei needed for stellar explosion studies. We discuss these evaluations, as well as the development of a new computational infrastructure to enable the rapid incorporation of the latest nuclear physics results in astrophysics models. This infrastructure includes programs that simplify the generation of reaction rates, manage rate databases, and visualize reaction rates, all hosted at a new website http://www.nucastrodata.org

STELLAR TIDAL DISRUPTION EVENTS BY DIRECT-COLLAPSE BLACK HOLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kashiyama, Kazumi [Theoretical Astrophysics Center, Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Inayoshi, Kohei, E-mail: kashiyama@berkeley.edu, E-mail: inayoshi@astro.columbia.edu [Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027 (United States)

2016-07-20

We analyze the early growth stage of direct-collapse black holes (DCBHs) with ∼10{sup 5} M {sub ⊙}, which are formed by collapse of supermassive stars in atomic-cooling halos at z ≳ 10. A nuclear accretion disk around a newborn DCBH is gravitationally unstable and fragments into clumps with a few × 10 M {sub ⊙} at ∼0.01–0.1 pc from the center. Such clumps evolve into massive Population III stars with a few × 10–10{sup 2} M {sub ⊙} via successive gas accretion, and a nuclear star cluster is formed. Radiative and mechanical feedback from an inner slim disk and the star cluster will significantly reduce the gas accretion rate onto the DCBH within ∼10{sup 6} yr. Some of the nuclear stars can be scattered onto the loss cone orbits also within ≲10{sup 6} yr and tidally disrupted by the central DCBH. The jet luminosity powered by such tidal disruption events can be L {sub j} ≳ 10{sup 50} erg s{sup 1}. The prompt emission will be observed in X-ray bands with a peak duration of δt {sub obs} ∼ 10{sup 5–6}(1 + z ) s followed by a tail ∝ t {sub obs} {sup 5/3}, which can be detectable by Swift BAT and eROSITA even from z ∼ 20. Follow-up observations of the radio afterglows with, e.g., eVLA and the host halos with James Webb Space Telescope could probe the earliest active galactic nucleus feedback from DCBHs.

Nuclear data for astrophysics: resources, challenges, strategies, and software solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, M.S.; Lingerfelt, E.J.; Nesaraja, C.D.; Raphael Hix, W.; Roberts, L.F.; Hiroyuki, Koura; Fuller, G.M.; Tytler, D.

2008-01-01

One of the most exciting utilizations of nuclear data is to help unlock the mysteries of the Cosmos - the creation of the chemical elements, the evolution and explosion of stars, and the origin and fate of the Universe. There are now many nuclear data sets, tools, and other resources online to help address these important questions. However, numerous serious challenges make it important to develop strategies now to ensure a sustainable future for this work. A number of strategies are advocated, including: enlisting additional manpower to evaluate the newest data; devising ways to streamline evaluation activities; and improving communication and coordination between existing efforts. Software projects are central to some of these strategies. Examples include: creating a virtual - pipeline - leading from the nuclear laboratory to astrophysics simulations; improving data visualization and management to get the most science out of the existing datasets; and creating a nuclear astrophysics data virtual (online) community. Recent examples will be detailed, including the development of two first-generation software pipelines, the Computational Infrastructure for Nuclear Astrophysics for stellar astrophysics and the Bigbangonline suite of codes for cosmology, and the coupling of nuclear data to sensitivity studies with astrophysical simulation codes to guide future research. (authors)

The LAMOST stellar spectroscopic survey and the Galactic halo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Chao; Deng Licai

2015-01-01

The formation and evolution of galaxies is an extremely important and fundamental question in modern astrophysics. Among the galaxies, the Milky Way is a very special sample not only because we live in it, but also because it is the only one in which we can carefully and individually observe its member stars. It has been confirmed that the Galactic halo, including both the stellar spheroid and the dark matter halo, contains fairly complicated structures, from which the overall shape, formation, and evolutionary history of our Galaxy can be unveiled. Moreover, some very rare and special stars in the Milky Way can be used as tracers to indirectly detect the core region of the Galaxy around the central super-massive black hole, which is also a hot topic of astrophysics. The LAMOST survey of the Milky Way will collect millions of stellar spectra at low wavelength resolution, making it the largest of such projects throughout the world. Its data base is very suitable for the study of the structure and evolution of the Milky Way. In this article, we report our on-going studies on the Galactic halo with LAMOST data, and present some early scientific results. (authors)

A Dream of a Mission: Stellar Imager and Seismic Probe

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Schrijver, Carolus J.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Stellar Imager and Seismic Probe (SISP) is a mission to understand the various effects of magnetic fields of stars, the dynamos that generate them, and the internal structure and dynamics of the stars in which they exist. The ultimate goal is to achieve the best-possible forecasting of solar activity on times scales ranging up to decades, and an understanding of the impact of stellar magnetic activity on astrobiology and life in the Universe. The road to that goal will revolutionize our understanding of stars and stellar systems, the building blocks of the Universe. SISP will zoom in on what today - with few exceptions - we only know as point sources, revealing processes never before seen, thus providing a tool to astrophysics as fundamental as the microscope is to the study of life on Earth. SISP is an ultraviolet aperture-synthesis imager with 8-10 telescopes with meter-class apertures, and a central hub with focal-plane instrumentation that allows spectrophotometry in passbands as narrow as a few Angstroms up to hundreds of Angstroms. SISP will image stars and binaries with one hundred to one thousand resolution elements on their surface, and sound their interiors through asteroseismology to image internal structure, differential rotation, and large-scale circulations; this will provide accurate knowledge of stellar structure and evolution and complex transport processes, and will impact numerous branches of (astro)physics ranging from the Big Bang to the future of the Universe. Fitting naturally within the NASA long-term time line, SISP complements defined missions, and with them will show us entire other solar systems, from the central star to their orbiting planets.

Stark broadening of resonant Cr II 3d5-3d44p spectral lines in hot stellar atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Simić, Z.; Dimitrijević, M. S.; Sahal-Bréchot, S.

2013-07-01

New Stark broadening parameters of interest for the astrophysical, laboratory and technological plasma modelling, investigations and analysis for nine resonant Cr II multiplets have been determined within the semiclassical perturbation approach. In order to demonstrate one possibility for their usage in astrophysical plasma research, obtained results have been applied to the analysis of the Stark broadening influence on stellar spectral line shapes.

Atomic and Molecular Data for Optical Stellar Spectroscopy

OpenAIRE

Heiter, U.; Lind, K.; Asplund, M.; Barklem, P. S.; Bergemann, M.; Magrini, L.; Masseron, T.; Mikolaitis, Š.; Pickering, J. C.; Ruffoni, M. P.

2015-01-01

High-precision spectroscopy of large stellar samples plays a crucial role for several topical issues in astrophysics. Examples include studying the chemical structure and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy, tracing the origin of chemical elements, and characterizing planetary host stars. Data are accumulating from instruments that obtain high-quality spectra of stars in the ultraviolet, optical and infrared wavelength regions on a routine basis. These instruments are located at ground-based 2-...

The Prospect for Detecting Stellar Coronal Mass Ejections

Science.gov (United States)

Osten, Rachel A.; Crosley, Michael Kevin

2018-06-01

The astrophysical study of mass loss, both steady-state and transient, on the cool half of the HR diagram has implications bothfor the star itself and the conditions created around the star that can be hospitable or inimical to supporting life. Recent results from exoplanet studies show that planets around M dwarfs are exceedingly common, which together with the commonality of M dwarfs in our galaxy make this the dominant mode of star and planet configurations. The closeness of the exoplanets to the parent M star motivate a comprehensive understanding of habitability for these systems. Radio observations provide the most clear signature of accelerated particles and shocks in stars arising as the result of MHD processes in the stellar outer atmosphere. Stellar coronal mass ejections have not been conclusively detected, despite the ubiquity with which their radiative counterparts in an eruptive event (stellar flares) have. I will review some of the different observational methods which have been used and possibly could be used in the future in the stellar case, emphasizing some of the difficulties inherent in such attempts. I will provide a framework for interpreting potential transient stellar mass loss in light of the properties of flares known to occur on magnetically active stars. This uses a physically motivated way to connect the properties of flares and coronal mass ejections and provides a testable hypothesis for observing or constraining transient stellar mass loss. I will describe recent results using radio observations to detect stellar coronal mass ejections, and what those results imply about transient stellar mass loss. I will provide some motivation for what could be learned in this topic from space-based low frequency radio experiments.

The weak interaction in nuclear, particle and astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grotz, K.; Klapdor, H.V.

1989-01-01

This book is an introduction to the concepts of weak interactions and their importance and consequences for nuclear physics, particle physics, neutrino physics, astrophysics and cosmology. After a general introduction to elementary particles and interactions the Fermi theory of weak interactions is described together with its connection with nuclear structure and beta decay including the double beta decay. Then, after a general description of gauge theories the Weinberg-Salam theory of the electroweak interactions is introduced. Thereafter the weak interactions are considered in the framework of grand unification. Then the physics of neutrinos is discussed. Thereafter connections of weak interactions with astrophysics are considered with special regards to the gravitational collapse and the synthesis of heavy elements in the r-process. Finally, the connections of grand unified theories and cosmology are considered. (HSI) With 141 figs., 39 tabs

The Effects of Admixed Dark Matter on Accretion Induced Collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Shing-Chi; Chu, Ming-Chung; Lin, Lap-Ming; Nomoto, Ken'ichi

About 90% mass of matter in the universe is dark matter (DM) and most of its properties remain poorly constrained since it does not interact with electromagnetic and strong forces. To constrain the properties of DM, studying its effects on stellar objects is one of the methods. In [Leung et al., Phys. Rev. D 87, 123506 (2013); Leung et al., Astrophys. J. 812, 110 (2015)] we have shown that the dark matter admixture can significantly lower the Chandrasekhar mass of a white dwarf and also its corresponding explosion as a Type Ia supernova (SNe Ia). This type of objects may explain some observed sub-luminous SNe Ia. Depending on their stellar evolution path and interactions with companion stars, such objects can also undergo a direct collapse to form neutron stars (NSs) instead of explosion. Here we present results of one-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations of a NS with admixed DM. The DM is assumed to be asymmetric and in the form of an ideal degenerate Fermi gas. We study how the admixture of DM affects the collapse dynamics, its neutrino signals and the properties of the proto-NS. Possible observational signals are also discussed.

The National Programme of Stellar Physics. Assessment 2011-2014. Prospective 2015-2018

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bontemps, Sylvain; Bouchy, Francois; Charbonnel, Corinne; Chieze, Jean-Pierre; Dessart, Luc; Dintrans, Boris; Dougados, Catherine; Josselin, Eric; Kervella, Pierre; Martins, Fabrice; Michel, Eric; Moraux, Estelle; Recio-Blanco, Alejandra; Ristorcelli, Isabelle; Reyle, Celine; Alecian, Evelyne; Bouchy, Francois; Ciardi, Andrea; Dintrans, Boris; Herpin, Fabrice; Jouve, Laurene; Lebreton, Yveline; Motte, Frederique; Nardetto, Nicolas; Robin, Annie; Royer, Frederic; Samadi, Reza

2015-04-01

After an introduction which outlines the role of stellar physics as a keystone of research in astrophysics, this report proposes a presentation of the operation of the French national programme of stellar physics (PNPS): status and general operation, annual operation, statistics of budget and calls for bids, scientific animation, education, communication, community census, assessment of projects and thesis. It presents an overview of priority research theses between 2011 and 2014, according to their theme: stellar formation and protoplanetary disks, stellar structure and evolutions, origin and impact of magnetism, and atmospheres, winds and mass loss. Transverse theses are also presented the same way for the same period, with the following themes: basic physics, numeric simulations. The last part presents prospectives in terms of events (colloquium), bodies (new scientific council), themes to be studied, operation (interdisciplinarity and interfaces), means, general recommendations, and strengths and weaknesses of the national community

Progress of Jinping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics (JUNA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu WeiPing

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Jinping Underground lab for Nuclear Astrophysics (JUNA will take the advantage of the ultralow background in Jinping underground lab, high current accelerator based on an ECR source and highly sensitive detector to study directly a number of crucial reactions to the hydrostatic stellar evolution for the first time at their relevant stellar energies. In its first phase, JUNA aims at the direct measurements of 25Mg(p,γ26Al, 19F(p,α16O, 13C(α,n16O and 12C(α,γ16O. The experimental setup, which include the accelerator system with high stability and high intensity, the detector system, and the shielding material with low background, will be established during the above research. The current progress of JUNA will be given.

Gravitational collapse with rotating thin shells and cosmic censorship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delsate, Térence; Rocha, Jorge V; Santarelli, Raphael

2015-01-01

The study of gravitational collapse is a subject of great importance, both from an astrophysical and a holographic point of view. In this respect, exact solutions can be very helpful but known solutions are very scarce, especially when considering dynamical processes with rotation. We describe a setup in which gravitational collapse of rotating matter shells can be addressed with analytic tools, at the expense of going to higher dimensions and considering equal angular momenta spacetimes. The framework for an exact treatment of the dynamics, relying on a thin shell approximation, is developed. Our analysis allows the inclusion of a non-vanishing cosmological constant. Finally, we discuss applications of this machinery to the construction of stationary solutions describing matter around rotating black holes and to the cosmic censorship conjecture. (paper)

Neutrino Astrophysics in Slowly Rotating Spacetimes Permeated by Nonlinear Electrodynamics Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Mosquera Cuesta, Herman J.

2017-02-01

Many theoretical and astrophysical arguments involve consideration of the effects of super strong electromagnetic fields and the rotation during the late stages of core-collapse supernovae. In what follows, we solve Einstein field equations that are minimally coupled to an arbitrary (current-free) Born-Infeld nonlinear Lagrangian L(F,G) of electrodynamics (NLED) in the slow rotation regime a ≪ r+ (outer horizon size), up to first order in a/r. We cross-check the physical properties of such NLED spacetime w.r.t. against the Maxwell one. A study case on both neutrino flavor ({ν }e\\to {ν }μ ,{ν }τ ) oscillations and flavor+helicity (spin) flip ({ν }e\\to {\\overline{ν }}μ ,τ ) gyroscopic precession proves that in the spacetime of a slowly rotating nonlinear charged black hole (RNCBH), the neutrino dynamics translates into a positive enhancement of the r-process (reduction of the electron fraction Ye < 0.5). Consequently, it guarantees successful hyperluminous core-collapse supernova explosions due to the enlargement of the number and amount of decaying nuclide species. This posits that, as far as the whole luminosity is concerned, hypernovae will be a proof of the formation of astrophysical RNCBH.

General properties of astrophysical reaction rates in explosive nucleosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rauscher, Thomas

2013-01-01

Fundamental differences in the prediction of reaction rates with intermediate and heavy target nuclei compared to the ones with light nuclei are discussed, with special emphasis on stellar modifications of the rates. Ground and excited state contributions to the stellar rates are quantified, deriving a linear weighting of excited state contributions despite of a Boltzmann population of the nuclear states. A Coulomb suppression effect of the excited state contributions is identified, acting against the usual Q-value rule in some reactions. The proper inclusion of experimental data in revised stellar rates is shown, containing revised uncertainties. An application to the s-process shows that the actual uncertainties in the neutron capture rates are larger than would be expected from the experimental errors alone. Sensitivities of reaction rates and cross sections are defined and their application in reaction studies is discussed. The conclusion provides a guide to experiment as well as theory on how to best improve the rates used in astrophysical simulations and how to assess their uncertainties.

Astrophysics and the exploration of the universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turck-Chieze, S.; Garcia, R.A.; Brun, A.S.; Minier, V.; Andre, Ph.; Motte, F.; Mathis, St.; Foglizzo, Th.; Decourchelle, A.; Ballet, J.; Chaty, S.; Corbel, St.; Rodriguez, J.; Brahic, A.; Charnoz, S.; Ferrari, C.; Lagage, P.O.; Masset, F.; Pantin, E.; Sauvage, M.; Galliano, F.; Goldwurm, A.; Ballet, J.; Decourchelle, A.; Grenier, I.; Daddi, E.; Elbaz, D.; Bournaud, F.; Yvon, D.; Arnaud, M.; Teyssier, R.; Lehoucq, R.; Palanque-Delabrouille, N.; Lehoucq, R.; Cirelli, M.; Bonvin, C.; Mansoulie, B.; Ruhlmann-Kleider, V.; Refregier, A.; Brax, Ph.; Lavignac, St.; Starck, J.L.; Talvard, M.; Sauvage, M.; Cara, Ch.; Lagage, P.O.; Ferrari, C.; Rodriguez, L.; Sauvageot, J.L.; Lebrun, F.; Grenier, I.; Glicenstein, J.F.; Gerbier, G.

2009-01-01

This special issue of Clefs CEA journal is entirely devoted to astrophysics and to the exploration and probing of the Universe. A first part of this dossier, described here, makes a status of our present day knowledge about stars, planets, galaxies, the Universe structure and dark matter. Content: 1 - Stars seed the Universe: What does the Sun tell us?, Probing stellar interiors, From the Sun to the stars, A tour of stellar nurseries, How heavy elements arise, How supernovae explode, Supernova remnants, High-energy objects - sources for astonishment, Focus: A Probing the Universe across the entire light spectrum; 2 - Planets: a dance of small bodies, swirling around up to the finale of their birth: How our world was born, The rings of Saturn: a magnificent research laboratory, Planetary cocoons; 3 - Galaxies: a richly paradoxical evolution: The active life of galaxies, A mysterious black hole, Elucidating the cosmic ray acceleration mechanism, Seeking out the great ancestors, The formation of galaxies: a story of paradoxes, The morphogenesis of galaxies; 4 - The Universe, a homogeneous 'soup' that has turned into a hierarchical structure: The grand thermal history of the Universe, The cosmic web, The formation of the structures of the Universe: the interplay of models, Does the Universe have a shape? Is it finite, or infinite?; 5 - Odyssey across the dark side of the Universe: The puzzle of dark matter, Astrophysics and the observation of dark matter, The theory of dark matter, Could dark matter be generated some day at LHC? A Universe dominated by dark energy, Astrophysics and the observation of dark energy, Theories of dark energy, The matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe; 6 - Journey into the lights of the Universe: Microwave - ESA Planck Surveyor, Submillimeter and infrared - ArTeMis, Herschel Space Observatory, VLT-VISIR, Cassini-CIRS, Visible - SoHo-GOLF, X-ray - XMM-Newton, Gamma ray - INTEGRAL, Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, HESS, EDELWEISS

Exploring the Cosmic Frontier Astrophysical Instruments for the 21st Century

CERN Document Server

Lobanov, Andrei P; Cesarsky, Catherine; Diamond, Phillip J

2007-01-01

In the coming decades, astrophysical science will benefit enormously from the construction and operation of several major international ground- and space based facilities, such as ALMA, Herschel/Planck, and SKA in the far infrared to radio band, Extremely Large Telescopes, JWST and GAIA in the optical to near infrared regime, XEUS and Constellation-X in the X-ray, and GLAST in the Gamma-ray regime. These and other new instruments will have a major impact in a wide range of scientific topics including the cosmological epoch of reionization, galactic dynamics and nuclear activity, stellar astronomy, extra-solar planets, gamma-ray bursts, X-ray binaries, and many others. On May 18-21, 2004, the Max-Planck-Society’s Harnack-Haus in Dahlem, Berlin hosted the international symposium "Exploring the Cosmic Frontier: Astrophysical Instruments for the 21st Century". The symposium in Berlin was dedicated to exploring the complementarity and synergies between different branches of astrophysical research, by presenting ...

Book Review: "Inside Stars. A Theory of the Internal Constitution of Stars, and the Sources of Stellar Energy According to General Relativity" (Letters to Progress in Physics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Millette P. A.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This book provides a general relativistic theory of the internal constitution of liquid stars. It is a solid contribution to our understanding of stellar structure from a general relativistic perspective. It raises new ideas on the constitution of stars and planetary systems, and proposes a new approach to stellar structure an d stellar energy generation which is bound to help us better understand stellar astrophysics.

New Worlds / New Horizons Science with an X-ray Astrophysics Probe

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Randall K.; Bookbinder, Jay A.; Hornschemeier, Ann E.; Bandler, Simon; Brandt, W. N.; Hughes, John P.; McCammon, Dan; Matsumoto, Hironori; Mushotzky, Richard; Osten, Rachel A.;

Laboratory approaches of nuclear reactions involved in primordial and stellar nucleosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rolfs, C.; California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena

1986-01-01

Laboratory-based studies of primordial and stellar nucleosynthesis are reviewed, with emphasis on the nuclear reactions induced by charged particles. The analytical approach used to investigate nuclear reactions associated with stellar reactions is described, as well as the experimental details and procedures used to investigate nuclear reactions induced by charged particles. The present knowledge of some of the key reactions involved in primordial nucleosynthesis is discussed, along with the progress and problems of nuclear reactions involved in the hydrogen and helium burning phases of a star. Finally, a description is given of new experimental techniques which might be useful for future experiments in the field of nuclear astrophysics. (U.K.)

Einstein's Gift: Stellar Mass Black Holes in the LIGO Era

Science.gov (United States)

Cadonati, Laura; Georgia Institute of Technology, LIGO-Virgo Collaboration

2017-01-01

The discovery of gravitational waves from the coalescence of black hole binary systems in LIGO has provided the first evidence for heavy stellar mass black holes. In this talk, I will review the observational evidence for black holes in LIGO data, its astrophysical implications and the plans for the near and long term future of ground based gravitational wave detection of black hole binary coalescences.

Atomic and molecular data for optical stellar spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiter, U; Lind, K; Barklem, P S; Asplund, M; Bergemann, M; Magrini, L; Masseron, T; Mikolaitis, Š; Pickering, J C; Ruffoni, M P

2015-01-01

High-precision spectroscopy of large stellar samples plays a crucial role for several topical issues in astrophysics. Examples include studying the chemical structure and evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy, tracing the origin of chemical elements, and characterizing planetary host stars. Data are accumulating from instruments that obtain high-quality spectra of stars in the ultraviolet, optical and infrared wavelength regions on a routine basis. These instruments are located at ground-based 2–10 m class telescopes around the world, in addition to the spectrographs with unique capabilities available at the Hubble Space Telescope. The interpretation of these spectra requires high-quality transition data for numerous species, in particular neutral and singly ionized atoms, and di- or triatomic molecules. We rely heavily on the continuous efforts of laboratory astrophysics groups that produce and improve the relevant experimental and theoretical atomic and molecular data. The compilation of the best available data is facilitated by databases and electronic infrastructures such as the NIST Atomic Spectra Database, the VALD database, or the Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre. We illustrate the current status of atomic data for optical stellar spectra with the example of the Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey. Data sources for 35 chemical elements were reviewed in an effort to construct a line list for a homogeneous abundance analysis of up to 10 5 stars. (paper)

Atomic and molecular data for optical stellar spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Heiter, U.; Lind, K.; Asplund, M.; Barklem, P. S.; Bergemann, M.; Magrini, L.; Masseron, T.; Mikolaitis, Š.; Pickering, J. C.; Ruffoni, M. P.

2015-05-01

High-precision spectroscopy of large stellar samples plays a crucial role for several topical issues in astrophysics. Examples include studying the chemical structure and evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy, tracing the origin of chemical elements, and characterizing planetary host stars. Data are accumulating from instruments that obtain high-quality spectra of stars in the ultraviolet, optical and infrared wavelength regions on a routine basis. These instruments are located at ground-based 2-10 m class telescopes around the world, in addition to the spectrographs with unique capabilities available at the Hubble Space Telescope. The interpretation of these spectra requires high-quality transition data for numerous species, in particular neutral and singly ionized atoms, and di- or triatomic molecules. We rely heavily on the continuous efforts of laboratory astrophysics groups that produce and improve the relevant experimental and theoretical atomic and molecular data. The compilation of the best available data is facilitated by databases and electronic infrastructures such as the NIST Atomic Spectra Database, the VALD database, or the Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre. We illustrate the current status of atomic data for optical stellar spectra with the example of the Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey. Data sources for 35 chemical elements were reviewed in an effort to construct a line list for a homogeneous abundance analysis of up to 105 stars.

Electromagnetic wave collapse in a radiation background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marklund, Mattias; Brodin, Gert; Stenflo, Lennart

2003-01-01

The nonlinear interaction, due to quantum electrodynamical (QED) effects between an electromagnetic pulse and a radiation background, is investigated by combining the methods of radiation hydrodynamics with the QED theory for photon-photon scattering. For the case of a single coherent electromagnetic pulse, we obtain a Zakharov-like system, where the radiation pressure of the pulse acts as a driver of acoustic waves in the photon gas. For a sufficiently intense pulse and/or background energy density, there is focusing and the subsequent collapse of the pulse. The relevance of our results for various astrophysical applications are discussed

On radiative density limits in stellarators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wobig, H.

2001-01-01

Density limits in stellarators are caused mainly by enhanced impurity radiation leading to a collapse of the temperature. A simple model can be established, which computes the temperature in the plasma with a fixed heating profile and a temperature-dependent radiation profile. If the temperature-dependent radiation function has one or several extrema, multiple solutions of the transport equation exist and radiative collapse occurs when the high temperature branch merges with the unstable temperature branch. At this bifurcation point the temperature decreases to a stable low temperature solution. The bifurcation point is a function of the heating power and the plasma density. Thus a density limit can be defined as the point where bifurcation occurs. It is shown that bifurcation and sudden temperature collapse does not occur below a power threshold. Anomalous thermal conductivity and the details of the impurity radiation, which in the present model is assumed to be in corona equilibrium, determine the scaling of the density limit. A model of the anomalous transport is developed, which leads to Gyro-Bohm scaling of the confinement time. The density limit based on this transport model is close to experimental findings in Wendelstein 7-AS. (author)

The Contribution of Stellar Winds to Cosmic Ray Production

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Jeongbhin; Kang, Hyesung; Ryu, Dongsu

2018-04-01

Massive stars blow powerful stellar winds throughout their evolutionary stages from the main sequence to Wolf-Rayet phases. The wind mechanical energy of a massive star deposited to the interstellar medium can be comparable to the explosion energy of a core-collapse supernova that detonates at the end of its life In this study, we estimate the kinetic energy deposition by massive stars in our Galaxy by considering the integrated Galactic initial mass function and modeling the stellar wind luminosity. The mass loss rate and terminal velocity of stellar winds during the main sequence, red supergiant, and Wolf-Rayet stages are estimated by adopting theoretical calculations and observational data published in the literature. We find that the total stellar wind luminosity by all massive stars in the Galaxy is about Lw ≈ 1.1×1041 ergs, which is about 1/4 of the power of supernova explosions, LSN ≈ 4.8×1041 ergs. If we assume that ˜1-1% of the wind luminosity could be converted to Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) through collisonless shocks such as termination shocks in stellar bubbles and superbubbles, colliding-wind shocks in binaries, and bow-shocks of massive runaway stars, stellar winds are expected to make a significant contribution to GCR production, though lower than that of supernova remnants.

Astrophysical targets of the Fresnel diffractive imager

Science.gov (United States)

Koechlin, L.; Deba, P.; Raksasataya, T.

2017-11-01

The Fresnel Diffractive imager is an innovative concept of distributed space telescope, for high resolution (milli arc-seconds) spectro-imaging in the IR, visible and UV domains. This paper presents its optical principle and the science that can be done on potential astrophysical targets. The novelty lies in the primary optics: a binary Fresnel array, akin to a binary Fresnel zone plate. The main interest of this approach is the relaxed manufacturing and positioning constraints. While having the resolution and imaging capabilities of lens or mirrors of equivalent size, no optical material is involved in the focusing process: just vacuum. A Fresnel array consists of millions void subapertures punched into a large and thin opaque membrane, that focus light by diffraction into a compact and highly contrasted image. The positioning law of the aperture edges drives the image quality and contrast. This optical concept allows larger and lighter apertures than solid state optics, aiming to high angular resolution and high dynamic range imaging, in particular for UV applications. Diffraction focusing implies very long focal distances, up to dozens of kilometers, which requires at least a two-vessel formation flying in space. The first spacecraft, "the Fresnel Array spacecraft", holds the large punched foil: the Fresnel Array. The second, the "Receiver spacecraft" holds the field optics and focal instrumentation. A chromatism correction feature enables moderately large (20%) relative wavebands, and fields of a few to a dozen arc seconds. This Fresnel imager is adapted to high contrast stellar environments: dust disks, close companions and (we hope) exoplanets. Specific to the particular grid-like pattern of the primary focusing zone plate, is the very high dynamic range achieved in the images, in the case of compact objects. Large stellar photospheres may also be mapped with Fresnel arrays of a few meters opertaing in the UV. Larger and more complex fields can be imaged with

Chemical evolution of the Galaxy at the initial rapid-collapse phase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caimmi, R [Padua Univ. (Italy). Istituto di Astronomia

1978-04-01

Equations for the chemical evolution of the Galaxy are derived, accounting for (i) the dynamical evolution of the Galaxy (i.e. the collapse of the proto-galaxy) and (ii) either a variable mass-spectrum in the birth-rate stellar function of the type B(m,t) = psi(t)phi(m,t), or a constant mass-spectrum with variable lower mass limit for star birth: msub(mf) = msub(mf)(Z). Simple equations are adopted for the collapse of the proto-galaxy, accounting for the experimental data (i.e. axial ratio and major semi-axis) relative to the halo and to the disk, and best fitted for a rapid collapse; gas density is assumed to be always uniform. Numerical computations of several cases show that there is qualitative agreement with the experimental data relative to the Z(t) function when: (i) the mass-spectrum is nearly constant in time: phi(m,t) approximately phi(m) = msup(-2.35); (ii) the efficiency phi(t) proportional to rhosup(..cap alpha..) is sufficiently high; moreover, the super metallic effect (SME) takes place for ..cap alpha.. greater than a given value (..cap alpha.. > approximately 1.5); (iii) the shorter the collapse time Tsub(c), the more rapid is the initial increase of metallicity, the asymptotic value being left nearly unaltered. The theoretical results are not in complete agreement with the observed data bearing on the Nsub(n)(Z) function (Nsub(n) is the number of stars whose Main-Sequence lifetime is not less than the age of the Galaxy), while a hypothesis of star formation with different efficiencies in different zones of the Galaxy, and successive stellar mixing from zone to zone, is not inconsistent with such data.

Chemical evolution of the Galaxy at the initial rapid-collapse phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caimmi, R.

1978-01-01

Equations for the chemical evolution of the Galaxy are derived, accounting for (i) the dynamical evolution of the Galaxy (i.e. the collapse of the proto-galaxy) and (ii) either a variable mass-spectrum in the birth-rate stellar function of the type B(m,t) = psi(t)phi(m,t), or a constant mass-spectrum with variable lower mass limit for star birth: msub(mf) = msub(mf)(Z). Simple equations are adopted for the collapse of the proto-galaxy, accounting for the experimental data (i.e. axial ratio and major semi-axis) relative to the halo and to the disk, and best fitted for a rapid collapse; gas density is assumed to be always uniform. Numerical computations of several cases show that there is qualitative agreement with the experimental data relative to the Z(t) function when: (i) the mass-spectrum is nearly constant in time: phi(m,t) approximately phi(m) = msup(-2.35); (ii) the efficiency phi(t) proportional to rhosup(α) is sufficiently high; moreover, the super metallic effect (SME) takes place for α greater than a given value (α > approximately 1.5); (iii) the shorter the collapse time Tsub(c), the more rapid is the initial increase of metallicity, the asymptotic value being left nearly unaltered. The theoretical results are not in complete agreement with the observed data bearing on the Nsub(n)(Z) function (Nsub(n) is the number of stars whose Main-Sequence lifetime is not less than the age of the Galaxy), while a hypothesis of star formation with different efficiencies in different zones of the Galaxy, and successive stellar mixing from zone to zone, is not inconsistent with such data. (Auth.)

Core-collapse supernovae - successes, problems, and perspectives

CERN Document Server

Janka, H T

2000-01-01

Multi-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the post-bounce evolution of collapsed stellar iron cores have demonstrated that convective overturn between the stalled shock and the neutrinosphere can have an important effect on the neutrino-driven explosion mechanism. Whether a model yields a successful explosion or not, however, still depends on the power of neutrino energy deposition behind the stalled shock. The neutrino interaction with the stellar gas in the 'hot bubble' also determines the duration of the shock stagnation phase, the explosion energy, and the composition of the neutrino-heated supernova ejecta. More accurate models require a more precise calculation of the neutrino luminosities and spectra and of the angular distributions of the neutrinos in the heating region. Therefore it is necessary to improve the numerical treatment of the neutrino transport, to take into account convective processes inside the newly formed neutron star, and to develop a better understanding of the neutrino opacitie...

Solar-stellar Coffee: A Model For Informal Interdisciplinary Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Metcalfe, Travis S.

2007-12-01

Initiated at NCAR more than two years ago, solar-stellar coffee is a weekly informal discussion of recent papers that are relevant to solar and stellar physics. The purpose is to generate awareness of new papers, to discuss their connections to past and current work, and to encourage a broader and more interdisciplinary view of solar physics. The discussion is local, but traffic to the website (http://coffee.solar-stellar.org/) is global -- suggesting that solar and stellar astronomers around the world find value in this intelligent pre-filter for astro-ph and other sources (papers are selected by local participants). In addition to enhancing the preprint posting and reading habits of solar physicists (with the associated boost in citation rates), the weekly discussion also provides an interdisciplinary professional development opportunity for graduate students, postdocs, and early career scientists. The web page is driven by a simple set of scripts (available on request), so this interaction model can easily be replicated at other institutions for topics of local interest. The concept of solar-stellar coffee began with support from an NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship under award AST-0401441. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

The spectral appearance of solar-type collapsing protostellar clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertout, C.; Yorke, H.W.

1978-04-01

In this paper, we review the spectral properties of collapsing protostellar clouds, based on radiative transfer computations in hydrodynamic protostar models. In the first section, the basic results of protostar evolution computations in spherically symmetric and axially symmetry geometries, as they pertain to the appearance of protostars, are briefly reviewed. In the second section, we discuss the continuum appearance of spherically symmetric protostars with various masses. Also, we present recent results for the continuum appearance of an axially symmetric protostellar cloud. The third section deals with the line formation problem and describes preliminary results for a OH molecule in an axially symmetric collapsing cloud. Then we review recent theoretical and observational results obtained for the last evolutionary phase of protostars, known as the YY Orionis phase, when the stellar core first becomes visible in the optical range. Some of the new results and conclusions presented here can be summarized as follows: Rotating collapsing clouds are in general less luminous and cooler than corresponding non-rotating clouds - due to the longer evolutionary time scale. Nevertheless, high resolution studies (resolution [de

The Origin of Stellar Species: constraining stellar evolution scenarios with Local Group galaxy surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Sarbadhicary, Sumit; Badenes, Carles; Chomiuk, Laura; Maldonado, Jessica; Caprioli, Damiano; Heger, Mairead; Huizenga, Daniel

2018-01-01

Our understanding of the progenitors of many stellar species, such as supernovae, massive and low-mass He-burning stars, is limited because of many poorly constrained aspects of stellar evolution theory. For my dissertation, I have focused on using Local Group galaxy surveys to constrain stellar evolution scenarios by measuring delay-time distributions (DTD). The DTD is the hypothetical occurrence rate of a stellar object per elapsed time after a brief burst of star formation. It is the measured distribution of timescales on which stars evolve, and therefore serves as a powerful observational constraint on theoretical progenitor models. The DTD can be measured from a survey of stellar objects and a set of star-formation histories of the host galaxy, and is particularly effective in the Local Group, where high-quality star-formation histories are available from resolved stellar populations. I am currently calculating a SN DTD with supernova remnants (SNRs) in order to provide the strongest constraints on the progenitors of thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae. However, most SNRs do not have reliable age measurements and their evolution depends on the ambient environment. For this reason, I wrote a radio light curve model of an SNR population to extract the visibility times and rates of supernovae - crucial ingredients for the DTD - from an SNR survey. The model uses observational constraints on the local environments from multi-wavelength surveys, accounts for missing SNRs and employs the latest models of shock-driven particle acceleration. The final calculation of the SN DTD in the Local Group is awaiting completion of a systematic SNR catalog from deep radio-continuum images, now in preparation by a group led by Dr. Laura Chomiuk. I have also calculated DTDs for the LMC population of RR Lyrae and Cepheid variables, which serve as important distance calibrators and stellar population tracers. We find that Cepheids can have delay-times between 10 Myrs - 1 Gyr

Global Clusters as Laboratories for Stellar Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Catelan, Marcio; Valcarce, Aldo A. R.; Sweigart, Allen V.

2010-01-01

Globular clusters have long been considered the closest approximation to a physicist's laboratory in astrophysics, and as such a near-ideal laboratory for (low-mass) stellar evolution, However, recent observations have cast a shadow on this long-standing paradigm, suggesting the presence of multiple populations with widely different abundance patterns, and - crucially - with widely different helium abundances as welL In this review we discuss which features of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram may be used as helium abundance indicators, and present an overview of available constraints on the helium abundance in globular clusters,

The Interplay of Opacities and Rotation in Promoting the Explosion of Core-Collapse Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Vartanyan, David; Burrows, Adam; Radice, David

2018-01-01

For over five decades, the mechanism of explosion in core-collapse supernovae has been a central unsolved problem in astrophysics, challenging both our computational capabilities and our understanding of relevant physics. Current simulations often produce explosions, but they are at times underenergetic. The neutrino mechanism, wherein a fraction of emitted neutrinos is absorbed in the mantle of the star to reignite the stalled shock, remains the dominant model for reviving explosions in massive stars undergoing core collapse. We present here a diverse suite of 2D axisymmetric simulations produced by FORNAX, a highly parallelizable multidimensional supernova simulation code. We explore the effects of various corrections, including the many-body correction, to neutrino-matter opacities and the possible role of rotation in promoting explosion amongst various core-collapse progenitors.

Rapid mass segregation in small stellar clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Spera, Mario; Capuzzo-Dolcetta, Roberto

2017-12-01

In this paper we focus our attention on small-to-intermediate N-body systems that are, initially, distributed uniformly in space and dynamically `cool' (virial ratios Q=2T/|Ω| below ˜0.3). In this work, we study the mass segregation that emerges after the initial violent dynamical evolution. At this scope, we ran a set of high precision N-body simulations of isolated clusters by means of HiGPUs, our direct summation N-body code. After the collapse, the system shows a clear mass segregation. This (quick) mass segregation occurs in two phases: the first shows up in clumps originated by sub-fragmentation before the deep overall collapse; this segregation is partly erased during the deep collapse to re-emerge, abruptly, during the second phase, that follows the first bounce of the system. In this second stage, the proper clock to measure the rate of segregation is the dynamical time after virialization, which (for cold and cool systems) may be significantly different from the crossing time evaluated from initial conditions. This result is obtained for isolated clusters composed of stars of two different masses (in the ratio mh/ml=2), at varying their number ratio, and is confirmed also in presence of a massive central object (simulating a black hole of stellar size). Actually, in stellar systems starting their dynamical evolution from cool conditions, the fast mass segregation adds to the following, slow, secular segregation which is collisionally induced. The violent mass segregation is an effect persistent over the whole range of N (128 ≤ N ≤1,024) investigated, and is an interesting feature on the astronomical-observational side, too. The semi-steady state reached after virialization corresponds to a mass segregated distribution function rather than that of equipartition of kinetic energy per unit mass as it should result from violent relaxation.

Collapse and dispersal of a homogeneous spin fluid in Einstein-Cartan theory

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, M.; Jalalzadeh, S.; Ziaie, A. H.

2015-02-01

In the present work, we revisit the process of gravitational collapse of a spherically symmetric homogeneous dust fluid which is described by the Oppenheimer-Snyder (OS) model (Oppenheimer and Snyder in Phys Rev D 56:455, 1939). We show that such a scenario would not end in a spacetime singularity when the spin degrees of freedom of fermionic particles within the collapsing cloud are taken into account. To this purpose, we take the matter content of the stellar object as a homogeneous Weyssenhoff fluid. Employing the homogeneous and isotropic FLRW metric for the interior spacetime setup, it is shown that the spin of matter, in the context of a negative pressure, acts against the pull of gravity and decelerates the dynamical evolution of the collapse in its later stages. Our results show a picture of gravitational collapse in which the collapse process halts at a finite radius, whose value depends on the initial configuration. We thus show that the spacetime singularity that occurs in the OS model is replaced by a non-singular bounce beyond which the collapsing cloud re-expands to infinity. Depending on the model parameters, one can find a minimum value for the boundary of the collapsing cloud or correspondingly a threshold value for the mass content below which the horizon formation can be avoided. Our results are supported by a thorough numerical analysis.

Collapse and dispersal of a homogeneous spin fluid in Einstein-Cartan theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemi, M.; Jalalzadeh, S.; Ziaie, A.H.

2015-01-01

In the present work, we revisit the process of gravitational collapse of a spherically symmetric homogeneous dust fluid which is described by the Oppenheimer-Snyder (OS) model (Oppenheimer and Snyder in Phys Rev D 56:455, 1939). We show that such a scenario would not end in a spacetime singularity when the spin degrees of freedom of fermionic particles within the collapsing cloud are taken into account. To this purpose, we take the matter content of the stellar object as a homogeneous Weyssenhoff fluid. Employing the homogeneous and isotropic FLRW metric for the interior spacetime setup, it is shown that the spin of matter, in the context of a negative pressure, acts against the pull of gravity and decelerates the dynamical evolution of the collapse in its later stages. Our results show a picture of gravitational collapse in which the collapse process halts at a finite radius, whose value depends on the initial configuration. We thus show that the spacetime singularity that occurs in the OS model is replaced by a non-singular bounce beyond which the collapsing cloud re-expands to infinity. Depending on the model parameters, one can find a minimum value for the boundary of the collapsing cloud or correspondingly a threshold value for the mass content below which the horizon formation can be avoided. Our results are supported by a thorough numerical analysis. (orig.)

Direct measurement of nuclear cross-section of astrophysical interest: Results and perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanna, Francesca; Prati, Paolo

2018-03-01

Stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis are interconnected by a wide network of nuclear reactions: the study of such connection is usually known as nuclear astrophysics. The main task of this discipline is the determination of nuclear cross-section and hence of the reaction rate in different scenarios, i.e. from the synthesis of a few very light isotopes just after the Big Bang to the heavy element production in the violent explosive end of massive stars. The experimental determination of reaction cross-section at the astrophysical relevant energies is extremely difficult, sometime impossible, due to the Coulomb repulsion between the interacting nuclei which turns out in cross-section values down to the fbar level. To overcome these obstacles, several experimental approaches have been developed and the adopted techniques can be roughly divided into two categories, i.e. direct and indirect methods. In this review paper, the general problem of nuclear astrophysics is introduced and discussed from the point of view of experimental approach. We focus on direct methods and in particular on the features of low-background experiments performed at underground laboratory facilities. The present knowledge of reactions involved in the Big Bang and stellar hydrogen-burning scenarios is discussed as well as the ongoing projects aiming to investigate mainly the helium- and carbon-burning phases. Worldwide, a new generation of experiment in the MeV range is in the design phase or at the very first steps and decisive progresses are expected to come in the next years.

Relations between the galactic evolution and the stellar evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Audouze, J.

1984-01-01

After a quick definition of the galactic evolution and a summary of the basic ingredients (namely the abundances of the chemical elements observed in different astrophysical sites), the parameters directly related to the stellar evolution which govern the galactic evolution are outlined. They are the rates of star formation, the initial mass functions and the various nucleosynthetic yields. The 'classical' models of chemical evolution of galaxies are then briefly recalled. Finally, attention is drawn to three recent contributions concerning both the galactic evolution and the stellar evolution. They are (i) some prediction of the rate of star formation for low mass stars made from the planetary nebula abundance distribution (ii) the chemical evolution of C, O and Fe and (iii) the chemical evolution of the galactic interstellar medium. (Auth.)

Tomography of massive stars from core collapse to supernova shock breakout

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kistler, Matthew D.; Haxton, W. C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Yüksel, Hasan [Theoretical Division, MS B285, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

2013-11-20

Neutrinos and gravitational waves are the only direct probes of the inner dynamics of a stellar core collapse. They are also the first signals to arrive from a supernova (SN) and, if detected, establish the moment when the shock wave is formed that unbinds the stellar envelope and later initiates the optical display upon reaching the stellar surface with a burst of UV and X-ray photons, the shock breakout (SBO). We discuss how neutrino observations can be used to trigger searches to detect the elusive SBO event. Observation of the SBO would provide several important constraints on progenitor structure and the explosion, including the shock propagation time (the duration between the neutrino burst and SBO), an observable that is important in distinguishing progenitor types. Our estimates suggest that next-generation neutrino detectors could exploit the overdensity of nearby SNe to provide several such triggers per decade, more than an order-of-magnitude improvement over the present.

Tomography of massive stars from core collapse to supernova shock breakout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kistler, Matthew D.; Haxton, W. C.; Yüksel, Hasan

2013-01-01

Neutrinos and gravitational waves are the only direct probes of the inner dynamics of a stellar core collapse. They are also the first signals to arrive from a supernova (SN) and, if detected, establish the moment when the shock wave is formed that unbinds the stellar envelope and later initiates the optical display upon reaching the stellar surface with a burst of UV and X-ray photons, the shock breakout (SBO). We discuss how neutrino observations can be used to trigger searches to detect the elusive SBO event. Observation of the SBO would provide several important constraints on progenitor structure and the explosion, including the shock propagation time (the duration between the neutrino burst and SBO), an observable that is important in distinguishing progenitor types. Our estimates suggest that next-generation neutrino detectors could exploit the overdensity of nearby SNe to provide several such triggers per decade, more than an order-of-magnitude improvement over the present.

Comparison of Fe and Ni opacity calculations for a better understanding of pulsating stellar envelopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilles, D.; Turck-Chieze, S.; Loisel, G.; Piau, L.; Ducret, J.E.; Poirier, M.; Blenski, T.; Thais, F.; Blancard, C.; Cosse, P.; Faussurier, G.; Gilleron, F.; Pain, J.C.; Porcherot, Q.; Guzik, J.A.; Kilcrease, D.P.; Magee, N.H.; Harris, J.; Busquet, M.; Delahaye, F.; Zeippen, C.J.; Bastiani-Ceccotti, S.

2011-01-01

Opacity is an important ingredient of the evolution of stars. The calculation of opacity coefficients is complicated by the fact that the plasma contains partially ionized heavy ions that contribute to opacity dominated by H and He. Up to now, the astrophysical community has greatly benefited from the work of the contributions of Los Alamos, Livermore and the Opacity Project (OP). However unexplained differences of up to 50% in the radiative forces and Rosseland mean values for Fe have been noticed for conditions corresponding to stellar envelopes. Such uncertainty has a real impact on the understanding of pulsating stellar envelopes, on the excitation of modes, and on the identification of the mode frequencies. Temperature and density conditions equivalent to those found in stars can now be produced in laboratory experiments for various atomic species. Recently the photo-absorption spectra of nickel and iron plasmas have been measured during the LULI 2010 campaign, for temperatures between 15 and 40 eV and densities of similar to 3 mg/cm 3 . A large theoretical collaboration, the 'OPAC', has been formed to prepare these experiments. We present here the set of opacity calculations performed by eight different groups for conditions relevant to the LULI 2010 experiment and to astrophysical stellar envelope conditions. (authors)

THE FORMATION OF SECONDARY STELLAR GENERATIONS IN MASSIVE YOUNG STAR CLUSTERS FROM RAPIDLY COOLING SHOCKED STELLAR WINDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wünsch, R.; Palouš, J.; Ehlerová, S. [Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Boční II 1401, 141 31 Prague (Czech Republic); Tenorio-Tagle, G. [Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica Optica y Electrónica, AP 51, 72000 Puebla, México (Mexico)

2017-01-20

We study a model of rapidly cooling shocked stellar winds in young massive clusters and estimate the circumstances under which secondary star formation, out of the reinserted winds from a first stellar generation (1G), is possible. We have used two implementations of the model: a highly idealized, computationally inexpensive, spherically symmetric semi-analytic model, and a complex, three-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic, simulation; they are in a good mutual agreement. The results confirm our previous findings that, in a cluster with 1G mass 10{sup 7} M {sub ⊙} and half-mass–radius 2.38 pc, the shocked stellar winds become thermally unstable, collapse into dense gaseous structures that partially accumulate inside the cluster, self-shield against ionizing stellar radiation, and form the second generation (2G) of stars. We have used the semi-analytic model to explore a subset of the parameter space covering a wide range of the observationally poorly constrained parameters: the heating efficiency, η {sub he}, and the mass loading, η {sub ml}. The results show that the fraction of the 1G stellar winds accumulating inside the cluster can be larger than 50% if η {sub he} ≲ 10%, which is suggested by the observations. Furthermore, for low η {sub he}, the model provides a self-consistent mechanism predicting 2G stars forming only in the central zones of the cluster. Finally, we have calculated the accumulated warm gas emission in the H30 α recombination line, analyzed its velocity profile, and estimated its intensity for super star clusters in interacting galaxies NGC4038/9 (Antennae) showing that the warm gas should be detectable with ALMA.

Fundamental symmetries and astrophysics with radioactive beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogt, E.

1996-04-01

A major new initiative at TRIUMF pertains to the use of radioactive beams for astrophysics and for fundamental symmetry experiments. Some recent work is described in which the β-decay-followed by alpha particle emission of 16 N was used to find the resonance parameters dominating the alpha particle capture in 12 C and thus to find the astrophysical S-factor of this reaction which is of crucial importance for alpha-particle burning and the subsequent collapse of stars. In some work underway trapped neural atoms of radioactive potassium atoms will be used to study fundamental symmetries of the weak interactions. Trapping has been achieved and soon 38m K decay will be used to search for evidence of scalar interactions and 37 K decay to search for right-handed gauge-bosom interactions. Future experiments are planned to look for parity non-conservation in trapped francium atoms. This program is part of a revitalization for the TRIUMF laboratory accompanied by the construction of the radioactive beam facility (ISAC). (author)

Weak-interaction rates in stellar conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Sarriguren, Pedro

2018-05-01

Weak-interaction rates, including β-decay and electron captures, are studied in several mass regions at various densities and temperatures of astrophysical interest. In particular, we study odd-A nuclei in the pf-shell region, which are involved in presupernova formations. Weak rates are relevant to understand the late stages of the stellar evolution, as well as the nucleosynthesis of heavy nuclei. The nuclear structure involved in the weak processes is studied within a quasiparticle proton-neutron random-phase approximation with residual interactions in both particle-hole and particle-particle channels on top of a deformed Skyrme Hartree-Fock mean field with pairing correlations. First, the energy distributions of the Gamow-Teller strength are discussed and compared with the available experimental information, measured under terrestrial conditions from charge-exchange reactions. Then, the sensitivity of the weak-interaction rates to both astrophysical densities and temperatures is studied. Special attention is paid to the relative contribution to these rates of thermally populated excited states in the decaying nucleus and to the electron captures from the degenerate electron plasma.

Exploring the cosmic frontier. Astrophysical instruments for the 21st century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobanov, A.P.; Zensus, J.A.; Cesarsky, C.; Diamond, P.

2007-01-01

In the coming decades, astrophysical science will benefit enormously from the construction and operation of several major international ground- and space based facilities, such as ALMA, Herschel/Planck, and SKA in the far infrared to radio band, Extremely Large Telescopes, JWST and GAIA in the optical to near infrared regime, XEUS and Constellation-X in the X-ray, and GLAST in the Gamma-ray regime. These and other new instruments will have a major impact in a wide range of scientific topics including the cosmological epoch of reionization, galactic dynamics and nuclear activity, stellar astronomy, extra-solar planets, gamma-ray bursts, X-ray binaries, and many others. On May 18-21, 2004, the Max-Planck-Society's Harnack-Haus in Dahlem, Berlin hosted the international symposium ''Exploring the Cosmic Frontier: Astrophysical Instruments for the 21st Century''. The symposium in Berlin was dedicated to exploring the complementarity and synergies between different branches of astrophysical research, by presenting and discussing the fundamental scientific problems that will be addressed by major future astrophysical facilities in the next few decades. This book contains 70 papers from the meeting and is intended to give a lasting account of a snapshot of an evolving scientific discourse and interaction throughout our field of research. (orig.)

Research in nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lattimer, J.M.; Yahil, A.

1989-01-01

The interaction between nuclear theory and some outstanding problems in astrophysics is examined. We are actively researching both the astrophysics of gravitational collapse, neutron star birth, and the emission of neutrinos from supernovae, on the one hand, and the nuclear physics of the equation of state of hot, dense matter on the other hand. There is close coupling between nuclear theory and the supernova phenomenon; in fact, nuclear matter properties, especially at supernuclear densities, might be best delineated by astrophysical considerations. Our research has also focused on the neutrinos emitted from supernovae, since they are the only available observables of the internal supernova mechanism. The recent observations of neutrinos from SN 1987A proved to be in remarkable agreement with models we pioneered in the one and one half years prior to its explosion in February 1987. We have also developed a novel hydrodynamical code in which shocks are treated via Riemann resolution rather than with artificial viscosity. We propose to modify it to use implicit differencing and to include multi-group neutrino diffusion and General Relativity. In parallel, we are extending calculations of the birth of a neutron star to include convection and mass accretion, by incorporating a hydrodynamic envelope onto a hydrostatic core. In view of the possible recent discovery of a pulsar in SN1987A, we are including the effects of rotation. We are undertaking a detailed comparison of current equations of state, focusing on disagreements regarding the nuclear incompressibly, symmetry energy and specific heat. Especially important is the symmetry energy, which below nuclear density controls free proton fractions and weak interaction rates and above this density critically influences the neutron star maximum mass and binding energy. 60 refs

Homogeneous singularity generated by exotic matter, with applications to collapsed black holes and wormholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novikova, Elena I.; Novikov, Igor D.

2010-01-01

We analyze analytically and numerically the origin of the singularity in the course of the collapse of a wormhole with the exotic scalar field Ψ with negative energy density, and with this field Ψ together with the ordered magnetic field H. We do this under the simplifying assumptions of the spherical symmetry and that in the vicinity of the singularity the solution of the Einstein equations depends only on one coordinate (the homogeneous approximation). In the framework of these assumptions we found the principal difference between the case of the collapse of the ordinary scalar field Φ with the positive energy density together with an ordered magnetic field H and the collapse of the exotic scalar field Ψ together with the magnetic field H. The later case is important for the possible astrophysical manifestation of the wormholes.

Asymmetries in core-collapse supernovae from maps of radioactive 44Ti in Cassiopeia A

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grefenstette, B W; Harrison, F A; Boggs, S E

2014-01-01

Asymmetry is required by most numerical simulations of stellar core-collapse explosions, but the form it takes differs significantly among models. The spatial distribution of radioactive (44)Ti, synthesized in an exploding star near the boundary between material falling back onto the collapsing...... core and that ejected into the surrounding medium, directly probes the explosion asymmetries. Cassiopeia A is a young, nearby, core-collapse remnant from which (44)Ti emission has previously been detected but not imaged. Asymmetries in the explosion have been indirectly inferred from a high ratio...... and iron X-ray emission, the latter being visible only in shock-heated material. The observed spatial distribution rules out symmetric explosions even with a high level of convective mixing, as well as highly asymmetric bipolar explosions resulting from a fast-rotating progenitor. Instead...

Research in astrophysical processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ruderman, Malvin A.

1994-01-01

Work completed under this grant is summarized in the following areas:(1) radio pulsar turn on and evaporation of companions in very low mass x-ray binaries and in binary radio pulsar systems; (2) effects of magnetospheric pair production on the radiation from gamma-ray pulsars; (3) radiation transfer in the atmosphere of an illuminated companion star; (4) evaporation of millisecond pulsar companions;(5) formation of planets around pulsars; (6) gamma-ray bursts; (7) quasi-periodic oscillations in low mass x-ray binaries; (8) origin of high mass x-ray binaries, runaway OB stars, and the lower mass cutoff for core collapse supernovae; (9) dynamics of planetary atmospheres; (10) two point closure modeling of stationary, forced turbulence; (11) models for the general circulation of Saturn; and (12) compressible convection in stellar interiors.

BRAVO (Brazilian Astrophysical Virtual Observatory): data mining development

Science.gov (United States)

De Carvalho, R. R.; Capelato, H. V.; Velho, H. C.

2007-08-01

The primary goal of the BRAVO project is to generate investment in information technology, with particular emphasis on datamining and statistical analysis. From a scientific standpoint, the participants assembled to date are engaged in several scientific projects in various fields of cosmology, astrophysics, and data analysis, with significant contributions from international partners. These scientists conduct research on clusters of galaxies, small groups of galaxies, elliptical galaxies, population synthesis, N-body simulations, and a variety of studies in stellar astrophysics. One of the main aspects of this project is the incorporation of these disparate areas of astrophysical research within the context of the coherent development of database technology.Observational cosmology is one of the branches of science experiencing the largest growth in the past few decades. large photometric and spectroscopic surveys have been carried out in both hemispheres. As a result, an extraordinary amount of data in all portions of the electromagnetic spectrum exists, but without standard techniques for storage and distribution. This project will utilize several specific astronomical databases, created to store data generated by several instruments (including SOAR, Gemini, BDA, etc), uniting them within a common framework and with standard interfaces. We are inviting members of the entire Brazilian astronomical community to partake in this effort. This will certainly impact both education and outreach efforts, as well as the future development of astrophysical research. Finally, this project will provide a constant investment in human resources. First, it will do so by stimulating ongoing short technical visits to Johns Hopkins University and Caltech. These will allow us to bring software technology and expertise in datamining back to Brazil. Second, we will organize the Summer School on Software Technology in Astrophysics, which will be designed to ensure that the Brazilian

Constructing and Monitoring the Infrared SED of the First Known Recent Stellar Merger

Science.gov (United States)

McCollum, Bruce; Laine, Seppo; Bruhweiler, Frederick; Rottler, Lee

2012-12-01

Stellar mergers have long been thought to be astrophysically important to the evolution and global properties of dense stellar aggregates and even open clusters. However, the study of this phenomenon has until now been severely impeded by the lack of any definite, recent merger with which to compare models. It was recently realized that a 2008 nova was in fact a contact binary which erupted when the two stars finally merged. We have obtained post-merger infrared observations which show a large IR excess and a nonstellar SED which have changed subsantially over time, and near-IR emission lines from shocked material. This object is an important opportunity to learn about the nature and time evolution of recent merger products, and to assemble a unique data set which will be used for many years as a basis for modeling stellar mergers.

An Era of Precision Astrophysics for Exoplanets, Stars, and the Milky Way

Science.gov (United States)

Stassun, Keivan G.; Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT); Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS); Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)

2018-06-01

While observing stars teaches us about the physical properties of the stars themselves, that knowledge also is the key to measuring the properties of nearly all exoplanets, and also the history of the Galaxy. Combining data from current and upcoming all-sky surveys, including Gaia, TESS, and the fifth Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-V), will enable accurate, empirical measurements of fundamental properties for millions of stars throughout the Milky Way—including an increase by four orders of magnitude in the number of stars with reliable parallaxes, two orders of magnitude in the number with ultraprecise light curves, and two orders of magnitude in the number with detailed chemical abundances. We demonstrate that stellar masses, radii, temperatures, distances, space motions, and detailed chemical abundances can now be measured with precisions of order 1%, and with systematics better than ∼5% in most cases. We discuss the transformational advances that such precise stellar measurements promise for exoplanet science, including studies of planetary system architectures, forensic analyses of planet evolution pathways, testing planet formation theories, and even efforts to infer the mineralogy of planets. We also discuss the similarly transformational advances at hand for Galactic archaeology, including studies of stellar micro-populations, testing theories of star formation and of galaxy assembly, and even efforts to trace the chemical "family tree" of the Galaxy through stellar phylogenics. Finally, we discuss the revolution in stellar astrophysics represented by ultraprecise light curves of stars, specifically as probes of stellar interiors and therefore as stress-tests of stellar theory across the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.

Compact Starburst Galaxies with Fast Outflows: Spatially Resolved Stellar Mass Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Gottlieb, Sophia; Diamond-Stanic, Aleksandar; Lipscomb, Charles; Ohene, Senyo; Rines, Josh; Moustakas, John; Sell, Paul; Tremonti, Christy; Coil, Alison; Rudnick, Gregory; Hickox, Ryan C.; Geach, James; Kepley, Amanda

2018-01-01

Powerful galactic winds driven by stellar feedback and black hole accretion are thought to play an important role in regulating star formation in galaxies. In particular, strong stellar feedback from supernovae, stellar winds, radiation pressure, and cosmic rays is required by simulations of star-forming galaxies to prevent the vast majority of baryons from cooling and collapsing to form stars. However, it remains unclear whether these stellar processes play a significant role in expelling gas and shutting down star formation in massive progenitors of quiescent galaxies. What are the limits of stellar feedback? We present multi-band photometry with HST/WFC3 (F475W, F814W, F160W) for a dozen compact starburst galaxies at z~0.6 with half-light radii that suggest incredibly large central escape velocities. These massive galaxies are driving fast (>1000 km/s) outflows that have been previously attributed to stellar feedback associated with the compact (r~100 pc) starburst. But how compact is the stellar mass? In the context of the stellar feedback hypothesis, it is unclear whether these fast outflows are being driven at velocities comparable to the escape velocity of an incredibly dense stellar system (as predicted by some models of radiation-pressure winds) or at velocities that exceed the central escape velocity by large factor. Our spatially resolved measurements with HST show that the stellar mass is more extended than the light, and this requires that the physical mechanism responsible for driving the winds must be able to launch gas at velocities that are factors of 5-10 beyond the central escape velocity.

Do we really know Mup (i.e. the transition mass between Type Ia and core-collapse supernova progenitors)?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straniero, O; Piersanti, L; Cristallo, S

2016-01-01

M up is the minimum stellar mass that, after the core-helium burning, develops temperature and density conditions for the occurrence of a hydrostatic carbon burning. Stars whose mass is lower than this limit are the progenitors of C-O white dwarfs and, when belong to a close binary system, may give rise to explosive phenomena, such as novae or type Ia supernovae. Stars whose mass is only slightly larger than M up ignite C in a degenerate core and, in turn, experience a thermonuclear runaway. Their final fate may be a massive O-Ne WDs or, if the core mass approaches the Chandrasekhar limit, an e-capture SNe. More massive objects ignite C in non-degenerate conditions. These “massive “ stars are the progenitors of various kind of core-collapse supernovae (type IIp. IIL, IIN, Ib, Ic). It goes without saying that M up is a fundamental astrophysical parameter. From its knowledge depends our understanding of the SNe progenitors, of their rates, of the chemical evolution, of the WD luminosity functions and much more. A precise evaluation of M up relies on our knowledge of various input physics used in stellar modeling, such as the plasma neutrino rate, responsible of the cooling of the core, the equation of state of high density plasma, which affects the heating of the contracting core and its compressibility, and some key nuclear reaction rates, such as, in particular, the 12 C+ 12 C and the 12 C+α. In this paper we review the efforts made to determine this important parameter and we provide an up-to-date evaluation of the uncertainties due to the relevant nuclear physics inputs. (paper)

Towards asteroseismology of core-collapse supernovae with gravitational-wave observations - I. Cowling approximation

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Forné, Alejandro; Cerdá-Durán, Pablo; Passamonti, Andrea; Font, José A.

2018-03-01

Gravitational waves from core-collapse supernovae are produced by the excitation of different oscillation modes in the protoneutron star (PNS) and its surroundings, including the shock. In this work we study the relationship between the post-bounce oscillation spectrum of the PNS-shock system and the characteristic frequencies observed in gravitational-wave signals from core-collapse simulations. This is a fundamental first step in order to develop a procedure to infer astrophysical parameters of the PNS formed in core-collapse supernovae. Our method combines information from the oscillation spectrum of the PNS, obtained through linear perturbation analysis in general relativity of a background physical system, with information from the gravitational-wave spectrum of the corresponding non-linear, core-collapse simulation. Using results from the simulation of the collapse of a 35 M⊙ pre-supernova progenitor we show that both types of spectra are indeed related and we are able to identify the modes of oscillation of the PNS, namely g-modes, p-modes, hybrid modes, and standing accretion shock instability (SASI) modes, obtaining a remarkably close correspondence with the time-frequency distribution of the gravitational-wave modes. The analysis presented in this paper provides a proof of concept that asteroseismology is indeed possible in the core-collapse scenario, and it may serve as a basis for future work on PNS parameter inference based on gravitational-wave observations.

Stellar mass spectrum within massive collapsing clumps. I. Influence of the initial conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yueh-Ning; Hennebelle, Patrick

2018-04-01

Context. Stars constitute the building blocks of our Universe, and their formation is an astrophysical problem of great importance. Aim. We aim to understand the fragmentation of massive molecular star-forming clumps and the effect of initial conditions, namely the density and the level of turbulence, on the resulting distribution of stars. For this purpose, we conduct numerical experiments in which we systematically vary the initial density over four orders of magnitude and the turbulent velocity over a factor ten. In a companion paper, we investigate the dependence of this distribution on the gas thermodynamics. Methods: We performed a series of hydrodynamical numerical simulations using adaptive mesh refinement, with special attention to numerical convergence. We also adapted an existing analytical model to the case of collapsing clouds by employing a density probability distribution function (PDF) ∝ρ-1.5 instead of a lognormal distribution. Results: Simulations and analytical model both show two support regimes, a thermally dominated regime and a turbulence-dominated regime. For the first regime, we infer that dN/d logM ∝ M0, while for the second regime, we obtain dN/d logM ∝ M-3/4. This is valid up to about ten times the mass of the first Larson core, as explained in the companion paper, leading to a peak of the mass spectrum at 0.2 M⊙. From this point, the mass spectrum decreases with decreasing mass except for the most diffuse clouds, where disk fragmentation leads to the formation of objects down to the mass of the first Larson core, that is, to a few 10-2 M⊙. Conclusions: Although the mass spectra we obtain for the most compact clouds qualitatively resemble the observed initial mass function, the distribution exponent is shallower than the expected Salpeter exponent of - 1.35. Nonetheless, we observe a possible transition toward a slightly steeper value that is broadly compatible with the Salpeter exponent for masses above a few solar masses

Heavy ion irradiation of astrophysical ice analogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duarte, Eduardo Seperuelo; Domaracka, Alicja; Boduch, Philippe; Rothard, Hermann; Balanzat, Emmanuel; Dartois, Emmanuel; Pilling, Sergio; Farenzena, Lucio; Frota da Silveira, Enio

2009-01-01

Icy grain mantles consist of small molecules containing hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen atoms (e.g. H 2 O, GO, CO 2 , NH 3 ). Such ices, present in different astrophysical environments (giant planets satellites, comets, dense clouds, and protoplanetary disks), are subjected to irradiation of different energetic particles: UV radiation, ion bombardment (solar and stellar wind as well as galactic cosmic rays), and secondary electrons due to cosmic ray ionization of H 2 . The interaction of these particles with astrophysical ice analogs has been the object of research over the last decades. However, there is a lack of information on the effects induced by the heavy ion component of cosmic rays in the electronic energy loss regime. The aim of the present work is to simulate of the astrophysical environment where ice mantles are exposed to the heavy ion cosmic ray irradiation. Sample ice films at 13 K were irradiated by nickel ions with energies in the 1-10 MeV/u range and analyzed by means of FTIR spectrometry. Nickel ions were used because their energy deposition is similar to that deposited by iron ions, which are particularly abundant cosmic rays amongst the heaviest ones. In this work the effects caused by nickel ions on condensed gases are studied (destruction and production of molecules as well as associated cross sections, sputtering yields) and compared with respective values for light ions and UV photons. (authors)

The sun as a star: Solar phenomena and stellar applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noyes, R.W.

1981-01-01

Our Sun is a run-of-the-mill star, having no obvious extremes of stellar properties. For this reason it is perhaps more, rather than less, interesting as an astrophysical object, for its sameness to other stars suggests that in studying the Sun, we are studying at close hand common, rather than unusual stellar phenomena. Conversely, comparative study of the Sun and other solar-type stars is an invaluable tool for solar physics, for two reasons: First, it allows us to explore how solar properties and phenomena depend on parameters we cannot vary on the Sun - most fundamentally, rotation rate and mass. Second, study of solar-like stars of different ages allows us to see how stellar and solar phenomena depend on age; study of other stars may be one of the best ways to infer the earlier history of the Sun, as well as its future history. In this review we shall concentrate on phenomena common to the Sun and solar-type (main sequence) stars with different fundamental properties such as mass, age, and rotation. (orig.)

THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL EVOLUTION TO CORE COLLAPSE OF A MASSIVE STAR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Couch, Sean M. [TAPIR, Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Chatzopoulos, Emmanouil [Flash Center for Computational Science, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Arnett, W. David [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Timmes, F. X., E-mail: smc@tapir.caltech.edu [Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States)

2015-07-20

We present the first three-dimensional (3D) simulation of the final minutes of iron core growth in a massive star, up to and including the point of core gravitational instability and collapse. We capture the development of strong convection driven by violent Si burning in the shell surrounding the iron core. This convective burning builds the iron core to its critical mass and collapse ensues, driven by electron capture and photodisintegration. The non-spherical structure and motion generated by 3D convection is substantial at the point of collapse, with convective speeds of several hundreds of km s{sup −1}. We examine the impact of such physically realistic 3D initial conditions on the core-collapse supernova mechanism using 3D simulations including multispecies neutrino leakage and find that the enhanced post-shock turbulence resulting from 3D progenitor structure aids successful explosions. We conclude that non-spherical progenitor structure should not be ignored, and should have a significant and favorable impact on the likelihood for neutrino-driven explosions. In order to make simulating the 3D collapse of an iron core feasible, we were forced to make approximations to the nuclear network making this effort only a first step toward accurate, self-consistent 3D stellar evolution models of the end states of massive stars.

THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL EVOLUTION TO CORE COLLAPSE OF A MASSIVE STAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couch, Sean M.; Chatzopoulos, Emmanouil; Arnett, W. David; Timmes, F. X.

2015-01-01

We present the first three-dimensional (3D) simulation of the final minutes of iron core growth in a massive star, up to and including the point of core gravitational instability and collapse. We capture the development of strong convection driven by violent Si burning in the shell surrounding the iron core. This convective burning builds the iron core to its critical mass and collapse ensues, driven by electron capture and photodisintegration. The non-spherical structure and motion generated by 3D convection is substantial at the point of collapse, with convective speeds of several hundreds of km s −1 . We examine the impact of such physically realistic 3D initial conditions on the core-collapse supernova mechanism using 3D simulations including multispecies neutrino leakage and find that the enhanced post-shock turbulence resulting from 3D progenitor structure aids successful explosions. We conclude that non-spherical progenitor structure should not be ignored, and should have a significant and favorable impact on the likelihood for neutrino-driven explosions. In order to make simulating the 3D collapse of an iron core feasible, we were forced to make approximations to the nuclear network making this effort only a first step toward accurate, self-consistent 3D stellar evolution models of the end states of massive stars

Mesa Isochrones and Stellar Tracks (MIST). I. Solar-scaled Models

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jieun; Dotter, Aaron; Conroy, Charlie; Cantiello, Matteo; Paxton, Bill; Johnson, Benjamin D.

2016-06-01

This is the first of a series of papers presenting the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) Isochrones and Stellar Tracks (MIST) project, a new comprehensive set of stellar evolutionary tracks and isochrones computed using MESA, a state-of-the-art open-source 1D stellar evolution package. In this work, we present models with solar-scaled abundance ratios covering a wide range of ages (5≤slant {log}({Age}) [{year}]≤slant 10.3), masses (0.1≤slant M/{M}⊙ ≤slant 300), and metallicities (-2.0≤slant [{{Z}}/{{H}}]≤slant 0.5). The models are self-consistently and continuously evolved from the pre-main sequence (PMS) to the end of hydrogen burning, the white dwarf cooling sequence, or the end of carbon burning, depending on the initial mass. We also provide a grid of models evolved from the PMS to the end of core helium burning for -4.0≤slant [{{Z}}/{{H}}]\\lt -2.0. We showcase extensive comparisons with observational constraints as well as with some of the most widely used existing models in the literature. The evolutionary tracks and isochrones can be downloaded from the project website at http://waps.cfa.harvard.edu/MIST/.

Explosive X-point collapse in relativistic magnetically dominated plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Lyutikov, Maxim; Sironi, Lorenzo; Komissarov, Serguei S.; Porth, Oliver

2017-12-01

The extreme properties of the gamma-ray flares in the Crab nebula present a clear challenge to our ideas on the nature of particle acceleration in relativistic astrophysical plasma. It seems highly unlikely that standard mechanisms of stochastic type are at work here and hence the attention of theorists has switched to linear acceleration in magnetic reconnection events. In this series of papers, we attempt to develop a theory of explosive magnetic reconnection in highly magnetized relativistic plasma which can explain the extreme parameters of the Crab flares. In the first paper, we focus on the properties of the X-point collapse. Using analytical and numerical methods (fluid and particle-in-cell simulations) we extend Syrovatsky's classical model of such collapse to the relativistic regime. We find that the collapse can lead to the reconnection rate approaching the speed of light on macroscopic scales. During the collapse, the plasma particles are accelerated by charge-starved electric fields, which can reach (and even exceed) values of the local magnetic field. The explosive stage of reconnection produces non-thermal power-law tails with slopes that depend on the average magnetization . For sufficiently high magnetizations and vanishing guide field, the non-thermal particle spectrum consists of two components: a low-energy population with soft spectrum that dominates the number census; and a high-energy population with hard spectrum that possesses all the properties needed to explain the Crab flares.

Weak interactions in astrophysics and cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, R.J.

1977-01-01

There ar many problems in astrophysics and cosmology in which the form of the weak interactions, their strength or the number of weakly interacting particles, is very important. It is possible that astronomical observations may give some information about the weak interactions. In the conventional hot big bang cosmological theory the number of leptons with associated neutrinos influences the speed of expansion of the Universe and the chemical composition of pre-galactic matter. The strength of the weak interaction, as exemplified by the half-life of the neutron, has a similar effect. In addition, the form of the weak interactions will determine how effectively neutrino viscosity can smooth out irregularities in the early Universe. Because neutrinos have a very long mean free path, they can escape from the central region of stars whereas photons can only escape from the surface. In late stages of stellar evolution, neutrino luminosity is often believed to be much greater than photon luminosity. This can both accelerate the cooling of dying stars and influence the stages of stellar evolution leading to the onset of supernova explosions. In pre-super-novae it is even possible that very dense stellar cores can be opaque to neutrinos and that the absorption or scattering of neutrinos can cause the explosion. These results depend crucially on the form of the weak interactions, with the discovery of neutral currents being very important. Until the solar neutrino experiment has been reconciled with theory, the possible role of uncertainties in the weak interactions cannot be ignored. (author)

Implication on the core collapse supernova rate from 21 years of data of the Large Volume Detector

CERN Document Server

Agafonova, N Y; Antonioli, P; Ashikhmin, V V; Badino, G.; Bari, G; Bertoni, R; Bressan, E; Bruno, G; Dadykin, V L; Dobrynina, E A; Enikeev, R I; Fulgione, W; Galeotti, P; Garbini, M; Ghia, P L; Giusti, P; Gomez, F; Kemp, E; Malgin, A S; Molinario, A; Persiani, R; Pless, I A; Porta, A; Ryasny, V G; Ryazhskaya, O G; Saavedra, O; Sartorelli, G; Shakiryanova, I R; Selvi, M; Trinchero, G C; Vigorito, C; Yakushev, V F; Zichichi, A

2015-01-01

The Large Volume Detector (LVD) has been continuously taking data since 1992 at the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory. LVD is sensitive to neutrino bursts from gravitational stellar collapses with full detection probability over the Galaxy. We have searched for neutrino bursts in LVD data taken in 7335 days of operation. No evidence of neutrino signals has been found between June 1992 and December 2013. The 90% C.L. upper limit on the rate of core-collapse and failed supernova explosions out to distances of 25 kpc is found to be 0.114/y.

Tensors, relativity, and cosmology

CERN Document Server

Dalarsson, Mirjana

2015-01-01

Tensors, Relativity, and Cosmology, Second Edition, combines relativity, astrophysics, and cosmology in a single volume, providing a simplified introduction to each subject that is followed by detailed mathematical derivations. The book includes a section on general relativity that gives the case for a curved space-time, presents the mathematical background (tensor calculus, Riemannian geometry), discusses the Einstein equation and its solutions (including black holes and Penrose processes), and considers the energy-momentum tensor for various solutions. In addition, a section on relativistic astrophysics discusses stellar contraction and collapse, neutron stars and their equations of state, black holes, and accretion onto collapsed objects, with a final section on cosmology discussing cosmological models, observational tests, and scenarios for the early universe. This fully revised and updated second edition includes new material on relativistic effects, such as the behavior of clocks and measuring rods in m...

ZAPP: The Z Astrophysical Plasma Properties collaboration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rochau, G. A.; Bailey, J. E.; Falcon, R. E.; Loisel, G. P.; Nagayama, T.; Mancini, R. C.; Hall, I.; Winget, D. E.; Montgomery, M. H.; Liedahl, D. A.

2014-01-01

The Z Facility at Sandia National Laboratories [Matzen et al., Phys. Plasmas 12, 055503 (2005)] provides MJ-class x-ray sources that can emit powers >0.3 PW. This capability enables benchmark experiments of fundamental material properties in radiation-heated matter at conditions previously unattainable in the laboratory. Experiments on Z can produce uniform, long-lived, and large plasmas with volumes up to 20 cc, temperatures from 1–200 eV, and electron densities from 10 17–23  cc −1 . These unique characteristics and the ability to radiatively heat multiple experiments in a single shot have led to a new effort called the Z Astrophysical Plasma Properties (ZAPP) collaboration. The focus of the ZAPP collaboration is to reproduce the radiation and material characteristics of astrophysical plasmas as closely as possible in the laboratory and use detailed spectral measurements to strengthen models for atoms in plasmas. Specific issues under investigation include the LTE opacity of iron at stellar-interior conditions, photoionization around active galactic nuclei, the efficiency of resonant Auger destruction in black-hole accretion disks, and H-Balmer line shapes in white dwarf photospheres

REVIVAL OF THE STALLED CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVA SHOCK TRIGGERED BY PRECOLLAPSE ASPHERICITY IN THE PROGENITOR STAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couch, Sean M.; Ott, Christian D.

2013-01-01

Multi-dimensional simulations of advanced nuclear burning stages of massive stars suggest that the Si/O layers of presupernova stars harbor large deviations from the spherical symmetry typically assumed for presupernova stellar structure. We carry out three-dimensional core-collapse supernova simulations with and without aspherical velocity perturbations to assess their potential impact on the supernova hydrodynamics in the stalled-shock phase. Our results show that realistic perturbations can qualitatively alter the postbounce evolution, triggering an explosion in a model that fails to explode without them. This finding underlines the need for a multi-dimensional treatment of the presupernova stage of stellar evolution

REVIVAL OF THE STALLED CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVA SHOCK TRIGGERED BY PRECOLLAPSE ASPHERICITY IN THE PROGENITOR STAR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Couch, Sean M. [Flash Center for Computational Science, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Ott, Christian D., E-mail: smc@flash.uchichago.edu, E-mail: cott@tapir.caltech.edu [TAPIR, Mailcode 350-17, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2013-11-20

Multi-dimensional simulations of advanced nuclear burning stages of massive stars suggest that the Si/O layers of presupernova stars harbor large deviations from the spherical symmetry typically assumed for presupernova stellar structure. We carry out three-dimensional core-collapse supernova simulations with and without aspherical velocity perturbations to assess their potential impact on the supernova hydrodynamics in the stalled-shock phase. Our results show that realistic perturbations can qualitatively alter the postbounce evolution, triggering an explosion in a model that fails to explode without them. This finding underlines the need for a multi-dimensional treatment of the presupernova stage of stellar evolution.

Heaviest Stellar Black Hole Discovered in Nearby Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

2007-10-01

Astronomers have located an exceptionally massive black hole in orbit around a huge companion star. This result has intriguing implications for the evolution and ultimate fate of massive stars. The black hole is part of a binary system in M33, a nearby galaxy about 3 million light years from Earth. By combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Gemini telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, the mass of the black hole, known as M33 X-7, was determined to be 15.7 times that of the Sun. This makes M33 X-7 the most massive stellar black hole known. A stellar black hole is formed from the collapse of the core of a massive star at the end of its life. Chandra X-ray Image of M33 X-7 Chandra X-ray Image of M33 X-7 "This discovery raises all sorts of questions about how such a big black hole could have been formed," said Jerome Orosz of San Diego State University, lead author of the paper appearing in the October 18th issue of the journal Nature. M33 X-7 orbits a companion star that eclipses the black hole every three and a half days. The companion star also has an unusually large mass, 70 times that of the Sun. This makes it the most massive companion star in a binary system containing a black hole. Hubble Optical Image of M33 X-7 Hubble Optical Image of M33 X-7 "This is a huge star that is partnered with a huge black hole," said coauthor Jeffrey McClintock of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. "Eventually, the companion will also go supernova and then we'll have a pair of black holes." The properties of the M33 X-7 binary system - a massive black hole in a close orbit around a massive companion star - are difficult to explain using conventional models for the evolution of massive stars. The parent star for the black hole must have had a mass greater than the existing companion in order to have formed a black hole before the companion star. Gemini Optical Image of M33 X-7 Gemini Optical Image of M33 X-7 Such a massive star would

Machine Learning Techniques for Stellar Light Curve Classification

Science.gov (United States)

Hinners, Trisha A.; Tat, Kevin; Thorp, Rachel

2018-07-01

We apply machine learning techniques in an attempt to predict and classify stellar properties from noisy and sparse time-series data. We preprocessed over 94 GB of Kepler light curves from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) to classify according to 10 distinct physical properties using both representation learning and feature engineering approaches. Studies using machine learning in the field have been primarily done on simulated data, making our study one of the first to use real light-curve data for machine learning approaches. We tuned our data using previous work with simulated data as a template and achieved mixed results between the two approaches. Representation learning using a long short-term memory recurrent neural network produced no successful predictions, but our work with feature engineering was successful for both classification and regression. In particular, we were able to achieve values for stellar density, stellar radius, and effective temperature with low error (∼2%–4%) and good accuracy (∼75%) for classifying the number of transits for a given star. The results show promise for improvement for both approaches upon using larger data sets with a larger minority class. This work has the potential to provide a foundation for future tools and techniques to aid in the analysis of astrophysical data.

Nuclear astrophysics. Irfu - IN2P3 prospective of 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assie, M.; Hammache, F.; Khan, E.; Margueron, J.; Sereville, N. de; Bastin, B.; Oliveira Santos, F. de; Ploszajczak, M.; Sorlin, O.; Bernard, D.; Chieze, J.-P.; Decourchelle, A.; Ducret, J. E.; Foglizzo, T.; Gilles, D.; Schanne, S.; Turck-Chieze, S.; Coc, A.; Duprat, J.; Kiener, J.; Lefebvre-Schuhl, A.; Tatischeff, V.; Courtin, S.; Dufour, M.; Haas, F.; Gulminelli, F.; Gunsing, F.; Obertelli, A.; Maurin, D.; Renaud, M.; Smirnova, N.

2011-01-01

This document proposes a rather detailed overview of the different research works performed by nuclear astrophysicists belonging to the Irfu and to the IN2P3. It also presents the main results and envisaged researches. These issues are herein presented by distinguishing four main themes. The first one concerns the main issues of the field: cosmology and nuclear physics, hydrostatic nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution, explosive nucleosynthesis (supernovae, novae, X-bursts), neutron stars and protostars, galactic cosmic radiation and nuclear astrophysics, formation of the Solar System. The second theme concerns means of observation: astro-seismology, X astronomy, nuclear gamma astronomy, meteorites and micro-meteorites. The third theme concerns measurements in laboratory: steady beam accelerators, radioactive beam accelerators, neutron beams, production of radioactive targets, power lasers, isotopic analysis of extraterrestrial matter. The fourth theme concerns nuclear theories for astrophysics. Appendices propose summaries of objectives of current projects, and tables indicating involved staff and budgets

Colloquium: Perspectives on core-collapse supernova theory

Science.gov (United States)

Burrows, Adam

2013-01-01

Core-collapse theory brings together many facets of high-energy and nuclear astrophysics and the numerical arts to present theorists with one of the most important, yet frustrating, astronomical questions: “What is the mechanism of core-collapse supernova explosions?” A review of all the physics and the 50-year history involved would soon bury the reader in minutiae that could easily obscure the essential elements of the phenomenon, as we understand it today. Moreover, much remains to be discovered and explained, and a complicated review of an unresolved subject in flux could grow stale fast. Therefore, this paper describes various important facts and perspectives that may have escaped the attention of those interested in this puzzle. Furthermore, an attempt to describe the modern theory’s physical underpinnings and a brief summary of the current state of play are given. In the process, a few myths that have crept into modern discourse are identified. However, there is much more to do and humility in the face of this age-old challenge is clearly the most prudent stance as its eventual resolution is sought.

Multicore and Accelerator Development for a Leadership-Class Stellar Astrophysics Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Messer, Bronson [ORNL; Harris, James A [ORNL; Parete-Koon, Suzanne T [ORNL; Chertkow, Merek A [ORNL

2013-01-01

We describe recent development work on the core-collapse supernova code CHIMERA. CHIMERA has consumed more than 100 million cpu-hours on Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) platforms in the past 3 years, ranking it among the most important applications at the OLCF. Most of the work described has been focused on exploiting the multicore nature of the current platform (Jaguar) via, e.g., multithreading using OpenMP. In addition, we have begun a major effort to marshal the computational power of GPUs with CHIMERA. The impending upgrade of Jaguar to Titan a 20+ PF machine with an NVIDIA GPU on many nodes makes this work essential.

THE BLUE STRAGGLER STAR POPULATION IN NGC 1261: EVIDENCE FOR A POST-CORE-COLLAPSE BOUNCE STATE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simunovic, Mirko; Puzia, Thomas H.; Sills, Alison

2014-01-01

We present a multi-passband photometric study of the Blue Straggler Star (BSS) population in the Galactic globular cluster (GC) NGC 1261, using available space- and ground-based survey data. The inner BSS population is found to have two distinct sequences in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD), similar to double BSS sequences detected in other GCs. These well defined sequences are presumably linked to single short-lived events such as core collapse, which are expected to boost the formation of BSSs. In agreement with this, we find a BSS sequence in NGC 1261 which can be well reproduced individually by a theoretical model prediction of a 2 Gyr old population of stellar collision products, which are expected to form in the denser inner regions during short-lived core contraction phases. Additionally, we report the occurrence of a group of BSSs with unusually blue colors in the CMD, which are consistent with a corresponding model of a 200 Myr old population of stellar collision products. The properties of the NGC 1261 BSS populations, including their spatial distributions, suggest an advanced dynamical evolutionary state of the cluster, but the core of this GC does not show the classical signatures of core collapse. We argue that these apparent contradictions provide evidence for a post-core-collapse bounce state seen in dynamical simulations of old GCs

The Blue Straggler Star Population in NGC 1261: Evidence for a Post-core-collapse Bounce State

Science.gov (United States)

Simunovic, Mirko; Puzia, Thomas H.; Sills, Alison

2014-11-01

We present a multi-passband photometric study of the Blue Straggler Star (BSS) population in the Galactic globular cluster (GC) NGC 1261, using available space- and ground-based survey data. The inner BSS population is found to have two distinct sequences in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD), similar to double BSS sequences detected in other GCs. These well defined sequences are presumably linked to single short-lived events such as core collapse, which are expected to boost the formation of BSSs. In agreement with this, we find a BSS sequence in NGC 1261 which can be well reproduced individually by a theoretical model prediction of a 2 Gyr old population of stellar collision products, which are expected to form in the denser inner regions during short-lived core contraction phases. Additionally, we report the occurrence of a group of BSSs with unusually blue colors in the CMD, which are consistent with a corresponding model of a 200 Myr old population of stellar collision products. The properties of the NGC 1261 BSS populations, including their spatial distributions, suggest an advanced dynamical evolutionary state of the cluster, but the core of this GC does not show the classical signatures of core collapse. We argue that these apparent contradictions provide evidence for a post-core-collapse bounce state seen in dynamical simulations of old GCs.

THE BLUE STRAGGLER STAR POPULATION IN NGC 1261: EVIDENCE FOR A POST-CORE-COLLAPSE BOUNCE STATE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simunovic, Mirko; Puzia, Thomas H. [Institute of Astrophysics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 7820436 Macul, Santiago (Chile); Sills, Alison, E-mail: msimunov@astro.puc.cl, E-mail: tpuzia@astro.puc.cl, E-mail: asills@mcmaster.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1 (Canada)

2014-11-01

We present a multi-passband photometric study of the Blue Straggler Star (BSS) population in the Galactic globular cluster (GC) NGC 1261, using available space- and ground-based survey data. The inner BSS population is found to have two distinct sequences in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD), similar to double BSS sequences detected in other GCs. These well defined sequences are presumably linked to single short-lived events such as core collapse, which are expected to boost the formation of BSSs. In agreement with this, we find a BSS sequence in NGC 1261 which can be well reproduced individually by a theoretical model prediction of a 2 Gyr old population of stellar collision products, which are expected to form in the denser inner regions during short-lived core contraction phases. Additionally, we report the occurrence of a group of BSSs with unusually blue colors in the CMD, which are consistent with a corresponding model of a 200 Myr old population of stellar collision products. The properties of the NGC 1261 BSS populations, including their spatial distributions, suggest an advanced dynamical evolutionary state of the cluster, but the core of this GC does not show the classical signatures of core collapse. We argue that these apparent contradictions provide evidence for a post-core-collapse bounce state seen in dynamical simulations of old GCs.

Charged-particle induced thermonuclear reaction rates: a compilation for astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grama, Cornelia; Angulo, C.; Arnould, M.

2000-01-01

The rapidly growing wealth of nuclear data becomes less and less easily accessible to the astrophysics community. Mastering this volume of information and making it available in an accurate and usable form for incorporation into stellar evolution or nucleosynthesis models become urgent goals of prime necessity. we report on the results of the European network NACRE (Nuclear Astrophysics Compilation of REaction rates). The principal motivation for the setting-up of the NACRE network has been the necessity of building up a well-documented and detailed compilation of rates for charged-particle induced reactions on stable targets up to Si and on unstable nuclei of special significance in astrophysics. This work is meant to supersede the only existing compilation of reaction rates issued by Fowler and collaborators. The cross section data and/or resonance parameters for a total of 86 charged-particle induced reactions are given and the corresponding reaction rates are calculated and given in tabular form. When cross section data are not available in the whole needed range of energies, the theoretical predictions obtained in the framework of the Hauser-Feshbach model is used. Uncertainties are analyzed and realistic upper and lower bounds of the rates are determined. Reverse reaction rates and analytical approximations of the adopted rates are also provided. (authors)

Charged-particle induced thermonuclear reaction rates: a compilation for astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grama, Cornelia

1999-01-01

The rapidly growing wealth of nuclear data becomes less and less easily accessible to the astrophysics community. Mastering this volume of information and making it available in an accurate and usable form for incorporation into stellar evolution or nucleosynthesis models become urgent goals of prime necessity. We report on the results of the European network NACRE (Nuclear Astrophysics Compilation of REaction rates). The principal motivation for the setting-up of the NACRE network has been the necessity of building up a well-documented and detailed compilation of rates for charged -particle induced reactions on stable targets up to Si and on unstable nuclei of special significance in astrophysics. This work is meant to supersede the only existing compilation of reaction rates issued by Fowler and collaborators. The cross section data and/or resonance parameters for a total of 86 charged-particle induced reactions are given and the corresponding reaction rates are calculated and given in tabular form. When cross section data are not available in the whole needed range of energies the theoretical predictions obtained in the framework of the Hauser-Feshbach model are used. Uncertainties are analyzed and realistic upper and lower bounds of the rates are determined. Reverse reaction rates and analytical approximations of the adopted rates are also provided. (author)

Laboratory Plasma Source as an MHD Model for Astrophysical Jets

Science.gov (United States)

Mayo, Robert M.

1997-01-01

The significance of the work described herein lies in the demonstration of Magnetized Coaxial Plasma Gun (MCG) devices like CPS-1 to produce energetic laboratory magneto-flows with embedded magnetic fields that can be used as a simulation tool to study flow interaction dynamic of jet flows, to demonstrate the magnetic acceleration and collimation of flows with primarily toroidal fields, and study cross field transport in turbulent accreting flows. Since plasma produced in MCG devices have magnetic topology and MHD flow regime similarity to stellar and extragalactic jets, we expect that careful investigation of these flows in the laboratory will reveal fundamental physical mechanisms influencing astrophysical flows. Discussion in the next section (sec.2) focuses on recent results describing collimation, leading flow surface interaction layers, and turbulent accretion. The primary objectives for a new three year effort would involve the development and deployment of novel electrostatic, magnetic, and visible plasma diagnostic techniques to measure plasma and flow parameters of the CPS-1 device in the flow chamber downstream of the plasma source to study, (1) mass ejection, morphology, and collimation and stability of energetic outflows, (2) the effects of external magnetization on collimation and stability, (3) the interaction of such flows with background neutral gas, the generation of visible emission in such interaction, and effect of neutral clouds on jet flow dynamics, and (4) the cross magnetic field transport of turbulent accreting flows. The applicability of existing laboratory plasma facilities to the study of stellar and extragalactic plasma should be exploited to elucidate underlying physical mechanisms that cannot be ascertained though astrophysical observation, and provide baseline to a wide variety of proposed models, MHD and otherwise. The work proposed herin represents a continued effort on a novel approach in relating laboratory experiments to

Nuclear astrophysics: a new era

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiescher, Michael; Aprahamian, Ani [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame (United States); Regan, Paddy [Department of Physics, University of Surrey (United Kingdom)

2002-02-01

The latest generation of radioactive-ion-beam facilities promises to shed light on the complex nuclear processes that control the evolution of stars and stellar explosions. The most fundamental question in nature is where do we come from, or, put another way, what are we made of? The late Carl Sagan poetically said that we are all made of stardust, but the origin of the elements has fascinated scientists for thousands of years. Many of the greatest medieval and renaissance scientists dabbled in alchemy, trying to create the elements that make up the cosmos, but we had to wait until the early 20th century to recognize that elements are really defined by the number of protons in the nucleus. According to our current understanding, after the big bang most of the normal or baryonic material in the universe consisted of the lightest two elements, hydrogen and helium, with only trace amounts of lithium and beryllium. All the heavier elements that occur naturally on Earth were created from this original material via a series of nuclear reactions in the cores of stars or in stellar explosions. Over the last decade, ground-based telescopes and satellite-based Observatories have opened new windows on the stars across the electromagnetic spectrum, from infrared to gamma radiation. New technology now makes it possible to observe and analyse short-lived stellar explosions. Indeed, the distribution of elements in 'planetary nebula' and in the ejecta of supernovae and novae give a direct glimpse of individual nucleosynthesis processes. In the February issue of Physics World, Michael Wiescher, Paddy Regan and Ani Aprahamian describe how sate-of-the-art facilities are set to plug many of the gaps in our understanding of nuclear astrophysics. (U.K.)

Small-angle neutron scattering study of micropore collapse in amorphous solid water.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitterdorfer, Christian; Bauer, Marion; Youngs, Tristan G A; Bowron, Daniel T; Hill, Catherine R; Fraser, Helen J; Finney, John L; Loerting, Thomas

2014-08-14

Vapor-deposited amorphous solid water (ASW) is the most abundant solid molecular material in space, where it plays a direct role in both the formation of more complex chemical species and the aggregation of icy materials in the earliest stages of planet formation. Nevertheless, some of its low temperature physics such as the collapse of the micropore network upon heating are still far from being understood. Here we characterize the nature of the micropores and their collapse using neutron scattering of gram-quantities of D2O-ASW of internal surface areas up to 230 ± 10 m(2) g(-1) prepared at 77 K. The model-free interpretation of the small-angle scattering data suggests micropores, which remain stable up to 120-140 K and then experience a sudden collapse. The exact onset temperature to pore collapse depends on the type of flow conditions employed in the preparation of ASW and, thus, the specific surface area of the initial deposit, whereas the onset of crystallization to cubic ice is unaffected by the flow conditions. Analysis of the small-angle neutron scattering signal using the Guinier-Porod model suggests that a sudden transition from three-dimensional cylindrical pores with 15 Å radius of gyration to two-dimensional lamellae is the mechanism underlying the pore collapse. The rather high temperature of about 120-140 K of micropore collapse and the 3D-to-2D type of the transition unraveled in this study have implications for our understanding of the processing and evolution of ices in various astrophysical environments.

Exact solutions for shells collapsing towards a pre-existing black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yuan; Zhang Shuangnan

2009-01-01

The gravitational collapse of a star is an important issue both for general relativity and astrophysics, which is related to the well-known 'frozen star' paradox. This paradox has been discussed intensively and seems to have been solved in the comoving-like coordinates. However, to a real astrophysical observer within a finite time, this problem should be discussed in the point of view of the distant rest-observer, which is the main purpose of this Letter. Following the seminal work of Oppenheimer and Snyder (1939), we present the exact solution for one or two dust shells collapsing towards a pre-existing black hole. We find that the metric of the inner region of the shell is time-dependent and the clock inside the shell becomes slower as the shell collapses towards the pre-existing black hole. This means the inner region of the shell is influenced by the property of the shell, which is contrary to the result in Newtonian theory. It does not contradict the Birkhoff's theorem, since in our case we cannot arbitrarily select the clock inside the shell in order to ensure the continuity of the metric. This result in principle may be tested experimentally if a beam of light travels across the shell, which will take a longer time than without the shell. It can be considered as the generalized Shapiro effect, because this effect is due to the mass outside, but not inside as the case of the standard Shapiro effect. We also found that in real astrophysical settings matter can indeed cross a black hole's horizon according to the clock of an external observer and will not accumulate around the event horizon of a black hole, i.e., no 'frozen star' is formed for an external observer as matter falls towards a black hole. Therefore, we predict that only gravitational wave radiation can be produced in the final stage of the merging process of two coalescing black holes. Our results also indicate that for the clock of an external observer, matter, after crossing the event horizon

Nuclear Neutrino Spectra in Late Stellar Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Misch, G. Wendell; Sun, Yang; Fuller, George

2018-05-01

Neutrinos are the principle carriers of energy in massive stars, beginning from core carbon burning and continuing through core collapse and after the core bounce. In fact, it may be possible to detect neutrinos from nearby pre-supernova stars. Therefore, it is of great interest to understand the neutrino energy spectra from these stars. Leading up to core collapse, beginning around core silicon burning, nuclei become dominant producers of neutrinos, particularly at high neutrino energy, so a systematic study of nuclear neutrino spectra is desirable. We have done such a study, and we present our sd-shell model calculations of nuclear neutrino energy spectra for nuclei in the mass number range A = 21 - 35. Our study includes neutrinos produced by charged lepton capture, charged lepton emission, and neutral current nuclear deexcitation. Previous authors have tabulated the rates of charged current nuclear weak interactions in astrophysical conditions, but the present work expands on this not only by providing neutrino energy spectra, but also by including the heretofore untabulated neutral current de-excitation neutrino pairs.

Estimating Stellar Parameters and Interstellar Extinction from Evolutionary Tracks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sichevsky S.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Developing methods for analyzing and extracting information from modern sky surveys is a challenging task in astrophysical studies. We study possibilities of parameterizing stars and interstellar medium from multicolor photometry performed in three modern photometric surveys: GALEX, SDSS, and 2MASS. For this purpose, we have developed a method to estimate stellar radius from effective temperature and gravity with the help of evolutionary tracks and model stellar atmospheres. In accordance with the evolution rate at every point of the evolutionary track, star formation rate, and initial mass function, a weight is assigned to the resulting value of radius that allows us to estimate the radius more accurately. The method is verified for the most populated areas of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram: main-sequence stars and red giants, and it was found to be rather precise (for main-sequence stars, the average relative error of radius and its standard deviation are 0.03% and 3.87%, respectively.

The dependence of stellar properties on initial cloud density

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Michael O.; Bate, Matthew R.

2018-05-01

We investigate the dependence of stellar properties on the initial mean density of the molecular cloud in which stellar clusters form using radiation hydrodynamical simulations that resolve the opacity limit for fragmentation. We have simulated the formation of three star clusters from the gravitational collapse of molecular clouds whose densities vary by a factor of a hundred. As with previous calculations including radiative feedback, we find that the dependence of the characteristic stellar mass, Mc, on the initial mean density of the cloud, ρ, is weaker than the dependence of the thermal Jeans mass. However, unlike previous calculations, which found no statistically significant variation in the median mass with density, we find a weak dependence approximately of the form Mc∝ρ-1/5. The distributions of properties of multiple systems do not vary significantly between the calculations. We compare our results to the result of observational surveys of star-forming regions, and suggest that the similarities between the properties of our lowest density calculation and the nearby Taurus-Auriga region indicate that the apparent excess of solar-type stars observed may be due to the region's low density.

Characterizing the astrophysical S factor for 12C+12C fusion with wave-packet dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz-Torres, Alexis; Wiescher, Michael

2018-05-01

A quantitative study of the astrophysically important subbarrier fusion of 12C+12C is presented. Low-energy collisions are described in the body-fixed reference frame using wave-packet dynamics within a nuclear molecular picture. A collective Hamiltonian drives the time propagation of the wave packet through the collective potential-energy landscape. The fusion imaginary potential for specific dinuclear configurations is crucial for understanding the appearance of resonances in the fusion cross section. The theoretical subbarrier fusion cross sections explain some observed resonant structures in the astrophysical S factor. These cross sections monotonically decline towards stellar energies. The structures in the data that are not explained are possibly due to cluster effects in the nuclear molecule, which need to be included in the present approach.

Goddard's Astrophysics Science Divsion Annual Report 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Kimberly (Editor); Reddy, Francis (Editor); Tyler, Pat (Editor)

2015-01-01

The Astrophysics Science Division (ASD, Code 660) is one of the world's largest and most diverse astronomical organizations. Space flight missions are conceived, built and launched to observe the entire range of the electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma rays to centimeter waves. In addition, experiments are flown to gather data on high-energy cosmic rays, and plans are being made to detect gravitational radiation from space-borne missions. To enable these missions, we have vigorous programs of instrument and detector development. Division scientists also carry out preparatory theoretical work and subsequent data analysis and modeling. In addition to space flight missions, we have a vibrant suborbital program with numerous sounding rocket and balloon payloads in development or operation. The ASD is organized into five labs: the Astroparticle Physics Lab, the X-ray Astrophysics Lab, the Gravitational Astrophysics Lab, the Observational Cosmology Lab, and the Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Lab. The High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) is an Office at the Division level. Approximately 400 scientists and engineers work in ASD. Of these, 80 are civil servant scientists, while the rest are resident university-based scientists, contractors, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and administrative staff. We currently operate the Swift Explorer mission and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. In addition, we provide data archiving and operational support for the XMM mission (jointly with ESA) and the Suzaku mission (with JAXA). We are also a partner with Caltech on the NuSTAR mission. The Hubble Space Telescope Project is headquartered at Goddard, and ASD provides Project Scientists to oversee operations at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Projects in development include the Neutron Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, an X-ray timing experiment for the International Space Station; the Transiting Exoplanet Sky Survey (TESS

Stellar systems fed by outside stars: the evolution of model galactic nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dokuchaev, V.I.; Ozernoi, L.M.

1985-01-01

Through relaxation mechanisms, a dense central core surrounded by an extended, rarefied stellar system in a nonisothermal galactic nuclear region can be kept supplied with energy and mass conveyed by incoming stars. These factors may significantly influence the secular evolution of the core, competing with the conventional star-evaporation process. Under certain circumstances the outside environment will in fact dominate the core evolution, causing not collapse but expansion

Semi empirical model for astrophysical nuclear fusion reactions of 1≤Z≤15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manjunatha, H.C.; Seenappa, L.; Sridhar, K.N.

2017-01-01

The fusion reaction is one of the most important reactions in the stellar evolution. Due to the complicated reaction mechanism of fusion, there is great uncertainty in the reaction rate which limits our understanding of various stellar objects. Low z elements are formed through many fusion reactions such as "4He+"1"2C→"1"6O, "1"2C+"1"2C→"2"0Ne+"4He, "1"2C+"1"2C→"2"3Na, "1"2C+"1"2C→"2"3Mg, "1"6O+"1"6O→"2"8Si+"4He, "1"2C+"1H→"1"3N and "1"3C+"4He→"1"6O. A detail study is required on Coulomb and nuclear interaction in formation of low Z elements in stars through fusion reactions. For astrophysics, the important energy range extends from 1 MeV to 3 MeV in the center of mass frame, which is only partially covered by experiments. In the present work, we have studied the basic fusion parameters such as barrier heights (V_B), positions (R_B), curvature of the inverted parabola (ħω_1) for fusion barrier, cross section and compound nucleus formation probability (P_C_N) and fusion process in the low Z element (1≤Z≤15) formation process. For each isotope, we have studied all possible projectile-target combinations. We have also studied the astrophysical S(E) factor for these reactions. Based on this study, we have formulated the semi empirical relations for barrier heights (V_B), positions (R_B), curvature of the inverted parabola and hence for the fusion cross section and astrophysical S(E) factor. The values produced by the present model compared with the experiments and data available in the literature. (author)

Improved predictions of nuclear reaction rates for astrophysics applications with the TALYS reaction code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goriely, S.; Hilaire, S.; Koning, A.J.

2008-01-01

Nuclear reaction rates for astrophysics applications are traditionally determined on the basis of Hauser-Feshbach reaction codes, like MOST. These codes use simplified schemes to calculate the capture reaction cross section on a given target nucleus, not only in its ground state but also on the different thermally populated states of the stellar plasma at a given temperature. Such schemes include a number of approximations that have never been tested, such as an approximate width fluctuation correction, the neglect of delayed particle emission during the electromagnetic decay cascade or the absence of the pre-equilibrium contribution at increasing incident energies. New developments have been brought to the reaction code TALYS to estimate the Maxwellian-averaged reaction rates of astrophysics relevance. These new developments give us the possibility to calculate with an improved accuracy the reaction cross sections and the corresponding astrophysics rates. The TALYS predictions for the thermonuclear rates of astrophysics relevance are presented and compared with those obtained with the MOST code on the basis of the same nuclear ingredients for nuclear structure properties, optical model potential, nuclear level densities and γ-ray strength. It is shown that, in particular, the pre-equilibrium process significantly influences the astrophysics rates of exotic neutron-rich nuclei. The reciprocity theorem traditionally used in astrophysics to determine photo-rates is also shown no to be valid for exotic nuclei. The predictions obtained with different nuclear inputs are also analyzed to provide an estimate of the theoretical uncertainties still affecting the reaction rate prediction far away from the experimentally known regions. (authors)

Cas A and the Crab were not stellar binaries at death

Science.gov (United States)

Kochanek, C. S.

2018-01-01

The majority of massive stars are in binaries, which implies that many core collapse supernovae should be binaries at the time of the explosion. Here we show that the three most recent, local (visual) SNe (the Crab, Cas A and SN 1987A) were not stellar binaries at death, with limits on the initial mass ratios of q = M2/M1 ≲ 0.1. No quantitative limits have previously been set for Cas A and the Crab, while for SN 1987A we merely updated existing limits in view of new estimates of the dust content. The lack of stellar companions to these three ccSNe implies a 90 per cent confidence upper limit on the q ≳ 0.1 binary fraction at death of fb runaway stars.

Numerical studies of rotational core collapse in axisymmetry using the conformally flat metric approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimmelmeier, H.; Font, J.A.; Mueller, E.

2001-01-01

The numerical simulation of hydrodynamic processes in general relativity is a highly complex problem. In order to reduce the complexity of the gravitational field equations, Wilson and coworkers have proposed an approximation scheme, where the 3-metric γ ij is chosen to be conformally flat. In this approximation the Einstein equations reduce to a set of 5 coupled elliptic equations. In this paper we present an axisymmetric general relativistic hydrodynamic code which utilizes this approach together with high-resolution shock-capturing schemes to solve the hydrodynamic equations. We report on tests and preliminary applications of the code to rotating neutron stars and supernova core collapse in axisymmetry. The code promises good applicability to handle a variety of relativistic astrophysical situations, and is prepared to provide information about gravitational radiation from rotating gravitational collapse. (author)

A grid of one-dimensional low-mass star formation collapse models

Science.gov (United States)

Vaytet, N.; Haugbølle, T.

2017-02-01

Context. Numerical simulations of star formation are becoming ever more sophisticated, incorporating new physical processes in increasingly realistic set-ups. These models are being compared to the latest observations through state-of-the-art synthetic renderings that trace the different chemical species present in the protostellar systems. The chemical evolution of the interstellar and protostellar matter is very topical, with more and more chemical databases and reaction solvers available online to the community. Aims: The current study was developed to provide a database of relatively simple numerical simulations of protostellar collapse as a template library for observations of cores and very young protostars, and for researchers who wish to test their chemical modelling under dynamic astrophysical conditions. It was also designed to identify statistical trends that may appear when running many models of the formation of low-mass stars by varying the initial conditions. Methods: A large set of 143 calculations of the gravitational collapse of an isolated sphere of gas with uniform temperature and a Bonnor-Ebert-like density profile was undertaken using a 1D fully implicit Lagrangian radiation hydrodynamics code. The parameter space covered initial masses from 0.2 to 8 M⊙, temperatures of 5-30 K, and radii 3000 ≤ R0 ≤ 30 000 AU. Results: A spread due to differing initial conditions and optical depths, was found in the thermal evolutionary tracks of the runs. Within less than an order of magnitude, all first and second Larson cores had masses and radii essentially independent of the initial conditions. Radial profiles of the gas density, velocity, and temperature were found to vary much more outside of the first core than inside. The time elapsed between the formation of the first and second cores was found to strongly depend on the first core mass accretion rate, and no first core in our grid of models lived for longer than 2000 years before the onset of

Investigating High Field Gravity using Astrophysical Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, Elliott D.

2008-01-01

The purpose of these lectures is to introduce particle physicists to astrophysical techniques. These techniques can help us understand certain phenomena important to particle physics that are currently impossible to address using standard particle physics experimental techniques. As the subject matter is vast, compromises are necessary in order to convey the central ideas to the reader. Many general references are included for those who want to learn more. The paragraphs below elaborate on the structure of these lectures. I hope this discussion will clarify my motivation and make the lectures easier to follow. The lectures begin with a brief review of more theoretical ideas. First, elements of general relativity are reviewed, concentrating on those aspects that are needed to understand compact stellar objects (white dwarf stars, neutron stars, and black holes). I then review the equations of state of these objects, concentrating on the simplest standard models from astrophysics. After these mathematical preliminaries, Sec. 2(c) discusses 'The End State of Stars'. Most of this section also uses the simplest standard models. However, as these lectures are for particle physicists, I also discuss some of the more recent approaches to the equation of state of very dense compact objects. These particle-physics-motivated equations of state can dramatically change how we view the formation of black holes. Section 3 focuses on the properties of the objects that we want to characterize and measure. X-ray binary systems and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are stressed because the lectures center on understanding very dense stellar objects, black hole candidates (BHCs), and their accompanying high gravitational fields. The use of x-ray timing and gamma-ray experiments is also introduced in this section. Sections 4 and 5 review information from x-ray and gamma-ray experiments. These sections also discuss the current state of the art in x-ray and gamma-ray satellite experiments and

Investigating High Field Gravity using Astrophysical Techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bloom, Elliott D.; /SLAC

2008-02-01

The purpose of these lectures is to introduce particle physicists to astrophysical techniques. These techniques can help us understand certain phenomena important to particle physics that are currently impossible to address using standard particle physics experimental techniques. As the subject matter is vast, compromises are necessary in order to convey the central ideas to the reader. Many general references are included for those who want to learn more. The paragraphs below elaborate on the structure of these lectures. I hope this discussion will clarify my motivation and make the lectures easier to follow. The lectures begin with a brief review of more theoretical ideas. First, elements of general relativity are reviewed, concentrating on those aspects that are needed to understand compact stellar objects (white dwarf stars, neutron stars, and black holes). I then review the equations of state of these objects, concentrating on the simplest standard models from astrophysics. After these mathematical preliminaries, Sec. 2(c) discusses 'The End State of Stars'. Most of this section also uses the simplest standard models. However, as these lectures are for particle physicists, I also discuss some of the more recent approaches to the equation of state of very dense compact objects. These particle-physics-motivated equations of state can dramatically change how we view the formation of black holes. Section 3 focuses on the properties of the objects that we want to characterize and measure. X-ray binary systems and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are stressed because the lectures center on understanding very dense stellar objects, black hole candidates (BHCs), and their accompanying high gravitational fields. The use of x-ray timing and gamma-ray experiments is also introduced in this section. Sections 4 and 5 review information from x-ray and gamma-ray experiments. These sections also discuss the current state of the art in x-ray and gamma-ray satellite

GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE AND FILAMENT FORMATION: COMPARISON WITH THE PIPE NEBULA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heitsch, Fabian; Ballesteros-Paredes, Javier; Hartmann, Lee

2009-01-01

Recent models of molecular cloud formation and evolution suggest that such clouds are dynamic and generally exhibit gravitational collapse. We present a simple analytic model of global collapse onto a filament and compare this with our numerical simulations of the flow-driven formation of an isolated molecular cloud to illustrate the supersonic motions and infall ram pressures expected in models of gravity-driven cloud evolution. We compare our results with observations of the Pipe Nebula, an especially suitable object for our purposes as its low star formation activity implies insignificant perturbations from stellar feedback. We show that our collapsing cloud model can explain the magnitude of the velocity dispersions seen in the 13 CO filamentary structure by Onishi et al. and the ram pressures required by Lada et al. to confine the lower-mass cores in the Pipe Nebula. We further conjecture that higher-resolution simulations will show small velocity dispersions in the densest core gas, as observed, but which are infall motions and not supporting turbulence. Our results point out the inevitability of ram pressures as boundary conditions for molecular cloud filaments, and the possibility that especially lower-mass cores still can be accreting mass at significant rates, as suggested by observations.

"Special Case" Stellar Blast Teaching Astronomers New Lessons About Cosmic Explosions

Science.gov (United States)

2006-07-01

A powerful thermonuclear explosion on a dense white-dwarf star last February has given astronomers their best look yet at the early stages of such explosions, called novae, and also is giving them tantalizing new clues about the workings of bigger explosions, called supernovae, that are used to measure the Universe. RS Ophiuchi Expansion RS Ophiuchi Expansion CREDIT: Rupen, Mioduszewski & Sokoloski, NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on image for full-sized image and detailed caption) Using the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and other telescopes, "We have seen structure in the blast earlier than in any other stellar explosion," said Tim O'Brien of the University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory in the U.K. "We see evidence that the explosion may be ejecting material in jets, contrary to theoretical models that assumed a spherical shell of ejected material," O'Brien added. The explosion occurred in a star system called RS Ophiuchi, in the constellation Ophiuchus. RS Ophiuchi consists of a dense white dwarf star with a red giant companion whose prolific stellar wind dumps material onto the surface of the white dwarf. When enough of this material has accumulated, theorists say, a gigantic thermonuclear explosion, similar to a hydrogen bomb but much larger, occurs. Systems such as RS Ophiuchi may eventually produce a vastly more powerful explosion -- a supernova -- when the white dwarf accumulates enough mass to cause it to collapse and explode violently. Because such supernova explosions (called Type 1a supernovae by astronomers) all are triggered as the white dwarf reaches the same mass, they are thought to be identical in their intrinsic brightness. This makes them extremely valuable as "standard candles" for measuring distances in the Universe. "We think the white dwarf in RS Ophiuchi is about as massive as a white dwarf can get, and so is close to the point when it will become a supernova," said Jennifer Sokoloski, of the Harvard

Systematic thermal reduction of neutronization in core-collapse supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fantina, A.F.; Donati, P.; Pizzochero, P.M.

2009-01-01

We investigate to what extent the temperature dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy can affect the neutronization of the stellar core prior to neutrino trapping during gravitational collapse. To this end, we implement a one-zone simulation to follow the collapse until β-equilibrium is reached and the lepton fraction remains constant. Since the strength of electron capture on the neutron-rich nuclei associated to the supernova scenario is still an open issue, we keep it as a free parameter. We find that the temperature dependence of the symmetry energy consistently yields a small reduction of deleptonization, which corresponds to a systematic effect on the shock wave energetics: the gain in dissociation energy of the shock has a small yet non-negligible value of about 0.4 foe (1 foe=10 51 erg) and this result is almost independent from the strength of nuclear electron capture. The presence of such a systematic effect and its robustness under changes of the parameters of the one-zone model are significant enough to justify further investigations with detailed numerical simulations of supernova explosions.

Gravitational collapse of conventional polytropic cylinder

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Yu-Qing; Hu, Xu-Yao

2017-07-01

In reference to general polytropic and conventional polytropic hydrodynamic cylinders of infinite length with axial uniformity and axisymmetry under self-gravity, the dynamic evolution of central collapsing mass string in free-fall dynamic accretion phase is re-examined in details. We compare the central mass accretion rate and the envelope mass infall rate at small radii. Among others, we correct mistakes and typos of Kawachi & Hanawa (KH hereafter) and in particular prove that their key asymptotic free-fall solution involving polytropic index γ in the two power exponents is erroneous by analytical analyses and numerical tests. The correct free-fall asymptotic solutions at sufficiently small \\hat{r} (the dimensionless independent self-similar variable) scale as {˜ } -|ln \\hat{r}|^{1/2} in contrast to KH's ˜ -|ln \\hat{r}|^{(2-γ )/2} for the reduced bulk radial flow velocity and as {˜ } \\hat{r}^{-1}|ln \\hat{r}|^{-1/2} in contrast to KH's {˜ } \\hat{r}^{-1} |ln \\hat{r}|^{-(2-γ )/2} for the reduced mass density. We offer consistent scenarios for numerical simulation code testing and theoretical study on dynamic filamentary structure formation and evolution as well as pertinent stability properties. Due to unavoidable Jeans instabilities along the cylinder, such collapsing massive filaments or strings can further break up into clumps and segments of various lengths as well as clumps embedded within segments and evolve into chains of gravitationally collapsed objects (such as gaseous planets, brown dwarfs, protostars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes in a wide mass range, globular clusters, dwarf spheroidals, galaxies, galaxy clusters and even larger mass reservoirs etc.) in various astrophysical and cosmological contexts as articulated by Lou & Hu recently. As an example, we present a model scheme for comparing with observations of molecular filaments for forming protostars, brown dwarfs and gaseous planets and so forth.

Recent applications of the the Trojan Horse method to nuclear astrophysics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spitaleri, Claudio [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Catania University (Italy) and INFN-Laboratoti Nazionali del Sud, Catania (Italy)

2012-11-20

Light elements lithium, beryllium and boron (LiBeB) have been used in the last years as possible probes for stellar structure. They are mainly destroyed by (p,a) reactions and cross section measurements for such channels are then needed. The Trojan Horse Method (THM) allows one to extract the astrophysical S(E)-factor without the experience of tunneling through the Coulomb barrier. In this work a resume of the recent new results about the {sup 11}B(p,{alpha}{sub 0}){sup 8}Be and {sup 7}Li(p,{alpha}){sup 4}He reactions are shown.

Temperature-tuned Maxwell-Boltzmann neutron spectra for kT ranging from 30 up to 50 keV for nuclear astrophysics studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Hernández, G; Mastinu, P F; Praena, J; Dzysiuk, N; Capote Noy, R; Pignatari, M

2012-08-01

The need of neutron capture cross section measurements for astrophysics motivates present work, where calculations to generate stellar neutron spectra at different temperatures are performed. The accelerator-based (7)Li(p,n)(7)Be reaction is used. Shaping the proton beam energy and the sample covering a specific solid angle, neutron activation for measuring stellar-averaged capture cross section can be done. High-quality Maxwell-Boltzmann neutron spectra are predicted. Assuming a general behavior of the neutron capture cross section a weighted fit of the spectrum to Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions is successfully introduced. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Equations of state for neutron stars and core-collapse supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Oertel, Micaela; Providência, Constança

2018-04-01

Modelling compact stars is a complex task which depends on many ingredients, among others the properties of dense matter. In this contribution models for the equation of state (EoS) of dense matter will be discussed, relevant for the description of core-collapse supernovae, compact stars and compact star mergers. Such EoS models have to cover large ranges in baryon number density, temperature and isospin asymmetry. The characteristics of matter change dramatically within these ranges, from a mixture of nucleons, nuclei, and electrons to uniform, strongly interacting matter containing nucleons, and possibly other particles such as hyperons or quarks. Some implications for compact star astrophysics will be highlighted, too.

SI: The Stellar Imager

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Schrijver, Carolus J.; Karovska, Margarita

2006-01-01

The ultra-sharp images of the Stellar Imager (SI) will revolutionize our view of many dynamic astrophysical processes: The 0.1 milliarcsec resolution of this deep-space telescope will transform point sources into extended sources, and simple snapshots into spellbinding evolving views. SI s science focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe, particularly on magnetic activity on the surfaces of stars like the Sun. SI s prime goal is to enable long-term forecasting of solar activity and the space weather that it drives in support of the Living With a Star program in the Exploration Era by imaging a sample of magnetically active stars with enough resolution to map their evolving dynamo patterns and their internal flows. By exploring the Universe at ultra-high resolution, SI will also revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magnetohydrodynamically controlled structures and processes in the Universe.

Phenomenology and Astrophysics of Gravitationally-Bound Condensates of Axion-Like Particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eby, Joshua Armstrong [Univ. of Cincinnati, OH (United States)

2017-01-01

Light, spin-0 particles are ubiquitous in theories of physics beyond the Standard Model, and many of these make good candidates for the identity of dark matter. One very well-motivated candidate of this type is the axion. Due to their small mass and adherence to Bose statistics, axions can coalesce into heavy, gravitationally-bound condensates known as boson stars, also known as axion stars (in particular). In this work, we outline our recent progress in attempts to determine the properties of axion stars. We begin with a brief overview of the Standard Model, axions, and bosonic condensates in general. Then, in the context of axion stars, we will present our recent work, which includes: numerical estimates of the macroscopic properties (mass, radius, and particle number) of gravitationally stable axion stars; a calculation of their decay lifetime through number-changing interactions; an analysis of the gravitational collapse process for very heavy states; and an investigation of the implications of axion stars as dark matter. The basic conclusions of our work are that weakly-bound axion stars are only stable up to some calculable maximum mass, whereas states with larger masses collapse to a small radius, but do not form black holes. During collapse, a rapidly increasing binding energy implies a fast rate of decay to relativistic particles, giving rise to a Bosenova. Axion stars that are otherwise stable could be caused to collapse either by accretion of free particles to masses above the maximum, or through astrophysical collisions; in the latter case, we estimate the rate of collisions and the parameter space relevant to induced collapse.

Collapsing supra-massive magnetars: FRBs, the repeating FRB121102 and GRBs

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Patrick Das; Saini, Nidhi

2018-02-01

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) last for ˜ few milli-seconds and, hence, are likely to arise from the gravitational collapse of supra-massive, spinning neutron stars after they lose the centrifugal support (Falcke & Rezzolla 2014). In this paper, we provide arguments to show that the repeating burst, FRB 121102, can also be modeled in the collapse framework provided the supra-massive object implodes either into a Kerr black hole surrounded by highly magnetized plasma or into a strange quark star. Since the estimated rates of FRBs and SN Ib/c are comparable, we put forward a common progenitor scenario for FRBs and long GRBs in which only those compact remnants entail prompt γ -emission whose kick velocities are almost aligned or anti-aligned with the stellar spin axes. In such a scenario, emission of detectable gravitational radiation and, possibly, of neutrinos are expected to occur during the SN Ib/c explosion as well as, later, at the time of magnetar implosion.

Preface [11. Pacific Rim conference on stellar astrophysics: Physics and chemistry of the late stages of stellar evolution, Hong Kong (China), 14-17 December 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, Sun; Leung, Kam Ching

2016-01-01

Stellar mass loss is now widely recognized to have a significant impact on stellar evolution. Mass loss on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) allows stars with initial masses under 8 solar masses to avoid the fate of going supernovae. Over 95% of stars in our Galaxy will evolve through the planetary nebulae phase to end up as white dwarfs instead of neutron stars or black holes. Massive stars undergo mass loss both in the blue and red phases of evolution and create new classes of stars such as Wolf-Rayet stars and luminous blue variables. The circumstellar matter ejected by these mass loss processes becomes new laboratories to study the physical and chemical processes of interstellar matter. The interaction between different phases of mass loss (with variable mass loss rates, ejection speeds, and directions) leads to spectacular morphological transformation of the circumstellar nebulae. The circumstellar nebulae are also sites of molecular and solid-state synthesis. Close to 100 molecular species and a variety of solids, including minerals and complex organics, have been detected in circumstellar envelopes. Since the dynamical time scale of the ejection puts an upper limit on the chemical time scale, we are witnessing a rapid synthesis of chemical species in an extremely low-density environment, creating new challenges to our understanding of chemical reactions. Effects of mass loss are not limited to single stars. Mass loss by one component of a binary system allows mass transfer to occur at separations beyond the Roche Lobe limit. Accreted wind materials on the surface of a degenerate star can lead to periodic outbursts through H-shell burning. When both components are losing mass, we have interesting dynamical systems such as symbiotic novae. The theme of this conference is “Physics and Chemistry of the Late Stages of Stellar Evolution”. We try to bring together experts in different fields to exchange ideas in the hope of solving the many unsolved problems in

Annual Report: Hydrodynamics and Radiative Hydrodynamics with Astrophysical Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. Paul Drake

2005-12-01

We report the ongoing work of our group in hydrodynamics and radiative hydrodynamics with astrophysical applications. During the period of the existing grant, we have carried out two types of experiments at the Omega laser. One set of experiments has studied radiatively collapsing shocks, obtaining high-quality scaling data using a backlit pinhole and obtaining the first (ever, anywhere) Thomson-scattering data from a radiative shock. Other experiments have studied the deeply nonlinear development of the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability from complex initial conditions, obtaining the first (ever, anywhere) dual-axis radiographic data using backlit pinholes and ungated detectors. All these experiments have applications to astrophysics, discussed in the corresponding papers either in print or in preparation. We also have obtained preliminary radiographs of experimental targets using our x-ray source. The targets for the experiments have been assembled at Michigan, where we also prepare many of the simple components. The above activities, in addition to a variety of data analysis and design projects, provide good experience for graduate and undergraduates students. In the process of doing this research we have built a research group that uses such work to train junior scientists.

CoCoNuT: General relativistic hydrodynamics code with dynamical space-time evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Dimmelmeier, Harald; Novak, Jérôme; Cerdá-Durán, Pablo

2012-02-01

CoCoNuT is a general relativistic hydrodynamics code with dynamical space-time evolution. The main aim of this numerical code is the study of several astrophysical scenarios in which general relativity can play an important role, namely the collapse of rapidly rotating stellar cores and the evolution of isolated neutron stars. The code has two flavors: CoCoA, the axisymmetric (2D) magnetized version, and CoCoNuT, the 3D non-magnetized version.

The R-process: supernovae and other sources of the heaviest elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thielemann, F.-K.; Moceli, D.; Panov, I.

2007-01-01

Rapid neutron capture in stellar explosions is responsible for the heaviest elements in nature, up to Th, U and beyond. This nucleosynthesis process, the r-process, is unique in the sense that a combination of nuclear physics far from stability (masses, half-lives, neutron-capture and photodisintegration, neutron-induced and beta-delayed fission and last but not least neutrino-nucleus interactions) is intimately linked to ejecta from astrophysical explosions (core collapse supernovae or other neutron star related events). The astrophysics and nuclear physics involved still harbor many uncertainties, either in the extrapolation of nuclear properties far beyond present experimental explorations or in the modeling of multidimensional, general relativistic (neutrino-radiation) hydrodynamics with rotation and possibly required magnetic fields. Observational clues about the working of the r-process are mostly obtained from solar abundances and from the abundance evolution of the heaviest elements as a function of galactic age, as witnessed in old extremely metal-poor stars. They contain information whether the r-process is identical for all stellar events, how abundance features develop with galactic time and whether the frequency of r-process events is comparable to that of average core collapse supernovae - producing oxygen through titanium, as well as iron-group nuclei. The theoretical modeling of the r-process has advanced from simple approaches, where the use of static neutron densities and temperatures can aid to test the influence of nuclear properties far from stability on abundance features, to more realistic expansions with a given entropy, global neutron/proton ratio and expansion timescales, as expected from explosive astrophysical events. The direct modeling in astrophysical events such as supernovae still faces the problem whether the required conditions can be met. (author)

Stellar imager (SI): enhancements to the mission enabled by the constellation architecture (Ares I/Ares V)

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Karovska, Margarita; Lyon, Richard G.; Mozurkewich, D.; Schrijver, Carolus

2009-08-01

Stellar Imager (SI) is a space-based, UV/Optical Interferometer (UVOI) with over 200x the resolution of HST. It will enable 0.1 milli-arcsec spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and the Universe in general and open an enormous new "discovery space" for astrophysics with its combination of high angular resolution, dynamic imaging, and spectral energy resolution. SI's goal is to study the role of magnetism in the Universe and revolutionize our understanding of: 1) Solar/Stellar Magnetic Activity and their impact on Space Weather, Planetary Climates, and Life, 2) Magnetic and Accretion Processes and their roles in the Origin & Evolution of Structure and in the Transport of Matter throughout the Universe, 3) the close-in structure of Active Galactic Nuclei and their winds, and 4) Exo-Solar Planet Transits and Disks. SI is a "Landmark/Discovery Mission" in 2005 Heliophysics Roadmap and a candidate UVOI in the 2006 Astrophysics Strategic Plan and is targeted for launch in the mid-2020's. It is a NASA Vision Mission and has been recommended for further study in a 2008 NRC report on missions potentially enabled/enhanced by an Ares V launch. In this paper, we discuss the science goals and required capabilities of SI, the baseline architecture of the mission assuming launch on one or more Delta rockets, and then the potential significant enhancements to the SI science and mission architecture that would be made possible by a launch in the larger volume Ares V payload fairing, and by servicing options under consideration in the Constellation program.

Stellar Imager (SI): Enhancements to the Mission Enabled by the Constellation Architecture (Ares I/Ares V)

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Lyon, Richard G.; Karovska, Margarita; Mozurkwich, D.; Schrijver, Carolus

2009-01-01

Stellar Imager (SI) is a space-based, UV/Optical Interferometer (UVOI) with over 200x the resolution of HST. It will enable 0.1 milli-aresec spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and the Universe in general and open an enormous new "discovery space" for astrophysics with its combination of high angular resolution, dynamic imaging , and spectral energy resolution. SI's goal is to study the role of magnetism in the Universe and revolutionize our understanding of 1) Solar/Stellar Magnetic Activity and their impact on Space Weather, Planetary Climates, and Life, 2) Magnetic and Accretion Processes and their roles in the Origin & Evolution of Structure and in the Transport of Matter throughout the Universe, 3) the close-in structure of Active Galactic Nuclei and their winds, and 4) Exo-Solar Planet Transits and Disks. SI is a "Landmark-Discovery Mission" in 2005 Heliophysics Roadmap and a candidate UVOI in the 2006 Astrophysics Strategic Plan and is targeted for launch in the mid-2020's. It is a NASA Vision Mission and has been recommended for further study in a 2008 NRC report on missions potentially enabled/enhanced by an Ares V launch. In this paper, we discuss the science goals and required capabilities of SI, the baseline architecture of the mission assuming launch on one or more Delta rockets, and then the potential significant enhancements to the SI science and mission architecture that would be made possible by a launch in the larger volume Ares V payload fairing, and by servicing options under consideration in the Constellation program.

General Astrophysics Science Enabled by the HabEx Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS)

Science.gov (United States)

Scowen, Paul; Clarke, John; Gaudi, B. Scott; Kiessling, Alina; Martin, Stefan; Somerville, Rachel; Stern, Daniel; HabEx Science and Technology Definition Team

2018-01-01

The Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) is one of the four large mission concepts being studied by NASA as input to the upcoming 2020 Decadal Survey. The mission implements two world-class General Astrophysics instruments as part of its complement of instrumentation to enable compelling science using the 4m aperture. The Ultraviolet Spectrograph has been designed to address cutting edge far ultraviolet (FUV) science that has not been possible with the Hubble Space Telescope, and to open up a wide range of capabilities that will advance astrophysics as we look into the 2030s. Our poster discusses some of those science drivers and possible applications, which range from Solar System science, to nearby and more distant studies of star formation, to studies of the circumgalactic and intergalactic mediums where the ecology of mass and energy transfer are vital to understanding stellar and galactic evolution. We discuss the performance features of the instrument that include a large 3’x3’ field of view for multi-object spectroscopy, and some 20 grating modes for a variety of spectral resolution and coverage.

Promising lines of investigations in the realms of laboratory astrophysics with the aid of powerful lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyaev, V. S.; Batishchev, P. A.; Bolshakov, V. V.; Elkin, K. S.; Karabadzhak, G. F.; Kovkov, D. V.; Matafonov, A. P.; Raykunov, G. G.; Yakhin, R. A.; Pikuz, S. A.; Skobelev, I. Yu.; Faenov, A. Ya.; Fortov, V. E.; Krainov, V. P.; Rozanov, V. B.

2013-01-01

The results of work on choosing and substantiating promising lines of research in the realms of laboratory astrophysics with the aid of powerful lasers are presented. These lines of research are determined by the possibility of simulating, under laboratory conditions, problematic processes of presentday astrophysics, such as (i) the generation and evolution of electromagnetic fields in cosmic space and the role of magnetic fields there at various spatial scales; (ii) the mechanisms of formation and evolution of cosmic gamma-ray bursts and relativistic jets; (iii) plasma instabilities in cosmic space and astrophysical objects, plasma jets, and shock waves; (iv) supernova explosions and mechanisms of the explosion of supernovae featuring a collapsing core; (v) nuclear processes in astrophysical objects; (vi) cosmic rays and mechanisms of their production and acceleration to high energies; and (vii) astrophysical sources of x-ray radiation. It is shown that the use of existing powerful lasers characterized by an intensity in the range of 10 18 –10 22 W/cm 2 and a pulse duration of 0.1 to 1 ps and high-energy lasers characterized by an energy in excess of 1 kJ and a pulse duration of 1 to 10 ns makes it possible to perform investigations in laboratory astrophysics along all of the chosen promising lines. The results obtained by experimentally investigating laser plasma with the aid of the laser facility created at Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash) and characterized by a power level of 10 TW demonstrate the potential of such facilities for performing a number of experiments in the realms of laboratory astrophysics.

Essential astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Lang, Kenneth R

2013-01-01

Essential Astrophysics is a book to learn or teach from, as well as a fundamental reference volume for anyone interested in astronomy and astrophysics. It presents astrophysics from basic principles without requiring any previous study of astronomy or astrophysics. It serves as a comprehensive introductory text, which takes the student through the field of astrophysics in lecture-sized chapters of basic physical principles applied to the cosmos. This one-semester overview will be enjoyed by undergraduate students with an interest in the physical sciences, such as astronomy, chemistry, engineering or physics, as well as by any curious student interested in learning about our celestial science. The mathematics required for understanding the text is on the level of simple algebra, for that is all that is needed to describe the fundamental principles. The text is of sufficient breadth and depth to prepare the interested student for more advanced specialized courses in the future. Astronomical examples are provide...

Relativistic structure, stability, and gravitational collapse of charged neutron stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghezzi, Cristian R.

2005-01-01

Charged stars have the potential of becoming charged black holes or even naked singularities. We present a set of numerical solutions of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkov equations that represents spherical charged compact stars in hydrostatic equilibrium. The stellar models obtained are evolved forward in time integrating the Einstein-Maxwell field equations. We assume an equation of state of a neutron gas at zero temperature. The charge distribution is taken as being proportional to the rest mass density distribution. The set of solutions present an unstable branch, even with charge-to-mass ratios arbitrarily close to the extremum case. We perform a direct check of the stability of the solutions under strong perturbations and for different values of the charge-to-mass ratio. The stars that are in the stable branch oscillate and do not collapse, while models in the unstable branch collapse directly to form black holes. Stars with a charge greater than or equal to the extreme value explode. When a charged star is suddenly discharged, it does not necessarily collapse to form a black hole. A nonlinear effect that gives rise to the formation of a shell of matter (in supermassive stars), is negligible in the present simulations. The results are in agreement with the third law of black hole thermodynamics and with the cosmic censorship conjecture

Multiplicity in Early Stellar Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Reipurth, B.; Clarke, C. J.; Boss, A. P.; Goodwin, S. P.; Rodríguez, L. F.; Stassun, K. G.; Tokovinin, A.; Zinnecker, H.

Observations from optical to centimeter wavelengths have demonstrated that multiple systems of two or more bodies is the norm at all stellar evolutionary stages. Multiple systems are widely agreed to result from the collapse and fragmentation of cloud cores, despite the inhibiting influence of magnetic fields. Surveys of class 0 protostars with millimeter interferometers have revealed a very high multiplicity frequency of about 2/3, even though there are observational difficulties in resolving close protobinaries, thus supporting the possibility that all stars could be born in multiple systems. Near-infrared adaptive optics observations of class I protostars show a lower binary frequency relative to the class 0 phase, a declining trend that continues through the class II/III stages to the field population. This loss of companions is a natural consequence of dynamical interplay in small multiple systems, leading to ejection of members. We discuss observational consequences of this dynamical evolution, and its influence on circumstellar disks, and we review the evolution of circumbinary disks and their role in defining binary mass ratios. Special attention is paid to eclipsing PMS binaries, which allow for observational tests of evolutionary models of early stellar evolution. Many stars are born in clusters and small groups, and we discuss how interactions in dense stellar environments can significantly alter the distribution of binary separations through dissolution of wider binaries. The binaries and multiples we find in the field are the survivors of these internal and external destructive processes, and we provide a detailed overview of the multiplicity statistics of the field, which form a boundary condition for all models of binary evolution. Finally, we discuss various formation mechanisms for massive binaries, and the properties of massive trapezia.

The Birth of a Galaxy: Primordial Metal Enrichment and Stellar Populations

Science.gov (United States)

Wise, John H.; Turk, Matthew J.; Norman, Michael L.; Abel, Tom

2012-01-01

By definition, Population III stars are metal-free, and their protostellar collapse is driven by molecular hydrogen cooling in the gas phase, leading to large characteristic masses. Population II stars with lower characteristic masses form when the star-forming gas reaches a critical metallicity of 10-6-10-3.5 Z ⊙. We present an adaptive mesh refinement radiation hydrodynamics simulation that follows the transition from Population III to Population II star formation. The maximum spatial resolution of 1 comoving parsec allows for individual molecular clouds to be well resolved and their stellar associations to be studied in detail. We model stellar radiative feedback with adaptive ray tracing. A top-heavy initial mass function for the Population III stars is considered, resulting in a plausible distribution of pair-instability supernovae and associated metal enrichment. We find that the gas fraction recovers from 5% to nearly the cosmic fraction in halos with merger histories rich in halos above 107 M ⊙. A single pair-instability supernova is sufficient to enrich the host halo to a metallicity floor of 10-3 Z ⊙ and to transition to Population II star formation. This provides a natural explanation for the observed floor on damped Lyα systems metallicities reported in the literature, which is of this order. We find that stellar metallicities do not necessarily trace stellar ages, as mergers of halos with established stellar populations can create superpositions of t-Z evolutionary tracks. A bimodal metallicity distribution is created after a starburst occurs when the halo can cool efficiently through atomic line cooling.

PHAT+MaNGA: Using resolved stellar populations to improve the recovery of star formation histories from galaxy spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Byler, Nell

2017-08-01

Stellar Population Synthesis (SPS) models are routinely used to interpret extragalactic observations at all redshifts. Currently, the dominant source of uncertainty in SPS modeling lies in the degeneracies associated with synthesizing and fitting complex stellar populations to observed galaxy spectra. To remedy this, we propose an empirical calibration of SPS models using resolved stellar population observations from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to constrain the stellar masses, ages, and star formation histories (SFHs) in regions matched to 2D spectroscopic observations from MaNGA. We will take advantage of the state of the art observations from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT), which maps the dust content, history of chemical enrichment, and history of star formation across the disk of M31 in exquisite detail. Recently, we have coupled these observations with an unprecedented, spatially-resolved suite of IFU observations from MaNGA. With these two comprehensive data sets we can use the true underlying stellar properties from PHAT to properly interpret the aperture-matched integrated spectra from MaNGA. Our MaNGA observations target 20 regions within the PHAT footprint that fully sample the available range in metallicity, SFR, dust content, and stellar density. This transformative dataset will establish a comprehensive link between resolved stellar populations and the inferred properties of unresolved stellar populations across astrophysically important environments. The net data product will be a library of galaxy spectra matched to the true underlying stellar properties, a comparison set that has lasting legacy value for the extragalactic community.

Astrophysical Implications of the Binary Black Hole Merger GW150914

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.;

FINDING THE FIRST COSMIC EXPLOSIONS. II. CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whalen, Daniel J.; Joggerst, Candace C.; Fryer, Chris L.; Stiavelli, Massimo; Heger, Alexander; Holz, Daniel E.

2013-01-01

Understanding the properties of Population III (Pop III) stars is prerequisite to elucidating the nature of primeval galaxies, the chemical enrichment and reionization of the early intergalactic medium, and the origin of supermassive black holes. While the primordial initial mass function (IMF) remains unknown, recent evidence from numerical simulations and stellar archaeology suggests that some Pop III stars may have had lower masses than previously thought, 15-50 M ☉ in addition to 50-500 M ☉ . The detection of Pop III supernovae (SNe) by JWST, WFIRST, or the TMT could directly probe the primordial IMF for the first time. We present numerical simulations of 15-40 M ☉ Pop III core-collapse SNe performed with the Los Alamos radiation hydrodynamics code RAGE. We find that they will be visible in the earliest galaxies out to z ∼ 10-15, tracing their star formation rates and in some cases revealing their positions on the sky. Since the central engines of Pop III and solar-metallicity core-collapse SNe are quite similar, future detection of any Type II SNe by next-generation NIR instruments will in general be limited to this epoch.

From the advective-acoustic instability to the asymmetric explosions of Core Collapse Supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galletti, Pascal

2005-01-01

The advective-acoustic cycle is a hydrodynamical mechanism fed by the coupling between advected waves (entropy, vorticity) and an acoustic feedback. Already studied in physics (rumble instability in ramjet, whistling tea kettle), it was introduced in astrophysics in the frame of the instability of the Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion flow. In this thesis, we propose this cycle as an explanation for the asymmetry of the explosion of Core Collapse Supernovae. The evaluation of Eigenmodes for the classical accretion above a solid surface (white dwarfs, neutron stars) and the use of a toy-model reveal the importance of the advective-acoustic cycle in such an instable accretion flow. Following these results and the comparison with numerical simulations, a modelization of the flow when the shock stalls during a Core Collapse Supernova, shows that the advective-acoustic cycle is a natural mechanism to explain the non-spherical instability of the shock. The domination of l = 1 modes may be responsible for the observed pulsar kicks. (author) [fr

Theory of stellar atmospheres an introduction to astrophysical non-equilibrium quantitative spectroscopic analysis

CERN Document Server

Hubeny, Ivan

2015-01-01

This book provides an in-depth and self-contained treatment of the latest advances achieved in quantitative spectroscopic analyses of the observable outer layers of stars and similar objects. Written by two leading researchers in the field, it presents a comprehensive account of both the physical foundations and numerical methods of such analyses. The book is ideal for astronomers who want to acquire deeper insight into the physical foundations of the theory of stellar atmospheres, or who want to learn about modern computational techniques for treating radiative transfer in non-equilibrium situations. It can also serve as a rigorous yet accessible introduction to the discipline for graduate students.

Stellar pulsations in beyond Horndeski gravity theories

Science.gov (United States)

Sakstein, Jeremy; Kenna-Allison, Michael; Koyama, Kazuya

2017-03-01

Theories of gravity in the beyond Horndeski class recover the predictions of general relativity in the solar system whilst admitting novel cosmologies, including late-time de Sitter solutions in the absence of a cosmological constant. Deviations from Newton's law are predicted inside astrophysical bodies, which allow for falsifiable, smoking-gun tests of the theory. In this work we study the pulsations of stars by deriving and solving the wave equation governing linear adiabatic oscillations to find the modified period of pulsation. Using both semi-analytic and numerical models, we perform a preliminary survey of the stellar zoo in an attempt to identify the best candidate objects for testing the theory. Brown dwarfs and Cepheid stars are found to be particularly sensitive objects and we discuss the possibility of using both to test the theory.

Alpha centauri unveiling the secrets of our nearest stellar neighbor

CERN Document Server

Beech, Martin

2015-01-01

As our closest stellar companion and composed of two Sun-like stars and a third small dwarf star, Alpha Centauri is an ideal testing ground of astrophysical models and has played a central role in the history and development of modern astronomy—from the first guesses at stellar distances to understanding how our own star, the Sun, might have evolved. It is also the host of the nearest known exoplanet, an ultra-hot, Earth-like planet recently discovered. Just 4.4 light years away Alpha Centauri is also the most obvious target for humanity’s first directed interstellar space probe. Such a mission could reveal the small-scale structure of a new planetary system and also represent the first step in what must surely be humanity’s greatest future adventure—exploration of the Milky Way Galaxy itself. For all of its closeness, α Centauri continues to tantalize astronomers with many unresolved mysteries, such as how did it form, how many planets does it contain and where are they, and how might we view its ex...

CT of lobar collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, D. C.; Im, J. G.; Park, J. H.; Han, M. C.

1987-01-01

The computed tomographic (CT) findings of labor collapse are analysed in an attempt to evaluate the patterns of labor collapse and to get the helpful signs in differentiation between benign and malignant causes of collapse. 43 cases of labor collapse with or without endobronchial obstruction were reviewed. In 29 of 43 cases the collapses were caused by lung cancer. Benign causes of labor collapse included tuberculosis(10), broncholith(2), organizing pneumonia(1) and hamartoma(1). The helpful signs favoring malignant cause of the labor collapse were proximal bulging of the collapsed lobe, low density mass within the collapsed lung, and endobronchial lesion. Above described differential findings were especially applicable in cases of upper lobe collapse

Stellar recipes for axion hunters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giannotti, Maurizio; Ringwald, Andreas; Saikawa, Ken'ichi

2017-08-01

There are a number of observational hints from astrophysics which point to the existence of stellar energy losses beyond the ones accounted for by neutrino emission. These excessive energy losses may be explained by the existence of a new sub-keV mass pseudoscalar Nambu-Goldstone boson with tiny couplings to photons, electrons, and nucleons. An attractive possibility is to identify this particle with the axion - the hypothetical pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson predicted by the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem. We explore this possibility in terms of a DFSZ-type axion and of a KSVZ-type axion/majoron, respectively. Both models allow a good global fit to the data, prefering an axion mass around 10 meV. We show that future axion experiments - the fifth force experiment ARIADNE and the helioscope IAXO - can attack the preferred mass range from the lower and higher end, respectively. An axion in this mass range can also be the main constituent of dark matter.

Stellar recipes for axion hunters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giannotti, Maurizio [Physical Sciences, Barry University, 11300 NE 2nd Ave., Miami Shores, FL 33161 (United States); Irastorza, Igor G.; Redondo, Javier [Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009, Zaragoza (Spain); Ringwald, Andreas; Saikawa, Ken' ichi, E-mail: mgiannotti@barry.edu, E-mail: igor.irastorza@cern.ch, E-mail: jredondo@unizar.es, E-mail: andreas.ringwald@desy.de, E-mail: kenichi.saikawa@desy.de [Theory Group, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany)

2017-10-01

There are a number of observational hints from astrophysics which point to the existence of stellar energy losses beyond the ones accounted for by neutrino emission. These excessive energy losses may be explained by the existence of a new sub-keV mass pseudoscalar Nambu-Goldstone boson with tiny couplings to photons, electrons, and nucleons. An attractive possibility is to identify this particle with the axion—the hypothetical pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson predicted by the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem. We explore this possibility in terms of a DFSZ-type axion and of a KSVZ-type axion/majoron, respectively. Both models allow a good global fit to the data, prefering an axion mass around 10 meV. We show that future axion experiments—the fifth force experiment ARIADNE and the helioscope IAXO—can attack the preferred mass range from the lower and higher end, respectively. An axion in this mass range can also be the main constituent of dark matter.

Stellar recipes for axion hunters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giannotti, Maurizio [Barry Univ., Miami Shores, FL (United States). Physical Sciences; Irastorza, Igor G. [Zaragoza Univ. (Spain). Dept. de Fisica Teorica; Redondo, Javier [Zaragoza Univ. (Spain). Dept. de Fisica Teorica; Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Muenchen (Germany); Ringwald, Andreas; Saikawa, Ken' ichi [DESY, Hamburg (Germany). Theory Group

2017-08-15

There are a number of observational hints from astrophysics which point to the existence of stellar energy losses beyond the ones accounted for by neutrino emission. These excessive energy losses may be explained by the existence of a new sub-keV mass pseudoscalar Nambu-Goldstone boson with tiny couplings to photons, electrons, and nucleons. An attractive possibility is to identify this particle with the axion - the hypothetical pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson predicted by the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem. We explore this possibility in terms of a DFSZ-type axion and of a KSVZ-type axion/majoron, respectively. Both models allow a good global fit to the data, prefering an axion mass around 10 meV. We show that future axion experiments - the fifth force experiment ARIADNE and the helioscope IAXO - can attack the preferred mass range from the lower and higher end, respectively. An axion in this mass range can also be the main constituent of dark matter.

Nuclear physics and astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schramm, D.N.; Olinto, A.V.

1993-06-01

The authors report on recent progress of research at the interface of nuclear physics and astrophysics. During the past year, the authors continued to work on Big Bang and stellar nucleosynthesis, the solar neutrino problem, the equation of state for dense matter, the quark-hadron phase transition, and the origin of gamma-ray bursts; and began studying the consequences of nuclear reaction rates in the presence of strong magnetic fields. They have shown that the primordial production of B and Be cannot explain recent detections of these elements in halo stars and have looked at spallation as the likely source of these elements. By looking at nucleosynthesis with inhomogeneous initial conditions, they concluded that the Universe must have been very smooth before nucleosynthesis. They have also constrained neutrino oscillations and primordial magnetic fields by Big Bang nucleosynthesis. On the solar neutrino problem, they have analyzed the implications of the SAGE and GALLEX experiments. They also showed that the presence of dibaryons in neutron stars depends weakly on uncertainties of nuclear equations of state. They have started to investigate the consequences of strong magnetic fields on nuclear reactions and implications for neutron star cooling and supernova nucleosynthesis

Production of radiatively cooled hypersonic plasma jets and links to astrophysical jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedev, S V; Ciardi, A; Ampleford, D J; Bland, S N; Bott, S C; Chittenden, J P; Hall, G N; Rapley, J; Jennings, C; Sherlock, M; Frank, A; Blackman, E G

2005-01-01

We present results of high energy density laboratory experiments on the production of supersonic radiatively cooled plasma jets with dimensionless parameters (Mach number ∼30, cooling parameter ∼1 and density contrast ρ j /ρ a ∼ 10) similar to those in young stellar objects jets. The jets are produced using two modifications of wire array Z-pinch driven by 1 MA, 250 ns current pulse of MAGPIE facility at Imperial College, London. In the first set of experiments the produced jets are purely hydrodynamic and are used to study deflection of the jets by the plasma cross-wind, including the structure of internal oblique shocks in the jets. In the second configuration the jets are driven by the pressure of the toroidal magnetic field and this configuration is relevant to the astrophysical models of jet launching mechanisms. Modifications of the experimental configuration allowing the addition of the poloidal magnetic field and angular momentum to the jets are also discussed. We also present three-dimensional resistive magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of the experiments and discuss the scaling of the experiments to the astrophysical systems

Primordial and Stellar Nucleosynthesis Chemical Evolution of Galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiosi, Cesare

2010-01-01

Following a brief introduction to early Universe cosmology, we present in some detail the results of primordial nucleosynthesis. Then we summarize the basic theory of nuclear reactions in stars and sketch the general rules of stellar evolution. We shortly review the subject of supernova explosions both by core collapse in massive stars (Type II) and carbon-deflagration in binary systems when one of the components is a White Dwarf accreting mass from the companion (Type Ia). We conclude the part dedicated to nucleosynthesis with elementary notions on the s- and r-process. Finally, we shortly address the topic of galactic chemical evolution and highlight some simple solutions aimed at understanding the main observational data on abundances and abundance ratios.

Nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehoucq, Roland; Klotz, Gregory

2015-11-01

Astronomy deals with the position and observation of the objects in our Universe, from planets to galaxies. It is the oldest of the sciences. Astrophysics is the study of the physical properties of these objects. It dates from the start of the 20. century. Nuclear astrophysics is the marriage of nuclear physics, a laboratory science concerned with the infinitely small, and astrophysics, the science of what is far away and infinitely large. Its aim is to explain the origin, evolution and abundance of the elements in the Universe. It was born in 1938 with the work of Hans Bethe, an American physicist who won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1967, on the nuclear reactions that can occur at the center of stars. It explains where the incredible energy of the stars and the Sun comes from and enables us to understand how they are born, live and die. The matter all around us and from which we are made, is made up of ninety-two chemical elements that can be found in every corner of the Universe. Nuclear astrophysics explains the origin of these chemical elements by nucleosynthesis, which is the synthesis of atomic nuclei in different astrophysical environments such as stars. Nuclear astrophysics provides answers to fundamental questions: - Our Sun and the stars in general shine because nuclear reactions are taking place within them. - The stars follow a sequence of nuclear reaction cycles. Nucleosynthesis in the stars enables us to explain the origin and abundance of elements essential to life, such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and iron. - Star explosions, in the form of supernovae, disperse the nuclei formed by nucleosynthesis into space and explain the formation of the heaviest chemical elements such as gold, platinum and lead. Nuclear astrophysics is still a growing area of science. (authors)

Nuclear astrophysics of worlds in the string landscape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hogan, Craig J.

2006-01-01

Motivated by landscape models in string theory, cosmic nuclear evolution is analyzed allowing the standard model Higgs expectation value w to take values different from that in our world (w≡1), while holding the Yukawa couplings fixed. Thresholds are estimated, and astrophysical consequences are described, for several sensitive dependences of nuclear behavior on w. The dependence of the neutron-proton mass difference on w is estimated based on recent calculations of strong isospin symmetry breaking, and is used to derive the threshold of neutron-stable worlds, w≅0.6±0.2. The effect of a stable neutron on nuclear evolution in the big bang and stars is shown to lead to radical differences from our world, such as a predominance of heavy r-process and s-process nuclei and a lack of normal galaxies, stars, and planets. Rough estimates are reviewed of w thresholds for deuteron stability and the pp and pep reactions dominant in many stars. A simple model of nuclear resonances is used to estimate the w dependence of overall carbon and oxygen production during normal stellar nucleosynthesis; carbon production is estimated to change by a fraction ≅15(1-w). Radical changes in astrophysical behavior seem to require changes in w of more than a few percent, even for the most sensitive phenomena

THE DYNAMICAL EVOLUTION OF STELLAR BLACK HOLES IN GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morscher, Meagan; Pattabiraman, Bharath; Rodriguez, Carl; Rasio, Frederic A.; Umbreit, Stefan, E-mail: m.morscher@u.northwestern.edu [Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)

2015-02-10

Our current understanding of the stellar initial mass function and massive star evolution suggests that young globular clusters (GCs) may have formed hundreds to thousands of stellar-mass black holes (BHs), the remnants of stars with initial masses from ∼20-100 M {sub ☉}. Birth kicks from supernova explosions may eject some BHs from their birth clusters, but most should be retained. Using a Monte Carlo method we investigate the long-term dynamical evolution of GCs containing large numbers of stellar BHs. We describe numerical results for 42 models, covering a broad range of realistic initial conditions, including up to 1.6 × 10{sup 6} stars. In almost all models we find that significant numbers of BHs (up to ∼10{sup 3}) are retained all the way to the present. This is in contrast to previous theoretical expectations that most BHs should be ejected dynamically within a few gigayears The main reason for this difference is that core collapse driven by BHs (through the Spitzer {sup m}ass segregation instability{sup )} is easily reverted through three-body processes, and involves only a small number of the most massive BHs, while lower-mass BHs remain well-mixed with ordinary stars far from the central cusp. Thus the rapid segregation of stellar BHs does not lead to a long-term physical separation of most BHs into a dynamically decoupled inner core, as often assumed previously. Combined with the recent detections of several BH X-ray binary candidates in Galactic GCs, our results suggest that stellar BHs could still be present in large numbers in many GCs today, and that they may play a significant role in shaping the long-term dynamical evolution and the present-day dynamical structure of many clusters.

Constraints on the initial conditions of stellar formation from ISOCAM observations of dense cores seen in absorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacmann, Aurore

1999-01-01

Stars form in molecular clouds by gravitational collapse of small condensations called pre-stellar cores. This stage of the star formation process is still relatively unknown since these dense cores are deeply embedded within a thick cocoon of matter. The collapse, as well as the accretion phase depend on the structure of these objects. In order to constrain the initial conditions of star formation. We have carried out a study of the density structure of a vast sample of pre-stellar cores that we observed with the mid-infrared camera ISOCAM aboard the ISO satellite. As the cores are very dense and cold, they are seen in absorption against the diffuse mid-infrared background. This absorption method is highly interesting for our study since it is sensitive to the density structure in the outer parts of the cores. The study of these cores enabled us to confirm the presence of a flattening in their central parts, to show that their column density profiles were composed of a portion close to a NH_2 ∝ r"-"1 power-law, and that some of them presented an edge, i.e. that the slope in the outer parts of the profiles became steeper than NH_2 ∝ r"-"2. An implication of the presence of an edge is that the mass reservoir available for star formation in these cores is finite, supporting the idea that the stellar initial mass function is partly determined at a pre-stellar stage. Comparison of our results with various models of core structure shows that the column density profiles we obtained are consistent with ambipolar diffusion models of magnetically supported cores, although they require a strong background magnetic field which has up to now not been observed in these kinds of regions. (author) [fr

Arrhenius reconsidered: astrophysical jets and the spread of spores

Science.gov (United States)

Sheldon, Malkah I.; Sheldon, Robert B.

2015-09-01

In 1871, Lord Kelvin suggested that the fossil record could be an account of bacterial arrivals on comets. In 1903, Svante Arrhenius suggested that spores could be transported on stellar winds without comets. In 1984, Sir Fred Hoyle claimed to see the infrared signature of vast clouds of dried bacteria and diatoms. In 2012, the Polonnaruwa carbonaceous chondrite revealed fossilized diatoms apparently living on a comet. However, Arrhenius' spores were thought to perish in the long transit between stars. Those calculations, however, assume that maximum velocities are limited by solar winds to ~5 km/s. Herbig-Haro objects and T-Tauri stars, however, are young stars with jets of several 100 km/s that might provide the necessary propulsion. The central engine of bipolar astrophysical jets is not presently understood, but we argue it is a kinetic plasma instability of a charged central magnetic body. We show how to make a bipolar jet in a belljar. The instability is non-linear, and thus very robust to scaling laws that map from microquasars to active galactic nuclei. We scale up to stellar sizes and recalculate the viability/transit-time for spores carried by supersonic jets, to show the viability of the Arrhenius mechanism.

THE BIRTH OF A GALAXY: PRIMORDIAL METAL ENRICHMENT AND STELLAR POPULATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wise, John H.; Turk, Matthew J.; Norman, Michael L.; Abel, Tom

2012-01-01

By definition, Population III stars are metal-free, and their protostellar collapse is driven by molecular hydrogen cooling in the gas phase, leading to large characteristic masses. Population II stars with lower characteristic masses form when the star-forming gas reaches a critical metallicity of 10 –6 -10 –3.5 Z ☉ . We present an adaptive mesh refinement radiation hydrodynamics simulation that follows the transition from Population III to Population II star formation. The maximum spatial resolution of 1 comoving parsec allows for individual molecular clouds to be well resolved and their stellar associations to be studied in detail. We model stellar radiative feedback with adaptive ray tracing. A top-heavy initial mass function for the Population III stars is considered, resulting in a plausible distribution of pair-instability supernovae and associated metal enrichment. We find that the gas fraction recovers from 5% to nearly the cosmic fraction in halos with merger histories rich in halos above 10 7 M ☉ . A single pair-instability supernova is sufficient to enrich the host halo to a metallicity floor of 10 –3 Z ☉ and to transition to Population II star formation. This provides a natural explanation for the observed floor on damped Lyα systems metallicities reported in the literature, which is of this order. We find that stellar metallicities do not necessarily trace stellar ages, as mergers of halos with established stellar populations can create superpositions of t–Z evolutionary tracks. A bimodal metallicity distribution is created after a starburst occurs when the halo can cool efficiently through atomic line cooling.

The Dynamical Evolution of Stellar-Mass Black Holes in Dense Star Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Morscher, Maggie

Globular clusters are gravitationally bound systems containing up to millions of stars, and are found ubiquitously in massive galaxies, including the Milky Way. With densities as high as a million stars per cubic parsec, they are one of the few places in the Universe where stars interact with one another. They therefore provide us with a unique laboratory for studying how gravitational interactions can facilitate the formation of exotic systems, such as X-ray binaries containing black holes, and merging double black hole binaries, which are produced much less efficiently in isolation. While telescopes can provide us with a snapshot of what these dense clusters look like at present, we must rely on detailed numerical simulations to learn about their evolution. These simulations are quite challenging, however, since dense star clusters are described by a complicated set of physical processes occurring on many different length and time scales, including stellar and binary evolution, weak gravitational scattering encounters, strong resonant binary interactions, and tidal stripping by the host galaxy. Until very recently, it was not possible to model the evolution of systems with millions of stars, the actual number contained in the largest clusters, including all the relevant physics required describe these systems accurately. The Northwestern Group's Henon Monte Carlo code, CMC, which has been in development for over a decade, is a powerful tool that can be used to construct detailed evolutionary models of large star clusters. With its recent parallelization, CMC is now capable of addressing a particularly interesting unsolved problem in astrophysics: the dynamical evolution of stellar black holes in dense star clusters. Our current understanding of the stellar initial mass function and massive star evolution suggests that young globular clusters may have formed hundreds to thousands of stellar-mass black holes, the remnants of stars with initial masses from 20 - 100

Making Sense of Atmospheric Models and Fundamental Stellar Properties at the Bottom of the Main Sequence

Science.gov (United States)

Dieterich, Sergio; Henry, Todd; Jao, W.-C.; Washington, Robert; Silverstein, Michele; Winters, J.; RECONS

2018-01-01

We present a detailed comparison of atmospheric model predictions and photometric observations for late M and L dwarfs. We discuss which wavelength regions are best for determining the fundamental properties of these cool stellar and substellar atmospheres and use this analysis to refine the HR diagram for the hydrogen burning limit first presented in 2014. We also add several new objects to the HR diagram and find little qualitative difference in the HR diagram's overall morphology when compared to our 2014 results. The L2 dwarf 2MASS 0523-1403 remains the smallest hydrogen burning star for which we calculated a radius, thus likely indicating the end of the stellar main sequence. This work is supported by the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship program through grant AST-1400680.

Particle Astrophysics after COBE- Blois 92- Summary Talk

Science.gov (United States)

Primack, J. R.

The IV Rencontres de Blois, on Particle Astrophysics, held at the Ch\\^ateau de Blois, June 15-20, 1992, was a meeting well-timed for a reconsideration of the issues in particle astrophysics in the light of the COBE discovery of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) fluctuations. This is a summary of what I thought were the most interesting things discussed at Blois: (1) The near-success of Cold Dark Matter (CDM) in predicting the COBE fluctuation amplitude, which favors the hypothesis that structure formed in the universe through gravitational collapse. (2) The indications that $\\Omega\\approx1$ and that the power spectrum has a little more power on supercluster and larger scales than CDM. These are suggested by the IRAS and CfA redshift surveys and POTENT galaxy peculiar velocity analysis, and also by the COBE data. (3) The consequent demise of CDM and the rise of hybrid schemes such as Cold+Hot Dark Matter (C+HDM). (4) The possible implications for neutrino masses and mixings, and for cosmology, of the recent results on solar neutrinos. (5) The first discovery of TeV $\\gamma$ rays from an extragalactic source, which was announced at Blois. I also summarize here a number of the exciting ongoing and planned experiments and observations discussed at Blois: CERN experiments on $\

The Array for Nuclear Astrophysics Studies with Exotic Nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Linhardt, L. E.; Blackmon, J. C.; Matos, M.; Mondello, L. L.; Zganjar, E. F.; Johnson, E.; Rogachev, G.; Wiedenhover, I.

2010-11-01

The Array for Nuclear Astrophysics Studies with Exotic Nuclei (ANASEN) is a charged-particle detector array that is targeted primarily towards reaction studies with radioactive ion beams at FSU and the NSCL. ANASEN consists of 40 double-sided silicon-strip detectors backed with CsI scintillators and an innovative gas counter design that allows operation in a gas target/detector mode and experiments covering a broad range of center-of-mass energies simultaneously. Electronics based on ASIC components are being implemented to achieve a high channel count at low cost. Prototypes of all the detector components have been fabricated and are currently being tested. Performance of the individual components and plans for the first experiments that aim to improve our knowledge of the nuclear reactions important in stellar explosions will be reported.

Recent astrophysical applications of the Trojan Horse Method to nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spitaleri, C.; Cherubini, S.; Crucilla, V.; Gulino, M.; La Cognata, M.; Lamia, L.; Pizzone, R. G.; Puglia, S. M. R.; Rapisarda, G. G.; Romano, S.; Sergi, M. L.; Tumino, A.; Fu, C.; Tribble, R.; Banu, A.; Al-Abdullah, T.; Goldberg, V.; Mukhamedzhanov, A.; Tabacaru, G.; Trache, L.

2008-01-01

The Trojan Horse Method (THM) is an unique indirect technique allowing to measure astrophysical rearrangement reactions down to astrophysical relevant energies. The basic principle and a review of the recent applications of the Trojan Horse Method are presented. The applications aiming to the extraction of the bare astrophysical S b (E) for some two-body processes are discussed

Magnetized and collimated millimeter scale plasma jets with astrophysical relevance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brady, Parrish C.; Quevedo, Hernan J.; Valanju, Prashant M.; Bengtson, Roger D.; Ditmire, Todd

2012-01-01

Magnetized collimated plasma jets are created in the laboratory to extend our understanding of plasma jet acceleration and collimation mechanisms with particular connection to astrophysical jets. In this study, plasma collimated jets are formed from supersonic unmagnetized flows, mimicking a stellar wind, subject to currents and magnetohydrodynamic forces. It is found that an external poloidal magnetic field, like the ones found anchored to accretion disks, is essential to stabilize the jets against current-driven instabilities. The maximum jet length before instabilities develop is proportional to the field strength and the length threshold agrees well with Kruskal-Shafranov theory. The plasma evolution is modeled qualitatively using MHD theory of current-carrying flux tubes showing that jet acceleration and collimation arise as a result of electromagnetic forces.

Stellar pulsations in beyond Horndeski gravity theories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakstein, Jeremy [Center for Particle Cosmology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, 209 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Kenna-Allison, Michael; Koyama, Kazuya, E-mail: sakstein@physics.upenn.edu, E-mail: mka1g13@soton.ac.uk, E-mail: kazuya.koyama@port.ac.uk [Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3FX (United Kingdom)

2017-03-01

Theories of gravity in the beyond Horndeski class recover the predictions of general relativity in the solar system whilst admitting novel cosmologies, including late-time de Sitter solutions in the absence of a cosmological constant. Deviations from Newton's law are predicted inside astrophysical bodies, which allow for falsifiable, smoking-gun tests of the theory. In this work we study the pulsations of stars by deriving and solving the wave equation governing linear adiabatic oscillations to find the modified period of pulsation. Using both semi-analytic and numerical models, we perform a preliminary survey of the stellar zoo in an attempt to identify the best candidate objects for testing the theory. Brown dwarfs and Cepheid stars are found to be particularly sensitive objects and we discuss the possibility of using both to test the theory.

Relativistic Astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Font, J. A.

2015-01-01

The relativistic astrophysics is the field of astrophysics employing the theory of relativity Einstein as physical-mathematical model is to study the universe. This discipline analyzes astronomical contexts in which the laws of classical mechanics of Newton's law of gravitation are not valid. (Author)

Stellar Physics 2: Stellar Evolution and Stability

CERN Document Server

Bisnovatyi-Kogan, Gennady S

2011-01-01

"Stellar Physics" is a an outstanding book in the growing body of literature on star formation and evolution. Not only does the author, a leading expert in the field, very thoroughly present the current state of knowledge on stellar physics, but he handles with equal care the many problems that this field of research still faces. A bibliography with well over 1000 entries makes this book an unparalleled reference source. "Stellar Evolution and Stability" is the second of two volumes and can be read, as can the first volume "Fundamental Concepts and Stellar Equilibrium," as a largely independent work. It traces in great detail the evolution of protostars towards the main sequence and beyond this to the last stage of stellar evolution, with the corresponding vast range from white dwarfs to supernovae explosions, gamma-ray bursts and black hole formation. The book concludes with special chapters on the dynamical, thermal and pulsing stability of stars. This second edition is carefully updated in the areas of pre...

The History and Impact of the CNO Cycles in Nuclear Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Wiescher, Michael

2018-03-01

The carbon cycle, or Bethe-Weizsäcker cycle, plays an important role in astrophysics as one of the most important energy sources for quiescent and explosive hydrogen burning in stars. This paper presents the intellectual and historical background of the idea of the correlation between stellar energy production and the synthesis of the chemical elements in stars on the example of this cycle. In particular, it addresses the contributions of Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker and Hans Bethe, who provided the first predictions of the carbon cycle. Further, the experimental verification of the predicted process as it developed over the following decades is discussed, as well as the extension of the initial carbon cycle to the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen (CNO) multi-cycles and the hot CNO cycles. This development emerged from the detailed experimental studies of the associated nuclear reactions over more than seven decades. Finally, the impact of the experimental and theoretical results on our present understanding of hydrogen burning in different stellar environments is presented, as well as the impact on our understanding of the chemical evolution of our universe.

Physics of Relativistic Objects in Compact Binaries: From Birth to Coalescence

CERN Document Server

Colpi, Monica; Gorini, Vittorio; Moschella, Ugo; Possenti, Andrea

2009-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive, authoritative and timely review of the astrophysical approach to the investigation of gravity theories. Particular attention is paid to strong-field tests of general relativity and alternative theories of gravity, performed using collapsed objects (neutron stars, black holes and white dwarfs) in relativistic binaries as laboratories. The book starts with an introduction which gives the background linking experimental gravity in cosmic laboratories to astrophysics and fundamental physics. Subsequent chapters cover observational and theoretical aspects of the following topics: from binaries as test-beds of gravity theories to binary pulsars as cosmic laboratories; from binary star evolution to the formation of relativistic binaries; from short gamma-ray bursts to low mass X-ray binaries; from stellar-mass black hole binaries to coalescing super-massive black holes in galaxy mergers. The book will be useful to researchers, PhD and graduate students in Astrophysics, Cosmology, ...

Mass ejection in failed supernovae: variation with stellar progenitor

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, Rodrigo; Quataert, Eliot; Kashiyama, Kazumi; Coughlin, Eric R.

2018-05-01

We study the ejection of mass during stellar core-collapse when the stalled shock does not revive and a black hole forms. Neutrino emission during the protoneutron star phase causes a decrease in the gravitational mass of the core, resulting in an outward going sound pulse that steepens into a shock as it travels out through the star. We explore the properties of this mass ejection mechanism over a range of stellar progenitors using spherically symmetric, time-dependent hydrodynamic simulations that treat neutrino mass-loss parametrically and follow the shock propagation over the entire star. We find that all types of stellar progenitor can eject mass through this mechanism. The ejected mass is a decreasing function of the surface gravity of the star, ranging from several M⊙ for red supergiants to ˜0.1 M⊙ for blue supergiants and ˜10-3 M⊙ for Wolf-Rayet stars. We find that the final shock energy at the surface is a decreasing function of the core-compactness, and is ≲ 1047-1048 erg in all cases. In progenitors with a sufficiently large envelope, high core-compactness, or a combination of both, the sound pulse fails to unbind mass. Successful mass ejection is accompanied by significant fallback accretion that can last from hours to years. We predict the properties of shock breakout and thermal plateau emission produced by the ejection of the outer envelope of blue supergiant and Wolf-Rayet progenitors in otherwise failed supernovae.

Astrophysical reaction rate for the neutron-generator reaction 13C(alpha,n)16O in asymptotic giant branch stars.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, E D; Rogachev, G V; Mukhamedzhanov, A M; Baby, L T; Brown, S; Cluff, W T; Crisp, A M; Diffenderfer, E; Goldberg, V Z; Green, B W; Hinners, T; Hoffman, C R; Kemper, K W; Momotyuk, O; Peplowski, P; Pipidis, A; Reynolds, R; Roeder, B T

2006-11-10

The reaction 13C(alpha,n) is considered to be the main source of neutrons for the s process in asymptotic giant branch stars. At low energies, the cross section is dominated by the 1/2+ 6.356 MeV subthreshold resonance in (17)O whose contribution at stellar temperatures is uncertain by a factor of 10. In this work, we performed the most precise determination of the low-energy astrophysical S factor using the indirect asymptotic normalization (ANC) technique. The alpha-particle ANC for the subthreshold state has been measured using the sub-Coulomb alpha-transfer reaction ((6)Li,d). Using the determined ANC, we calculated S(0), which turns out to be an order of magnitude smaller than in the nuclear astrophysics compilation of reaction rates.

Evolution of highly compact binary stellar systems in globular clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krolik, J.H.; Meiksin, A.; Joss, P.C.

1984-01-01

We have calculated the secular evolution of a highly compact binary stellar system, composed of a collapsed object and a low-mass secondary star, in the core of a globular cluster. The binary evolves under the combined influences of (i) gravitational radiation losses from the system, (ii) the evolution of the secondary star, (iii) the resultant gradual mass transfer, if any, from the secondary to the collapsed object, and (iv) occasional encounters with passing field stars. We calculate all these effects in detail, utilizing some simplifying approximations appropriate to low-mass secondaries. The times of encounters with field stars, and the initial parameter specifying those encounters, were chosen by use of a Monte Carlo technique; the subsequent gravitational interactions were calculated utilzing a three-body integrator, and the changes in the binary orbital parmeters were thereby determined. We carried out a total of 20 such evolutionary calculations for each of two cluster core densities (1 and 3 x 10 3 stars pc -3 ). Each calculation was continued until the binary was disrupted or until 2 x 10 10 yr had elapsed

Stellar populations of bulges in galaxies with a low surface-brightness disc

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, L.; Corsini, E. M.; Pizzella, A.; Dalla Bontà, E.; Coccato, L.; Méndez-Abreu, J.

2015-03-01

The radial profiles of the Hβ, Mg, and Fe line-strength indices are presented for a sample of eight spiral galaxies with a low surface-brightness stellar disc and a bulge. The correlations between the central values of the line-strength indices and velocity dispersion are consistent to those known for early-type galaxies and bulges of high surface-brightness galaxies. The age, metallicity, and α/Fe enhancement of the stellar populations in the bulge-dominated region are obtained using stellar population models with variable element abundance ratios. Almost all the sample bulges are characterized by a young stellar population, on-going star formation, and a solar α/Fe enhancement. Their metallicity spans from high to sub-solar values. No significant gradient in age and α/Fe enhancement is measured, whereas only in a few cases a negative metallicity gradient is found. These properties suggest that a pure dissipative collapse is not able to explain formation of all the sample bulges and that other phenomena, like mergers or acquisition events, need to be invoked. Such a picture is also supported by the lack of a correlation between the central value and gradient of the metallicity in bulges with very low metallicity. The stellar populations of the bulges hosted by low surface-brightness discs share many properties with those of high surface-brightness galaxies. Therefore, they are likely to have common formation scenarios and evolution histories. A strong interplay between bulges and discs is ruled out by the fact that in spite of being hosted by discs with extremely different properties, the bulges of low and high surface-brightness discs are remarkably similar.

SP_Ace: a new code to derive stellar parameters and elemental abundances

Science.gov (United States)

Boeche, C.; Grebel, E. K.

2016-03-01

Context. Ongoing and future massive spectroscopic surveys will collect large numbers (106-107) of stellar spectra that need to be analyzed. Highly automated software is needed to derive stellar parameters and chemical abundances from these spectra. Aims: We developed a new method of estimating the stellar parameters Teff, log g, [M/H], and elemental abundances. This method was implemented in a new code, SP_Ace (Stellar Parameters And Chemical abundances Estimator). This is a highly automated code suitable for analyzing the spectra of large spectroscopic surveys with low or medium spectral resolution (R = 2000-20 000). Methods: After the astrophysical calibration of the oscillator strengths of 4643 absorption lines covering the wavelength ranges 5212-6860 Å and 8400-8924 Å, we constructed a library that contains the equivalent widths (EW) of these lines for a grid of stellar parameters. The EWs of each line are fit by a polynomial function that describes the EW of the line as a function of the stellar parameters. The coefficients of these polynomial functions are stored in a library called the "GCOG library". SP_Ace, a code written in FORTRAN95, uses the GCOG library to compute the EWs of the lines, constructs models of spectra as a function of the stellar parameters and abundances, and searches for the model that minimizes the χ2 deviation when compared to the observed spectrum. The code has been tested on synthetic and real spectra for a wide range of signal-to-noise and spectral resolutions. Results: SP_Ace derives stellar parameters such as Teff, log g, [M/H], and chemical abundances of up to ten elements for low to medium resolution spectra of FGK-type stars with precision comparable to the one usually obtained with spectra of higher resolution. Systematic errors in stellar parameters and chemical abundances are presented and identified with tests on synthetic and real spectra. Stochastic errors are automatically estimated by the code for all the parameters

The Impact of the Nuclear Equation of State in Core Collapse Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Baird, M. L.; Lentz, E. J.; Hix, W. R.; Mezzacappa, A.; Messer, O. E. B.; Liebendoerfer, M.; TeraScale Supernova Initiative Collaboration

2005-12-01

One of the key ingredients to the core collapse supernova mechanism is the physics of matter at or near nuclear density. Included in simulations as part of the Equation of State (EOS), nuclear repulsion experienced at high densities are responsible for the bounce shock, which initially causes the outer envelope of the supernova to expand, as well as determining the structure of the newly formed proto-neutron star. Recent years have seen renewed interest in this fundamental piece of supernova physics, resulting in several promising candidate EOS parameterizations. We will present the impact of these variations in the nuclear EOS using spherically symmetric, Newtonian and General Relativistic neutrino transport simulations of stellar core collapse and bounce. This work is supported in part by SciDAC grants to the TeraScale Supernovae Initiative from the DOE Office of Science High Energy, Nuclear, and Advanced Scientific Computing Research Programs. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for U.S. Department of Energy under contract DEAC05-00OR22725

Establishing a relation between the mass and the spin of stellar-mass black holes.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Indrani; Mukhopadhyay, Banibrata

2013-08-09

Stellar mass black holes (SMBHs), forming by the core collapse of very massive, rapidly rotating stars, are expected to exhibit a high density accretion disk around them developed from the spinning mantle of the collapsing star. A wide class of such disks, due to their high density and temperature, are effective emitters of neutrinos and hence called neutrino cooled disks. Tracking the physics relating the observed (neutrino) luminosity to the mass, spin of black holes (BHs) and the accretion rate (M) of such disks, here we establish a correlation between the spin and mass of SMBHs at their formation stage. Our work shows that spinning BHs are more massive than nonspinning BHs for a given M. However, slowly spinning BHs can turn out to be more massive than spinning BHs if M at their formation stage was higher compared to faster spinning BHs.

Gamow-Teller strength and lepton captures rates on 66-71Ni in stellar matter

Science.gov (United States)

Nabi, Jameel-Un; Majid, Muhammad

Charge-changing transitions play a significant role in stellar weak-decay processes. The fate of the massive stars is decided by these weak-decay rates including lepton (positron and electron) captures rates, which play a consequential role in the dynamics of core collapse. As per previous simulation results, weak interaction rates on nickel (Ni) isotopes have significant influence on the stellar core vis-à-vis controlling the lepton content of stellar matter throughout the silicon shell burning phases of high mass stars up to the presupernova stages. In this paper, we perform a microscopic calculation of Gamow-Teller (GT) charge-changing transitions, in the β-decay and electron capture (EC) directions, for neutron-rich Ni isotopes (66-71Ni). We further compute the associated weak-decay rates for these selected Ni isotopes in stellar environment. The computations are accomplished by employing the deformed proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation (pn-QRPA) model. A recent study showed that the deformed pn-QRPA theory is well suited for the estimation of GT transitions. The astral weak-decay rates are determined over densities in the range of 10-1011g/cm3 and temperatures in the range of 0.01 × 109-30 × 109K. The calculated lepton capture rates are compared with the previous calculation of Pruet and Fuller (PF). The overall comparison demonstrates that, at low stellar densities and high temperatures, our EC rates are bigger by as much as two orders of magnitude. Our results show that, at higher temperatures, the lepton capture rates are the dominant mode for the stellar weak rates and the corresponding lepton emission rates may be neglected.

THE STELLAR SPHEROID, THE DISK, AND THE DYNAMICS OF THE COSMIC WEB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domínguez-Tenreiro, R.; Obreja, A.; Brook, C. B.; Martínez-Serrano, F. J.; Serna, A.; Stinson, G.

2015-01-01

Models of the advanced stages of gravitational instability predict that baryons that form the stellar populations of current galaxies at z = 0 displayed a web-like structure at high z, as part of the cosmic web (CW). We explore details of these predictions using cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. When the stellar populations of the spheroid and disk components of simulated late-type galaxies are traced back separately to high zs we found CW-like structures where spheroid progenitors are more evolved than disk progenitors. The distinction between the corresponding stellar populations, as driven by their specific angular momentum content j, can be explained in terms of the CW evolution, extended to two processes occurring at lower z. First, the spheroid progenitors strongly lose j at collapse, which contrasts with the insignificant j loss of the disk progenitors. The second is related to the lack of alignment, at assembly, between the spheroid-to-be material and the already settled proto-disk, in contrast to the alignment of disk-to-be material, in some cases resulting from circumgalactic, disk-induced gravitational torques. The different final outcomes of these low-z processes have their origins in the different initial conditions driven by the CW dynamics

The molecular universe: from astronomy to laboratory astrophysics and back

Science.gov (United States)

van Dishoeck, Ewine

2015-08-01

Molecules are found in a wide range of astronomical environments, fromour Solar System to distant starburst galaxies at the highest redshifts. Thanks to the opening up of the infrared and (sub)millimeter wavelength regime, culminating with Herschel and ALMA, more than 180 different species have now been found throughout the various stages of stellar birth and death: diffuse and dense interstellar clouds, protostars and disks, the envelopes of evolved stars and planetary nebulae, and exo-planetary atmospheres. Molecules and solid-state features are now also routinely detected in the interstellar medium of external galaxies, near and far.There are many motivations for studying this molecular universe. From the chemical perspective, interstellar space provides a unique laboratory to study basic molecular processes under very different conditions from those normally found in a laboratory on Earth. For astronomers, molecules are unique probes of the many environments where they are found, providing information on density, temperature, dynamics, ionization fractions and magnetic fields. Molecules also play an important role in the cooling of clouds allowing them to collapse, including the formation of the very first stars and galaxies. Finally, the molecular composition is sensitive to the history of the material, and ultimately provides critical information on our origins.This talk will summarize a number of recent observational highlights and provide examples of cases where the availability of new laboratory data proved crucial in the analysis. This includes basic data such as spectroscopy and collisional rate coefficients, but also an improved understanding of photoprocesses in the gaseous and solid state. Much of the chemistry in star- and planet-forming regions is now thought to be driven by gas-grain chemistry rather than pure gas-phase chemistry, and a few examples of the close link between models and laboratory experiments will be given. In spite of lingering

Review of collapse triggering mechanism of collapsible soils due to wetting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping Li

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Loess soil deposits are widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions and constitute about 10% of land area of the world. These soils typically have a loose honeycomb-type meta-stable structure that is susceptible to a large reduction in total volume or collapse upon wetting. Collapse characteristics contribute to various problems to infrastructures that are constructed on loess soils. For this reason, collapse triggering mechanism for loess soils has been of significant interest for researchers and practitioners all over the world. This paper aims at providing a state-of-the-art review on collapse mechanism with special reference to loess soil deposits. The collapse mechanism studies are summarized under three different categories, i.e. traditional approaches, microstructure approach, and soil mechanics-based approaches. The traditional and microstructure approaches for interpreting the collapse behavior are comprehensively summarized and critically reviewed based on the experimental results from the literature. The soil mechanics-based approaches proposed based on the experimental results of both compacted soils and natural loess soils are reviewed highlighting their strengths and limitations for estimating the collapse behavior. Simpler soil mechanics-based approaches with less parameters or parameters that are easy-to-determine from conventional tests are suggested for future research to better understand the collapse behavior of natural loess soils. Such studies would be more valuable for use in conventional geotechnical engineering practice applications.

Local models of astrophysical discs

Science.gov (United States)

Latter, Henrik N.; Papaloizou, John

2017-12-01

Local models of gaseous accretion discs have been successfully employed for decades to describe an assortment of small-scale phenomena, from instabilities and turbulence, to dust dynamics and planet formation. For the most part, they have been derived in a physically motivated but essentially ad hoc fashion, with some of the mathematical assumptions never made explicit nor checked for consistency. This approach is susceptible to error, and it is easy to derive local models that support spurious instabilities or fail to conserve key quantities. In this paper we present rigorous derivations, based on an asympototic ordering, and formulate a hierarchy of local models (incompressible, Boussinesq and compressible), making clear which is best suited for a particular flow or phenomenon, while spelling out explicitly the assumptions and approximations of each. We also discuss the merits of the anelastic approximation, emphasizing that anelastic systems struggle to conserve energy unless strong restrictions are imposed on the flow. The problems encountered by the anelastic approximation are exacerbated by the disc's differential rotation, but also attend non-rotating systems such as stellar interiors. We conclude with a defence of local models and their continued utility in astrophysical research.

Mass-23 nuclei in astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraser, P R; Amos, K; Van der Kniff, D; Canton, L; Karataglidis, S; Svenne, J P

2015-01-01

The formation of mass-23 nuclei by radiative capture is of great interest in astrophysics. A topical problem associated with these isobars is the so-called 22 Na puzzle of ONe white dwarf novae, where the abundance of 22 Na observed is not as is predicted by current stellar models, indicating there is more to learn about how the distribution of elements in the universe occurred. Another concerns unexplained variations in elements abundance on the surface of aging red giant stars. One method for theoretically studying nuclear scattering is the Multi-Channel Algebraic Scattering (MCAS) formalism. Studies to date have used a simple collective-rotor prescription to model the target states which couple to projectile nucleons. While, in general, the target states considered all belong to the ground state rotor band, for some systems it is necessary to include coupling to states outside of this band. Herein we discuss an extension of MCAS to allow coupling of different strengths between such states and the ground state band. This consideration is essential when studying the scattering of neutrons from 22 Ne, a necessary step in studying the mass-23 nuclei mentioned above. (paper)

Types of collapse calderas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguirre-Diaz, Gerardo J [Centro de Geociencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro, Qro., 76230 (Mexico)], E-mail: ger@geociencias.unam.mx

2008-10-01

Three main types of collapse calderas can be defined, 1) summit caldera: those formed at the top of large volcanoes, 2) classic caldera: semi-circular to irregular-shaped large structures, several km in diameter and related to relatively large-volume pyroclastic products, and 3) graben caldera: explosive volcano-tectonic collapse structures from which large-volume, ignimbrite-forming eruptions occurred through several fissural vents along the graben master faults and the intra-graben block faults. These in turn can collapse at least with three styles: 1) Piston: when the collapse occurs as a single crustal block; 2) Trap-door: when collapse occurs unevenly along one side while the opposite side remains with no collapse; 3) Piece-meal: when collapse occurs as broken pieces of the crust on top of the magma chamber.

Constraints for the progenitor masses of 17 historic core-collapse supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Benjamin F.; Peterson, Skyler; Gilbert, Karoline; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Murphy, Jeremiah; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Jennings, Zachary G.

2014-01-01

Using resolved stellar photometry measured from archival Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we generate color-magnitude diagrams of the stars within 50 pc of the locations of historic core-collapse supernovae (SNe) that took place in galaxies within 8 Mpc. We fit these color-magnitude distributions with stellar evolution models to determine the best-fit age distribution of the young population. We then translate these age distributions into probability distributions for the progenitor mass of each SN. The measurements are anchored by the main-sequence stars surrounding the event, making them less sensitive to assumptions about binarity, post-main-sequence evolution, or circumstellar dust. We demonstrate that, in cases where the literature contains masses that have been measured from direct imaging, our measurements are consistent with (but less precise than) these measurements. Using this technique, we constrain the progenitor masses of 17 historic SNe, 11 of which have no previous estimates from direct imaging. Our measurements still allow the possibility that all SN progenitor masses are <20 M ☉ . However, the large uncertainties for the highest-mass progenitors also allow the possibility of no upper-mass cutoff.

Constraints for the progenitor masses of 17 historic core-collapse supernovae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Benjamin F.; Peterson, Skyler; Gilbert, Karoline; Dalcanton, Julianne J. [Department of Astronomy, Box 351580, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Murphy, Jeremiah [Department of Physics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85706 (United States); Jennings, Zachary G., E-mail: ben@astro.washington.edu, E-mail: peters8@uw.edu, E-mail: jd@astro.washington.edu, E-mail: jeremiah@physics.fsu.edu, E-mail: kgilbert@stsci.edu, E-mail: dolphin@raytheon.com, E-mail: zgjennin@ucsc.edu [University of California Observatories, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

2014-08-20

Using resolved stellar photometry measured from archival Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we generate color-magnitude diagrams of the stars within 50 pc of the locations of historic core-collapse supernovae (SNe) that took place in galaxies within 8 Mpc. We fit these color-magnitude distributions with stellar evolution models to determine the best-fit age distribution of the young population. We then translate these age distributions into probability distributions for the progenitor mass of each SN. The measurements are anchored by the main-sequence stars surrounding the event, making them less sensitive to assumptions about binarity, post-main-sequence evolution, or circumstellar dust. We demonstrate that, in cases where the literature contains masses that have been measured from direct imaging, our measurements are consistent with (but less precise than) these measurements. Using this technique, we constrain the progenitor masses of 17 historic SNe, 11 of which have no previous estimates from direct imaging. Our measurements still allow the possibility that all SN progenitor masses are <20 M {sub ☉}. However, the large uncertainties for the highest-mass progenitors also allow the possibility of no upper-mass cutoff.

Progress of the Felsenkeller Shallow-Underground Accelerator for Nuclear Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Bemmerer, D.; Cavanna, F.; Cowan, T. E.; Grieger, M.; Hensel, T.; Junghans, A. R.; Ludwig, F.; Müller, S. E.; Rimarzig, B.; Reinicke, S.; Schulz, S.; Schwengner, R.; Stöckel, K.; Szücs, T.; Takács, M. P.; Wagner, A.; Wagner, L.; Zuber, K.

Low-background experiments with stable ion beams are an important tool for putting the model of stellar hydrogen, helium, and carbon burning on a solid experimental foundation. The pioneering work in this regard has been done by the LUNA collaboration at Gran Sasso, using a 0.4 MV accelerator. In the present contribution, the status of the project for a higher-energy underground accelerator is reviewed. Two tunnels of the Felsenkeller underground site in Dresden, Germany, are currently being refurbished for the installation of a 5 MV high-current Pelletron accelerator. Construction work is on schedule and expected to complete in August 2017. The accelerator will provide intense, 50 µA, beams of 1H+, 4He+, and 12C+ ions, enabling research on astrophysically relevant nuclear reactions with unprecedented sensitivity.

Astrophysical site(s of r-process elements in galactic chemodynamical evolution model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hirai Yutaka

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Astrophysical site(s of rapid neutron-capture process (r-process is (are not identified yet. Although core-collapse supernovae have been regarded as one of the possible candidates of the astrophysical site of r-process, nucleosynthesis studies suggest that serious difficulties in core-collapse supernovae to produce heavy elements with mass number of ≳110. Recent studies show that neutron star mergers (NSMs can synthesize these elements due to their neutron rich environment. Some chemical evolution studies of the Milky Way halo, however, hardly reproduce the observed star-to-star scatters of the abundance ratios of r-process elements (e.g., Eu in extremely metal-poor stars. This is because of their low rate (∼ 10−4 yr−1 for a Milky Way size galaxy and long merger time (≳ 100 Myr. This problem might be solved if the stars in the Galactic halo are consisted of the stars formed in dwarf galaxies where the star formation efficiencies were very low. In this study, we carry out numerical simulations of galactic chemo-dynamical evolution using an N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics code. We construct detailed chemo-dynamical evolution model for the Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs assuming that the NSMs are the major source of r-process elements. Our models successfully reproduce the observed dispersion in [Eu/Fe] as a function of [Fe/H] if we set merger time of NSMs, ≲ 300 Myr with the Galactic NSM rate of ∼ 10−4 yr−1. In addition, our results are consistent with the observed metallicity distribution of dSphs. In the early phase (≲1 Gyr of galaxy evolution is constant due to low star formation efficiency of dSphs. This study supports the idea that NSMs are the major site of r-process nucleosynthesis.

Solving the relativistic inverse stellar problem through gravitational waves observation of binary neutron stars

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelsalhin, Tiziano; Maselli, Andrea; Ferrari, Valeria

2018-04-01

The LIGO/Virgo Collaboration has recently announced the direct detection of gravitational waves emitted in the coalescence of a neutron star binary. This discovery allows, for the first time, to set new constraints on the behavior of matter at supranuclear density, complementary with those coming from astrophysical observations in the electromagnetic band. In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility of using gravitational signals to solve the relativistic inverse stellar problem, i.e., to reconstruct the parameters of the equation of state (EoS) from measurements of the stellar mass and tidal Love number. We perform Bayesian inference of mock data, based on different models of the star internal composition, modeled through piecewise polytropes. Our analysis shows that the detection of a small number of sources by a network of advanced interferometers would allow to put accurate bounds on the EoS parameters, and to perform a model selection among the realistic equations of state proposed in the literature.

Where Does the Physics of Extreme Gravitational Collapse Reside?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Barceló

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The gravitational collapse of massive stars serves to manifest the most severe deviations of general relativity with respect to Newtonian gravity: the formation of horizons and spacetime singularities. Both features have proven to be catalysts of deep physical developments, especially when combined with the principles of quantum mechanics. Nonetheless, it is seldom remarked that it is hardly possible to combine all these developments into a unified theoretical model, while maintaining reasonable prospects for the independent experimental corroboration of its different parts. In this paper we review the current theoretical understanding of the physics of gravitational collapse in order to highlight this tension, stating the position that the standard view on evaporating black holes stands for. This serves as the motivation for the discussion of a recent proposal that offers the opposite perspective, represented by a set of geometries that regularize the classical singular behavior and present modifications of the near-horizon Schwarzschild geometry as the result of the propagation of non-perturbative ultraviolet effects originated in regions of high curvature. We present an extensive exploration of the necessary steps on the explicit construction of these geometries, and discuss how this proposal could change our present understanding of astrophysical black holes and even offer the possibility of detecting genuine ultraviolet effects in gravitational-wave experiments.

Dusty plasmas in application to astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verheest, F.

1999-01-01

Highly charged and massive dust grains have much smaller characteristic frequencies than electrons and ions and lead to interesting modifications of existing modes and to exciting new possibilities for modes and instabilities at the lower frequency end of the spectrum. Space observations of planets and comets have shown wave-like behaviour which can only be explained by the presence of charged dust grains. Two typical solar system applications are spokes and braids in the rings of Saturn and the influence of charged dust on the pickup process of ions of cometary origin by the solar wind. As dust is ubiquitous in the universe, the Jeans instability in astrophysics is modified by incorporating plasma and charged dust and treating electromagnetic and self-gravitational aspects together. Besides the usual mechanism based upon thermal agitation, other ways of countering gravitational contraction are via excitation of electrostatic dust-acoustic modes or via Alfven-Jeans instabilities for perpendicular magnetosonic waves. The unstable wavelengths tend to be much larger, due to the dominance of plasma and magnetic pressures in inhibiting gravitational collapse. (author)

Radial Velocities of Subgiant Stars and New Astrophysical Insights into RV Jitter

Science.gov (United States)

Luhn, Jacob; Bastien, Fabienne; Wright, Jason T.

2018-01-01

For nearly 20 years, the California Planet Search (CPS) has simultaneously monitored precise radial velocities and chromospheric activity levels of stars from Keck observatory to search for exoplanets. This sample provides a useful set of stars to better determine the dependence of RV jitter on flicker (which traces surface gravity) first shown in Bastien et al. (2014). We expand upon this initial work by examining a much larger sample of stars covering a much wider range of stellar parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, and activity, among others). For more than 600 stars, there are enough RV measurements to distinguish this astrophysical jitter from accelerations due to orbital companions. To properly isolate RV jitter from these effects, we must first remove the RV signal due to these companions, including several previously unannounced giant planets around subgiant stars. We highlight some new results from our analysis of the CPS data. A more thorough understanding of the various sources of RV jitter and the underlying stellar phenomena that drive these intrinsic RV variations will enable more precise jitter estimates for RV follow-up targets such as those from K2 or the upcoming TESS mission.

Neutrino energy loss rates due to key iron isotopes for core-collapse physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nabi, J.-U.

2008-07-01

Accurate estimates of neutrino energy loss rates are needed for the study of the late stages of the stellar evolution, in particular for the cooling of neutron stars and white dwarfs. The energy spectra of neutrinos and antineutrinos arriving at the Earth can also provide useful information on the primary neutrino fluxes as well as neutrino mixing scenario. Proton-neutron quasi-particle random phase approximation (pn-QRPA) theory has recently being used for a microscopic calculation of stellar weak interaction rates of fp-shell nuclide, particularly iron isotopes, with success. Here I present the calculation of neutrino and antineutrino energy loss rates due to key iron isotopes in stellar matter using the pn-QRPA theory. The rates are calculated on a fine grid of temperature-density scale suitable for core-collapse simulators. The calculated rates are compared against earlier calculations. The neutrino cooling rates due to even-even isotopes of iron, 54,56 Fe, are in good agreement with the rates calculated using the large-scale shell model. The pn-QRPA calculated neutrino energy loss rates due to 55 Fe are enhanced roughly around an order of magnitude compared to the large-scale shell model calculation during the oxygen and silicon shell burning stages of massive stars and favor a lower entropy for the cores of massive stars. (author)

THE PROGENITOR DEPENDENCE OF THE PRE-EXPLOSION NEUTRINO EMISSION IN CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Connor, Evan; Ott, Christian D.

2013-01-01

We perform spherically symmetric general-relativistic simulations of core collapse and the postbounce pre-explosion phase in 32 presupernova stellar models of solar metallicity with zero-age main-sequence masses of 12-120 M ☉ . Using energy-dependent three-species neutrino transport in the two-moment approximation with an analytic closure, we show that the emitted neutrino luminosities and spectra follow very systematic trends that are correlated with the compactness (∼M/R) of the progenitor star's inner regions via the accretion rate in the pre-explosion phase. We find that these qualitative trends depend only weakly on the nuclear equation of state (EOS), but quantitative observational statements will require independent constraints on the EOS and the rotation rate of the core as well as a more complete understanding of neutrino oscillations. We investigate the simulated response of water Cherenkov detectors to the electron antineutrino fluxes from our models and find that the large statistics of a galactic core collapse event may allow robust conclusions on the inner structure of the progenitor star.

THE PROGENITOR DEPENDENCE OF THE PRE-EXPLOSION NEUTRINO EMISSION IN CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Connor, Evan; Ott, Christian D., E-mail: evanoc@tapir.caltech.edu, E-mail: cott@tapir.caltech.edu [TAPIR, California Institute of Technology, Mailcode 350-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2013-01-10

We perform spherically symmetric general-relativistic simulations of core collapse and the postbounce pre-explosion phase in 32 presupernova stellar models of solar metallicity with zero-age main-sequence masses of 12-120 M {sub Sun }. Using energy-dependent three-species neutrino transport in the two-moment approximation with an analytic closure, we show that the emitted neutrino luminosities and spectra follow very systematic trends that are correlated with the compactness ({approx}M/R) of the progenitor star's inner regions via the accretion rate in the pre-explosion phase. We find that these qualitative trends depend only weakly on the nuclear equation of state (EOS), but quantitative observational statements will require independent constraints on the EOS and the rotation rate of the core as well as a more complete understanding of neutrino oscillations. We investigate the simulated response of water Cherenkov detectors to the electron antineutrino fluxes from our models and find that the large statistics of a galactic core collapse event may allow robust conclusions on the inner structure of the progenitor star.

Nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnould, M.; Takahashi, K.

1999-01-01

Nuclear astrophysics is that branch of astrophysics which helps understanding of the Universe, or at least some of its many faces, through the knowledge of the microcosm of the atomic nucleus. It attempts to find as many nuclear physics imprints as possible in the macrocosm, and to decipher what those messages are telling us about the varied constituent objects in the Universe at present and in the past. In the last decades much advance has been made in nuclear astrophysics thanks to the sometimes spectacular progress made in the modelling of the structure and evolution of the stars, in the quality and diversity of the astronomical observations, as well as in the experimental and theoretical understanding of the atomic nucleus and of its spontaneous or induced transformations. Developments in other subfields of physics and chemistry have also contributed to that advance. Notwithstanding the accomplishment, many long-standing problems remain to be solved, and the theoretical understanding of a large variety of observational facts needs to be put on safer grounds. In addition, new questions are continuously emerging, and new facts endangering old ideas. This review shows that astrophysics has been, and still is, highly demanding to nuclear physics in both its experimental and theoretical components. On top of the fact that large varieties of nuclei have to be dealt with, these nuclei are immersed in highly unusual environments which may have a significant impact on their static properties, the diversity of their transmutation modes, and on the probabilities of these modes. In order to have a chance of solving some of the problems nuclear astrophysics is facing, the astrophysicists and nuclear physicists are obviously bound to put their competence in common, and have sometimes to benefit from the help of other fields of physics, like particle physics, plasma physics or solid-state physics. Given the highly varied and complex aspects, we pick here some specific nuclear

Pulsar astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyne, A.G.; Graham-Smith, F.

1990-01-01

This account of the properties of pulsars tells an exciting story of discovery in modern astronomy. Pulsars, discovered in 1967, now take their place in a very wide range of astrophysics. They are one of the endpoints of stellar evolution, in which the core of a star collapses to a rapidly spinning neutron star a few kilometres in size. This book is an introductory account for those entering the field. It introduces the circumstances of the discovery and gives an overview of pulsar astrophysics. There are chapters on search techniques, distances, pulse timing, the galactic population of pulsars, binary and millisecond pulsars, geometry and physics of the emission regions, and applications to the interstellar medium. An important feature of this book is the inclusion of an up-to-date catalogue of all known pulsars. (author)

Search for neutrinos from core-collapse supernova from the global network of detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Habig, Alec, E-mail: ahabig@umn.ed [University of Minnesota Duluth, Physics Department, 10 University Dr., Duluth, MN 55812 (United States)

2010-01-01

The Supernova Early Warning System (SNEWS) is a cooperative effort between the world's neutrino detection experiments to spread the news that a star in our galaxy has just experienced a core-collapse event and is about to become a Type II Supernova. This project exploits the {approx}hours time difference between neutrinos promptly escaping the nascent supernova and photons which originate when the shock wave breaks through the stellar photosphere, to give the world a chance to get ready to observe such an exciting event at the earliest possible time. A coincidence trigger between experiments is used to eliminate potential local false alarms, allowing a rapid, automated alert.

Black holes in binary stellar systems and galactic nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherepashchuk, A M

2014-01-01

In the last 40 years, following pioneering papers by Ya B Zeldovich and E E Salpeter, in which a powerful energy release from nonspherical accretion of matter onto a black hole (BH) was predicted, many observational studies of black holes in the Universe have been carried out. To date, the masses of several dozen stellar-mass black holes (M BH =(4−20)M ⊙ ) in X-ray binary systems and of several hundred supermassive black holes (M BH =(10 6 −10 10 )M ⊙ ) in galactic nuclei have been measured. The estimated radii of these massive and compact objects do not exceed several gravitational radii. For about ten stellar-mass black holes and several dozen supermassive black holes, the values of the dimensionless angular momentum a ∗ have been estimated, which, in agreement with theoretical predictions, do not exceed the limiting value a ∗ =0.998. A new field of astrophysics, so-called black hole demography, which studies the birth and growth of black holes and their evolutionary connection to other objects in the Universe, namely stars, galaxies, etc., is rapidly developing. In addition to supermassive black holes, massive stellar clusters are observed in galactic nuclei, and their evolution is distinct from that of supermassive black holes. The evolutionary relations between supermassive black holes in galactic centers and spheroidal stellar components (bulges) of galaxies, as well as dark-matter galactic haloes are brought out. The launch into Earth's orbit of the space radio interferometer RadioAstron opened up the real possibility of finally proving that numerous discovered massive and highly compact objects with properties very similar to those of black holes make up real black holes in the sense of Albert Einstein's General Relativity. Similar proofs of the existence of black holes in the Universe can be obtained by intercontinental radio interferometry at short wavelengths λ≲1 mm (the international program, Event Horizon Telescope). (100

Black holes in binary stellar systems and galactic nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Cherepashchuk, A. M.

2014-04-01

In the last 40 years, following pioneering papers by Ya B Zeldovich and E E Salpeter, in which a powerful energy release from nonspherical accretion of matter onto a black hole (BH) was predicted, many observational studies of black holes in the Universe have been carried out. To date, the masses of several dozen stellar-mass black holes (M_BH = (4{-}20) M_\\odot) in X-ray binary systems and of several hundred supermassive black holes (M_BH = (10^{6}{-}10^{10}) M_\\odot) in galactic nuclei have been measured. The estimated radii of these massive and compact objects do not exceed several gravitational radii. For about ten stellar-mass black holes and several dozen supermassive black holes, the values of the dimensionless angular momentum a_* have been estimated, which, in agreement with theoretical predictions, do not exceed the limiting value a_* = 0.998. A new field of astrophysics, so-called black hole demography, which studies the birth and growth of black holes and their evolutionary connection to other objects in the Universe, namely stars, galaxies, etc., is rapidly developing. In addition to supermassive black holes, massive stellar clusters are observed in galactic nuclei, and their evolution is distinct from that of supermassive black holes. The evolutionary relations between supermassive black holes in galactic centers and spheroidal stellar components (bulges) of galaxies, as well as dark-matter galactic haloes are brought out. The launch into Earth's orbit of the space radio interferometer RadioAstron opened up the real possibility of finally proving that numerous discovered massive and highly compact objects with properties very similar to those of black holes make up real black holes in the sense of Albert Einstein's General Relativity. Similar proofs of the existence of black holes in the Universe can be obtained by intercontinental radio interferometry at short wavelengths \\lambda \\lesssim 1 mm (the international program, Event Horizon Telescope).

GRAVITATIONAL WAVE SIGNATURES IN BLACK HOLE FORMING CORE COLLAPSE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cerdá-Durán, Pablo; DeBrye, Nicolas; Aloy, Miguel A.; Font, José A.; Obergaulinger, Martin, E-mail: pablo.cerda@uv.es [Departamento de Astronomia y Astrofísica, Universidad de Valencia, c/Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100-Burjassot (Spain)

2013-12-20

We present general relativistic numerical simulations of collapsing stellar cores. Our initial model consists of a low metallicity rapidly-rotating progenitor which is evolved in axisymmetry with the latest version of our general relativistic code CoCoNuT, which allows for black hole formation and includes the effects of a microphysical equation of state (LS220) and a neutrino leakage scheme to account for radiative losses. The motivation of our study is to analyze in detail the emission of gravitational waves in the collapsar scenario of long gamma-ray bursts. Our simulations show that the phase during which the proto-neutron star (PNS) survives before ultimately collapsing to a black hole is particularly optimal for gravitational wave emission. The high-amplitude waves last for several seconds and show a remarkable quasi-periodicity associated with the violent PNS dynamics, namely during the episodes of convection and the subsequent nonlinear development of the standing-accretion shock instability (SASI). By analyzing the spectrogram of our simulations we are able to identify the frequencies associated with the presence of g-modes and with the SASI motions at the PNS surface. We note that the gravitational waves emitted reach large enough amplitudes to be detected with third-generation detectors such as the Einstein Telescope within a Virgo Cluster volume at rates ≲ 0.1 yr{sup –1}.

Delay-time distribution of core-collapse supernovae with late events resulting from binary interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Zapartas, E.; de Mink, S. E.; Izzard, R. G.; Yoon, S.-C.; Badenes, C.; Götberg, Y.; de Koter, A.; Neijssel, C. J.; Renzo, M.; Schootemeijer, A.; Shrotriya, T. S.

2017-05-01

Most massive stars, the progenitors of core-collapse supernovae, are in close binary systems and may interact with their companion through mass transfer or merging. We undertake a population synthesis study to compute the delay-time distribution of core-collapse supernovae, that is, the supernova rate versus time following a starburst, taking into account binary interactions. We test the systematic robustness of our results by running various simulations to account for the uncertainties in our standard assumptions. We find that a significant fraction, %, of core-collapse supernovae are "late", that is, they occur 50-200 Myr after birth, when all massive single stars have already exploded. These late events originate predominantly from binary systems with at least one, or, in most cases, with both stars initially being of intermediate mass (4-8 M⊙). The main evolutionary channels that contribute often involve either the merging of the initially more massive primary star with its companion or the engulfment of the remaining core of the primary by the expanding secondary that has accreted mass at an earlier evolutionary stage. Also, the total number of core-collapse supernovae increases by % because of binarity for the same initial stellar mass. The high rate implies that we should have already observed such late core-collapse supernovae, but have not recognized them as such. We argue that φ Persei is a likely progenitor and that eccentric neutron star - white dwarf systems are likely descendants. Late events can help explain the discrepancy in the delay-time distributions derived from supernova remnants in the Magellanic Clouds and extragalactic type Ia events, lowering the contribution of prompt Ia events. We discuss ways to test these predictions and speculate on the implications for supernova feedback in simulations of galaxy evolution.

Astrophysical Hydrodynamics An Introduction

CERN Document Server

Shore, Steven N

2007-01-01

This latest edition of the proven and comprehensive treatment on the topic -- from the bestselling author of ""Tapestry of Modern Astrophysics"" -- has been updated and revised to reflect the newest research results. Suitable for AS0000 and AS0200 courses, as well as advanced astrophysics and astronomy lectures, this is an indispensable theoretical backup for studies on celestial body formation and astrophysics. Includes exercises with solutions.

Indirect techniques in nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhamedzhanov, A.M.; Tribble, R.E.; Blokhintsev, L.D.; Cherubini, S.; Spitaleri, C.; Kroha, V.; Nunes, F.M.

2005-01-01

It is very difficult or often impossible to measure in the lab conditions nuclear cross sections at astrophysically relevant energies. That is why different indirect techniques are used to extract astrophysical information. In this talk different experimental possibilities to get astrophysical information using radioactive and stable beams will be addressed. 1. The asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) method. 2. Radiative neutron captures are determined by the spectroscopic factors (SP). A new experimental technique to determine the neutron SPs will be addressed. 3. 'Trojan Horse' is another unique indirect method, which allows one to extract the astrophysical factors for direct and resonant nuclear reactions at astrophysically relevant energies. (author)

Scaling law in laboratory astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Jiangfan; Zhang Jie

2001-01-01

The use of state-of-the-art lasers makes it possible to produce, in the laboratory, the extreme conditions similar to those in astrophysical processes. The introduction of astrophysics-relevant ideas in laser-plasma interaction experiments is propitious to the understanding of astrophysical phenomena. However, the great difference between laser-produced plasma and astrophysical objects makes it awkward to model the latter by laser-plasma experiments. The author presents the physical reasons for modeling astrophysical plasmas by laser plasmas, connecting these two kinds of plasmas by scaling laws. This allows the creation of experimental test beds where observation and models can be quantitatively compared with laboratory data

Prevention of gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moffat, J.W.; Taylor, J.G.

1981-01-01

We apply a new theory of gravitation to the question of gravitational collapse to show that collapse is prevented in this theory under very reasonable conditions. This result also extends to prevent ultimate collapse of the Universe. (orig.)

Distribution of nuclei in equilibrium stellar matter from the free-energy density in a Wigner-Seitz cell

Science.gov (United States)

Grams, G.; Giraud, S.; Fantina, A. F.; Gulminelli, F.

2018-03-01

The aim of the present study is to calculate the nuclear distribution associated at finite temperature to any given equation of state of stellar matter based on the Wigner-Seitz approximation, for direct applications in core-collapse simulations. The Gibbs free energy of the different configurations is explicitly calculated, with special care devoted to the calculation of rearrangement terms, ensuring thermodynamic consistency. The formalism is illustrated with two different applications. First, we work out the nuclear statistical equilibrium cluster distribution for the Lattimer and Swesty equation of state, widely employed in supernova simulations. Secondly, we explore the effect of including shell structure, and consider realistic nuclear mass tables from the Brussels-Montreal Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov model (specifically, HFB-24). We show that the whole collapse trajectory is dominated by magic nuclei, with extremely spread and even bimodal distributions of the cluster probability around magic numbers, demonstrating the importance of cluster distributions with realistic mass models in core-collapse simulations. Simple analytical expressions are given, allowing further applications of the method to any relativistic or nonrelativistic subsaturation equation of state.

Galaxy spin as a formation probe: the stellar-to-halo specific angular momentum relation

Science.gov (United States)

Posti, Lorenzo; Pezzulli, Gabriele; Fraternali, Filippo; Di Teodoro, Enrico M.

2018-03-01

We derive the stellar-to-halo specific angular momentum relation (SHSAMR) of galaxies at z = 0 by combining (i) the standard Λcold dark matter tidal torque theory, (ii) the observed relation between stellar mass and specific angular momentum (the Fall relation), and (iii) various determinations of the stellar-to-halo mass relation (SHMR). We find that the ratio fj = j*/jh of the specific angular momentum of stars to that of the dark matter (i) varies with mass as a double power law, (ii) always has a peak in the mass range explored and iii) is three to five times larger for spirals than for ellipticals. The results have some dependence on the adopted SHMR and we provide fitting formulae in each case. For any choice of the SHMR, the peak of fj occurs at the same mass where the stellar-to-halo mass ratio f* = M*/Mh has a maximum. This is mostly driven by the straightness and tightness of the Fall relation, which requires fj and f* to be correlated with each other roughly as f_j∝ f_\\ast ^{2/3}, as expected if the outer and more angular momentum rich parts of a halo failed to accrete on to the central galaxy and form stars (biased collapse). We also confirm that the difference in the angular momentum of spirals and ellipticals at a given mass is too large to be ascribed only to different spins of the parent dark-matter haloes (spin bias).

Revealing the Formation of Stellar-mass Black Hole Binaries: The Need for Deci-Hertz Gravitational-wave Observatories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xian [Astronomy Department, School of Physics, Peking University, 100871 Beijing (China); Amaro-Seoane, Pau, E-mail: xian.chen@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: pau@ice.cat [Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (CSIC-IEEC) at Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, E-08193 Barcelona (Spain)

2017-06-10

The formation of compact stellar-mass binaries is a difficult, but interesting problem in astrophysics. There are two main formation channels: in the field via binary star evolution, or in dense stellar systems via dynamical interactions. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has detected black hole binaries (BHBs) via their gravitational radiation. These detections provide us with information about the physical parameters of the system. It has been claimed that when the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is operating, the joint observation of these binaries with LIGO will allow us to derive the channels that lead to their formation. However, we show that for BHBs in dense stellar systems dynamical interactions could lead to high eccentricities such that a fraction of the relativistic mergers are not audible to LISA. A non-detection by LISA puts a lower limit of about 0.005 on the eccentricity of a BHB entering the LIGO band. On the other hand, a deci-Hertz observatory, like DECIGO or Tian Qin, would significantly enhance the chances of a joint detection and shed light on the formation channels of these binaries.

Important plasma problems in astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulsrud, R.M.

1995-01-01

In astrophysics, plasmas occur under very extreme conditions. For example, there are ultrastrong magnetic fields in neutron stars, relativistic plasmas around black holes and in jets, extremely energetic particles such as cosmic rays in the interstellar medium, extremely dense plasmas in accretion disks, and extremely large magnetic Reynolds numbers in the interstellar medium. These extreme limits for astrophysical plasmas make plasma phenomena much simpler to analyze in astrophysics than in the laboratory. An understanding of such phenomena often results in an interesting way, by simply taking the extreme limiting case of a known plasma theory. The author will describe one of the more exciting examples and will attempt to convey the excitement he felt when he was first exposed to it. However, not all plasma astrophysical phenomena are so simple. There are certain important plasma phenomena in astrophysics that have not been so easily resolved. In fact, a resolution of them is blocking significant progress in astrophysical research. They have not yet yielded to attacks by theoretical astrophysicists nor to extensive numerical simulation. The author will attempt to describe one of the more important of these plasma--astrophysical problems, and discuss why its resolution is so important to astrophysics. This significant example is fast, magnetic reconnection. Another significant example is the large-magnetic-Reynolds number magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) dynamos

Momentum Transfer and Viscosity from Proton-Hydrogen Collisions Relevant to Shocks and Other Astrophysical Environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, David Robert; Krstic, Predrag S.; Lee, Teck G.; Raymond, J.C.

2008-01-01

The momentum transfer and viscosity cross sections for proton-hydrogen collisions are computed in the velocity range of ∼200-20,000 km s -1 relevant to a wide range of astrophysical environments such as SNR shocks, the solar wind, winds within young stellar objects or accretion disks, and the interstellar protons interacting with the heliosphere. A variety of theoretical approaches are used to arrive at a best estimate of these cross sections in this velocity range that smoothly connect with very accurate results previously computed for lower velocities. Contributions to the momentum transfer and viscosity cross sections from both elastic scattering and charge transfer are included

Relativistic astrophysics and theory of gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zel'dovich, Ya.B.

1982-01-01

A brief historical review of the development of astrophysical science in the State Astrophysical Institute named after Shternberg (SAISh) has been given in a popular form. The main directions of the SAISh astrophysical investigations have been presented: relativistic theory of gravity, relativistic astrophysics of interplanetary medium and cosmology

Low energy neutrino astrophysics with the large liquid-scintillator detector LENA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wurm, M.; Feilitzsch, F. von; Goeger-Neff, M.; Undagoitia, T. Marrodan; Oberauer, L.; Potzel, W.; Winter, J.

2007-01-01

The large-volume liquid-scintillator detector LENA (Low Energy Neutrino Astronomy) will cover a broad field of physics. Apart from the detection of terrestrial and artificial neutrinos, and the search for proton decay, important contributions can be made to the astrophysics of stars by high-precision spectroscopy of low-energetic solar neutrinos and by the observation of neutrinos emitted by a galactic supernova. Moreover, the detection of the diffuse supernova neutrino background in LENA will offer the opportunity of studying both supernova core-collapse models and the supernova rate on cosmological timescales (z e events in an almost background-free energy window from ∼10 to 25 MeV. The search for such rare low-energetic events takes advantage of the high energy resolution and excellent background rejection possible in the LENA detector

Astrophysics Decoding the cosmos

CERN Document Server

Irwin, Judith A

2007-01-01

Astrophysics: Decoding the Cosmos is an accessible introduction to the key principles and theories underlying astrophysics. This text takes a close look at the radiation and particles that we receive from astronomical objects, providing a thorough understanding of what this tells us, drawing the information together using examples to illustrate the process of astrophysics. Chapters dedicated to objects showing complex processes are written in an accessible manner and pull relevant background information together to put the subject firmly into context. The intention of the author is that the book will be a 'tool chest' for undergraduate astronomers wanting to know the how of astrophysics. Students will gain a thorough grasp of the key principles, ensuring that this often-difficult subject becomes more accessible.

Novel laboratory simulations of astrophysical jets

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Parrish Clawson

This thesis was motivated by the promise that some physical aspects of astrophysical jets and collimation processes can be scaled to laboratory parameters through hydrodynamic scaling laws. The simulation of astrophysical jet phenomena with laser-produced plasmas was attractive because the laser- target interaction can inject energetic, repeatable plasma into an external environment. Novel laboratory simulations of astrophysical jets involved constructing and using the YOGA laser, giving a 1064 nm, 8 ns pulse laser with energies up to 3.7 + 0.2 J . Laser-produced plasmas were characterized using Schlieren, interferometry and ICCD photography for their use in simulating jet and magnetosphere physics. The evolution of the laser-produced plasma in various conditions was compared with self-similar solutions and HYADES computer simulations. Millimeter-scale magnetized collimated outflows were produced by a centimeter scale cylindrically symmetric electrode configuration triggered by a laser-produced plasma. A cavity with a flared nozzle surrounded the center electrode and the electrode ablation created supersonic uncollimated flows. This flow became collimated when the center electrode changed from an anodeto a cathode. The plasma jets were in axially directed permanent magnetic fields with strengths up to 5000 Gauss. The collimated magnetized jets were 0.1-0. 3 cm wide, up to 2.0 cm long, and had velocities of ~4.0 × 10 6 cm/s. The dynamics of the evolution of the jet were compared qualitatively and quantitatively with fluxtube simulations from Bellan's formulation [6] giving a calculated estimate of ~2.6 × 10 6 cm/s for jet evolution velocity and evidence for jet rotation. The density measured with interferometry was 1.9 ± 0.2 × 10 17 cm -3 compared with 2.1 × 10 16 cm -3 calculated with Bellan's pressure balance formulation. Kinks in the jet column were produced consistent with the Kruskal-Shafranov condition which allowed stable and symmetric jets to form with

Gravity, particles and astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wesson, P.S.

1980-01-01

The author deals with the relationship between gravitation and elementary particle physics, and the implications of these subjects for astrophysics. The text is split up into two parts. The first part represents a relatively non-technical overview of the subject, while the second part represents a technical examination of the most important aspects of non-Einsteinian gravitational theory and its relation to astrophysics. Relevant references from the fields of gravitation, elementary particle theory and astrophysics are included. (Auth.)

Stellarator-Spheromak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moroz, P.E.

1997-03-01

A novel concept for magnetic plasma confinement, Stellarator-Spheromak (SSP), is proposed. Numerical analysis with the classical-stellarator-type outboard stellarator windings demonstrates a number of potential advantages of SSP for controlled nuclear fusion. Among the main ones are: simple and compact magnet coil configuration, absence of material structures (e.g. magnet coils or conducting walls) in the center of the torus, high rotational transform, and a possibility of MHD equilibria with very high β (pressure/magnetic pressure) of the confined plasma

ENERGY CONSERVATION AND GRAVITY WAVES IN SOUND-PROOF TREATMENTS OF STELLAR INTERIORS. II. LAGRANGIAN CONSTRAINED ANALYSIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasil, Geoffrey M.; Lecoanet, Daniel; Brown, Benjamin P.; Zweibel, Ellen G.; Wood, Toby S.

2013-01-01

The speed of sound greatly exceeds typical flow velocities in many stellar and planetary interiors. To follow the slow evolution of subsonic motions, various sound-proof models attempt to remove fast acoustic waves while retaining stratified convection and buoyancy dynamics. In astrophysics, anelastic models typically receive the most attention in the class of sound-filtered stratified models. Generally, anelastic models remain valid in nearly adiabatically stratified regions like stellar convection zones, but may break down in strongly sub-adiabatic, stably stratified layers common in stellar radiative zones. However, studying stellar rotation, circulation, and dynamos requires understanding the complex coupling between convection and radiative zones, and this requires robust equations valid in both regimes. Here we extend the analysis of equation sets begun in Brown et al., which studied anelastic models, to two types of pseudo-incompressible models. This class of models has received attention in atmospheric applications, and more recently in studies of white-dwarf supernova progenitors. We demonstrate that one model conserves energy but the other does not. We use Lagrangian variational methods to extend the energy conserving model to a general equation of state, and dub the resulting equation set the generalized pseudo-incompressible (GPI) model. We show that the GPI equations suitably capture low-frequency phenomena in both convection and radiative zones in stars and other stratified systems, and we provide recommendations for converting low-Mach number codes to this equation set

FLARE STARS—A FAVORABLE OBJECT FOR STUDYING MECHANISMS OF NONTHERMAL ASTROPHYSICAL PHENOMENA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oks, E. [Physics Department, 206 Allison Lab., Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 (United States); Gershberg, R. E. [Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, Nauchny, Bakhchisaray region, Crimea, 298409 (Russian Federation)

2016-03-01

We present a spectroscopic method for diagnosing a low-frequency electrostatic plasma turbulence (LEPT) in plasmas of flare stars. This method had been previously developed by one of us and successfully applied to diagnosing the LEPT in solar flares. In distinction to our previous applications of the method, here we use the latest advances in the theory of the Stark broadening of hydrogen spectral lines. By analyzing observed emission Balmer lines, we show that it is very likely that the LEPT was developed in several flares of AD Leo, as well as in one flare of EV Lac. We found the LEPT (though of different field strengths) both in the explosive/impulsive phase and at the phase of the maximum, as well as at the gradual phase of the stellar flares. While for solar flares our method allows diagnosing the LEPT only in the most powerful flares, for the flare stars it seems that the method allows revealing the LEPT practically in every flare. It should be important to obtain new and better spectrograms of stellar flares, allowing their analysis by the method outlined in the present paper. This can be the most favorable way to the detailed understanding of the nature of nonthermal astrophysical phenomena.

Astrophysics and the exploration of the universe; L'astrophysique et l'exploration de l'Univers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turck-Chieze, S.; Garcia, R.A.; Brun, A.S.; Minier, V.; Andre, Ph.; Motte, F.; Mathis, St.; Foglizzo, Th.; Decourchelle, A.; Ballet, J.; Chaty, S.; Corbel, St.; Rodriguez, J.; Brahic, A.; Charnoz, S.; Ferrari, C.; Lagage, P.O.; Masset, F.; Pantin, E.; Sauvage, M.; Galliano, F.; Goldwurm, A.; Ballet, J.; Decourchelle, A.; Grenier, I.; Daddi, E.; Elbaz, D.; Bournaud, F.; Yvon, D.; Arnaud, M.; Teyssier, R.; Lehoucq, R.; Palanque-Delabrouille, N.; Lehoucq, R.; Cirelli, M.; Bonvin, C.; Mansoulie, B.; Ruhlmann-Kleider, V.; Refregier, A.; Brax, Ph.; Lavignac, St.; Starck, J.L.; Talvard, M.; Sauvage, M.; Cara, Ch.; Lagage, P.O.; Ferrari, C.; Rodriguez, L.; Sauvageot, J.L.; Lebrun, F.; Grenier, I.; Glicenstein, J.F.; Gerbier, G.

2009-07-01

This special issue of Clefs CEA journal is entirely devoted to astrophysics and to the exploration and probing of the Universe. A first part of this dossier, described here, makes a status of our present day knowledge about stars, planets, galaxies, the Universe structure and dark matter. Content: 1 - Stars seed the Universe: What does the Sun tell us?, Probing stellar interiors, From the Sun to the stars, A tour of stellar nurseries, How heavy elements arise, How supernovae explode, Supernova remnants, High-energy objects - sources for astonishment, Focus: A Probing the Universe across the entire light spectrum; 2 - Planets: a dance of small bodies, swirling around up to the finale of their birth: How our world was born, The rings of Saturn: a magnificent research laboratory, Planetary cocoons; 3 - Galaxies: a richly paradoxical evolution: The active life of galaxies, A mysterious black hole, Elucidating the cosmic ray acceleration mechanism, Seeking out the great ancestors, The formation of galaxies: a story of paradoxes, The morphogenesis of galaxies; 4 - The Universe, a homogeneous 'soup' that has turned into a hierarchical structure: The grand thermal history of the Universe, The cosmic web, The formation of the structures of the Universe: the interplay of models, Does the Universe have a shape? Is it finite, or infinite?; 5 - Odyssey across the dark side of the Universe: The puzzle of dark matter, Astrophysics and the observation of dark matter, The theory of dark matter, Could dark matter be generated some day at LHC? A Universe dominated by dark energy, Astrophysics and the observation of dark energy, Theories of dark energy, The matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe; 6 - Journey into the lights of the Universe: Microwave - ESA Planck Surveyor, Submillimeter and infrared - ArTeMis, Herschel Space Observatory, VLT-VISIR, Cassini-CIRS, Visible - SoHo-GOLF, X-ray - XMM-Newton, Gamma ray - INTEGRAL, Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, HESS

Exploring Algorithms for Stellar Light Curves With TESS

Science.gov (United States)

Buzasi, Derek

2018-01-01

The Kepler and K2 missions have produced tens of thousands of stellar light curves, which have been used to measure rotation periods, characterize photometric activity levels, and explore phenomena such as differential rotation. The quasi-periodic nature of rotational light curves, combined with the potential presence of additional periodicities not due to rotation, complicates the analysis of these time series and makes characterization of uncertainties difficult. A variety of algorithms have been used for the extraction of rotational signals, including autocorrelation functions, discrete Fourier transforms, Lomb-Scargle periodograms, wavelet transforms, and the Hilbert-Huang transform. In addition, in the case of K2 a number of different pipelines have been used to produce initial detrended light curves from the raw image frames.In the near future, TESS photometry, particularly that deriving from the full-frame images, will dramatically further expand the number of such light curves, but details of the pipeline to be used to produce photometry from the FFIs remain under development. K2 data offers us an opportunity to explore the utility of different reduction and analysis tool combinations applied to these astrophysically important tasks. In this work, we apply a wide range of algorithms to light curves produced by a number of popular K2 pipeline products to better understand the advantages and limitations of each approach and provide guidance for the most reliable and most efficient analysis of TESS stellar data.

Astrophysical Concepts

CERN Document Server

Harwit, Martin

2006-01-01

This classic text, aimed at senior undergraduates and beginning graduate students in physics and astronomy, presents a wide range of astrophysical concepts in sufficient depth to give the reader a quantitative understanding of the subject. Emphasizing physical concepts, the book outlines cosmic events but does not portray them in detail: it provides a series of astrophysical sketches. For this fourth edition, nearly every part of the text has been reconsidered and rewritten, new sections have been added to cover recent developments, and others have been extensively revised and brought up to date. The book begins with an outline of the scope of modern astrophysics and enumerates some of the outstanding problems faced in the field today. The basic physics needed to tackle these questions are developed in the next few chapters using specific astronomical processes as examples. The second half of the book enlarges on these topics and shows how we can obtain quantitative insight into the structure and evolution of...

Texture collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokopec, T.; Sornborger, A.; Brandenberger, R.H.

1992-01-01

We study single-texture collapse using a leapfrog discretization method on a 30x30x30 spatial lattice. We investigate the influence of boundary conditions, physical size of the lattice, type of space-time background (flat, i.e., nonexpanding, vs radiation-dominated and matter-dominated universes), and spatial distribution of the initial texture configuration on collapse time and critical winding. For a spherically symmetric initial configuration of size equal to the horizon size on a lattice containing 12 (30) horizon volumes, the critical winding is found to be 0.621±0.001 (0.602±0.003) (flat case), 0.624±0.002 (0.604±0.005) (radiation era), 0.628±0.002 (0.612±0.003) (matter era). The larger the physical size of the lattice (in units of the horizon size), the smaller is the critical winding, and in the limit of an infinite lattice, we argue that the critical winding approaches 0.5. For radially asymmetric cases, contraction of one axis ( /Ipancake case) slightly reduces collapse time and critical winding, and contraction of two axes (d/Icigar case) reduces collapse time and critical winding significantly

Plasma in astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulsrud, R.M.

1982-10-01

Two examples of plasma phenomena of importance to astrophysics are reviewed. These are examples where astrophysical understanding hinges on further progress in plasma physics understanding. The two examples are magnetic reconnection and the collisionless interaction between a population of energetic particles and a cooler gas or plasma, in particular the interaction between galactic cosmic rays and the interstellar medium

Electron-positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: From heavy nuclei to black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Ruffini, Remo; Vereshchagin, Gregory; Xue, She-Sheng

2010-02-01

equilibrium and determination of its characteristic timescales. The crucial difference introduced by the correct evaluation of the role of two- and three-body collisions, direct and inverse, is especially evidenced. We then present some general conclusions. The results reviewed in this report are going to be submitted to decisive tests in the forthcoming years both in physics and astrophysics. To mention only a few of the fundamental steps in testing in physics we recall, the setting up of experimental facilities at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as well as the corresponding French Laser Mega Joule project. In astrophysics these results will be tested in galactic and extragalactic black holes observed in binary X-ray sources, active galactic nuclei, microquasars and in the process of gravitational collapse to a neutron star and also of two neutron stars to a black hole giving rise to GRBs. The astrophysical description of the stellar precursors and the initial physical conditions leading to a gravitational collapse process will be the subject of a forthcoming report. As of today no theoretical description has yet been found to explain either the emission of the remnant for supernova or the formation of a charged black hole for GRBs. Important current progress toward the understanding of such phenomena as well as of the electrodynamical structure of neutron stars, the supernova explosion and the theories of GRBs will be discussed in the above mentioned forthcoming report. What is important to recall at this stage is only that both the supernovae and GRBs processes are among the most energetic and transient phenomena ever observed in the Universe: a supernova can attain an energy of ˜1054 ergs on a timescale of a few months and GRBs can have emission of up to ˜1054 ergs in a timescale as short as a few seconds. The central role of neutron stars in the description of supernovae, as well as of black holes and the electron

Astrophysical applications of the post-Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff formalism

Science.gov (United States)

Glampedakis, Kostas; Pappas, George; Silva, Hector O.; Berti, Emanuele

2016-08-01

The bulk properties of spherically symmetric stars in general relativity can be obtained by integrating the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equations. In previous work [K. Glampedakis, G. Pappas, H. O. Silva, and E. Berti, Phys. Rev. D 92, 024056 (2015)], we developed a "post-TOV" formalism—inspired by parametrized post-Newtonian theory—which allows us to classify in a parametrized, phenomenological form all possible perturbative deviations from the structure of compact stars in general relativity that may be induced by modified gravity at second post-Newtonian order. In this paper we extend the formalism to deal with the stellar exterior, and we compute several potential astrophysical observables within the post-TOV formalism: the surface redshift zs, the apparent radius Rapp, the Eddington luminosity at infinity LE∞ and the orbital frequencies. We show that, at leading order, all of these quantities depend on just two post-TOV parameters μ1 and χ , and we discuss the possibility to measure (or set upper bounds on) these parameters.

The fluorine destruction in stars: First experimental study of the 19F(p,α)16O reaction at astrophysical energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Cognata, M.; Mukhamedzhanov, A.; Spitaleri, C.; Indelicato, I.; Aliotta, M.; Burjan, V.; Cherubini, S.; Coc, A.; Gulino, M.; Hons, Z.; Kiss, G. G.; Kroha, V.; Lamia, L.; Mrazek, J.; Palmerini, S.; Piskor, S.; Pizzone, R. G.; Puglia, S. M. R.; Rapisarda, G. G.; Romano, S.

2012-01-01

The 19 F(p,α) 16 O reaction is an important fluorine destruction channel in the proton-rich outer layers of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and it might also play a role in hydrogendeficient post-AGB star nucleosynthesis. So far, available direct measurements do not reach the energy region of astrophysical interest (E cm ∼ 300 keV), because of the hindrance effect of the Coulomb barrier. The Trojan Horse (TH) method was thus used to access this energy region, by extracting the quasi-free contribution to the 2 H( 19 F,α 16 O)n reaction. The TH measurement of the α 0 channel, which is the dominant one at such energies, shows the presence of resonant structures not observed before that cause an increase of the reaction rate at astrophysical temperatures up to a factor of 1.7, with potential important consequences for stellar nucleosynthesis.

Electron Fermi acceleration in collapsing magnetic traps: Computational and analytical models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gisler, G.; Lemons, D.

1990-01-01

The authors consider the heating and acceleration of electrons trapped on magnetic field lines between approaching magnetic mirrors. Such a collapsing magnetic trap and consequent electron energization can occur whenever a curved (or straight) flux tube drifts into a relatively straight (or curved) perpendicular shock. The relativistic, three-dimensional, collisionless test particle simulations show that an initial thermal electron distribution is bulk heated while a few individual electrons are accelerated to many times their original energy before they escape the trap. Upstream field-aligned beams and downstream pancake distributions perpendicular to the field are predicted. In the appropriate limit the simulation results agree well with a nonrelativistic analytic model of the distribution of escaping electrons which is based on the first adiabatic invariant and energy conservation between collisions with the mirrors. Space science and astrophysical applications are discussed

Peering into the abyss

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrows, A.

1988-01-01

The multi-continent detections of the neutrinos from the core of SN 1987A open a new chapter in high energy astrophysics. For the first time, we have penetrated the supernova ejecta and glimpsed at the violent convulsions that attend stellar collapse and the birth of a neutron star. The neutrino emissions are the only good diagnostic of implosion physics, and the new data allow to test supernova theories in a unique way. The author compares the theory developed over the last 20 years with these observations to extract what information there is in these epochal detections

Astrophysical Institute, Potsdam

Science.gov (United States)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

Built upon a tradition of almost 300 years, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam (AIP) is in an historical sense the successor of one of the oldest astronomical observatories in Germany. It is the first institute in the world which incorporated the term `astrophysical' in its name, and is connected with distinguished scientists such as Karl Schwarzschild and Albert Einstein. The AIP constitutes on...

A NEW MULTI-DIMENSIONAL GENERAL RELATIVISTIC NEUTRINO HYDRODYNAMICS CODE FOR CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE. II. RELATIVISTIC EXPLOSION MODELS OF CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Bernhard; Janka, Hans-Thomas; Marek, Andreas, E-mail: bjmuellr@mpa-garching.mpg.de, E-mail: thj@mpa-garching.mpg.de [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

2012-09-01

We present the first two-dimensional general relativistic (GR) simulations of stellar core collapse and explosion with the COCONUT hydrodynamics code in combination with the VERTEX solver for energy-dependent, three-flavor neutrino transport, using the extended conformal flatness condition for approximating the space-time metric and a ray-by-ray-plus ansatz to tackle the multi-dimensionality of the transport. For both of the investigated 11.2 and 15 M{sub Sun} progenitors we obtain successful, though seemingly marginal, neutrino-driven supernova explosions. This outcome and the time evolution of the models basically agree with results previously obtained with the PROMETHEUS hydro solver including an approximative treatment of relativistic effects by a modified Newtonian potential. However, GR models exhibit subtle differences in the neutrinospheric conditions compared with Newtonian and pseudo-Newtonian simulations. These differences lead to significantly higher luminosities and mean energies of the radiated electron neutrinos and antineutrinos and therefore to larger energy-deposition rates and heating efficiencies in the gain layer with favorable consequences for strong nonradial mass motions and ultimately for an explosion. Moreover, energy transfer to the stellar medium around the neutrinospheres through nucleon recoil in scattering reactions of heavy-lepton neutrinos also enhances the mentioned effects. Together with previous pseudo-Newtonian models, the presented relativistic calculations suggest that the treatment of gravity and energy-exchanging neutrino interactions can make differences of even 50%-100% in some quantities and is likely to contribute to a finally successful explosion mechanism on no minor level than hydrodynamical differences between different dimensions.

Annual Report 2006 for Hydrodynamics and Radiation Hydrodynamics with Astrophysical Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. Paul Drake

2007-04-05

We report the ongoing work of our group in hydrodynamics and radiation hydrodynamics with astrophysical applications. During the period of the existing grant, we have carried out two types of experiments at the Omega laser. One set of experiments has studied radiatively collapsing shocks, obtaining data using a backlit pinhole with a 100 ps backlighter and beginning to develop the ability to look into the shock tube with optical or x-ray diagnostics. Other experiments have studied the deeply nonlinear development of the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability from complex initial conditions, using dual-axis radiographic data with backlit pinholes and ungated detectors to complete the data set for a Ph.D. student. We lead a team that is developing a proposal for experiments at the National Ignition Facility and are involved in experiments at NIKE and LIL. All these experiments have applications to astrophysics, discussed in the corresponding papers. We assemble the targets for the experiments at Michigan, where we also prepare many of the simple components. We also have several projects underway in our laboratory involving our x-ray source. The above activities, in addition to a variety of data analysis and design projects, provide good experience for graduate and undergraduates students. In the process of doing this research we have built a research group that uses such work to train junior scientists.

Evidence from stellar abundances for a large age difference between two globular clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickens, R.J.; Croke, B.F.W.; Cannon, R.D.; Bell, R.A.

1991-01-01

The globular clusters NGC288 and NGC362 are central to recent claims of large age differences (∼3 Gyr) between globular clusters associated with our Galaxy. According to standard models for the formation of the Galaxy, the system of globular clusters formed during the dynamical collapse of the protogalactic cloud, a process which should have lasted no more than 1 Gyr. But the claimed age differences are derived from stellar evolution models using assumed CNO abundances, and uncertainty in the actual CNO abundances of about a factor of three could account for an apparent 2-Gyr age difference. We have accurately measured abundances in red giants in NGC288 and NGC362, and find that the Fe abundance and the sum of the C, N and O abundances are essentially the same in every star studied. By eliminating compositional differences and thus confirming the reality of the age difference, these results imply a cluster formation period that is hard to reconcile with the standard collapse model. (author)

DIAPHANE: A portable radiation transport library for astrophysical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Darren S.; Dykes, Tim; Cabezón, Rubén; Gheller, Claudio; Mayer, Lucio

2018-05-01

One of the most computationally demanding aspects of the hydrodynamical modelingof Astrophysical phenomena is the transport of energy by radiation or relativistic particles. Physical processes involving energy transport are ubiquitous and of capital importance in many scenarios ranging from planet formation to cosmic structure evolution, including explosive events like core collapse supernova or gamma-ray bursts. Moreover, the ability to model and hence understand these processes has often been limited by the approximations and incompleteness in the treatment of radiation and relativistic particles. The DIAPHANE project has focused on developing a portable and scalable library that handles the transport of radiation and particles (in particular neutrinos) independently of the underlying hydrodynamic code. In this work, we present the computational framework and the functionalities of the first version of the DIAPHANE library, which has been successfully ported to three different smoothed-particle hydrodynamic codes, GADGET2, GASOLINE and SPHYNX. We also present validation of different modules solving the equations of radiation and neutrino transport using different numerical schemes.

Plasma astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Kaplan, S A; ter Haar, D

2013-01-01

Plasma Astrophysics is a translation from the Russian language; the topics discussed are based on lectures given by V.N. Tsytovich at several universities. The book describes the physics of the various phenomena and their mathematical formulation connected with plasma astrophysics. This book also explains the theory of the interaction of fast particles plasma, their radiation activities, as well as the plasma behavior when exposed to a very strong magnetic field. The text describes the nature of collective plasma processes and of plasma turbulence. One author explains the method of elementary

On the estimation of stellar parameters with uncertainty prediction from Generative Artificial Neural Networks: application to Gaia RVS simulated spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Dafonte, C.; Fustes, D.; Manteiga, M.; Garabato, D.; Álvarez, M. A.; Ulla, A.; Allende Prieto, C.

2016-10-01

Aims: We present an innovative artificial neural network (ANN) architecture, called Generative ANN (GANN), that computes the forward model, that is it learns the function that relates the unknown outputs (stellar atmospheric parameters, in this case) to the given inputs (spectra). Such a model can be integrated in a Bayesian framework to estimate the posterior distribution of the outputs. Methods: The architecture of the GANN follows the same scheme as a normal ANN, but with the inputs and outputs inverted. We train the network with the set of atmospheric parameters (Teff, log g, [Fe/H] and [α/ Fe]), obtaining the stellar spectra for such inputs. The residuals between the spectra in the grid and the estimated spectra are minimized using a validation dataset to keep solutions as general as possible. Results: The performance of both conventional ANNs and GANNs to estimate the stellar parameters as a function of the star brightness is presented and compared for different Galactic populations. GANNs provide significantly improved parameterizations for early and intermediate spectral types with rich and intermediate metallicities. The behaviour of both algorithms is very similar for our sample of late-type stars, obtaining residuals in the derivation of [Fe/H] and [α/ Fe] below 0.1 dex for stars with Gaia magnitude Grvs satellite. Conclusions: Uncertainty estimation of computed astrophysical parameters is crucial for the validation of the parameterization itself and for the subsequent exploitation by the astronomical community. GANNs produce not only the parameters for a given spectrum, but a goodness-of-fit between the observed spectrum and the predicted one for a given set of parameters. Moreover, they allow us to obtain the full posterior distribution over the astrophysical parameters space once a noise model is assumed. This can be used for novelty detection and quality assessment.

An invitation to astrophysics

CERN Document Server

Padmanabhan, Thanu

2006-01-01

This unique book provides a clear and lucid description of several aspects of astrophysics and cosmology in a language understandable to a physicist or beginner in astrophysics. It presents the key topics in all branches of astrophysics and cosmology in a simple and concise language. The emphasis is on currently active research areas and exciting new frontiers rather than on more pedantic topics. Many complicated results are introduced with simple, novel derivations which strengthen the conceptual understanding of the subject. The book also contains over one hundred exercises which will help s

Artium mater in relativistic astrophysics : New perspectives for a European-Latin American PhD program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chardonnet, Pascal [Coordinator IRAP PhD EMJD, Université de Nice 28, avenue Valrose 06103 Nice (France); LAPTh, Université de Savoie, CNRS, B.P. 110, Annecy-le-Vieux F-74941 (France); ICRANet, Piazza della Repubblica 10, 65122 Pescara (Italy); Department for Theoretical Nuclear Physics, National Research Nuclear University Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, MEPhI, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2015-12-17

Following the successful scientific space missions by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile, as well as the high-energy particle activities at CERN in Genve, we have created a Ph.D. program dedicated to the formation of scientists in the field of relativistic astrophysics. The students of such a program will lead the theoretical developments of one of the most active fields of research, based on the above observational and experimental facilities. This program needs expertise in the most advanced topics of mathematical and theoretical physics, and in relativistic field theories. It requires the ability to model the observational data received from the above facilities, as well as all the basic knowledge in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. This activity is necessarily international, no single university can cover the broad expertises. From this, the proposed program of the IRAP Ph.D., in one of the youngest and most dynamical French universities, pole of research and teaching in the Euro-Mediterranean region (PRES): the University of Nice. It benefits from the presence of the astrophysics research institute of Observatoire de la Cte d’Azur involved in relativistic and non-photonic astrophysics. The participation of the Freie Universitaet Berlin, Oldenburg and Bremen Universities and of the Einstein Institute in Potsdam offers the possibility of teaching in relativistic field theories at the highest level. The University of Savoy offers the link to the particle physics at CERN. The activities at the University of Rome, at Stockholm University and at ICRANet offer teaching programs in all the fields of relativistic astrophysics, including cosmology, the physics of gravitational collapse, gamma-ray bursts, and black hole physics. Finally, the University of Ferrara will be present with lectures and researches in the topics they have pioneered such as x-ray astrophysics and observational cosmology. Through ICRANet

Artium mater in relativistic astrophysics : New perspectives for a European-Latin American PhD program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chardonnet, Pascal

2015-01-01

Following the successful scientific space missions by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile, as well as the high-energy particle activities at CERN in Genve, we have created a Ph.D. program dedicated to the formation of scientists in the field of relativistic astrophysics. The students of such a program will lead the theoretical developments of one of the most active fields of research, based on the above observational and experimental facilities. This program needs expertise in the most advanced topics of mathematical and theoretical physics, and in relativistic field theories. It requires the ability to model the observational data received from the above facilities, as well as all the basic knowledge in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. This activity is necessarily international, no single university can cover the broad expertises. From this, the proposed program of the IRAP Ph.D., in one of the youngest and most dynamical French universities, pole of research and teaching in the Euro-Mediterranean region (PRES): the University of Nice. It benefits from the presence of the astrophysics research institute of Observatoire de la Cte d’Azur involved in relativistic and non-photonic astrophysics. The participation of the Freie Universitaet Berlin, Oldenburg and Bremen Universities and of the Einstein Institute in Potsdam offers the possibility of teaching in relativistic field theories at the highest level. The University of Savoy offers the link to the particle physics at CERN. The activities at the University of Rome, at Stockholm University and at ICRANet offer teaching programs in all the fields of relativistic astrophysics, including cosmology, the physics of gravitational collapse, gamma-ray bursts, and black hole physics. Finally, the University of Ferrara will be present with lectures and researches in the topics they have pioneered such as x-ray astrophysics and observational cosmology. Through ICRANet

Artium mater in relativistic astrophysics : New perspectives for a European-Latin American PhD program

Science.gov (United States)

Chardonnet, Pascal

2015-12-01

Following the successful scientific space missions by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile, as well as the high-energy particle activities at CERN in Genve, we have created a Ph.D. program dedicated to the formation of scientists in the field of relativistic astrophysics. The students of such a program will lead the theoretical developments of one of the most active fields of research, based on the above observational and experimental facilities. This program needs expertise in the most advanced topics of mathematical and theoretical physics, and in relativistic field theories. It requires the ability to model the observational data received from the above facilities, as well as all the basic knowledge in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. This activity is necessarily international, no single university can cover the broad expertises. From this, the proposed program of the IRAP Ph.D., in one of the youngest and most dynamical French universities, pole of research and teaching in the Euro-Mediterranean region (PRES): the University of Nice. It benefits from the presence of the astrophysics research institute of Observatoire de la Cte d'Azur involved in relativistic and non-photonic astrophysics. The participation of the Freie Universitaet Berlin, Oldenburg and Bremen Universities and of the Einstein Institute in Potsdam offers the possibility of teaching in relativistic field theories at the highest level. The University of Savoy offers the link to the particle physics at CERN. The activities at the University of Rome, at Stockholm University and at ICRANet offer teaching programs in all the fields of relativistic astrophysics, including cosmology, the physics of gravitational collapse, gamma-ray bursts, and black hole physics. Finally, the University of Ferrara will be present with lectures and researches in the topics they have pioneered such as x-ray astrophysics and observational cosmology. Through ICRANet the

STELLAR ATMOSPHERES, ATMOSPHERIC EXTENSION, AND FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETERS: WEIGHING STARS USING THE STELLAR MASS INDEX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neilson, Hilding R.; Lester, John B. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H4 (Canada); Baron, Fabien; Norris, Ryan; Kloppenborg, Brian, E-mail: neilson@astro.utoronto.ca [Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5060, Atlanta, GA 30302-5060 (United States)

2016-10-20

One of the great challenges of understanding stars is measuring their masses. The best methods for measuring stellar masses include binary interaction, asteroseismology, and stellar evolution models, but these methods are not ideal for red giant and supergiant stars. In this work, we propose a novel method for inferring stellar masses of evolved red giant and supergiant stars using interferometric and spectrophotometric observations combined with spherical model stellar atmospheres to measure what we call the stellar mass index, defined as the ratio between the stellar radius and mass. The method is based on the correlation between different measurements of angular diameter, used as a proxy for atmospheric extension, and fundamental stellar parameters. For a given star, spectrophotometry measures the Rosseland angular diameter while interferometric observations generally probe a larger limb-darkened angular diameter. The ratio of these two angular diameters is proportional to the relative extension of the stellar atmosphere, which is strongly correlated to the star’s effective temperature, radius, and mass. We show that these correlations are strong and can lead to precise measurements of stellar masses.

White Paper on Nuclear Astrophysics and Low Energy Nuclear Physics - Part 1. Nuclear Astrophysics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arcones, Almudena [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Escher, Jutta E. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Others, M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-04-04

This white paper informs the nuclear astrophysics community and funding agencies about the scientific directions and priorities of the field and provides input from this community for the 2015 Nuclear Science Long Range Plan. It summarizes the outcome of the nuclear astrophysics town meeting that was held on August 21 - 23, 2014 in College Station at the campus of Texas A&M University in preparation of the NSAC Nuclear Science Long Range Plan. It also reflects the outcome of an earlier town meeting of the nuclear astrophysics community organized by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA) on October 9 - 10, 2012 Detroit, Michigan, with the purpose of developing a vision for nuclear astrophysics in light of the recent NRC decadal surveys in nuclear physics (NP2010) and astronomy (ASTRO2010). The white paper is furthermore informed by the town meeting of the Association of Research at University Nuclear Accelerators (ARUNA) that took place at the University of Notre Dame on June 12 - 13, 2014. In summary we find that nuclear astrophysics is a modern and vibrant field addressing fundamental science questions at the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics. These questions relate to the origin of the elements, the nuclear engines that drive life and death of stars, and the properties of dense matter. A broad range of nuclear accelerator facilities, astronomical observatories, theory efforts, and computational capabilities are needed. With the developments outlined in this white paper, answers to long-standing key questions are well within reach in the coming decade.

White paper on nuclear astrophysics and low energy nuclear physics Part 1: Nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arcones, Almudena; Bardayan, Dan W.

2016-01-01

This white paper informs the nuclear astrophysics community and funding agencies about the scientific directions and priorities of the field and provides input from this community for the 2015 Nuclear Science Long Range Plan. It also summarizes the outcome of the nuclear astrophysics town meeting that was held on August 21–23, 2014 in College Station at the campus of Texas A&M University in preparation of the NSAC Nuclear Science Long Range Plan. It also reflects the outcome of an earlier town meeting of the nuclear astrophysics community organized by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA) on October 9–10, 2012 Detroit, Michigan, with the purpose of developing a vision for nuclear astrophysics in light of the recent NRC decadal surveys in nuclear physics (NP2010) and astronomy (ASTRO2010). Our white paper is informed informed by the town meeting of the Association of Research at University Nuclear Accelerators (ARUNA) that took place at the University of Notre Dame on June 12–13, 2014. In summary we find that nuclear astrophysics is a modern and vibrant field addressing fundamental science questions at the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics. These questions relate to the origin of the elements, the nuclear engines that drive life and death of stars, and the properties of dense matter. A broad range of nuclear accelerator facilities, astronomical observatories, theory efforts, and computational capabilities are needed. Answers to long standing key questions are well within reach in the coming decade because of the developments outlined in this white paper.

Measurements of astrophysical reaction rates for radioactive samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koehler, P.E.; O'Brien, H.A.; Bowman, C.D.

1987-01-01

Reaction rates for both big-bang and stellar nucleosynthesis can be obtained from the measurement of (n,p) and (n,γ) cross sections for radioactive nuclei. In the past, large backgrounds associated with the sample activity limited these types of measurements to radioisotopes with very long half lives. The advent of the low-energy, high-intensity neutron source at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering CEnter (LANSCE) has greatly increased the number of nuclei which can be studied. Results of (n,p) measurements on samples with half lives as short as fifty-three days will be given. The astrophysics to be learned from these data will be discussed. Additional difficulties are encountered when making (n,γ) rather than (n,p) measurements. However, with a properly designed detector, and with the high peak neutron intensities now available, (n,γ) measurements can be made for nuclei with half lives as short as several weeks. Progress on the Los Alamos (n,γ) cross-section measurement program for radioactive samples will be discussed. 25 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Astrophysical Implications of the Binary Black-hole Merger GW150914

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V. B.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Aiello, L.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Altin, P. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C. C.; Areeda, J. S.; Arnaud, N.; Arun, K. G.; Ascenzi, S.; Ashton, G.; Ast, M.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Babak, S.; Bacon, P.; Bader, M. K. M.; Baker, P. T.; Baldaccini, F.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barclay, S. E.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barta, D.; Bartlett, J.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Baune, C.; Bavigadda, V.; Bazzan, M.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Belczynski, C.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C. J.; Berger, B. K.; Bergman, J.; Bergmann, G.; Berry, C. P. L.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Bhagwat, S.; Bhandare, R.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Birney, R.; Biscans, S.; Bisht, A.; Bitossi, M.; Biwer, C.; Bizouard, M. A.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blair, C. D.; Blair, D. G.; Blair, R. M.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bohe, A.; Bojtos, P.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonnand, R.; Boom, B. A.; Bork, R.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bouffanais, Y.; Bozzi, A.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brockill, P.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brown, N. M.; Buchanan, C. C.; Buikema, A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cahillane, C.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Callister, T.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Cannon, K. C.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Capocasa, E.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Casanueva Diaz, J.; Casentini, C.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cerboni Baiardi, L.; Cerretani, G.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chan, M.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, H. Y.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, C.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Cho, M.; Chow, J. H.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C. G.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M., Jr.; Conte, A.; Conti, L.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Cortese, S.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S. B.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S. T.; Couvares, P.; Cowan, E. E.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Cripe, J.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dal Canton, T.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Darman, N. S.; Dattilo, V.; Dave, I.; Daveloza, H. P.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; De Laurentis, M.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M. C.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Giovanni, M.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Pace, S.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dojcinoski, G.; Dolique, V.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S. E.; Edo, T. B.; Edwards, M. C.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.-B.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Engels, W.; Essick, R. C.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T. M.; Everett, R.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fair, H.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, X.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fays, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, E. C.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Fiori, I.; Fiorucci, D.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fletcher, M.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Frey, V.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gabbard, H. A. G.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S. G.; Garufi, F.; Gatto, A.; Gaur, G.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Gendre, B.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; George, J.; Gergely, L.; Germain, V.; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, K.; Glaefke, A.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gonzalez Castro, J. M.; Gopakumar, A.; Gordon, N. A.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S. E.; Gosselin, M.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greco, G.; Green, A. C.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guo, X.; Gupta, A.; Gupta, M. K.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hacker, J. J.; Hall, B. R.; Hall, E. D.; Hammond, G.; Haney, M.; Hanke, M. M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hannam, M. D.; Hanson, J.; Hardwick, T.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hart, M. J.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Hennig, J.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Hofman, D.; Hollitt, S. E.; Holt, K.; Holz, D. E.; Hopkins, P.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Houston, E. A.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y. M.; Huang, S.; Huerta, E. A.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Idrisy, A.; Indik, N.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isa, H. N.; Isac, J.-M.; Isi, M.; Islas, G.; Isogai, T.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacqmin, T.; Jang, H.; Jani, K.; Jaranowski, P.; Jawahar, S.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalaghatgi, C. V.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Karki, S.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, S.; Kaur, T.; Kawabe, K.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Kehl, M. S.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Kennedy, R.; Key, J. S.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khan, I.; Khan, S.; Khan, Z.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kijbunchoo, N.; Kim, C.; Kim, J.; Kim, K.; Kim, Nam-Gyu; Kim, Namjun; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Kleybolte, L.; Klimenko, S.; Koehlenbeck, S. M.; Kokeyama, K.; Koley, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kontos, A.; Korobko, M.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Krueger, C.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, P.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Lackey, B. D.; Landry, M.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; Lasky, P. D.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, K.; Lenon, A.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Levine, B. M.; Li, T. G. F.; Libson, A.; Littenberg, T. B.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lord, J. E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J. D.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Luo, J.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; MacDonald, T.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Magee, R. M.; Mageswaran, M.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mansell, G. L.; Manske, M.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A. S.; Maros, E.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martynov, D. V.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Masso-Reid, M.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McCormick, S.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McManus, D. J.; McWilliams, S. T.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Meidam, J.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mendoza-Gandara, D.; Mercer, R. A.; Merilh, E.; Merzougui, M.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Messick, C.; Meyers, P. M.; Mezzani, F.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Middleton, H.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Millhouse, M.; Minenkov, Y.; Ming, J.; Mirshekari, S.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Montani, M.; Moore, B. C.; Moore, C. J.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Muir, A. W.; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, D.; Mukherjee, S.; Mukund, N.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D. J.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Necula, V.; Nedkova, K.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, M.; Neunzert, A.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T. T.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Oberling, J.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oliver, M.; Oppermann, P.; Oram, Richard J.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Pai, A.; Pai, S. A.; Palamos, J. R.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pal-Singh, A.; Pan, H.; Pankow, C.; Pannarale, F.; Pant, B. C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H. R.; Parker, W.; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patricelli, B.; Patrick, Z.; Pearlstone, B. L.; Pedraza, M.; Pedurand, R.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Piccinni, O.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poggiani, R.; Popolizio, P.; Post, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Predoi, V.; Premachandra, S. S.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qi, H.; Qin, J.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E. A.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rew, H.; Reyes, S. D.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V. J.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sachdev, S.; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Salconi, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Samajdar, A.; Sammut, L.; Sanchez, E. J.; Sandberg, V.; Sandeen, B.; Sanders, J. R.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Sauter, O.; Savage, R. L.; Sawadsky, A.; Schale, P.; Schilling, R.; Schmidt, J.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schönbeck, A.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Serna, G.; Setyawati, Y.; Sevigny, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shao, Z.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Sheperd, A.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Silva, A. D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L. P.; Singh, A.; Singh, R.; Singhal, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, N. D.; Smith, R. J. E.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Sorrentino, F.; Souradeep, T.; Srivastava, A. K.; Staley, A.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stephens, B. C.; Stevenson, S. P.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Stratta, G.; Strauss, N. A.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sun, L.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B. L.; Szczepańczyk, M. J.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tápai, M.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taracchini, A.; Taylor, R.; Theeg, T.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, E. G.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, S.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Töyrä, D.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trifirò, D.; Tringali, M. C.; Trozzo, L.; Tse, M.; Turconi, M.; Tuyenbayev, D.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; van Bakel, N.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; van den Broeck, C.; Vander-Hyde, D. C.; van der Schaaf, L.; van Heijningen, J. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vardaro, M.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vinciguerra, S.; Vine, D. J.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Voss, D.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L. E.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, G.; Wang, H.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wang, Y.; Ward, R. L.; Warner, J.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Weßels, P.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Williams, R. D.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M. H.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Wright, J. L.; Wu, G.; Yablon, J.; Yam, W.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yap, M. J.; Yu, H.; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zangrando, L.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zevin, M.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S. E.; and; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2016-02-01

The discovery of the gravitational-wave (GW) source GW150914 with the Advanced LIGO detectors provides the first observational evidence for the existence of binary black hole (BH) systems that inspiral and merge within the age of the universe. Such BH mergers have been predicted in two main types of formation models, involving isolated binaries in galactic fields or dynamical interactions in young and old dense stellar environments. The measured masses robustly demonstrate that relatively “heavy” BHs (≳ 25 {M}⊙ ) can form in nature. This discovery implies relatively weak massive-star winds and thus the formation of GW150914 in an environment with a metallicity lower than about 1/2 of the solar value. The rate of binary-BH (BBH) mergers inferred from the observation of GW150914 is consistent with the higher end of rate predictions (≳ 1 Gpc-3 yr-1) from both types of formation models. The low measured redshift (z≃ 0.1) of GW150914 and the low inferred metallicity of the stellar progenitor imply either BBH formation in a low-mass galaxy in the local universe and a prompt merger, or formation at high redshift with a time delay between formation and merger of several Gyr. This discovery motivates further studies of binary-BH formation astrophysics. It also has implications for future detections and studies by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, and GW detectors in space.

Nuclear astrophysics: An application of nuclear physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fueloep, Z.

2005-01-01

Nuclear astrophysics, a fruitful combination of nuclear physics and astrophysics can be viewed as a special application of nuclear physics where the study of nuclei and their reactions are motivated by astrophysical problems. Nuclear astrophysics is also a good example for the state of the art interdisciplinary research. The origin of elements studied by geologists is explored by astrophysicists using nuclear reaction rates provided by the nuclear physics community. Due to the high interest in the field two recent Nuclear Physics Divisional Conferences of the European Physical Society were devoted to nuclear astrophysics and a new conference series entitled 'Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics' has been established. Selected problems of nuclear astrophysics will be presented emphasizing the interplay between nuclear physics and astrophysics. As an example the role of 14 N(p,r) 15 O reaction rate in the determination of the age of globular clusters will be discussed in details

Gravitational-wave localization alone can probe origin of stellar-mass black hole mergers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartos, I; Haiman, Z; Marka, Z; Metzger, B D; Stone, N C; Marka, S

2017-10-10

The recent discovery of gravitational waves from stellar-mass binary black hole mergers by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory opened the door to alternative probes of stellar and galactic evolution, cosmology and fundamental physics. Probing the origin of binary black hole mergers will be difficult due to the expected lack of electromagnetic emission and limited localization accuracy. Associations with rare host galaxy types-such as active galactic nuclei-can nevertheless be identified statistically through spatial correlation. Here we establish the feasibility of statistically proving the connection between binary black hole mergers and active galactic nuclei as hosts, even if only a sub-population of mergers originate from active galactic nuclei. Our results are the demonstration that the limited localization of gravitational waves, previously written off as not useful to distinguish progenitor channels, can in fact contribute key information, broadening the range of astrophysical questions probed by binary black hole observations.Binary black hole mergers have recently been observed through the detection of gravitational wave signatures. The authors demonstrate that their association with active galactic nuclei can be made through a statistical spatial correlation.

The f electron collapse revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, B.I.

1987-03-01

A reexamination of the collapse of 4f and 5f electrons in the lanthanide and actinide series is presented. The calculations show the well-known collapse of the f electron density at the thresholds of these series along with an f 2 collapse between thorium and protactinium. The collapse is sensitive to the choice of model for the exchange-correlation potential and the behavior of the potential at large radius

Investigating the astrophysical 22Ne(p, γ23Na and 22Mg(p, γ23Al reactions with a multi-channel scattering formalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fraser P. R.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The reaction 22Ne(p, γ23Na is key to the NeNa cycle of stellar nucleogenesis, and better understanding of the 22Mg(p, γ23Al reaction is needed to understand the 22Na puzzle in ONe white dwarf novae. We aim to study these reactions using a multi-channel algebraic scattering (MCAS formalism for low-energy nucleon-nucleus scattering, recently expanded to investigate radiative capture. As a first step towards this goal, we here calculate the energy levels of the mass-23 (Ne, Mg, Na, Al nuclei. This is not only because the resonant structure of these nuclei are related to the astrophysical -rates of interest, but also because the interaction parameters determined for describing the energy levels are an integral part of the future calculation of the astrophysical reactions when using the MCAS scheme.

TRIGGERING COLLAPSE OF THE PRESOLAR DENSE CLOUD CORE AND INJECTING SHORT-LIVED RADIOISOTOPES WITH A SHOCK WAVE. II. VARIED SHOCK WAVE AND CLOUD CORE PARAMETERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boss, Alan P.; Keiser, Sandra A., E-mail: boss@dtm.ciw.edu, E-mail: keiser@dtm.ciw.edu [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015-1305 (United States)

2013-06-10

A variety of stellar sources have been proposed for the origin of the short-lived radioisotopes that existed at the time of the formation of the earliest solar system solids, including Type II supernovae (SNe), asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and super-AGB stars, and Wolf-Rayet star winds. Our previous adaptive mesh hydrodynamics models with the FLASH2.5 code have shown which combinations of shock wave parameters are able to simultaneously trigger the gravitational collapse of a target dense cloud core and inject significant amounts of shock wave gas and dust, showing that thin SN shocks may be uniquely suited for the task. However, recent meteoritical studies have weakened the case for a direct SN injection to the presolar cloud, motivating us to re-examine a wider range of shock wave and cloud core parameters, including rotation, in order to better estimate the injection efficiencies for a variety of stellar sources. We find that SN shocks remain as the most promising stellar source, though planetary nebulae resulting from AGB star evolution cannot be conclusively ruled out. Wolf-Rayet (WR) star winds, however, are likely to lead to cloud core shredding, rather than to collapse. Injection efficiencies can be increased when the cloud is rotating about an axis aligned with the direction of the shock wave, by as much as a factor of {approx}10. The amount of gas and dust accreted from the post-shock wind can exceed that injected from the shock wave, with implications for the isotopic abundances expected for a SN source.

Minicourses in Astrophysics, Modular Approach, Vol. I.

Science.gov (United States)

Illinois Univ., Chicago.

This is the first volume of a two-volume minicourse in astrophysics. It contains chapters on the following topics: planetary atmospheres; X-ray astronomy; radio astrophysics; molecular astrophysics; and gamma-ray astrophysics. Each chapter gives much technical discussion, mathematical treatment, diagrams, and examples. References are included with…

Neutrino astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roulet, E.

2001-01-01

A general overview of neutrino physics and astrophysics is given, starting with a historical account of the development of our understanding of neutrinos and how they helped to unravel the structure of the Standard Model. We discuss why it is so important to establish if neutrinos are massive and introduce the main scenarios to provide them a mass. The present bounds and the positive indications in favor of non-zero neutrino masses are discussed, including the recent results on atmospheric and solar neutrinos. The major role that neutrinos play in astrophysics and cosmology is illustrated. (author)

Hydrodynamic Instability, Integrated Code, Laboratory Astrophysics, and Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Takabe, Hideaki

2016-10-01

This is an article for the memorial lecture of Edward Teller Medal and is presented as memorial lecture at the IFSA03 conference held on September 12th, 2003, at Monterey, CA. The author focuses on his main contributions to fusion science and its extension to astrophysics in the field of theory and computation by picking up five topics. The first one is the anomalous resisitivity to hot electrons penetrating over-dense region through the ion wave turbulence driven by the return current compensating the current flow by the hot electrons. It is concluded that almost the same value of potential as the average kinetic energy of the hot electrons is realized to prevent the penetration of the hot electrons. The second is the ablative stabilization of Rayleigh-Taylor instability at ablation front and its dispersion relation so-called Takabe formula. This formula gave a principal guideline for stable target design. The author has developed an integrated code ILESTA (ID & 2D) for analyses and design of laser produced plasma including implosion dynamics. It is also applied to design high gain targets. The third is the development of the integrated code ILESTA. The forth is on Laboratory Astrophysics with intense lasers. This consists of two parts; one is review on its historical background and the other is on how we relate laser plasma to wide-ranging astrophysics and the purposes for promoting such research. In relation to one purpose, I gave a comment on anomalous transport of relativistic electrons in Fast Ignition laser fusion scheme. Finally, I briefly summarize recent activity in relation to application of the author's experience to the development of an integrated code for studying extreme phenomena in astrophysics.

SPHYNX: an accurate density-based SPH method for astrophysical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Cabezón, R. M.; García-Senz, D.; Figueira, J.

2017-10-01

Aims: Hydrodynamical instabilities and shocks are ubiquitous in astrophysical scenarios. Therefore, an accurate numerical simulation of these phenomena is mandatory to correctly model and understand many astrophysical events, such as supernovas, stellar collisions, or planetary formation. In this work, we attempt to address many of the problems that a commonly used technique, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), has when dealing with subsonic hydrodynamical instabilities or shocks. To that aim we built a new SPH code named SPHYNX, that includes many of the recent advances in the SPH technique and some other new ones, which we present here. Methods: SPHYNX is of Newtonian type and grounded in the Euler-Lagrange formulation of the smoothed-particle hydrodynamics technique. Its distinctive features are: the use of an integral approach to estimating the gradients; the use of a flexible family of interpolators called sinc kernels, which suppress pairing instability; and the incorporation of a new type of volume element which provides a better partition of the unity. Unlike other modern formulations, which consider volume elements linked to pressure, our volume element choice relies on density. SPHYNX is, therefore, a density-based SPH code. Results: A novel computational hydrodynamic code oriented to Astrophysical applications is described, discussed, and validated in the following pages. The ensuing code conserves mass, linear and angular momentum, energy, entropy, and preserves kernel normalization even in strong shocks. In our proposal, the estimation of gradients is enhanced using an integral approach. Additionally, we introduce a new family of volume elements which reduce the so-called tensile instability. Both features help to suppress the damp which often prevents the growth of hydrodynamic instabilities in regular SPH codes. Conclusions: On the whole, SPHYNX has passed the verification tests described below. For identical particle setting and initial

NITROGEN ISOTOPES IN ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH CARBON STARS AND PRESOLAR SiC GRAINS: A CHALLENGE FOR STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedrosa, R. P.; Abia, C.; Domínguez, I.; Palmerini, S.; Busso, M.; Cristallo, S.; Straniero, O.; Plez, B.

2013-01-01

Isotopic ratios of C, N, Si, and trace heavy elements in presolar SiC grains from meteorites provide crucial constraints to nucleosynthesis. A long-debated issue is the origin of the so-called A+B grains, as of yet no stellar progenitor thus far has been clearly identified on observational grounds. We report the first spectroscopic measurements of 14 N/ 15 N ratios in Galactic carbon stars of different spectral types and show that J- and some SC-type stars might produce A+B grains, even for 15 N enrichments previously attributed to novae. We also show that most mainstream grains are compatible with the composition of N-type stars, but in some cases might also descend from SC stars. From a theoretical point of view, no astrophysical scenario can explain the C and N isotopic ratios of SC-, J-, and N-type carbon stars together, as well as those of many grains produced by them. This poses urgent questions to stellar physics.

Geotechnical properties of Egyptian collapsible soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khaled E. Gaaver

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The risk of constructing structures on collapsible soils presents significant challenges to geotechnical engineers due to sudden reduction in volume upon wetting. Identifying collapsible soils when encountered in the field and taking the needed precautions should substantially reduce the risk of such problems usually reported in buildings and highways. Collapsible soils are those unsaturated soils that can withstand relatively high pressure without showing significant change in volume, however upon wetting; they are susceptible to a large and sudden reduction in volume. Collapsible soils cover significant areas around the world. In Egypt, collapsible soils were observed within the northern portion of the western desert including Borg El-Arab region, and around the city of Cairo in Six-of-October plateau, and Tenth-of-Ramadan city. Settlements associated with development on untreated collapsible soils usually lead to expensive repairs. One method for treating collapsible soils is to densify their structure by compaction. The ongoing study presents the effect of compaction on the geotechnical properties of the collapsible soils. Undisturbed block samples were recovered from test pits at four sites in Borg El-Arab district, located at about 20 km west of the city of Alexandria, Egypt. The samples were tested in both unsoaked and soaked conditions. Influence of water inundation on the geotechnical properties of collapsible soils was demonstrated. A comparative study between natural undisturbed and compacted samples of collapsible soils was performed. An attempt was made to relate the collapse potential to the initial moisture content. An empirical correlation between California Bearing Ratio of the compacted collapsible soils and liquid limit was adopted. The presented simple relationships should enable the geotechnical engineers to estimate the complex parameters of collapsible soils using simple laboratory tests with a reasonable accuracy.

Compact stellarators as reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyon, J.F.; Valanju, P.; Zarnstorff, M.C.; Hirshman, S.; Spong, D.A.; Strickler, D.; Williamson, D.E.; Ware, A.

2001-01-01

Two types of compact stellarators are examined as reactors: two- and three-field-period (M=2 and 3) quasi-axisymmetric devices with volume-average =4-5% and M=2 and 3 quasi-poloidal devices with =10-15%. These low-aspect-ratio stellarator-tokamak hybrids differ from conventional stellarators in their use of the plasma-generated bootstrap current to supplement the poloidal field from external coils. Using the ARIES-AT model with B max =12T on the coils gives Compact Stellarator reactors with R=7.3-8.2m, a factor of 2-3 smaller R than other stellarator reactors for the same assumptions, and neutron wall loadings up to 3.7MWm -2 . (author)

Mechanisms of cascade collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz de la Rubia, T.; Smalinskas, K.; Averback, R.S.; Robertson, I.M.; Hseih, H.; Benedek, R.

1988-12-01

The spontaneous collapse of energetic displacement cascades in metals into vacancy dislocation loops has been investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulation and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Simulations of 5 keV recoil events in Cu and Ni provide the following scenario of cascade collapse: atoms are ejected from the central region of the cascade by replacement collision sequences; the central region subsequently melts; vacancies are driven to the center of the cascade during resolidification where they may collapse into loops. Whether or not collapse occurs depends critically on the melting temperature of the metal and the energy density and total energy in the cascade. Results of TEM are presented in support of this mechanism. 14 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Annual Scientific Report 2006 for Hydrodynamics and Radiation Hydrodynamics with Astrophysical Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

R. Paul Drake

2007-01-01

We report the ongoing work of our group in hydrodynamics and radiation hydrodynamics with astrophysical applications. During the period of the existing grant, we have carried out two types of experiments at the Omega laser. One set of experiments has studied radiatively collapsing shocks, obtaining data using a backlit pinhole with a 100 ps backlighter and beginning to develop the ability to look into the shock tube with optical or x-ray diagnostics. Other experiments have studied the deeply nonlinear development of the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability from complex initial conditions, using dual-axis radiographic data with backlit pinholes and ungated detectors to complete the data set for a Ph.D. student. We lead a team that is developing a proposal for experiments at the National Ignition Facility and are involved in experiments at NIKE and LIL. All these experiments have applications to astrophysics, discussed in the corresponding papers. We assemble the targets for the experiments at Michigan, where we also prepare many of the simple components. We also have several projects underway in our laboratory involving our x-ray source. The above activities, in addition to a variety of data analysis and design projects, provide good experience for graduate and undergraduates students. In the process of doing this research we have built a research group that uses such work to train junior scientists

Cutting-edge issues of core-collapse supernova theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotake, Kei; Nakamura, Ko; Kuroda, Takami; Takiwaki, Tomoya

2014-01-01

Based on multi-dimensional neutrino-radiation hydrodynamic simulations, we report several cutting-edge issues about the long-veiled explosion mechanism of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). In this contribution, we pay particular attention to whether three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamics and/or general relativity (GR) would or would not help the onset of explosions. By performing 3D simulations with spectral neutrino transport, we show that it is more difficult to obtain an explosion in 3D than in 2D. In addition, our results from the first generation of full general relativistic 3D simulations including approximate neutrino transport indicate that GR can foster the onset of neutrino-driven explosions. Based on our recent parametric studies using a light-bulb scheme, we discuss impacts of nuclear energy deposition behind the supernova shock and stellar rotation on the neutrino-driven mechanism, both of which have yet to be included in the self-consistent 3D supernova models. Finally we give an outlook with a summary of the most urgent tasks to extract the information about the explosion mechanisms from multi-messenger CCSN observables

Models of large-scale magnetic fields in stellar interiors. Application to solar and ap stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duez, Vincent

2009-01-01

Stellar astrophysics needs today new models of large-scale magnetic fields, which are observed through spectropolarimetry at the surface of Ap/Bp stars, and thought to be an explanation for the uniform rotation of the solar radiation zone, deduced from helio seismic inversions. During my PhD, I focused on describing the possible magnetic equilibria in stellar interiors. The found configurations are mixed poloidal-toroidal, and minimize the energy for a given helicity, in analogy with Taylor states encountered in spheromaks. Taking into account the self-gravity leads us to the 'non force-free' equilibria family, that will thus influence the stellar structure. I derived all the physical quantities associated with the magnetic field; then I evaluated the perturbations they induce on gravity, thermodynamic quantities as well as energetic ones, for a solar model and an Ap star. 3D MHD simulations allowed me to show that these equilibria form a first stable states family, the generalization of such states remaining an open question. It has been shown that a large-scale magnetic field confined in the solar radiation zone can induce an oblateness comparable to a high core rotation law. I also studied the secular interaction between the magnetic field, the differential rotation and the meridional circulation in the aim of implementing their effects in a next generation stellar evolution code. The influence of the magnetism on convection has also been studied. Finally, hydrodynamic processes responsible for the mixing have been compared with diffusion and a change of convection's efficiency in the case of a CoRoT star target. (author) [fr

astrophysical significance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dartois E.

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Clathrate hydrates, ice inclusion compounds, are of major importance for the Earth’s permafrost regions and may control the stability of gases in many astrophysical bodies such as the planets, comets and possibly interstellar grains. Their physical behavior may provide a trapping mechanism to modify the absolute and relative composition of icy bodies that could be the source of late-time injection of gaseous species in planetary atmospheres or hot cores. In this study, we provide and discuss laboratory-recorded infrared signatures of clathrate hydrates in the near to mid-infrared and the implications for space-based astrophysical tele-detection in order to constrain their possible presence.

Stellar magnetic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schrijver, C.J.

1986-01-01

The stellar emission in the chromospheric Ca II H+K lines is compared with the coronal soft X-ray emission, measuring the effects of non-radiative heating in the outer atmosphere at temperatures differing two orders of magnitude. The comparison of stellar flux densities in Ca II H+K and X-rays is extended to fluxes from the transition-region and the high-temperature chromosphere. The stellar magnetic field is probably generated in the differentially rotating convective envelope. The relation between rotation rate and the stellar level of activity measured in chromospheric, transition-region, and coronal radiative diagnostics is discovered. X-ray observations of the binary λ Andromedae are discussed. The departure of M-type dwarfs from the main relations, and the implications for the structure of the chromospheres of these stars are discussed. Variations of the average surface flux densities of the Sun during the 11-year activity cycle agree with flux-flux relations derived for other cool stars, suggesting that the interpretation of the stellar relations may be furthered by studying the solar analogue in more detail. (Auth.)

Space astronomy and astrophysics program by NASA

Science.gov (United States)

Hertz, Paul L.

2014-07-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration recently released the NASA Strategic Plan 20141, and the NASA Science Mission Directorate released the NASA 2014 Science Plan3. These strategic documents establish NASA's astrophysics strategic objectives to be (i) to discover how the universe works, (ii) to explore how it began and evolved, and (iii) to search for life on planets around other stars. The multidisciplinary nature of astrophysics makes it imperative to strive for a balanced science and technology portfolio, both in terms of science goals addressed and in missions to address these goals. NASA uses the prioritized recommendations and decision rules of the National Research Council's 2010 decadal survey in astronomy and astrophysics2 to set the priorities for its investments. The NASA Astrophysics Division has laid out its strategy for advancing the priorities of the decadal survey in its Astrophysics 2012 Implementation Plan4. With substantial input from the astrophysics community, the NASA Advisory Council's Astrophysics Subcommittee has developed an astrophysics visionary roadmap, Enduring Quests, Daring Visions5, to examine possible longer-term futures. The successful development of the James Webb Space Telescope leading to a 2018 launch is an Agency priority. One important goal of the Astrophysics Division is to begin a strategic mission, subject to the availability of funds, which follows from the 2010 decadal survey and is launched after the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA is studying a Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope as its next large astrophysics mission. NASA is also planning to partner with other space agencies on their missions as well as increase the cadence of smaller Principal Investigator led, competitively selected Astrophysics Explorers missions.

STELLAR DIAMETERS AND TEMPERATURES. II. MAIN-SEQUENCE K- AND M-STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyajian, Tabetha S.; McAlister, Harold A.; Jones, Jeremy; White, Russel; Henry, Todd; Gies, Douglas; Jao, Wei-Chun; Parks, J. Robert [Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 4106, Atlanta, GA 30302-4106 (United States); Von Braun, Kaspar; Kane, Stephen R.; Ciardi, David [NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, MC 100-22, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Van Belle, Gerard [Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Ten Brummelaar, Theo A.; Schaefer, Gail; Sturmann, Laszlo; Sturmann, Judit [The CHARA Array, Mount Wilson Observatory, Mount Wilson, CA 91023 (United States); Muirhead, Philip S. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Lopez-Morales, Mercedes [Institut de Ciencies de L' Espai (CSIC-IEEC), E-08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Ridgway, Stephen [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726-6732 (United States); Rojas-Ayala, Barbara [Department of Astrophysics, Division of Physical Sciences, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 (United States); and others

2012-10-01

suggest that the models over account for the effects that the stellar metallicity may have on the astrophysical properties of an object. By comparing the interferometrically measured radii for the single star population to those of eclipsing binaries, we find that for a given mass, single and binary star radii are indistinguishable. However, we also find that for a given radius, the literature temperatures for binary stars are systematically lower compared to our interferometrically derived temperatures of single stars by {approx}200 to 300 K. The nature of this offset is dependent on the validation of binary star temperatures, where bringing all measurements to a uniform and correctly calibrated temperature scale is needed to identify any influence stellar activity may have on the physical properties of a star. Lastly, we present an empirically determined H-R diagram using fundamental properties presented here in combination with those in Boyajian et al. for a total of 74 nearby, main-sequence, A- to M-type stars, and define regions of habitability for the potential existence of sub-stellar mass companions in each system.

LAD Dissertation Prize Talk: Molecular Collisional Excitation in Astrophysical Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Kyle M.

2017-06-01

While molecular excitation calculations are vital in determining particle velocity distributions, internal state distributions, abundances, and ionization balance in gaseous environments, both theoretical calculations and experimental data for these processes are lacking. Reliable molecular collisional data with the most abundant species - H2, H, He, and electrons - are needed to probe material in astrophysical environments such as nebulae, molecular clouds, comets, and planetary atmospheres. However, excitation calculations with the main collider, H2, are computationally expensive and therefore various approximations are used to obtain unknown rate coefficients. The widely-accepted collider-mass scaling approach is flawed, and alternate scaling techniques based on physical and mathematical principles are presented here. The most up-to-date excitation data are used to model the chemical evolution of primordial species in the Recombination Era and produce accurate non-thermal spectra of the molecules H2+, HD, and H2 in a primordial cloud as it collapses into a first generation star.

High energy astrophysics. An introduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Courvoisier, Thierry J.L. [Geneva Univ., Versoix (Switzerland). ISDC, Data Centre for Astrophysics

2013-07-01

Based on observational examples this book reveals and explains high-energy astrophysical processes. Presents the theory of astrophysical processes in a didactic approach by deriving equations step by step. With several attractive astronomical pictures. High-energy astrophysics has unveiled a Universe very different from that only known from optical observations. It has revealed many types of objects in which typical variability timescales are as short as years, months, days, and hours (in quasars, X-ray binaries, and other objects), and even down to milli-seconds in gamma ray bursts. The sources of energy that are encountered are only very seldom nuclear fusion, and most of the time gravitation, a paradox when one thinks that gravitation is, by many orders of magnitude, the weakest of the fundamental interactions. The understanding of these objects' physical conditions and the processes revealed by high-energy astrophysics in the last decades is nowadays part of astrophysicists' culture, even of those active in other domains of astronomy. This book evolved from lectures given to master and PhD students at the University of Geneva since the early 1990s. It aims at providing astronomers and physicists intending to be active in high-energy astrophysics a broad basis on which they should be able to build the more specific knowledge they will need. While in the first part of the book the physical processes are described and derived in detail, the second part studies astrophysical objects in which high-energy astrophysics plays a crucial role. This two-pronged approach will help students recognise physical processes by their observational signatures in contexts that may differ widely from those presented here.

sunstardb: A Database for the Study of Stellar Magnetism and the Solar-stellar Connection

Science.gov (United States)

Egeland, Ricky

2018-05-01

The “solar-stellar connection” began as a relatively small field of research focused on understanding the processes that generate magnetic fields in stars and sometimes lead to a cyclic pattern of long-term variability in activity, as demonstrated by our Sun. This area of study has recently become more broadly pertinent to questions of exoplanet habitability and exo-space weather, as well as stellar evolution. In contrast to other areas of stellar research, individual stars in the solar-stellar connection often have a distinct identity and character in the literature, due primarily to the rarity of the decades-long time-series that are necessary for studying stellar activity cycles. Furthermore, the underlying stellar dynamo is not well understood theoretically, and is thought to be sensitive to several stellar properties, e.g., luminosity, differential rotation, and the depth of the convection zone, which in turn are often parameterized by other more readily available properties. Relevant observations are scattered throughout the literature and existing stellar databases, and consolidating information for new studies is a tedious and laborious exercise. To accelerate research in this area I developed sunstardb, a relational database of stellar properties and magnetic activity proxy time-series keyed by individual named stars. The organization of the data eliminates the need for the problematic catalog cross-matching operations inherent when building an analysis data set from heterogeneous sources. In this article I describe the principles behind sunstardb, the data structures and programming interfaces, as well as use cases from solar-stellar connection research.

The core collapse supernova rate from 24 years of data of the Large Volume Detector

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, G.; Fulgione, W.; Molinario, A.; Vigorito, C.; LVD Collaboration

2017-09-01

The Large Volume Detector (LVD) at INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy is a 1 kt liquid scintillator neutrino observatory mainly designed to study low energy neutrinos from Gravitational Stellar Collapses (GSC) with 100% efficiency over the entire Galaxy. Here we summarize the results of the search for supernova neutrino bursts over the full data set lasting from June 1992 to May 2016 for a total live time of 8211 days. In the lack of a positive observation, either in standalone mode or in coincidence with other experiments, we establish the upper limit to the rate of GSC event in the Milky Way: 0.1 year-1 at 90% c.l..

Non-accelerator particle physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinberg, R.I.

1990-01-01

The goals of this research are the experimental testing of fundamental theories of physics such as grand unification and the exploration of cosmic phenomena through the techniques of particle physics. We are currently engaged in construction of the MACRO detector, an Italian-American collaborative research instrument with a total particle acceptance of 10,000 m 2 sr, which will perform a sensitive search for magnetic monopoles using excitation-ionization methods. Other major objective of the MACRO experiment are to search for astrophysical high energy neutrinos expected to be emitted by such objects as Vela X-1, LMC X-4 and SN-1987A and to search for low energy neutrino bursts from gravitational stellar collapse. We are also working on BOREX, a liquid scintillation solar neutrino experiment and GRANDE, a proposed very large area surface detector for astrophysical neutrinos, and on the development of new techniques for liquid scintillation detection

Non-accelerator particle physics: Progress report for period February 1, 1988--January 31, 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-11-01

The goals of this research are the experimental testing of fundamental theories of physics such as grand unification and the exploration of cosmic phenomena through the techniques of particle physics. We are currently engaged in construction of the MACRO detector, an Italian-American collaborative research instrument with a total particle acceptance of 10,000 m 2 sr, which will perform a sensitive search for magnetic monopoles using excitation-ionization methods. Other major objectives of the MACRO experiment are to search for astrophysical high energy neutrinos expected to be emitted by such objects as Vela X-1, LMC X-4, and SN-1987A and to search for low energy neutrino bursts from gravitational stellar collapse. We are also working on GRANDE, a proposed very large area surface detector for astrophysical neutrinos, and on the development of new techniques for liquid scintillation detection. 18 refs

Spherical dust collapse in higher dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goswami, Rituparno; Joshi, Pankaj S.

2004-01-01

We consider here whether it is possible to recover cosmic censorship when a transition is made to higher-dimensional spacetimes, by studying the spherically symmetric dust collapse in an arbitrary higher spacetime dimension. It is pointed out that if only black holes are to result as the end state of a continual gravitational collapse, several conditions must be imposed on the collapsing configuration, some of which may appear to be restrictive, and we need to study carefully if these can be suitably motivated physically in a realistic collapse scenario. It would appear, that, in a generic higher-dimensional dust collapse, both black holes and naked singularities would develop as end states as indicated by the results here. The mathematical approach developed here generalizes and unifies the earlier available results on higher-dimensional dust collapse as we point out. Further, the dependence of black hole or naked singularity end states as collapse outcomes on the nature of the initial data from which the collapse develops is brought out explicitly and in a transparent manner as we show here. Our method also allows us to consider here in some detail the genericity and stability aspects related to the occurrence of naked singularities in gravitational collapse

Spherically symmetric radiation in gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bridy, D.J.

1983-01-01

This paper investigates a previously neglected mode by which a star may lose energy in the late stages of gravitational collapse to the black hole state. A model consisting of a Schwarzschild exterior matched to a Friedman interior of collapsing pressureless dust is studied. The matter of the collapsing star is taken as the source of a massive vector boson field and a detailed boundary value problem is carried out. Vector mesons are strongly coupled to all nucleons and will be radiated by ordinary matter during the collapse. The time dependent coupling between interior and exterior modes matched across the moving boundary of the collapsing star and the presence of the gravitational fields and their gradients in the field equations may give rise to a parametric amplification mechanism and permit the gravitational field to pump energy into the boson field, greatly enhancing the amount of boson radiation. The significance of a radiative mechanism driven by collapse is that it can react back upon the collapsing source and deprive it of some of the very mass that drives the collapse via its self gravitation. If the mass loss is great enough, this may provide a mechanism to slow or even halt gravitational collapse in some cases

White noise from dark matter: 21 cm observations of early baryon collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zurek, Kathryn M.; Hogan, Craig J.

2007-01-01

In concordance cosmology, dark matter density perturbations generated by inflation lead to nonlinear, virialized minihalos, into which baryons collapse at redshift z∼20. We survey here novel baryon evolution produced by a modification of the power spectrum from white noise density perturbations at scales below k∼10h Mpc -1 (the smallest scales currently measured with the Lyman-α forest). Exotic dark matter dynamics, such as would arise from scalar dark matter with a late phase transition (similar to an axion, but with lower mass), or primordial black hole dark matter, create such an amplification of small scale power. The dark matter produced in such a phase transition collapses into minihalos, with a size given by the dark matter mass within the horizon at the phase transition. If the mass of the initial minihalos is larger than ∼10 -3 M · , the modified power spectrum is found to cause widespread baryon collapse earlier than standard ΛCDM, leading to earlier gas heating. It also results in higher spin temperature of the baryons in the 21 cm line relative to ΛCDM at redshifts z>20 if the mass of the minihalo is larger than 1M · . It is estimated that experiments probing 21 cm radiation at high redshift will contribute a significant constraint on dark matter models of this type for initial minihalos larger than ∼10M · . These experiments may also detect (or rule out) primordial black holes as the dark matter in the window 30M · H 3 M · still left open by strong microlensing experiments and other astrophysical constraints. Early experiments reaching to z≅15 will constrain minihalos down to ∼10 3 M ·

Spherical Collapse in Chameleon Models

CERN Document Server

Brax, Ph; Steer, D A

2010-01-01

We study the gravitational collapse of an overdensity of nonrelativistic matter under the action of gravity and a chameleon scalar field. We show that the spherical collapse model is modified by the presence of a chameleon field. In particular, we find that even though the chameleon effects can be potentially large at small scales, for a large enough initial size of the inhomogeneity the collapsing region possesses a thin shell that shields the modification of gravity induced by the chameleon field, recovering the standard gravity results. We analyse the behaviour of a collapsing shell in a cosmological setting in the presence of a thin shell and find that, in contrast to the usual case, the critical density for collapse depends on the initial comoving size of the inhomogeneity.

Spherical collapse in chameleon models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brax, Ph. [Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA, IPhT, CNRS, URA 2306, F-91191Gif/Yvette Cedex (France); Rosenfeld, R. [Instituto de Física Teórica, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rua Dr. Bento T. Ferraz, 271, 01140-070, São Paulo (Brazil); Steer, D.A., E-mail: brax@spht.saclay.cea.fr, E-mail: rosenfel@ift.unesp.br, E-mail: daniele.steer@apc.univ-paris7.fr [APC, UMR 7164, CNRS, Université Paris 7, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France)

2010-08-01

We study the gravitational collapse of an overdensity of nonrelativistic matter under the action of gravity and a chameleon scalar field. We show that the spherical collapse model is modified by the presence of a chameleon field. In particular, we find that even though the chameleon effects can be potentially large at small scales, for a large enough initial size of the inhomogeneity the collapsing region possesses a thin shell that shields the modification of gravity induced by the chameleon field, recovering the standard gravity results. We analyse the behaviour of a collapsing shell in a cosmological setting in the presence of a thin shell and find that, in contrast to the usual case, the critical density for collapse in principle depends on the initial comoving size of the inhomogeneity.

Spherical collapse in chameleon models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brax, Ph.; Rosenfeld, R.; Steer, D.A.

2010-01-01

We study the gravitational collapse of an overdensity of nonrelativistic matter under the action of gravity and a chameleon scalar field. We show that the spherical collapse model is modified by the presence of a chameleon field. In particular, we find that even though the chameleon effects can be potentially large at small scales, for a large enough initial size of the inhomogeneity the collapsing region possesses a thin shell that shields the modification of gravity induced by the chameleon field, recovering the standard gravity results. We analyse the behaviour of a collapsing shell in a cosmological setting in the presence of a thin shell and find that, in contrast to the usual case, the critical density for collapse in principle depends on the initial comoving size of the inhomogeneity

CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVA EQUATIONS OF STATE BASED ON NEUTRON STAR OBSERVATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiner, A. W.; Hempel, M.; Fischer, T.

2013-01-01

Many of the currently available equations of state for core-collapse supernova simulations give large neutron star radii and do not provide large enough neutron star masses, both of which are inconsistent with some recent neutron star observations. In addition, one of the critical uncertainties in the nucleon-nucleon interaction, the nuclear symmetry energy, is not fully explored by the currently available equations of state. In this article, we construct two new equations of state which match recent neutron star observations and provide more flexibility in studying the dependence on nuclear matter properties. The equations of state are also provided in tabular form, covering a wide range in density, temperature, and asymmetry, suitable for astrophysical simulations. These new equations of state are implemented into our spherically symmetric core-collapse supernova model, which is based on general relativistic radiation hydrodynamics with three-flavor Boltzmann neutrino transport. The results are compared with commonly used equations of state in supernova simulations of 11.2 and 40 M ☉ progenitors. We consider only equations of state which are fitted to nuclear binding energies and other experimental and observational constraints. We find that central densities at bounce are weakly correlated with L and that there is a moderate influence of the symmetry energy on the evolution of the electron fraction. The new models also obey the previously observed correlation between the time to black hole formation and the maximum mass of an s = 4 neutron star

Effect of rotation on fingering convection in stellar and planetary interiors

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Sutirtha; Garaud, Pascale

2018-01-01

We study the effects of global rotation on the growth and saturation of the fingering (double-diffusive) instability at low Prandtl numbers and estimate the compositional transport rates as a function of the relevant non-dimensional parameters - the Taylor number, Ta^* (defined in terms of the rotation rate, Ω, thermal diffusivity κ_T and associated finger length scale d) and density ratio through direct numerical simulations. Within our explored range of parameters, we find rotation to have very little effect on vertical transport apart for an exceptional case where a cyclonic large scale vortex (LSV) is observed at low density ratio and fairly high Taylor number. The LSV leads to significant enhancement in the fingering transport rates by concentrating high composition fluid at its core which moves downward. The formation of such LSVs is of particular interest for solving the missing mixing problem in the astrophysical context of RGB stars though the parameter regime in which we observe the emergence of this LSV seems to be quite far from the stellar scenario. However, understanding the basic mechanism driving such large scale structures as observed frequently in polar regions of planets (e.g. those seen by Juno near the poles of Jupiter) is important in general for studies of rotating turbulence and its applications to stellar and planetary interior studies, and will be investigated in further detail in a forthcoming work.

Nuclear Astrophysics Experiments at CIAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Weiping; Li Zhihong; Bai Xixiang; Lian Gang; Guo Bing; Zeng, Sheng; Yan Shengquan; Wang Baoxiang; Shu Nengchuan; Wu Kaisu; Chen Yongshou

2005-01-01

This paper describes nuclear astrophysical studies using the unstable ion beam facility GIRAFFE. We measured the angular distributions for some low energy reactions, such as 7 Be(d, n) 8 B, 11 C(d, n) 12 N, 8 Li(d, n) 9 Be and 8 Li(d, p) 9 Li in inverse kinematics, and indirectly derived the astrophysical S-factors or reaction rates of 7 Be(p, γ) 8 B, 11 C(p, γ) 12 N, 8 Li(n, γ) 9 Li at astrophysically relevant energies

Tracheal collapse in two cats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendricks, J.C.; O'Brien, J.A.

1985-01-01