Giant Radio Halos in Galaxy Clusters as Probes of Particle ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Giant radio halos in galaxy clusters probe mechanisms of particle acceleration connected with cluster merger events. Shocks and turbulence are driven in the inter-galactic medium (IGM) during clusters mergers and may have a deep impact on the non-thermal properties of galaxy clusters. Models of ...

A Bayesian approach shows no correlation between transit-depth and stellar metallicity for confirmed and candidates Kepler gas giants planets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nehmé, C; Sarkis, P

2017-01-01

Previous study to investigate the correlation between the transit depth and the stellar metallicity of Kepler’s (Q1-Q12) gas giant planets (radii of 5-20R ⊙ ) has led to a weakly significant negative correlation. We use the cumulative catalog of planets detected by the NASA Kepler mission Q1-Q17 catalog, as of April 2015, to perform a solid statistical analysis of this correlation. In the present work, we revise this correlation, within a Bayesian framework, for two large samples: sample A confirmed planets and sample B (confirmed + candidates). We expand a hierarchical method to account for false positives in the studied samples. Our statistical analysis reveals no correlation between the transit depth and the stellar metallicity. This has implications for planet formation theory and interior structure of giant planets. (paper)

(p,n) and (n,p) reactions as probes of isovector giant monopole resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auerbach, N.; Bowman, J.D.; Franey, M.A.; Love, W.G.

1983-01-01

Nucleon charge exchange reactions are explored as prospective probes of isovector giant monopole resonances. Using charge exchange transition densities based on random-phase approximation sum rules, distorted wave impulse approximation calculations are made for the (p,n) and (n,p) reactions exciting the isovector giant monopole resonances in several nuclei at bombarding energies of 120 and 800 MeV. Based on our calculations, the charge exchange reactions at 800 MeV appear more promising

The core mass-radius relation for giants - A new test of stellar evolution theory

Science.gov (United States)

Joss, P. C.; Rappaport, S.; Lewis, W.

1987-01-01

It is demonstrated here that the measurable properties of systems containing degenerate dwarfs can be used as a direct test of the core mass-radius relation for moderate-mass giants if the final stages of the loss of the envelope of the progenitor giant occurred via stable critical lobe overflow. This relation directly probes the internal structure of stars at a relatively advanced evolutionary state and is only modestly influenced by adjustable parameters. The measured properties of six binary systems, including such diverse systems as Sirius and Procyon and two millisecond pulsars, are utilized to derive constraints on the empirical core mass-radius relation, and the constraints are compared to the theoretical relation. The possibility that the final stages of envelope ejection of the giant progenitor of Sirius B occurred via critical lobe overflow in historical times is considered.

The Core Mass Growth and Stellar Lifetime of Thermally Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Kalirai, Jason S.; Marigo, Paola; Tremblay, Pier-Emmanuel

2014-02-01

We establish new constraints on the intermediate-mass range of the initial-final mass relation, and apply the results to study the evolution of stars on the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB). These constraints derive from newly discovered (bright) white dwarfs in the nearby Hyades and Praesepe star clusters, including a total of 18 high signal-to-noise ratio measurements with progenitor masses of M initial = 2.8-3.8 M ⊙. We also include a new analysis of existing white dwarfs in the older NGC 6819 and NGC 7789 star clusters, M initial = 1.6 and 2.0 M ⊙. Over this range of initial masses, stellar evolutionary models for metallicity Z initial = 0.02 predict the maximum growth of the core of TP-AGB stars. By comparing the newly measured remnant masses to the robust prediction of the core mass at the first thermal pulse on the AGB (i.e., from stellar interior models), we establish several findings. First, we show that the stellar core mass on the AGB grows rapidly from 10% to 30% for stars with M initial = 1.6 to 2.0 M ⊙. At larger masses, the core-mass growth decreases steadily to ~10% at M initial = 3.4 M ⊙, after which there is a small hint of a upturn out to M initial = 3.8 M ⊙. These observations are in excellent agreement with predictions from the latest TP-AGB evolutionary models in Marigo et al. We also compare to models with varying efficiencies of the third dredge-up and mass loss, and demonstrate that the process governing the growth of the core is largely the stellar wind, while the third dredge-up plays a secondary, but non-negligible role. Based on the new white dwarf measurements, we perform an exploratory calibration of the most popular mass-loss prescriptions in the literature, as well as of the third dredge-up efficiency as a function of the stellar mass. Finally, we estimate the lifetime and the integrated luminosity of stars on the TP-AGB to peak at t ~ 3 Myr and E = 1.2 × 1010 L ⊙ yr for M initial ~ 2 M ⊙ (t ~ 2 Myr

A DETECTION OF GAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE M31 STELLAR STREAM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koch, Andreas [Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Landessternwarte, Königstuhl 12, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Danforth, Charles W.; Keeney, Brian A. [CASA, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389-UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Rich, R. Michael [Physics and Astronomy Building, 430 Portola Plaza, Box 951547, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Ibata, Rodrigo [Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11, rue de l’Université, F-67000, Strasbourg (France)

2015-07-10

Detailed studies of stellar populations in the halos of the Milky Way and the Andromeda (M31) galaxies have shown increasing numbers of tidal streams and dwarf galaxies, attesting to a complicated and on-going process of hierarchical structure formation. The most prominent feature in the halo of M31 is the Giant Stellar Stream, a structure ∼4.°5 in extent along the sky, which is close to, but not coincident with the galaxy's minor axis. The stars that make up this stream are kinematically and chemically distinct from the other stars in the halo. Here, we present Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph high-resolution ultraviolet absorption spectra of three active galactic nuclei sight lines which probe the M31 halo, including one that samples gas in the main southwestern portion of the Giant Stream. We see two clear absorption components in many metal species at velocities typical of the M31 halo and a third, blueshifted component which arises in the stream. Photoionization modeling of the column density ratios in the different components shows gas in an ionization state typical of that seen in other galaxy halo environments and suggests solar to slightly super-solar metallicity, consistent with previous findings from stellar spectroscopy.

Teetering Stars: Resonant Excitation of Stellar Obliquities by Hot and Warm Jupiters with External Companions

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Kassandra; Lai, Dong

2018-04-01

Stellar spin-orbit misalignments (obliquities) in hot Jupiter systems have been extensively probed in recent years thanks to Rossiter-McLaughlin observations. Such obliquities may reveal clues about hot Jupiter dynamical and migration histories. Common explanations for generating stellar obliquities include high-eccentricity migration, or primordial disk misalignment. This talk investigates another mechanism for producing stellar spin-orbit misalignments in systems hosting a close-in giant planet with an external, inclined planetary companion. Spin-orbit misalignment may be excited due to a secular resonance, occurring when the precession rate of the stellar spin axis (due to the inner orbit) becomes comparable to the precession rate of the inner orbital axis (due to the outer companion). Due to the spin-down of the host star via magnetic braking, this resonance may be achieved at some point during the star's main sequence lifetime for a wide range of giant planet masses and orbital architectures. We focus on both hot Jupiters (with orbital periods less than ten days) and warm Jupiters (with orbital periods around tens of days), and identify the outer perburber properties needed to generate substantial obliquities via resonant excitation, in terms of mass, separation, and inclination. For hot Jupiters, the stellar spin axis is strongly coupled to the orbital axis, and resonant excitation of obliquity requires a close perturber, located within 1-2 AU. For warm Jupiters, the spin and orbital axes are more weakly coupled, and the resonance may be achieved for more distant perturbers (at several to tens of AU). Resonant excitation of the stellar obliquity is accompanied by a decrease in the planets' mutual orbital inclination, and can thus erase high mutual inclinations in two-planet systems. Since many warm Jupiters are known to have outer planetary companions at several AU or beyond, stellar obliquities in warm Jupiter systems may be common, regardless of the

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 core mass growth and stellar lifetime of thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalirai, Jason S.; Tremblay, Pier-Emmanuel; Marigo, Paola

2014-01-01

We establish new constraints on the intermediate-mass range of the initial-final mass relation, and apply the results to study the evolution of stars on the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB). These constraints derive from newly discovered (bright) white dwarfs in the nearby Hyades and Praesepe star clusters, including a total of 18 high signal-to-noise ratio measurements with progenitor masses of M initial = 2.8-3.8 M ☉ . We also include a new analysis of existing white dwarfs in the older NGC 6819 and NGC 7789 star clusters, M initial = 1.6 and 2.0 M ☉ . Over this range of initial masses, stellar evolutionary models for metallicity Z initial = 0.02 predict the maximum growth of the core of TP-AGB stars. By comparing the newly measured remnant masses to the robust prediction of the core mass at the first thermal pulse on the AGB (i.e., from stellar interior models), we establish several findings. First, we show that the stellar core mass on the AGB grows rapidly from 10% to 30% for stars with M initial = 1.6 to 2.0 M ☉ . At larger masses, the core-mass growth decreases steadily to ∼10% at M initial = 3.4 M ☉ , after which there is a small hint of a upturn out to M initial = 3.8 M ☉ . These observations are in excellent agreement with predictions from the latest TP-AGB evolutionary models in Marigo et al. We also compare to models with varying efficiencies of the third dredge-up and mass loss, and demonstrate that the process governing the growth of the core is largely the stellar wind, while the third dredge-up plays a secondary, but non-negligible role. Based on the new white dwarf measurements, we perform an exploratory calibration of the most popular mass-loss prescriptions in the literature, as well as of the third dredge-up efficiency as a function of the stellar mass. Finally, we estimate the lifetime and the integrated luminosity of stars on the TP-AGB to peak at t ∼ 3 Myr and E = 1.2 × 10 10 L ☉ yr for M initial ∼ 2 M �

The core mass growth and stellar lifetime of thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalirai, Jason S.; Tremblay, Pier-Emmanuel [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Marigo, Paola, E-mail: jkalirai@stsci.edu, E-mail: paola.marigo@unipd.it, E-mail: ptremblay@lsw.uni-heidelberg.de [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 3, I-35122 Padova (Italy)

2014-02-10

We establish new constraints on the intermediate-mass range of the initial-final mass relation, and apply the results to study the evolution of stars on the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB). These constraints derive from newly discovered (bright) white dwarfs in the nearby Hyades and Praesepe star clusters, including a total of 18 high signal-to-noise ratio measurements with progenitor masses of M {sub initial} = 2.8-3.8 M {sub ☉}. We also include a new analysis of existing white dwarfs in the older NGC 6819 and NGC 7789 star clusters, M {sub initial} = 1.6 and 2.0 M {sub ☉}. Over this range of initial masses, stellar evolutionary models for metallicity Z {sub initial} = 0.02 predict the maximum growth of the core of TP-AGB stars. By comparing the newly measured remnant masses to the robust prediction of the core mass at the first thermal pulse on the AGB (i.e., from stellar interior models), we establish several findings. First, we show that the stellar core mass on the AGB grows rapidly from 10% to 30% for stars with M {sub initial} = 1.6 to 2.0 M {sub ☉}. At larger masses, the core-mass growth decreases steadily to ∼10% at M {sub initial} = 3.4 M {sub ☉}, after which there is a small hint of a upturn out to M {sub initial} = 3.8 M {sub ☉}. These observations are in excellent agreement with predictions from the latest TP-AGB evolutionary models in Marigo et al. We also compare to models with varying efficiencies of the third dredge-up and mass loss, and demonstrate that the process governing the growth of the core is largely the stellar wind, while the third dredge-up plays a secondary, but non-negligible role. Based on the new white dwarf measurements, we perform an exploratory calibration of the most popular mass-loss prescriptions in the literature, as well as of the third dredge-up efficiency as a function of the stellar mass. Finally, we estimate the lifetime and the integrated luminosity of stars on the TP-AGB to peak at t �

NON-RADIAL OSCILLATIONS IN M-GIANT SEMI-REGULAR VARIABLES: STELLAR MODELS AND KEPLER OBSERVATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stello, Dennis; Compton, Douglas L.; Bedding, Timothy R.; Kiss, Laszlo L.; Bellamy, Beau [Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jørgen; Kjeldsen, Hans [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); García, Rafael A. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS, Université Paris 7 Diderot, IRFU/SAp, Centre de Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Mathur, Savita, E-mail: stello@physics.usyd.edu.au [Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States)

2014-06-10

The success of asteroseismology relies heavily on our ability to identify the frequency patterns of stellar oscillation modes. For stars like the Sun this is relatively easy because the mode frequencies follow a regular pattern described by a well-founded asymptotic relation. When a solar-like star evolves off the main sequence and onto the red giant branch its structure changes dramatically, resulting in changes in the frequency pattern of the modes. We follow the evolution of the adiabatic frequency pattern from the main sequence to near the tip of the red giant branch for a series of models. We find a significant departure from the asymptotic relation for the non-radial modes near the red giant branch tip, resulting in a triplet frequency pattern. To support our investigation we analyze almost four years of Kepler data of the most luminous stars in the field (late K and early M type) and find that their frequency spectra indeed show a triplet pattern dominated by dipole modes even for the most luminous stars in our sample. Our identification explains previous results from ground-based observations reporting fine structure in the Petersen diagram and sub-ridges in the period-luminosity diagram. Finally, we find ''new ridges'' of non-radial modes with frequencies below the fundamental mode in our model calculations, and we speculate they are related to f modes.

Evolution and nucleosynthesis of asymptotic giant branch stellar models of low metallicity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fishlock, Cherie K.; Karakas, Amanda I.; Yong, David [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611 (Australia); Lugaro, Maria, E-mail: cherie.fishlock@anu.edu.au, E-mail: amanda.karakas@anu.edu.au, E-mail: david.yong@anu.edu.au, E-mail: maria.lugaro@monash.edu [Monash Centre for Astrophysics, Monash University, Clayton VIC 3800 (Australia)

2014-12-10

We present stellar evolutionary tracks and nucleosynthetic predictions for a grid of stellar models of low- and intermediate-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars at Z = 0.001 ([Fe/H] =–1.2). The models cover an initial mass range from 1 M {sub ☉} to 7 M {sub ☉}. Final surface abundances and stellar yields are calculated for all elements from hydrogen to bismuth as well as isotopes up to the iron group. We present the first study of neutron-capture nucleosynthesis in intermediate-mass AGB models, including a super-AGB model, of [Fe/H] = –1.2. We examine in detail a low-mass AGB model of 2 M {sub ☉} where the {sup 13}C(α,n){sup 16}O reaction is the main source of neutrons. We also examine an intermediate-mass AGB model of 5 M {sub ☉} where intershell temperatures are high enough to activate the {sup 22}Ne neutron source, which produces high neutron densities up to ∼10{sup 14} n cm{sup –3}. Hot bottom burning is activated in models with M ≥ 3 M {sub ☉}. With the 3 M {sub ☉} model, we investigate the effect of varying the extent in mass of the region where protons are mixed from the envelope into the intershell at the deepest extent of each third dredge-up. We compare the results of the low-mass models to three post-AGB stars with a metallicity of [Fe/H] ≅ – 1.2. The composition is a good match to the predicted neutron-capture abundances except for Pb and we confirm that the observed Pb abundances are lower than what is calculated by AGB models.

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.

PROBING THE DEEP END OF THE MILKY WAY WITH KEPLER : ASTEROSEISMIC ANALYSIS OF 854 FAINT RED GIANTS MISCLASSIFIED AS COOL DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathur, S. [Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States); García, R. A.; Beck, P. G.; Houmani, K.; Salabert, D. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DRF-CNRS-Université Paris Diderot, IRFU/SAp, Centre de Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Huber, D.; Stello, D. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Regulo, C. [Universidad de La Laguna, Dpto de Astrofísica, E-38206, Tenerife (Spain)

2016-08-10

Asteroseismology has proven to be an excellent tool to determine not only global stellar properties with good precision, but also to infer the stellar structure, dynamics, and evolution for a large sample of Kepler stars. Prior to the launch of the mission, the properties of Kepler targets were inferred from broadband photometry, leading to the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC). The KIC was later revised in the Kepler Star Properties Catalog, based on literature values and an asteroseismic analysis of stars that were unclassified in the KIC. Here, we present an asteroseismic analysis of 45,400 stars that were classified as dwarfs in the Kepler Star Properties Catalog. We found that around 2% of the sample shows acoustic modes in the typical frequency range that put them in the red-giant category rather than the cool dwarf category. We analyze the asteroseismic properties of these stars, derive their surface gravities, masses, and radii, and present updated effective temperatures and distances. We show that the sample is significantly fainter than the previously known oscillating giants in the Kepler field, with the faintest stars reaching down to a Kepler magnitude of Kp ∼ 16. We demonstrate that 404 stars are at distances beyond 5 kpc and that the stars are significantly less massive than for the original Kepler red-giant sample, consistent with a population of distant halo giants. A comparison with a galactic population model shows that up to 40 stars might be genuine halo giants, which would increase the number of known asteroseismic halo stars by a factor of 4. The detections presented here will provide a valuable sample for galactic archeology studies.

Stellar Evolution in NGC 6791: Mass Loss on the Red Giant Branch and the Formation of Low-Mass White Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Kalirai, Jasonjot S.; Bergeron, P.; Hansen, Brad M. S.; Kelson, Daniel D.; Reitzel, David B.; Rich, R. Michael; Richer, Harvey B.

2007-12-01

We present the first detailed study of the properties (temperatures, gravities, and masses) of the NGC 6791 white dwarf population. This unique stellar system is both one of the oldest (8 Gyr) and most metal-rich ([Fe/H]~+0.4) open clusters in our Galaxy and has a color-magnitude diagram (CMD) that exhibits both a red giant clump and a much hotter extreme horizontal branch. Fitting the Balmer lines of the white dwarfs in the cluster using Keck/LRIS spectra suggests that most of these stars are undermassive, =0.43+/-0.06 Msolar, and therefore could not have formed from canonical stellar evolution involving the helium flash at the tip of the red giant branch. We show that at least 40% of NGC 6791's evolved stars must have lost enough mass on the red giant branch to avoid the flash and therefore did not convert helium into carbon-oxygen in their core. Such increased mass loss in the evolution of the progenitors of these stars is consistent with the presence of the extreme horizontal branch in the CMD. This unique stellar evolutionary channel also naturally explains the recent finding of a very young age (2.4 Gyr) for NGC 6791 from white dwarf cooling theory; helium-core white dwarfs in this cluster will cool ~3 times slower than carbon-oxygen-core stars, and therefore the corrected white dwarf cooling age is in fact >~7 Gyr, consistent with the well-measured main-sequence turnoff age. These results provide direct empirical evidence that mass loss is much more efficient in high-metallicity environments and therefore may be critical in interpreting the ultraviolet upturn in elliptical galaxies. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. Based on observations obtained at the

PLANET ENGULFMENT BY ∼1.5-3 Msun RED GIANTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunitomo, M.; Ikoma, M.; Sato, B.; Ida, S.; Katsuta, Y.

2011-01-01

Recent radial-velocity surveys for GK clump giants have revealed that planets also exist around ∼1.5-3 M sun stars. However, no planets have been found inside 0.6 AU around clump giants, in contrast to solar-type main-sequence stars, many of which harbor short-period planets such as hot Jupiters. In this study, we examine the possibility that planets were engulfed by host stars evolving on the red-giant branch (RGB). We integrate the orbital evolution of planets in the RGB and helium-burning phases of host stars, including the effects of stellar tide and stellar mass loss. Then we derive the critical semimajor axis (or the survival limit) inside which planets are eventually engulfed by their host stars after tidal decay of their orbits. Specifically, we investigate the impact of stellar mass and other stellar parameters on the survival limit in more detail than previous studies. In addition, we make detailed comparisons with measured semimajor axes of planets detected so far, which no previous study has done. We find that the critical semimajor axis is quite sensitive to stellar mass in the range between 1.7 and 2.1 M sun , which suggests a need for careful comparison between theoretical and observational limits of the existence of planets. Our comparison demonstrates that all planets orbiting GK clump giants that have been detected are beyond the survival limit, which is consistent with the planet-engulfment hypothesis. However, on the high-mass side (>2.1M sun ), the detected planets are orbiting significantly far from the survival limit, which suggests that engulfment by host stars may not be the main reason for the observed lack of short-period giant planets. To confirm our conclusion, the detection of more planets around clump giants, especially with masses ∼> 2.5M sun , is required.

Red giants seismology

Science.gov (United States)

Mosser, B.; Samadi, R.; Belkacem, K.

2013-11-01

The space-borne missions CoRoT and Kepler are indiscreet. With their asteroseismic programs, they tell us what is hidden deep inside the stars. Waves excited just below the stellar surface travel throughout the stellar interior and unveil many secrets: how old is the star, how big, how massive, how fast (or slow) its core is dancing. This paper intends to paparazze the red giants according to the seismic pictures we have from their interiors.

Indicators of Mass in Spherical Stellar Atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, John B.; Dinshaw, Rayomond; Neilson, Hilding R.

2013-04-01

Mass is the most important stellar parameter, but it is not directly observable for a single star. Spherical model stellar atmospheres are explicitly characterized by their luminosity ( L⋆), mass ( M⋆), and radius ( R⋆), and observations can now determine directly L⋆ and R⋆. We computed spherical model atmospheres for red giants and for red supergiants holding L⋆ and R⋆ constant at characteristic values for each type of star but varying M⋆, and we searched the predicted flux spectra and surface-brightness distributions for features that changed with mass. For both stellar classes we found similar signatures of the stars’ mass in both the surface-brightness distribution and the flux spectrum. The spectral features have been use previously to determine log 10(g), and now that the luminosity and radius of a non-binary red giant or red supergiant can be observed, spherical model stellar atmospheres can be used to determine a star’s mass from currently achievable spectroscopy. The surface-brightness variations of mass are slightly smaller than can be resolved by current stellar imaging, but they offer the advantage of being less sensitive to the detailed chemical composition of the atmosphere.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: LUMINOSITY CLASS, PLANET OCCURRENCE, AND PLANET-METALLICITY RELATION OF THE COOLEST KEPLER TARGET STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mann, Andrew W.; Hilton, Eric J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Gaidos, Eric [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Lepine, Sebastien, E-mail: amann@ifa.hawaii.edu [Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 (United States)

2012-07-01

We estimate the stellar parameters of late K- and early M-type Kepler target stars. We obtain medium-resolution visible spectra of 382 stars with K{sub P} - J > 2 ({approx_equal}K5 and later spectral type). We determine luminosity class by comparing the strength of gravity-sensitive indices (CaH, K I, Ca II, and Na I) to their strength in a sample of stars of known luminosity class. We find that giants constitute 96% {+-} 1% of the bright (K{sub P} < 14) Kepler target stars, and 7% {+-} 3% of dim (K{sub P} > 14) stars, significantly higher than fractions based on the stellar parameters quoted in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC). The KIC effective temperatures are systematically (110{sup +15}{sub -35} K) higher than temperatures we determine from fitting our spectra to PHOENIX stellar models. Through Monte Carlo simulations of the Kepler exoplanet candidate population, we find a planet occurrence of 0.36 {+-} 0.08 when giant stars are properly removed, somewhat higher than when a KIC log g > 4 criterion is used (0.27 {+-} 0.05). Last, we show that there is no significant difference in g - r color (a probe of metallicity) between late-type Kepler stars with transiting Earth-to-Neptune-size exoplanet candidates and dwarf stars with no detected transits. We show that a previous claimed offset between these two populations is most likely an artifact of including a large number of misidentified giants.

Rediscovering the Giant Low Surface Brightness Spiral Galaxy Malin 1

Science.gov (United States)

Galaz, Gaspar

2018-01-01

I summarize the latest discoveries regarding this ramarkable diffuse and giant galaxy, the largest single spiral in the universe so far. I describe how the latest discoveries could have been done easily 20 years ago, but an incredible summation of facts and some astronomical sociology, keeped many of them undisclosed. I present the most conspicuous features of the giant spiral arms of Malin 1, including stellar density, colors, stellar populations and some modeling describing their past evolution to the current state. I conclude with pending issues regarding stellar formation in Malin 1, and the efforts to detect its elusive molecular gas.

CHEMICAL ABUNDANCES IN FIELD RED GIANTS FROM HIGH-RESOLUTION H-BAND SPECTRA USING THE APOGEE SPECTRAL LINELIST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Verne V.; Cunha, Katia; Shetrone, Matthew D.; Meszaros, Szabolcs; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Garcìa Pèrez, Ana; Majewski, Steven R.; Schiavon, Ricardo; Holtzman, Jon; Johnson, Jennifer A.

2013-01-01

High-resolution H-band spectra of five bright field K, M, and MS giants, obtained from the archives of the Kitt Peak National Observatory Fourier transform spectrometer, are analyzed to determine chemical abundances of 16 elements. The abundances were derived via spectrum synthesis using the detailed linelist prepared for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III Apache Point Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE), which is a high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopic survey to derive detailed chemical abundance distributions and precise radial velocities for 100,000 red giants sampling all Galactic stellar populations. The red giant sample studied here was chosen to probe which chemical elements can be derived reliably from the H-band APOGEE spectral region. These red giants consist of two K-giants (α Boo and μ Leo), two M-giants (β And and δ Oph), and one thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) star of spectral type MS (HD 199799). Measured chemical abundances include the cosmochemically important isotopes 12 C, 13 C, 14 N, and 16 O, along with Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu. The K and M giants exhibit the abundance signature of the first dredge-up of CN-cycle material, while the TP-AGB star shows clear evidence of the addition of 12 C synthesized during 4 He-burning thermal pulses and subsequent third dredge-up. A comparison of the abundances derived here with published values for these stars reveals consistent results to ∼0.1 dex. The APOGEE spectral region and linelist is thus well suited for probing both Galactic chemical evolution, as well as internal nucleosynthesis and mixing in populations of red giants via high-resolution spectroscopy.

CHEMICAL ABUNDANCES IN FIELD RED GIANTS FROM HIGH-RESOLUTION H-BAND SPECTRA USING THE APOGEE SPECTRAL LINELIST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Verne V.; Cunha, Katia [National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Shetrone, Matthew D. [Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Meszaros, Szabolcs; Allende Prieto, Carlos [Instituto d' Astrofisica de Canarias, E-38205, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Bizyaev, Dmitry [Apache Point Observatory, Sunspot, NM 88349 (United States); Garcia Perez, Ana; Majewski, Steven R. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Schiavon, Ricardo [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 5UX (United Kingdom); Holtzman, Jon [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Johnson, Jennifer A., E-mail: vsmith@noao.edu [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

2013-03-01

High-resolution H-band spectra of five bright field K, M, and MS giants, obtained from the archives of the Kitt Peak National Observatory Fourier transform spectrometer, are analyzed to determine chemical abundances of 16 elements. The abundances were derived via spectrum synthesis using the detailed linelist prepared for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III Apache Point Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE), which is a high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopic survey to derive detailed chemical abundance distributions and precise radial velocities for 100,000 red giants sampling all Galactic stellar populations. The red giant sample studied here was chosen to probe which chemical elements can be derived reliably from the H-band APOGEE spectral region. These red giants consist of two K-giants ({alpha} Boo and {mu} Leo), two M-giants ({beta} And and {delta} Oph), and one thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) star of spectral type MS (HD 199799). Measured chemical abundances include the cosmochemically important isotopes {sup 12}C, {sup 13}C, {sup 14}N, and {sup 16}O, along with Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu. The K and M giants exhibit the abundance signature of the first dredge-up of CN-cycle material, while the TP-AGB star shows clear evidence of the addition of {sup 12}C synthesized during {sup 4}He-burning thermal pulses and subsequent third dredge-up. A comparison of the abundances derived here with published values for these stars reveals consistent results to {approx}0.1 dex. The APOGEE spectral region and linelist is thus well suited for probing both Galactic chemical evolution, as well as internal nucleosynthesis and mixing in populations of red giants via high-resolution spectroscopy.

Stellar evolution as seen by mixed modes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mosser Benoît

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The detection of mixed modes in subgiants and red giants allows us to monitor stellar evolution from the main sequence to the asymptotic giant branch and draw seismic evolutionary tracks. Quantified asteroseismic definitions that characterize the change in the evolutionary stages have been defined. This seismic information can now be used for stellar modelling, especially for studying the energy transport in the helium burning core or for specifying the inner properties of stars all along their evolution. Modelling will also allow us to study stars identified in the helium subflash stage, high-mass stars either arriving or quitting the secondary clump, or stars that could be in the blue-loop stage.

Surface Compositions of Red Giant Stars in Globular Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Eric; Lau, Marie; Smith, Graeme; Chen, Brian

2018-01-01

Globular clusters (GCs) are excellent “laboratories” to study the formation and evolution of our galaxy. In order to understand, more specifically, the chemical compositions and stellar evolution of the stars in GCs, we ask whether or not deep internal mixing occurs in red giants or if in fact the compositions come from the primordial interstellar medium or previous generations of stars. It has been discovered that as a star evolves up the red giant branch, the surface carbon abundance decreases, which is evidence of deep internal mixing. We questioned whether these processes also affect O or Na abundance as a star evolves. We collected measurement data of red giants from GCs out of academic journals and sorted the data into catalogs. Then, we plotted the catalogs into figures, comparing surface O and Na each with stellar luminosity. Statistical tests were ran to quantify the amount of correlation between the variables. Out of 27 GCs, we concluded that eight show a positive correlation between Na and luminosity, and two show a negative correlation between O and luminosity. Properties of GCs were compared to determine if chemical distribution in stars depends on GCs as the self-enrichment scenario suggests. We created histograms of sodium distribution to test for bimodality to examine if there are separate trends in each GC. In six GCs, two different sequences of red giants appear for Na versus luminosity, suggesting evidence that the depth of mixing may differ among each red giant in a GC. This study has provided new evidence that the changing chemical abundances on the surfaces of red giants can be due to stellar evolutionary effects and deep internal mixing, which may not necessarily depend on the GC and may differ in depth among each red giant. Through this study, we learn more about stellar evolution which will eventually help us understand the origins of our universe. Most of this work was carried out by high school students working under the auspices of

Charge-exchange giant resonances as probes of nuclear structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomgren, J.

2001-09-01

Giant resonances populated in charge-exchange reactions can reveal detailed information about nuclear structure properties, in spite of their apparent featurelessness. The (p,n) and (n,p) reactions - as well as their analog reactions - proceed via the same nuclear matrix element as beta decay. Thereby, they are useful for probing electroweak properties in nuclei, especially for those not accessible to beta decay. The nuclear physics aspects of double beta decay might be investigated in double charge-exchange reactions. detailed nuclear structure information, such as the presence of ground-state correlations, can be revealed via identification of 'first-forbidden' transitions. In addition, astrophysics aspects and halo properties of nuclei have been investigated in charge exchange. Finally, these experiments have questioned our knowledge of the absolute strength of the strong interaction

Standard globular cluster giant branches in the (MI/V-IO) plane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Costa, G.S.; Armandroff, T.E.

1990-01-01

CCD photometry in the V, I (Cousins) bandpasses is presented for a large number of giants in eight galactic globular clusters. The (V-I) O color of the giant branch accurately ranks clusters in metal abundance, and can accordingly be used to ascertain both metal abundances and abundance dispersions in old stellar populations. A relation is derived that yields the bolometric correction to the I magnitude for red giants as a function of (V-I) O color. With this relation, and the assumption of the LDZ distance scale, the bolometric magnitudes of the brightest red giants in the clusters were determined; good agreement is obtained with the predictions of stellar evolution theory for the luminosity of the He core flash. 63 refs

CLASSIFICATION OF FIELD DWARFS AND GIANTS IN RAVE AND ITS USE IN STELLAR STREAM DETECTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klement, R. J.; Bailer-Jones, C. A. L.; Rix, H.-W.; Smith, K. W.; Fuchs, B.

2011-01-01

Samples of bright stars, as they emerge from surveys such as RAVE, contain comparable fractions of dwarf and giant stars. An efficient separation of these two luminosity classes is therefore important, especially for studies in which distances are estimated through photometric parallax relations. We use the available spectroscopic log g estimates from the second RAVE data release (DR2) to assign each star a probability for being a dwarf or subgiant/giant based on mixture model fits to the log g distribution in different color bins. We further attempt to use these stars as a labeled training set in order to classify stars which lack log g estimates into dwarfs and giants with a Support Vector Machine algorithm. We assess the performance of this classification against different choices of the input feature vector. In particular, we use different combinations of reduced proper motions, 2MASS JHK, DENIS IJK, and USNO-B B2R2 apparent magnitudes. Our study shows that-for our color ranges-the infrared bands alone provide no relevant information to separate dwarfs and giants. Even when optical bands and reduced proper motions are added, the fraction of true giants classified as dwarfs (the contamination) remains above 20%. Using only the dwarfs with available spectroscopic log g and distance estimates (the latter from Breddels et al.), we then repeat the stream search by Klementet al. (KFR08), which assumed that all stars were dwarfs and claimed the discovery of a new stellar stream at V ∼ -160 km s -1 in a sample of 7015 stars from RAVE DR1. The existence of the KFR08 stream has been supported by two recent studies using other independent data sets. Our re-analysis of the pure DR2 dwarf sample exhibits an overdensity of five stars at the phase-space position of the KFR08 stream, with a metallicity distribution that appears inconsistent with that of stars at comparably low rotational velocities. Compared to several smooth Milky Way models, the mean standardized deviation

Exploring halo substructure with giant stars. XIV. The nature of the Triangulum-Andromeda stellar features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheffield, Allyson A.; Johnston, Kathryn V. [Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, Mail Code 5246, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Majewski, Steven R.; Damke, Guillermo; Richardson, Whitney; Beaton, Rachael [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Rocha-Pinto, Helio J., E-mail: asheffield@astro.columbia.edu, E-mail: kvj@astro.columbia.edu, E-mail: srm4n@virginia.edu, E-mail: gjd3r@virginia.edu, E-mail: wwr2u@virginia.edu, E-mail: rlb9n@virginia.edu, E-mail: helio@astro.ufrj.br [Observatório do Valongo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2014-09-20

As large-scale stellar surveys have become available over the past decade, the ability to detect and characterize substructures in the Galaxy has increased dramatically. These surveys have revealed the Triangulum-Andromeda (TriAnd) region to be rich with substructures in the distance range 20-30 kpc, and the relation of these features to each other, if any, remains unclear. An exploration using Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) photometry reveals not only the faint sequence in M giants detected by Rocha-Pinto et al. spanning the range 100° < l < 160° and –50° < b < –15°, but, in addition, a second, brighter and more densely populated sequence. These sequences are likely associated with the distinct main sequences (MSs) discovered (and labeled TriAnd1 and TriAnd2) by Martin et al. in an optical survey in the direction of M31, where TriAnd2 is the optical counterpart of the fainter red giant branch (RGB)/asymptotic giant branch sequence of Rocha-Pinto et al. Here, the age, distance, and metallicity ranges for TriAnd1 and TriAnd2 are estimated by simultaneously fitting isochrones to the 2MASS RGB tracks and the optical MS/MS turn-off features. The two populations are clearly distinct in age and distance: the brighter sequence (TriAnd1) is younger (6-10 Gyr) and closer (distance of ∼15-21 kpc), whereas the fainter sequence (TriAnd2) is older (10-12 Gyr) and at an estimated distance of ∼24-32 kpc. A comparison with simulations demonstrates that the differences and similarities between TriAnd1 and TriAnd2 can simultaneously be explained if they represent debris originating from the disruption of the same dwarf galaxy, but torn off during two distinct pericentric passages.

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.

TESTING GALAXY FORMATION MODELS WITH THE GHOSTS SURVEY: THE COLOR PROFILE OF M81's STELLAR HALO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monachesi, Antonela; Bell, Eric F.; Bailin, Jeremy; Radburn-Smith, David J.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Vlajić, Marija; De Jong, Roelof S.; Streich, David; Holwerda, Benne W.

2013-01-01

We study the properties of the stellar populations in M81's outermost part, which hereafter we will call the stellar halo, using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys observations of 19 fields from the GHOSTS survey. The observed fields probe the stellar halo out to a projected distance of ∼50 kpc from the galactic center. Each field was observed in both F606W and F814W filters. The 50% completeness levels of the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) are typically at 2 mag below the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). Fields at distances closer than 15 kpc show evidence of disk-dominated populations whereas fields at larger distances are mostly populated by halo stars. The red giant branch (RGB) of the M81's halo CMDs is well matched with isochrones of ∼10 Gyr and metallicities [Fe/H] ∼ – 1.2 dex, suggesting that the dominant stellar population of M81's halo has a similar age and metallicity. The halo of M81 is characterized by a color distribution of width ∼0.4 mag and an approximately constant median value of (F606W – F814W) ∼1 mag measured using stars within the magnitude range 23.7 ∼ 15 kpc, we detect no color gradient in the stellar halo of M81. We place a limit of 0.03 ± 0.11 mag difference between the median color of RGB M81 halo stars at ∼15 and at 50 kpc, corresponding to a metallicity difference of 0.08 ± 0.35 dex over that radial range for an assumed constant age of 10 Gyr. We compare these results with model predictions for the colors of stellar halos formed purely via accretion of satellite galaxies. When we analyze the cosmologically motivated models in the same way as the HST data, we find that they predict no color gradient for the stellar halos, in good agreement with the observations.

Probing giant magnetoresistance with THz spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jin, Zuanming; Tkach, Alexander; Casper, Frederick

2014-01-01

We observe a giant magnetoresistance effect in CoFe/Cu-based multistack using THz time-domain spectroscopy. The magnetic field-dependent dc conductivity, electron scattering time, as well as spin-asymmetry parameter of the structure are successfully determined. © 2014 OSA.......We observe a giant magnetoresistance effect in CoFe/Cu-based multistack using THz time-domain spectroscopy. The magnetic field-dependent dc conductivity, electron scattering time, as well as spin-asymmetry parameter of the structure are successfully determined. © 2014 OSA....

Stellar evolution and the triple-α reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suda, Takuma

2014-01-01

Nuclear reaction rates play a crucial role in the evolution of stars. For low-mass stars, the triple-α reaction controls the helium burning stars in the red giant and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. More importantly, the cross section of the triple-α reaction has a great impact on the helium ignition at the center of the electron degenerate helium core of red giants and on the helium shell flashes of AGB stars. It is to be noted that stellar evolution models are influenced not only by the value of the cross section, but also by the temperature dependence of the reaction rate. In this paper, I present the impact of the triple-α reaction rates on the evolution of low-mass metal-free stars and intermediate-mass AGB stars. According to the previous study, the constraint on the triple-α reaction rate is derived based on stellar evolution theory. It is found that the recent revisions of the rate proposed by nuclear physics calculations satisfy the condition for the ignition of the helium core flash in low-mass stars

Cosmic abundances: The impact of stellar duplicity

OpenAIRE

Jorissen, A.; Van Eck, S.

2004-01-01

The mass-transfer scenario links chemical peculiarities with stellar duplicity for an increasing number of stellar classes (classical and dwarf barium stars, subgiant and giant CH stars, S stars without technetium, yellow symbiotic stars, WIRRING stars, Abell-35-like nuclei of planetary nebulae...). Despite these successes, the mass-transfer scenario still faces several problems: What is the mass-transfer mode? Why orbital elements of dwarf barium stars do not fully match those of the classic...

From red giants to planetary nebulae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, S.

1982-01-01

The transition from red giants to planetary nebulae is studied by comparing the spectral characteristics of red giant envelopes and planetary nebulae. Observational and theoretical evidence both suggest that remnants of red giant envelopes may still be present in planetary nebula systems and should have significant effects on their formation. The dynamical effects of the interaction of stellar winds from central stars of planetary nebulae with the remnant red giant envelopes are evaluated and the mechanism found to be capable of producing the observed masses and momenta of planetary nebulae. The observed mass-radii relation of planetary nebulae may also be best explained by the interacting winds model. The possibility that red giant mass loss, and therefore the production of planetary nebulae, is different between Population I and II systems is also discussed

Comparative Modelling of the Spectra of Cool Giants

Science.gov (United States)

Lebzelter, T.; Heiter, U.; Abia, C.; Eriksson, K.; Ireland, M.; Neilson, H.; Nowotny, W; Maldonado, J; Merle, T.; Peterson, R.;

ABUNDANCES IN THE LOCAL REGION. I. G AND K GIANTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luck, R. Earle, E-mail: rel2@case.edu [Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-7215 (United States)

2015-09-15

Parameters and abundances for 1133 stars of spectral types F, G, and K of luminosity class III have been derived. In terms of stellar parameters, the primary point of interest is the disagreement between gravities derived with masses determined from isochrones, and gravities determined from an ionization balance. This is not a new result per se, but the size of this sample emphasizes the severity of the problem. A variety of arguments led to the selection of the ionization-balance gravity as the working value. The derived abundances indicate that the giants in the solar region have Sun-like total abundances and abundance ratios. Stellar evolution indicators have also been investigated with the Li abundances and the [C/Fe] and C/O ratios, indicating that standard processing has been operating in these stars. The more salient result for stellar evolution is that the [C/Fe] data across the red-giant clump indicates the presence of mass-dependent mixing in accord with standard stellar evolution predictions.

Four new planets around giant stars and the mass-metallicity correlation of planet-hosting stars

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, M. I.; Jenkins, J. S.; Brahm, R.; Wittenmyer, R. A.; Olivares E., F.; Melo, C. H. F.; Rojo, P.; Jordán, A.; Drass, H.; Butler, R. P.; Wang, L.

2016-05-01

Context. Exoplanet searches have revealed interesting correlations between the stellar properties and the occurrence rate of planets. In particular, different independent surveys have demonstrated that giant planets are preferentially found around metal-rich stars and that their fraction increases with the stellar mass. Aims: During the past six years we have conducted a radial velocity follow-up program of 166 giant stars to detect substellar companions and to characterize their orbital properties. Using this information, we aim to study the role of the stellar evolution in the orbital parameters of the companions and to unveil possible correlations between the stellar properties and the occurrence rate of giant planets. Methods: We took multi-epoch spectra using FEROS and CHIRON for all of our targets, from which we computed precision radial velocities and derived atmospheric and physical parameters. Additionally, velocities computed from UCLES spectra are presented here. By studying the periodic radial velocity signals, we detected the presence of several substellar companions. Results: We present four new planetary systems around the giant stars HIP 8541, HIP 74890, HIP 84056, and HIP 95124. Additionally, we study the correlation between the occurrence rate of giant planets with the stellar mass and metallicity of our targets. We find that giant planets are more frequent around metal-rich stars, reaching a peak in the detection of f = 16.7+15.5-5.9% around stars with [Fe/H] ~ 0.35 dex. Similarly, we observe a positive correlation of the planet occurrence rate with the stellar mass, between M⋆ ~ 1.0 and 2.1 M⊙, with a maximum of f = 13.0+10.1-4.2% at M⋆ = 2.1 M⊙. Conclusions: We conclude that giant planets are preferentially formed around metal-rich stars. In addition, we conclude that they are more efficiently formed around more massive stars, in the stellar mass range of ~1.0-2.1 M⊙. These observational results confirm previous findings for solar

Stellar winds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weymann, R.J.

1978-01-01

It is known that a steady outflow of material at comparable rates of mass loss but vastly different speeds is now known to be ubiquitous phenomenon among both the luminous hot stars and the luminous but cool red giants. The flows are probably massive enough in both cases to give rise to significant effects on stellar evolution and the mass balance between stars and the interstellar medium. The possible mechanisms for these phenomena as well as the methods of observation used are described. In particular, the mass-loss processes in stars other than the sun that also involve a steady flow of matter are considered. The evidence for their existence is described, and then the question of whether the process thought to produce the solar wind is also responsible for producing these stellar winds is explored

Magnesium isotopes in giants in the Milky Way inner disk and bulge: First results with 3D stellar atmospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Thygesen, Anders; Sbordone, Luca; Christlieb, Norbert; Asplund, Martin

2015-01-01

The Milky Way bulge is one of the most poorly understood components of our galaxy and its formation history is still a matter of debate (early collapse vs. disk instability). All knowledge of its chemical evolution history has been so far derived by measuring elemental abundances: no isotopic mixtures have been measured so far in the Bulge. While quite challenging, isotopic measurements can be accomplished with present instruments in bulge stars for a few elements, Magnesium being one of them.Of the three stable Mg isotopes, the most common one, 24Mg, is mainly produced by α capture in SN II, while the other two, 25Mg and 26Mg, can be produced efficiently in massive AGB stars, through the 22Ne(α, n)25Mg(n, γ)26Mg reactions as well as the Mg-Al chain. Moreover, SN II production of 25Mg and 26Mg increases with increasing progenitor metallicity, so in older stellar populations, where only the signature of metal-poor SNe is to be expected, one should not see a significant 25Mg or 26Mg fraction. However, if larger 25Mg/24Mg and 26Mg/24Mg ratios are observed, relative to what is produced in SNe, this is a clear sign of an AGB contribution. As such, Mg isotopic ratios are a very useful probe of AGB pollution onset and chemical enrichment timescale in a stellar population.Here, we present the first ever measurements of Mg isotopes in 7 red giant stars in the Milky Way bulge and inner disk, including two stars in the bulge globular cluster NGC6522. The isotopic abundances have been derived from high resolution, high signal-to-noise VLT-UVES spectra using both standard 1D atmospheric models as well as state-of-the-art 3D hydrodynamical models and spectrosynthesis. The use of 3D atmospheric models impacts the derived ratios and this work represents the first derivation of Mg isotopes using full 3D spectrosynthesis. These results yield new constraints on the proposed formation scenarios of the Milky Way bulge.

Red giants as precursors of planetary nebulae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renzini, A.

1981-01-01

It is generally accepted that Planetary Nebulae are produced by asymptotic giant-branch stars. Therefore, several properties of planetary nebulae are discussed in the framework of the current theory of stellar evolution. (Auth.)

On the Radii of Close-in Giant Planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Burrows; Guillot; Hubbard; Marley; Saumon; Lunine; Sudarsky

2000-05-01

The recent discovery that the close-in extrasolar giant planet HD 209458b transits its star has provided a first-of-its-kind measurement of the planet's radius and mass. In addition, there is a provocative detection of the light reflected off of the giant planet tau Bootis b. Including the effects of stellar irradiation, we estimate the general behavior of radius/age trajectories for such planets and interpret the large measured radii of HD 209458b and tau Boo b in that context. We find that HD 209458b must be a hydrogen-rich gas giant. Furthermore, the large radius of a close-in gas giant is not due to the thermal expansion of its atmosphere but to the high residual entropy that remains throughout its bulk by dint of its early proximity to a luminous primary. The large stellar flux does not inflate the planet but retards its otherwise inexorable contraction from a more extended configuration at birth. This implies either that such a planet was formed near its current orbital distance or that it migrated in from larger distances (>/=0.5 AU), no later than a few times 107 yr of birth.

Mass loss by stars on the asymptotic giant branch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frantsman, Yu.L.

1986-01-01

The theoretical populations of white dwarfs and carbon stars were generated for Salpeter initial mass function and constant stellar birth rate history. The effect of very strong mass loss on the mass distribution of white dwarfs and luminosity distribution of carbon stars is discussed and the results are compared with observations. This comparison suggested that a signioficant mass loss by stars on the asymptotic giant branch occurs besides stellar wind and planetary nebulae ejection. Thus it is possible to explain the absence of carbon stars with Msub(bol) 1.0 Msub(sun). The luminosity of asymptotic giant branch stars in the globular clusters of the Magellanic Clouds appears to be a very good indicator of the age

The benchmark halo giant HD 122563: CNO abundances revisited with three-dimensional hydrodynamic model stellar atmospheres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Collet, R.; Nordlund, Ã.; Asplund, M.

2018-01-01

We present an abundance analysis of the low-metallicity benchmark red giant star HD 122563 based on realistic, state-of-the-art, high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) model stellar atmospheres including non-grey radiative transfer through opacity binning with 4, 12, and 48 bins. The 48-bin 3D...... simulation reaches temperatures lower by ˜300-500 K than the corresponding 1D model in the upper atmosphere. Small variations in the opacity binning, adopted line opacities, or chemical mixture can cool the photospheric layers by a further ˜100-300 K and alter the effective temperature by ˜100 K. A 3D local...... molecular bands and lines in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared. We find a small positive 3D-1D abundance correction for carbon (+0.03 dex) and negative ones for nitrogen (-0.07 dex) and oxygen (-0.34 dex). From the analysis of the [O I] line at 6300.3 Å, we derive a significantly higher oxygen...

Seismic probing of the first dredge-up event through the eccentric red-giant and red-giant spectroscopic binary KIC 9163796. How different are red-giant stars with a mass ratio of 1.015?

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, P. G.; Kallinger, T.; Pavlovski, K.; Palacios, A.; Tkachenko, A.; Mathis, S.; García, R. A.; Corsaro, E.; Johnston, C.; Mosser, B.; Ceillier, T.; do Nascimento, J.-D.; Raskin, G.

2018-04-01

Context. Binaries in double-lined spectroscopic systems (SB2) provide a homogeneous set of stars. Differences of parameters, such as age or initial conditions, which otherwise would have strong impact on the stellar evolution, can be neglected. The observed differences are determined by the difference in stellar mass between the two components. The mass ratio can be determined with much higher accuracy than the actual stellar mass. Aim. In this work, we aim to study the eccentric binary system KIC 9163796, whose two components are very close in mass and both are low-luminosity red-giant stars. Methods: We analysed four years of Kepler space photometry and we obtained high-resolution spectroscopy with the Hermes instrument. The orbital elements and the spectra of both components were determined using spectral disentangling methods. The effective temperatures, and metallicities were extracted from disentangled spectra of the two stars. Mass and radius of the primary were determined through asteroseismology. The surface rotation period of the primary is determined from the Kepler light curve. From representative theoretical models of the star, we derived the internal rotational gradient, while for a grid of models, the measured lithium abundance is compared with theoretical predictions. Results: From seismology the primary of KIC 9163796 is a star of 1.39 ± 0.06 M⊙, while the spectroscopic mass ratio between both components can be determined with much higher precision by spectral disentangling to be 1.015 ± 0.005. With such mass and a difference in effective temperature of 600 K from spectroscopy, the secondary and primary are, respectively, in the early and advanced stage of the first dredge-up event on the red-giant branch. The period of the primary's surface rotation resembles the orbital period within ten days. The radial rotational gradient between the surface and core in KIC 9163796 is found to be 6.9-1.0+2.0. This is a low value but not exceptional if

Scientific Value of a Saturn Atmospheric Probe Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Simon-Miller, A. A.; Lunine, J. I.; Atreya, S. K.; Spilker, T. R.; Coustenis, A.; Atkinson, D. H.

2012-01-01

Atmospheric entry probe mISSions to the giant planets can uniquely discriminate between competing theories of solar system formation and the origin and evolution of the giant planets and their atmospheres. This provides for important comparative studies of the gas and ice giants, and to provide a laboratory for studying the atmospheric chemistries, dynamics, and interiors of all the planets including Earth. The giant planets also represent a valuable link to extrasolar planetary systems. As outlined in the recent Planetary Decadal Survey, a Saturn Probe mission - with a shallow probe - ranks as a high priority for a New Frontiers class mission [1].

Stellar populations in medium redshift clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickles, A.J.; van der Kruit, P.C.; Pickles, A.J.

1990-01-01

We present a set of model isochrone spectra formed by combining stellar spectra in the proportions appropriate to the isochrone tabulations of VandenBerg, together with a Miller-Scalo mass function. The model spectra cover the wave-length range 3000-10000 A and have been constructed for metallicities in the range - 1.0 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ 0.5, and for isochrone ages of 2 to 15 billion years. The model spectra follow the isochrone tabulations by including contributions from stars along the main sequence and subgiant branch to the base of the giant branch, fully constraining the main sequence turnoff and early post main sequence evolutionary phases. They are useful for deconvolving the competing effects of age and metallicity dispersion in composite systems. Other important components such as Horizontal branch, red giant and asymptotic branch stars are not included explicitly because they are not yet tabulated by VandenBerg, and because their fractional contributions to a composite population are less certain. These components should be added as extra parameters from a stellar library when fitting real composite spectra

The benchmark halo giant HD 122563: CNO abundances revisited with three-dimensional hydrodynamic model stellar atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Collet, R.; Nordlund, Å.; Asplund, M.; Hayek, W.; Trampedach, R.

2018-04-01

We present an abundance analysis of the low-metallicity benchmark red giant star HD 122563 based on realistic, state-of-the-art, high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) model stellar atmospheres including non-grey radiative transfer through opacity binning with 4, 12, and 48 bins. The 48-bin 3D simulation reaches temperatures lower by ˜300-500 K than the corresponding 1D model in the upper atmosphere. Small variations in the opacity binning, adopted line opacities, or chemical mixture can cool the photospheric layers by a further ˜100-300 K and alter the effective temperature by ˜100 K. A 3D local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) spectroscopic analysis of Fe I and Fe II lines gives discrepant results in terms of derived Fe abundance, which we ascribe to non-LTE effects and systematic errors on the stellar parameters. We also determine C, N, and O abundances by simultaneously fitting CH, OH, NH, and CN molecular bands and lines in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared. We find a small positive 3D-1D abundance correction for carbon (+0.03 dex) and negative ones for nitrogen (-0.07 dex) and oxygen (-0.34 dex). From the analysis of the [O I] line at 6300.3 Å, we derive a significantly higher oxygen abundance than from molecular lines (+0.46 dex in 3D and +0.15 dex in 1D). We rule out important OH photodissociation effects as possible explanation for the discrepancy and note that lowering the surface gravity would reduce the oxygen abundance difference between molecular and atomic indicators.

RADIO EMISSION FROM RED-GIANT HOT JUPITERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Yuka; Spiegel, David S.; Mroczkowski, Tony; Nordhaus, Jason; Zimmerman, Neil T.; Parsons, Aaron R.; Mirbabayi, Mehrdad; Madhusudhan, Nikku

2016-01-01

When planet-hosting stars evolve off the main sequence and go through the red-giant branch, the stars become orders of magnitudes more luminous and, at the same time, lose mass at much higher rates than their main-sequence counterparts. Accordingly, if planetary companions exist around these stars at orbital distances of a few au, they will be heated up to the level of canonical hot Jupiters and also be subjected to a dense stellar wind. Given that magnetized planets interacting with stellar winds emit radio waves, such “Red-Giant Hot Jupiters” (RGHJs) may also be candidate radio emitters. We estimate the spectral auroral radio intensity of RGHJs based on the empirical relation with the stellar wind as well as a proposed scaling for planetary magnetic fields. RGHJs might be intrinsically as bright as or brighter than canonical hot Jupiters and about 100 times brighter than equivalent objects around main-sequence stars. We examine the capabilities of low-frequency radio observatories to detect this emission and find that the signal from an RGHJ may be detectable at distances up to a few hundred parsecs with the Square Kilometer Array

RADIO EMISSION FROM RED-GIANT HOT JUPITERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Yuka [Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8550 (Japan); Spiegel, David S. [Analytics and Algorithms, Stitch Fix, San Francisco, CA 94103 (United States); Mroczkowski, Tony [Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Nordhaus, Jason [Department of Science and Mathematics, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Zimmerman, Neil T. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Parsons, Aaron R. [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Mirbabayi, Mehrdad [Astrophysics Department, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Madhusudhan, Nikku, E-mail: yuka.fujii@elsi.jp [Astronomy Department, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2016-04-01

When planet-hosting stars evolve off the main sequence and go through the red-giant branch, the stars become orders of magnitudes more luminous and, at the same time, lose mass at much higher rates than their main-sequence counterparts. Accordingly, if planetary companions exist around these stars at orbital distances of a few au, they will be heated up to the level of canonical hot Jupiters and also be subjected to a dense stellar wind. Given that magnetized planets interacting with stellar winds emit radio waves, such “Red-Giant Hot Jupiters” (RGHJs) may also be candidate radio emitters. We estimate the spectral auroral radio intensity of RGHJs based on the empirical relation with the stellar wind as well as a proposed scaling for planetary magnetic fields. RGHJs might be intrinsically as bright as or brighter than canonical hot Jupiters and about 100 times brighter than equivalent objects around main-sequence stars. We examine the capabilities of low-frequency radio observatories to detect this emission and find that the signal from an RGHJ may be detectable at distances up to a few hundred parsecs with the Square Kilometer Array.

Radio Emission from Red-Giant Hot Jupiters

Science.gov (United States)

Fujii, Yuka; Spiegel, David S.; Mroczkowski, Tony; Nordhaus, Jason; Zimmerman, Neil T.; Parsons, Aaron R.; Mirbabayi, Mehrdad; Madhusudhan, Nikku

2016-01-01

When planet-hosting stars evolve off the main sequence and go through the red-giant branch, the stars become orders of magnitudes more luminous and, at the same time, lose mass at much higher rates than their main sequence counterparts. Accordingly, if planetary companions exist around these stars at orbital distances of a few au, they will be heated up to the level of canonical hot Jupiters and also be subjected to a dense stellar wind. Given that magnetized planets interacting with stellar winds emit radio waves, such "Red-Giant Hot Jupiters" (RGHJs) may also be candidate radio emitters. We estimate the spectral auroral radio intensity of RGHJs based on the empirical relation with the stellar wind as well as a proposed scaling for planetary magnetic fields. RGHJs might be intrinsically as bright as or brighter than canonical hot Jupiters and about 100 times brighter than equivalent objects around main-sequence stars. We examine the capabilities of low-frequency radio observatories to detect this emission and find that the signal from an RGHJ may be detectable at distances up to a few hundred parsecs with the Square Kilometer Array.

DISCOVERY OF A RED GIANT WITH SOLAR-LIKE OSCILLATIONS IN AN ECLIPSING BINARY SYSTEM FROM KEPLER SPACE-BASED PHOTOMETRY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hekker, S.; Debosscher, J.; De Ridder, J.; Aerts, C.; Van Winckel, H.; Beck, P. G.; Blomme, J.; Huber, D.; Hidas, M. G.; Stello, D.; Bedding, T. R.; Gilliland, R. L.; Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Kjeldsen, H.; Brown, T. M.; Borucki, W. J.; Koch, D.; Jenkins, J. M.; Southworth, J.; Pigulski, A.

2010-01-01

Oscillating stars in binary systems are among the most interesting stellar laboratories, as these can provide information on the stellar parameters and stellar internal structures. Here we present a red giant with solar-like oscillations in an eclipsing binary observed with the NASA Kepler satellite. We compute stellar parameters of the red giant from spectra and the asteroseismic mass and radius from the oscillations. Although only one eclipse has been observed so far, we can already determine that the secondary is a main-sequence F star in an eccentric orbit with a semi-major axis larger than 0.5 AU and orbital period longer than 75 days.

Physical properties of the red giant envelopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maciel, W J [Instituto de Astronomia e Geofisico da Universidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil)

1978-12-01

In this work, several model envelopes are calculated for cool giant stars with mass loss due to the action of stellar radiation pressure on molecules and grains. Molecular profiles as well as average values of some physical parameters of the envelopes are obtained.

Presence of mixed modes in red giants in binary systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Themeßl Nathalie

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The frequencies of oscillation modes in stars contain valueable information about the stellar properties. In red giants the frequency spectrum also contains mixed modes, with both pressure (p and gravity (g as restoring force, which are key to understanding the physical conditions in the stellar core. We observe a high fraction of red giants in binary systems, for which g-dominated mixed modes are not pronounced. This trend leads us to investigate whether this is specific for binary systems or a more general feature. We do so by comparing the fraction of stars with only p-dominated mixed modes in binaries and in a larger set of stars from the APOKASC sample. We find only p-dominated mixed modes in about 50% of red giants in detached eclipsing binaries compared to about 4% in the large sample. This could indicate that this phenomenon is tightly related to binarity and that the binary fraction in the APOKASC sample is about 8%.

The nature of giant clumps in distant galaxies probed by the anatomy of the cosmic snake

Science.gov (United States)

Cava, Antonio; Schaerer, Daniel; Richard, Johan; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Dessauges-Zavadsky, Miroslava; Mayer, Lucio; Tamburello, Valentina

2018-01-01

Giant stellar clumps are ubiquitous in high-redshift galaxies1,2. They are thought to play an important role in the build-up of galactic bulges3 and as diagnostics of star formation feedback in galactic discs4. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) blank field imaging surveys have estimated that these clumps have masses of up to 109.5 M⊙ and linear sizes of ≳1 kpc5,6. Recently, gravitational lensing has also been used to get higher spatial resolution7-9. However, both recent lensed observations10,11 and models12,13 suggest that the clumps' properties may be overestimated by the limited resolution of standard imaging techniques. A definitive proof of this observational bias is nevertheless still missing. Here we investigate directly the effect of resolution on clump properties by analysing multiple gravitationally lensed images of the same galaxy at different spatial resolutions, down to 30 pc. We show that the typical mass and size of giant clumps, generally observed at 1 kpc resolution in high-redshift galaxies, are systematically overestimated. The high spatial resolution data, only enabled by strong gravitational lensing using currently available facilities, support smaller scales of clump formation by fragmentation of the galactic gas disk via gravitational instabilities.

A new sniffer probe for the determination of hydrogen isotope ratios in the W7-AS stellarator

Science.gov (United States)

Zebisch, P.; Taglauer, E.

1999-07-01

An improved sniffer probe was constructed for measurements of the hydrogen isotope ratio and impurities in the plasma edge of the W7-AS stellarator. Details of the new design and the probe performance are presented. The new design allows changing the head without breaking the vacuum in the torus. It has a high mechanical stability, effective screening of the magnetic field and high sensitivity. The gas dynamic properties of the probe are analyzed using transmission line calculus, resulting in a rise time of 114 ms for hydrogen. During the 1997 spring measurement campaign, H/D isotope ratio measurements were carried through showing considerable outgassing of the walls during and after the discharge. He glow discharges reduce the isotope ratio drastically. Results from a typical experiment day are presented together with the analytic procedure for determining the isotope ratio in both the plasma edge and in the neutral gas region between the plasma and the vessel walls.

The Space Stellar Photometry Mission COROT: Asteroseismology ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tribpo

detect giant extra solar planets (detectable by spectroscopy from the ground) and determine their albedo. As COROT is devoted to stellar photometry, aiming at both a high precision and a long observation time, the search for exoplanets by the transit method can easily be integrated in the payload and in the mission profile.

Physical properties of the red giant envelopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maciel, W.J.

1978-01-01

In this work, several model envelopes are calculated for cool giant stars with mass loss due to the action of stellar radiation pressure on molecules and grains. Molecular profiles as well as average values of some physical parameters of the envelopes are obtained [pt

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...

Models of red giants in the CoRoT asteroseismology fields combining asteroseismic and spectroscopic constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Nadège, Lagarde

The availability of asteroseismic constraints for a large sample of red-giant stars from the CoRoT and Kepler missions paves the way for various statistical studies of the seismic properties of stellar populations. We use a detailed spectroscopic study of 19 CoRoT red-giant stars (Morel et al. 2014) to compare theoretical stellar evolution models to observations of the open cluster NGC 6633 and field stars. This study is already published in Lagarde et al. (2015)

Recent advances in modeling stellar interiors (u)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guzik, Joyce Ann [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-01-01

Advances in stellar interior modeling are being driven by new data from large-scale surveys and high-precision photometric and spectroscopic observations. Here we focus on single stars in normal evolutionary phases; we will not discuss the many advances in modeling star formation, interacting binaries, supernovae, or neutron stars. We review briefly: (1) updates to input physics of stellar models; (2) progress in two and three-dimensional evolution and hydrodynamic models; (3) insights from oscillation data used to infer stellar interior structure and validate model predictions (asteroseismology). We close by highlighting a few outstanding problems, e.g., the driving mechanisms for hybrid {gamma} Dor/{delta} Sct star pulsations, the cause of giant eruptions seen in luminous blue variables such as {eta} Car and P Cyg, and the solar abundance problem.

Discovery of a Red Giant with Solar-like Oscillations in an Eclipsing Binary System from Kepler Space-based Photometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hekker, S.; Debosscher, J.; Huber, D.

2010-01-01

Oscillating stars in binary systems are among the most interesting stellar laboratories, as these can provide information on the stellar parameters and stellar internal structures. Here we present a red giant with solar-like oscillations in an eclipsing binary observed with the NASA Kepler...

Metallicities for old stellar systems from Ca II triplet strengths in member giants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armandroff, T.E.; Da costa, G.S.

1991-01-01

The spectra of giants in six well-studied Galactic globulars spanning a wide range of abundance are used to investigate the utility of the Ca II triplet as an abundance indicator. The calibration resulting from these clusters is used to derive metal abundances from the spectra of giants in Eridanus, Pal 12, and the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The results obtained are compared with earlier determinations based on giant branch photometry. 37 refs

A PLANET IN A 0.6 AU ORBIT AROUND THE K0 GIANT HD 102272

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niedzielski, A.; Gozdziewski, K.; Nowak, G.; Zielinski, P.; Wolszczan, A.; Konacki, M.

2009-01-01

We report the discovery of one or more planet-mass companions to the K0-giant HD 102272 with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. In the absence of any correlation of the observed periodicities with the standard indicators of stellar activity, the observed radial velocity variations are most plausibly explained in terms of a Keplerian motion of at least one planet-mass body around the star. With an estimated stellar mass of 1.9 M sun , the minimum mass of the confirmed planet is 5.9 M J . The planet's orbit is characterized by a small but nonzero eccentricity e = 0.05 and a semimajor axis of 0.61 AU, which makes it the most compact planet discovered so far around GK spectral type giants. This detection adds to the existing evidence that, as predicted by theory, the minimum size of planetary orbits around intermediate-mass giants is affected by both planet-formation processes and stellar evolution. The currently available evidence of another planet around HD 102272 is insufficient to obtain an unambiguous two-orbit solution.

Manganese in Dwarf Galaxies as a Probe of Type Ia Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

De Los Reyes, Mithi; Kirby, Evan N.

2018-06-01

Despite the importance of thermonuclear or Type Ia supernovae (SNe) as standard candles in astrophysics, the physical mechanisms behind Type Ia SNe are still poorly constrained. Theoretically, the nucleosynthetic yields from Type Ia SNe can distinguish among different models of Type Ia explosions. For example, neutron-rich elements such as manganese (Mn) are sensitive probes of the physics of Type Ia SNe because their abundances are correlated to the density of the progenitor white dwarf. Since dwarf galaxies' chemical evolution is dominated by Type Ia SNe at late times, Type Ia nucleosynthetic yields can be indirectly inferred from stellar abundances in dwarf galaxies. However, previous measurements of Mn in dwarf galaxies are too incomplete to draw definitive conclusions on the Type Ia explosion mechanism. In this work, we therefore use medium-resolution stellar spectroscopy from Keck/DEIMOS to measure Mn abundances in red giants in several Milky Way satellite galaxies. We report average Type Ia Mn yields computed from these abundances, and we discuss the implications for Type Ia supernova physics.

AMPLITUDES OF SOLAR-LIKE OSCILLATIONS: CONSTRAINTS FROM RED GIANTS IN OPEN CLUSTERS OBSERVED BY KEPLER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stello, Dennis; Huber, Daniel; Bedding, Timothy R.; Benomar, Othman; Kallinger, Thomas; Basu, Sarbani; Mosser, BenoIt; Hekker, Saskia; Mathur, Savita; GarcIa, Rafael A.; Kjeldsen, Hans; Grundahl, Frank; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Joergen; Gilliland, Ronald L.; Verner, Graham A.; Chaplin, William J.; Elsworth, Yvonne P.; Meibom, Soeren; Molenda-Zakowicz, Joanna; Szabo, Robert

2011-01-01

Scaling relations that link asteroseismic quantities to global stellar properties are important for gaining understanding of the intricate physics that underpins stellar pulsations. The common notion that all stars in an open cluster have essentially the same distance, age, and initial composition implies that the stellar parameters can be measured to much higher precision than what is usually achievable for single stars. This makes clusters ideal for exploring the relation between the mode amplitude of solar-like oscillations and the global stellar properties. We have analyzed data obtained with NASA's Kepler space telescope to study solar-like oscillations in 100 red giant stars located in either of the three open clusters, NGC 6791, NGC 6819, and NGC 6811. By fitting the measured amplitudes to predictions from simple scaling relations that depend on luminosity, mass, and effective temperature, we find that the data cannot be described by any power of the luminosity-to-mass ratio as previously assumed. As a result we provide a new improved empirical relation which treats luminosity and mass separately. This relation turns out to also work remarkably well for main-sequence and subgiant stars. In addition, the measured amplitudes reveal the potential presence of a number of previously unknown unresolved binaries in the red clump in NGC 6791 and NGC 6819, pointing to an interesting new application for asteroseismology as a probe into the formation history of open clusters.

Hadron excitation of giant resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morsch, H.-P.

1985-01-01

A review is given on giant resonance studies in heavy nuclei using scattering of different hadronic probes. Concerning isoscalar giant resonances compression modes are discussed with the possibility to obtain more detailed structure information. From detailed studies of α scattering the distribution of isoscalar strengths of multipolarity up to L=6 was obtained. Some recent aspects of heavy ion excitation of collective modes are mentioned. The possibility to study isovector giant resonances in hadron charge exchange reactions is discussed. Finally, a comparison is made between α and 200 MeV proton scattering from which isoscalar and spin-isospin continuum response are extracted. (orig.)

DETERMINING AGES OF APOGEE GIANTS WITH KNOWN DISTANCES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feuillet, Diane K.; Holtzman, Jon [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Bovy, Jo [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Girardi, Léo [Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova—INAF, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); MacDonald, Nick [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Majewski, Steven R. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Nidever, David L., E-mail: feuilldk@nmsu.edu [Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States)

2016-01-20

We present a sample of 705 local giant stars observed using the New Mexico State University 1 m telescope with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III/Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) spectrograph, for which we estimate stellar ages and the local star formation history (SFH). The high-resolution (R ∼ 22,500), near infrared (1.51–1.7 μm) APOGEE spectra provide measurements of stellar atmospheric parameters (temperature, surface gravity, [M/H], and [α/M]). Due to the smaller uncertainties in surface gravity possible with high-resolution spectra and accurate Hipparcos distance measurements, we are able to calculate the stellar masses to within 30%. For giants, the relatively rapid evolution up the red giant branch allows the age to be constrained by the mass. We examine methods of estimating age using both the mass–age relation directly and a Bayesian isochrone matching of measured parameters, assuming a constant SFH. To improve the SFH prior, we use a hierarchical modeling approach to constrain the parameters of the model SFH using the age probability distribution functions of the data. The results of an α-dependent Gaussian SFH model show a clear age–[α/M] relation at all ages. Using this SFH model as the prior for an empirical Bayesian analysis, we determine ages for individual stars. The resulting age–metallicity relation is flat, with a slight decrease in [M/H] at the oldest ages and a ∼0.5 dex spread in metallicity across most ages. For stars with ages ≲1 Gyr we find a smaller spread, consistent with radial migration having a smaller effect on these young stars than on the older stars.

Measuring Precise Radii of Giants Orbiting Giants to Distinguish Between Planet Evolution Models

Science.gov (United States)

Grunblatt, Samuel; Huber, Daniel; Lopez, Eric; Gaidos, Eric; Livingston, John

2017-10-01

Despite more than twenty years since the initial discovery of highly irradiated gas giant planets, the mechanism for planet inflation remains unknown. However, proposed planet inflation mechanisms can now be separated into two general classes: those which allow for post-main sequence planet inflation by direct irradiation from the host star, and those which only allow for slowed cooling of the planet over its lifetime. The recent discovery of two inflated warm Jupiters orbiting red giant stars with the NASA K2 Mission allows distinction between these two classes, but uncertainty in the planet radius blurs this distinction. Observing transits of these planets with the Spitzer Space Telescope would reduce stellar variability and thus planet radius uncertainties by approximately 50% relative to K2, allowing distinction between the two planet inflation model classes at a 3-sigma level. We propose to observe one transit of both known warm Jupiters orbiting red giant stars, K2-97b and EPIC228754001.01, to distinguish between planet model inflation classes and measure the planetary heating efficiency to 3-sigma precision. These systems are benchmarks for the upcoming NASA TESS Mission, which is predicted to discover an order of magnitude more red giant planet systems after launching next year.

METAL-POOR LITHIUM-RICH GIANTS IN THE RADIAL VELOCITY EXPERIMENT SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruchti, Gregory R.; Fulbright, Jon P.; Wyse, Rosemary F. G.; Gilmore, Gerard F.; Grebel, Eva K.; Bienaymé, Olivier; Siebert, Arnaud; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Freeman, Ken C.; Gibson, Brad K.; Munari, Ulisse; Navarro, Julio F.; Parker, Quentin A.; Watson, Fred G.; Reid, Warren; Seabroke, George M.; Siviero, Alessandro; Steinmetz, Matthias; Williams, Mary; Zwitter, Tomaz

2011-01-01

We report the discovery of eight lithium-rich field giants found in a high-resolution spectroscopic sample of over 700 metal-poor stars ([Fe/H] 7 Li), A(Li) = log (n(Li)/n(H)) + 12, between 2.30 and 3.63, well above the typical upper red giant branch (RGB) limit, A(Li) 7 Be (which burns to 7 Li) is transported to the stellar surface via the Cameron-Fowler mechanism. We discuss and discriminate among several models for the extra mixing that can cause Li production, given the detailed abundances of the Li-rich giants in our sample.

Stellar dynamism. Activity and rotation of solar stars observed from the Kepler satellite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceillier, Tugdual

2015-01-01

This thesis concerns the study of seismic solar-like stars' rotation and magnetic activity. We use data from the Kepler satellite to study the rotational history of these stars throughout their evolution. This allows to have a more complete picture of stellar rotation and magnetism. In the first part, we present the context of this PhD: astro-seismology, the seismic study of stars. We continue by describing the tool we developed to measure surface rotation of stars using photometric data from Kepler. We compare it to other methodologies used by the community and show that its efficiency is very high. In the second part, we apply this tool to around 500 main-sequence and sub-giant solar-like stars. We measure surface rotation periods and activity levels for 300 of them. We show that the measured periods and the ages from astro-seismology do not agree well with the standard period-age relationships and propose to modify these relationships for stars older than the Sun. We also use the surface rotation as a constraint to estimate the internal rotation of a small number of seismic targets. We demonstrate that these stars have, like the Sun, a very low differential rotation ratio. In the third part, we apply our surface rotation-measuring tool to the most extensive sample of red giants observed by Kepler, comprising more than 17,000 stars. We identify more than 360 fast rotating red giants and compare our detection rates with the ones predicted by theory to better understand the reasons for this rapid rotation. We also use stellar modelling to reproduce the internal rotation profile of a particular red giant. This allows us to emphasize how important implementing new angular momentum transport mechanisms in stellar evolution codes is. This work offers new results that are useful to a very wide community of stellar physicists. It also puts strong constraints on the evolution of solar-like stars' rotation and magnetic activity. (author) [fr

ESTIMATION OF DISTANCES TO STARS WITH STELLAR PARAMETERS FROM LAMOST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Newberg, Heidi Jo [Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Liu, Chao; Deng, Licai; Li, Guangwei; Luo, A-Li; Wu, Yue; Yang, Ming; Zhang, Haotong [Key Lab of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Beers, Timothy C. [Department of Physics and JINA: Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Chen, Li; Hou, Jinliang; Smith, Martin C. [Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030 (China); Guhathakurta, Puragra [UCO/Lick Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Hou, Yonghui [Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics and Technology, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210042 (China); Lépine, Sébastien [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, 25 Park Place, Suite 605, Atlanta, GA 30303 (United States); Yanny, Brian [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Zheng, Zheng, E-mail: jeffreylcarlin@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, UT 84112 (United States)

2015-07-15

We present a method to estimate distances to stars with spectroscopically derived stellar parameters. The technique is a Bayesian approach with likelihood estimated via comparison of measured parameters to a grid of stellar isochrones, and returns a posterior probability density function for each star’s absolute magnitude. This technique is tailored specifically to data from the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) survey. Because LAMOST obtains roughly 3000 stellar spectra simultaneously within each ∼5° diameter “plate” that is observed, we can use the stellar parameters of the observed stars to account for the stellar luminosity function and target selection effects. This removes biasing assumptions about the underlying populations, both due to predictions of the luminosity function from stellar evolution modeling, and from Galactic models of stellar populations along each line of sight. Using calibration data of stars with known distances and stellar parameters, we show that our method recovers distances for most stars within ∼20%, but with some systematic overestimation of distances to halo giants. We apply our code to the LAMOST database, and show that the current precision of LAMOST stellar parameters permits measurements of distances with ∼40% error bars. This precision should improve as the LAMOST data pipelines continue to be refined.

FRIENDS OF HOT JUPITERS. III. AN INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC SEARCH FOR LOW-MASS STELLAR COMPANIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piskorz, Danielle; Knutson, Heather A.; Ngo, Henry; Batygin, Konstantin [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Muirhead, Philip S. [Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, Boston, MA (United States); Crepp, Justin R. [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN (United States); Hinkley, Sasha [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Exeter (United Kingdom); Morton, Timothy D., E-mail: dpiskorz@gps.caltech.edu [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States)

2015-12-01

Surveys of nearby field stars indicate that stellar binaries are common, yet little is known about the effects that these companions may have on planet formation and evolution. The Friends of Hot Jupiters project uses three complementary techniques to search for stellar companions to known planet-hosting stars: radial velocity monitoring, adaptive optics imaging, and near-infrared spectroscopy. In this paper, we examine high-resolution K band infrared spectra of fifty stars hosting gas giant planets on short-period orbits. We use spectral fitting to search for blended lines due to the presence of cool stellar companions in the spectra of our target stars, where we are sensitive to companions with temperatures between 3500 and 5000 K and projected separations less than 100 AU in most systems. We identify eight systems with candidate low-mass companions, including one companion that was independently detected in our AO imaging survey. For systems with radial velocity accelerations, a spectroscopic non-detection rules out scenarios involving a stellar companion in a high inclination orbit. We use these data to place an upper limit on the stellar binary fraction at small projected separations, and show that the observed population of candidate companions is consistent with that of field stars and also with the population of wide-separation companions detected in our previous AO survey. We find no evidence that spectroscopic stellar companions are preferentially located in systems with short-period gas giant planets on eccentric and/or misaligned orbits.

FRIENDS OF HOT JUPITERS. III. AN INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC SEARCH FOR LOW-MASS STELLAR COMPANIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piskorz, Danielle; Knutson, Heather A.; Ngo, Henry; Batygin, Konstantin; Muirhead, Philip S.; Crepp, Justin R.; Hinkley, Sasha; Morton, Timothy D.

2015-01-01

Surveys of nearby field stars indicate that stellar binaries are common, yet little is known about the effects that these companions may have on planet formation and evolution. The Friends of Hot Jupiters project uses three complementary techniques to search for stellar companions to known planet-hosting stars: radial velocity monitoring, adaptive optics imaging, and near-infrared spectroscopy. In this paper, we examine high-resolution K band infrared spectra of fifty stars hosting gas giant planets on short-period orbits. We use spectral fitting to search for blended lines due to the presence of cool stellar companions in the spectra of our target stars, where we are sensitive to companions with temperatures between 3500 and 5000 K and projected separations less than 100 AU in most systems. We identify eight systems with candidate low-mass companions, including one companion that was independently detected in our AO imaging survey. For systems with radial velocity accelerations, a spectroscopic non-detection rules out scenarios involving a stellar companion in a high inclination orbit. We use these data to place an upper limit on the stellar binary fraction at small projected separations, and show that the observed population of candidate companions is consistent with that of field stars and also with the population of wide-separation companions detected in our previous AO survey. We find no evidence that spectroscopic stellar companions are preferentially located in systems with short-period gas giant planets on eccentric and/or misaligned orbits

Analysis of the distribution of magnetic fluid inside tumors by a giant magnetoresistance probe

KAUST Repository

Gooneratne, Chinthaka P.

2013-11-29

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) therapy uses the magnetic component of electromagnetic fields in the radiofrequency spectrum to couple energy to magnetic nanoparticles inside tumors. In MFH therapy, magnetic fluid is injected into tumors and an alternating current (AC) magnetic flux is applied to heat the magnetic fluid- filled tumor. If the temperature can be maintained at the therapeutic threshold of 42C for 30 minutes or more, the tumor cells can be destroyed. Analyzing the distribution of the magnetic fluid injected into tumors prior to the heating step in MFH therapy is an essential criterion for homogenous heating of tumors, since a decision can then be taken on the strength and localization of the applied external AC magnetic flux density needed to destroy the tumor without affecting healthy cells. This paper proposes a methodology for analyzing the distribution of magnetic fluid in a tumor by a specifically designed giant magnetoresistance (GMR) probe prior to MFH heat treatment. Experimental results analyzing the distribution of magnetic fluid suggest that different magnetic fluid weight densities could be estimated inside a single tumor by the GMR probe. 2013 Gooneratne et al.

Analysis of the distribution of magnetic fluid inside tumors by a giant magnetoresistance probe

KAUST Repository

Gooneratne, Chinthaka P.; Kurnicki, Adam; Yamada, Sotoshi; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas C.; Kosel, Jü rgen

2013-01-01

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) therapy uses the magnetic component of electromagnetic fields in the radiofrequency spectrum to couple energy to magnetic nanoparticles inside tumors. In MFH therapy, magnetic fluid is injected into tumors and an alternating current (AC) magnetic flux is applied to heat the magnetic fluid- filled tumor. If the temperature can be maintained at the therapeutic threshold of 42C for 30 minutes or more, the tumor cells can be destroyed. Analyzing the distribution of the magnetic fluid injected into tumors prior to the heating step in MFH therapy is an essential criterion for homogenous heating of tumors, since a decision can then be taken on the strength and localization of the applied external AC magnetic flux density needed to destroy the tumor without affecting healthy cells. This paper proposes a methodology for analyzing the distribution of magnetic fluid in a tumor by a specifically designed giant magnetoresistance (GMR) probe prior to MFH heat treatment. Experimental results analyzing the distribution of magnetic fluid suggest that different magnetic fluid weight densities could be estimated inside a single tumor by the GMR probe. 2013 Gooneratne et al.

Analysis of the distribution of magnetic fluid inside tumors by a giant magnetoresistance probe.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chinthaka P Gooneratne

Full Text Available Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH therapy uses the magnetic component of electromagnetic fields in the radiofrequency spectrum to couple energy to magnetic nanoparticles inside tumors. In MFH therapy, magnetic fluid is injected into tumors and an alternating current (AC magnetic flux is applied to heat the magnetic fluid- filled tumor. If the temperature can be maintained at the therapeutic threshold of 42 °C for 30 minutes or more, the tumor cells can be destroyed. Analyzing the distribution of the magnetic fluid injected into tumors prior to the heating step in MFH therapy is an essential criterion for homogenous heating of tumors, since a decision can then be taken on the strength and localization of the applied external AC magnetic flux density needed to destroy the tumor without affecting healthy cells. This paper proposes a methodology for analyzing the distribution of magnetic fluid in a tumor by a specifically designed giant magnetoresistance (GMR probe prior to MFH heat treatment. Experimental results analyzing the distribution of magnetic fluid suggest that different magnetic fluid weight densities could be estimated inside a single tumor by the GMR probe.

Mass loss by stars at the stage of the asymptotic giant branch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frantsman, Y.L.

1986-01-01

For a given initial stellar mass function, star formation function, and initial chemical composition, distributions have been constructed for stars of the asymptotic giant branch by luminosity, and for white dwarfs by mass, by calculating the approximate evolution of a large number of stars. Variants are calculated with different assumptions about the mass loss in the asymptotic branch. Theory can be reconciled with observation only if it is assumed that at this stage there is also a still large mass loss in addition to the stellar wind and the ejection of a planetary nebula shell. This provides the explanation for the absence in the Magellanic clouds of carbon stars with M /sub bol/ 1.0M /sub ./. The degenerate carbon-oxygen nuclei of stars evolving along the asymptotic giant branch cannot attain the Chandrasekhar limit on account of the great mass loss by the stars. The luminosity of stars of the asymptotic giant branch in the globular clusters of the Magellanic Clouds is a good indicator of the age of the clusters

Stellar magnetic activity and exoplanets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vidotto A.A.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available It has been proposed that magnetic activity could be enhanced due to interactions between close-in massive planets and their host stars. In this article, I present a brief overview of the connection between stellar magnetic activity and exoplanets. Stellar activity can be probed in chromospheric lines, coronal emission, surface spot coverage, etc. Since these are manifestations of stellar magnetism, these measurements are often used as proxies for the magnetic field of stars. Here, instead of focusing on the magnetic proxies, I overview some recent results of magnetic field measurements using spectropolarimetric observations. Firstly, I discuss the general trends found between large-scale magnetism, stellar rotation, and coronal emission and show that magnetism seems to be correlated to the internal structure of the star. Secondly, I overview some works that show evidence that exoplanets could (or not act as to enhance the activity of their host stars.

Stellar Mass-gap as a Probe of Halo Assembly History and Concentration: Youth Hidden among Old Fossils

Science.gov (United States)

Deason, A. J.; Conroy, C.; Wetzel, A. R.; Tinker, J. L.

2013-11-01

We investigate the use of the halo mass-gap statistic—defined as the logarithmic difference in mass between the host halo and its most massive satellite subhalo—as a probe of halo age and concentration. A cosmological N-body simulation is used to study N ~ 25, 000 group/cluster-sized halos in the mass range 1012.5 time and concentration. On average, older and more highly concentrated halos have larger halo mass-gaps, and this trend is stronger than the mass-concentration relation over a similar dynamic range. However, there is a large amount of scatter owing to the transitory nature of the satellite subhalo population, which limits the use of the halo mass-gap statistic on an object-by-object basis. For example, we find that 20% of very large halo mass-gap systems (akin to "fossil groups") are young and have likely experienced a recent merger between a massive satellite subhalo and the central subhalo. We relate halo mass-gap to the observable stellar mass-gap via abundance matching. Using a galaxy group catalog constructed from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, we find that the star formation and structural properties of galaxies at fixed mass show no trend with stellar mass-gap. This is despite a variation in halo age of ≈2.5 Gyr over ≈1.2 dex in stellar mass-gap. Thus, we find no evidence to suggest that the halo formation history significantly affects galaxy properties.

RED GIANTS IN ECLIPSING BINARY AND MULTIPLE-STAR SYSTEMS: MODELING AND ASTEROSEISMIC ANALYSIS OF 70 CANDIDATES FROM KEPLER DATA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaulme, P.; McKeever, J.; Rawls, M. L.; Jackiewicz, J.; Mosser, B.; Guzik, J. A.

2013-01-01

Red giant stars are proving to be an incredible source of information for testing models of stellar evolution, as asteroseismology has opened up a window into their interiors. Such insights are a direct result of the unprecedented data from space missions CoRoT and Kepler as well as recent theoretical advances. Eclipsing binaries are also fundamental astrophysical objects, and when coupled with asteroseismology, binaries provide two independent methods to obtain masses and radii and exciting opportunities to develop highly constrained stellar models. The possibility of discovering pulsating red giants in eclipsing binary systems is therefore an important goal that could potentially offer very robust characterization of these systems. Until recently, only one case has been discovered with Kepler. We cross-correlate the detected red giant and eclipsing-binary catalogs from Kepler data to find possible candidate systems. Light-curve modeling and mean properties measured from asteroseismology are combined to yield specific measurements of periods, masses, radii, temperatures, eclipse timing variations, core rotation rates, and red giant evolutionary state. After using three different techniques to eliminate false positives, out of the 70 systems common to the red giant and eclipsing-binary catalogs we find 13 strong candidates (12 previously unknown) to be eclipsing binaries, one to be a non-eclipsing binary with tidally induced oscillations, and 10 more to be hierarchical triple systems, all of which include a pulsating red giant. The systems span a range of orbital eccentricities, periods, and spectral types F, G, K, and M for the companion of the red giant. One case even suggests an eclipsing binary composed of two red giant stars and another of a red giant with a δ-Scuti star. The discovery of multiple pulsating red giants in eclipsing binaries provides an exciting test bed for precise astrophysical modeling, and follow-up spectroscopic observations of many of the

Grain-gas interaction in envelopes of red giants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maciel, W.J.

1976-01-01

A model for the ejection of the dust shell of red giant stars through the action of the stellar radiation pressure is developed. Being momentum-coupled to the gas, the dust shell can drive an effective mass loss. On the other hand, the grain injection rate into the interstellar space can be estimated [pt

BD+15 2940 AND HD 233604: TWO GIANTS WITH PLANETS CLOSE TO THE ENGULFMENT ZONE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowak, G.; Niedzielski, A.; Adamów, M.; Maciejewski, G.; Wolszczan, A.

2013-01-01

We report the discovery of planetary-mass companions to two red giants by the ongoing Penn State-Toruń Planet Search (PTPS) conducted with the 9.2 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The 1.1 M ☉ K0-giant, BD+15 2940, has a 1.1 M J minimum mass companion orbiting the star at a 137.5 day period in a 0.54 AU orbit what makes it the closest—in planet around a giant and possible subject of engulfment as the consequence of stellar evolution. HD 233604, a 1.5 M ☉ K5-giant, is orbited by a 6.6 M J minimum mass planet which has a period of 192 days and a semi-major axis of only 0.75 AU making it one of the least distant planets to a giant star. The chemical composition analysis of HD 233604 reveals a relatively high 7 Li abundance which may be a sign of its early evolutionary stage or recent engulfment of another planet in the system. We also present independent detections of planetary-mass companions to HD 209458 and HD 88133, and stellar activity-induced radial velocity variations in HD 166435, as part of the discussion of the observing and data analysis methods used in the PTPS project.

THE INTERACTION OF ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS WITH THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villaver, Eva [Departamento de Fisica Teorica, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco 28049 Madrid (Spain); Manchado, Arturo [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Via Lactea S/N, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Garcia-Segura, Guillermo, E-mail: eva.villaver@uam.es, E-mail: amt@ll.iac.es, E-mail: ggs@astrosen.unam.mx [Instituto de Astronomia-UNAM, Apartado postal 877, Ensenada, 22800 Baja California (Mexico)

2012-04-01

We study the hydrodynamical behavior of the gas expelled by moving asymptotic giant branch stars interacting with the interstellar medium (ISM). Our models follow the wind modulations prescribed by stellar evolution calculations, and we cover a range of expected relative velocities (10-100 km s{sup -1}), ISM densities (between 0.01 and 1 cm{sup -3}), and stellar progenitor masses (1 and 3.5 M{sub Sun }). We show how and when bow shocks and cometary-like structures form, and in which regime the shells are subject to instabilities. Finally, we analyze the results of the simulations in terms of the different kinematical stellar populations expected in the Galaxy.

PLANETS AROUND THE K-GIANTS BD+20 274 AND HD 219415

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gettel, S.; Wolszczan, A.; Niedzielski, A.; Nowak, G.; Adamów, M.; Zieliński, P.; Maciejewski, G.

2012-01-01

We present the discovery of planet-mass companions to two giant stars by the ongoing Penn State-Toruń Planet Search conducted with the 9.2 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The less massive of these stars, K5-giant BD+20 274, has a 4.2 M J minimum mass planet orbiting the star at a 578 day period and a more distant, likely stellar-mass companion. The best currently available model of the planet orbiting the K0-giant HD 219415 points to a ∼> Jupiter-mass companion in a 5.7 year, eccentric orbit around the star, making it the longest period planet yet detected by our survey. This planet has an amplitude of ∼18 m s –1 , comparable to the median radial velocity 'jitter', typical of giant stars.

ON THE ORIGIN OF STELLAR MASSES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krumholz, Mark R.

2011-01-01

It has been a longstanding problem to determine, as far as possible, the characteristic masses of stars in terms of fundamental constants; the almost complete invariance of this mass as a function of the star-forming environment suggests that this should be possible. Here I provide such a calculation. The typical stellar mass is set by the characteristic fragment mass in a star-forming cloud, which depends on the cloud's density and temperature structure. Except in the very early universe, the latter is determined mainly by the radiation released as matter falls onto seed protostars. The energy yield from this process is ultimately set by the properties of deuterium burning in protostellar cores, which determines the stars' radii. I show that it is possible to combine these considerations to compute a characteristic stellar mass almost entirely in terms of fundamental constants, with an extremely weak residual dependence on the interstellar pressure and metallicity. This result not only explains the invariance of stellar masses, it resolves a second mystery: why fragmentation of a cold, low-density interstellar cloud, a process with no obvious dependence on the properties of nuclear reactions, happens to select a stellar mass scale such that stellar cores can ignite hydrogen. Finally, the weak residual dependence on the interstellar pressure and metallicity may explain recent observational hints of a smaller characteristic mass in the high-pressure, high-metallicity cores of giant elliptical galaxies.

Excitation of solar and stellar oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baudin, Frederic

2009-01-01

In this report for an Accreditation to Supervise Research (HDR), and after an introduction which outlines the potential of helio-seismology, the author addresses the problem of excitation and amplitude of stellar oscillations with respect to their most important aspects, i.e. the theoretical framework of the present understanding of excitation mechanisms, and instrumental influences on measurements which are used to assess excitation rates, the difficulty to perform these measurements, and their analysis in some various cases. Thus, the author addresses excitation mechanisms of stellar oscillation (stochastic excitation, opacity- related excitation, and other excitation mechanisms), the excitation of solar modes (observation and theoretical predictions, influence of magnetic phenomena, solar g modes), and the excitation of modes in other stars (solar-type pulsators, red giants, and not so conventional pulsators such as HD180642 and Be stars like HD49330)

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

Infrared colours and inferred masses of metal-poor giant stars in the Keplerfield

Science.gov (United States)

Casey, A. R.; Kennedy, G. M.; Hartle, T. R.; Schlaufman, Kevin C.

2018-05-01

Intrinsically luminous giant stars in the Milky Way are the only potential volume-complete tracers of the distant disk, bulge, and halo. The chemical abundances of metal-poor giants also reflect the compositions of the earliest star-forming regions, providing the initial conditions for the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. However, the intrinsic rarity of metal-poor giants combined with the difficulty of efficiently identifying them with broad-band optical photometry has made it difficult to exploit them for studies of the Milky Way. One long-standing problem is that photometric selections for giant and/or metal-poor stars frequently include a large fraction of metal-rich dwarf contaminants. We re-derive a giant star photometric selection using existing public g-band and narrow-band DDO51photometry obtained in the Keplerfield. Our selection is simple and yields a contamination rate of main-sequence stars of ≲1% and a completeness of about 80 % for giant stars with Teff ≲ 5250 K - subject to the selection function of the spectroscopic surveys used to estimate these rates, and the magnitude range considered (11 ≲ g ≲ 15). While the DDO51filter is known to be sensitive to stellar surface gravity, we further show that the mid-infrared colours of DDO51-selected giants are strongly correlated with spectroscopic metallicity. This extends the infrared metal-poor selection developed by Schlaufman & Casey, demonstrating that the principal contaminants in their selection can be efficiently removed by the photometric separation of dwarfs and giants. This implies that any similarly efficient dwarf/giant discriminant (e.g., Gaiaparallaxes) can be used in conjunction with WISEcolours to select samples of giant stars with high completeness and low contamination. We employ our photometric selection to identify three metal-poor giant candidates in the Keplerfield with global asteroseismic parameters and find that masses inferred for these three stars using standard

Oscillating Red Giants Observed during Campaign 1 of the Kepler K2 Mission: New Prospects for Galactic Archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Stello, Dennis; Huber, Daniel; Sharma, Sanjib; Johnson, Jennifer; Lund, Mikkel N.; Handberg, Rasmus; Buzasi, Derek L.; Silva Aguirre, Victor; Chaplin, William J.; Miglio, Andrea; Pinsonneault, Marc; Basu, Sarbani; Bedding, Tim R.; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Casagrande, Luca; Davies, Guy; Elsworth, Yvonne; Garcia, Rafael A.; Mathur, Savita; Di Mauro, Maria Pia; Mosser, Benoit; Schneider, Donald P.; Serenelli, Aldo; Valentini, Marica

2015-08-01

NASA’s re-purposed Kepler mission—dubbed K2—has brought new scientific opportunities that were not anticipated for the original Kepler mission. One science goal that makes optimal use of K2's capabilities, in particular its 360° ecliptic field of view, is galactic archaeology—the study of the evolution of the Galaxy from the fossil stellar record. The thrust of this research is to exploit high-precision, time-resolved photometry from K2 in order to detect oscillations in red giant stars. This asteroseismic information can provide estimates of stellar radius (hence distance), mass, and age of vast numbers of stars across the Galaxy. Here we present the initial analysis of a subset of red giants, observed toward the north galactic gap, during the mission’s first full science campaign. We investigate the feasibility of using K2 data for detecting oscillations in red giants that span a range in apparent magnitude and evolutionary state (hence intrinsic luminosity). We demonstrate that oscillations are detectable for essentially all cool giants within the {log}g range ˜1.9-3.2. Our detection is complete down to {\\text{Kp}} ˜ 14.5, which results in a seismic sample with little or no detection bias. This sample is ideally suited to stellar population studies that seek to investigate potential shortcomings of contemporary Galaxy models.

Gradients in giant branch morphology in the core of 47 Tucanae

Science.gov (United States)

Bailyn, Charles D.

1994-01-01

I describe an algorithm which uses the high spatial resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope to complement the high spatial-to-noise, approximately symmetric point response function, relatively large spatial coverage, and standard filters available from ground based images of crowded fields. Applying this technique to the central regions of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, I find that the morphology of the giant branch in the core is significantly different from that in more distant regions (r approximately equals 5 to 10 core radii) of the cluster. In particular, there appear to be fewer bright giants in the core, along with an enhanced `asymptotic giant branch' (AGB) sequence. Depletion of giants has been observed in the cores of other dense clusters, and may be due to `stripping' of large stars by stellar encounters and/or mass transfer in binary systems. Central concentrations of true asymptotic giant branch stars are not expected to result from dynamical processes; possibly some of these stars may be evolved blue stragglers.

On the Terminal Rotation Rates of Giant Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Batygin, Konstantin

2018-04-01

Within the general framework of the core-nucleated accretion theory of giant planet formation, the conglomeration of massive gaseous envelopes is facilitated by a transient period of rapid accumulation of nebular material. While the concurrent build-up of angular momentum is expected to leave newly formed planets spinning at near-breakup velocities, Jupiter and Saturn, as well as super-Jovian long-period extrasolar planets, are observed to rotate well below criticality. In this work, we demonstrate that the large luminosity of a young giant planet simultaneously leads to the generation of a strong planetary magnetic field, as well as thermal ionization of the circumplanetary disk. The ensuing magnetic coupling between the planetary interior and the quasi-Keplerian motion of the disk results in efficient braking of planetary rotation, with hydrodynamic circulation of gas within the Hill sphere playing the key role of expelling spin angular momentum to the circumstellar nebula. Our results place early-stage giant planet and stellar rotation within the same evolutionary framework, and motivate further exploration of magnetohydrodynamic phenomena in the context of the final stages of giant planet formation.

GIANT IMPACT: AN EFFICIENT MECHANISM FOR THE DEVOLATILIZATION OF SUPER-EARTHS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Shang-Fei [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Hori, Yasunori; Lin, D. N. C. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Asphaug, Erik, E-mail: sliu26@ucsc.edu, E-mail: yahori@ucsc.edu, E-mail: lin@ucolick.org, E-mail: easphaug@asu.edu [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States)

2015-10-20

Mini-Neptunes and volatile-poor super-Earths coexist on adjacent orbits in proximity to host stars such as Kepler-36 and Kepler-11. Several post-formation processes have been proposed for explaining the origin of the compositional diversity between neighboring planets: mass loss via stellar XUV irradiation, degassing of accreted material, and in situ accumulation of the disk gas. Close-in planets are also likely to experience giant impacts during the advanced stage of planet formation. This study examines the possibility of transforming volatile-rich super-Earths/mini-Neptunes into volatile-depleted super-Earths through giant impacts. We present the results of three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of giant impacts in the accretionary and disruptive regimes. Target planets are modeled with a three-layered structure composed of an iron core, silicate mantle, and hydrogen/helium envelope. In the disruptive case, the giant impact can remove most of the H/He atmosphere immediately and homogenize the refractory material in the planetary interior. In the accretionary case, the planet is able to retain more than half of the original gaseous envelope, while a compositional gradient suppresses efficient heat transfer as the planetary interior undergoes double-diffusive convection. After the giant impact, a hot and inflated planet cools and contracts slowly. The extended atmosphere enhances the mass loss via both a Parker wind induced by thermal pressure and hydrodynamic escape driven by the stellar XUV irradiation. As a result, the entire gaseous envelope is expected to be lost due to the combination of those processes in both cases. Based on our results, we propose that Kepler-36b may have been significantly devolatilized by giant impacts, while a substantial fraction of Kepler-36c’s atmosphere may remain intact. Furthermore, the stochastic nature of giant impacts may account for the observed large dispersion in the mass–radius relationship of close-in super

First results from stellar occultations in the "GAIA era"

Science.gov (United States)

Benedetti-Rossi, G.; Vieira-Martins, R.; Sicardy, B.

2017-09-01

Stellar occultation is a powerful technique to study distant solar system bodies. It allows high angular resolution of the occulting body from the analysis of a light curve acquired with high temporal resolution with uncertainties comparable as probes. In the "GAIA era", stellar occultations is now able to obtain even more impressive results such as the presence of atmosphere, rings and topographic features.

STELLAR TRANSITS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Béky, Bence; Kocsis, Bence

2013-01-01

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are typically surrounded by a dense stellar population in galactic nuclei. Stars crossing the line of site in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) produce a characteristic transit light curve, just like extrasolar planets do when they transit their host star. We examine the possibility of finding such AGN transits in deep optical, UV, and X-ray surveys. We calculate transit light curves using the Novikov-Thorne thin accretion disk model, including general relativistic effects. Based on the expected properties of stellar cusps, we find that around 10 6 solar mass SMBHs, transits of red giants are most common for stars on close orbits with transit durations of a few weeks and orbital periods of a few years. We find that detecting AGN transits requires repeated observations of thousands of low-mass AGNs to 1% photometric accuracy in optical, or ∼10% in UV bands or soft X-ray. It may be possible to identify stellar transits in the Pan-STARRS and LSST optical and the eROSITA X-ray surveys. Such observations could be used to constrain black hole mass, spin, inclination, and accretion rate. Transit rates and durations could give valuable information on the circumnuclear stellar clusters as well. Transit light curves could be used to image accretion disks with unprecedented resolution, allowing us to resolve the SMBH silhouette in distant AGNs.

Stellar Pulsations, Impact of New Instrumentation and New Insights

CERN Document Server

Garrido, R; Balona, L; Christensen-Dalsgaard, J; 20th Stellar Pulsation Conference Series

2013-01-01

Analyses of photometric time series obtained from the MOST, CoRoT and Kepler space missions were presented at the 20th conference on Stellar Pulsations (Granada, September 2011). These results are leading to a re-appraisal of our views on stellar pulsation in some stars and posing some new and unexpected challenges. The very important and exciting role played by innovative ground-based observational techniques, such as interferometric measurements of giant pulsating stars and high-resolution spectroscopy in the near infrared, is also discussed. These Proceedings are distinguished by the format of the conference, which brings together a variety of related but different topics not found in other meetings of this nature.

Extra-mixing in red giant stars: Challenges for nuclear physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palmerini, Sara; Maiorca, Enrico, E-mail: sara.pamerini@fisica.unipg.i [I.N.F.N. sezione di Perugia Dipartimento di Fisica Universita degli Studi di Perugia, via Pascoli, 06123, Perugia (Italy)

2010-01-01

The existence of extra-mixing phenomena has been often invoked as a possible solution for the Li-abundance puzzle in low-mass red giant stars. In particular, [1] have shown that extra-mixing phenomena induced by stellar magnetic fields can justify the surface Li enrichment as well as its depletion in low mass giants. In the framework of this model, we test here how sensitive is the Li production to the reaction rate for the {sup 7}Be electron capture, in order to establish whether the presence of intense magnetic fields can alter the Li yield.

Microturbulence as a third dimension in the G-K giant region of the HR diagram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foy, R.

1978-01-01

The structure of the HR diagram in the G-K giant region is complex, because of the funneling effect and of the intersection of evolutionary tracks for different stellar masses. Therefore it is impossible to derive the age of a cool giant from its location in the HR diagram alone. To remove this indeterminacy a third dimension is needed, and the author suggests microturbulence as the appropriate observational parameter. (Auth.)

Stellar Velocity Dispersion: Linking Quiescent Galaxies to their Dark Matter Halos

OpenAIRE

Zahid, H. Jabran; Sohn, Jubee; Geller, Margaret J.

2018-01-01

We analyze the Illustris-1 hydrodynamical cosmological simulation to explore the stellar velocity dispersion of quiescent galaxies as an observational probe of dark matter halo velocity dispersion and mass. Stellar velocity dispersion is proportional to dark matter halo velocity dispersion for both central and satellite galaxies. The dark matter halos of central galaxies are in virial equilibrium and thus the stellar velocity dispersion is also proportional to dark matter halo mass. This prop...

Stellar populations as a function of radius in giant elliptical galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peletier, Reynier F.; Valentijn, Edwin A.

Accurate surface photometry has been obtained in J and K for 12 giant elliptical galaxies. Ellipses have been fitted, to obtain luminosity, ellipticity, and major axis position angle profiles. The results have been combined with visual profiles from CCD observations. It is found that elliptical

Carbon isotope ratios in field Population II giant stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sneden, C.; Pilachowski, C.A.; Vandenberg, D.A.; Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, AZ; Victoria Univ., Canada)

1986-01-01

Carbon isotope ratios have been derived from high-resolution spectra of the CH G-band in 15 very metal-poor Population II giant stars and two similar dwarf stars. Many of the giants possess very low C-12/C-13 ratios, some approaching the CN cycle equilibrium value. The metal-poor dwarfs do not have detectable CH-13 features; thus the low carbon isotope ratios in the giants probably are due to their internal evolutions. These results strongly support the idea that at least part of the anomalously low C/N values in Population II giants arises from very efficient mixing of their envelopes into the CN cycle burning layers. Detailed calculations of the expected CNO surface abundances in Population II giants in different evolutionary states have been performed. These computations demonstrate that the observed carbon isotope ratios cannot be produced during the first dredge-up mixing phases in low-mass, low metal abundance stars. Numerical experiments show that theoretical and observational results can be brought into agreement with artificially induced extra mixing. An agent to provoke this additional mixing has not been identified with certainty yet, although internal stellar rotation is a promising candidate. 63 references

THE SEGUE K GIANT SURVEY. III. QUANTIFYING GALACTIC HALO SUBSTRUCTURE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janesh, William; Morrison, Heather L.; Ma, Zhibo; Harding, Paul [Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States); Rockosi, Constance [UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Starkenburg, Else [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria BC V8W 3P6 (Canada); Xue, Xiang Xiang; Rix, Hans-Walter [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Beers, Timothy C. [Department of Physics and JINA Center for the Evolution of the Elements, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Johnson, Jennifer [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Lee, Young Sun [Department of Astronomy and Space Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134 (Korea, Republic of); Schneider, Donald P. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2016-01-10

We statistically quantify the amount of substructure in the Milky Way stellar halo using a sample of 4568 halo K giant stars at Galactocentric distances ranging over 5–125 kpc. These stars have been selected photometrically and confirmed spectroscopically as K giants from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration project. Using a position–velocity clustering estimator (the 4distance) and a model of a smooth stellar halo, we quantify the amount of substructure in the halo, divided by distance and metallicity. Overall, we find that the halo as a whole is highly structured. We also confirm earlier work using blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars which showed that there is an increasing amount of substructure with increasing Galactocentric radius, and additionally find that the amount of substructure in the halo increases with increasing metallicity. Comparing to resampled BHB stars, we find that K giants and BHBs have similar amounts of substructure over equivalent ranges of Galactocentric radius. Using a friends-of-friends algorithm to identify members of individual groups, we find that a large fraction (∼33%) of grouped stars are associated with Sgr, and identify stars belonging to other halo star streams: the Orphan Stream, the Cetus Polar Stream, and others, including previously unknown substructures. A large fraction of sample K giants (more than 50%) are not grouped into any substructure. We find also that the Sgr stream strongly dominates groups in the outer halo for all except the most metal-poor stars, and suggest that this is the source of the increase of substructure with Galactocentric radius and metallicity.

Theoretical red-giant branches for globular clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VandenBerg, D.A.

1984-01-01

The authors reports computations of stellar evolutionary sequences from the base of the red-giant branch to the helium flash. Representative models with masses in the range of 0.8 to 0.9 solar masses were selected in order that the stars on the giant branches had ages of approximately 16 billion yr. Initial numerical experiments indicated that a value of α = 1.6 for the ratio of the mixing length to the pressure scale height was needed to provide the best of the Z = 0.0001 model sequence with the observations of M92. Sequences for the other assumed metallicities, Z = 0.0003, 0.001, 0.003, and 0.006, were then computed for the same value of the mixing-length parameter and overlayed directly on the observations. (Auth.)

Survival of a brown dwarf after engulfment by a red giant star.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxted, P F L; Napiwotzki, R; Dobbie, P D; Burleigh, M R

2006-08-03

Many sub-stellar companions (usually planets but also some brown dwarfs) orbit solar-type stars. These stars can engulf their sub-stellar companions when they become red giants. This interaction may explain several outstanding problems in astrophysics but it is unclear under what conditions a low mass companion will evaporate, survive the interaction unchanged or gain mass. Observational tests of models for this interaction have been hampered by a lack of positively identified remnants-that is, white dwarf stars with close, sub-stellar companions. The companion to the pre-white dwarf AA Doradus may be a brown dwarf, but the uncertain history of this star and the extreme luminosity difference between the components make it difficult to interpret the observations or to put strong constraints on the models. The magnetic white dwarf SDSS J121209.31 + 013627.7 may have a close brown dwarf companion but little is known about this binary at present. Here we report the discovery of a brown dwarf in a short period orbit around a white dwarf. The properties of both stars in this binary can be directly observed and show that the brown dwarf was engulfed by a red giant but that this had little effect on it.

A practical guide to giant vesicles. Probing the membrane nanoregime via optical microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimova, Rumiana; Aranda, Said; Bezlyepkina, Natalya; Nikolov, Vesselin; Riske, Karin A; Lipowsky, Reinhard

2006-01-01

Research on giant vesicles is becoming increasingly popular. Giant vesicles provide model biomembrane systems for systematic measurements of mechanical and rheological properties of bilayers as a function of membrane composition and temperature, as well as hydrodynamic interactions. Membrane response to external factors (for example electric fields, ions and amphiphilic molecules) can be directly visualized under the microscope. In this paper we review our current understanding of lipid bilayers as obtained from studies on giant unilamellar vesicles. Because research on giant vesicles increasingly attracts the interest of scientists from various backgrounds, we also try to provide a concise introduction for newcomers in the field. Finally, we summarize some recent developments on curvature effects induced by polymers, domain formation in membranes and shape transitions induced by electric fields

Limits on stellar companions to exoplanet host stars with eccentric planets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, Stephen R.; Hinkel, Natalie R.; Howell, Steve B.; Horch, Elliott P.; Feng, Ying; Wright, Jason T.; Ciardi, David R.; Everett, Mark E.; Howard, Andrew W.

2014-01-01

Though there are now many hundreds of confirmed exoplanets known, the binarity of exoplanet host stars is not well understood. This is particularly true of host stars that harbor a giant planet in a highly eccentric orbit since these are more likely to have had a dramatic dynamical history that transferred angular momentum to the planet. Here we present observations of four exoplanet host stars that utilize the excellent resolving power of the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument on the Gemini North telescope. Two of the stars are giants and two are dwarfs. Each star is host to a giant planet with an orbital eccentricity >0.5 and whose radial velocity (RV) data contain a trend in the residuals to the Keplerian orbit fit. These observations rule out stellar companions 4-8 mag fainter than the host star at passbands of 692 nm and 880 nm. The resolution and field of view of the instrument result in exclusion radii of 0.''05-1.''4, which excludes stellar companions within several AU of the host star in most cases. We further provide new RVs for the HD 4203 system that confirm that the linear trend previously observed in the residuals is due to an additional planet. These results place dynamical constraints on the source of the planet's eccentricities, place constraints on additional planetary companions, and inform the known distribution of multiplicity amongst exoplanet host stars.

TRACING THE EVOLUTION OF HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES USING STELLAR ABUNDANCES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crosby, Brian D.; O’Shea, Brian W. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Beers, Timothy C. [Department of Physics and JINA—Center for the Evolution of the Elements, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Tumlinson, Jason, E-mail: crosby.bd@gmail.com [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2016-03-20

This paper presents the first results from a model for chemical evolution that can be applied to N-body cosmological simulations and quantitatively compared to measured stellar abundances from large astronomical surveys. This model convolves the chemical yield sets from a range of stellar nucleosynthesis calculations (including asymptotic giant branch stars, Type Ia and II supernovae, and stellar wind models) with a user-specified stellar initial mass function (IMF) and metallicity to calculate the time-dependent chemical evolution model for a “simple stellar population” (SSP) of uniform metallicity and formation time. These SSP models are combined with a semianalytic model for galaxy formation and evolution that uses merger trees from N-body cosmological simulations to track several α- and iron-peak elements for the stellar and multiphase interstellar medium components of several thousand galaxies in the early (z ≥ 6) universe. The simulated galaxy population is then quantitatively compared to two complementary data sets of abundances in the Milky Way stellar halo and is capable of reproducing many of the observed abundance trends. The observed abundance ratio distributions are best reproduced with a Chabrier IMF, a chemically enriched star formation efficiency of 0.2, and a redshift of reionization of 7. Many abundances are qualitatively well matched by our model, but our model consistently overpredicts the carbon-enhanced fraction of stars at low metallicities, likely owing to incomplete coverage of Population III stellar yields and supernova models and the lack of dust as a component of our model.

Antisolar differential rotation with surface lithium enrichment on the single K-giant V1192 Orionis

Science.gov (United States)

Kővári, Zs.; Strassmeier, K. G.; Carroll, T. A.; Oláh, K.; Kriskovics, L.; Kővári, E.; Kovács, O.; Vida, K.; Granzer, T.; Weber, M.

2017-10-01

Context. Stars with about 1-2 solar masses at the red giant branch (RGB) represent an intriguing period of stellar evolution, I.e. when the convective envelope interacts with the fast-rotating core. During these mixing episodes freshly synthesized lithium can come up to the stellar surface along with high angular momentum material. This high angular momentum may alter the surface rotation pattern. Aims: The single rapidly rotating K-giant V1192 Ori is revisited to determine its surface differential rotation, lithium abundance, and basic stellar properties such as a precise rotation period. The aim is to independently verify the antisolar differential rotation of the star and possibly find a connection to the surface lithium abundance. Methods: We applied time-series Doppler imaging to a new multi-epoch data set. Altogether we reconstructed 11 Doppler images from spectroscopic data collected with the STELLA robotic telescope between 2007-2016. We used our inversion code iMap to reconstruct all stellar surface maps. We extracted the differential rotation from these images by tracing systematic spot migration as a function of stellar latitude from consecutive image cross-correlations. Results: The position of V1192 Ori in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram suggests that the star is in the helium core-burning phase just leaving the RGB bump. We measure A(Li)NLTE = 1.27, I.e. a value close to the anticipated transition value of 1.5 from Li-normal to Li-rich giants. Doppler images reveal extended dark areas arranged quasi-evenly along an equatorial belt. No cool polar spot is found during the investigated epoch. Spot displacements clearly suggest antisolar surface differential rotation with α = - 0.11 ± 0.02 shear coefficient. Conclusions: The surface Li enrichment and the peculiar surface rotation pattern may indicate a common origin. Based on data obtained with the STELLA robotic observatory in Tenerife, an AIP facility jointly operated by AIP and IAC.

Results from the Splash Survey: Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda's Stellar Halo

Science.gov (United States)

Guhathakurta, Puragra; SPLASH Collaboration

2009-01-01

Detailed studies of nearby galaxies provide vital clues about their formation and evolutionary history. This "fossil record" approach is complementary to direct look-back studies of distant galaxies. Our Galaxy and the Andromeda spiral galaxy (M31) have long been cornerstones in the former category. M31 provides an external perspective on a large galaxy similar to our own and yet is close enough to allow detailed studies of individual stars. In my talk, I will present results from the SPLASH collaboration: Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda's Stellar Halo. The collective data set from this large international team includes thousands of Keck/DEIMOS spectra of individual red giant branch stars, ground-based deep wide-field imaging and photometry with KPNO/Mosaic, CFHT/MegaCam, and Subaru/Suprime-Cam, and ultra-deep pencil-beam probes with HST/ACS imaging reaching below the main-sequence turnoff. Our recent discovery of an extended stellar halo in M31 (R > 150 kpc) shows that most previous studies of its spheroid have been sampling its inner bulge-like spheroidal component, not its halo. In my talk I will touch upon several related topics related to the general theme of hierarchical galaxy formation including: M31's global structure and subcomponents (halo, bulge/central bar, and disk), stellar dynamics, statistical properties of substructure, detailed chemical abundance measurements, detailed forensic reconstruction of recent collision events, dwarf satellites as tracers and building blocks of larger galaxies, and empirical constraints on the tangential motion of the M31 system. I will also discuss recent results on the chemical abundance of the lowest luminosity Galactic satellites (recently discovered by SDSS) and implications for the formation of the Milky Way halo. This research was supported by funds from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics.

Microlensing and the physics of stellar atmospheres

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sackett, PD; Menzies, JW; Sackett, PD

2001-01-01

The simple physics of microlensing provides a well understood tool with which to probe the atmospheres of distant stars in the Galaxy and Local Group with high magnification and resolution. Recent results in measuring stellar surface structure through broad band photometry and spectroscopy of high

Mass loss of stars on the asymptotic giant branch. Mechanisms, models and measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Höfner, Susanne; Olofsson, Hans

2018-01-01

As low- and intermediate-mass stars reach the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), they have developed into intriguing and complex objects that are major players in the cosmic gas/dust cycle. At this stage, their appearance and evolution are strongly affected by a range of dynamical processes. Large-scale convective flows bring newly-formed chemical elements to the stellar surface and, together with pulsations, they trigger shock waves in the extended stellar atmosphere. There, massive outflows of gas and dust have their origin, which enrich the interstellar medium and, eventually, lead to a transformation of the cool luminous giants into white dwarfs. Dust grains forming in the upper atmospheric layers play a critical role in the wind acceleration process, by scattering and absorbing stellar photons and transferring their outward-directed momentum to the surrounding gas through collisions. Recent progress in high-angular-resolution instrumentation, from the visual to the radio regime, is leading to valuable new insights into the complex dynamical atmospheres of AGB stars and their wind-forming regions. Observations are revealing asymmetries and inhomogeneities in the photospheric and dust-forming layers which vary on time-scales of months, as well as more long-lived large-scale structures in the circumstellar envelopes. High-angular-resolution observations indicate at what distances from the stars dust condensation occurs, and they give information on the chemical composition and sizes of dust grains in the close vicinity of cool giants. These are essential constraints for building realistic models of wind acceleration and developing a predictive theory of mass loss for AGB stars, which is a crucial ingredient of stellar and galactic chemical evolution models. At present, it is still not fully possible to model all these phenomena from first principles, and to predict the mass-loss rate based on fundamental stellar parameters only. However, much progress has been made

Thermal escape from extrasolar giant planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Koskinen, Tommi T; Lavvas, Panayotis; Harris, Matthew J; Yelle, Roger V

2014-04-28

The detection of hot atomic hydrogen and heavy atoms and ions at high altitudes around close-in extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) such as HD209458b implies that these planets have hot and rapidly escaping atmospheres that extend to several planetary radii. These characteristics, however, cannot be generalized to all close-in EGPs. The thermal escape mechanism and mass loss rate from EGPs depend on a complex interplay between photochemistry and radiative transfer driven by the stellar UV radiation. In this study, we explore how these processes change under different levels of irradiation on giant planets with different characteristics. We confirm that there are two distinct regimes of thermal escape from EGPs, and that the transition between these regimes is relatively sharp. Our results have implications for thermal mass loss rates from different EGPs that we discuss in the context of currently known planets and the detectability of their upper atmospheres.

Stellar photospheric abundances as a probe of discs and planets

Science.gov (United States)

Jermyn, Adam S.; Kama, Mihkel

2018-06-01

Protoplanetary discs, debris discs, and disrupted or evaporating planets can all feed accretion on to stars. The photospheric abundances of such stars may then reveal the composition of the accreted material. This is especially likely in B to mid-F type stars, which have radiative envelopes and hence less bulk-photosphere mixing. We present a theoretical framework (CAM), considering diffusion, rotation, and other stellar mixing mechanisms to describe how the accreted material interacts with the bulk of the star. This allows the abundance pattern of the circumstellar material to be calculated from measured stellar abundances and parameters (vrot, Teff). We discuss the λ Boötis phenomenon and the application of CAM on stars hosting protoplanetary discs (HD 100546, HD 163296), debris discs (HD 141569, HD 21997), and evaporating planets (HD 195689/KELT-9).

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

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

Tests of two convection theories for red giant and red supergiant envelopes

Science.gov (United States)

Stothers, Richard B.; Chin, Chao-Wen

1995-01-01

Two theories of stellar envelope convection are considered here in the context of red giants and red supergiants of intermediate to high mass: Boehm-Vitense's standard mixing-length theory (MLT) and Canuto & Mazzitelli's new theory incorporating the full spectrum of turbulence (FST). Both theories assume incompressible convection. Two formulations of the convective mixing length are also evaluated: l proportional to the local pressure scale height (H(sub P)) and l proportional to the distance from the upper boundary of the convection zone (z). Applications to test both theories are made by calculating stellar evolutionary sequences into the red zone (z). Applications to test both theories are made by calculating stellar evolutionary sequences into the red phase of core helium burning. Since the theoretically predicted effective temperatures for cool stars are known to be sensitive to the assigned value of the mixing length, this quantity has been individually calibrated for each evolutionary sequence. The calibration is done in a composite Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for the red giant and red supergiant members of well-observed Galactic open clusters. The MLT model requires the constant of proportionality for the convective mixing length to vary by a small but statistically significant amount with stellar mass, whereas the FST model succeeds in all cases with the mixing lenghth simply set equal to z. The structure of the deep stellar interior, however, remains very nearly unaffected by the choices of convection theory and mixing lenghth. Inside the convective envelope itself, a density inversion always occurs, but is somewhat smaller for the convectively more efficient MLT model. On physical grounds the FST model is preferable, and seems to alleviate the problem of finding the proper mixing length.

Stellar Wakes from Dark Matter Subhalos.

Science.gov (United States)

Buschmann, Malte; Kopp, Joachim; Safdi, Benjamin R; Wu, Chih-Liang

2018-05-25

We propose a novel method utilizing stellar kinematic data to detect low-mass substructure in the Milky Way's dark matter halo. By probing characteristic wakes that a passing dark matter subhalo leaves in the phase-space distribution of ambient halo stars, we estimate sensitivities down to subhalo masses of ∼10^{7}  M_{⊙} or below. The detection of such subhalos would have implications for dark matter and cosmological models that predict modifications to the halo-mass function at low halo masses. We develop an analytic formalism for describing the perturbed stellar phase-space distributions, and we demonstrate through idealized simulations the ability to detect subhalos using the phase-space model and a likelihood framework. Our method complements existing methods for low-mass subhalo searches, such as searches for gaps in stellar streams, in that we can localize the positions and velocities of the subhalos today.

Stellar Wakes from Dark Matter Subhalos

Science.gov (United States)

Buschmann, Malte; Kopp, Joachim; Safdi, Benjamin R.; Wu, Chih-Liang

2018-05-01

We propose a novel method utilizing stellar kinematic data to detect low-mass substructure in the Milky Way's dark matter halo. By probing characteristic wakes that a passing dark matter subhalo leaves in the phase-space distribution of ambient halo stars, we estimate sensitivities down to subhalo masses of ˜107 M⊙ or below. The detection of such subhalos would have implications for dark matter and cosmological models that predict modifications to the halo-mass function at low halo masses. We develop an analytic formalism for describing the perturbed stellar phase-space distributions, and we demonstrate through idealized simulations the ability to detect subhalos using the phase-space model and a likelihood framework. Our method complements existing methods for low-mass subhalo searches, such as searches for gaps in stellar streams, in that we can localize the positions and velocities of the subhalos today.

OGLE-ing the Magellanic system: stellar populations in the Magellanic Bridge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skowron, D. M.; Jacyszyn, A. M.; Udalski, A.; Szymański, M. K.; Skowron, J.; Poleski, R.; Kozłowski, S.; Kubiak, M.; Pietrzyński, G.; Soszyński, I.; Mróz, P.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Ulaczyk, K.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.

2014-01-01

We report the discovery of a young stellar bridge that forms a continuous connection between the Magellanic Clouds. This finding is based on number density maps for stellar populations found in data gathered by OGLE-IV that fully cover over 270 deg 2 of the sky in the Magellanic Bridge area. This is the most extensive optical survey of this region to date. We find that the young population is present mainly in the western half of the MBR, which, together with the newly discovered young population in the eastern Bridge, form a continuous stream of stars connecting both galaxies along δ ∼ –73.5 deg. The young population distribution is clumped, with one of the major densities close to the SMC and the other fairly isolated and located approximately mid-way between the Clouds, which we call the OGLE island. These overdensities are well matched by H I surface density contours, although the newly found young population in the eastern Bridge is offset by ∼2 deg north from the highest H I density contour. We observe a continuity of red clump stars between the Magellanic Clouds which represent an intermediate-age population. Red clump stars are present mainly in the southern and central parts of the Magellanic Bridge, below its gaseous part, and their presence is reflected by a strong deviation from the radial density profiles of the two galaxies. This may indicate either a tidal stream of stars, or that the stellar halos of the two galaxies overlap. On the other hand, we do not observe such an overlap within an intermediate-age population represented by the top of the red giant branch and the asymptotic giant branch stars. We also see only minor mixing of the old populations of the Clouds in the southern part of the Bridge, represented by the lowest part of the red giant branch.

OGLE-ing the Magellanic system: stellar populations in the Magellanic Bridge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skowron, D. M.; Jacyszyn, A. M.; Udalski, A.; Szymański, M. K.; Skowron, J.; Poleski, R.; Kozłowski, S.; Kubiak, M.; Pietrzyński, G.; Soszyński, I.; Mróz, P.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Ulaczyk, K.; Wyrzykowski, Ł., E-mail: dszczyg@astrouw.edu.pl [Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory, Aleje Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa (Poland)

2014-11-10

We report the discovery of a young stellar bridge that forms a continuous connection between the Magellanic Clouds. This finding is based on number density maps for stellar populations found in data gathered by OGLE-IV that fully cover over 270 deg{sup 2} of the sky in the Magellanic Bridge area. This is the most extensive optical survey of this region to date. We find that the young population is present mainly in the western half of the MBR, which, together with the newly discovered young population in the eastern Bridge, form a continuous stream of stars connecting both galaxies along δ ∼ –73.5 deg. The young population distribution is clumped, with one of the major densities close to the SMC and the other fairly isolated and located approximately mid-way between the Clouds, which we call the OGLE island. These overdensities are well matched by H I surface density contours, although the newly found young population in the eastern Bridge is offset by ∼2 deg north from the highest H I density contour. We observe a continuity of red clump stars between the Magellanic Clouds which represent an intermediate-age population. Red clump stars are present mainly in the southern and central parts of the Magellanic Bridge, below its gaseous part, and their presence is reflected by a strong deviation from the radial density profiles of the two galaxies. This may indicate either a tidal stream of stars, or that the stellar halos of the two galaxies overlap. On the other hand, we do not observe such an overlap within an intermediate-age population represented by the top of the red giant branch and the asymptotic giant branch stars. We also see only minor mixing of the old populations of the Clouds in the southern part of the Bridge, represented by the lowest part of the red giant branch.

The Stellar Initial Mass Function in Early-type Galaxies from Absorption Line Spectroscopy. I. Data and Empirical Trends

Science.gov (United States)

van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Conroy, Charlie

2012-11-01

The strength of gravity-sensitive absorption lines in the integrated light of old stellar populations is one of the few direct probes of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) outside of the Milky Way. Owing to the advent of fully depleted CCDs with little or no fringing it has recently become possible to obtain accurate measurements of these features. Here, we present spectra covering the wavelength ranges 0.35-0.55 μm and 0.72-1.03 μm for the bulge of M31 and 34 early-type galaxies from the SAURON sample, obtained with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on Keck. The signal-to-noise ratio is >~ 200 Å-1 out to 1 μm, which is sufficient to measure gravity-sensitive features for individual galaxies and to determine how they depend on other properties of the galaxies. Combining the new data with previously obtained spectra for globular clusters in M31 and the most massive elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster, we find that the dwarf-sensitive Na I λ8183, 8195 doublet and the FeH λ9916 Wing-Ford band increase systematically with velocity dispersion, while the giant-sensitive Ca II λ8498, 8542, 8662 triplet decreases with dispersion. These trends are consistent with a varying IMF, such that galaxies with deeper potential wells have more dwarf-enriched mass functions. In a companion paper, we use a comprehensive stellar population synthesis model to demonstrate that IMF effects can be separated from age and abundance variations and quantify the IMF variation among early-type galaxies.

THE STELLAR INITIAL MASS FUNCTION IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES FROM ABSORPTION LINE SPECTROSCOPY. I. DATA AND EMPIRICAL TRENDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Conroy, Charlie

2012-01-01

The strength of gravity-sensitive absorption lines in the integrated light of old stellar populations is one of the few direct probes of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) outside of the Milky Way. Owing to the advent of fully depleted CCDs with little or no fringing it has recently become possible to obtain accurate measurements of these features. Here, we present spectra covering the wavelength ranges 0.35-0.55 μm and 0.72-1.03 μm for the bulge of M31 and 34 early-type galaxies from the SAURON sample, obtained with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on Keck. The signal-to-noise ratio is ∼> 200 Å –1 out to 1 μm, which is sufficient to measure gravity-sensitive features for individual galaxies and to determine how they depend on other properties of the galaxies. Combining the new data with previously obtained spectra for globular clusters in M31 and the most massive elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster, we find that the dwarf-sensitive Na I λ8183, 8195 doublet and the FeH λ9916 Wing-Ford band increase systematically with velocity dispersion, while the giant-sensitive Ca II λ8498, 8542, 8662 triplet decreases with dispersion. These trends are consistent with a varying IMF, such that galaxies with deeper potential wells have more dwarf-enriched mass functions. In a companion paper, we use a comprehensive stellar population synthesis model to demonstrate that IMF effects can be separated from age and abundance variations and quantify the IMF variation among early-type galaxies.

Diagnostics Plan for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D. Johnson; T. Brown; H. Neilson; G. Schilling; H. Takahashi; M. Zarnstorff; M. Cole; E. Lazarus; and M. Fenstermacher

2002-01-01

The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) is a stellarator-tokamak hybrid seeking to combine the good confinement, high beta and moderate aspect ratio of the tokamak with the quasi-steady-state operation and good stability properties of the stellarator. A preliminary list of measurement requirements, intended to satisfy the needs of the phased research plan, provides the basis for a full complement of plasma diagnostics. It is important to consider this full set, even at this early stage, to assess the adequacy of the stellarator design for diagnostic port access. The 3-D nature of the plasma is a measurement challenge, as is the necessity for high spatial resolution to assess the quality of magnetic surfaces. Other diagnostic requirements include the need for re-entrant views that penetrate the cryostat, for a convenient e-beam probe for field line mapping, and for a diagnostic neutral beam for active spectroscopy

AXISYMMETRIC SIMULATIONS OF HOT JUPITER–STELLAR WIND HYDRODYNAMIC INTERACTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christie, Duncan; Arras, Phil; Li, Zhi-Yun

2016-01-01

Gas giant exoplanets orbiting at close distances to the parent star are subjected to large radiation and stellar wind fluxes. In this paper, hydrodynamic simulations of the planetary upper atmosphere and its interaction with the stellar wind are carried out to understand the possible flow regimes and how they affect the Lyα transmission spectrum. Following Tremblin and Chiang, charge exchange reactions are included to explore the role of energetic atoms as compared to thermal particles. In order to understand the role of the tail as compared to the leading edge of the planetary gas, the simulations were carried out under axisymmetry, and photoionization and stellar wind electron impact ionization reactions were included to limit the extent of the neutrals away from the planet. By varying the planetary gas temperature, two regimes are found. At high temperature, a supersonic planetary wind is found, which is turned around by the stellar wind and forms a tail behind the planet. At lower temperatures, the planetary wind is shut off when the stellar wind penetrates inside where the sonic point would have been. In this regime mass is lost by viscous interaction at the boundary between planetary and stellar wind gases. Absorption by cold hydrogen atoms is large near the planetary surface, and decreases away from the planet as expected. The hot hydrogen absorption is in an annulus and typically dominated by the tail, at large impact parameter, rather than by the thin leading edge of the mixing layer near the substellar point

AXISYMMETRIC SIMULATIONS OF HOT JUPITER–STELLAR WIND HYDRODYNAMIC INTERACTION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christie, Duncan; Arras, Phil; Li, Zhi-Yun [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States)

2016-03-20

Gas giant exoplanets orbiting at close distances to the parent star are subjected to large radiation and stellar wind fluxes. In this paper, hydrodynamic simulations of the planetary upper atmosphere and its interaction with the stellar wind are carried out to understand the possible flow regimes and how they affect the Lyα transmission spectrum. Following Tremblin and Chiang, charge exchange reactions are included to explore the role of energetic atoms as compared to thermal particles. In order to understand the role of the tail as compared to the leading edge of the planetary gas, the simulations were carried out under axisymmetry, and photoionization and stellar wind electron impact ionization reactions were included to limit the extent of the neutrals away from the planet. By varying the planetary gas temperature, two regimes are found. At high temperature, a supersonic planetary wind is found, which is turned around by the stellar wind and forms a tail behind the planet. At lower temperatures, the planetary wind is shut off when the stellar wind penetrates inside where the sonic point would have been. In this regime mass is lost by viscous interaction at the boundary between planetary and stellar wind gases. Absorption by cold hydrogen atoms is large near the planetary surface, and decreases away from the planet as expected. The hot hydrogen absorption is in an annulus and typically dominated by the tail, at large impact parameter, rather than by the thin leading edge of the mixing layer near the substellar point.

Kinematics and stellar populations of 17 dwarf early-type galaxies

OpenAIRE

Thomas, D.; Bender, R.; Hopp, U.; Maraston, C.; Greggio, L.

2002-01-01

We present kinematics and stellar population properties of 17 dwarf early-type galaxies in the luminosity range -14> M_B> -19. Our sample fills the gap between the intensively studied giant elliptical and Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The dwarf ellipticals of the present sample have constant velocity dispersion profiles within their effective radii and do not show significant rotation, hence are clearly anisotropic. The dwarf lenticulars, instead, rotate faster and are, at least part...

Closed and open magnetic fields in stellar winds

Science.gov (United States)

Mullan, D. J.; Steinolfson, R. S.

1983-01-01

A numerical study of the interaction between a thermal wind and a global dipole field in the sun and in a giant star is reported. In order for closed field lines to persist near the equator (where a helmet-streamer-like configuration appears), the coronal temperature must be less than a critical value Tc, which scales as M/R. This condition is found to be equivalent to the following: for a static helmet streamer to persist, the sonic point above the helmet must not approach closer to the star than 2.2-2.6 stellar radii. Implications for rapid mass loss and X-ray emission from cool giants are pointed out. The results strengthen the case for identifying empirical dividing lines in the H-R diagram with a magnetic topology transition locus (MTTL). Support for the MTTL concept is also provided by considerations of the breakdown of magnetostatic equilibrium.

A STAR IN THE M31 GIANT STREAM: THE HIGHEST NEGATIVE STELLAR VELOCITY KNOWN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldwell, Nelson; Kenyon, Scott J.; Morrison, Heather; Harding, Paul; Schiavon, Ricardo; Rose, James A.

2010-01-01

We report on a single star, B030D, observed as part of a large survey of objects in M31, which has the unusual radial velocity of -780 km s -1 . Based on details of its spectrum, we find that the star is an F supergiant, with a circumstellar shell. The evolutionary status of the star could be one of a post-main-sequence close binary, a symbiotic nova, or less likely, a post-asymptotic giant branch star, which additional observations could help sort out. Membership of the star in the Andromeda Giant Stream can explain its highly negative velocity.

Models of red giants in the CoRoT asteroseismology fields combining asteroseismic and spectroscopic constraints - The open cluster NGC 6633 and field stars-

Science.gov (United States)

Lagarde, Nadège; Miglio, Andrea; Eggenberger, Patrick; Morel, Thierry; Montalbàn, Josefina; Mosser, Benoit

2015-08-01

The availability of asteroseismic constraints for a large sample of red giant stars from the CoRoT and Kepler missions paves the way for various statistical studies of the seismic properties of stellar populations.We use the first detailed spectroscopic study of CoRoT red-giant stars (Morel et al 2014) to compare theoretical stellar evolution models to observations of the open cluster NGC 6633 and field stars.In order to explore the effects of rotation-induced mixing and thermohaline instability, we compare surface abundances of carbon isotopic ratio and lithium with stellar evolution predictions. These chemicals are sensitive to extra-mixing on the red-giant branch.We estimate mass, radius, and distance for each star using the seismic constraints. We note that the Hipparcos and seismic distances are different. However, the uncertainties are such that this may not be significant. Although the seismic distances for the cluster members are self consistent they are somewhat larger than the Hipparcos distance. This is an issue that should be considered elsewhere. Models including thermohaline instability and rotation-induced mixing, together with the seismically determined masses can explain the chemical properties of red-giants targets. Tighter constraints on the physics of the models would be possible if there were detailed knowledge of the core rotation rate and the asymptotic period spacing.

Radio continuum emission from winds, chromospheres, and coronae of cool giants and supergiants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drake, S.A.; Linsky, J.L.

1986-01-01

In this paper we present the results of a sensitive VLA radio continuum survey at 6 cm of 39 of the nearest, single cool giants and supergiants with spectral types in the range G0--M5. We discuss our findings in the context of the various mechanisms that might be producing radio emission in these cool stars. We have definitely detected four K and M giants (α 1 Her, α Boo, rho Per, and μ Gem) and probably detected a fifth ( β UMi) at flux levels of 0.1--1.0 mJy. We believe that in all five of these cases the radio emission is thermal emission from cool stellar winds. We have made additional 2 cm observations of several stars, including the four stars definitely detected at 6 cm. We have derived spectral indices for α Boo, α 1 Her, and rho Per of 0.80, 0.84, and 0.95, respectively, that are close to the 0.6 value predicted by standard stellar wind models in the optically thick regime. An additional cool giant (α Tau) was detected only at 2 cm, implying a spectral index of > or =0.87. None of the coronal or hybrid-chromosphere giants observed were detected in this study, with the exception of α Aur, a 0.2 mJy radio source at 6 cm, which is in fact a widely separated, long-period (P/sub orb/approx.104/sup d/) RS CVn system containing two cool giant stars. In this case, we believe that the 6 cm radio emission is optically thin, thermal emission from the corona(e) of one or both of the components, since the radio-emission measure is consistent with that of the observed x-ray emission

The Stellar Imager (SI) Mission Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Kenneth G.; Schrijver, Carolus J.; Lyon, Richard G.; Mundy, Lee G.; Allen, Ronald J.; Armstrong, Thomas; Danchi, William C.; Karovska, Margarita; Marzouk, Joe; Mazzuca, Lisa M.;

Fast core rotation in red-giant stars as revealed by gravity-dominated mixed modes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beck, P.G.; Montalban, J.; Kallinger, T.; De Ridder, J.; Aerts, C.; García, R.A.; Hekker, S.; Dupret, M.-A.; Mosser, B.; Eggenberger, P.; Stello, D.; Elsworth, Y.; Frandsen, S.; Carrier, F.; Hillen, M.; Gruberbauer, M.; Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Miglio, A.; Valentini, M.; Bedding, T.R.; Kjeldsen, H.; Girouard, F.R.; Hall, J.R.; Ibrahim, K.A.

2012-01-01

When the core hydrogen is exhausted during stellar evolution, the central region of a star contracts and the outer envelope expands and cools, giving rise to a red giant. Convection takes place over much of the star's radius. Conservation of angular momentum requires that the cores of these stars

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/.

Amplitudes of solar-like oscillations: Constraints from red giants in open clusters observed by Kepler

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stello, Dennis; Huber, Daniel; Kallinger, Thomas

2011-01-01

implies that the stellar parameters can be measured to much higher precision than what is usually achievable for single stars. This makes clusters ideal for exploring the relation between the mode amplitude of solar-like oscillations and the global stellar properties. We have analyzed data obtained......Scaling relations that link asteroseismic quantities to global stellar properties are important for gaining understanding of the intricate physics that underpins stellar pulsations. The common notion that all stars in an open cluster have essentially the same distance, age, and initial composition...... with NASA's Kepler space telescope to study solar-like oscillations in 100 red giant stars located in either of the three open clusters, NGC 6791, NGC 6819, and NGC 6811. By fitting the measured amplitudes to predictions from simple scaling relations that depend on luminosity, mass, and effective...

INTERNAL ROTATION OF THE RED-GIANT STAR KIC 4448777 BY MEANS OF ASTEROSEISMIC INVERSION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Di Mauro, M. P.; Cardini, D. [INAF, IAPS Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Roma (Italy); Ventura, R.; Paternò, L. [INAF, Astrophysical Observatory of Catania, Catania (Italy); Stello, D. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney (Australia); Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Hekker, S. [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Dziembowski, W. A. [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warsaw (Poland); Beck, P. G.; De Smedt, K.; Tkachenko, A. [Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium); Bloemen, S. [Department of Astrophysics, IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, NL-6500 GL, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Davies, G. R.; Garcia, R. A. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Univ. Paris Diderot, IRFU/Sap, Centre de Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Elsworth, Y. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham (United Kingdom); Mosser, B. [LESIA, PSL Research University, CNRS, Universitè Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Denis Diderot, Observatoire de Paris, Meudon Cedex (France)

2016-01-20

We study the dynamics of the stellar interior of the early red-giant star KIC 4448777 by asteroseismic inversion of 14 splittings of the dipole mixed modes obtained from Kepler observations. In order to overcome the complexity of the oscillation pattern typical of red-giant stars, we present a procedure to extract the rotational splittings from the power spectrum. We find not only that the core rotates from a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 17 times faster than the surface, confirming previous inversion results generated for other red giants (Deheuvels et al.), but we also estimate the variation of the angular velocity within the helium core with a spatial resolution of 0.001R and verify the hypothesis of a sharp discontinuity in the inner stellar rotation. The results show that the entire core rotates rigidly and provide evidence for an angular velocity gradient around the base of the hydrogen-burning shell; however, we do not succeed in characterizing the rotational slope, due to the intrinsic limits of the applied techniques. The angular velocity, from the edge of the core, appears to decrease with increasing distance from the center, reaching an average value in the convective envelope of 68 ± 22 nHz. We conclude that a set of data that includes only dipolar modes is sufficient to infer quite accurately the rotation of a red giant not only in the dense core but also, with a lower level of confidence, in part of the radiative region and in the convective envelope.

The magnetic fields at the surface of active single G-K giants

Science.gov (United States)

Aurière, M.; Konstantinova-Antova, R.; Charbonnel, C.; Wade, G. A.; Tsvetkova, S.; Petit, P.; Dintrans, B.; Drake, N. A.; Decressin, T.; Lagarde, N.; Donati, J.-F.; Roudier, T.; Lignières, F.; Schröder, K.-P.; Landstreet, J. D.; Lèbre, A.; Weiss, W. W.; Zahn, J.-P.

2015-02-01

Aims: We investigate the magnetic field at the surface of 48 red giants selected as promising for detection of Stokes V Zeeman signatures in their spectral lines. In our sample, 24 stars are identified from the literature as presenting moderate to strong signs of magnetic activity. An additional 7 stars are identified as those in which thermohaline mixing appears not to have occured, which could be due to hosting a strong magnetic field. Finally, we observed 17 additional very bright stars which enable a sensitive search to be performed with the spectropolarimetric technique. Methods: We use the spectropolarimeters Narval and ESPaDOnS to detect circular polarization within the photospheric absorption lines of our targets. We treat the spectropolarimetric data using the least-squares deconvolution method to create high signal-to-noise ratio mean Stokes V profiles. We also measure the classical S-index activity indicator for the Ca ii H&K lines, and the stellar radial velocity. To infer the evolutionary status of our giants and to interpret our results, we use state-of-the-art stellar evolutionary models with predictions of convective turnover times. Results: We unambiguously detect magnetic fields via Zeeman signatures in 29 of the 48 red giants in our sample. Zeeman signatures are found in all but one of the 24 red giants exhibiting signs of activity, as well as 6 out of 17 bright giant stars. However no detections were obtained in the 7 thermohaline deviant giants. The majority of the magnetically detected giants are either in the first dredge up phase or at the beginning of core He burning, i.e. phases when the convective turnover time is at a maximum: this corresponds to a "magnetic strip" for red giants in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. A close study of the 16 giants with known rotational periods shows that the measured magnetic field strength is tightly correlated with the rotational properties, namely to the rotational period and to the Rossby number Ro

Isotopic dependence of the giant quadrupole resonance in the stable even-mass molybdenum nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moalem, A.; Gaillard, Y.; Bemolle, A.M.; Buenerd, M.; Chauvin, J.; Duhamel, G.; Lebrun, D.; Martin, P.; Perrin, G.; de Saintignon, P.

1979-01-01

Inelastic scattering of 110 MeV 3 He particles is used to probe the quadrupole strength in the even Mo isotopes. The peak position of the giant quadrupole resonance is found to decrease more rapidly than predicted by the A/sup -1/3/ law, a behavior very similar to that exhibited by the photonuclear giant dipole resonance. The width and strength of the giant quadrupole resonance are practically constant in 92 Mo through 100 Mo

Stable numerical method in computation of stellar evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, Daiichiro; Eriguchi, Yoshiharu; Nomoto, Ken-ichi.

1982-01-01

To compute the stellar structure and evolution in different stages, such as (1) red-giant stars in which the density and density gradient change over quite wide ranges, (2) rapid evolution with neutrino loss or unstable nuclear flashes, (3) hydrodynamical stages of star formation or supernova explosion, (4) transition phases from quasi-static to dynamical evolutions, (5) mass-accreting or losing stars in binary-star systems, and (6) evolution of stellar core whose mass is increasing by shell burning or decreasing by penetration of convective envelope into the core, we face ''multi-timescale problems'' which can neither be treated by simple-minded explicit scheme nor implicit one. This problem has been resolved by three prescriptions; one by introducing the hybrid scheme suitable for the multi-timescale problems of quasi-static evolution with heat transport, another by introducing also the hybrid scheme suitable for the multi-timescale problems of hydrodynamic evolution, and the other by introducing the Eulerian or, in other words, the mass fraction coordinate for evolution with changing mass. When all of them are combined in a single computer code, we can compute numerically stably any phase of stellar evolution including transition phases, as far as the star is spherically symmetric. (author)

Peak Bagging of red giant stars observed by Kepler: first results with a new method based on Bayesian nested sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Corsaro, Enrico; De Ridder, Joris

2015-09-01

The peak bagging analysis, namely the fitting and identification of single oscillation modes in stars' power spectra, coupled to the very high-quality light curves of red giant stars observed by Kepler, can play a crucial role for studying stellar oscillations of different flavor with an unprecedented level of detail. A thorough study of stellar oscillations would thus allow for deeper testing of stellar structure models and new insights in stellar evolution theory. However, peak bagging inferences are in general very challenging problems due to the large number of observed oscillation modes, hence of free parameters that can be involved in the fitting models. Efficiency and robustness in performing the analysis is what may be needed to proceed further. For this purpose, we developed a new code implementing the Nested Sampling Monte Carlo (NSMC) algorithm, a powerful statistical method well suited for Bayesian analyses of complex problems. In this talk we show the peak bagging of a sample of high signal-to-noise red giant stars by exploiting recent Kepler datasets and a new criterion for the detection of an oscillation mode based on the computation of the Bayesian evidence. Preliminary results for frequencies and lifetimes for single oscillation modes, together with acoustic glitches, are therefore presented.

Peak Bagging of red giant stars observed by Kepler: first results with a new method based on Bayesian nested sampling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corsaro Enrico

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The peak bagging analysis, namely the fitting and identification of single oscillation modes in stars’ power spectra, coupled to the very high-quality light curves of red giant stars observed by Kepler, can play a crucial role for studying stellar oscillations of different flavor with an unprecedented level of detail. A thorough study of stellar oscillations would thus allow for deeper testing of stellar structure models and new insights in stellar evolution theory. However, peak bagging inferences are in general very challenging problems due to the large number of observed oscillation modes, hence of free parameters that can be involved in the fitting models. Efficiency and robustness in performing the analysis is what may be needed to proceed further. For this purpose, we developed a new code implementing the Nested Sampling Monte Carlo (NSMC algorithm, a powerful statistical method well suited for Bayesian analyses of complex problems. In this talk we show the peak bagging of a sample of high signal-to-noise red giant stars by exploiting recent Kepler datasets and a new criterion for the detection of an oscillation mode based on the computation of the Bayesian evidence. Preliminary results for frequencies and lifetimes for single oscillation modes, together with acoustic glitches, are therefore presented.

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.

Probing reaction dynamics with GDR decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beene, J.R.

1994-01-01

The giant dipole resonance (GDR) has been a prolific source of information on the physics of the nucleus. Mostly it has taught us about nuclear structure, but recently experiments have utilized the GDR as a probe of nuclear reaction dynamics. In this report two examples of such investigations are discussed involving very different reactions and probing time scales that differ by a factor of ∼10 3

The Correlation between Mixing Length and Metallicity on the Giant Branch: Implications for Ages in the Gaia Era

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tayar, Jamie; Somers, Garrett; Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Johnson, Jennifer A.; Stello, Dennis; Mints, Alexey; Zamora, O.; García-Hernández, D. A.; Prieto, Carlos Allende; Maraston, Claudia; Serenelli, Aldo; Bastien, Fabienne A.; Basu, Sarbani; Bird, J. C.; Cohen, R. E.; Cunha, Katia; Elsworth, Yvonne; García, Rafael A.

2017-01-01

In the updated APOGEE- Kepler catalog, we have asteroseismic and spectroscopic data for over 3000 first ascent red giants. Given the size and accuracy of this sample, these data offer an unprecedented test of the accuracy of stellar models on the post-main-sequence. When we compare these data to theoretical predictions, we find a metallicity dependent temperature offset with a slope of around 100 K per dex in metallicity. We find that this effect is present in all model grids tested, and that theoretical uncertainties in the models, correlated spectroscopic errors, and shifts in the asteroseismic mass scale are insufficient to explain this effect. Stellar models can be brought into agreement with the data if a metallicity-dependent convective mixing length is used, with Δ α ML,YREC ∼ 0.2 per dex in metallicity, a trend inconsistent with the predictions of three-dimensional stellar convection simulations. If this effect is not taken into account, isochrone ages for red giants from the Gaia data will be off by as much as a factor of two even at modest deviations from solar metallicity ([Fe/H] = −0.5).

The Correlation between Mixing Length and Metallicity on the Giant Branch: Implications for Ages in the Gaia Era

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tayar, Jamie; Somers, Garrett; Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Johnson, Jennifer A. [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, OH 43210 (United States); Stello, Dennis [Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Mints, Alexey [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Zamora, O.; García-Hernández, D. A.; Prieto, Carlos Allende [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Vía Lactea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Maraston, Claudia [ICG—University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, PO1 3FX, Portsmouth (United Kingdom); Serenelli, Aldo [Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC), Carrer de Can Magrans, Barcelona, E-08193 (Spain); Bastien, Fabienne A. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16803 (United States); Basu, Sarbani [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Bird, J. C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, 6301 Stevenson Circle, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Cohen, R. E. [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Cunha, Katia [Observatório Nacional-MCTI (Brazil); Elsworth, Yvonne [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); García, Rafael A. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DRF-CNRS, Université Paris 7 Diderot, IRFU/SAp, Centre de Saclay, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); and others

2017-05-01

In the updated APOGEE- Kepler catalog, we have asteroseismic and spectroscopic data for over 3000 first ascent red giants. Given the size and accuracy of this sample, these data offer an unprecedented test of the accuracy of stellar models on the post-main-sequence. When we compare these data to theoretical predictions, we find a metallicity dependent temperature offset with a slope of around 100 K per dex in metallicity. We find that this effect is present in all model grids tested, and that theoretical uncertainties in the models, correlated spectroscopic errors, and shifts in the asteroseismic mass scale are insufficient to explain this effect. Stellar models can be brought into agreement with the data if a metallicity-dependent convective mixing length is used, with Δ α {sub ML,YREC} ∼ 0.2 per dex in metallicity, a trend inconsistent with the predictions of three-dimensional stellar convection simulations. If this effect is not taken into account, isochrone ages for red giants from the Gaia data will be off by as much as a factor of two even at modest deviations from solar metallicity ([Fe/H] = −0.5).

THE FIRST FLUORINE ABUNDANCE DETERMINATIONS IN EXTRAGALACTIC ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH CARBON STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abia, C.; Cristallo, S.; Dominguez, I.; Cunha, K.; Smith, V. V.; De Laverny, P.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Straniero, O.

2011-01-01

Fluorine ( 19 F) abundances (or upper limits) are derived in six extragalactic asymptotic giant branch (AGB) carbon stars from the HF(1-0) R9 line at 2.3358 μm in high-resolution spectra. The stars belong to the Local Group galaxies, Large Magellanic Cloud, Small Magellanic Cloud, and Carina dwarf spheroidal, spanning more than a factor of 50 in metallicity. This is the first study to probe the behavior of F with metallicity in intrinsic extragalactic C-rich AGB stars. Fluorine could be measured only in four of the target stars, showing a wide range in F enhancements. Our F abundance measurements together with those recently derived in Galactic AGB carbon stars show a correlation with the observed carbon and s-element enhancements. The observed correlations, however, display a different dependence on the stellar metallicity with respect to theoretical predictions in low-mass, low-metallicity AGB models. We briefly discuss the possible reasons for this discrepancy. If our findings are confirmed in a larger number of metal-poor AGBs, the issue of F production in AGB stars will need to be revisited.

Towards realistic modelling of spectral line formation - lessons learnt from red giants

Science.gov (United States)

Lind, Karin

2015-08-01

Many decades of quantitative spectroscopic studies of red giants have revealed much about the formation histories and interlinks between the main components of the Galaxy and its satellites. Telescopes and instrumentation are now able to deliver high-resolution data of superb quality for large stellar samples and Galactic archaeology has entered a new era. At the same time, we have learnt how simplifying physical assumptions in the modelling of spectroscopic data can bias the interpretations, in particular one-dimensional homogeneity and local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). I will present lessons learnt so far from non-LTE spectral line formation in 3D radiation-hydrodynamic atmospheres of red giants, the smaller siblings of red supergiants.

THE FORMATION MECHANISM OF GAS GIANTS ON WIDE ORBITS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.; Veras, Dimitri; Ford, Eric B.; Beichman, C. A.

2009-01-01

The recent discoveries of massive planets on ultra-wide orbits of HR 8799 and Fomalhaut present a new challenge for planet formation theorists. Our goal is to figure out which of three giant planet formation mechanisms-core accretion (with or without migration), scattering from the inner disk, or gravitational instability-could be responsible for Fomalhaut b, HR 8799 b, c and d, and similar planets discovered in the future. This paper presents the results of numerical experiments comparing the long-period planet formation efficiency of each possible mechanism in model A star, G star, and M star disks. First, a simple core accretion simulation shows that planet cores forming beyond 35 AU cannot reach critical mass, even under the most favorable conditions one can construct. Second, a set of N-body simulations demonstrates that planet-planet scattering does not create stable, wide-orbit systems such as HR 8799. Finally, a linear stability analysis verifies previous work showing that global spiral instabilities naturally arise in high-mass disks. We conclude that massive gas giants on stable orbits with semimajor axes a ∼> 35 AU form by gravitational instability in the disk. We recommend that observers examine the planet detection rate as a function of stellar age, controlling for the planets' dimming with time. Any age trend would indicate that planets on wide orbits are transient relics of scattering from the inner disk. If planet detection rate is found to be independent of stellar age, it would confirm our prediction that gravitational instability is the dominant mode of producing detectable planets on wide orbits. We also predict that the occurrence ratio of long-period to short-period gas giants should be highest for M dwarfs due to the inefficiency of core accretion and the expected small fragment mass (∼10 M Jup ) in their disks.

SUBSTELLAR-MASS COMPANIONS TO THE K-GIANTS HD 240237, BD +48 738, AND HD 96127

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gettel, S.; Wolszczan, A.; Niedzielski, A.; Nowak, G.; Adamów, M.; Zieliński, P.; Maciejewski, G.

2012-01-01

We present the discovery of substellar-mass companions to three giant stars by the ongoing Penn State-Toruń Planet Search conducted with the 9.2 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The most massive of the three stars, K2-giant HD 240237, has a 5.3 M J minimum mass companion orbiting the star at a 746 day period. The K0-giant BD +48 738 is orbited by a ≥0.91 M J planet which has a period of 393 days and shows a nonlinear, long-term radial velocity (RV) trend that indicates a presence of another, more distant companion, which may have a substellar mass or be a low-mass star. The K2-giant HD 96127 has a ≥4.0 M J mass companion in a 647 day orbit around the star. The two K2-giants exhibit a significant RV noise that complicates the detection of low-amplitude, periodic variations in the data. If the noise component of the observed RV variations is due to solar-type oscillations, we show, using all the published data for the substellar companions to giants, that its amplitude is anti-correlated with stellar metallicity.

THE INTRIGUING STELLAR POPULATIONS IN THE GLOBULAR CLUSTERS NGC 6388 AND NGC 6441

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellini, A.; Anderson, J.; Piotto, G.; Nardiello, D.; Milone, A. P.; King, I. R.; Renzini, A.; Bedin, L. R.; Cassisi, S.; Pietrinferni, A.; Sarajedini, A.

2013-01-01

NGC 6388 and NGC 6441 are two massive Galactic bulge globular clusters that share many properties, including the presence of an extended horizontal branch (HB), quite unexpected because of their high metal content. In this paper we use Hubble Space Telescope's WFPC2, ACS, and WFC3 images and present a broad multicolor study of their stellar content, covering all main evolutionary branches. The color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) give compelling evidence that both clusters host at least two stellar populations, which manifest themselves in different ways. NGC 6388 has a broadened main sequence (MS), a split sub-giant branch (SGB), and a split red giant branch (RGB) that becomes evident above the HB in our data set; its red HB is also split into two branches. NGC 6441 has a split MS, but only an indication of two SGB populations, while the RGB clearly splits in two from the SGB level upward, and no red HB structure. The multicolor analysis of the CMDs confirms that the He difference between the two main stellar populations in the two clusters must be similar. This is observationally supported by the HB morphology, but also confirmed by the color distribution of the stars in the MS optical band CMDs. However, a MS split becomes evident in NGC 6441 using UV colors, but not in NGC 6388, indicating that the chemical patterns of the different populations are different in the two clusters, with C, N, and O abundance differences likely playing a major role. We also analyze the radial distribution of the two populations.

Nebular Continuum and Line Emission in Stellar Population Synthesis Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byler, Nell; Dalcanton, Julianne J. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Conroy, Charlie; Johnson, Benjamin D., E-mail: ebyler@astro.washington.edu [Department of Astronomy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-05-01

Accounting for nebular emission when modeling galaxy spectral energy distributions (SEDs) is important, as both line and continuum emissions can contribute significantly to the total observed flux. In this work, we present a new nebular emission model integrated within the Flexible Stellar Population Synthesis code that computes the line and continuum emission for complex stellar populations using the photoionization code Cloudy. The self-consistent coupling of the nebular emission to the matched ionizing spectrum produces emission line intensities that correctly scale with the stellar population as a function of age and metallicity. This more complete model of galaxy SEDs will improve estimates of global gas properties derived with diagnostic diagrams, star formation rates based on H α , and physical properties derived from broadband photometry. Our models agree well with results from other photoionization models and are able to reproduce observed emission from H ii regions and star-forming galaxies. Our models show improved agreement with the observed H ii regions in the Ne iii/O ii plane and show satisfactory agreement with He ii emission from z = 2 galaxies, when including rotating stellar models. Models including post-asymptotic giant branch stars are able to reproduce line ratios consistent with low-ionization emission regions. The models are integrated into current versions of FSPS and include self-consistent nebular emission predictions for MIST and Padova+Geneva evolutionary tracks.

Chromosphere of K giant stars. Geometrical extent and spatial structure detection

Science.gov (United States)

Berio, P.; Merle, T.; Thévenin, F.; Bonneau, D.; Mourard, D.; Chesneau, O.; Delaa, O.; Ligi, R.; Nardetto, N.; Perraut, K.; Pichon, B.; Stee, P.; Tallon-Bosc, I.; Clausse, J. M.; Spang, A.; McAlister, H.; ten Brummelaar, T.; Sturmann, J.; Sturmann, L.; Turner, N.; Farrington, C.; Goldfinger, P. J.

2011-11-01

Context. Interferometers provide accurate diameter measurements of stars by analyzing both the continuum and the lines formed in photospheres and chromospheres. Tests of the geometrical extent of the chromospheres are therefore possible by comparing the estimated radius in the continuum of the photosphere and the estimated radii in chromospheric lines. Aims: We aim to constrain the geometrical extent of the chromosphere of non-binary K giant stars and detect any spatial structures in the chromosphere. Methods: We performed observations with the CHARA interferometer and the VEGA beam combiner at optical wavelengths. We observed seven non-binary K giant stars (β and η Cet, δ Crt, ρ Boo, β Oph, 109 Her, and ι Cep). We measured the ratio of the radii of the photosphere to the chromosphere using the interferometric measurements in the Hα and the Ca II infrared triplet line cores. For β Cet, spectro-interferometric observations are compared to a non-local thermal equilibrium (NLTE) semi-empirical model atmosphere including a chromosphere. The NLTE computations provide line intensities and contribution functions that indicate the relative locations where the line cores are formed and can constrain the size of the limb-darkened disk of the stars with chromospheres. We measured the angular diameter of seven K giant stars and deduced their fundamental parameters: effective temperatures, radii, luminosities, and masses. We determined the geometrical extent of the chromosphere for four giant stars (β and η Cet, δ Crt and ρ Boo). Results: The chromosphere extents obtained range between 16% to 47% of the stellar radius. The NLTE computations confirm that the Ca II/849 nm line core is deeper in the chromosphere of β Cet than either of the Ca II/854 nm and Ca II/866 nm line cores. We present a modified version of a semi-empirical model atmosphere derived by fitting the Ca II triplet line cores of this star. In four of our targets, we also detect the signature of a

Imaging of Stellar Surfacess Using Radio Facilities Including ALMA

Science.gov (United States)

O'Gorman, Eamon

2018-04-01

Until very recently, studies focusing on imaging stars at continuum radio wavelengths (here defined as submillimeter, millimeter, and centimeter wavelengths) has been scarce. These studies have mainly been carried out with the Very Large Array on a handful of evolved stars (i.e., Asymptotic Giant Branch and Red Supergiant stars) whereby their stellar disks have just about been spatially resolved. Some of these results however, have challenged our historical views on the nature of evolved star atmospheres. Now, the very long baselines of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and the newly upgraded Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array provide a new opportunity to image these atmospheres at unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity across a much wider portion of the radio spectrum. In this talk I will first provide a history of stellar radio imaging and then discuss some recent exciting ALMA results. Finally I will present some brand new multi-wavelength ALMA and VLA results for the famous red supergiant Antares.

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.

Extragalactic stellar astronomy with the brightest stars in the universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kudritzki, R P; Urbaneja, M A; Bresolin, F [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Przybilla, N [Dr Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Erlangen University, Sternwartstr. 7, D-96049 Bamberg (Germany)], E-mail: kud@ifa.hawaii.edu

2008-12-15

Supergiants are objects in transition from the blue to the red (and vice versa) in the uppermost HRD. They are the intrinsically brightest 'normal' stars at visual light with absolute visual magnitudes up to -9. They are ideal to study young stellar populations in galaxies beyond the Local Group to determine chemical composition and evolution, interstellar extinction, reddening laws and distances. We discuss the most recent results on the quantitative spectral analysis of such objects in galaxies beyond the Local Group based on medium and low-resolution spectra obtained with the ESO VLT and Keck. We describe the analysis method including the determination of metallicity and metallicity gradients. A new method to measure extragalactic distances accurately based on stellar gravities and effective temperatures is presented, the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship (FGLR). The FGLR is a purely spectroscopic method that overcomes the uncertainties, introduced by interstellar extinction and variations of metallicity, which plague all methods of photometric stellar distance determination. We discuss the perspectives of future work using the giant ground-based telescopes of the next generation such as the TMT, the GMT and the E-ELT.

Giants of eclipse the ζ [Zeta] Aurigae stars and other binary systems

CERN Document Server

Griffin, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The zeta Aurigae stars are the rare but illustrious sub-group of binary stars that undergo the dramatic phenomenon of "chromospheric eclipse". This book provides detailed descriptions of the ten known systems, illustrates them richly with examples of new spectra, and places them in the context of stellar structure and evolution. Comprised of a large cool giant plus a small hot dwarf, these key eclipsing binaries reveal fascinating changes in their spectra very close to total eclipse, when the hot star shines through differing heights of the "chromosphere", or outer atmosphere, of the giant star. The phenomenon provides astrophysics with the means of analyzing the outer atmosphere of a giant star and how that material is shed into space. The physics of these critical events can be explained qualitatively, but it is more challenging to extract hard facts from the observations, and tough to model the chromosphere in any detail. The book offers current thinking on mechanisms for heating a star's chromosphere an...

COMBINED EFFECTS OF BINARIES AND STELLAR ROTATION ON THE COLOR-MAGNITUDE DIAGRAMS OF INTERMEDIATE-AGE STAR CLUSTERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhongmu; Mao Caiyan; Chen Li; Zhang Qian

2012-01-01

About 70% of intermediate-age star clusters in the Large Magellanic Clouds have been confirmed to have broad main sequence, multiple or extended turnoffs, and dual red giant clumps. The observed result seems to be at odds with the classical idea that such clusters are simple stellar populations. Although many models have been used to explain the results via factors such as prolonged star formation history, metallicity spread, differential reddening, selection effect, observational uncertainty, stellar rotation, and binary interaction, the reason for the special color-magnitude diagrams is still uncertain. We revisit this question via the combination of stellar rotation and binary effects. As a result, it shows 'golf club' color-magnitude diagrams with broad or multiple turnoffs, dual red clumps, blue stragglers, red stragglers, and extended main sequences. Because both binaries and massive rotators are common, our result suggests that most color-magnitude diagrams, including extended turnoff or multiple turnoffs, can be explained using simple stellar populations including both binary and stellar rotation effects, or composite populations with two components.

The stellar content of the isolated transition dwarf galaxy DDO210

OpenAIRE

McConnachie, Alan W.; Arimoto, Nobuo; Irwin, Mike; Tolstoy, Eline

2006-01-01

We use Subaru Suprime-Cam and VLT FORS1 photometry of the dwarf galaxy DDO210 to study the global stellar content and structural properties of a transition-type galaxy (with properties intermediate between dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal systems). This galaxy is sufficiently isolated that tidal interactions are not likely to have affected its evolution in any way. The colour-magnitude diagrams of DDO210 show a red giant branch (RGB) population (with an RGB bump), a bright asymptotic gian...

A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR COMBINING TECHNIQUES THAT PROBE THE LINK BETWEEN GALAXIES AND DARK MATTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leauthaud, Alexie; Tinker, Jeremy; Behroozi, Peter S.; Busha, Michael T.; Wechsler, Risa H.

2011-01-01

We develop a theoretical framework that combines measurements of galaxy-galaxy lensing, galaxy clustering, and the galaxy stellar mass function in a self-consistent manner. While considerable effort has been invested in exploring each of these probes individually, attempts to combine them are still in their infancy. These combinations have the potential to elucidate the galaxy-dark matter connection and the galaxy formation physics responsible for it, as well as to constrain cosmological parameters and to test the nature of gravity. In this paper, we focus on a theoretical model that describes the galaxy-dark matter connection based on standard halo occupation distribution techniques. Several key modifications enable us to extract additional parameters that determine the stellar-to-halo mass relation and to simultaneously fit data from multiple probes while allowing for independent binning schemes for each probe. We construct mock catalogs from numerical simulations to investigate the effects of sample variance and covariance for each probe. Finally, we analyze how trends in each of the three observables impact the derived parameters of the model. In particular, we investigate various features of the observed galaxy stellar mass function (low-mass slope, 'plateau', knee, and high-mass cutoff) and show how each feature is related to the underlying relationship between stellar and halo mass. We demonstrate that the observed 'plateau' feature in the stellar mass function at M * ∼ 2 x 10 10 M sun is due to the transition that occurs in the stellar-to-halo mass relation at M h ∼ 10 12 M sun from a low-mass power-law regime to a sub-exponential function at higher stellar mass.

STARDUST FROM ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gail, H.-P.; Zhukovska, S. V.; Hoppe, P.; Trieloff, M.

2009-01-01

The formation of dust in the outflows of low- and intermediate-mass stars on the first giant branch and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) is studied and the relative contributions of stars of different initial masses and metallicities to the interstellar medium (ISM) at the instant of solar system formation are derived. These predictions are compared with the characteristics of the parent stars of presolar dust grains found in primitive meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) inferred from their isotopic compositions. For this purpose, model calculations for dust condensation in stellar outflows are combined with synthetic models of stellar evolution on the first giant branch and AGB and an evolution model of the Milky Way for the solar neighborhood. The dust components considered are olivine, pyroxene, carbon, SiC, and iron. The corresponding dust production rates are derived for the solar vicinity. From these rates and taking into account dust destruction by supernova shocks in the ISM, the contributions to the inventory of presolar dust grains in the solar system are derived for stars of different initial masses and metallicities. It is shown that stars on the first giant branch and the early AGB are not expected to form dust, in accord with astronomical observations. Dust formation is concentrated in the last phase of evolution, the thermally pulsing AGB. Due to the limited lifetime of dust grains in the ISM only parent stars from a narrow range of metallicities are expected to contribute to the population of presolar dust grains. Silicate and silicon carbide dust grains are predicted to come from parent stars with metallicities not less than about Z ∼ 0.008 (0.6 x solar). This metallicity limit is higher than that inferred from presolar SiC grain isotope data. The population of presolar carbon dust grains is predicted to originate from a wider range of metallicities, down to Z ∼ 0.004. Masses of AGB stars that produce C-rich dust are in the range �

LAMOST DR1: Stellar Parameters and Chemical Abundances with SP_Ace

Science.gov (United States)

Boeche, C.; Smith, M. C.; Grebel, E. K.; Zhong, J.; Hou, J. L.; Chen, L.; Stello, D.

2018-04-01

We present a new analysis of the LAMOST DR1 survey spectral database performed with the code SP_Ace, which provides the derived stellar parameters {T}{{eff}}, {log}g, [Fe/H], and [α/H] for 1,097,231 stellar objects. We tested the reliability of our results by comparing them to reference results from high spectral resolution surveys. The expected errors can be summarized as ∼120 K in {T}{{eff}}, ∼0.2 in {log}g, ∼0.15 dex in [Fe/H], and ∼0.1 dex in [α/Fe] for spectra with S/N > 40, with some differences between dwarf and giant stars. SP_Ace provides error estimations consistent with the discrepancies observed between derived and reference parameters. Some systematic errors are identified and discussed. The resulting catalog is publicly available at the LAMOST and CDS websites.

Magnetic fields in starspots on late-type giants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahn, K.

1985-01-01

Computations of models of magnetic starspots on cool active giants show that the value of the magnetic intensity in spots is generally of the order of one kilogauss, although in larger spots the field can be as weak as a few hundred gauss. It is also argued, that spots on giants qualitatively differ from those on late-type dwarfs, since they cannot be too large. The largest individual spots can cover at most about one percent of a stellar hemisphere. This is in a very good agreement with earlier suggestions based on observations of spotted giants. The assumption that spots are the regions of the strongest magnetic field allows to discuss recent attempts of detection of the magnetic field on late-type giants. Polarimetric measurements most probably cannot be successful, due to a small field strength and a complex topology of the field. It is shown that even if a whole surface was covered by spots with relatively strong field, the resulting not longitudinal field would be as weak as a few gauss. Also methods independent of polarimetric measurements, based on the analysis of Zeeman broadening, generally are not sensitive enough to detect the magnetic field on giants, even in spots. λ And is discussed as an example. The comparison of models of spots computed for that stars with photometric observations suggests, that a dark region on λ And consists of hundreds of small spots (each of them smaller than about 0.1% of the hemisphere), in which the magnetic intensity cannot exceed about 900 gauss, and most probably is even smaller. 23 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs. (author)

Excitation of giant resonances through inelastic scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kailas, S.

1981-01-01

In the last few years, exciting developments have taken place in the study of giant resonances (GR). In addition to the already well known gjant dipole resonance (GDR), the presence of at least two more new GRs viz. giant quadrupole resonance (GQR) and giant monopole resonance (GMR) has been experimentally established. The systematics covering these GRs is found to be consistent with the theoretical expectation. Though the existence of higher multipoles has been predjcted by theory, so far only some of these have been found to be excited experimentally. Various probe particles - electrons, protons (polarized and unpolarized), light and heavy ions and pions - at different bombarding energies have been used to excite the GR region, primarily through the inelastic scattering process. Detailed experiments, looking at the decay modes of GR region, have also been performed. These studies have contributed significantly to a better understanding of the phenomenon of nuclear collective excitation. In this report, the current status of 'GR' research is reviewed. (author)

Effect of a Brans--Dicke cosmology upon stellar evolution and the evolution of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prather, M.J.

1976-01-01

The effect which a variable G cosmology, such as Brans-Dicke, will have on the evolution of individual stars and of galaxies composed of these stars is examined in the hope that present day observation of globular clusters or giant elliptical galaxies will provide a test for the Brans--Dicke theory. The higher value of the gravitational coupling coefficient G in the past history of various Brans--Dicke universes is studied in detail. A low density, open universe is selected for study: fractional closure density = 0.2, present Hubble constant = km/s/Mpc, stellar formation at a red-shift of 5, and the Brans--Dicke parameter omega = 6. In this universe a set of stellar evolutionary tracks is computed from the Zero-Age Main Sequence through the Giant Branch to the Horizontal Branch for approximately solar composition, (Y,Z) = (0.25, 0.02). When compared at equivalent evolutionary phases, the luminosity of individual stars is found to increase greatly with G from the ZAMS to the HB. The higher G greatly speeds up the evolutionary time scale for the main sequence, and it decreases the core mass at the helium flash, leaving the luminosity of the tip of the GB and the HB unchanged. The net effect of a higher G on a cluster of stars is to increase the apparent mass at the turn-off and to reduce the lifetimes of all the evolutionary phases from the ZAMS to the HB by the same factor. Thus, the relative number density of stars in the major phases of stellar evolution is unchanged

FLUORINE IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD: IS IT ALL PRODUCED IN ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jönsson, H.; Ryde, N. [Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Box 43, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Harper, G. M. [School of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Richter, M. J. [Physics Department, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Hinkle, K. H., E-mail: henrikj@astro.lu.se [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726 (United States)

2014-07-10

The origin of ''cosmic'' fluorine is uncertain, but there are three proposed production sites/mechanisms for the origin: asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, ν nucleosynthesis in Type II supernovae, and/or the winds of Wolf-Rayet stars. The relative importance of these production sites has not been established even for the solar neighborhood, leading to uncertainties in stellar evolution models of these stars as well as uncertainties in the chemical evolution models of stellar populations. We determine the fluorine and oxygen abundances in seven bright, nearby giants with well determined stellar parameters. We use the 2.3 μm vibrational-rotational HF line and explore a pure rotational HF line at 12.2 μm. The latter has never been used before for an abundance analysis. To be able to do this, we have calculated a line list for pure rotational HF lines. We find that the abundances derived from the two diagnostics agree. Our derived abundances are well reproduced by chemical evolution models including only fluorine production in AGB stars and, therefore, we draw the conclusion that this might be the main production site of fluorine in the solar neighborhood. Furthermore, we highlight the advantages of using the 12 μm HF lines to determine the possible contribution of the ν process to the fluorine budget at low metallicities where the difference between models including and excluding this process is dramatic.

FLUORINE IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD: IS IT ALL PRODUCED IN ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jönsson, H.; Ryde, N.; Harper, G. M.; Richter, M. J.; Hinkle, K. H.

2014-01-01

The origin of ''cosmic'' fluorine is uncertain, but there are three proposed production sites/mechanisms for the origin: asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, ν nucleosynthesis in Type II supernovae, and/or the winds of Wolf-Rayet stars. The relative importance of these production sites has not been established even for the solar neighborhood, leading to uncertainties in stellar evolution models of these stars as well as uncertainties in the chemical evolution models of stellar populations. We determine the fluorine and oxygen abundances in seven bright, nearby giants with well determined stellar parameters. We use the 2.3 μm vibrational-rotational HF line and explore a pure rotational HF line at 12.2 μm. The latter has never been used before for an abundance analysis. To be able to do this, we have calculated a line list for pure rotational HF lines. We find that the abundances derived from the two diagnostics agree. Our derived abundances are well reproduced by chemical evolution models including only fluorine production in AGB stars and, therefore, we draw the conclusion that this might be the main production site of fluorine in the solar neighborhood. Furthermore, we highlight the advantages of using the 12 μm HF lines to determine the possible contribution of the ν process to the fluorine budget at low metallicities where the difference between models including and excluding this process is dramatic

A Review of Stellar Abundance Databases and the Hypatia Catalog Database

Science.gov (United States)

Hinkel, Natalie Rose

2018-01-01

The astronomical community is interested in elements from lithium to thorium, from solar twins to peculiarities of stellar evolution, because they give insight into different regimes of star formation and evolution. However, while some trends between elements and other stellar or planetary properties are well known, many other trends are not as obvious and are a point of conflict. For example, stars that host giant planets are found to be consistently enriched in iron, but the same cannot be definitively said for any other element. Therefore, it is time to take advantage of large stellar abundance databases in order to better understand not only the large-scale patterns, but also the more subtle, small-scale trends within the data.In this overview to the special session, I will present a review of large stellar abundance databases that are both currently available (i.e. RAVE, APOGEE) and those that will soon be online (i.e. Gaia-ESO, GALAH). Additionally, I will discuss the Hypatia Catalog Database (www.hypatiacatalog.com) -- which includes abundances from individual literature sources that observed stars within 150pc. The Hypatia Catalog currently contains 72 elements as measured within ~6000 stars, with a total of ~240,000 unique abundance determinations. The online database offers a variety of solar normalizations, stellar properties, and planetary properties (where applicable) that can all be viewed through multiple interactive plotting interfaces as well as in a tabular format. By analyzing stellar abundances for large populations of stars and from a variety of different perspectives, a wealth of information can be revealed on both large and small scales.

Excitation and photon decay of giant resonances excited by intermediate energy heavy ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertrand, F.E.; Beene, J.R.

1987-01-01

Inelastic scattering of medium energy heavy ions provides very large cross sections and peak-to-continuum ratios for excitation of giant resonances. For energies above about 50 MeV/nucleon, giant resonances are excited primarily through Coulomb excitation, which is indifferent to isospin, thus providing a good probe for the study of isovector giant resonances. The extremely large cross sections available from heavy ion excitation permit the study of rare decay modes of the giant resonances. In particular, recent measurements have been made of the photon decay of giant resonances following excitation by 22 and 84 MeV/nucleon 17 O projectiles. The singles results at 84 MeV/nucleon yield peak cross sections for the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance and the isovector giant dipole resonance of approximately 0.8 and 3 barns/sr, respectively. Data on the ground state decay of the isoscalar giant quadrupole and isovector giant dipole resonances are presented and compared with calculations. Decays to low-lying excited states are also discussed. Preliminary results from an experiment to isolate the 208 Pb isovector quadrupole resonance using its gamma decay are presented. 22 refs., 19 figs., 1 tab

PANCHROMATIC HUBBLE ANDROMEDA TREASURY. XII. MAPPING STELLAR METALLICITY DISTRIBUTIONS IN M31

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gregersen, Dylan; Seth, Anil C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Williams, Benjamin F.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Johnson, L. C.; Lewis, Alexia R. [Department of Astronomy, Box 351580, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Lang, Dustin [McWilliams Center for Cosmology, Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Girardi, Leó [Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova—INAF, Vicolo dell’Osservatori 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Bell, Eric [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85706 (United States); Fouesneau, Morgan [MPIA, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Guhathakurta, Puragra; Hamren, Katherine M. [UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Kalirai, Jason [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Monachesi, Antonela [MPA, Garching (Germany); Olsen, Knut, E-mail: dylan.gregersen@utah.edu, E-mail: aseth@astro.utah.edu [NOAO, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States)

2015-12-15

We present a study of spatial variations in the metallicity of old red giant branch stars in the Andromeda galaxy. Photometric metallicity estimates are derived by interpolating isochrones for over seven million stars in the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey. This is the first systematic study of stellar metallicities over the inner 20 kpc of Andromeda’s galactic disk. We see a clear metallicity gradient of −0.020 ± 0.004 dex kpc{sup −1} from ∼4–20 kpc assuming a constant red giant branch age. This metallicity gradient is derived after correcting for the effects of photometric bias and completeness and dust extinction, and is quite insensitive to these effects. The unknown age gradient in M31's disk creates the dominant systematic uncertainty in our derived metallicity gradient. However, spectroscopic analyses of galaxies similar to M31 show that they typically have small age gradients that make this systematic error comparable to the 1σ error on our metallicity gradient measurement. In addition to the metallicity gradient, we observe an asymmetric local enhancement in metallicity at radii of 3–6 kpc that appears to be associated with Andromeda’s elongated bar. This same region also appears to have an enhanced stellar density and velocity dispersion.

The Segue K giant survey. II. A catalog of distance determinations for the Segue K giants in the galactic halo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Xiang-Xiang; Rix, Hans-Walter; Ma, Zhibo; Morrison, Heather L.; Harding, Paul; Beers, Timothy C.; Ivans, Inese I.; Jacobson, Heather R.; Johnson, Jennifer; Lee, Young Sun; Lucatello, Sara; Rockosi, Constance M.; Sobeck, Jennifer S.; Yanny, Brian; Zhao, Gang; Allende Prieto, Carlos

2014-01-01

We present an online catalog of distance determinations for 6036 K giants, most of which are members of the Milky Way's stellar halo. Their medium-resolution spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey/Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration are used to derive metallicities and rough gravity estimates, along with radial velocities. Distance moduli are derived from a comparison of each star's apparent magnitude with the absolute magnitude of empirically calibrated color-luminosity fiducials, at the observed (g – r) 0 color and spectroscopic [Fe/H]. We employ a probabilistic approach that makes it straightforward to properly propagate the errors in metallicities, magnitudes, and colors into distance uncertainties. We also fold in prior information about the giant-branch luminosity function and the different metallicity distributions of the SEGUE K-giant targeting sub-categories. We show that the metallicity prior plays a small role in the distance estimates, but that neglecting the luminosity prior could lead to a systematic distance modulus bias of up to 0.25 mag, compared to the case of using the luminosity prior. We find a median distance precision of 16%, with distance estimates most precise for the least metal-poor stars near the tip of the red giant branch. The precision and accuracy of our distance estimates are validated with observations of globular and open clusters. The stars in our catalog are up to 125 kpc from the Galactic center, with 283 stars beyond 50 kpc, forming the largest available spectroscopic sample of distant tracers in the Galactic halo.

The Longevity of Water Ice on Ganymedes and Europas around Migrated Giant Planets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehmer, Owen R.; Catling, David C.; Zahnle, Kevin J.

2017-01-01

The gas giant planets in the Solar System have a retinue of icy moons, and we expect giant exoplanets to have similar satellite systems. If a Jupiter-like planet were to migrate toward its parent star the icy moons orbiting it would evaporate, creating atmospheres and possible habitable surface oceans. Here, we examine how long the surface ice and possible oceans would last before being hydrodynamically lost to space. The hydrodynamic loss rate from the moons is determined, in large part, by the stellar flux available for absorption, which increases as the giant planet and icy moons migrate closer to the star. At some planet–star distance the stellar flux incident on the icy moons becomes so great that they enter a runaway greenhouse state. This runaway greenhouse state rapidly transfers all available surface water to the atmosphere as vapor, where it is easily lost from the small moons. However, for icy moons of Ganymede’s size around a Sun-like star we found that surface water (either ice or liquid) can persist indefinitely outside the runaway greenhouse orbital distance. In contrast, the surface water on smaller moons of Europa’s size will only persist on timescales greater than 1 Gyr at distances ranging 1.49–0.74 au around a Sun-like star for Bond albedos of 0.2 and 0.8, where the lower albedo becomes relevant if ice melts. Consequently, small moons can lose their icy shells, which would create a torus of H atoms around their host planet that might be detectable in future observations.

The Longevity of Water Ice on Ganymedes and Europas around Migrated Giant Planets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehmer, Owen R.; Catling, David C. [Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences/Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Zahnle, Kevin J., E-mail: olehmer@gmail.com [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States)

2017-04-10

The gas giant planets in the Solar System have a retinue of icy moons, and we expect giant exoplanets to have similar satellite systems. If a Jupiter-like planet were to migrate toward its parent star the icy moons orbiting it would evaporate, creating atmospheres and possible habitable surface oceans. Here, we examine how long the surface ice and possible oceans would last before being hydrodynamically lost to space. The hydrodynamic loss rate from the moons is determined, in large part, by the stellar flux available for absorption, which increases as the giant planet and icy moons migrate closer to the star. At some planet–star distance the stellar flux incident on the icy moons becomes so great that they enter a runaway greenhouse state. This runaway greenhouse state rapidly transfers all available surface water to the atmosphere as vapor, where it is easily lost from the small moons. However, for icy moons of Ganymede’s size around a Sun-like star we found that surface water (either ice or liquid) can persist indefinitely outside the runaway greenhouse orbital distance. In contrast, the surface water on smaller moons of Europa’s size will only persist on timescales greater than 1 Gyr at distances ranging 1.49–0.74 au around a Sun-like star for Bond albedos of 0.2 and 0.8, where the lower albedo becomes relevant if ice melts. Consequently, small moons can lose their icy shells, which would create a torus of H atoms around their host planet that might be detectable in future observations.

New asteroseismic scaling relations based on the Hayashi track relation applied to red giant branch stars in NGC 6791 and NGC 6819

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, T.; Li, Y.; Hekker, S.

2014-01-01

Stellar mass M, radius R, and gravity g are important basic parameters in stellar physics. Accurate values for these parameters can be obtained from the gravitational interaction between stars in multiple systems or from asteroseismology. Stars in a cluster are thought to be formed coevally from the same interstellar cloud of gas and dust. The cluster members are therefore expected to have some properties in common. These common properties strengthen our ability to constrain stellar models and asteroseismically derived M, R, and g when tested against an ensemble of cluster stars. Here we derive new scaling relations based on a relation for stars on the Hayashi track (√(T eff )∼g p R q ) to determine the masses and metallicities of red giant branch stars in open clusters NGC 6791 and NGC 6819 from the global oscillation parameters Δν (the large frequency separation) and ν max (frequency of maximum oscillation power). The Δν and ν max values are derived from Kepler observations. From the analysis of these new relations we derive: (1) direct observational evidence that the masses of red giant branch stars in a cluster are the same within their uncertainties, (2) new methods to derive M and z of the cluster in a self-consistent way from Δν and ν max , with lower intrinsic uncertainties, and (3) the mass dependence in the Δν - ν max relation for red giant branch stars.

The long lives of giant clumps and the birth of outflows in gas-rich galaxies at high redshift

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bournaud, Frédéric; Renaud, Florent; Daddi, Emanuele; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Elbaz, David; Gabor, Jared M.; Juneau, Stéphanie; Kraljic, Katarina; Le Floch' , Emeric [CEA, IRFU/SAp, F-91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette (France); Perret, Valentin; Amram, Philippe; Epinat, Benoit [Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille), F-13388 Marseille (France); Dekel, Avishai [Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel); Elmegreen, Bruce G. [IBM Research Division, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Elmegreen, Debra M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604 (United States); Teyssier, Romain [Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich (Switzerland)

2014-01-01

Star-forming disk galaxies at high redshift are often subject to violent disk instability, characterized by giant clumps whose fate is yet to be understood. The main question is whether the clumps disrupt within their dynamical timescale (≤50 Myr), like the molecular clouds in today's galaxies, or whether they survive stellar feedback for more than a disk orbital time (≈300 Myr) in which case they can migrate inward and help building the central bulge. We present 3.5-7 pc resolution adaptive mesh refinement simulations of high-redshift disks including photoionization, radiation pressure, and supernovae feedback. Our modeling of radiation pressure determines the mass loading and initial velocity of winds from basic physical principles. We find that the giant clumps produce steady outflow rates comparable to and sometimes somewhat larger than their star formation rate, with velocities largely sufficient to escape the galaxy. The clumps also lose mass, especially old stars, by tidal stripping, and the stellar populations contained in the clumps hence remain relatively young (≤200 Myr), as observed. The clumps survive gaseous outflows and stellar loss, because they are wandering in gas-rich turbulent disks from which they can reaccrete gas at high rates compensating for outflows and tidal stripping, overall keeping realistic and self-regulated gaseous and stellar masses. The outflow and accretion rates have specific timescales of a few 10{sup 8} yr, as opposed to rapid and repeated dispersion and reformation of clumps. Our simulations produce gaseous outflows with velocities, densities, and mass loading consistent with observations, and at the same time suggest that the giant clumps survive for hundreds of Myr and complete their migration to the center of high-redshift galaxies. These long-lived clumps are gas-dominated and contain a moderate mass fraction of stars; they drive inside-out disk evolution, thickening, spheroid growth, and fueling of the central

FRIENDS OF HOT JUPITERS. II. NO CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN HOT-JUPITER SPIN-ORBIT MISALIGNMENT AND THE INCIDENCE OF DIRECTLY IMAGED STELLAR COMPANIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngo, Henry; Knutson, Heather A.; Hinkley, Sasha; Batygin, Konstantin [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Crepp, Justin R.; Bechter, Eric B. [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN (United States); Howard, Andrew W. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (United States); Johnson, John A. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (United States); Morton, Timothy D. [Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Muirhead, Philip S., E-mail: hngo@caltech.edu [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-02-20

Multi-star systems are common, yet little is known about a stellar companion's influence on the formation and evolution of planetary systems. For instance, stellar companions may have facilitated the inward migration of hot Jupiters toward to their present day positions. Many observed short-period gas giant planets also have orbits that are misaligned with respect to their star's spin axis, which has also been attributed to the presence of a massive outer companion on a non-coplanar orbit. We present the results of a multi-band direct imaging survey using Keck NIRC2 to measure the fraction of short-period gas giant planets found in multi-star systems. Over three years, we completed a survey of 50 targets ('Friends of Hot Jupiters') with 27 targets showing some signature of multi-body interaction (misaligned or eccentric orbits) and 23 targets in a control sample (well-aligned and circular orbits). We report the masses, projected separations, and confirmed common proper motion for the 19 stellar companions found around 17 stars. Correcting for survey incompleteness, we report companion fractions of 48% ± 9%, 47% ± 12%, and 51% ± 13% in our total, misaligned/eccentric, and control samples, respectively. This total stellar companion fraction is 2.8σ larger than the fraction of field stars with companions approximately 50-2000 AU. We observe no correlation between misaligned/eccentric hot Jupiter systems and the incidence of stellar companions. Combining this result with our previous radial velocity survey, we determine that 72% ± 16% of hot Jupiters are part of multi-planet and/or multi-star systems.

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).

KIC 9821622: An interesting lithium-rich giant in the Kepler field

Science.gov (United States)

Jofré, E.; Petrucci, R.; García, L.; Gómez, M.

2015-12-01

We report the discovery of a new exceptional young lithium-rich giant, KIC 9821622, in the Kepler field that exhibits an unusually large enhancement of α, Fe-peak, and r-process elements. From high-resolution spectra obtained with GRACES at Gemini North, we derived fundamental parameters and detailed chemical abundances of 23 elements from equivalent widths and synthesis analysis. By combining atmospheric stellar parameters with available asteroseismic data, we obtained the stellar mass, radius, and age. The data analysis reveals that KIC 9821622 is a Li-rich (A(Li)NLTE = 1.80 ± 0.2) intermediate-mass giant star (M = 1.64 M⊙) located at the red giant branch near the luminosity bump. We find unexpectedly elevated abundances of Fe-peak and r-process elements. In addition, as previously reported, we find that this is a young star (2.37 Gyr) with unusually high abundances of α-elements ([α/Fe] = 0.31). The evolutionary status of KIC 9821622 suggests that its Li-rich nature is the result of internal fresh Li that is synthesized through the Cameron-Fowler mechanism near the luminosity bump. However, its peculiar enhancement of α, Fe-peak, and r-process elements opens the possibility of external contamination by material enriched by a supernova explosion. Although it is less likely, planet accretion cannot be ruled out. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brazil) and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina).Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

From red giant to planetary nebula - Dust, asymmetry, and polarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.J.; Jones, T.J.

1991-01-01

The polarization characteristics of stars in the stages of evolution from red giant to planetary nebula are investigated. Polarization is found to be a characteristic of the majority of these stars. The maximum observed polarization increases with age as the star evolves up the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) to the protoplanetary nebula phase, where the polarization reaches a maximum. The polarization then decreases as the star further evolves into a planetary nebula. These results indicate that aspherical mass loss is likely to be a continual feature of the late stages of stellar evolution, maintaining a clear continuity throughout the life of a star from the moment it first develops a measurable dust shell. The aspherical morphology seen in planetary nebulae has its origin in an intrinsic property of the star that is present at least as early as its arrival at the base of the AGB. 77 refs

Basis, evidences and consequences of the inherent stellar encocooning

CERN Document Server

Celis, L

2002-01-01

Based on 7093 observations with photoelectrical photometrical measurements of 191 Mira stars, the following equations (from the papers [1] to [18]) give the basis to establish the Inherent Stellar Encocooning with the spectro-photometric characteristics of the red giant variable stars, especially the Miras, which have large amplitudes (approx 50% of giant variables). The specific basis that justifies a progressive covering with ionized molecules, cold gases, dust and grains are: The relation of the visual amplitudes A sub v =A sub r +E sub A whose real luminosity separate the intrinsic pulsation and amplitude excess effects due to the presence of molecules [145] and an opaque envelope of cool gases; The relation of the visual absolute magnitudes M sub v =M sub v sub r (P)+M sub a (delta sub T sub i sub O V) which is affected by an inherent absorption and/or occultation, and; The relation that defines the probable absolute luminosity and depends on the period and the (Sa) spectral type at maximum M sub v =-2.2...

Probing the nature of dark matter particles with stellar streams

OpenAIRE

Banik, Nilanjan; Bertone, Gianfranco; Bovy, Jo; Bozorgnia, Nassim

2018-01-01

A key prediction of the standard cosmological model -- which relies on the assumption that dark matter is cold, i.e. non-relativistic at the epoch of structure formation -- is the existence of a large number of dark matter substructures on sub-galactic scales. This assumption can be tested by studying the perturbations induced by dark matter substructures on cold stellar streams. Here, we study the prospects for discriminating cold from warm dark matter by generating mock data for upcoming as...

TESTING CONVECTIVE-CORE OVERSHOOTING USING PERIOD SPACINGS OF DIPOLE MODES IN RED GIANTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montalban, J.; Noels, A.; Dupret, M.-A.; Scuflaire, R. [Institut d' Astrophysique et Geophysique de l' Universite de Liege, Allee du six Aout, 17 B-4000 Liege (Belgium); Miglio, A. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Ventura, P. [Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma-INAF, via Frascati 33, I-00040 Monteporzio Catone, Rome (Italy)

2013-04-01

Uncertainties on central mixing in main-sequence (MS) and core He-burning (He-B) phases affect key predictions of stellar evolution such as late evolutionary phases, chemical enrichment, ages, etc. We propose a test of the extension of extra-mixing in two relevant evolutionary phases based on period spacing ({Delta}P) of solar-like oscillating giants. From stellar models and their corresponding adiabatic frequencies (respectively, computed with ATON and LOSC codes), we provide the first predictions of the observable {Delta}P for stars in the red giant branch and in the red clump (RC). We find (1) a clear correlation between {Delta}P and the mass of the helium core (M{sub He}); the latter in intermediate-mass stars depends on the MS overshooting, and hence it can be used to set constraints on extra-mixing during MS when coupled with chemical composition; and (2) a linear dependence of the average value of the asymptotic period spacing (({Delta}P){sub a}) on the size of the convective core during the He-B phase. A first comparison with the inferred asymptotic period spacing for Kepler RC stars also suggests the need for extra-mixing during this phase, as evinced from other observational facts.

BULGELESS GIANT GALAXIES CHALLENGE OUR PICTURE OF GALAXY FORMATION BY HIERARCHICAL CLUSTERING ,

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kormendy, John; Cornell, Mark E.; Drory, Niv; Bender, Ralf

2010-01-01

To better understand the prevalence of bulgeless galaxies in the nearby field, we dissect giant Sc-Scd galaxies with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry and Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) spectroscopy. We use the HET High Resolution Spectrograph (resolution R ≡ λ/FWHM ≅ 15, 000) to measure stellar velocity dispersions in the nuclear star clusters and (pseudo)bulges of the pure-disk galaxies M 33, M 101, NGC 3338, NGC 3810, NGC 6503, and NGC 6946. The dispersions range from 20 ± 1 km s -1 in the nucleus of M 33 to 78 ± 2 km s -1 in the pseudobulge of NGC 3338. We use HST archive images to measure the brightness profiles of the nuclei and (pseudo)bulges in M 101, NGC 6503, and NGC 6946 and hence to estimate their masses. The results imply small mass-to-light ratios consistent with young stellar populations. These observations lead to two conclusions. (1) Upper limits on the masses of any supermassive black holes are M . ∼ 6 M sun in M 101 and M . ∼ 6 M sun in NGC 6503. (2) We show that the above galaxies contain only tiny pseudobulges that make up ∼ circ > 150 km s -1 , including M 101, NGC 6946, IC 342, and our Galaxy, show no evidence for a classical bulge. Four may contain small classical bulges that contribute 5%-12% of the light of the galaxy. Only four of the 19 giant galaxies are ellipticals or have classical bulges that contribute ∼1/3 of the galaxy light. We conclude that pure-disk galaxies are far from rare. It is hard to understand how bulgeless galaxies could form as the quiescent tail of a distribution of merger histories. Recognition of pseudobulges makes the biggest problem with cold dark matter galaxy formation more acute: How can hierarchical clustering make so many giant, pure-disk galaxies with no evidence for merger-built bulges? Finally, we emphasize that this problem is a strong function of environment: the Virgo cluster is not a puzzle, because more than 2/3 of its stellar mass is in merger remnants.

Fluorine Abundances of AGB Stars in Stellar Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Hren, A.; Lebzelter, T.; Aringer, B.; Hinkle, K. H.; Nowotny, W.

2015-08-01

We have measured the abundance of fluorine, [F/Fe], in a number of AGB stars in stellar clusters have correlated the results with their C/O ratios. This allows us to investigate the change in the fluorine abundance along the evolution on the giant branch. The target list includes primarily O-rich stars in three LMC globular clusters - NGC 1806, NGC 1846 and NGC 1978 - as well as Rup 106 and 47 Tuc in our Galaxy. The observational data were obtained with the PHOENIX spectrograph, and the COMA code was used for modelling the synthetic spectra. Within individual clusters, we find consistent [F/Fe] values at similar C/O for most of our target stars.

The VMC survey. XI. Radial stellar population gradients in the galactic globular cluster 47 Tucanae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Chengyuan; De Grijs, Richard [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Yi He Yuan Lu 5, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100871 (China); Deng, Licai [Key Laboratory for Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012 (China); Rubele, Stefano; Girardi, Leo; Gullieuszik, Marco [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, vicolo dell' Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Wang, Chuchu [Department of Astronomy, Peking University, Yi He Yuan Lu 5, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100871 (China); Bekki, Kenji; For, Bi-Qing [ICRAR M468, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Cioni, Maria-Rosa L. [Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Mathematics, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB (United Kingdom); Clementini, Gisella [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Emerson, Jim [Astronomy Unit, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Groenewegen, Martin A. T. [Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan 3, 1180 Ukkel (Belgium); Guandalini, Roald [Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D 2401, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Marconi, Marcella; Ripepi, Vincenzo [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, via Moiariello 16, I-80131 Naples (Italy); Piatti, Andrés E. [Observatorio Astrońomico, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laprida 854, 5000 Córdoba (Argentina); Van Loon, Jacco Th., E-mail: joshuali@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: grijs@pku.edu.cn [Astrophysics Group, Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG (United Kingdom)

2014-07-20

We present a deep near-infrared color-magnitude diagram of the Galactic globular cluster 47 Tucanae, obtained with the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) as part of the VISTA near-infrared Y, J, K{sub s} survey of the Magellanic System (VMC). The cluster stars comprising both the subgiant and red giant branches exhibit apparent, continuous variations in color-magnitude space as a function of radius. Subgiant branch stars at larger radii are systematically brighter than their counterparts closer to the cluster core; similarly, red-giant-branch stars in the cluster's periphery are bluer than their more centrally located cousins. The observations can very well be described by adopting an age spread of ∼0.5 Gyr as well as radial gradients in both the cluster's helium abundance (Y) and metallicity (Z), which change gradually from (Y = 0.28, Z = 0.005) in the cluster core to (Y = 0.25, Z = 0.003) in its periphery. We conclude that the cluster's inner regions host a significant fraction of second-generation stars, which decreases with increasing radius; the stellar population in the 47 Tuc periphery is well approximated by a simple stellar population.

Deep Mixing of 3He: Reconciling Big Bang and Stellar Nucleosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eggleton, P P; Dearborn, D P; Lattanzio, J

2006-01-01

Low-mass stars, ∼ 1-2 solar masses, near the Main Sequence are efficient at producing 3 He, which they mix into the convective envelope on the giant branch and should distribute into the Galaxy by way of envelope loss. This process is so efficient that it is difficult to reconcile the low observed cosmic abundance of 3 He with the predictions of both stellar and Big Bang nucleosynthesis. In this paper we find, by modeling a red giant with a fully three-dimensional hydrodynamic code and a full nucleosynthetic network, that mixing arises in the supposedly stable and radiative zone between the hydrogen-burning shell and the base of the convective envelope. This mixing is due to Rayleigh-Taylor instability within a zone just above the hydrogen-burning shell, where a nuclear reaction lowers the mean molecular weight slightly. Thus we are able to remove the threat that 3 He production in low-mass stars poses to the Big Bang nucleosynthesis of 3 He

Deep mixing of 3He: reconciling Big Bang and stellar nucleosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Eggleton, Peter P; Dearborn, David S P; Lattanzio, John C

2006-12-08

Low-mass stars, approximately 1 to 2 solar masses, near the Main Sequence are efficient at producing the helium isotope 3He, which they mix into the convective envelope on the giant branch and should distribute into the Galaxy by way of envelope loss. This process is so efficient that it is difficult to reconcile the low observed cosmic abundance of 3He with the predictions of both stellar and Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Here we find, by modeling a red giant with a fully three-dimensional hydrodynamic code and a full nucleosynthetic network, that mixing arises in the supposedly stable and radiative zone between the hydrogen-burning shell and the base of the convective envelope. This mixing is due to Rayleigh-Taylor instability within a zone just above the hydrogen-burning shell, where a nuclear reaction lowers the mean molecular weight slightly. Thus, we are able to remove the threat that 3He production in low-mass stars poses to the Big Bang nucleosynthesis of 3He.

Studies of the magnetic configuration of an l=2 stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedyanin, O.I.

1975-05-01

The first part of this report describes a computational study of the effect of first and second order resonances on an l = 2 stellarator, taking as model the PROTO-CLEO experiment. The magnetic surfaces are computed in each case and the break up shown. The second part of the report deals with measurements made with an electron beam on the PROTO-CLEO l = 2 stellarator. The magnetic surfaces are measured by means of a movable probe which intercepts the beams. It is shown that the form of the surfaces, particularly near the separatrix, is sensitive to quite small perturbations of a resonant type. (author)

Wolf-Rayet stars associated to giant regions of star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Odorico, S.; Rosa, M.

1982-01-01

Data on Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in extragalactic H II regions and emission line galaxies are presented and discussed. The sample is still limited and inhomogeneous but two important points appear to be already established: a) The WR stars are more numerous than the blue supergiants at least in same phase of the evolution of the stellar clusters which ionize the giant H II regions, b) When the WR stars are detected, two cases are apparently observed, one in which only WN, the other in which both WN and WC, are present. (Auth.)

The comparative effect of FUV, EUV and X-ray disc photoevaporation on gas giant separations

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Jeff; Ercolano, Barbara; Rosotti, Giovanni P.

2018-04-01

Gas giants' early (≲ 5 Myr) orbital evolution occurs in a disc losing mass in part to photoevaporation driven by high energy irradiance from the host star. This process may ultimately overcome viscous accretion to disperse the disc and halt migrating giants by starving their orbits of gas, imprinting on giant planet separations in evolved systems. Inversion of this distribution could then give insight into whether stellar FUV, EUV or X-ray flux dominates photoevaporation, constraining planet formation and disc evolution models. We use a 1D hydrodynamic code in population syntheses for gas giants undergoing Type II migration in a viscously evolving disc subject to either a primarily FUV, EUV or X-ray flux from a pre-solar T Tauri star. The photoevaporative mass loss profile's unique peak location and width in each energetic regime produces characteristic features in the distribution of giant separations: a severe dearth of ≲ 2 MJ planets interior to 5 AU in the FUV scenario, a sharp concentration of ≲ 3 MJ planets between ≈1.5 - 2 AU in the EUV case, and a relative abundance of ≈2 - 3.5 MJ giants interior to 0.5 AU in the X-ray model. These features do not resemble the observational sample of gas giants with mass constraints, though our results do show some weaker qualitative similarities. We thus assess how the differing photoevaporative profiles interact with migrating giants and address the effects of large model uncertainties as a step to better connect disc models with trends in the exoplanet population.

FLUORINE ABUNDANCES OF GALACTIC LOW-METALLICITY GIANTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, H. N.; Zhao, G. [Key Lab of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A20 Datun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100012 (China); Ludwig, H.-G.; Caffau, E.; Christlieb, N., E-mail: lhn@nao.cas.cn, E-mail: gzhao@nao.cas.cn, E-mail: hludwig@lsw.uni-heidelberg.de, E-mail: ecaffau@lsw.uni-heidelberg.de, E-mail: N.Christlieb@lsw.uni-heidelberg.de [Zentrum fuer Astronomie der Universitaet Heidelberg, Landessternwarte, Koenigstuhl 12, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2013-03-01

With abundances and 2{sigma} upper limits of fluorine (F) in seven metal-poor field giants, nucleosynthesis of stellar F at low metallicity is discussed. The measurements are derived from the HF(1-0) R9 line at 23358 A using near-infrared K-band high-resolution spectra obtained with CRIRES at the Very Large Telescope. The sample reaches lower metallicities than previous studies on F of field giants, ranging from [Fe/H] = -1.56 down to -2.13. Effects of three-dimensional model atmospheres on the derived F and O abundances are quantitatively estimated and shown to be insignificant for the program stars. The observed F yield in the form of [F/O] is compared with two sets of Galactic chemical evolution models, which quantitatively demonstrate the contribution of Type II supernova (SN II) {nu}-process and asymptotic giant branch/Wolf-Rayet stars. It is found that at this low-metallicity region, models cannot well predict the observed distribution of [F/O], while the observations are better fit by models considering an SN II {nu}-process with a neutrino energy of E {sub {nu}} = 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 53} erg. Our sample contains HD 110281, a retrograde orbiting low-{alpha} halo star, showing a similar F evolution as globular clusters. This supports the theory that such halo stars are possibly accreted from dwarf galaxy progenitors of globular clusters in the halo.

The impact of Spitzer infrared data on stellar mass estimates - and a revised galaxy stellar mass function at 0 < z < 5

Science.gov (United States)

Elsner, F.; Feulner, G.; Hopp, U.

2008-01-01

Aims:We estimate stellar masses of galaxies in the high redshift universe with the intention of determining the influence of newly available Spitzer/IRAC infrared data on the analysis. Based on the results, we probe the mass assembly history of the universe. Methods: We use the GOODS-MUSIC catalog, which provides multiband photometry from the U-filter to the 8 μm Spitzer band for almost 15 000 galaxies with either spectroscopic (for ≈7% of the sample) or photometric redshifts, and apply a standard model fitting technique to estimate stellar masses. We than repeat our calculations with fixed photometric redshifts excluding Spitzer photometry and directly compare the outcomes to look for systematic deviations. Finally we use our results to compute stellar mass functions and mass densities up to redshift z = 5. Results: We find that stellar masses tend to be overestimated on average if further constraining Spitzer data are not included into the analysis. Whilst this trend is small up to intermediate redshifts z ⪉ 2.5 and falls within the typical error in mass, the deviation increases strongly for higher redshifts and reaches a maximum of a factor of three at redshift z ≈ 3.5. Thus, up to intermediate redshifts, results for stellar mass density are in good agreement with values taken from literature calculated without additional Spitzer photometry. At higher redshifts, however, we find a systematic trend towards lower mass densities if Spitzer/IRAC data are included.

Convective-core Overshoot and Suppression of Oscillations: Constraints from Red Giants in NGC 6811

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arentoft, T.; Brogaard, K.; Jessen-Hansen, J.; Silva Aguirre, V.; Kjeldsen, H.; Mosumgaard, J. R. [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Sandquist, E. L., E-mail: toar@phys.au.dk [San Diego State University, Department of Astronomy, San Diego, CA 92182 (United States)

2017-04-01

Using data from the NASA spacecraft Kepler , we study solar-like oscillations in red giant stars in the open cluster NGC 6811. We determine oscillation frequencies, frequency separations, period spacings of mixed modes, and mode visibilities for eight cluster giants. The oscillation parameters show that these stars are helium-core-burning red giants. The eight stars form two groups with very different oscillation power spectra; the four stars with the lowest Δ ν values display rich sets of mixed l = 1 modes, while this is not the case for the four stars with higher Δ ν . For the four stars with lowest Δ ν , we determine the asymptotic period spacing of the mixed modes, Δ P , which together with the masses we derive for all eight stars suggest that they belong to the so-called secondary clump. Based on the global oscillation parameters, we present initial theoretical stellar modeling that indicates that we can constrain convective-core overshoot on the main sequence and in the helium-burning phase for these ∼2 M {sub ⊙} stars. Finally, our results indicate less mode suppression than predicted by recent theories for magnetic suppression of certain oscillation modes in red giants.

RADIAL VELOCITY OBSERVATIONS AND LIGHT CURVE NOISE MODELING CONFIRM THAT KEPLER-91b IS A GIANT PLANET ORBITING A GIANT STAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barclay, Thomas; Huber, Daniel; Rowe, Jason F.; Quintana, Elisa V.; Endl, Michael; Cochran, William D.; MacQueen, Phillip J.; Foreman-Mackey, Daniel

2015-01-01

Kepler-91b is a rare example of a transiting hot Jupiter around a red giant star, providing the possibility to study the formation and composition of hot Jupiters under different conditions compared to main-sequence stars. However, the planetary nature of Kepler-91b, which was confirmed using phase-curve variations by Lillo-Box et al., was recently called into question based on a re-analysis of Kepler data. We have obtained ground-based radial velocity observations from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and unambiguously confirm the planetary nature of Kepler-91b by simultaneously modeling the Kepler and radial velocity data. The star exhibits temporally correlated noise due to stellar granulation which we model as a Gaussian Process. We hypothesize that it is this noise component that led previous studies to suspect Kepler-91b to be a false positive. Our work confirms the conclusions presented by Lillo-Box et al. that Kepler-91b is a 0.73 ± 0.13 M Jup planet orbiting a red giant star

The K giant stars from the LAMOST survey data. I. Identification, metallicity, and distance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Chao; Deng, Li-Cai; Li, Jing; Gao, Shuang; Yang, Fan; Xu, Yan; Zhang, Yue-Yang; Xin, Yu; Wu, Yue [Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Road 20A, Beijing 100012 (China); Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Newberg, Heidi Jo [Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Smith, Martin C. [Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030 (China); Xue, Xiang-Xiang [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, Heidelberg D-69117 (Germany); Jin, Ge, E-mail: liuchao@nao.cas.cn [University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)

2014-08-01

We present a support vector machine classifier to identify the K giant stars from the LAMOST survey directly using their spectral line features. The completeness of the identification is about 75% for tests based on LAMOST stellar parameters. The contamination in the identified K giant sample is lower than 2.5%. Applying the classification method to about two million LAMOST spectra observed during the pilot survey and the first year survey, we select 298,036 K giant candidates. The metallicities of the sample are also estimated with an uncertainty of 0.13 ∼ 0.29 dex based on the equivalent widths of Mg{sub b} and iron lines. A Bayesian method is then developed to estimate the posterior probability of the distance for the K giant stars, based on the estimated metallicity and 2MASS photometry. The synthetic isochrone-based distance estimates have been calibrated using 7 globular clusters with a wide range of metallicities. The uncertainty of the estimated distance modulus at K = 11 mag, which is the median brightness of the K giant sample, is about 0.6 mag, corresponding to ∼30% in distance. As a scientific verification case, the trailing arm of the Sagittarius stream is clearly identified with the selected K giant sample. Moreover, at about 80 kpc from the Sun, we use our K giant stars to confirm a detection of stream members near the apo-center of the trailing tail. These rediscoveries of the features of the Sagittarius stream illustrate the potential of the LAMOST survey for detecting substructures in the halo of the Milky Way.

Ultrabass Sounds of the Giant Star xi Hya

Science.gov (United States)

2002-05-01

times larger. The new observations demonstrate that xi Hya oscillates with several periods of around 3 hours. xi Hya is now approaching the end of its life - it is about to expand its outer envelope and to become a "red giant star" . It is quite different from stars like the Sun, which are only halfway through their active life. xi Hya is considerably more massive than any other star in which solar-like oscillations have so far been detected. This observational feat allows to study for the first time with seismic techniques the interior of such a highly evolved star. It paves the way for similar studies of different types of stars. A new chapter of stellar astrophysics is now opening as asteroseismology establishes itself as an ingenious method that is able to revolutionise our detailed understanding of stellar interiors and the overall evolution of stars . PR Photo 13a/02 : Oscillation frequencies in the Giant Star xi Hya PR Photo 13b/02 : Non-radial oscillations of xi Hya (computer graphics) PR Audio Clip 01/02 : Listen to the sound of xi Hya (RealMedia and MP3) The difficult art of asteroseismology Helioseismology (seismology of the Sun) is based on measurements of the changing radial velocity of the solar upper atmospheric layers (the "surface") by means of the well-known Doppler effect, as this surface moves up and down during acoustic oscillations. The corresponding amplitudes are very small, with velocities of up to 15 - 20 cm/sec, and the typical period is around 5 minutes. Therefore the phenomenon was first known as the "five-minute oscillations". Intensity measurements have also been tried, but the noise level is larger than for velocity data due to the presence of "granulation" (moving cells of hot gas) on the solar surface. In the case of larger and brighter stars like the giant stars, the corresponding amplitudes and periods increase. For instance, theoretical predictions for the giant star xi Hya have indicated that velocity amplitudes of about 7 m/sec and

A new spectroscopic calibration to determine Teff and [Fe/H] of FGK dwarfs and giants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teixeira G. D. C.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We present a new spectroscopic calibration for a fast estimate of Teff and [Fe/H] for FGK dwarfs and GK giant stars. We used spectra from a joint sample of 708 stars, composed by 451 FGK dwarfs and 257 GK-giant stars with homogeneously determined spectroscopic stellar parameters. We have derived 322 EW line-ratios and 100 FeI lines that can be used to compute Teff and [Fe/H], respectively. We show that these calibrations are effective for FGK dwarfs and GK-giant stars in the following ranges: 4500 K < Teff < 6500 K, 2.5 < log g < 4.9 dex, and –0.8 < [Fe/H] < 0:5 dex. The new calibration has a standard deviation of 74 K for Teff and 0.07 dex for [Fe/H]. We use four independent samples of stars to test and verify the new calibration, a sample of giant stars, a sample composed of Gaia FGK benchmark stars, a sample of GK-giant stars from the DR1 of the Gaia-ESO survey, and a sample of FGK-dwarf stars. We present a new computer code, GeTCal, for automatically producing new calibration files based on any new sample of stars.

Seeing red in M32: Constraints on the stellar content from near- and mid-infrared observations and applications for studies of more distant galaxies {sup ,} {sup ,}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davidge, T. J. [Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, National Research Council of Canada, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada)

2014-08-10

The properties of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Local Group galaxy M32 are investigated using ground- and space-based observations that span the 1-8 μm wavelength interval, with the goal of demonstrating the utility of infrared observations as probes of stellar content. Comparisons with isochrones indicate that the brightest resolved stars in M32 have ages of a few gigayears and are younger on average than AGB stars with the same intrinsic brightness in the outer disk of M31. Accounting for stellar variability is shown to be essential for modeling AGB luminosity functions (LFs). Model LFs that assume the star-forming history measured by Monachesi et al. and the variability properties of Galactic AGB stars match both the K and [5.8] LFs of M32. Models also suggest that the slope of the [5.8] LF between M{sub [5.8]} = –8.5 and –10.0 is sensitive to the mix of stellar ages, and a sizeable fraction of the stars in M32 must have an age older than 7 Gyr in order to match the [5.8] LF. The structural properties of M32 in the infrared are also investigated. The effective radii that are computed from near-infrared and mid-infrared isophotes are similar to those measured at visible wavelengths, suggesting that the stellar content of M32 is well mixed. However, isophotes at radii >16'' (>60 pc) in the near- and mid-infrared are flatter than those at visible wavelengths. The coefficient of the fourth-order cosine term in the Fourier expansion of isophotes changes from 'boxy' values at r < 16'' to 'disky' values at r > 48''in [3.6] and [4.5]. The mid-infrared colors near the center of M32 do not vary systematically with radius, providing evidence of a well mixed stellar content in this part of the galaxy.

Gamma-ray bursts from stellar remnants - Probing the universe at high redshift

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijers, R.A.M.J.; Bloom, J.S.; Bagla, J.S.; Natarajan, P.

1998-01-01

A gamma-ray burst (GRB) releases an amount of energy similar to that of a supernova explosion, which combined with its rapid variability suggests an origin related to neutron stars or black holes. Since these compact stellar remnants form from the most massive stars not long after their birth, GRBs

Hard photons a probe of the heavy ion collision dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schutz, Y.

1994-01-01

Heavy-ion collisions have proven to be a unique tool to study the nucleus in extreme states, with values of energy, spin and isospin far away from those encountered in the nucleus in its ground state. Heavy-ion collisions provide also the only mean to form and study in the laboratory nuclear matter under conditions of density and temperature which could otherwise only be found in stellar objects like neutron stars and super-novae. the goal of such studies is to establish the equation of state of nuclear matter and the method consist in searching the collective behaviour in which heavy-ion collisions differ from a superposition of many nucleon-nucleon collisions. Among the various probes of collective effects, like flow, multifragmentation, or subthreshold particles, we have selected hard photons because they provide, together with dileptons, the only unperturbed probe of a phase of the collision well localized in space and time. The origin of hard photons, defined as the photons building up the spectrum beyond the energy of the giant dipole resonance (E γ > 30∼MeV), is attributed predominantly to the bremsstrahlung radiation emitted incoherently in individual neutron-proton collisions. Their energy reflects the combination of the beam momentum and the momenta induced by the Fermi motion of the nucleons within the collision zone. Therefore, at intermediate energies, hard photons probe the dynamical phase space distribution of participant nucleons and they convey information on the densities reached in heavy-ion collisions, the size and life time of the dense photon source and the compressibility of nuclear matter. The techniques we have developed include intensity interferometry and exclusive measurements scanning with high resolution the whole range of impact parameters. The interpretation of our data is guided by dynamical phase space calculations of the BUU type

Stellar Velocity Dispersion: Linking Quiescent Galaxies to Their Dark Matter Halos

Science.gov (United States)

Zahid, H. Jabran; Sohn, Jubee; Geller, Margaret J.

2018-06-01

We analyze the Illustris-1 hydrodynamical cosmological simulation to explore the stellar velocity dispersion of quiescent galaxies as an observational probe of dark matter halo velocity dispersion and mass. Stellar velocity dispersion is proportional to dark matter halo velocity dispersion for both central and satellite galaxies. The dark matter halos of central galaxies are in virial equilibrium and thus the stellar velocity dispersion is also proportional to dark matter halo mass. This proportionality holds even when a line-of-sight aperture dispersion is calculated in analogy to observations. In contrast, at a given stellar velocity dispersion, the dark matter halo mass of satellite galaxies is smaller than virial equilibrium expectations. This deviation from virial equilibrium probably results from tidal stripping of the outer dark matter halo. Stellar velocity dispersion appears insensitive to tidal effects and thus reflects the correlation between stellar velocity dispersion and dark matter halo mass prior to infall. There is a tight relation (≲0.2 dex scatter) between line-of-sight aperture stellar velocity dispersion and dark matter halo mass suggesting that the dark matter halo mass may be estimated from the measured stellar velocity dispersion for both central and satellite galaxies. We evaluate the impact of treating all objects as central galaxies if the relation we derive is applied to a statistical ensemble. A large fraction (≳2/3) of massive quiescent galaxies are central galaxies and systematic uncertainty in the inferred dark matter halo mass is ≲0.1 dex thus simplifying application of the simulation results to currently available observations.

The Influence of Atomic Diffusion on Stellar Ages and Chemical Tagging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dotter, Aaron; Conroy, Charlie; Cargile, Phillip [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Asplund, Martin, E-mail: aaron.dotter@gmail.com [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT (Australia)

2017-05-10

In the era of large stellar spectroscopic surveys, there is an emphasis on deriving not only stellar abundances but also the ages for millions of stars. In the context of Galactic archeology, stellar ages provide a direct probe of the formation history of the Galaxy. We use the stellar evolution code MESA to compute models with atomic diffusion—with and without radiative acceleration—and extra mixing in the surface layers. The extra mixing consists of both density-dependent turbulent mixing and envelope overshoot mixing. Based on these models we argue that it is important to distinguish between initial, bulk abundances (parameters) and current, surface abundances (variables) in the analysis of individual stellar ages. In stars that maintain radiative regions on evolutionary timescales, atomic diffusion modifies the surface abundances. We show that when initial, bulk metallicity is equated with current, surface metallicity in isochrone age analysis, the resulting stellar ages can be systematically overestimated by up to 20%. The change of surface abundances with evolutionary phase also complicates chemical tagging, which is the concept that dispersed star clusters can be identified through unique, high-dimensional chemical signatures. Stars from the same cluster, but in different evolutionary phases, will show different surface abundances. We speculate that calibration of stellar models may allow us to estimate not only stellar ages but also initial abundances for individual stars. In the meantime, analyzing the chemical properties of stars in similar evolutionary phases is essential to minimize the effects of atomic diffusion in the context of chemical tagging.

Gravity modes as a way to distinguish between hydrogen- and helium-burning red giant stars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bedding, Timothy R.; Mosser, Benoit; Huber, Daniel

2011-01-01

Red giants are evolved stars that have exhausted the supply of hydrogen in their cores and instead burn hydrogen in a surrounding shell. Once a red giant is sufficiently evolved, the helium in the core also undergoes fusion. Outstanding issues in our understanding of red giants include...... uncertainties in the amount of mass lost at the surface before helium ignition and the amount of internal mixing from rotation and other processes. Progress is hampered by our inability to distinguish between red giants burning helium in the core and those still only burning hydrogen in a shell....... Asteroseismology offers a way forward, being a powerful tool for probing the internal structures of stars using their natural oscillation frequencies. Here we report observations of gravity-mode period spacings in red giants that permit a distinction between evolutionary stages to be made. We use high...

ON THE VALIDITY OF THE 'HILL RADIUS CRITERION' FOR THE EJECTION OF PLANETS FROM STELLAR HABITABLE ZONES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuntz, M.; Yeager, K. E.

2009-01-01

We challenge the customary assumption that the entering of an Earth-mass planet into the Hill radius (or multiples of the Hill radius) of a giant planet is a valid criterion for its ejection from the star-planet system. This assumption has widely been used in previous studies, especially those with an astrobiological focus. As intriguing examples, we explore the dynamics of the systems HD 20782 and HD 188015. Each system possesses a giant planet that remains in or crosses into the stellar habitable zone, thus effectively thwarting the possibility of habitable terrestrial planets. In the case of HD 188015, the orbit of the giant planet is almost circular, whereas in the case of HD 20782, it is extremely elliptical. Although it is found that Earth-mass planets are eventually ejected from the habitable zones of these systems, the 'Hill Radius Criterion' is identified as invalid for the prediction of when the ejection is actually occurring.

DWARFS GOBBLING DWARFS: A STELLAR TIDAL STREAM AROUND NGC 4449 AND HIERARCHICAL GALAXY FORMATION ON SMALL SCALES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martínez-Delgado, David; Rix, Hans-Walter; Macciò, Andrea V.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Arnold, Jacob A.; Brodie, Jean P.; Jay Gabany, R.; Annibali, Francesca; Fliri, Jürgen; Zibetti, Stefano; Van der Marel, Roeland P.; Aloisi, Alessandra; Chonis, Taylor S.; Carballo-Bello, Julio A.; Gallego-Laborda, J.; Merrifield, Michael R.

2012-01-01

A candidate diffuse stellar substructure was previously reported in the halo of the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 4449 by Karachentsev et al. We map and analyze this feature using a unique combination of deep integrated-light images from the BlackBird 0.5 m telescope, and high-resolution wide-field images from the 8 m Subaru Telescope, which resolve the nebulosity into a stream of red giant branch stars, and confirm its physical association with NGC 4449. The properties of the stream imply a massive dwarf spheroidal progenitor, which after complete disruption will deposit an amount of stellar mass that is comparable to the existing stellar halo of the main galaxy. The stellar mass ratio between the two galaxies is ∼1:50, while the indirectly measured dynamical mass ratio, when including dark matter, may be ∼1:10-1:5. This system may thus represent a 'stealth' merger, where an infalling satellite galaxy is nearly undetectable by conventional means, yet has a substantial dynamical influence on its host galaxy. This singular discovery also suggests that satellite accretion can play a significant role in building up the stellar halos of low-mass galaxies, and possibly in triggering their starbursts.

Stellar Initial Mass Function: Trends With Galaxy Mass And Radius

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Taniya

2017-06-01

There is currently no consensus about the exact shape and, in particular, the universality of the stellar initial mass function (IMF). For massive galaxies, it has been found that near-infrared (NIR) absorption features, which are sensitive to the ratio of dwarf to giant stars, deviate from a Milky Way-like IMF; their modelling seems to require a larger fraction of low mass stars. There are now increasing results looking at whether the IMF varies not only with galaxy mass, but also radially within galaxies. The SDSS-IV/MaNGA integral-field survey will provide spatially resolved spectroscopy for 10,000 galaxies at R 2000 from 360-1000nm. Spectra of early-type galaxies were stacked to achieve high S/N which is particularly important for features in the NIR. Trends with galaxy radius and mass were compared to stellar population models for a range of absorption features in order to separate degeneracies due to changes in stellar population parameters, such as age, metallicity and element abundances, with potential changes in the IMF. Results for 611 galaxies show that we do not require an IMF steeper than Kroupa as a function of galaxy mass or radius based on the NaI index. The Wing-Ford band hints towards a steeper IMF at large radii however we do not have reliable measurements for the most massive galaxies.

Asteroseismology of old open clusters with Kepler: direct estimate of the integrated red giant branch mass-loss in NGC 6791 and 6819

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miglio, A.; Brogaard, Karsten Frank; Stello, D.

2012-01-01

Mass-loss of red giant branch (RGB) stars is still poorly determined, despite its crucial role in the chemical enrichment of galaxies. Thanks to the recent detection of solar-like oscillations in G–K giants in open clusters with Kepler, we can now directly determine stellar masses...... for a statistically significant sample of stars in the old open clusters NGC 6791 and 6819. The aim of this work is to constrain the integrated RGB mass-loss by comparing the average mass of stars in the red clump (RC) with that of stars in the low-luminosity portion of the RGB [i.e. stars with L≲L(RC)]. Stellar...... masses were determined by combining the available seismic parameters νmax and Δν with additional photometric constraints and with independent distance estimates. We measured the masses of 40 stars on the RGB and 19 in the RC of the old metal-rich cluster NGC 6791. We find that the difference between...

Formation of new stellar populations from gas accreted by massive young star clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chengyuan; de Grijs, Richard; Deng, Licai; Geller, Aaron M; Xin, Yu; Hu, Yi; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André

2016-01-28

Stars in clusters are thought to form in a single burst from a common progenitor cloud of molecular gas. However, massive, old 'globular' clusters--those with ages greater than ten billion years and masses several hundred thousand times that of the Sun--often harbour multiple stellar populations, indicating that more than one star-forming event occurred during their lifetimes. Colliding stellar winds from late-stage, asymptotic-giant-branch stars are often suggested to be triggers of second-generation star formation. For this to occur, the initial cluster masses need to be greater than a few million solar masses. Here we report observations of three massive relatively young star clusters (1-2 billion years old) in the Magellanic Clouds that show clear evidence of burst-like star formation that occurred a few hundred million years after their initial formation era. We show that such clusters could have accreted sufficient gas to form new stars if they had orbited in their host galaxies' gaseous disks throughout the period between their initial formation and the more recent bursts of star formation. This process may eventually give rise to the ubiquitous multiple stellar populations in globular clusters.

STAR FORMATION IN DISK GALAXIES. III. DOES STELLAR FEEDBACK RESULT IN CLOUD DEATH?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tasker, Elizabeth J.; Wadsley, James; Pudritz, Ralph [Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1 (Canada)

2015-03-01

Stellar feedback, star formation, and gravitational interactions are major controlling forces in the evolution of giant molecular clouds (GMCs). To explore their relative roles, we examine the properties and evolution of GMCs forming in an isolated galactic disk simulation that includes both localized thermal feedback and photoelectric heating. The results are compared with the three previous simulations in this series, which consists of a model with no star formation, star formation but no form of feedback, and star formation with photoelectric heating in a set with steadily increasing physical effects. We find that the addition of localized thermal feedback greatly suppresses star formation but does not destroy the surrounding GMC, giving cloud properties closely resembling the run in which no stellar physics is included. The outflows from the feedback reduce the mass of the cloud but do not destroy it, allowing the cloud to survive its stellar children. This suggests that weak thermal feedback such as the lower bound expected for a supernova may play a relatively minor role in the galactic structure of quiescent Milky-Way-type galaxies, compared to gravitational interactions and disk shear.

STAR FORMATION IN DISK GALAXIES. III. DOES STELLAR FEEDBACK RESULT IN CLOUD DEATH?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasker, Elizabeth J.; Wadsley, James; Pudritz, Ralph

2015-01-01

Stellar feedback, star formation, and gravitational interactions are major controlling forces in the evolution of giant molecular clouds (GMCs). To explore their relative roles, we examine the properties and evolution of GMCs forming in an isolated galactic disk simulation that includes both localized thermal feedback and photoelectric heating. The results are compared with the three previous simulations in this series, which consists of a model with no star formation, star formation but no form of feedback, and star formation with photoelectric heating in a set with steadily increasing physical effects. We find that the addition of localized thermal feedback greatly suppresses star formation but does not destroy the surrounding GMC, giving cloud properties closely resembling the run in which no stellar physics is included. The outflows from the feedback reduce the mass of the cloud but do not destroy it, allowing the cloud to survive its stellar children. This suggests that weak thermal feedback such as the lower bound expected for a supernova may play a relatively minor role in the galactic structure of quiescent Milky-Way-type galaxies, compared to gravitational interactions and disk shear

Being WISE. I. Validating stellar population models and M */L ratios at 3.4 and 4.6 μm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norris, Mark A.; Meidt, Sharon; Van de Ven, Glenn; Schinnerer, Eva; Groves, Brent; Querejeta, Miguel

2014-01-01

Using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission, we have measured near infra-red (NIR) photometry of a diverse sample of dust-free stellar systems (globular clusters, dwarf and giant early-type galaxies) which have metallicities that span the range -2.2 < [Fe/H] (dex) < 0.3. This dramatically increases the sample size and broadens the metallicity regime over which the 3.4 (W1) and 4.6 μm (W2) photometry of stellar populations have been examined. We find that the W1 – W2 colors of intermediate and old (>2 Gyr) stellar populations are insensitive to the age of the stellar population, but that the W1 – W2 colors become bluer with increasing metallicity, a trend not well reproduced by most stellar population synthesis (SPS) models. In common with previous studies, we attribute this behavior to the increasing strength of the CO absorption feature located in the 4.6 μm bandpass with metallicity. Having used our sample to validate the efficacy of some of the SPS models, we use these models to derive stellar mass-to-light ratios in the W1 and W2 bands. Utilizing observational data from the SAURON and ATLAS3D surveys, we demonstrate that these bands provide extremely simple, yet robust stellar mass tracers for dust free older stellar populations that are freed from many of the uncertainties common among optical estimators.

Clustered star formation and the origin of stellar masses.

Science.gov (United States)

Pudritz, Ralph E

2002-01-04

Star clusters are ubiquitous in galaxies of all types and at all stages of their evolution. We also observe them to be forming in a wide variety of environments, ranging from nearby giant molecular clouds to the supergiant molecular clouds found in starburst and merging galaxies. The typical star in our galaxy and probably in others formed as a member of a star cluster, so star formation is an intrinsically clustered and not an isolated phenomenon. The greatest challenge regarding clustered star formation is to understand why stars have a mass spectrum that appears to be universal. This review examines the observations and models that have been proposed to explain these fundamental issues in stellar formation.

CHROMOSPHERIC MODELS AND THE OXYGEN ABUNDANCE IN GIANT STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dupree, A. K.; Avrett, E. H.; Kurucz, R. L., E-mail: dupree@cfa.harvard.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2016-04-10

Realistic stellar atmospheric models of two typical metal-poor giant stars in Omega Centauri, which include a chromosphere (CHR), influence the formation of optical lines of O i: the forbidden lines (λ6300, λ6363) and the infrared triplet (λλ7771−7775). One-dimensional semi-empirical non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) models are constructed based on observed Balmer lines. A full non-LTE formulation is applied for evaluating the line strengths of O i, including photoionization by the Lyman continuum and photoexcitation by Lyα and Lyβ. Chromospheric models (CHR) yield forbidden oxygen transitions that are stronger than those in radiative/convective equilibrium (RCE) models. The triplet oxygen lines from high levels also appear stronger than those produced in an RCE model. The inferred oxygen abundance from realistic CHR models for these two stars is decreased by factors of ∼3 as compared to values derived from RCE models. A lower oxygen abundance suggests that intermediate-mass AGB stars contribute to the observed abundance pattern in globular clusters. A change in the oxygen abundance of metal-poor field giants could affect models of deep mixing episodes on the red giant branch. Changes in the oxygen abundance can impact other abundance determinations that are critical to astrophysics, including chemical tagging techniques and galactic chemical evolution.

Asteroseismology of red giants from the first four months of Kepler data: Fundamental stellar parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallinger, Thomas; Mosser, Benoit; Hekker, Saskia

2010-01-01

identify the mode degree and the characteristic frequency separations between consecutive modes of the same spherical degree. In most cases, we can also measure the small separation between l = 0, 1, and 2 modes. Subsequently, the seismic parameters are used to estimate stellar masses and radii...

Kepler detected gravity-mode period spacings in a red giant star

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beck, P.G.; Bedding, T.R.; Mosser, B.; Stello, D.; Garcia, R.A.; Kallinger, T.; Hekker, S.; Elsworth, Y.; Frandsen, S.; Carrier, F.; de Ridder, J.; Aerts, C.; White, T.R.; Huber, D.; Dupret, M. A.; Montalban, J.; Miglio, A.; Noels, A.; Chaplin, W.J.; Kjeldsen, H.; Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Gilliland, R.L.; Brown, T.M.; Kawaler, S.D.; Mathur, S.; Jenkins, J.M.

2011-01-01

Stellar interiors are inaccessible through direct observations. For this reason, helioseismologists made use of the Sun’s acoustic oscillation modes to tune models of its structure. The quest to detect modes that probe the solar core has been ongoing for decades. We report the detection of mixed

Edge biasing in the WEGA stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lischtschenko, Oliver

2009-01-01

The WEGA stellarator is used to confine low temperature, overdense (densities exceeding the cut-off density of the heating wave) plasmas by magnetic fields in the range of B=50-500 mT. Microwave heating systems are used to ignite gas discharges using hydrogen, helium, neon or argon as working gases. The produced plasmas have been analyzed using Langmuir and emissive probes, a single-channel interferometer and ultra-high resolution Doppler spectroscopy. For a typical argon discharge in the low field operation, B=56 mT, the maximum electron density is n e ∝10 18 m -3 with temperatures in the range of T=4-12 eV. The plasma parameters are determined by using Langmuir probes and are cross-checked with interferometry. It is demonstrated within this work that the joint use of emissive probes and ultra-high resolution Doppler spectroscopy allows a precise measurement of the radial electric field. The focus of this work is on demonstrating the ability to modify the existing radial electric field in a plasma by using the biasing probe. This work commences with a basic approach and first establishes the diagnostic tools in a well-known discharge. Then the perturbation caused by the biasing probe is assessed. Following the characterization of the unperturbed plasmas, plasma states altered by the operation of the energized biasing probe are characterized. During biasing the plasma two different stable plasma states have been found. The two observed plasma states differ in plasma parameter profiles, such as density, temperature, electric field and confined energy. (orig.)

Surface effects on the red giant branch

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, W. H.; Themeßl, N.; Hekker, S.

2018-05-01

Individual mode frequencies have been detected in thousands of individual solar-like oscillators on the red giant branch (RGB). Fitting stellar models to these mode frequencies, however, is more difficult than in main-sequence stars. This is partly because of the uncertain magnitude of the surface effect: the systematic difference between observed and modelled frequencies caused by poor modelling of the near-surface layers. We aim to study the magnitude of the surface effect in RGB stars. Surface effect corrections used for main-sequence targets are potentially large enough to put the non-radial mixed modes in RGB stars out of order, which is unphysical. Unless this can be circumvented, model-fitting of evolved RGB stars is restricted to the radial modes, which reduces the number of available modes. Here, we present a method to suppress gravity modes (g-modes) in the cores of our stellar models, so that they have only pure pressure modes (p-modes). We show that the method gives unbiased results and apply it to three RGB solar-like oscillators in double-lined eclipsing binaries: KIC 8410637, KIC 9540226 and KIC 5640750. In all three stars, the surface effect decreases the model frequencies consistently by about 0.1-0.3 μHz at the frequency of maximum oscillation power νmax, which agrees with existing predictions from three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations. Though our method in essence discards information about the stellar cores, it provides a useful step forward in understanding the surface effect in RGB stars.

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...

Being WISE. I. Validating stellar population models and M {sub *}/L ratios at 3.4 and 4.6 μm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norris, Mark A.; Meidt, Sharon; Van de Ven, Glenn; Schinnerer, Eva; Groves, Brent; Querejeta, Miguel, E-mail: norris@mpia.de [Max Planck Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg (Germany)

2014-12-10

Using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission, we have measured near infra-red (NIR) photometry of a diverse sample of dust-free stellar systems (globular clusters, dwarf and giant early-type galaxies) which have metallicities that span the range -2.2 < [Fe/H] (dex) < 0.3. This dramatically increases the sample size and broadens the metallicity regime over which the 3.4 (W1) and 4.6 μm (W2) photometry of stellar populations have been examined. We find that the W1 – W2 colors of intermediate and old (>2 Gyr) stellar populations are insensitive to the age of the stellar population, but that the W1 – W2 colors become bluer with increasing metallicity, a trend not well reproduced by most stellar population synthesis (SPS) models. In common with previous studies, we attribute this behavior to the increasing strength of the CO absorption feature located in the 4.6 μm bandpass with metallicity. Having used our sample to validate the efficacy of some of the SPS models, we use these models to derive stellar mass-to-light ratios in the W1 and W2 bands. Utilizing observational data from the SAURON and ATLAS3D surveys, we demonstrate that these bands provide extremely simple, yet robust stellar mass tracers for dust free older stellar populations that are freed from many of the uncertainties common among optical estimators.

Asteroseismology of Red-Giant Stars: Mixed Modes, Differential Rotation, and Eccentric Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Paul G.

2013-12-01

Astronomers are aware of rotation in stars since Galileo Galilei attributed the movement of sunspots to rotation of the Sun in 1613. In contrast to the Sun, whose surface can be resolved by small telescopes or even the (protected) eye, we detect stars as point sources with no spatial information. Numerous techniques have been developed to derive information about stellar rotation. Unfortunately, most observational data allow only for the surface rotational rate to be inferred. The internal rotational profile, which has a great effect on the stellar structure and evolution, remains hidden below the top layers of the star - the essential is hidden to the eyes. Asteroseismology allows us to "sense" indirectly deep below the stellar surface. Oscillations that propagate through the star provide information about the deep stellar interiors while they also distort the stellar surface in characteristic patterns leading to detectable brightness or velocity variations. Also, certain oscillation modes are sensitive to internal rotation and carry information on how the star is spinning deep inside. Thanks to the unprecedented quality of NASA's space telescope Kepler, numerous detailed observations of stars in various evolutionary stages are available. Such high quality data allow that for many stars, rotation can not only be constrained from surface rotation, but also investigated through seismic studies. The work presented in this thesis focuses on the oscillations and internal rotational gradient of evolved single and binary stars. It is shown that the seismic analysis can reach the cores of oscillating red-giant stars and that these cores are rapidly rotating, while nested in a slowly rotating convective envelope.

Designs of Langmuir probes for W7-X

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laube, Ralph; Laux, Michael; Ye, Min You; Greuner, Henri; Lindig, Stefan

2011-01-01

Several designs of Langmuir probes for the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) are described. Different types of probes are proposed for the different divertors to be used during different operational phases of W7-X. Comb-like arrays of stiff probes, arrays of flexible probes, and fixed inlay probes are reviewed. For the initial phase of W7-X it was decided to install arrays of fixed inlay probes. Two mockups were manufactured and one of them was tested with success in the high heat flux test facility GLADIS. For long-pulse operation of W7-X different conceptual designs are proposed and are still developed further. This paper summarizes the different design constrains for the Langmuir probes in the different divertor surroundings, describes the design of the array of inlay probes for the initial phase and the result of the GLADIS test, and gives a preview of the conceptual designs of probes for the long-pulse operational phase of W7-X.

TIDAL STELLAR DISRUPTIONS BY MASSIVE BLACK HOLE PAIRS. II. DECAYING BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Xian; Liu, F. K.; Sesana, Alberto; Madau, Piero

2011-01-01

Tidal stellar disruptions have traditionally been discussed as a probe of the single, massive black holes (MBHs) that are dormant in the nuclei of galaxies. We have previously used numerical scattering experiments to show that three-body interactions between bound stars in a stellar cusp and a non-evolving 'hard' MBH binary will also produce a burst of tidal disruptions, caused by a combination of the secular 'Kozai effect' and by close resonant encounters with the secondary hole. Here, we derive basic analytical scalings of the stellar disruption rates with the system parameters, assess the relative importance of the Kozai and resonant encounter mechanisms as a function of time, discuss the impact of general relativistic (GR) and extended stellar cusp effects, and develop a hybrid model to self-consistently follow the shrinking of an MBH binary in a stellar background, including slingshot ejections and tidal disruptions. In the case of a fiducial binary with primary hole mass M 1 = 10 7 M sun and mass ratio q = M 2 /M 1 = 1/81, embedded in an isothermal cusp, we derive a stellar disruption rate N-dot * ∼ 0.2 yr -1 lasting ∼3 x 10 5 yr. This rate is three orders of magnitude larger than the corresponding value for a single MBH fed by two-body relaxation, confirming our previous findings. For q 10% of the tidal-disruption events may originate in MBH binaries.

MULTI-WAVELENGTH RADIO CONTINUUM EMISSION STUDIES OF DUST-FREE RED GIANTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Gorman, Eamon; Harper, Graham M.; Brown, Alexander; Drake, Stephen; Richards, Anita M. S.

2013-01-01

Multi-wavelength centimeter continuum observations of non-dusty, non-pulsating K spectral-type red giants directly sample their chromospheres and wind acceleration zones. Such stars are feeble emitters at these wavelengths, however, and previous observations have provided only a small number of modest signal-to-noise measurements slowly accumulated over three decades. We present multi-wavelength Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array thermal continuum observations of the wind acceleration zones of two dust-free red giants, Arcturus (α Boo: K2 III) and Aldebaran (α Tau: K5 III). Importantly, most of our observations of each star were carried out over just a few days, so that we obtained a snapshot of the different stellar atmospheric layers sampled at different wavelengths, independent of any long-term variability. We report the first detections at several wavelengths for each star including a detection at 10 cm (3.0 GHz: S band) for both stars and a 20 cm (1.5 GHz: L band) detection for α Boo. This is the first time single (non-binary) luminosity class III red giants have been detected at these continuum wavelengths. Our long-wavelength data sample the outer layers of α Boo's atmosphere where its wind velocity is approaching (or possibly has reached) its terminal value and the ionization balance is becoming frozen-in. For α Tau, however, our long-wavelength data are still sampling its inner atmosphere, where the wind is still accelerating probably due to its lower mass-loss rate. We compare our data with published semi-empirical models based on ultraviolet data, and the marked deviations highlight the need for new atmospheric models to be developed. Spectral indices are used to discuss the possible properties of the stellar atmospheres, and we find evidence for a rapidly cooling wind in the case of α Boo. Finally, we develop a simple analytical wind model for α Boo based on our new long-wavelength flux measurements

Multi-wavelength Radio Continuum Emission Studies of Dust-free Red Giants

Science.gov (United States)

O'Gorman, Eamon; Harper, Graham M.; Brown, Alexander; Dranke, Stephen; Richards, Anita M. S.

2013-01-01

Multi-wavelength centimeter continuum observations of non-dusty, non-pulsating K spectral-type red giants directly sample their chromospheres and wind acceleration zones. Such stars are feeble emitters at these wavelengths, however, and previous observations have provided only a small number of modest signal-to-noise measurements slowly accumulated over three decades. We present multi-wavelength Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array thermal continuum observations of the wind acceleration zones of two dust-free red giants, Arcturus (alpha Boo: K2 III) and Aldebaran (alpha Tau: K5 III). Importantly, most of our observations of each star were carried out over just a few days, so that we obtained a snapshot of the different stellar atmospheric layers sampled at different wavelengths, independent of any long-term variability. We report the first detections at several wavelengths for each star including a detection at 10 cm (3.0 GHz: S band) for both stars and a 20 cm (1.5 GHz: L band) detection for alpha Boo. This is the first time single (non-binary) luminosity class III red giants have been detected at these continuum wavelengths. Our long-wavelength data sample the outer layers of alpha Boo's atmosphere where its wind velocity is approaching (or possibly has reached) its terminal value and the ionization balance is becoming frozen-in. For alpha Tau, however, our long-wavelength data are still sampling its inner atmosphere, where the wind is still accelerating probably due to its lower mass-loss rate. We compare our data with published semi-empirical models based on ultraviolet data, and the marked deviations highlight the need for new atmospheric models to be developed. Spectral indices are used to discuss the possible properties of the stellar atmospheres, and we find evidence for a rapidly cooling wind in the case of alpha Boo. Finally, we develop a simple analytical wind model for alpha Boo based on our new long-wavelength flux measurements.

MULTI-WAVELENGTH RADIO CONTINUUM EMISSION STUDIES OF DUST-FREE RED GIANTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Gorman, Eamon; Harper, Graham M. [School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Brown, Alexander [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Drake, Stephen [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Richards, Anita M. S. [Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

2013-10-01

Multi-wavelength centimeter continuum observations of non-dusty, non-pulsating K spectral-type red giants directly sample their chromospheres and wind acceleration zones. Such stars are feeble emitters at these wavelengths, however, and previous observations have provided only a small number of modest signal-to-noise measurements slowly accumulated over three decades. We present multi-wavelength Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array thermal continuum observations of the wind acceleration zones of two dust-free red giants, Arcturus (α Boo: K2 III) and Aldebaran (α Tau: K5 III). Importantly, most of our observations of each star were carried out over just a few days, so that we obtained a snapshot of the different stellar atmospheric layers sampled at different wavelengths, independent of any long-term variability. We report the first detections at several wavelengths for each star including a detection at 10 cm (3.0 GHz: S band) for both stars and a 20 cm (1.5 GHz: L band) detection for α Boo. This is the first time single (non-binary) luminosity class III red giants have been detected at these continuum wavelengths. Our long-wavelength data sample the outer layers of α Boo's atmosphere where its wind velocity is approaching (or possibly has reached) its terminal value and the ionization balance is becoming frozen-in. For α Tau, however, our long-wavelength data are still sampling its inner atmosphere, where the wind is still accelerating probably due to its lower mass-loss rate. We compare our data with published semi-empirical models based on ultraviolet data, and the marked deviations highlight the need for new atmospheric models to be developed. Spectral indices are used to discuss the possible properties of the stellar atmospheres, and we find evidence for a rapidly cooling wind in the case of α Boo. Finally, we develop a simple analytical wind model for α Boo based on our new long-wavelength flux measurements.

STRUCTURE AND POPULATION OF THE ANDROMEDA STELLAR HALO FROM A SUBARU/SUPRIME-CAM SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Mikito; Chiba, Masashi; Komiyama, Yutaka; Iye, Masanori; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Kalirai, Jason S.

2010-01-01

We present a photometric survey of the stellar halo of the nearest giant spiral galaxy, Andromeda (M31), using Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope. A detailed analysis of VI color-magnitude diagrams of the resolved stellar population is used to measure properties such as line-of-sight distance, surface brightness, metallicity, and age. These are used to isolate and characterize different components of the M31 halo: (1) the giant southern stream (GSS); (2) several other substructures; and (3) the smooth halo. First, the GSS is characterized by a broad red giant branch (RGB) and a metal-rich/intermediate-age red clump (RC). The I magnitude of the well-defined tip of the RGB suggests that the distance to the observed GSS field is (m - M) 0 = 24.73 ± 0.11 (883 ± 45 kpc) at a projected radius of R ∼ 30 kpc from M31's center. The GSS shows a high metallicity peaked at [Fe/H]∼>-0.5 with a mean (median) of -0.7 (-0.6), estimated via comparison with theoretical isochrones. Combined with the luminosity of the RC, we estimate the mean age of its stellar population to be ∼8 Gyr. The mass of its progenitor galaxy is likely in the range of 10 7 -10 9 M sun . Second, we study M31's halo substructure along the northwest/southeast minor axis out to R ∼ 100 kpc and the southwest major-axis region at R ∼ 60 kpc. We confirm two substructures in the southeast halo reported by Ibata et al. and discover two overdense substructures in the northwest halo. We investigate the properties of these four substructures as well as other structures including the western shelf and find that differences in stellar populations among these systems, thereby suggesting each has a different origin. Our statistical analysis implies that the M31 halo as a whole may contain at least 16 substructures, each with a different origin, so its outer halo has experienced at least this many accretion events involving dwarf satellites with mass 10 7 -10 9 M sun since a redshift of z ∼ 1. Third, we

Triple Giant Resonance Excitations: A Microscopic Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanza, E.G.; Andres, M.V.; Catara, F.; Chomaz, Ph.; Fallot, M.; Scarpaci, J.A.

2007-01-01

We present, for the first time, microscopic calculations of inelastic cross sections of the triple excitation of giant resonances induced by heavy ion probes. We start from a microscopic approach based on RPA. The mixing of three-phonon states among themselves and with two- and one-phonon states is considered within a boson expansion with Pauli corrections. In this way we go beyond the standard harmonic approximations and get anharmonic excitation spectra. At the same time we also introduce non-linearities in the external field. The calculations are done by solving semiclassical coupled channel equations, the channels being superpositions of one-, two- and three-phonon states. Previous calculations for the Double Giant Resonance excitation show good agreement with experimental cross sections. The inclusion of the three phonon components confirms the previous results for the DGR and produces a strong increase in the Triple GR energy region

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...

Infrared Extinction and Stellar Populations in the Milky Way Midplane

Science.gov (United States)

Zasowski, Gail; Majewski, S. R.; Benjamin, R. A.; Nidever, D. L.; Skrutskie, M. F.; Indebetouw, R.; Patterson, R. J.; Meade, M. R.; Whitney, B. A.; Babler, B.; Churchwell, E.; Watson, C.

2012-01-01

The primary laboratory for developing and testing models of galaxy formation, structure, and evolution is our own Milky Way, the closest large galaxy and the only one in which we can resolve large numbers of individual stars. The recent availability of extensive stellar surveys, particularly infrared ones, has enabled precise, contiguous measurement of large-scale Galactic properties, a major improvement over inferences based on selected, but scattered, sightlines. However, our ability to fully exploit the Milky Way as a galactic laboratory is severely hampered by the fact that its midplane and central bulge -- where most of the Galactic stellar mass lies -- is heavily obscured by interstellar dust. Therefore, proper consideration of the interstellar extinction is crucial. This thesis describes a new extinction-correction method (the RJCE method) that measures the foreground extinction towards each star and, in many cases, enables recovery of its intrinsic stellar type. We have demonstrated the RJCE Method's validity and used it to produce new, reliable extinction maps of the heavily-reddened Galactic midplane. Taking advantage of the recovered stellar type information, we have generated maps probing the extinction at different heliocentric distances, thus yielding information on the elusive three-dimensional distribution of the interstellar dust. We also performed a study of the interstellar extinction law itself which revealed variations previously undetected in the diffuse ISM and established constraints on models of ISM grain formation and evolution. Furthermore, we undertook a study of large-scale stellar structure in the inner Galaxy -- the bar(s), bulge(s), and inner spiral arms. We used observed and extinction-corrected infrared photometry to map the coherent stellar features in these heavily-obscured parts of the Galaxy, placing constraints on models of the central stellar mass distribution.

Spectroscopy of chromospheric lines of giants in the globular cluster

Science.gov (United States)

Dupree, A. K.; Hartmann, Lee; Smith, Graeme H.; Rodgers, A. W.; Roberts, W. H.; Zucker, D. B.

1994-01-01

Spectroscopic observations of chromospheric transitions (Mg II, H-alpha, and Ca II K) from two red giants (A31 and A59) in the globular cluster NGC 6572 were made with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope and the coude spectrograph of the 1.9 m telescope at the Mount Stromlo Observatory. These measurements give evidence for chromospheric activity and outward motions within the atmospheres. The surface flux of the Mg II emission is comparable to that in disk population giants of similar (B-V) color. The Mg II profiles are asymmetric, which is most likely caused by absorption in an expanding stellar atmosphere and/or by possible interstellar features. Notches are found in the core of the H-alpha line of A59, which are similar to those found in Cepheids. This suggests that shocks are present in the atmosphere of A59 and indicates that hydrodynamic phenomena are influencing the levvel of chromospheric emission and producing upper atmospheric motions which may lead to mass loss.

Detecting Close-In Extrasolar Giant Planets with the Kepler Photometer via Scattered Light

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, J. M.; Doyle, L. R.; Kepler Discovery Mission Team

2003-05-01

NASA's Kepler Mission will be launched in 2007 primarily to search for transiting Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of solar-like stars. In addition, it will be poised to detect the reflected light component from close-in extrasolar giant planets (CEGPs) similar to 51 Peg b. Here we use the DIARAD/SOHO time series along with models for the reflected light signatures of CEGPs to evaluate Kepler's ability to detect such planets. We examine the detectability as a function of stellar brightness, stellar rotation period, planetary orbital inclination angle, and planetary orbital period, and then estimate the total number of CEGPs that Kepler will detect over its four year mission. The analysis shows that intrinsic stellar variability of solar-like stars is a major obstacle to detecting the reflected light from CEGPs. Monte Carlo trials are used to estimate the detection threshold required to limit the total number of expected false alarms to no more than one for a survey of 100,000 stellar light curves. Kepler will likely detect 100-760 51 Peg b-like planets by reflected light with orbital periods up to 7 days. LRD was supported by the Carl Sagan Chair at the Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, a division of the SETI Institute. JMJ received support from the Kepler Mission Photometer and Science Office at NASA Ames Research Center.

Exploring small bodies in the outer solar system with stellar occultations

Science.gov (United States)

Elliot, Jim L.; Dunham, Edward W.; Olkin, C. B.

1995-01-01

Stellar occultation observations probe the atmospheric structure and extinction of outer solar system bodies with a spatial resolution of a few kilometers, and an airborne platform allows the observation of occultations by small bodies that are not visible from fixed telescopes. Results from occultations by Triton, Pluto, and Chiron observed with KAO are discussed, and future directions for this program are presented.

Stellar feedback in galaxies and the origin of galaxy-scale winds

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, Philip F.; Quataert, Eliot; Murray, Norman

2012-04-01

Feedback from massive stars is believed to play a critical role in driving galactic super-winds that enrich the intergalactic medium and shape the galaxy mass function, mass-metallicity relation and other global galaxy properties. In previous papers, we have introduced new numerical methods for implementing stellar feedback on sub-giant molecular cloud (sub-GMC) through galactic scales in numerical simulations of galaxies; the key physical processes include radiation pressure in the ultraviolet through infrared, supernovae (Type I and Type II), stellar winds ('fast' O star through 'slow' asymptotic giant branch winds), and H II photoionization. Here, we show that these feedback mechanisms drive galactic winds with outflow rates as high as ˜10-20 times the galaxy star formation rate. The mass-loading efficiency (wind mass-loss rate divided by the star formation rate) scales roughly as ? (where Vc is the galaxy circular velocity), consistent with simple momentum-conservation expectations. We use our suite of simulations to study the relative contribution of each feedback mechanism to the generation of galactic winds in a range of galaxy models, from Small Magellanic Cloud like dwarfs and Milky Way (MW) analogues to z˜ 2 clumpy discs. In massive, gas-rich systems (local starbursts and high-z galaxies), radiation pressure dominates the wind generation. By contrast, for MW-like spirals and dwarf galaxies the gas densities are much lower and sources of shock-heated gas such as supernovae and stellar winds dominate the production of large-scale outflows. In all of our models, however, the winds have a complex multiphase structure that depends on the interaction between multiple feedback mechanisms operating on different spatial scales and time-scales: any single feedback mechanism fails to reproduce the winds observed. We use our simulations to provide fitting functions to the wind mass loading and velocities as a function of galaxy properties, for use in cosmological

Massive star populations in I Zw 18: A probe of stellar evolution in the early universe

OpenAIRE

Schaerer, Daniel; de Mello, Duilia; Leitherer, Claus; Heldmann, Jennifer

1998-01-01

We present a study of the gaseous and stellar emission in I Zw18, the most metal-poor star-forming galaxy known. Archival HST WFPC2 and FOS data have been used to analyze the spatial distribution of [OIII], Halpha, and HeII 4686. The latter is used to identify Wolf-Rayet stars found by ground-based spectroscopy and to locate nebular HeII emission. Most of the HeII emission is associated with the NW stellar cluster, displaced from the surrounding shell-like [OIII] and Halpha emission. We found...

The development of the red giant branch. II - Astrophysical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Sweigart, Allen V.; Greggio, Laura; Renzini, Alvio

1990-01-01

Evolutionary sequences developed in another paper are used here to investigate the properties of the red giant branch (RGB) phase transition. Results are found for compositions in the range Y(MS) between 0.20 and 0.30 and Z between 0.004 and 0.04. The transition mass M(HeF) increases as either Y(MS) decreases or Z increases. The stellar population transition age t(HeF) is virtually independent of composition and close to 0.6 Gyr. The RGB phase transition occurs almost abruptly over a mass range of only a few tenths of a solar mass or, equivalently, over a time interval of about 0.2 Gyr in the life of a stellar population. During the RGB phase transition the core mass Mc at helium ignition increases very rapidly by about 0.15 solar mass, while the luminosity at the tip of the RGB increases by about one order of magnitude. Absolute minima are found for the values of Mc and the RGB tip luminosity.

Library of Giant Planet Reflection Spectra for WFirst and Future Space Telescopes

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Adam J. R. W.; Fortney, Jonathan; Morley, Caroline; Batalha, Natasha E.; Lewis, Nikole K.

2018-01-01

Future large space space telescopes will be able to directly image exoplanets in optical light. The optical light of a resolved planet is due to stellar flux reflected by Rayleigh scattering or cloud scattering, with absorption features imprinted due to molecular bands in the planetary atmosphere. To aid in the design of such missions, and to better understand a wide range of giant planet atmospheres, we have built a library of model giant planet reflection spectra, for the purpose of determining effective methods of spectral analysis as well as for comparison with actual imaged objects. This library covers a wide range of parameters: objects are modeled at ten orbital distances between 0.5 AU and 5.0 AU, which ranges from planets too warm for water clouds, out to those that are true Jupiter analogs. These calculations include six metalicities between solar and 100x solar, with a variety of different cloud thickness parameters, and across all possible phase angles.

Violet and visual flux problems in red giant stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faulkner, D.R.

1989-01-01

Red giant stars are sites of many astrophysically interesting processes and are important links to late stages of stellar evolution and the chemical history of the galaxy. Much of what is known about stars comes from their spectra, which are formed in the outer layers (atmospheres). Unfortunately the low temperatures in red giant atmospheres promote the formation of many molecules, and the resultant complexity of the spectra has slowed progress in obtaining good models of these objects and leaves many unanswered questions. Several of these problems are investigated. Spectra of red giants provide a natural classification according to composition: M stars are oxygen rich, C stars are carbon rich, while S stars are intermediate. One long standing problem with C stars has been the explanation of the severe lack of energy flux in the violet and near ultraviolet part of their spectrum, generally attributed to an unusual opacity. Results show that one source, SiC, is untenable, while the case for the other, C3, is severely weakened. Synthetic spectra from atmospheric models are compared to spectra of TX Psc, a C star, to show that the contribution of thousands of atomic lines are probably responsible for the violet and ultraviolet flux deficiency. The agreement between the synthetic spectra and observations is very good. K and M type stars also have a violet flux deficiency, though it is less severe than with carbon stars

Cool WISPs for stellar cooling excesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2016-05-01

Several stellar systems (white dwarfs, red giants, horizontal branch stars and possibly the neutron star in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A) show a mild preference for a non-standard cooling mechanism when compared with theoretical models. This exotic cooling could be provided by Weakly Interacting Slim Particles (WISPs), produced in the hot cores and abandoning the star unimpeded, contributing directly to the energy loss. Taken individually, these excesses do not show a strong statistical weight. However, if one mechanism could consistently explain several of them, the hint could be significant. We analyze the hints in terms of neutrino anomalous magnetic moments, minicharged particles, hidden photons and axion-like particles (ALPs). Among them, the ALP or a massless HP represent the best solution. Interestingly, the hinted ALP parameter space is accessible to the next generation proposed ALP searches, such as ALPS II and IAXO and the massless HP requires a multi TeV energy scale of new physics that might be accessible at the LHC.

Cool WISPs for stellar cooling excesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giannotti, Maurizio; Irastorza, Igor; Redondo, Javier; Ringwald, Andreas

2016-01-01

Several stellar systems (white dwarfs, red giants, horizontal branch stars and possibly the neutron star in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A) show a mild preference for a non-standard cooling mechanism when compared with theoretical models. This exotic cooling could be provided by Weakly Interacting Slim Particles (WISPs), produced in the hot cores and abandoning the star unimpeded, contributing directly to the energy loss. Taken individually, these excesses do not show a strong statistical weight. However, if one mechanism could consistently explain several of them, the hint could be significant. We analyze the hints in terms of neutrino anomalous magnetic moments, minicharged particles, hidden photons and axion-like particles (ALPs). Among them, the ALP or a massless HP represent the best solution. Interestingly, the hinted ALP parameter space is accessible to the next generation proposed ALP searches, such as ALPS II and IAXO and the massless HP requires a multi TeV energy scale of new physics that might be accessible at the LHC.

DEEP MIXING IN EVOLVED STARS. II. INTERPRETING Li ABUNDANCES IN RED GIANT BRANCH AND ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmerini, S.; Busso, M.; Maiorca, E.; Cristallo, S.; Abia, C.; Uttenthaler, S.; Gialanella, L.

2011-01-01

We reanalyze the problem of Li abundances in red giants of nearly solar metallicity. After outlining the problems affecting our knowledge of the Li content in low-mass stars (M ≤ 3 M sun ), we discuss deep-mixing models for the red giant branch stages suitable to account for the observed trends and for the correlated variations of the carbon isotope ratio; we find that Li destruction in these phases is limited to masses below about 2.3 M sun . Subsequently, we concentrate on the final stages of evolution for both O-rich and C-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Here, the constraints on extra-mixing phenomena previously derived from heavier nuclei (from C to Al), coupled to recent updates in stellar structure models (including both the input physics and the set of reaction rates used), are suitable to account for the observations of Li abundances below A(Li) ≡ log ε(Li) ≅ 1.5 (and sometimes more). Also, their relations with other nucleosynthesis signatures of AGB phases (like the abundance of F, and the C/O and 12 C/ 13 C ratios) can be explained. This requires generally moderate efficiencies (M-dot -6 M sun yr -1 ) for non-convective mass transport. At such rates, slow extra mixing does not remarkably modify Li abundances in early AGB phases; on the other hand, faster mixing encounters a physical limit in destroying Li, set by the mixing velocity. Beyond this limit, Li starts to be produced; therefore, its destruction on the AGB is modest. Li is then significantly produced by the third dredge up. We also show that effective circulation episodes, while not destroying Li, would easily bring the 12 C/ 13 C ratios to equilibrium, contrary to the evidence in most AGB stars, and would burn F beyond the limits shown by C(N) giants. Hence, we do not confirm the common idea that efficient extra mixing drastically reduces the Li content of C stars with respect to K-M giants. This misleading appearance is induced by biases in the data, namely: (1) the difficulty

Looks like a duck, moves like a duck, but does it quack like a duck? Asteroseismology of red-giant stars in clusters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miglio, Andrea; Brogaard, Karsten Frank; Handberg, Rasmus

-loss dispersion.We will then show examples of how our analysis based on individual-mode frequencies, as opposed to average seismic parameters and scaling relations, allow us to determine with higher accuracy stellar properties, and to probe features in the deep stellar interior (i.e. acoustic glitches related...

On the observational characteristics of lithium-enhanced giant stars in comparison with normal red giants†

Science.gov (United States)

Takeda, Yoichi; Tajitsu, Akito

2017-08-01

While lithium is generally deficient in the atmosphere of evolved giant stars because of the efficient mixing-induced dilution, a small fraction of red giants show unusually strong Li lines indicative of conspicuous abundance excess. With the aim of shedding light on the origin of these peculiar stars, we carried out a spectroscopic study on the observational characteristics of 20 selected bright giants already known to be Li-rich from past studies, in comparison with the reference sample of a large number of normal late G-early K giants. Special attention was paid to clarifying any difference between the two samples from a comprehensive point of view (i.e., with respect to stellar parameters, rotation, activity, kinematic properties, 6Li/7Li ratio, and the abundances of Li, Be, C, O, Na, S, and Zn). Our sample stars are roughly divided into a “bump/clump group” and a “luminous group” according to their positions on the HR diagram. Regarding the former group [1.5 ≲ log (L/L⊙) ≲ 2 and M ∼ 1.5-3 M⊙], Li-enriched giants and normal giants appear practically similar in almost all respects except for Li, suggesting that surface Li enhancement in this group may be a transient episode which normal giants undergo at certain evolutionary stages in their lifetime. Meanwhile, those Li-rich giants belonging to the latter group [log (L/L⊙) ∼ 3 and M ∼ 3-5 M⊙] appear more anomalous in the sense that they tend to show higher rotation as well as higher activity, and that their elemental abundances (especially those derived from high-excitation lines) are apt to show apparent overabundances, though this might be due to a spurious effect reflecting the difficulty of abundance derivation in stars of higher rotation and activity. Our analysis confirmed considerable Be deficiency as well as absence of 6Li as the general characteristics of Li-rich giants under study, which implies that engulfment of planets is rather unlikely for the origin of Li-enrichment.

A high false positive rate for Kepler planetary candidates of giant stars using asterodensity profiling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sliski, David H.; Kipping, David M.

2014-01-01

Asterodensity profiling (AP) is a relatively new technique for studying transit light curves. By comparing the mean stellar density derived from the transit light curve to that found through an independent method, AP provides information on several useful properties such as orbital eccentricity and blended light. We present an AP survey of 41 Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs), with a single transiting candidate, for which the target star's mean stellar density has been measured using asteroseismology. The ensemble distribution of the AP measurements for the 31 dwarf stars in our sample shows excellent agreement with the spread expected if the KOIs were genuine and have realistic eccentricities. In contrast, the same test for the 10 giants in our sample reveals significant incompatibility at >4σ confidence. While extreme eccentricities could be invoked, this hypothesis requires four of the KOIs to contact their host star at periastron passage, including the recently claimed confirmation of Kepler-91b. After carefully examining several hypotheses, we conclude that the most plausible explanation is that the transiting objects orbit a different star to that measured with asteroseismology—cases we define as false-positives. Based on the AP distribution, we estimate a false-positive rate (FPR) for Kepler's giant stars with a single transiting object of FPR ≅ 70% ± 30%.

The Giant Flares of the Microquasar Cygnus X-3: X-Rays States and Jets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergei Trushkin

2017-11-01

Full Text Available We report on two giant radio flares of the X-ray binary microquasar Cyg X-3, consisting of a Wolf–Rayet star and probably a black hole. The first flare occurred on 13 September 2016, 2000 days after a previous giant flare in February 2011, as the RATAN-600 radio telescope daily monitoring showed. After 200 days on 1 April 2017, we detected a second giant flare. Both flares are characterized by the increase of the fluxes by almost 2000-times (from 5–10 to 17,000 mJy at 4–11 GHz during 2–7 days, indicating relativistic bulk motions from the central region of the accretion disk around a black hole. The flaring light curves and spectral evolution of the synchrotron radiation indicate the formation of two relativistic collimated jets from the binaries. Both flares occurred when the source went from hypersoft X-ray states to soft ones, i.e. hard fluxes (Swift/BAT 15–50 keV data dropped to zero, the soft X-ray fluxes (MAXI 2–10 keV data staying high, and then later, the binary came back to a hard state. Both similar giant flares indicated the unchanged mechanism of the jets’ formation in Cyg X-3, probably in conditions of strong stellar wind and powerful accretion onto a black hole.

The RAVE-on Catalog of Stellar Atmospheric Parameters and Chemical Abundances for Chemo-dynamic Studies in the Gaia Era

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casey, Andrew R.; Hawkins, Keith; Koposov, Sergey; Sanders, Jason; Gilmore, Gerry [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Hogg, David W. [Simons Center for Data Analysis, 160 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10010 (United States); Ness, Melissa; Rix, Hans-Walter [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Kordopatis, Georges; Kunder, Andrea; Steinmetz, Matthias; Enke, Harry [Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, D-14482 Potsdam (Germany); Zwitter, Tomaž; Matijevič, Gal [University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Freeman, Kenneth C.; Casagrande, Luca [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mount Stromlo Observatory, The Australian National University, ACT 2611 (Australia); Seabroke, George [Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, RH5 6NT (United Kingdom); Bienaymé, Olivier [Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l’Université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France); Bland-Hawthorn, Joss [Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Gibson, Brad K. [E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX (United Kingdom); and others

2017-05-01

The orbits, atmospheric parameters, chemical abundances, and ages of individual stars in the Milky Way provide the most comprehensive illustration of galaxy formation available. The Tycho- Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) will deliver astrometric parameters for the largest ever sample of Milky Way stars, though its full potential cannot be realized without the addition of complementary spectroscopy. Among existing spectroscopic surveys, the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) has the largest overlap with TGAS (≳200,000 stars). We present a data-driven re-analysis of 520,781 RAVE spectra using The Cannon . For red giants, we build our model using high-fidelity APOGEE stellar parameters and abundances for stars that overlap with RAVE. For main sequence and sub-giant stars, our model uses stellar parameters from the K2/EPIC . We derive and validate effective temperature T {sub eff}, surface gravity log g , and chemical abundances of up to seven elements (O, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Fe, and Ni). We report a total of 1,685,851 elemental abundances with a typical precision of 0.07 dex, a substantial improvement over previous RAVE data releases. The synthesis of RAVE-on and TGAS is the most powerful data set for chemo-dynamic analyses of the Milky Way ever produced.

Giant machine set to probe secrets of the universe

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

"Deep underground on the Franco-Swiss border someone will throw a switch next year to start one of the most ambitious experiments in history, probing the secrets of the universe and possibly finding new dimensions." (1 page)

Massive stellar content of some Galactic supershells

Science.gov (United States)

Kaltcheva, Nadejda; Golev, Valeri

2015-08-01

The giant Galactic H II regions provide a unique opportunity to study the OB-star influence on the surrounding interstellar matter. In this contribution, several multi-wavelength surveys (Wisconsin H-α Mapper Northern Sky Survey, Southern H-α Sky Survey Atlas, MSX Mid-IR Galactic Plane Survey, WISE All-Sky Data Release, CO survey of the Milky Way, and the Southern Galactic Plane HI Survey) are combined with available intermediate-band uvbyβ photometry to attempt a precise spatial correlation between the OB-stars and the neutral and ionized material. Our study is focused on the H I supershell GSH 305+01-24 in Centaurus, the Car OB2 supershell, the Cygnus star-forming complex and the GSH 224-01+24 shell toward the GMN 39/Seagull nebula region. We refine the massive stellar content of these star-forming fields and study the energetics of its interaction with the shells’ material.

ASPCAP: THE APOGEE STELLAR PARAMETER AND CHEMICAL ABUNDANCES PIPELINE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

García Pérez, Ana E.; Majewski, Steven R.; Shane, Neville; Sobeck, Jennifer; Troup, Nicholas [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4325 (United States); Prieto, Carlos Allende; Carrera, Ricardo; García-Hernández, D. A.; Zamora, Olga [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Holtzman, Jon A. [New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Shetrone, Matthew [University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, TX 79734 (United States); Mészáros, Szabolcs [ELTE Gothard Astrophysical Observatory, H-9704 Szombathely, Szent Imre Herceg St. 112 (Hungary); Bizyaev, Dmitry [Apache Point Observatory, P.O. Box 59, Sunspot, NM 88349-0059 (United States); Cunha, Katia [Observatório Nacional, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Johnson, Jennifer A.; Weinberg, David H. [Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Nidever, David L. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Schiavon, Ricardo P. [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead, Wirral CH41 1LD (United Kingdom); Smith, Verne V. [National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Bovy, Jo, E-mail: agp@iac.es [Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); and others

2016-06-01

The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) has built the largest moderately high-resolution ( R  ≈ 22,500) spectroscopic map of the stars across the Milky Way, and including dust-obscured areas. The APOGEE Stellar Parameter and Chemical Abundances Pipeline (ASPCAP) is the software developed for the automated analysis of these spectra. ASPCAP determines atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances from observed spectra by comparing observed spectra to libraries of theoretical spectra, using χ {sup 2} minimization in a multidimensional parameter space. The package consists of a fortran90 code that does the actual minimization and a wrapper IDL code for book-keeping and data handling. This paper explains in detail the ASPCAP components and functionality, and presents results from a number of tests designed to check its performance. ASPCAP provides stellar effective temperatures, surface gravities, and metallicities precise to 2%, 0.1 dex, and 0.05 dex, respectively, for most APOGEE stars, which are predominantly giants. It also provides abundances for up to 15 chemical elements with various levels of precision, typically under 0.1 dex. The final data release (DR12) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III contains an APOGEE database of more than 150,000 stars. ASPCAP development continues in the SDSS-IV APOGEE-2 survey.

ASPCAP: The APOGEE Stellar Parameter and Chemical Abundances Pipeline

Science.gov (United States)

García Pérez, Ana E.; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Holtzman, Jon A.; Shetrone, Matthew; Mészáros, Szabolcs; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Carrera, Ricardo; Cunha, Katia; García-Hernández, D. A.; Johnson, Jennifer A.; Majewski, Steven R.; Nidever, David L.; Schiavon, Ricardo P.; Shane, Neville; Smith, Verne V.; Sobeck, Jennifer; Troup, Nicholas; Zamora, Olga; Weinberg, David H.; Bovy, Jo; Eisenstein, Daniel J.; Feuillet, Diane; Frinchaboy, Peter M.; Hayden, Michael R.; Hearty, Fred R.; Nguyen, Duy C.; O'Connell, Robert W.; Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Wilson, John C.; Zasowski, Gail

2016-06-01

The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) has built the largest moderately high-resolution (R ≈ 22,500) spectroscopic map of the stars across the Milky Way, and including dust-obscured areas. The APOGEE Stellar Parameter and Chemical Abundances Pipeline (ASPCAP) is the software developed for the automated analysis of these spectra. ASPCAP determines atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances from observed spectra by comparing observed spectra to libraries of theoretical spectra, using χ2 minimization in a multidimensional parameter space. The package consists of a fortran90 code that does the actual minimization and a wrapper IDL code for book-keeping and data handling. This paper explains in detail the ASPCAP components and functionality, and presents results from a number of tests designed to check its performance. ASPCAP provides stellar effective temperatures, surface gravities, and metallicities precise to 2%, 0.1 dex, and 0.05 dex, respectively, for most APOGEE stars, which are predominantly giants. It also provides abundances for up to 15 chemical elements with various levels of precision, typically under 0.1 dex. The final data release (DR12) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III contains an APOGEE database of more than 150,000 stars. ASPCAP development continues in the SDSS-IV APOGEE-2 survey.

Giant machine set to probe secrets of the universe

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

"Deep underground on the Franco-Swiss border someone will throw a switch next year to start one of the most ambitious experiments in history, probing the secrets of the universe and possibly finding new dimensions." (2/3 page)

Spitzer SAGE-Spec: Near infrared spectroscopy, dust shells, and cool envelopes in extreme Large Magellanic Cloud asymptotic giant branch stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blum, R. D. [NOAO, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Srinivasan, S.; Kemper, F.; Ling, B. [Academia Sinica, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 11F of Astronomy-Mathematics Building, NTU/AS, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Volk, K. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2014-11-01

K-band spectra are presented for a sample of 39 Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) SAGE-Spec sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra exhibit characteristics in very good agreement with their positions in the near-infrared—Spitzer color-magnitude diagrams and their properties as deduced from the Spitzer IRS spectra. Specifically, the near-infrared spectra show strong atomic and molecular features representative of oxygen-rich and carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, respectively. A small subset of stars was chosen from the luminous and red extreme ''tip'' of the color-magnitude diagram. These objects have properties consistent with dusty envelopes but also cool, carbon-rich ''stellar'' cores. Modest amounts of dust mass loss combine with the stellar spectral energy distribution to make these objects appear extreme in their near-infrared and mid-infrared colors. One object in our sample, HV 915, a known post-asymptotic giant branch star of the RV Tau type, exhibits CO 2.3 μm band head emission consistent with previous work that demonstrates that the object has a circumstellar disk.

Spitzer SAGE-Spec: Near infrared spectroscopy, dust shells, and cool envelopes in extreme Large Magellanic Cloud asymptotic giant branch stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blum, R. D.; Srinivasan, S.; Kemper, F.; Ling, B.; Volk, K.

2014-01-01

K-band spectra are presented for a sample of 39 Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) SAGE-Spec sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra exhibit characteristics in very good agreement with their positions in the near-infrared—Spitzer color-magnitude diagrams and their properties as deduced from the Spitzer IRS spectra. Specifically, the near-infrared spectra show strong atomic and molecular features representative of oxygen-rich and carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, respectively. A small subset of stars was chosen from the luminous and red extreme ''tip'' of the color-magnitude diagram. These objects have properties consistent with dusty envelopes but also cool, carbon-rich ''stellar'' cores. Modest amounts of dust mass loss combine with the stellar spectral energy distribution to make these objects appear extreme in their near-infrared and mid-infrared colors. One object in our sample, HV 915, a known post-asymptotic giant branch star of the RV Tau type, exhibits CO 2.3 μm band head emission consistent with previous work that demonstrates that the object has a circumstellar disk.

Heavy ion beam probe investigations of plasma potential in ECRH and NBI in the TJ-II stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melnikov, A.V.; Eliseev, L.; Perfilov, S.V.; Chmyga, A.A.; Dreval, N.; Khrebtov, S.M.; Komarov, A.D.; Kozachok, A.S.; Krupnik, L.; Alonso, A.; Pablos, J.L. de; Cappa, A.; Fernandez, A.; Fuentes, C.; Hidalgo, C.; Liniers, M.; Pedrosa, M.A.

2005-01-01

Direct measurements of electric potential and its fluctuations are of a primary importance in magnetic confinement systems. The Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic is used in TJ-2 stellarator to study directly plasma electric potential profiles with spatial (up to 1cm) and temporal (up to 10 ∝s) resolution. The singly charged heavy ions Cs + with energies up to 125 keV are used to probe the plasma column from the edge to the core. Both ECRH and NBI heated plasmas (P ECRH = 200 - 400kW, P NBI = 400kW, E NBI = 28 kV) were studied. The significant improvement in the HIBP beam control system and the acquisition electronics leads us to increase the possibilities of the diagnostic. The most crucial one is the extension of the signal dynamic range, which allows us to have the reliable profiles from the plasma center to the plasma edge both in the high and low field side regions. Low density ECRH (n = 0.5-1.1.10 13 cm -3 ) plasmas in TJ-2 are characterised by core positive plasma potential of order of 500 - 1000 V and positive electric fields up to 50 V/cm. Edge radial electric fields remain positive at low densities and became negative at the threshold density that depends of plasma configuration. NBI plasmas are characterized by negative electric potential in the full plasma column and negative radial electric fields (in the range of 10 - 40 V/cm). The density rise during the NBI phase is accompanied by the decay of core plasma potential. When density is getting the level of n ∼ 2.0.10 13 cm -3 , the potential stops its evolution and remains constant. The evolution of plasma potential near density limit is under investigation. These observations, reported in different magnetic configurations, show the clear link between plasma potential and plasma density. (author)

A sample of potential disk hosting first ascent red giants

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Amy; Debes, John

2018-01-01

Observations of (sub)giants with planets and disks provide the first set of proof that disks can survive the first stages of post-main-sequence evolution, even though the disks are expected to dissipate by this time. The infrared (IR) excesses present around a number of post-main-sequence (PMS) stars could be due to a traditional debris disk with planets (e.g. kappa CrB), some remnant of enhanced mass loss (e.g. the shell-like structure of R Sculptoris), and/or background contamination. We present a sample of potential disk hosting first ascent red giants. These stars all have infrared excesses at 22 microns, and possibly host circumstellar debris. We summarize the characteristics of the sample to better inform the incidence rates of thermally emitting material around giant stars. A thorough follow-up study of these candidates would serve as the first step in probing the composition of the dust in these systems that have left the main sequence, providing clues to the degree of disk processing that occurs beyond the main-sequence.

Energetic Ion Loss Diagnostic for the Wendelstein 7-AS Stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darrow, D. S.; Werner, A.; Weller, A.

2000-01-01

A diagnostic to measure the loss of energetic ions from the Wendelstein 7-AS (W7-AS) stellarator has been built. It is capable of measuring losses of both neutral beam ions and energetic ions arising from ion cyclotron resonant heating. The probe can measure losses of both clockwise and counterclockwise-going energetic ions simultaneously, and accepts a wide range of pitch angles in both directions. Initial measurements by the diagnostic are reported

The Probe of Inflation and Cosmic Origins

Science.gov (United States)

Hanany, Shaul; Inflation Probe Mission Study Team

2018-01-01

The Probe of Inflation and Cosmic Origins will map the polarization of the cosmic microwave background over the entire sky with unprecedented sensitivity. It will search for gravity wave signals from the inflationary epoch, thus probing quantum gravity and constraining the energy scale of inflation; it will test the standard model of particle physics by measuring the number of light particles in the Universe and the mass of the neutrino; it will elucidate the nature of dark matter and search for new forms of matter in the early Universe; it will constrain star formation history over cosmic time; and it will determine the mechanisms of structure formation from galaxy cluster to stellar scales. I will review the status of design of this probe-scale mission.

The Role of Stellar Feedback on the Structure of the ISM and Star Formation in Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Grisdale, Kearn Michael

2017-08-01

Stellar feedback refers to the injection of energy, momentum and mass into the interstellar medium (ISM) by massive stars. This feedback owes to a combination of ionising radiation, radiation pressure, stellar winds and supernovae and is likely responsible both for the inefficiency of star formation in galaxies, and the observed super-sonic turbulence of the ISM. In this thesis, I study how stellar feedback shapes the ISM thereby regulating galaxy evolution. In particular, I focus on three key questions: (i) How does stellar feedback shape the gas density distribution of the ISM? (ii) How does feedback change or influence the distribution of the kinetic energy in the ISM? and (iii) What role does feedback play in determining the star formation efficiency of giant molecular clouds (GMCs)? To answer these questions, I run high resolution (Deltax 4.6 pc) numerical simulations of three isolated galaxies, both with and without stellar feedback. I compare these simulations to observations of six galaxies from The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) using power spectra, and I use clump finding techniques to identify GMCs in my simulations and calculate their properties. I find that the kinetic energy power spectra in stellar feedback- regulated galaxies, regardless of the galaxy's mass and size, show scalings in excellent agreement with supersonic turbulence on scales below the thickness of the HI layer. I show that feedback influences the gas density field, and drives gas turbulence, up to large (kiloparsec) scales. This is in stark contrast to the density fields generated by large-scale gravity-only driven turbulence (i.e. without stellar feedback). Simulations with stellar feedback are able to reproduce the internal properties of GMCs such as: mass, size and velocity dispersion. Finally, I demonstrate that my simulations naturally reproduce the observed scatter (3.5-4 dex) in the star formation efficiency per free-fall time of GMCs, despite only employing a simple Schmidt

X-rays from HD 100546- A Young Herbig Star Orbited by Giant Protoplanets

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Stephen

A protoplanetary system consisting of at least two giant planets has beendetected orbiting the young nearby Herbig Be star HD 100546. The inner protoplanet orbits inside a gap within 14 AU of the star and is exposed to strong stellar UV and X-ray radiation. The detection of very warm disk gas provides evidence that stellar heating is affecting physical conditions in the planet-forming environment. We obtained a deep 74 ksec X-ray observation of HD 100546 in 2015 with XMM-Newton yielding an excellent-quality spectrum. We propose here to analyze the XMM-Newton data to determine the X-ray ionization and heating rates in the disk. X-ray ionization and heating affect the thermal and chemical structure of the disk and are key parameters for constructing realistic planet formation models. We are requesting ADAP funding to support the analysis and publication of this valuable XMM-Newton data set, which is now in the public archive.

Measurement of the stellar (n,γ) cross section of the shortlived radioactive isotope 147Pm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerstenhoefer, T.W.

1993-05-01

During helium burning in the red giant phase of stellar evolution, nuclei with A>60 are produced by the slow neutron capture process (s-process). Starting from the iron group isotopes, the synthesis path works along the valley of beta stability by subsequent neutron captures and beta decays. An important feature of the s-process is the occurence of branchings in this path whenever unstable isotopes with half-lives comparable to the typical neutron capture time scale of about one year are encountered. The analysis of the corresponding abundance patterns can be used to derive estimates for the stellar neutron flux, temperature, and density. Quantitative branching analyses require reliable (n,γ) cross sections for the branch point nuclei. This report presents the first ever measured (n,γ) cross section for the branch point 147 Pm (t 1/2 =2.6 yr) in the neutron energy range 1 n 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be reaction that allowes to simulate a quasi-stellar neutron spectrum. To this end, the rf gas discharge ion source and optical components of the Karlsruhe 3.75 Van de Graaff accelerator were revised. Last but not least, the radiation hazard of the 147 Pm sample (180 GBq) had to be accounted for. In addition of the measurements on 147 Pm, the stellar (n,γ) cross section on its stable daughter, 147 Sm was also determined, mainly in order to verify the experimental technique with Moxon-Rae detectors. (orig.)

Spaser as a biological probe

Science.gov (United States)

Galanzha, Ekaterina I.; Weingold, Robert; Nedosekin, Dmitry A.; Sarimollaoglu, Mustafa; Nolan, Jacqueline; Harrington, Walter; Kuchyanov, Alexander S.; Parkhomenko, Roman G.; Watanabe, Fumiya; Nima, Zeid; Biris, Alexandru S.; Plekhanov, Alexander I.; Stockman, Mark I.; Zharov, Vladimir P.

2017-06-01

Understanding cell biology greatly benefits from the development of advanced diagnostic probes. Here we introduce a 22-nm spaser (plasmonic nanolaser) with the ability to serve as a super-bright, water-soluble, biocompatible probe capable of generating stimulated emission directly inside living cells and animal tissues. We have demonstrated a lasing regime associated with the formation of a dynamic vapour nanobubble around the spaser that leads to giant spasing with emission intensity and spectral width >100 times brighter and 30-fold narrower, respectively, than for quantum dots. The absorption losses in the spaser enhance its multifunctionality, allowing for nanobubble-amplified photothermal and photoacoustic imaging and therapy. Furthermore, the silica spaser surface has been covalently functionalized with folic acid for molecular targeting of cancer cells. All these properties make a nanobubble spaser a promising multimodal, super-contrast, ultrafast cellular probe with a single-pulse nanosecond excitation for a variety of in vitro and in vivo biomedical applications.

A STELLAR-MASS-DEPENDENT DROP IN PLANET OCCURRENCE RATES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulders, Gijs D.; Pascucci, Ilaria; Apai, Dániel

2015-01-01

The Kepler spacecraft has discovered a large number of planets with up to one-year periods and down to terrestrial sizes. While the majority of the target stars are main-sequence dwarfs of spectral type F, G, and K, Kepler covers stars with effective temperatures as low as 2500 K, which corresponds to M stars. These cooler stars allow characterization of small planets near the habitable zone, yet it is not clear if this population is representative of that around FGK stars. In this paper, we calculate the occurrence of planets around stars of different spectral types as a function of planet radius and distance from the star and show that they are significantly different from each other. We further identify two trends. First, the occurrence of Earth- to Neptune-sized planets (1-4 R ⊕ ) is successively higher toward later spectral types at all orbital periods probed by Kepler; planets around M stars occur twice as frequently as around G stars, and thrice as frequently as around F stars. Second, a drop in planet occurrence is evident at all spectral types inward of a ∼10 day orbital period, with a plateau further out. By assigning to each spectral type a median stellar mass, we show that the distance from the star where this drop occurs is stellar mass dependent, and scales with semi-major axis as the cube root of stellar mass. By comparing different mechanisms of planet formation, trapping, and destruction, we find that this scaling best matches the location of the pre-main-sequence co-rotation radius, indicating efficient trapping of migrating planets or planetary building blocks close to the star. These results demonstrate the stellar-mass dependence of the planet population, both in terms of occurrence rate and of orbital distribution. The prominent stellar-mass dependence of the inner boundary of the planet population shows that the formation or migration of planets is sensitive to the stellar parameters

SPECTROSCOPIC AND INTERFEROMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF NINE K GIANT STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baines, Ellyn K. [Remote Sensing Division, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Döllinger, Michaela P. [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Guenther, Eike W.; Hatzes, Artie P. [Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg (Germany); Hrudkovu, Marie [Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, Apartado de Correos 321, E-387 00 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands (Spain); Belle, Gerard T. van, E-mail: ellyn.baines@nrl.navy.mil [Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States)

2016-09-01

We present spectroscopic and interferometric measurements for a sample of nine K giant stars. These targets are of particular interest because they are slated for stellar oscillation observations. Our improved parameters will directly translate into reduced errors in the final masses for these stars when interferometric radii and asteroseismic densities are combined. Here, we determine each star’s limb-darkened angular diameter, physical radius, luminosity, bolometric flux, effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, and mass. When we compare our interferometric and spectroscopic results, we find no systematic offsets in the diameters and the values generally agree within the errors. Our interferometric temperatures for seven of the nine stars are hotter than those determined from spectroscopy with an average difference of about 380 K.

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

The parallel dynamics of drift wave turbulence in the WEGA stellarator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marsen, S; Endler, M; Otte, M; Wagner, F, E-mail: stefan.marsen@ipp.mpg.d [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, Wendelsteinstrasse 1, 17491 Greifswald (Germany)

2009-08-15

The three-dimensional structure of turbulence in the edge (inside the last closed flux surface) of the WEGA stellarator is studied focusing on the parallel dynamics. WEGA as a small stellarator with moderate plasma parameters offers the opportunity to study turbulence with Langmuir probes providing high spatial and temporal resolution. Multiple probes with radial, poloidal and toroidal resolution are used to measure density fluctuations. Correlation analysis is used to reconstruct a 3D picture of turbulent structures. We find that these structures originate predominantly on the low field side and have a three-dimensional character with a finite averaged parallel wavenumber. The ratio between the parallel and perpendicular wavenumber component is in the order of 10{sup -2}. The parallel dynamics are compared at magnetic inductions of 57 and 500 mT. At 500 mT, the parallel wavelength is in the order of the field line connection length 2{pi}R{iota}-bar. A frequency resolved measure of k{sub ||}/k{sub {theta}} shows a constant ratio in this case. At 57 mT the observed k{sub ||} is much smaller than at 500 mT. However, the observed small average value is due to an averaging over positive and negative components pointing parallel and antiparallel to the magnetic field vector.

PAndAS IN THE MIST: THE STELLAR AND GASEOUS MASS WITHIN THE HALOS OF M31 AND M33

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, Geraint F.; Braun, Robert; McConnachie, Alan W.; Irwin, Michael J.; Chapman, Scott C.; Ibata, Rodrigo A.; Martin, Nicolas F.; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Fardal, Mark; Dubinski, John; Widrow, Larry; Mackey, A. Dougal; Babul, Arif; Tanvir, Nial R.; Rich, Michael

2013-01-01

Large-scale surveys of the prominent members of the Local Group have provided compelling evidence for the hierarchical formation of massive galaxies, revealing a wealth of substructure that is thought to be the debris from ancient and ongoing accretion events. In this paper, we compare two extant surveys of the M31-M33 subgroup of galaxies: the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey of the stellar structure, and a combination of observations of the H I gaseous content, detected at 21 cm. Our key finding is a marked lack of spatial correlation between these two components on all scales, with only a few potential overlaps between stars and gas. The paucity of spatial correlation significantly restricts the analysis of kinematic correlations, although there does appear to be H I kinematically associated with the Giant Stellar Stream where it passes the disk of M31. These results demonstrate that different processes must significantly influence the dynamical evolution of the stellar and H I components of substructures, such as ram pressure driving gas away from a purely gravitational path. Detailed modeling of the offset between the stellar and gaseous substructures will provide a determination of the properties of the gaseous halos of M31 and M33.

PAndAS IN THE MIST: THE STELLAR AND GASEOUS MASS WITHIN THE HALOS OF M31 AND M33

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, Geraint F. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics A28, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Braun, Robert [CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710 (Australia); McConnachie, Alan W. [Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada); Irwin, Michael J.; Chapman, Scott C. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Ibata, Rodrigo A.; Martin, Nicolas F. [Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11, rue de l' Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg (France); Ferguson, Annette M. N. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Fardal, Mark [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9305 (United States); Dubinski, John [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 50 St. George Street, University of Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Widrow, Larry [Department of Physics, Queen' s University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 (Canada); Mackey, A. Dougal [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Cotter Road, Weston Creek, ACT 2611 (Australia); Babul, Arif [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6 (Canada); Tanvir, Nial R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Rich, Michael, E-mail: geraint.lewis@sydney.edu.au [Division of Astronomy, University of California, 8979 Math Sciences, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1562 (United States)

2013-01-20

Large-scale surveys of the prominent members of the Local Group have provided compelling evidence for the hierarchical formation of massive galaxies, revealing a wealth of substructure that is thought to be the debris from ancient and ongoing accretion events. In this paper, we compare two extant surveys of the M31-M33 subgroup of galaxies: the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey of the stellar structure, and a combination of observations of the H I gaseous content, detected at 21 cm. Our key finding is a marked lack of spatial correlation between these two components on all scales, with only a few potential overlaps between stars and gas. The paucity of spatial correlation significantly restricts the analysis of kinematic correlations, although there does appear to be H I kinematically associated with the Giant Stellar Stream where it passes the disk of M31. These results demonstrate that different processes must significantly influence the dynamical evolution of the stellar and H I components of substructures, such as ram pressure driving gas away from a purely gravitational path. Detailed modeling of the offset between the stellar and gaseous substructures will provide a determination of the properties of the gaseous halos of M31 and M33.

Unveiling the Low Surface Brightness Stellar Peripheries of Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Annette M. N.

2018-01-01

The low surface brightness peripheral regions of galaxies contain a gold mine of information about how minor mergers and accretions have influenced their evolution over cosmic time. Enormous stellar envelopes and copious amounts of faint tidal debris are natural outcomes of the hierarchical assembly process and the search for and study of these features, albeit highly challenging, offers the potential for unrivalled insight into the mechanisms of galaxy growth. Over the last two decades, there has been burgeoning interest in probing galaxy outskirts using resolved stellar populations. Wide-field surveys have uncovered vast tidal debris features and new populations of very remote globular clusters, while deep Hubble Space Telescope photometry has provided exquisite star formation histories back to the earliest epochs. I will highlight some recent results from studies within and beyond the Local Group and conclude by briefly discussing the great potential of future facilities, such as JWST, Euclid, LSST and WFIRST, for major breakthroughs in low surface brightness galaxy periphery science.

Origin of a bottom-heavy stellar initial mass function in elliptical galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekki, Kenji

2013-01-01

We investigate the origin of a bottom-heavy stellar initial mass function (IMF) recently observed in elliptical galaxies by using chemical evolution models with a non-universal IMF. We adopt the variable Kroupa IMF with the three slopes (α 1 , α 2 , and α 3 ) dependent on metallicities ([Fe/H]) and densities (ρ g ) of star-forming gas clouds and thereby search for the best IMF model that can reproduce (1) the observed steep IMF slope (α 2 ∼ 3, i.e., bottom-heavy) for low stellar masses (m ≤ 1 M ☉ ) and (2) the correlation of α 2 with chemical properties of elliptical galaxies in a self-consistent manner. We find that if the IMF slope α 2 depends on both [Fe/H] and ρ g , then elliptical galaxies with higher [Mg/Fe] can have steeper α 2 (∼3) in our models. We also find that the observed positive correlation of stellar mass-to-light ratios (M/L) with [Mg/Fe] in elliptical galaxies can be quantitatively reproduced in our models with α 2 ∝β[Fe/H] + γlog ρ g , where β ∼ 0.5 and γ ∼ 2. We discuss whether the IMF slopes for low-mass (α 2 ) and high-mass stars (α 3 ) need to vary independently from each other to explain a number of IMF-related observational results self-consistently. We also briefly discuss why α 2 depends differently on [Fe/H] in dwarf and giant elliptical galaxies.

Shedding light on the eccentricity valley: Gap heating and eccentricity excitation of giant planets in protoplanetary disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, David; Cumming, Andrew; Turner, Neal J.

2014-01-01

We show that the first order (non-co-orbital) corotation torques are significantly modified by entropy gradients in a non-barotropic protoplanetary disk. Such non-barotropic torques can dramatically alter the balance that, for barotropic cases, results in the net eccentricity damping for giant gap-clearing planets embedded in the disk. We demonstrate that stellar illumination can heat the gap enough for the planet's orbital eccentricity to instead be excited. We also discuss the 'Eccentricity Valley' noted in the known exoplanet population, where low-metallicity stars have a deficit of eccentric planets between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU compared to metal-rich systems. We show that this feature in the planet distribution may be due to the self-shadowing of the disk by a rim located at the dust sublimation radius ∼0.1 AU, which is known to exist for several T Tauri systems. In the shadowed region between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU, lack of gap insolation allows disk interactions to damp eccentricity. Outside such shadowed regions stellar illumination can heat the planetary gaps and drive eccentricity growth for giant planets. We suggest that the self-shadowing does not arise at higher metallicity due to the increased optical depth of the gas interior to the dust sublimation radius.

Shedding light on the eccentricity valley: Gap heating and eccentricity excitation of giant planets in protoplanetary disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsang, David; Cumming, Andrew [Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada); Turner, Neal J., E-mail: dtsang@physics.mcgill.ca [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2014-02-20

We show that the first order (non-co-orbital) corotation torques are significantly modified by entropy gradients in a non-barotropic protoplanetary disk. Such non-barotropic torques can dramatically alter the balance that, for barotropic cases, results in the net eccentricity damping for giant gap-clearing planets embedded in the disk. We demonstrate that stellar illumination can heat the gap enough for the planet's orbital eccentricity to instead be excited. We also discuss the 'Eccentricity Valley' noted in the known exoplanet population, where low-metallicity stars have a deficit of eccentric planets between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU compared to metal-rich systems. We show that this feature in the planet distribution may be due to the self-shadowing of the disk by a rim located at the dust sublimation radius ∼0.1 AU, which is known to exist for several T Tauri systems. In the shadowed region between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU, lack of gap insolation allows disk interactions to damp eccentricity. Outside such shadowed regions stellar illumination can heat the planetary gaps and drive eccentricity growth for giant planets. We suggest that the self-shadowing does not arise at higher metallicity due to the increased optical depth of the gas interior to the dust sublimation radius.

The distribution of stars around the Milky Way's central black hole. II. Diffuse light from sub-giants and dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Schödel, R.; Gallego-Cano, E.; Dong, H.; Nogueras-Lara, F.; Gallego-Calvente, A. T.; Amaro-Seoane, P.; Baumgardt, H.

2018-01-01

Context. This is the second of three papers that search for the predicted stellar cusp around the Milky Way's central black hole, Sagittarius A*, with new data and methods. Aims: We aim to infer the distribution of the faintest stellar population currently accessible through observations around Sagittarius A*. Methods: We used adaptive optics assisted high angular resolution images obtained with the NACO instrument at the ESO VLT. Through optimised PSF fitting we removed the light from all detected stars above a given magnitude limit. Subsequently we analysed the remaining, diffuse light density. Systematic uncertainties were constrained by the use of data from different observing epochs and obtained with different filters. We show that it is necessary to correct for the diffuse emission from the mini-spiral, which would otherwise lead to a systematically biased light density profile. We used a Paschen α map obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope for this purpose. Results: The azimuthally averaged diffuse surface light density profile within a projected distance of R ≲ 0.5 pc from Sagittarius A* can be described consistently by a single power law with an exponent of Γ = 0.26 ± 0.02stat ± 0.05sys, similar to what has been found for the surface number density of faint stars in Paper I. Conclusions: The analysed diffuse light arises from sub-giant and main-sequence stars with Ks ≈ 19-22 with masses of 0.8-1.5 M⊙. These stars can be old enough to be dynamically relaxed. The observed power-law profile and its slope are consistent with the existence of a relaxed stellar cusp around the Milky Way's central black hole. We find that a Nuker law provides an adequate description of the nuclear cluster's intrinsic shape (assuming spherical symmetry). The 3D power-law slope near Sgr A* is γ = 1.13 ± 0.03model ± 0.05sys. The stellar density decreases more steeply beyond a break radius of about 3 pc, which corresponds roughly to the radius of influence of the

A NEW GENERATION OF PARSEC-COLIBRI STELLAR ISOCHRONES INCLUDING THE TP-AGB PHASE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marigo, Paola; Aringer, Bernhard; Chen, Yang; Dussin, Marco; Nanni, Ambra; Pastorelli, Giada; Rodrigues, Thaíse S.; Trabucchi, Michele; Bladh, Sara; Montalbán, Josefina; Girardi, Léo; Bressan, Alessandro; Rosenfield, Philip; Dalcanton, Julianne; Groenewegen, Martin A. T.; Wood, Peter R.

2017-01-01

We introduce a new generation of PARSEC–COLIBRI stellar isochrones that includes a detailed treatment of the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase, covering a wide range of initial metallicities (0.0001 < Z i < 0.06). Compared to previous releases, the main novelties and improvements are use of new TP-AGB tracks and related atmosphere models and spectra for M and C-type stars; inclusion of the surface H+He+CNO abundances in the isochrone tables, accounting for the effects of diffusion, dredge-up episodes and hot-bottom burning; inclusion of complete thermal pulse cycles, with a complete description of the in-cycle changes in the stellar parameters; new pulsation models to describe the long-period variability in the fundamental and first-overtone modes; and new dust models that follow the growth of the grains during the AGB evolution, in combination with radiative transfer calculations for the reprocessing of the photospheric emission. Overall, these improvements are expected to lead to a more consistent and detailed description of properties of TP-AGB stars expected in resolved stellar populations, especially in regard to their mean photometric properties from optical to mid-infrared wavelengths. We illustrate the expected numbers of TP-AGB stars of different types in stellar populations covering a wide range of ages and initial metallicities, providing further details on the “C-star island” that appears at intermediate values of age and metallicity, and about the AGB-boosting effect that occurs at ages close to 1.6-Gyr for populations of all metallicities. The isochrones are available through a new dedicated web server.

A NEW GENERATION OF PARSEC-COLIBRI STELLAR ISOCHRONES INCLUDING THE TP-AGB PHASE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marigo, Paola; Aringer, Bernhard; Chen, Yang; Dussin, Marco; Nanni, Ambra; Pastorelli, Giada; Rodrigues, Thaíse S.; Trabucchi, Michele; Bladh, Sara; Montalbán, Josefina [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia Galileo Galilei, Università di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Girardi, Léo [Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova—INAF, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Bressan, Alessandro [SISSA, via Bonomea 365, I-34136 Trieste (Italy); Rosenfield, Philip [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Dalcanton, Julianne [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Groenewegen, Martin A. T. [Koninklijke Sterrenwacht van België, Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels (Belgium); Wood, Peter R. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Cotter Road, Weston Creek, ACT 2611 (Australia)

2017-01-20

We introduce a new generation of PARSEC–COLIBRI stellar isochrones that includes a detailed treatment of the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase, covering a wide range of initial metallicities (0.0001 < Z {sub i} < 0.06). Compared to previous releases, the main novelties and improvements are use of new TP-AGB tracks and related atmosphere models and spectra for M and C-type stars; inclusion of the surface H+He+CNO abundances in the isochrone tables, accounting for the effects of diffusion, dredge-up episodes and hot-bottom burning; inclusion of complete thermal pulse cycles, with a complete description of the in-cycle changes in the stellar parameters; new pulsation models to describe the long-period variability in the fundamental and first-overtone modes; and new dust models that follow the growth of the grains during the AGB evolution, in combination with radiative transfer calculations for the reprocessing of the photospheric emission. Overall, these improvements are expected to lead to a more consistent and detailed description of properties of TP-AGB stars expected in resolved stellar populations, especially in regard to their mean photometric properties from optical to mid-infrared wavelengths. We illustrate the expected numbers of TP-AGB stars of different types in stellar populations covering a wide range of ages and initial metallicities, providing further details on the “C-star island” that appears at intermediate values of age and metallicity, and about the AGB-boosting effect that occurs at ages close to 1.6-Gyr for populations of all metallicities. The isochrones are available through a new dedicated web server.

Lithium abundances and metallicities in stars near the main-sequence turnoff and a giant in M67

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia Lopez, R.J.; Rebolo, R.; Beckman, J.E.

1988-01-01

The iron abundance of seven stars near the main-sequence (MS) turnoff and a giant in M67 are spectroscopically derived, and the results are discussed. The resulting mean iron abundance of the turnoff stars is (Fe/H) = 0.04 + or - 0.04. Taken together with previous determinations for younger clusters, this shows that there has been relatively little change of the iron abundance in the solar neighborhood during the last 5 Gyr. Lithium was detected in one unevolved star and marginally in the giant, while in the other MS stars only upper limits were found. The considerable differences in Li abundances for stars with similar surface temperature imply that there is at least one parameter affecting Li depletion apart from stellar mass and metallicity. Nonsimultaneous star formation in the cluster cloud explain the scatter in lithium abundances. 50 references

Stellar Feedback in Massive Star-Forming Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Jack; Pellegrini, Eric; Ferland, Gary; Murray, Norm; Hanson, Margaret

2008-02-01

Star formation rates and chemical evolution are controlled in part by the interaction of stellar radiation and winds with the remnant molecular gas from which the stars have formed. We are carrying out a detailed, panchromatic study in the two nearest giant star-forming regions to nail down the physics that produces the 10-20 parsec bubbles seen to surround young massive clusters in the Milky Way. This will determine if and how the clusters disrupt their natal giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Here we request 4 nights on the Blanco telescope to obtain dense grids of optical long-slit spectra criss-crossing each nebula. These will cover the [S II] doublet (to measure N_e) and also [O III], H(beta), [O I], H(alpha) and [N II] to measure the ionization mechanism and ionization parameter, at ~3000 different spots in each nebula. From this we can determine a number of dynamically important quantities, such as the gas density and temperature, hence pressure in and around these bubbles. These quantities can be compared to the dynamical (gravitationally induced) pressure, and the radiation pressure. All can be employed in dynamical models for the evolution of a GMC under the influence of an embedded massive star cluster. This research will elucidate the detailed workings of the star-forming regions which dominate the star formation rate in the Milky Way, and also will steadily improve our calibration and understanding of more distant, less well-resolved objects such as ULIRGS, Lyman break, and submillimeter galaxies.

Giant grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitch-Devlin, M.A.; Millar, T.J.; Williams, D.A.

1976-01-01

Infrared observations of the Orion nebula have been interpreted by Rowan-Robinson (1975) to imply the existence of 'giant' grains, radius approximately 10 -2 cm, throughout a volume about a parsec in diameter. Although Rowan-Robinson's model of the nebula has been criticized and the presence of such grains in Orion is disputed, the proposition is accepted, that they exist, and in this paper situations in which giant grains could arise are examined. It is found that, while a giant-grain component to the interstellar grain density may exist, it is difficult to understand how giant grains arise to the extent apparently required by the Orion nebula model. (Auth.)

The Hot Stellar Content and HB morphology of the massive globular cluster G1

Science.gov (United States)

Rich, R.

2010-09-01

We propose to obtain deep WFC3 imagery of the Local Group's most luminous globular cluster, G1. Our primary aim is to define the hot stellar content and the extent of what appears to be a multimodal horizontal branch, analogous to those known in Omega Cen and NGC 2808. G1 is 40 kpc distant in the M31, and it would have been highly unlikely that collision with a giant molecular clould would be responsible for the complex populations which must therefore be the result of self-enrichment. We will obtain data very similar to those obtained for the known Galactic multimodal globular clusters NGC 6388 and 6441, and compare the stellar distribution on the horizontal branch with models. We can constrain the fraction of helium-enriched stars, if present, and search for supra-horizontal branch and other anomalous hot, evolved, stars. Parallel ACS observations will be the deepest ever obtained in the adjacnt field to G1, and will help to constrain whether G1 was the nucleus of a now disrupted galaxy.

IS DUST FORMING ON THE RED GIANT BRANCH IN 47 Tuc?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, Martha L.; Gordon, Karl D.; Meixner, Margaret; Sewilo, Marta; Shiao, Bernie; Van Loon, Jacco Th.; McDonald, Iain; Babler, Brian; Bracker, Steve; Meade, Marilyn; Block, Miwa; Engelbracht, Charles; Misselt, Karl; Hora, Joe; Indebetouw, Remy; Whitney, Barbara

2010-01-01

Using Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) observations from the SAGE-SMC Legacy program and archived Spitzer IRAC data, we investigate dust production in 47 Tuc, a nearby massive Galactic globular cluster. A previous study detected infrared excess, indicative of circumstellar dust, in a large population of stars in 47 Tuc, spanning the entire red giant branch (RGB). We show that those results suffered from effects caused by stellar blending and imaging artifacts and that it is likely that no stars below ∼1 mag from the tip of the RGB are producing dust. The only stars that appear to harbor dust are variable stars, which are also the coolest and most luminous stars in the cluster.

Heavy impurity collection at the plasma edge of the stellarator W VII A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schou, J.

1981-12-01

The presence of impurities at the plasma edge of the Wendelstein VII-A stellarator was studied by means of carbon probes that were exposed to up to 200 plasma discharges in helium. The probes were subsequently analysed with 1 MeV 4 He + Rutherford Backscattering. The average impurity deposition for Ti, Mo and wall components (Fe, Cr, Ni) was 2-4 x 10 12 atoms/cm 2 , 6 x 10 10 atoms/cm 2 and 1 x 10 11 atoms/cm 2 per discharge, respectively. With the exception of Ti this impurity deposition is more than one order of magnitude smaller than the corresponding results from comparable tokamaks. (orig.)

A PETAL OF THE SUNFLOWER: PHOTOMETRY OF THE STELLAR TIDAL STREAM IN THE HALO OF MESSIER 63 (NGC 5055)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chonis, Taylor S.; Martínez-Delgado, David; Gabany, R. Jay; Majewski, Steven R.; Hill, Gary J.; Gralak, Ray; Trujillo, Ignacio

2011-01-01

We present deep surface photometry of a very faint, giant arc-loop feature in the halo of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 5055 (M63) that is consistent with being a part of a stellar stream resulting from the disruption of a dwarf satellite galaxy. This faint feature was first detected in early photographic studies by van der Kruit; more recently, in the study of Martínez-Delgado and as presented in this work, from the loop has been realized to be the result of a recent minor merger through evidence obtained by wide-field, deep images taken with a telescope of only 0.16 m aperture. The stellar stream is clearly confirmed in additional deep images taken with the 0.5 m telescope of the BlackBird Remote Observatory and the 0.8 m telescope of the McDonald Observatory. This low surface brightness (μ R ≈ 26 mag arcsec –2 ) arc-like structure around the disk of the galaxy extends 14.'0 (∼29 kpc projected) from its center, with a projected width of 1.'6 (∼3.3 kpc). The stream's morphology is consistent with that of the visible part of a giant, 'great-circle' type stellar stream originating from the recent accretion of a ∼10 8 M ☉ dwarf satellite in the last few Gyr. The progenitor satellite's current position and final fate are not conclusive from our data. The color of the stream's stars is consistent with dwarfs in the Local Group and is similar to the outer faint regions of M63's disk and stellar halo. From our photometric study, we detect other low surface brightness 'plumes'; some of these may be extended spiral features related to the galaxy's complex spiral structure, and others may be tidal debris associated with the disruption of the galaxy's outer stellar disk as a result of the accretion event. We are able to differentiate between features related to the tidal stream and faint, blue extended features in the outskirts of the galaxy's disk previously detected by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite. With its highly warped H I gaseous disk (∼20�

Properties of minimum-flux coronae in dwarfs and giants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullan, D.J.

1976-01-01

Using a method due to Hearn, we examine the properties of minimum-flux coronae in dwarfs and giants. If the fraction phi of the total stellar luminosity which is used to heat the corona is equal to the solar value phi/sub s/, then red dwarfs must have coronae that are cooler than the solar corona: in UV Ceti, for example, the coronal temperature is a factor 3 less than in the Sun. This is consistent with an independent estimate of coronal temperature in a flare star. If phi=phi/sub s/, main-sequence stars hotter than the Sun have coronae which are hotter than the solar corona. Soft X-rays from Sirius suggest that the coronal temperature in Sirius is indeed hotter than the Sun by a factor of about 40 percent. Giants show an even more marked decrease in coronal temperature at later spectral type than do the dwarfs. We suggest that the reason for the presence of O V emission in β Gem and O VI emission in α Aur, and the absence of O V emission in α Boo and α Tau, is that the coronae in the latter two stars are cooler (rather than hotter, as McClintock et al. have suggested) than in the former two. Our results explain why it is more likely that mass loss has been detected in α Aur and α Boo, but not in α Tau or β Gem. Using a simple flare model, we show that flares in both a dwarf star (UV Ceti) and a giant (α Aur) were initiated not in the corona, but in the transition region

The fundamentals of stellar astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, G.W. II.

1989-01-01

A broad overview of theoretical stellar astrophysics is presented in a textbook intended for graduate students. Chapters are devoted to fundamental principles, assumptions, theorems, and polytropes; energy sources and sinks; the flow of energy through the star and the construction of stellar models; the theory of stellar evolution; relativistic stellar structure; the structure of distorted stars; stellar pulsation and oscillation. Also discussed are the flow of radiation through the stellar atmosphere, the solution of the radiative-transfer equation, the environment of the radiation field, the construction of a stellar model atmosphere, the formation and shape of spectral lines, LTE breakdown, illuminated and extended stellar atmospheres, and the transfer of polarized radiation. Diagrams, graphs, and sample problems are provided. 164 refs

Precision Distances with the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Method

Science.gov (United States)

Beaton, Rachael Lynn; Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program Team

2018-01-01

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program aims to construct a distance ladder that utilizes old stellar populations in the outskirts of galaxies to produce a high precision measurement of the Hubble Constant that is independent of Cepheids. The CCHP uses the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method, which is a statistical measurement technique that utilizes the termination of the red giant branch. Two innovations combine to make the TRGB a competitive route to the Hubble Constant (i) the large-scale measurement of trigonometric parallax by the Gaia mission and (ii) the development of both precise and accurate means of determining the TRGB in both nearby (~1 Mpc) and distant (~20 Mpc) galaxies. Here I will summarize our progress in developing these standardized techniques, focusing on both our edge-detection algorithm and our field selection strategy. Using these methods, the CCHP has determined equally precise (~2%) distances to galaxies in the Local Group (< 1 Mpc) and across the Local Volume (< 20 Mpc). The TRGB is, thus, an incredibly powerful and straightforward means to determine distances to galaxies of any Hubble Type and, thus, has enormous potential for putting any number of astrophyiscal phenomena on absolute units.

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martineau-Huynh Olivier

2016-01-01

Full Text Available High-energy neutrino astronomy will probe the working of the most violent phenomena in the Universe. The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND project consists of an array of ∼ 105 radio antennas deployed over ∼ 200 000 km2 in a mountainous site. It aims at detecting high-energy neutrinos via the measurement of air showers induced by the decay in the atmosphere of τ leptons produced by the interaction of cosmic neutrinos under the Earth surface. Our objective with GRAND is to reach a neutrino sensitivity of 5 × 10−11E−2 GeV−1 cm−2 s−1 sr−1 above 3 × 1016 eV. This sensitivity ensures the detection of cosmogenic neutrinos in the most pessimistic source models, and up to 100 events per year are expected for the standard models. GRAND would also probe the neutrino signals produced at the potential sources of UHECRs.

THE AGE OF THE YOUNG BULGE-LIKE POPULATION IN THE STELLAR SYSTEM TERZAN 5: LINKING THE GALACTIC BULGE TO THE HIGH- Z UNIVERSE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferraro, F. R.; Dalessandro, E.; Lanzoni, B.; Mucciarelli, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, I–40127 Bologna (Italy); Massari, D. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani, 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Origlia, L. [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Gröningen, Kapteyn Astron Institute, NL-9747 AD Gröningen (Netherlands); Rich, R. M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 430 Portola Plaza, Box 951547, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)

2016-09-10

The Galactic bulge is dominated by an old, metal-rich stellar population. The possible presence and the amount of a young (a few gigayears old) minor component is one of the major issues debated in the literature. Recently, the bulge stellar system Terzan 5 was found to harbor three sub-populations with iron content varying by more than one order of magnitude (from 0.2 up to two times the solar value), with chemical abundance patterns strikingly similar to those observed in bulge field stars. Here we report on the detection of two distinct main-sequence turnoff points in Terzan 5, providing the age of the two main stellar populations: 12 Gyr for the (dominant) sub-solar component and 4.5 Gyr for the component at super-solar metallicity. This discovery classifies Terzan 5 as a site in the Galactic bulge where multiple bursts of star formation occurred, thus suggesting a quite massive progenitor possibly resembling the giant clumps observed in star-forming galaxies at high redshifts. This connection opens a new route of investigation into the formation process and evolution of spheroids and their stellar content.

Lithium in Open Cluster Red Giants Hosting Substellar Companions

Science.gov (United States)

Carlberg, Joleen K.; Smith, Verne V.; Cunha, Katia; Carpenter, Kenneth G.

2016-02-01

We have measured stellar parameters, [Fe/H], lithium abundances, rotation, and 12C/13C in a small sample of red giants (RGs) in three open clusters that are each home to a RG star that hosts a substellar companion (SSC) (NGC 2423 3, NGC 4349 127, and BD+12 1917 in M67). Our goal is to explore whether the presence of SSCs influences the Li content. Both 12C/13C and stellar rotation are measured as additional tracers of stellar mixing. One of the companion hosts, NGC 2423 3, is found to be Li-rich with A(Li){}{{NLTE}} = 1.56 dex, and this abundance is significantly higher than the A(Li) of the two comparison stars in NGC 2423. All three SSC hosts have the highest A(Li) and 12C/13C when compared to the control RGs in their respective clusters; however, except for NGC 2423 3, at least one control star has similarly high abundances within the uncertainties. Higher A(Li) could suggest that the formation or presence of planets plays a role in the degree of internal mixing on or before the RG branch. However, a multitude of factors affect A(Li) during the RG phase, and when the abundances of our sample are compared with the abundances of RGs in other open clusters available in the literature, we find that they all fall well within a much larger distribution of A(Li) and 12C/13C. Thus, even the high Li in NGC 2423 3 cannot be concretely tied to the presence of the SSC.

Hα ACTIVITY OF OLD M DWARFS: STELLAR CYCLES AND MEAN ACTIVITY LEVELS FOR 93 LOW-MASS STARS IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, Paul; Endl, Michael; Cochran, William D.; Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.

2013-01-01

Through the McDonald Observatory M Dwarf Planet Search, we have acquired nearly 3000 high-resolution spectra of 93 late-type (K5-M5) stars over more than a decade using the High Resolution Spectrograph on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. This sample provides a unique opportunity to investigate the occurrence of long-term stellar activity cycles for low-mass stars. In this paper, we examine the stellar activity of our targets as reflected in the Hα feature. We have identified periodic signals for six stars, with periods ranging from days to more than 10 years, and find long-term trends for seven others. Stellar cycles with P ≥ 1 year are present for at least 5% of our targets. Additionally, we present an analysis of the time-averaged activity levels of our sample, and search for correlations with other stellar properties. In particular, we find that more massive, earlier type (M0-M2) stars tend to be more active than later type dwarfs. Furthermore, high-metallicity stars tend to be more active at a given stellar mass. We also evaluate Hα variability as a tracer of activity-induced radial velocity (RV) variation. For the M dwarf GJ 1170, Hα variation reveals stellar activity patterns matching those seen in the RVs, mimicking the signal of a giant planet, and we find evidence that the previously identified stellar activity cycle of GJ 581 may be responsible for the recently retracted planet f in that system. In general, though, we find that Hα is not frequently correlated with RV at the precision (typically 6-7 m s –1 ) of our measurements.

GASEOUS MEAN OPACITIES FOR GIANT PLANET AND ULTRACOOL DWARF ATMOSPHERES OVER A RANGE OF METALLICITIES AND TEMPERATURES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freedman, Richard S. [SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA (United States); Lustig-Yaeger, Jacob [Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Fortney, Jonathan J. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Lupu, Roxana E.; Marley, Mark S. [Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States); Lodders, Katharina, E-mail: Richard.S.Freedman@nasa.gov [Planetary Chemistry Laboratory, Washington University, St. Louis, MO (United States)

2014-10-01

We present new calculations of Rosseland and Planck gaseous mean opacities relevant to the atmospheres of giant planets and ultracool dwarfs. Such calculations are used in modeling the atmospheres, interiors, formation, and evolution of these objects. Our calculations are an expansion of those presented in Freedman et al. to include lower pressures, finer temperature resolution, and also the higher metallicities most relevant for giant planet atmospheres. Calculations span 1 μbar to 300 bar, and 75-4000 K, in a nearly square grid. Opacities at metallicities from solar to 50 times solar abundances are calculated. We also provide an analytic fit to the Rosseland mean opacities over the grid in pressure, temperature, and metallicity. In addition to computing mean opacities at these local temperatures, we also calculate them with weighting functions up to 7000 K, to simulate the mean opacities for incident stellar intensities, rather than locally thermally emitted intensities. The chemical equilibrium calculations account for the settling of condensates in a gravitational field and are applicable to cloud-free giant planet and ultracool dwarf atmospheres, but not circumstellar disks. We provide our extensive opacity tables for public use.

Stellar neutron capture rates and the s process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Käppeler F.

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Neutron reactions are responsible for the formation of the elements heavier than iron. The corresponding scenarios relate to helium burning in Red Giant stars (s process and to supernova explosions (r and p processes. The s process, which operates in or near the valley of β-stability, has produced about half of the elemental abundances between Fe and Bi. Accurate (n, γ cross sections are the essential input for s process studies, because they determine the abundances produced by that process. Following a brief summary of the neutron capture processes, the focus will be set on the s process in massive stars, where the role of reliable cross section information is particularly important. Eventually, the intriguing aspects of the origin of 60Fe will be addressed. Attempts to determine the stellar cross section of that isotope are pushing experimental possibilities to their limits and present a pertinent challenge for future facilities.

PROBING THE ROSETTE NEBULA STELLAR BUBBLE WITH FARADAY ROTATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Savage, Allison H.; Spangler, Steven R.; Fischer, Patrick D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (United States)

2013-03-01

We report the results of Faraday rotation measurements of 23 background radio sources whose lines of sight pass through or close to the Rosette Nebula. We made linear polarization measurements with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at frequencies of 4.4 GHz, 4.9 GHz, and 7.6 GHz. We find the background Galactic contribution to the rotation measure in this part of the sky to be +147 rad m{sup -2}. Sources whose lines of sight pass through the nebula have an excess rotation measure of 50-750 rad m{sup -2}, which we attribute to the plasma shell of the Rosette Nebula. We consider two simple plasma shell models and how they reproduce the magnitude and sign of the rotation measure, and its dependence on distance from the center of the nebula. These two models represent different modes of interaction of the Rosette Nebula star cluster with the surrounding interstellar medium. Both can reproduce the magnitude and spatial extent of the rotation measure enhancement, given plausible free parameters. We contend that the model based on a stellar bubble more closely reproduces the observed dependence of rotation measure on distance from the center of the nebula.

Allometry indicates giant eyes of giant squid are not exceptional.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitz, Lars; Motani, Ryosuke; Oufiero, Christopher E; Martin, Christopher H; McGee, Matthew D; Gamarra, Ashlee R; Lee, Johanna J; Wainwright, Peter C

2013-02-18

The eyes of giant and colossal squid are among the largest eyes in the history of life. It was recently proposed that sperm whale predation is the main driver of eye size evolution in giant squid, on the basis of an optical model that suggested optimal performance in detecting large luminous visual targets such as whales in the deep sea. However, it is poorly understood how the eye size of giant and colossal squid compares to that of other aquatic organisms when scaling effects are considered. We performed a large-scale comparative study that included 87 squid species and 237 species of acanthomorph fish. While squid have larger eyes than most acanthomorphs, a comparison of relative eye size among squid suggests that giant and colossal squid do not have unusually large eyes. After revising constants used in a previous model we found that large eyes perform equally well in detecting point targets and large luminous targets in the deep sea. The eyes of giant and colossal squid do not appear exceptionally large when allometric effects are considered. It is probable that the giant eyes of giant squid result from a phylogenetically conserved developmental pattern manifested in very large animals. Whatever the cause of large eyes, they appear to have several advantages for vision in the reduced light of the deep mesopelagic zone.

The Taurus Boundary of Stellar/Substellar (TBOSS) Survey. II. Disk Masses from ALMA Continuum Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Ward-Duong, K.; Patience, J.; Bulger, J.; van der Plas, G.; Ménard, F.; Pinte, C.; Jackson, A. P.; Bryden, G.; Turner, N. J.; Harvey, P.; Hales, A.; De Rosa, R. J.

2018-02-01

We report 885 μm ALMA continuum flux densities for 24 Taurus members spanning the stellar/substellar boundary with spectral types from M4 to M7.75. Of the 24 systems, 22 are detected at levels ranging from 1.0 to 55.7 mJy. The two nondetections are transition disks, though other transition disks in the sample are detected. Converting ALMA continuum measurements to masses using standard scaling laws and radiative transfer modeling yields dust mass estimates ranging from ∼0.3 to 20 M ⊕. The dust mass shows a declining trend with central object mass when combined with results from submillimeter surveys of more massive Taurus members. The substellar disks appear as part of a continuous sequence and not a distinct population. Compared to older Upper Sco members with similar masses across the substellar limit, the Taurus disks are brighter and more massive. Both Taurus and Upper Sco populations are consistent with an approximately linear relationship in M dust to M star, although derived power-law slopes depend strongly upon choices of stellar evolutionary model and dust temperature relation. The median disk around early-M stars in Taurus contains a comparable amount of mass in small solids as the average amount of heavy elements in Kepler planetary systems on short-period orbits around M-dwarf stars, with an order of magnitude spread in disk dust mass about the median value. Assuming a gas-to-dust ratio of 100:1, only a small number of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs have a total disk mass amenable to giant planet formation, consistent with the low frequency of giant planets orbiting M dwarfs.

THE PROPAGATION OF UNCERTAINTIES IN STELLAR POPULATION SYNTHESIS MODELING. II. THE CHALLENGE OF COMPARING GALAXY EVOLUTION MODELS TO OBSERVATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conroy, Charlie; Gunn, James E.; White, Martin

2010-01-01

Models for the formation and evolution of galaxies readily predict physical properties such as star formation rates, metal-enrichment histories, and, increasingly, gas and dust content of synthetic galaxies. Such predictions are frequently compared to the spectral energy distributions of observed galaxies via the stellar population synthesis (SPS) technique. Substantial uncertainties in SPS exist, and yet their relevance to the task of comparing galaxy evolution models to observations has received little attention. In the present work, we begin to address this issue by investigating the importance of uncertainties in stellar evolution, the initial stellar mass function (IMF), and dust and interstellar medium (ISM) properties on the translation from models to observations. We demonstrate that these uncertainties translate into substantial uncertainties in the ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared colors of synthetic galaxies. Aspects that carry significant uncertainties include the logarithmic slope of the IMF above 1 M sun , dust attenuation law, molecular cloud disruption timescale, clumpiness of the ISM, fraction of unobscured starlight, and treatment of advanced stages of stellar evolution including blue stragglers, the horizontal branch, and the thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch. The interpretation of the resulting uncertainties in the derived colors is highly non-trivial because many of the uncertainties are likely systematic, and possibly correlated with the physical properties of galaxies. We therefore urge caution when comparing models to observations.

Testing Scaling Relations for Solar-like Oscillations from the Main Sequence to Red Giants Using Kepler Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huber, D.; Bedding, T.R.; Stello, D.

2011-01-01

), and oscillation amplitudes. We show that the difference of the Δν-νmax relation for unevolved and evolved stars can be explained by different distributions in effective temperature and stellar mass, in agreement with what is expected from scaling relations. For oscillation amplitudes, we show that neither (L/M) s......We have analyzed solar-like oscillations in ~1700 stars observed by the Kepler Mission, spanning from the main sequence to the red clump. Using evolutionary models, we test asteroseismic scaling relations for the frequency of maximum power (νmax), the large frequency separation (Δν...... scaling nor the revised scaling relation by Kjeldsen & Bedding is accurate for red-giant stars, and demonstrate that a revised scaling relation with a separate luminosity-mass dependence can be used to calculate amplitudes from the main sequence to red giants to a precision of ~25%. The residuals show...

Multiple stellar generations in the Large Magellanic Cloud Star Cluster NGC 1846

Science.gov (United States)

Milone, Antonino

2010-09-01

The recent discovery of multiple stellar populations in massive Galactic globular clusters poses a serious challenge for models of star cluster formation and evolution. The finding of multiple main sequences in the massive clusters NGC 2808 and omega Centauri, and multiple sub-giant-branch in NGC 1851 and many other globulars have demonstrated that star clusters are not as simple as we have imagined for decades. Surprisingly the only way to explain the main sequence splitting appears to be Helium enrichment, up to an astonishingly high Y 0.40.An unique angle on this problem can be provided by intermediate-age clusters in the Magellanic Clouds with peculiar main-sequence turn-off morphologies. Recent discoveries, based on ACS data of unparalleled photometric accuracy, have demonstrated that the CMDs of a large fraction of these clusters { 70 %} are not consistent with the simple, single stellar population hypothesis. Explanations for what conditions could give rise to multiple populations in Galactic Globular Clusters remain controversial; this is even more the case for LMC clustersTo properly constraint the multipopulation phenomenon in Magellanic Cloud star clusters, we propose deep UV/IR imaging of NGC 1846, a star cluster where multiple populations have already been identified. The proposed observation will allow us to accurately measure the age difference between the stellar populations providing fundamental clues on the formation mechanism. Our simulations of WFC3 performance suggest that we will be able to detect even the main sequence splitting caused by small He differences {Delta Y 0.02}.

Beryllium abundances along the evolutionary sequence of the open cluster IC 4651 - A new test for hydrodynamical stellar models

Science.gov (United States)

Smiljanic, R.; Pasquini, L.; Charbonnel, C.; Lagarde, N.

2010-02-01

Context. Previous analyses of lithium abundances in main sequence and red giant stars have revealed the action of mixing mechanisms other than convection in stellar interiors. Beryllium abundances in stars with Li abundance determinations can offer valuable complementary information on the nature of these mechanisms. Aims: Our aim is to derive Be abundances along the whole evolutionary sequence of an open cluster. We focus on the well-studied open cluster IC 4651. These Be abundances are used with previously determined Li abundances, in the same sample stars, to investigate the mixing mechanisms in a range of stellar masses and evolutionary stages. Methods: Atmospheric parameters were adopted from a previous abundance analysis by the same authors. New Be abundances have been determined from high-resolution, high signal-to-noise UVES spectra using spectrum synthesis and model atmospheres. The careful synthetic modeling of the Be lines region is used to calculate reliable abundances in rapidly rotating stars. The observed behavior of Be and Li is compared to theoretical predictions from stellar models including rotation-induced mixing, internal gravity waves, atomic diffusion, and thermohaline mixing. Results: Beryllium is detected in all the main sequence and turn-off sample stars, both slow- and fast-rotating stars, including the Li-dip stars, but is not detected in the red giants. Confirming previous results, we find that the Li dip is also a Be dip, although the depletion of Be is more modest than for Li in the corresponding effective temperature range. For post-main-sequence stars, the Be dilution starts earlier within the Hertzsprung gap than expected from classical predictions, as does the Li dilution. A clear dispersion in the Be abundances is also observed. Theoretical stellar models including the hydrodynamical transport processes mentioned above are able to reproduce all the observed features well. These results show a good theoretical understanding of the

Understanding the formation and evolution of early-type galaxies based on newly developed single-burst stellar population synthesis models in the infrared

Science.gov (United States)

Roeck, Benjamin

2015-12-01

whole optical and infrared wavelength range between 3500 and 50000Å which are almost completely based on spectra of observed stars (apart from two gaps which were fitted with theoretical stellar spectra) . We analyze the behaviour of the near-infrared (J - K) and the Spitzer ([3.6]-[4.5]) colour calculated from our models. For ages older than 3 Gyr, both colours depend only slightly on age and metallicity. However, for younger ages, both colours become redder which is caused by the asymptotic giant branch stars contributing significantly to the light in the infrared at ages between 0.1 and 3 Gyr. Furthermore, we find a satisfactory agreement between the optical and near-infrared colours measured from our models and the colours observed from various samples of globular clusters and early-type x galaxies. However, our model predictions are only able to reproduce correctly the Spitzer ([3.6]-[4.5]) colours of older, more massive galaxies that resemble a single-burst population. Younger, less massive and more metal-poor galaxies show redder colours than our models. This mismatch can be explained by a more extended star formation history of these galaxies which includes a metal-poor or/and young population. The Spitzer ([3.6]-[4.5]) colours derived from our models also agree very well with those from most other models available in this wavelength range as long as they also correctly take into account a strong CO absorption band situated at 4.5 μm. The model predictions for colours in the near-infrared, such as (J - K), differ more between the different sets of models, depending on the underlying prescriptions for the asymptotic giant branch stellar evolutionary phase. Compared to other authors, we adopt only a moderate contribution of asymptotic giant branch stars to our models. Our stellar population models allow us also to determine mass-to-light ratios in different infrared bands. Consequently, we can confirm that the massto- light ratio determined in the Spitzer [3

Dye Giant Absorption and Light Confinement Effects in Porous Bragg Microcavities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oliva-Ramírez, Manuel; Gil-Rostra, Jorge; Simonsen, Adam C.

2018-01-01

This work presents a simple experimental procedure to probe light confinement effects in photonic structures. Two types of porous 1D Bragg microcavities with two resonant peaks in the reflection gap were prepared by physical vapor deposition at oblique angle configurations and then infiltrated...... with dye solutions of increasing concentrations. The unusual position shift and intensity drop of the transmitted resonant peak observed when it was scanned through the dye absorption band have been accounted for by the effect of the light trapped at their optical defect layer. An experimentally observed...... giant absorption of the dye molecules and a strong anomalous dispersion in the refractive index of the solution are claimed as the reasons for the observed variations in the Bragg microcavity resonant feature. Determining the giant absorption of infiltrated dye solutions is proposed as a general...

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)

TESTING SCALING RELATIONS FOR SOLAR-LIKE OSCILLATIONS FROM THE MAIN SEQUENCE TO RED GIANTS USING KEPLER DATA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huber, D.; Bedding, T. R.; Stello, D. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Hekker, S. [Astronomical Institute ' Anton Pannekoek' , University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam (Netherlands); Mathur, S. [High Altitude Observatory, NCAR, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307 (United States); Mosser, B. [LESIA, CNRS, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Universite Denis, Diderot, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon cedex (France); Verner, G. A.; Elsworth, Y. P.; Hale, S. J.; Chaplin, W. J. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Bonanno, A. [INAF Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania (Italy); Buzasi, D. L. [Eureka Scientific, 2452 Delmer Street Suite 100, Oakland, CA 94602-3017 (United States); Campante, T. L. [Centro de Astrofisica da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto (Portugal); Kallinger, T. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada); Silva Aguirre, V. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, 85748 Garching (Germany); De Ridder, J. [Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, K.U.Leuven (Belgium); Garcia, R. A. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS, Universite Paris 7 Diderot, IRFU/SAp, Centre de Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Appourchaux, T. [Institut d' Astrophysique Spatiale, UMR 8617, Universite Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France); Frandsen, S. [Danish AsteroSeismology Centre (DASC), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Houdek, G., E-mail: dhuber@physics.usyd.edu.au [Institute of Astronomy, University of Vienna, 1180 Vienna (Austria); and others

2011-12-20

We have analyzed solar-like oscillations in {approx}1700 stars observed by the Kepler Mission, spanning from the main sequence to the red clump. Using evolutionary models, we test asteroseismic scaling relations for the frequency of maximum power ({nu}{sub max}), the large frequency separation ({Delta}{nu}), and oscillation amplitudes. We show that the difference of the {Delta}{nu}-{nu}{sub max} relation for unevolved and evolved stars can be explained by different distributions in effective temperature and stellar mass, in agreement with what is expected from scaling relations. For oscillation amplitudes, we show that neither (L/M){sup s} scaling nor the revised scaling relation by Kjeldsen and Bedding is accurate for red-giant stars, and demonstrate that a revised scaling relation with a separate luminosity-mass dependence can be used to calculate amplitudes from the main sequence to red giants to a precision of {approx}25%. The residuals show an offset particularly for unevolved stars, suggesting that an additional physical dependency is necessary to fully reproduce the observed amplitudes. We investigate correlations between amplitudes and stellar activity, and find evidence that the effect of amplitude suppression is most pronounced for subgiant stars. Finally, we test the location of the cool edge of the instability strip in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram using solar-like oscillations and find the detections in the hottest stars compatible with a domain of hybrid stochastically excited and opacity driven pulsation.

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.

Accretion onto stellar mass black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Deegan, Patrick

2009-12-01

I present work on the accretion onto stellar mass black holes in several scenarios. Due to dynamical friction stellar mass black holes are expected to form high density cusps in the inner parsec of our Galaxy. These compact remnants may be accreting cold dense gas present there, and give rise to potentially observable X-ray emission. I build a simple but detailed time-dependent model of such emission. Future observations of the distribution and orbits of the gas in the inner parsec of Sgr A* will put tighter constraints on the cusp of compact remnants. GRS 1915+105 is an LMXB, whose large orbital period implies a very large accretion disc and explains the extraordinary duration of its current outburst. I present smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations of the accretion disc. The models includes the thermo-viscous instability, irradiation from the central object and wind loss. I find that the outburst of GRS 1915+105 should last a minimum of 20 years and up to ˜ 100 years if the irradiation is playing a significant role in this system. The predicted recurrence times are of the order of 104 years, making the duty cycle of GRS 1915+105 to be a few 0.1%. I present a simple analytical method to describe the observable behaviour of long period black hole LMXBs, similar to GRS 1915+105. Constructing two simple models for the surface density in the disc, outburst and quiescence times are calculated as a function of orbital period. LMXBs are an important constituent of the X-ray light function (XLF) of giant elliptical galaxies. I find that the duty cycle can vary considerably with orbital period, with implications for modelling the XLF.

H{alpha} ACTIVITY OF OLD M DWARFS: STELLAR CYCLES AND MEAN ACTIVITY LEVELS FOR 93 LOW-MASS STARS IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robertson, Paul; Endl, Michael; Cochran, William D.; Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E., E-mail: paul@astro.as.utexas.edu [Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

2013-02-10

Through the McDonald Observatory M Dwarf Planet Search, we have acquired nearly 3000 high-resolution spectra of 93 late-type (K5-M5) stars over more than a decade using the High Resolution Spectrograph on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. This sample provides a unique opportunity to investigate the occurrence of long-term stellar activity cycles for low-mass stars. In this paper, we examine the stellar activity of our targets as reflected in the H{alpha} feature. We have identified periodic signals for six stars, with periods ranging from days to more than 10 years, and find long-term trends for seven others. Stellar cycles with P {>=} 1 year are present for at least 5% of our targets. Additionally, we present an analysis of the time-averaged activity levels of our sample, and search for correlations with other stellar properties. In particular, we find that more massive, earlier type (M0-M2) stars tend to be more active than later type dwarfs. Furthermore, high-metallicity stars tend to be more active at a given stellar mass. We also evaluate H{alpha} variability as a tracer of activity-induced radial velocity (RV) variation. For the M dwarf GJ 1170, H{alpha} variation reveals stellar activity patterns matching those seen in the RVs, mimicking the signal of a giant planet, and we find evidence that the previously identified stellar activity cycle of GJ 581 may be responsible for the recently retracted planet f in that system. In general, though, we find that H{alpha} is not frequently correlated with RV at the precision (typically 6-7 m s{sup -1}) of our measurements.

Modelling the ionosphere of gas-giant exoplanets irradiated by low-mass stars

Science.gov (United States)

Chadney, J.; Galand, M.; Unruh, Y.; Koskinen, T.; Sanz-Forcada, J.

2015-10-01

The composition and structure of the upper atmosphere of Extrasolar Giant Planets (EGPs) are affected by the high-energy spectrum of the host star from soft X-rays to Extreme UltraViolet (EUV) (0.1-10 nm). This emission depends on the activity level of the star, which is primarily determined by its age [1]. In this study, we focus upon EGPs orbiting K- and M-dwarf stars of different ages. XUV spectra for these stars are constructed using a coronal model [2]. These spectra are used to drive both a thermospheric [3] and an ionospheric model, providing densities of neutral and ion species. Ionisation is included through photo-ionisation and electronimpact processes. The former is calculated by solving the Lambert-Beer law, while the latter is calculated from a supra-thermal electron transport model [4]. Planets orbiting far from the star are found to undergo Jeans escape, whereas close-orbiting planets undergo hydrodynamic escape. The critical orbital distance of transition between the two regimes is dependent on the level of stellar activity. We also find that EGP ionospheres at all orbital distances considered (0.1-1 AU) and around all stars selected (eps Eri, AD Leo, AU Mic) are dominated by the long-lived H+ ion. In addition, planets in the Jeans escape regime also have a layer in which H3 + is the major ion at the base of the ionosphere. For fast-rotating planets, densities of short-lived H3 + undergo significant diurnal variations, their peak value being determined by the stellar X-ray flux. In contrast, densities of longer-lived H+ show very little day/night variability and their value is determined by the level of stellar EUV flux. The H3 + peak in EGPs in the hydrodynamic escape regime under strong stellar illumination is pushed to altitudes below the homopause, where this ion is likely to be destroyed through reactions with heavy species (e.g., hydrocarbons, water). Infrared emissions from H3 + shall also be discussed, as well as the impact of stellar

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.)

Habitability of super-Earth planets around other suns: models including Red Giant Branch evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

von Bloh, W; Cuntz, M; Schröder, K-P; Bounama, C; Franck, S

2009-01-01

The unexpected diversity of exoplanets includes a growing number of super-Earth planets, i.e., exoplanets with masses of up to several Earth masses and a similar chemical and mineralogical composition as Earth. We present a thermal evolution model for a 10 Earth-mass planet orbiting a star like the Sun. Our model is based on the integrated system approach, which describes the photosynthetic biomass production and takes into account a variety of climatological, biogeochemical, and geodynamical processes. This allows us to identify a so-called photosynthesis-sustaining habitable zone (pHZ), as determined by the limits of biological productivity on the planetary surface. Our model considers solar evolution during the main-sequence stage and along the Red Giant Branch as described by the most recent solar model. We obtain a large set of solutions consistent with the principal possibility of life. The highest likelihood of habitability is found for "water worlds." Only mass-rich water worlds are able to realize pHZ-type habitability beyond the stellar main sequence on the Red Giant Branch.

FLUORINE ABUNDANCES IN GALACTIC ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abia, C.; Cristallo, S.; DomInguez, I.; Cunha, K.; Hinkle, K.; Smith, V. V.; De Laverny, P.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Eriksson, K.; Wahlin, R.; Gialanella, L.; Imbriani, G.; Straniero, O.

2010-01-01

An analysis of the fluorine abundance in Galactic asymptotic giant branch (AGB) carbon stars (24 N-type, 5 SC-type, and 5 J-type) is presented. This study uses the state-of-the-art carbon-rich atmosphere models and improved atomic and molecular line lists in the 2.3 μm region. Significantly lower F abundances are obtained in comparison to previous studies in the literature. This difference is mainly due to molecular blends. In the case of carbon stars of SC-type, differences in the model atmospheres are also relevant. The new F enhancements are now in agreement with the most recent theoretical nucleosynthesis models in low-mass AGB stars, solving the long-standing problem of F in Galactic AGB stars. Nevertheless, some SC-type carbon stars still show larger F abundances than predicted by stellar models. The possibility that these stars are of larger mass is briefly discussed.

HST images of dark giants as dark matter: Part.I The black cocoon stars of Carina Nebula region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celis, S.L.

2001-01-01

In an evolutionary scenario, the existence of isolated dark giant objects known as Post M latest spectral type stars (1) (or black cocoon stars) are in the last stage of their life and, as extremely advanced old age objects, they cease to be stars. The photographic images of Carina nebula taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have been used to detect the post M-Iatest stars as dark silhouettes. The luminosity attenuation equation of M late stars (1), A = αS 3 , points out the baryonic dark matter envelopes the oldest red giants that produce earlier dark giants. This equation says that when the red giant star finishes to produce baryonic dark matter, the central star is extinguishing and transforms into dark giants and dusty globules that disperse cool gaseous matter into the interstellar space. These old dark objects have a size from 400 to 600 astronomical units (AU). The advanced dark giants, the dusty dark giants, might not contain a star within the molecular cloud that envelops it. In this case, the dark giants might produce the smaller and less massive dark globules of the Thackeray's globules type (less than 4 solar masses) where, Reupurth et al. (2) found that these globules are now in an advanced stage of disintegration and they found no evidence of star formation in any of these objects. The high-resolution of the Hubble images allows: The observation of isolated dark giants, dusty globules with central dark giants, the observation of partial eclipses or transiting of giant stars and the estimation of linear and angular diameters (ionised cocoons) of giant stellar objects. The dark giants of the image are identified them as objects with observed angular diameter. The large quantity of dark giants in a small sector of the sky suggests that they are densely populated (population stars III) and ubiquitous in the galactic disc. They can be located in isolated form or associated in dense Conglomerations of dark giants. At the same time, conglomerates of

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.

A violent interaction between the dwarf galaxy UGC 7636 and the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4472

Science.gov (United States)

Mcnamara, Brian R.; Sancisi, Renzo; Henning, Patricia A.; Junor, William

1994-01-01

We present new U, B, R, and H I imagery of the Virgo Cluster giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 and its interacting dwarf companion galaxy UGC 7636. Using a composite image reconstruction technique, we show that a trail of debris approx. 5 arcmin in length and approx. 1 arcmin in width (30x6 kpc for a Virgo cluster distance of 20 Mpc) is projected northward from the dwarf galaxy. A cloud of H I is projected along the northwest edge of the debris between the dwarf and gE. The dwarf's nuclear morphology is irregular and bow-shaped on what appears to be its leading edge. Apart from a number of isolated blue regions, most of of the trailing debris is similar in color to the dwarf's nucleus. Only a modest enhancement of star formation appears to have been induced by the interaction. Although separated by 15 kpc, the H I and stellar morphologies are remarkably similar. The stars and H I appear to have been tidally distorted in situ, prior to the cloud's removal by ram pressure. If the H I has maintained its shape by magnetic support, a magnetic field strength an order of magnitude larger than the galaxy's is required. Ram pressure deceleration due to the cloud's motion through NGC 4472's x-ray-emitting interstellar medium shold be sufficient for the cloud to become gravitationally bound to NGC 4472. The H I cloud is not self-gravitating and may fragment and be destroyed in the interaction. UGC 7636 will probably be disrupted by NGC 4472's strong tidal forces; the stellar debris will disperse into the Virgo cluster or become bound to NGC 4472's halo on eccentric orbits. The debris captured in the collision will have a negligible impact on NGC 4472's stellar and gaseous content. On the other hand, if similar interactions are common in giant elliptical galaxies, they could alter or deplete surrounding dwarf galaxy populations, fuel bursts of nuclear activity, and perhaps provide a source of magnetic energy to their interstellar media.

Galactic globular cluster NGC 6752 and its stellar population as inferred from multicolor photometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kravtsov, Valery [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Católica del Norte, Avenida Angamos 0610, Casilla 1280, Antofagasta (Chile); Alcaíno, Gonzalo [Isaac Newton Institute of Chile, Ministerio de Educación de Chile, Casilla 8-9, Correo 9, Santiago (Chile); Marconi, Gianni; Alvarado, Franklin, E-mail: vkravtsov@ucn.cl, E-mail: inewton@terra.cl, E-mail: falvarad@eso.org, E-mail: gmarconi@eso.org [ESO-European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago (Chile)

2014-03-01

This paper is devoted to photometric study of the Galactic globular cluster (GGC) NGC 6752 in UBVI, focusing on the multiplicity of its stellar population. We emphasize that our U passband is (1) narrower than the standard one due to its smaller extension blueward and (2) redshifted by ∼300 Å relative to its counterparts, such as the HST F336W filter. Accordingly, both the spectral features encompassed by it and photometric effects of the multiplicity revealed in our study are somewhat different than in recent studies of NGC 6752. Main sequence stars bluer in U – B are less centrally concentrated, as red giants are. We find a statistically significant increasing luminosity of the red giant branch (RGB) bump of ΔU ≈ 0.2 mag toward the cluster outskirts with no so obvious effect in V. The photometric results are correlated with spectroscopic data: the bluer RGB stars in U – B have lower nitrogen abundances. We draw attention to a larger width of the RGB than the blue horizontal branch (BHB) in U – B. This seems to agree with the effects predicted to be caused by molecular bands produced by nitrogen-containing molecules. We find that brighter BHB stars, especially the brightest ones, are more centrally concentrated. This implies that red giants that are redder in U – B, i.e., more nitrogen enriched and centrally concentrated, are the main progenitors of the brighter BHB stars. However, such a progenitor-progeny relationship disagrees with theoretical predictions and with the results on the elemental abundances in horizontal branch stars. We isolated the asymptotic giant branch clump and estimated the parameter ΔV{sub ZAHB}{sup clump} = 0.98 ± 0.12.

NEAR-INFRARED SPECTRA OF GALACTIC STELLAR CLUSTERS DETECTED ON SPITZER/GLIMPSE IMAGES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messineo, Maria; Davies, Ben; Figer, Donald F.; Ivanov, Valentin D.; Schuller, Frederic; Menten, Karl M.; Habing, Harm J.; Petr-Gotzens, Monika G.

2009-01-01

We present near-infrared spectroscopic observations of massive stars in three stellar clusters located in the direction of the inner Galaxy. One of them, the Quartet, is a new discovery while the other two were previously reported as candidate clusters identified on mid-infrared Spitzer images (GLIMPSE20 and GLIMPSE13). Using medium-resolution (R = 900-1320) H and K spectroscopy, we firmly establish the nature of the brightest stars in these clusters, yielding new identifications of an early WC and two Ofpe/WN9 stars in the Quartet and an early WC star in GLIMPSE20. We combine this information with the available photometric measurements from Two Micron All Sky Survey, to estimate cluster masses, ages, and distances. The presence of several massive stars places the Quartet and GLIMPSE20 among the small sample of known Galactic stellar clusters with masses of a few 10 3 M sun , and ages from 3 to 8 Myr. We estimate a distance of about 3.5 kpc for GLIMPSE20 and 6.0 kpc for Quartet. The large number of giant stars identified in GLIMPSE13 indicates that it is another massive (∼6500 M sun ) cluster, but older, with an age between 30 and 100 Myr, at a distance of about 3 kpc.

Kepler-91b: a planet at the end of its life. Planet and giant host star properties via light-curve variations

Science.gov (United States)

Lillo-Box, J.; Barrado, D.; Moya, A.; Montesinos, B.; Montalbán, J.; Bayo, A.; Barbieri, M.; Régulo, C.; Mancini, L.; Bouy, H.; Henning, T.

2014-02-01

Context. The evolution of planetary systems is intimately linked to the evolution of their host stars. Our understanding of the whole planetary evolution process is based on the wide planet diversity observed so far. Only a few tens of planets have been discovered orbiting stars ascending the red giant branch. Although several theories have been proposed, the question of how planets die remains open owing to the small number statistics, making it clear that the sample of planets around post-main sequence stars needs to be enlarged. Aims: In this work we study the giant star Kepler-91 (KOI-2133) in order to determine the nature of a transiting companion. This system was detected by the Kepler Space Telescope, which identified small dims in its light curve with a period of 6.246580 ± 0.000082 days. However, its planetary confirmation is needed due to the large pixel size of the Kepler camera, which can hide other stellar configurations able to mimic planet-like transit events. Methods: We analysed Kepler photometry to 1) re-calculate transit parameters; 2) study the light-curve modulations; and 3) to perform an asteroseismic analysis (accurate stellar parameter determination) by identifying solar-like oscillations on the periodogram. We also used a high-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio spectrum obtained with the Calar Alto Fiber-fed Échelle spectrograph (CAFE) to measure stellar properties. Additionally, false-positive scenarios were rejected by obtaining high-resolution images with the AstraLux lucky imaging camera on the 2.2 m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory. Results: We confirm the planetary nature of the object transiting the star Kepler-91 by deriving a mass of Mp=0.88+0.17-0.33 MJup and a planetary radius of Rp=1.384+0.011-0.054 RJup. Asteroseismic analysis produces a stellar radius of R⋆ = 6.30 ± 0.16 R⊙ and a mass of M⋆ = 1.31 ± 0.10 M⊙. We find that its eccentric orbit (e=0.066+0.013-0.017) is just 1.32+0.07-0.22 R⋆ away from

Stellar parametrization from Gaia RVS spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Recio-Blanco, A.; de Laverny, P.; Allende Prieto, C.; Fustes, D.; Manteiga, M.; Arcay, B.; Bijaoui, A.; Dafonte, C.; Ordenovic, C.; Ordoñez Blanco, D.

2016-01-01

Context. Among the myriad of data collected by the ESA Gaia satellite, about 150 million spectra will be delivered by the Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) for stars as faint as GRVS~ 16. A specific stellar parametrization will be performed on most of these RVS spectra, I.e. those with enough high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), which should correspond to single stars that have a magnitude in the RVS band brighter than ~14.5. Some individual chemical abundances will also be estimated for the brightest targets. Aims: We describe the different parametrization codes that have been specifically developed or adapted for RVS spectra within the GSP-Spec working group of the analysis consortium. The tested codes are based on optimisation (FERRE and GAUGUIN), projection (MATISSE), or pattern-recognition methods (Artificial Neural Networks). We present and discuss each of their expected performances in the recovered stellar atmospheric parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, overall metallicity) for B- to K-type stars. The performances for determining of [α/Fe] ratios are also presented for cool stars. Methods: Each code has been homogeneously tested with a large grid of RVS simulated synthetic spectra of BAFGK-spectral types (dwarfs and giants), with metallicities varying from 10-2.5 to 10+ 0.5 the solar metallicity, and taking variations of ±0.4 dex in the composition of the α-elements into consideration. The tests were performed for S/N ranging from ten to 350. Results: For all the stellar types we considered, stars brighter than GRVS~ 12.5 are very efficiently parametrized by the GSP-Spec pipeline, including reliable estimations of [α/Fe]. Typical internal errors for FGK metal-rich and metal-intermediate stars are around 40 K in Teff, 0.10 dex in log(g), 0.04 dex in [M/H], and 0.03 dex in [α/Fe] at GRVS = 10.3. They degrade to 155 K in Teff, 0.15 dex in log(g), 0.10 dex in [M/H], and 0.1 dex in [α/Fe] at GRVS~ 12. Similar accuracies in Teff and [M/H] are

Nonuniform nuclear structures and QPOs in giant flares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sotani, Hajime

2012-01-01

We show that the shear modes in the neutron star crust are quite sensitive to the existence of nonuniform nuclear structures, the so-called “pasta”. Due to the existence of pasta phase, the frequencies of shear modes are reduced. Since the torsional shear frequencies depend strongly on the structure of pasta phase, through the observations of stellar oscillations, one can probe the pasta structure in the crust. Additionally, considering the effect of pasta phase, we show the possibility to explain all the observed frequencies in the SGR 1806-20 with using only crust torsional oscillations.

Nonuniform nuclear structures and QPOs in giant flares

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sotani, Hajime [Division of Theoretical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)

2012-11-12

We show that the shear modes in the neutron star crust are quite sensitive to the existence of nonuniform nuclear structures, the so-called 'pasta'. Due to the existence of pasta phase, the frequencies of shear modes are reduced. Since the torsional shear frequencies depend strongly on the structure of pasta phase, through the observations of stellar oscillations, one can probe the pasta structure in the crust. Additionally, considering the effect of pasta phase, we show the possibility to explain all the observed frequencies in the SGR 1806-20 with using only crust torsional oscillations.

Active control of the Chinese Giant Solar Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Yichun; Yang, Dehua; Jin, Zhenyu; Liu, Zhong; Qin, Wei

2014-07-01

The Chinese Giant Solar Telescope (CGST) is the next generation solar telescope of China with diameter of 8 meter. The unique feature of CGST is that its primary is a ring, which facilitates the polarization detection and thermal control. In its present design and development phase, two primary mirror patterns are considered. For one thing, the primary mirror is expected to construct with mosaic mirror with 24 trapezoidal (or petal) segments, for another thing, a monolithic mirror is also a candidate for its primary mirror. Both of them depend on active control technique to maintain the optical quality of the ring mirror. As a solar telescope, the working conditions of the CGST are quite different from those of the stellar telescopes. To avoid the image deterioration due to the mirror seeing and dome seeing, especially in the case of the concentration of flux in a solar telescope, large aperture solar projects prefer to adopt open telescopes and open domes. In this circumstance, higher wind loads act on the primary mirror directly, which will cause position errors and figure errors of the primary with matters worse than those of the current 10-meter stellar telescopes with dome protect. Therefore, it gives new challenges to the active control capability, telescope structure design, and wind shielding design. In this paper, the study progress of active control of CGST for its mosaic and monolithic mirror are presented, and the wind effects on such two primary mirrors are also investigated.

STEADY-STATE RELATIVISTIC STELLAR DYNAMICS AROUND A MASSIVE BLACK HOLE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bar-Or, Ben; Alexander, Tal [Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, P.O. Box 26, Rehovot 76100 (Israel)

2016-04-01

A massive black hole (MBH) consumes stars whose orbits evolve into the small phase-space volume of unstable orbits, the “loss cone,” which take them into the MBH, or close enough to interact strongly with it. The resulting phenomena, e.g., tidal heating and disruption, binary capture and hyper-velocity star ejection, gravitational wave (GW) emission by inspiraling compact remnants, or hydrodynamical interactions with an accretion disk, can produce observable signatures and thereby reveal the MBH, affect its mass and spin evolution, test strong gravity, and probe stars and gas near the MBH. These continuous stellar loss and resupply processes shape the central stellar distribution. We investigate relativistic stellar dynamics near the loss cone of a non-spinning MBH in steady state, analytically and by Monte Carlo simulations of the diffusion of the orbital parameters. These take into account Newtonian mass precession due to enclosed stellar mass, in-plane precession due to general relativity, dissipation by GW, uncorrelated two-body relaxation, correlated resonant relaxation (RR), and adiabatic invariance due to secular precession, using a rigorously derived description of correlated post-Newtonian dynamics in the diffusion limit. We argue that general maximal entropy considerations strongly constrain the orbital diffusion in steady state, irrespective of the relaxation mechanism. We identify the exact phase-space separatrix between plunges and inspirals, and predict their steady-state rates. We derive the dependence of the rates on the mass of the MBH, show that the contribution of RR in steady state is small, and discuss special cases where unquenched RR in restricted volumes of phase-space may affect the steady state substantially.

Neoclassical transport in stellarators - a comparison of conventional stellarator/torsatrons with the advanced stellarator, Wendelstein 7X

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beidler, C D [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Garching (Germany)

1991-01-01

A general expression for the magnitude of a stellarator's magnetic field, in terms of a Fourier decomposition, is too complicated to lend itself easily to analytic transport calculations. The great majority of stellarator-type devices, however, may be accurately described if one retains only those harmonics with m=0 and m=1. In the long-mean-free-path regime an analytical approximation to the particle's bounce-averaged kinetic equation can then be found. Using a numerical solution of this equation, it is possible to calculate the particle and heat fluxes due to helical-ripple transport in stellarators throughout the entire long-mean-free-path regime. 3 figs.

CARBON-RICH GIANT PLANETS: ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY, THERMAL INVERSIONS, SPECTRA, AND FORMATION CONDITIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madhusudhan, Nikku [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Mousis, Olivier [Institut UTINAM, CNRS-UMR 6213, Observatoire de Besancon, BP 1615, F-25010 Besancon Cedex (France); Johnson, Torrence V. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Lunine, Jonathan I., E-mail: nmadhu@astro.princeton.edu [Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

2011-12-20

The recent inference of a carbon-rich atmosphere, with C/O {>=} 1, in the hot Jupiter WASP-12b motivates the exotic new class of carbon-rich planets (CRPs). We report a detailed study of the atmospheric chemistry and spectroscopic signatures of carbon-rich giant (CRG) planets, the possibility of thermal inversions in their atmospheres, the compositions of icy planetesimals required for their formation via core accretion, and the apportionment of ices, rock, and volatiles in their envelopes. Our results show that CRG atmospheres probe a unique region in composition space, especially at high temperature (T). For atmospheres with C/O {>=} 1, and T {approx}> 1400 K in the observable atmosphere, most of the oxygen is bound up in CO, while H{sub 2}O is depleted and CH{sub 4} is enhanced by up to two or three orders of magnitude each, compared to equilibrium compositions with solar abundances (C/O = 0.54). These differences in the spectroscopically dominant species for the different C/O ratios cause equally distinct observable signatures in the spectra. As such, highly irradiated transiting giant exoplanets form ideal candidates to estimate atmospheric C/O ratios and to search for CRPs. We also find that the C/O ratio strongly affects the abundances of TiO and VO, which have been suggested to cause thermal inversions in highly irradiated hot Jupiter atmospheres. A C/O = 1 yields TiO and VO abundances of {approx}100 times lower than those obtained with equilibrium chemistry assuming solar abundances, at P {approx} 1 bar. Such a depletion is adequate to rule out thermal inversions due to TiO/VO even in the most highly irradiated hot Jupiters, such as WASP-12b. We estimate the compositions of the protoplanetary disk, the planetesimals, and the envelope of WASP-12b, and the mass of ices dissolved in the envelope, based on the observed atmospheric abundances. Adopting stellar abundances (C/O = 0.44) for the primordial disk composition and low-temperature formation conditions

Probing the low-stellar-mass domain with Kepler and APOGEE observations of eclipsing binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Prsa, Andrej; Hambleton, Kelly

2018-01-01

Observations of low-mass stars (M models, where observed radii can be inflated by as much as 5-15% as compared to model predictions. One of the proposed explanations for this discrepancy that is gaining traction are stellar magnetic fields impeding the onset of convection and the subsequent bloating of the star. Here we present modeling analysis results of two benchmark eclipsing binaries, KIC 3003991 and KIC 2445134, with low mass companions (M ~ 0.2 MSun and M ~ 0.5 MSun, respectively). The models are based on Kepler photometry and APOGEE spectroscopy. APOGEE is a part of the Sloan spectroscopic survey that observes in the near-infrared, providing greater sensitivity towards fainter, red companions. We combine the binary modeling software PHOEBE with emcee, an affine invariant Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler; celerite, a Gaussian process library; and our own codes to create a modeling suite capable of modeling correlated noise, shot noise, nuisance astrophysical signals (such as spots) and the full set of eclipsing binary parameters. The results are obtained within a probabilistic framework, with robust mass and radius uncertainties ~1-4%. We overplot the derived masses, radii and temperatures over evolutionary models and note stellar size bloating w.r.t. model predictions for both systems. This work has been funded by the NSF grant #1517460.

Modeling Radial Velocities and Eclipse Photometry of the Kepler Target KIC 4054905: an Oscillating Red Giant in an Eclipsing Binary

Science.gov (United States)

Benbakoura, M.; Gaulme, P.; McKeever, J.; Beck, P. G.; Jackiewicz, J.; García, R. A.

2017-12-01

Asteroseismology is a powerful tool to measure the fundamental properties of stars and probe their interiors. This is particularly efficient for red giants because their modes are well detectable and give information on their deep layers. However, the seismic relations used to infer the mass and radius of a star have been calibrated on the Sun. Therefore, it is crucial to assess their accuracy for red giants which are not perfectly homologous to it. We study eclipsing binaries with a giant component to test their validity. We identified 16 systems for which we intend to compare the dynamical masses and radii obtained by combined photometry and spectroscopy to the values obtained from asteroseismology. In the present work, we illustrate our approach on a system from our sample.

POPULATION EFFECTS ON THE METALLICITY DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION DERIVED FROM THE RED GIANT BRANCH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ordoñez, Antonio J.; Sarajedini, Ata

2015-01-01

We have tested the reliability of the red giant branch (RGB) as a metallicity indicator accounting for observational errors as well as the complexity of star formation histories and chemical evolution histories observed in various stellar systems. We generate model color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) produced with a variety of evolutionary histories and compare the resultant metallicity estimates from the colors and magnitudes of RGB stars to the true input metallicities. We include realistic models for photometric errors and completeness in our synthetic CMDs. As expected, for simple simple stellar populations dominated by old stars, the RGB provides a very accurate estimate of the modular metallicity value for a population. An error in the age of a system targeted for this type of study may produce metallicity errors of a few tenths of a dex. The size of this metallicity error depends linearly on the age error, and we find this dependence to be stronger with more precise photometry. If the population has experienced any significant star formation within the last ∼6 Gyr, the metallicity estimates, [M/H], derived from the RGB may be in error by up to ∼0.5 dex. Perhaps the most important consideration for this technique is an accurate, independent estimate of the average age for the target stellar system, especially if it is probable that a significant fraction of the population formed less than ∼6 Gyr ago

Planets around the evolved stars 24 Boötis and γ Libra: A 30 d-period planet and a double giant-planet system in possible 7:3 MMR

Science.gov (United States)

Takarada, Takuya; Sato, Bun'ei; Omiya, Masashi; Harakawa, Hiroki; Nagasawa, Makiko; Izumiura, Hideyuki; Kambe, Eiji; Takeda, Yoichi; Yoshida, Michitoshi; Itoh, Yoichi; Ando, Hiroyasu; Kokubo, Eiichiro; Ida, Shigeru

2018-05-01

We report the detection of planets around two evolved giant stars from radial velocity measurements at Okayama Astrophysical observatory. 24 Boo (G3 IV) has a mass of 0.99 M_{⊙}, a radius of 10.64 R_{⊙}, and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.77. The star hosts one planet with a minimum mass of 0.91 MJup and an orbital period of 30.35 d. The planet has one of the shortest orbital periods among those ever found around evolved stars using radial-velocity methods. The stellar radial velocities show additional periodicity with 150 d, which can probably be attributed to stellar activity. The star is one of the lowest-metallicity stars orbited by planets currently known. γ Lib (K0 III) is also a metal-poor giant with a mass of 1.47 M_{⊙}, a radius of 11.1 R_{⊙}, and [Fe/H] = -0.30. The star hosts two planets with minimum masses of 1.02 MJup and 4.58 MJup, and periods of 415 d and 964 d, respectively. The star has the second-lowest metallicity among the giant stars hosting more than two planets. Dynamical stability analysis for the γ Lib system sets the minimum orbital inclination angle to be about 70° and suggests that the planets are in 7:3 mean-motion resonance, though the current best-fitting orbits for the radial-velocity data are not totally regular.

Search for Exoplanets around Northern Circumpolar Stars. II. The Detection of Radial Velocity Variations in M Giant Stars HD 36384, HD 52030, and HD 208742

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Byeong-Cheol; Jeong, Gwanghui; Han, Inwoo; Lee, Sang-Min; Kim, Kang-Min [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute 776, Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Myeong-Gu; Oh, Hyeong-Il [Department of Astronomy and Atmospheric Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Mkrtichian, David E. [National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Hatzes, Artie P. [Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg (TLS), Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg (Germany); Gu, Shenghong; Bai, Jinming, E-mail: bclee@kasi.re.kr [Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650011 (China)

2017-07-20

We present the detection of long-period RV variations in HD 36384, HD 52030, and HD 208742 by using the high-resolution, fiber-fed Bohyunsan Observatory Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) for the precise radial velocity (RV) survey of about 200 northern circumpolar stars. Analyses of RV data, chromospheric activity indicators, and bisector variations spanning about five years suggest that the RV variations are compatible with planet or brown dwarf companions in Keplerian motion. However, HD 36384 shows photometric variations with a period very close to that of RV variations as well as amplitude variations in the weighted wavelet Z-transform (WWZ) analysis, which argues that the RV variations in HD 36384 are from the stellar pulsations. Assuming that the companion hypothesis is correct, HD 52030 hosts a companion with minimum mass 13.3 M {sub Jup} orbiting in 484 days at a distance of 1.2 au. HD 208742 hosts a companion of 14.0 M {sub Jup} at 1.5 au with a period of 602 days. All stars are located at the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stage on the H–R diagram after undergoing the helium flash and leaving the giant clump.With stellar radii of 53.0 R {sub ⊙} and 57.2 R {sub ⊙} for HD 52030 and HD 208742, respectively, these stars may be the largest yet, in terms of stellar radius, found to host substellar companions. However, given possible RV amplitude variations and the fact that these are highly evolved stars, the planet hypothesis is not yet certain.

Investigation of the role of electron cyclotron resonance heating and magnetic configuration on the suprathermal ion population in the stellarator TJ-II using a luminescent probe

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez, M.; Zurro, B.; Baciero, A.; Jiménez-Rey, D.; Tribaldos, V.

2018-02-01

Numerous observation exist of a population of high energetic ions with energies well above the corresponding thermal values in plasmas generated by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) heating in TJ-II stellarator and in other magnetically confined plasmas devices. In this work we study the impact of ECR heating different conditions (positions and powers) on fast ions escaping from plasmas in the TJ-II stellarator. For this study, an ion luminescent probe operated in counting mode is used to measure the energy distribution of suprathermal ions, in the range from 1 to 30 keV. It is observed that some suprathermal ions characteristics (such as temperature, particle and energy fluxes) are related directly with the gyrotron power and focus position of the heating beam in the plasma. Moreover, it is found that suprathermal ion characteristics vary during a magnetic configuration scan (performed along a single discharge). By investigating the suprathermal ions escaping from plasmas generated using two gyrotrons, one with fixed power and the other modulated (on/off) at low frequency (10 Hz), the de-confinement time of the suprathermal ions can be measured, which is of the order of a few milliseconds (power balance is used to understand the de-confinement times in terms of the interaction of suprathermal ions and plasma components. This model also can be used to interpret experimental results of energy loss due to suprathermal ions. Finally, observations of increases (peaks) in the population of escaping suprathermal ions, which are well localized at discrete energies, is documented, these peaks being observed in the energy distributions along a discharge.

Study at radio wavelengths of circumstellar envelopes around red giants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do Thi Hoai

2015-01-01

The thesis studies mass losing AGB stars and their circumstellar environments, with focus on the development of stellar outflows and their interaction with the surrounding medium. It uses emission from two tracers: carbon monoxide (CO), through its rotational lines in the millimeter range, probes the inner regions of the circumstellar shells out to photodissociation distances, while atomic hydrogen (HI, 21 cm) is better suited to the study of the external regions. The high spectral and spatial resolutions achieved in radio observations allow for a detailed exploration of the kinematics of the relatively slow outflows of red giants. After having introduced the subject, I discuss the case of an S-type star (RS Cnc) that has been observed in CO with the IRAM telescopes, as well as in HI with the VLA, concentrating on the modelling of the spatially resolved CO line profiles and illustrating the complementarity between HI and CO. Results of the CO modelling of other AGB stars observed at IRAM (EP Aqr, XHer and RXBoo) and of a post-AGB star observed with ALMA, the Red Rectangle, are also presented. The formation of the HI line profile in various cases of mass losing AGB stars, in particular YCVn for which a model is presented, is studied next, exploring several effects that might explain the lack of detected emission from stars with high mass loss rates. Similarities between the bipolar outflows of the AGB stars that have been studied, all having mass loss rates in the region of 10"-"7 solar masses per year and displaying nearly spherical morphologies are discussed together with the information on the gas temperature obtained from the simultaneous observation of two CO lines. (author)

ASTEROSEISMIC-BASED ESTIMATION OF THE SURFACE GRAVITY FOR THE LAMOST GIANT STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Chao; Wu, Yue; Deng, Li-Cai; Wang, Liang; Wang, Wei; Li, Guang-Wei; Fang, Min; Fu, Jian-Ning; Hou, Yong-Hui; Zhang, Yong

2015-01-01

Asteroseismology is one of the most accurate approaches to estimate the surface gravity of a star. However, most of the data from the current spectroscopic surveys do not have asteroseismic measurements, which is very expensive and time consuming. In order to improve the spectroscopic surface gravity estimates for a large amount of survey data with the help of the small subset of the data with seismic measurements, we set up a support vector regression (SVR) model for the estimation of the surface gravity supervised by 1374 Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) giant stars with Kepler seismic surface gravity. The new approach can reduce the uncertainty of the estimates down to about 0.1 dex, which is better than the LAMOST pipeline by at least a factor of 2, for the spectra with signal-to-noise ratio higher than 20. Compared with the log g estimated from the LAMOST pipeline, the revised log g values provide a significantly improved match to the expected distribution of red clump and red giant branch stars from stellar isochrones. Moreover, even the red bump stars, which extend to only about 0.1 dex in log g, can be discriminated from the new estimated surface gravity. The method is then applied to about 350,000 LAMOST metal-rich giant stars to provide improved surface gravity estimates. In general, the uncertainty of the distance estimate based on the SVR surface gravity can be reduced to about 12% for the LAMOST data

ASTEROSEISMIC-BASED ESTIMATION OF THE SURFACE GRAVITY FOR THE LAMOST GIANT STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Chao; Wu, Yue; Deng, Li-Cai; Wang, Liang; Wang, Wei; Li, Guang-Wei [Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 A Datun Road, Beijing 100012 (China); Fang, Min [Departamento de Física Teórica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonóma de Madrid, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid (Spain); Fu, Jian-Ning [Department of Astronomy, Beijing Normal University, 19 Avenue Xinjiekouwai, Beijing 100875 (China); Hou, Yong-Hui; Zhang, Yong, E-mail: liuchao@nao.cas.cn [Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics and Technology, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210042 (China)

2015-07-01

Asteroseismology is one of the most accurate approaches to estimate the surface gravity of a star. However, most of the data from the current spectroscopic surveys do not have asteroseismic measurements, which is very expensive and time consuming. In order to improve the spectroscopic surface gravity estimates for a large amount of survey data with the help of the small subset of the data with seismic measurements, we set up a support vector regression (SVR) model for the estimation of the surface gravity supervised by 1374 Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) giant stars with Kepler seismic surface gravity. The new approach can reduce the uncertainty of the estimates down to about 0.1 dex, which is better than the LAMOST pipeline by at least a factor of 2, for the spectra with signal-to-noise ratio higher than 20. Compared with the log g estimated from the LAMOST pipeline, the revised log g values provide a significantly improved match to the expected distribution of red clump and red giant branch stars from stellar isochrones. Moreover, even the red bump stars, which extend to only about 0.1 dex in log g, can be discriminated from the new estimated surface gravity. The method is then applied to about 350,000 LAMOST metal-rich giant stars to provide improved surface gravity estimates. In general, the uncertainty of the distance estimate based on the SVR surface gravity can be reduced to about 12% for the LAMOST data.

Models for stellar flares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cram, L.E.; Woods, D.T.

1982-01-01

We study the response of certain spectral signatures of stellar flares (such as Balmer line profiles and the broad-band continuum) to changes in atmospheric structure which might result from physical processes akin to those thought to occur in solar flares. While each physical process does not have a unique signature, we can show that some of the observed properties of stellar flares can be explained by a model which involves increased pressures and temperatures in the flaring stellar chromosphere. We suggest that changes in stellar flare area, both with time and with depth in the atmosphere, may play an important role in producing the observed flare spectrum

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...

Probing gravitational parity violation with gravitational waves from stellar-mass black hole binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Yagi, Kent; Yang, Huan

2018-05-01

The recent discovery of gravitational-wave events has offered us unique test beds of gravity in the strong and dynamical field regime. One possible modification to General Relativity is the gravitational parity violation that arises naturally from quantum gravity. Such parity violation gives rise to the so-called amplitude birefringence in gravitational waves, in which one of the circularly polarized modes is amplified while the other one is suppressed during their propagation. In this paper, we study how well one can measure gravitational parity violation via the amplitude birefringence effect of gravitational waves sourced by stellar-mass black hole binaries. We choose Chern-Simons gravity as an example and work within an effective field theory formalism to ensure that the approximate theory is well posed. We consider gravitational waves from both individual sources and stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds. Regarding bounds from individual sources, we estimate such bounds using a Fisher analysis and carry out Monte Carlo simulations by randomly distributing sources over their sky location and binary orientation. We find that the bounds on the scalar field evolution in Chern-Simons gravity from the recently discovered gravitational-wave events are too weak to satisfy the weak Chern-Simons approximation, while aLIGO with its design sensitivity can place meaningful bounds. Regarding bounds from stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds, we set the threshold signal-to-noise ratio for detection of the parity-violation mode as 5 and estimate projected bounds with future detectors assuming that signals are consistent with no parity violation. In an ideal situation in which all the source parameters and binary black hole merger-rate history are known a priori, we find that a network of two third-generation detectors is able to place bounds that are comparable to or slightly stronger than binary pulsar bounds. In a more realistic situation in which one does not have

Giant planet population synthesis: comparing theory with observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benz, W; Mordasini, C; Alibert, Y; Naef, D

2008-01-01

The characteristics of the now over 250 known extra-solar giant planets begin to provide a database with which current planet formation theories can be put to the test. To do this, we synthesize the expected planet population based on the core-accretion scenario by sampling initial conditions in a Monte Carlo fashion. We then apply appropriate observational detection biases and compare the resulting population with the one actually detected. Quantitative statistical tests allow us to determine how well the models are reproducing the observed samples. The model can be applied to compute the expected planet population detectable with different techniques (radial velocity measurements, transits, gravitational lensing, etc) or orbiting stars of different masses. In the latter case, we show that forming Jupiter-mass planets orbiting M dwarfs within the lifetime of proto-planetary disks is indeed possible. However, the models predict that with decreasing stellar mass, the ratio of Jupiter- to Neptune-mass planets will sharply decrease

Giant planet population synthesis: comparing theory with observations

Science.gov (United States)

Benz, W.; Mordasini, C.; Alibert, Y.; Naef, D.

2008-08-01

The characteristics of the now over 250 known extra-solar giant planets begin to provide a database with which current planet formation theories can be put to the test. To do this, we synthesize the expected planet population based on the core-accretion scenario by sampling initial conditions in a Monte Carlo fashion. We then apply appropriate observational detection biases and compare the resulting population with the one actually detected. Quantitative statistical tests allow us to determine how well the models are reproducing the observed samples. The model can be applied to compute the expected planet population detectable with different techniques (radial velocity measurements, transits, gravitational lensing, etc) or orbiting stars of different masses. In the latter case, we show that forming Jupiter-mass planets orbiting M dwarfs within the lifetime of proto-planetary disks is indeed possible. However, the models predict that with decreasing stellar mass, the ratio of Jupiter- to Neptune-mass planets will sharply decrease.

Fast Winds and Mass Loss from Metal-Poor Field Giants

Science.gov (United States)

Dupree, A. K.; Smith, Graeme H.; Strader, Jay

2009-11-01

Echelle spectra of the infrared He I λ10830 line were obtained with NIRSPEC on the Keck 2 telescope for 41 metal-deficient field giant stars including those on the red giant branch (RGB), asymptotic giant branch (AGB), and red horizontal branch (RHB). The presence of this He I line is ubiquitous in stars with T effgsim 4500 K and MV fainter than -1.5, and reveals the dynamics of the atmosphere. The line strength increases with effective temperature for T effgsim 5300 K in RHB stars. In AGB and RGB stars, the line strength increases with luminosity. Fast outflows (gsim 60 km s-1) are detected from the majority of the stars and about 40% of the outflows have sufficient speed as to allow escape of material from the star as well as from a globular cluster. Outflow speeds and line strengths do not depend on metallicity for our sample ([Fe/H]= -0.7 to -3.0), suggesting the driving mechanism for these winds derives from magnetic and/or hydrodynamic processes. Gas outflows are present in every luminous giant, but are not detected in all stars of lower luminosity indicating possible variability. Mass loss rates ranging from ~3 × 10-10 to ~6 × 10-8 M sun yr-1 estimated from the Sobolev approximation for line formation represent values with evolutionary significance for red giants and RHB stars. We estimate that 0.2 M sun will be lost on the RGB, and the torque of this wind can account for observations of slowly rotating RHB stars in the field. About 0.1-0.2 M sun will be lost on the RHB itself. This first empirical determination of mass loss on the RHB may contribute to the appearance of extended horizontal branches in globular clusters. The spectra appear to resolve the problem of missing intracluster material in globular clusters. Opportunities exist for "wind smothering" of dwarf stars by winds from the evolved population, possibly leading to surface pollution in regions of high stellar density. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which

THE REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTION OF GIANT ARCS IN THE SLOAN GIANT ARCS SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayliss, Matthew B.; Gladders, Michael D.; Koester, Benjamin P.; Oguri, Masamune; Hennawi, Joseph F.; Sharon, Keren; Dahle, Haakon

2011-01-01

We measure the redshift distribution of a sample of 28 giant arcs discovered as a part of the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey. Gemini/GMOS-North spectroscopy provides precise redshifts for 24 arcs, and 'redshift desert' constrains for the remaining 4 arcs. This is a direct measurement of the redshift distribution of a uniformly selected sample of bright giant arcs, which is an observable that can be used to inform efforts to predict giant arc statistics. Our primary giant arc sample has a median redshift z = 1.821 and nearly two-thirds of the arcs, 64%, are sources at z ∼> 1.4, indicating that the population of background sources that are strongly lensed into bright giant arcs resides primarily at high redshift. We also analyze the distribution of redshifts for 19 secondary strongly lensed background sources that are not visually apparent in Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging, but were identified in deeper follow-up imaging of the lensing cluster fields. Our redshift sample for the secondary sources is not spectroscopically complete, but combining it with our primary giant arc sample suggests that a large fraction of all background galaxies that are strongly lensed by foreground clusters reside at z ∼> 1.4. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests indicate that our well-selected, spectroscopically complete primary giant arc redshift sample can be reproduced with a model distribution that is constructed from a combination of results from studies of strong-lensing clusters in numerical simulations and observational constraints on the galaxy luminosity function.

THE 100 Myr STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF NGC 5471 FROM CLUSTER AND RESOLVED STELLAR PHOTOMETRY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Benito, Ruben; Perez, Enrique; Maiz Apellaniz, Jesus; Cervino, Miguel; Diaz, Angeles I.

2011-01-01

We show that star formation in the giant H II region NGC 5471 has been ongoing during the past 100 Myr. Using Hubble Space Telescope/Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2 F547M and F675W, ground-based JHK s , and GALEX FUV and NUV images, we have conducted a photometric study of the star formation history (SFH) in the massive giant extragalactic H II region NGC 5471 in M101. We perform a photometric study of the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of the resolved stars and an integrated analysis of the main individual star-forming clusters and of NGC 5471 as a whole. The integrated UV-optical-NIR photometry for the whole region provides two different reference ages, 8 Myr and 60 Myr, revealing a complex SFH, clearly confirmed by the CMD-resolved stellar photometry analysis. The spatial distribution of the stars shows that the star formation in NGC 5471 has proceeded along the whole region during, at least, the last 100 Myr. The current ionizing clusters are enclosed within a large bubble, which is likely to have been produced by the stars that formed in a major event ∼20 Myr ago.

REVISED STELLAR PROPERTIES OF KEPLER TARGETS FOR THE QUARTER 1-16 TRANSIT DETECTION RUN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huber, Daniel [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Aguirre, Victor Silva [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Matthews, Jaymie M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada); Pinsonneault, Marc H. [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, OH 43210 (United States); Gaidos, Eric [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); García, Rafael A. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS, Université Paris 7 Diderot, IRFU/SAp, Centre de Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Hekker, Saskia [Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen (Germany); Mathur, Savita [Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States); Mosser, Benoit [LESIA, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Denis, Diderot, Observatoire de Paris, F-92195 Meudon cedex (France); Torres, Guillermo [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Bastien, Fabienne A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, 1807 Station B, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Basu, Sarbani [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Bedding, Timothy R. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Chaplin, William J. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Demory, Brice-Olivier [Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Fleming, Scott W., E-mail: daniel.huber@nasa.gov [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); and others

2014-03-01

We present revised properties for 196,468 stars observed by the NASA Kepler mission and used in the analysis of Quarter 1-16 (Q1-Q16) data to detect and characterize transiting planets. The catalog is based on a compilation of literature values for atmospheric properties (temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity) derived from different observational techniques (photometry, spectroscopy, asteroseismology, and exoplanet transits), which were then homogeneously fitted to a grid of Dartmouth stellar isochrones. We use broadband photometry and asteroseismology to characterize 11,532 Kepler targets which were previously unclassified in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC). We report the detection of oscillations in 2762 of these targets, classifying them as giant stars and increasing the number of known oscillating giant stars observed by Kepler by ∼20% to a total of ∼15,500 stars. Typical uncertainties in derived radii and masses are ∼40% and ∼20%, respectively, for stars with photometric constraints only, and 5%-15% and ∼10% for stars based on spectroscopy and/or asteroseismology, although these uncertainties vary strongly with spectral type and luminosity class. A comparison with the Q1-Q12 catalog shows a systematic decrease in radii of M dwarfs, while radii for K dwarfs decrease or increase depending on the Q1-Q12 provenance (KIC or Yonsei-Yale isochrones). Radii of F-G dwarfs are on average unchanged, with the exception of newly identified giants. The Q1-Q16 star properties catalog is a first step toward an improved characterization of all Kepler targets to support planet-occurrence studies.

Giant CP stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loden, L.O.; Sundman, A.

1989-01-01

This study is part of an investigation of the possibility of using chemically peculiar (CP) stars to map local galactic structure. Correct luminosities of these stars are therefore crucial. CP stars are generally regarded as main-sequence or near-main-sequence objects. However, some CP stars have been classified as giants. A selection of stars, classified in literature as CP giants, are compared to normal stars in the same effective temperature interval and to ordinary 'non giant' CP stars. There is no clear confirmation of a higher luminosity for 'CP giants', than for CP stars in general. In addition, CP characteristics seem to be individual properties not repeated in a component star or other cluster members. (author). 50 refs., 5 tabs., 3 figs

Comment on '(p,n) and (n,p) reactions as probes of isovector giant monopole resonances'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauhoff, W.

1984-01-01

The importance of medium corrections in the excitation of the isovector giant monopole resonance by nucleons is investigated. A large reduction of the cross-section, compared to calculations with free t-matrices, is found at projectile energies around 100 MeV. This will make observation of the isovector monopole at these energies even more difficult than estimated by Auerbach et al

Stellar structure and evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kippernhahn, R.; Weigert, A.

1990-01-01

This book introduces the theory of the internal structure of stars and their evolution in time. It presents the basic physics of stellar interiors, methods for solving the underlying equations, and the most important results necessary for understanding the wide variety of stellar types and phenomena. The evolution of stars is discussed from their birth through normal evolution to possibly spectacular final stages. Chapters on stellar oscillations and rotation are included

A hot Saturn on an eccentric orbit around the giant star K2-132

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, M. I.; Brahm, R.; Espinoza, N.; Jordán, A.; Rojas, F.; Rabus, M.; Drass, H.; Zapata, A.; Soto, M. G.; Jenkins, J. S.; Vučković, M.; Ciceri, S.; Sarkis, P.

2018-06-01

Although the majority of radial velocity detected planets have been found orbiting solar-type stars, a fraction of them have been discovered around giant stars. These planetary systems have revealed different orbital properties when compared to solar-type star companions. In particular, radial velocity surveys have shown that there is a lack of giant planets in close-in orbits around giant stars, in contrast to the known population of hot Jupiters orbiting solar-type stars. It has been theorized that the reason for this distinctive feature in the semimajor axis distribution is the result of the stellar evolution and/or that it is due to the effect of a different formation/evolution scenario for planets around intermediate-mass stars. However, in the past few years a handful of transiting short-period planets (P ≲ 10 days) have been found around giant stars, thanks to the high-precision photometric data obtained initially by the Kepler mission, and later by its two-wheel extension K2. These new discoveries have allowed us for the first time to study the orbital properties and physical parameters of these intriguing and elusive substellar companions. In this paper we report on an independent discovery of a transiting planet in field 10 of the K2 mission, also reported recently by Grunblatt et al. (2017, AJ, 154, 254). The host star has recently evolved to the giant phase, and has the following atmospheric parameters: Teff = 4878 ± 70 K, log g = 3.289 ± 0.004, and [Fe/H] = -0.11 ± 0.05 dex. The main orbital parameters of K2-132 b, obtained with all the available data for the system are: P = 9.1708 ± 0.0025 d, e = 0.290 ± 0.049, Mp = 0.495 ± 0.007 MJ and Rp = 1.089 ± 0.006 RJ. This is the fifth known planet orbiting any giant star with a K2-132 b a very interesting object. Tables of the photometry and of the radial velocities are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http

Atmospheric parameters of 82 red giants in the Kepler field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Overaa Thygesen, Anders; Frandsen, Søren; Bruntt, Hans

2012-01-01

spectroscopy and photometry shows good agreement within the uncertainties. We find good agreement between the spectroscopic log g and the log g derived from asteroseismology. Also, we see indications of a potential metallicity effect on the stellar oscillations. Conclusions. We have determined the fundamental...... elements were measured using equivalent widths of the spectral lines. Results. We identify discrepancies in log g and [Fe/H], compared to the parameters based on photometric indices in the Kepler Input Catalogue (larger than 2.0 dex for log g and [Fe/H] for individual stars). The Teff found from...... parameters and element abundances of 82 red giants. The large discrepancies between the spectroscopic log g and [Fe/H] and values in the Kepler Input Catalogue emphasize the need for further detailed spectroscopic follow-up of the Kepler targets in order to produce reliable results from the asteroseismic...

Giant Planet Candidates, Brown Dwarfs, and Binaries from the SDSS-III MARVELS Planet Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Neil; Ge, Jian; Li, Rui; de Lee, Nathan M.; Heslar, Michael; Ma, Bo; SDSS-Iii Marvels Team

2015-01-01

We report the discoveries of giant planet candidates, brown dwarfs, and binaries from the SDSS-III MARVELS survey. The finalized 1D pipeline has provided 18 giant planet candidates, 16 brown dwarfs, and over 500 binaries. An additional 96 targets having RV variability indicative of a giant planet companion are also reported for future investigation. These candidates are found using the advanced MARVELS 1D data pipeline developed at UF from scratch over the past three years. This pipeline carefully corrects most of the instrument effects (such as trace, slant, distortion, drifts and dispersion) and observation condition effects (such as illumination profile, fiber degradation, and tracking variations). The result is long-term RV precisions that approach the photon limits in many cases for the ~89,000 individual stellar observations. A 2D version of the pipeline that uses interferometric information is nearing completion and is demonstrating a reduction of errors to half the current levels. The 2D processing will be used to increase the robustness of the detections presented here and to find new candidates in RV regions not confidently detectable with the 1D pipeline. The MARVELS survey has produced the largest homogeneous RV measurements of 3300 V=7.6-12 FGK stars with a well defined cadence of 27 RV measurements over 2 years. The MARVELS RV data and other follow-up data (photometry, high contrast imaging, high resolution spectroscopy and RV measurements) will explore the diversity of giant planet companion formation and evolution around stars with a broad range in metallicity (Fe/H -1.5-0.5), mass ( 0.6-2.5M(sun)), and environment (thin disk and thick disk), and will help to address the key scientific questions identified for the MARVELS survey including, but not limited to: Do metal poor stars obey the same trends for planet occurrence as metal rich stars? What is the distribution of giant planets around intermediate-mass stars and binaries? Is the 'planet desert

Near-Field Cosmology with Resolved Stellar Populations Around Local Volume LMC Stellar-Mass Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Sand, David J.; Willman, Beth; Brodie, Jean P.; Crnojevic, Denija; Forbes, Duncan; Hargis, Jonathan R.; Peter, Annika; Pucha, Ragadeepika; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Spekkens, Kristine; Strader, Jay

2018-06-01

We discuss our ongoing observational program to comprehensively map the entire virial volumes of roughly LMC stellar mass galaxies at distances of ~2-4 Mpc. The MADCASH (Magellanic Analog Dwarf Companions And Stellar Halos) survey will deliver the first census of the dwarf satellite populations and stellar halo properties within LMC-like environments in the Local Volume. Our results will inform our understanding of the recent DES discoveries of dwarf satellites tentatively affiliated with the LMC/SMC system. This program has already yielded the discovery of the faintest known dwarf galaxy satellite of an LMC stellar-mass host beyond the Local Group, based on deep Subaru+HyperSuprimeCam imaging reaching ~2 magnitudes below its TRGB, and at least two additional candidate satellites. We will summarize the survey results and status to date, highlighting some challenges encountered and lessons learned as we process the data for this program through a prototype LSST pipeline. Our program will examine whether LMC stellar mass dwarfs have extended stellar halos, allowing us to assess the relative contributions of in-situ stars vs. merger debris to their stellar populations and halo density profiles. We outline the constraints on galaxy formation models that will be provided by our observations of low-mass galaxy halos and their satellites.

Toward long-term all-sky time domain surveys-SINDICS: a prospective concept for a Seismic INDICes Survey of half a million red giants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michel Eric

2015-01-01

Full Text Available CoRoT and Kepler have brought a new and deep experience in long-term photometric surveys and how to use them. This is true for exoplanets characterizing, stellar seismology and beyond for studying several other phenomena, like granulation or activity. Based on this experience, it has been possible to propose new generation projects, like TESS and PLATO, with more specific scientific objectives and more ambitious observational programs in terms of sky coverage and/or duration of the observations. In this context and as a prospective exercise, we explore here the possibility to set up an all-sky survey optimized for seismic indices measurement, providing masses, radii and evolution stages for half a million solar-type pulsators (subgiants and red giants, in our galactic neighborhood and allowing unprecedented stellar population studies.

NEBULAR AND STELLAR DUST EXTINCTION ACROSS THE DISK OF EMISSION-LINE GALAXIES ON KILOPARSEC SCALES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hemmati, Shoubaneh; Mobasher, Bahram; Darvish, Behnam [University of California, Riverside, CA 92512 (United States); Nayyeri, Hooshang; Miller, Sarah [University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Sobral, David, E-mail: shemm001@ucr.edu [Universidade de Lisboa, PT1349-018 Lisbon (Portugal)

2015-11-20

We investigate the resolved kiloparsec-scale stellar and nebular dust distribution in eight star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 0.4 in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey fields. This is to get a better understanding of the effect of dust attenuation on measurements of physical properties and its variation with redshift. Constructing the observed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) per pixel, based on seven bands of photometric data from Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys and WFC3, we performed pixel-by-pixel SED fits to population synthesis models and estimated the small-scale distribution of stellar dust extinction. We use Hα/Hβ nebular emission line ratios from Keck/DEIMOS high-resolution spectra at each spatial resolution element to measure the amount of attenuation faced by ionized gas at different radii from the centers of galaxies. We find a good agreement between the integrated and median of resolved color excess measurements in our galaxies. The ratio of integrated nebular to stellar dust extinction is always greater than unity, but does not show any trend with stellar mass or star formation rate (SFR). We find that inclination plays an important role in the variation of the nebular to stellar excess ratio. The stellar color excess profiles are found to have higher values at the center compared to outer parts of the disk. However, for lower mass galaxies, a similar trend is not found for the nebular color excess. We find that the nebular color excess increases with stellar mass surface density. This explains the absence of radial trend in the nebular color excess in lower mass galaxies which lack a large radial variation of stellar mass surface density. Using standard conversions of SFR surface density to gas mass surface density, and the relation between dust mass surface density and color excess, we find no significant variation in the dust-to-gas ratio in regions with high gas mass surface densities over the scales probed in this

Planet-induced Stellar Pulsations in HAT-P-2's Eccentric System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wit, Julien de; Lewis, Nikole K.; Knutson, Heather A.; Batygin, Konstantin; Fuller, Jim; Antoci, Victoria; Fulton, Benjamin J.; Laughlin, Gregory; Deming, Drake; Shporer, Avi; Cowan, Nicolas B.; Agol, Eric; Burrows, Adam S.; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Langton, Jonathan; Showman, Adam P.

2017-01-01

Extrasolar planets on eccentric short-period orbits provide a laboratory in which to study radiative and tidal interactions between a planet and its host star under extreme forcing conditions. Studying such systems probes how the planet’s atmosphere redistributes the time-varying heat flux from its host and how the host star responds to transient tidal distortion. Here, we report the insights into the planet–star interactions in HAT-P-2's eccentric planetary system gained from the analysis of ∼350 hr of 4.5 μ m observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope . The observations show no sign of orbit-to-orbit variability nor of orbital evolution of the eccentric planetary companion, HAT-P-2 b. The extensive coverage allows us to better differentiate instrumental systematics from the transient heating of HAT-P-2 b’s 4.5 μ m photosphere and yields the detection of stellar pulsations with an amplitude of approximately 40 ppm. These pulsation modes correspond to exact harmonics of the planet’s orbital frequency, indicative of a tidal origin. Transient tidal effects can excite pulsation modes in the envelope of a star, but, to date, such pulsations had only been detected in highly eccentric stellar binaries. Current stellar models are unable to reproduce HAT-P-2's pulsations, suggesting that our understanding of the interactions at play in this system is incomplete.

Effect of stellar activity on the high precision transit light curve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oshagh, M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Stellar activity features such as spots and plages can create difficulties in determining planetary parameters through spectroscopic and photometric observations. The overlap of a transiting planet and a stellar spot, for instance, can produce anomalies in the transit light curve that may lead to inaccurate estimation of the transit duration, depth, and timing. Such inaccuracies can affect the precise derivation of the planet’s radius. In this talk we will present the results of a quantitative study on the effects of stellar spots on high precision transit light curves. We show that spot anomalies can lead to the estimate of a planet radius that is 4% smaller than the real value. The effects on the transit duration can also be of the order of 4%, longer or shorter. Depending on the size and distribution of spots, anomalies can also produce transit timing variations with significant amplitudes. For instance, TTVs with signal amplitudes of 200 seconds can be produced by spots as large as the largest sunspot. Finally, we examine the impact of active regions on the transit depth measurements in different wavelengths, in order to probe the impact of this effect on transmission spectroscopy measurements. We show that significant (up to 10% underestimation/overestimation of the planet-to-star radius ratio can be measured, especially in the short wavelength regime.

Double-helix stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moroz, P.E.

1997-09-01

A new stellarator configuration, the Double-Helix Stellarator (DHS), is introduced. This novel configuration features a double-helix center post as the only helical element of the stellarator coil system. The DHS configuration has many unique characteristics. One of them is the extreme low plasma aspect ratio, A ∼ 1--1.2. Other advantages include a high enclosed volume, appreciable rotational transform, and a possibility of extreme-high-β MHD equilibria. Moreover, the DHS features improved transport characteristics caused by the absence of the magnetic field ripple on the outboard of the torus. Compactness, simplicity and modularity of the coil system add to the DHS advantages for fusion applications

SNAP: Small Next-generation Atmospheric Probe Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Sayanagi, K. M.; Dillman, R. A.; Atkinson, D. H.; Li, J.; Saikia, S.; Simon, A. A.; Spilker, T. R.; Wong, M. H.; Hope, D.

2017-12-01

We present a concept for a small, atmospheric probe that could be flexibly added to future missions that orbit or fly-by a giant planet as a secondary payload, which we call the Small Next-generation Atmospheric Probe (SNAP). SNAP's main scientific objectives are to determine the vertical distribution of clouds and cloud-forming chemical species, thermal stratification, and wind speed as a function of depth. As a case study, we present the advantages, cost and risk of adding SNAP to the future Uranus Orbiter and Probe flagship mission; in combination with the mission's main probe, SNAP would perform atmospheric in-situ measurements at a second location, and thus enable and enhance the scientific objectives recommended by the 2013 Planetary Science Decadal Survey and the 2014 NASA Science Plan to determine atmospheric spatial variabilities. We envision that the science objectives can be achieved with a 30-kg entry probe 0.5m in diameter (less than half the size of the Galileo probe) that reaches 5-bar pressure-altitude and returns data to Earth via the carrier spacecraft. As the baseline instruments, the probe will carry an Atmospheric Structure Instrument (ASI) that measures the temperature, pressure and acceleration, a carbon nanotube-based NanoChem atmospheric composition sensor, and an Ultra-Stable Oscillator (USO) to conduct a Doppler Wind Experiment (DWE). We also catalog promising technologies currently under development that will strengthen small atmospheric entry probe missions in the future. While SNAP is applicable to multiple planets, we examine the feasibility, benefits and impacts of adding SNAP to the Uranus Orbiter and Probe flagship mission. Our project is supported by NASA PSDS3 grant NNX17AK31G.

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

Rapid formation of gas giants, ice giants and super-Earths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boss, A P [DTM, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015 (United States)], E-mail: boss@dtm.ciw.edu

2008-08-15

Giant planets might have been formed by either of the two basic mechanisms, top-down (disk instability) or bottom-up (core accretion). The latter mechanism is the most generally accepted mechanism and it begins with the collisional accumulation of solid cores that may then accrete sufficient gas to become gas giants. The former mechanism is more heretical and begins with the gravitational instability of the protoplanetary disk gas, leading to the formation of self-gravitating protoplanets, within which the dust settles to form a solid core. The disk instability mechanism has been thought of primarily as a mechanism for the formation of gas giants, but if it occurs in a disk that is being photoevaporated by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars, then the outer gaseous protoplanets can be photoevaporated as well and stripped of their gaseous envelopes. The result would then be ice giants (cold super-Earths), such as the objects discovered recently by microlensing orbiting two presumed M dwarf stars. M dwarfs that form in regions of future high-mass star formation would be expected to produce cold super-Earths orbiting at distances of several astronomical units (AU) and beyond, while M dwarfs that form in regions of low-mass star formation would be expected to have gas giants at those distances. Given that most stars are born in the former rather than in the latter regions, M dwarfs should have significantly more super-Earths than gas giants on orbits of several AU or more.

Rapid formation of gas giants, ice giants and super-Earths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boss, A P

2008-01-01

Giant planets might have been formed by either of the two basic mechanisms, top-down (disk instability) or bottom-up (core accretion). The latter mechanism is the most generally accepted mechanism and it begins with the collisional accumulation of solid cores that may then accrete sufficient gas to become gas giants. The former mechanism is more heretical and begins with the gravitational instability of the protoplanetary disk gas, leading to the formation of self-gravitating protoplanets, within which the dust settles to form a solid core. The disk instability mechanism has been thought of primarily as a mechanism for the formation of gas giants, but if it occurs in a disk that is being photoevaporated by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars, then the outer gaseous protoplanets can be photoevaporated as well and stripped of their gaseous envelopes. The result would then be ice giants (cold super-Earths), such as the objects discovered recently by microlensing orbiting two presumed M dwarf stars. M dwarfs that form in regions of future high-mass star formation would be expected to produce cold super-Earths orbiting at distances of several astronomical units (AU) and beyond, while M dwarfs that form in regions of low-mass star formation would be expected to have gas giants at those distances. Given that most stars are born in the former rather than in the latter regions, M dwarfs should have significantly more super-Earths than gas giants on orbits of several AU or more

The Magellanic Analog Dwarf Companions and Stellar Halos (MADCASH) Survey: Near-Field Cosmology with Resolved Stellar Populations Around Local Volume LMC Stellar-Mass Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Sand, David J.; Willman, Beth; Brodie, Jean P.; Crnojevic, Denija; Peter, Annika; Price, Paul A.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Spekkens, Kristine; Strader, Jay

2017-01-01

We discuss the first results of our observational program to comprehensively map nearly the entire virial volumes of roughly LMC stellar mass galaxies at distances of ~2-4 Mpc. The MADCASH (Magellanic Analog Dwarf Companions And Stellar Halos) survey will deliver the first census of the dwarf satellite populations and stellar halo properties within LMC-like environments in the Local Volume. These will inform our understanding of the recent DES discoveries of dwarf satellites tentatively affiliated with the LMC/SMC system. We will detail our discovery of the faintest known dwarf galaxy satellite of an LMC stellar-mass host beyond the Local Group, based on deep Subaru+HyperSuprimeCam imaging reaching ~2 magnitudes below its TRGB. We will summarize the survey results and status to date, highlighting some challenges encountered and lessons learned as we process the data for this program through a prototype LSST pipeline. Our program will examine whether LMC stellar mass dwarfs have extended stellar halos, allowing us to assess the relative contributions of in-situ stars vs. merger debris to their stellar populations and halo density profiles. We outline the constraints on galaxy formation models that will be provided by our observations of low-mass galaxy halos and their satellites.

Giant Cell Arteritis

Science.gov (United States)

Giant cell arteritis is a disorder that causes inflammation of your arteries, usually in the scalp, neck, and arms. ... arteries, which keeps blood from flowing well. Giant cell arteritis often occurs with another disorder called polymyalgia ...

Ripple transport in helical-axis advanced stellarators - a comparison with classical stellarator/torsatrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beidler, C.D.; Hitchon, W.N.G.

1993-08-01

Calculations of the neoclassical transport rates due to particles trapped in the helical ripples of a stellarator's magnetic field are carried out, based on solutions of the bounce-averaged kinetic equation. These calculations employ a model for the magnetic field strength, B, which is an accurate approximation to the actual B for a wide variety of stellarator-type devices, among which are Helical-Axis Advanced Stellarators (Helias) as well as conventional stellarators and torsatrons. Comparisons are carried out in which it is shown that the Helias concept leads to significant reductions in neoclassical transport rates throughout the entire long-mean-free-path regime, with the reduction being particularly dramatic in the ν -1 regime. These findings are confirmed by numerical simulations. Further, it is shown that the behavior of deeply trapped particles in Helias can be fundamentally different from that in classical stellarator/torsatrons; as a consequence, the beneficial effects of a radial electric field on the transport make themselves felt at lower collision frequency than is usual. (orig.)

X-shooter spectroscopy of young stellar objects in Lupus. Atmospheric parameters, membership, and activity diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Frasca, A.; Biazzo, K.; Alcalá, J. M.; Manara, C. F.; Stelzer, B.; Covino, E.; Antoniucci, S.

2017-06-01

Aims: A homogeneous determination of basic stellar parameters of young stellar object (YSO) candidates is needed to confirm their pre-main sequence evolutionary stage and membership to star forming regions (SFRs), and to get reliable values of the quantities related to chromospheric activity and accretion. Methods: We used the code ROTFIT and synthetic BT-Settl spectra for the determination of the atmospheric parameters (Teff and log g), veiling (r), radial (RV), and projected rotational velocity (vsini) from X-shooter spectra of 102 YSO candidates (95 of infrared Class II and seven Class III) in the Lupus SFR. The spectral subtraction of inactive templates, rotationally broadened to match the vsini of the targets, enabled us to measure the line fluxes for several diagnostics of both chromospheric activity and accretion, such as Hα, Hβ, Ca II, and Na I lines. Results: We have shown that 13 candidates can be rejected as Lupus members based on their discrepant RV with respect to Lupus and/or the very low log g values. At least 11 of them are background giants, two of which turned out to be lithium-rich giants. Regarding the members, we found that all Class III sources have Hα fluxes that are compatible with a pure chromospheric activity, while objects with disks lie mostly above the boundary between chromospheres and accretion. Young stellar objects with transitional disks display both high and low Hα fluxes. We found that the line fluxes per unit surface are tightly correlated with the accretion luminosity (Lacc) derived from the Balmer continuum excess. This rules out that the relationships between Lacc and line luminosities found in previous works are simply due to calibration effects. We also found that the Ca II-IRT flux ratio, FCaII8542/FCaII8498, is always small, indicating an optically thick emission source. The latter can be identified with the accretion shock near the stellar photosphere. The Balmer decrement reaches instead, for several accretors, high

Convection and stellar oscillations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarslev, Magnus Johan

2017-01-01

for asteroseismology, because of the challenges inherent in modelling turbulent convection in 1D stellar models. As a result of oversimplifying the physics near the surface, theoretical calculations systematically overestimate the oscillation frequencies. This has become known as the asteroseismic surface effect. Due...... to lacking better options, this frequency difference is typically corrected for with ad-hoc formulae. The topic of this thesis is the improvement of 1D stellar convection models and the effects this has on asteroseismic properties. The source of improvements is 3D simulations of radiation...... atmospheres to replace the outer layers of stellar models. The additional turbulent pressure and asymmetrical opacity effects in the atmosphere model, compared to convection in stellar evolution models, serve to expand the atmosphere. The enlarged acoustic cavity lowers the pulsation frequencies bringing them...

A FIRST LOOK AT THE AURIGA-CALIFORNIA GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUD WITH HERSCHEL AND THE CSO: CENSUS OF THE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS AND THE DENSE GAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harvey, Paul M. [Astronomy Department, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C1400, Austin, TX 78712-0259 (United States); Fallscheer, Cassandra [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2 (Canada); Ginsburg, Adam [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0389 (United States); Terebey, Susan [Department of Physics and Astronomy PS315, 5151 State University Drive, California State University at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90032 (United States); Andre, Philippe; Koenyves, Vera [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Universite Paris Diderot, IRFU/Service d' Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Bourke, Tyler L. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Di Francesco, James; Matthews, Brenda C. [Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council of Canada, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada); Peterson, Dawn E., E-mail: pmh@astro.as.utexas.edu, E-mail: Cassandra.Fallscheer@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca, E-mail: adam.ginsburg@colorado.edu, E-mail: sterebe@calstatela.edu, E-mail: pandre@cea.fr, E-mail: vera.konyves@cea.fr, E-mail: tbourke@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: James.DiFrancesco@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca, E-mail: Brenda.Matthews@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca, E-mail: dpeterson@spacescience.org [Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States)

2013-02-20

We have mapped the Auriga/California molecular cloud with the Herschel PACS and SPIRE cameras and the Bolocam 1.1 mm camera on the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory with the eventual goal of quantifying the star formation and cloud structure in this giant molecular cloud (GMC) that is comparable in size and mass to the Orion GMC, but which appears to be forming far fewer stars. We have tabulated 60 compact 70/160 {mu}m sources that are likely pre-main-sequence objects and correlated those with Spitzer and WISE mid-IR sources. At 1.1 mm, we find 18 cold, compact sources and discuss their properties. The most important result from this part of our study is that we find a modest number of additional compact young objects beyond those identified at shorter wavelengths with Spitzer. We also describe the dust column density and temperature structure derived from our photometric maps. The column density peaks at a few Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 22} cm{sup -2} (N {sub H2}) and is distributed in a clear filamentary structure along which nearly all of the pre-main-sequence objects are found. We compare the young stellar object surface density to the gas column density and find a strong nonlinear correlation between them. The dust temperature in the densest parts of the filaments drops to {approx}10 K from values {approx}14-15 K in the low-density parts of the cloud. We also derive the cumulative mass fraction and probability density function of material in the cloud, which we compare with similar data on other star-forming clouds.

A FIRST LOOK AT THE AURIGA-CALIFORNIA GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUD WITH HERSCHEL AND THE CSO: CENSUS OF THE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS AND THE DENSE GAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, Paul M.; Fallscheer, Cassandra; Ginsburg, Adam; Terebey, Susan; André, Philippe; Könyves, Vera; Bourke, Tyler L.; Di Francesco, James; Matthews, Brenda C.; Peterson, Dawn E.

2013-01-01

We have mapped the Auriga/California molecular cloud with the Herschel PACS and SPIRE cameras and the Bolocam 1.1 mm camera on the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory with the eventual goal of quantifying the star formation and cloud structure in this giant molecular cloud (GMC) that is comparable in size and mass to the Orion GMC, but which appears to be forming far fewer stars. We have tabulated 60 compact 70/160 μm sources that are likely pre-main-sequence objects and correlated those with Spitzer and WISE mid-IR sources. At 1.1 mm, we find 18 cold, compact sources and discuss their properties. The most important result from this part of our study is that we find a modest number of additional compact young objects beyond those identified at shorter wavelengths with Spitzer. We also describe the dust column density and temperature structure derived from our photometric maps. The column density peaks at a few × 10 22 cm –2 (N H2 ) and is distributed in a clear filamentary structure along which nearly all of the pre-main-sequence objects are found. We compare the young stellar object surface density to the gas column density and find a strong nonlinear correlation between them. The dust temperature in the densest parts of the filaments drops to ∼10 K from values ∼14-15 K in the low-density parts of the cloud. We also derive the cumulative mass fraction and probability density function of material in the cloud, which we compare with similar data on other star-forming clouds.

Stellarator Research Opportunities: A report of the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gates, David A. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Anderson, David [University of Wisconsin-Madison

2017-06-01

This document is the product of a stellarator community workshop, organized by the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee and referred to as Stellcon, that was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February 2016, hosted by MIT. The workshop was widely advertised, and was attended by 40 scientists from 12 different institutions including national labs, universities and private industry, as well as a representative from the Department of Energy. The final section of this document describes areas of community wide consensus that were developed as a result of the discussions held at that workshop. Areas where further study would be helpful to generate a consensus path forward for the US stellarator program are also discussed. The program outlined in this document is directly responsive to many of the strategic priorities of FES as articulated in “Fusion Energy Sciences: A Ten-Year Perspective (2015-2025)” [2]. The natural disruption immunity of the stellarator directly addresses “Elimination of transient events that can be deleterious to toroidal fusion plasma confinement devices” an area of critical importance for the U.S. fusion energy sciences enterprise over the next decade. Another critical area of research “Strengthening our partnerships with international research facilities,” is being significantly advanced on the W7-X stellarator in Germany and serves as a test-bed for development of successful international collaboration on ITER. This report also outlines how materials science as it relates to plasma and fusion sciences, another critical research area, can be carried out effectively in a stellarator. Additionally, significant advances along two of the Research Directions outlined in the report; “Burning Plasma Science: Foundations - Next-generation research capabilities”, and “Burning Plasma Science: Long pulse - Sustainment of Long-Pulse Plasma Equilibria” are proposed.

Stellarator Research Opportunities: A Report of the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, D. A.; Anderson, D.; Anderson, S.; Zarnstorff, M.; Spong, D. A.; Weitzner, H.; Neilson, G. H.; Ruzic, D.; Andruczyk, D.; Harris, J. H.; Mynick, H.; Hegna, C. C.; Schmitz, O.; Talmadge, J. N.; Curreli, D.; Maurer, D.; Boozer, A. H.; Knowlton, S.; Allain, J. P.; Ennis, D.; Wurden, G.; Reiman, A.; Lore, J. D.; Landreman, M.; Freidberg, J. P.; Hudson, S. R.; Porkolab, M.; Demers, D.; Terry, J.; Edlund, E.; Lazerson, S. A.; Pablant, N.; Fonck, R.; Volpe, F.; Canik, J.; Granetz, R.; Ware, A.; Hanson, J. D.; Kumar, S.; Deng, C.; Likin, K.; Cerfon, A.; Ram, A.; Hassam, A.; Prager, S.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Pueschel, M. J.; Joseph, I.; Glasser, A. H.

2018-02-01

This document is the product of a stellarator community workshop, organized by the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee and referred to as Stellcon, that was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February 2016, hosted by MIT. The workshop was widely advertised, and was attended by 40 scientists from 12 different institutions including national labs, universities and private industry, as well as a representative from the Department of Energy. The final section of this document describes areas of community wide consensus that were developed as a result of the discussions held at that workshop. Areas where further study would be helpful to generate a consensus path forward for the US stellarator program are also discussed. The program outlined in this document is directly responsive to many of the strategic priorities of FES as articulated in "Fusion Energy Sciences: A Ten-Year Perspective (2015-2025)" [1]. The natural disruption immunity of the stellarator directly addresses "Elimination of transient events that can be deleterious to toroidal fusion plasma confinement devices" an area of critical importance for the US fusion energy sciences enterprise over the next decade. Another critical area of research "Strengthening our partnerships with international research facilities," is being significantly advanced on the W7-X stellarator in Germany and serves as a test-bed for development of successful international collaboration on ITER. This report also outlines how materials science as it relates to plasma and fusion sciences, another critical research area, can be carried out effectively in a stellarator. Additionally, significant advances along two of the Research Directions outlined in the report; "Burning Plasma Science: Foundations - Next-generation research capabilities", and "Burning Plasma Science: Long pulse - Sustainment of Long-Pulse Plasma Equilibria" are proposed.

THE PHOTOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF A VAST STELLAR SUBSTRUCTURE IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF M33

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McConnachie, Alan W.; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Irwin, Michael J.; Dubinski, John; Widrow, Lawrence M.; Dotter, Aaron; Ibata, Rodrigo; Lewis, Geraint F.

2010-01-01

We have surveyed approximately 40 deg 2 surrounding M33 with Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope MegaCam/MegaPrime in the g and i filters out to a maximum projected radius from this galaxy of 50 kpc, as part of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS). Our observations are deep enough to resolve the top ∼4 mag of the red giant branch population in this galaxy. We have previously shown that the disk of M33 is surrounded by a large, irregular, low surface brightness substructure. Here, we quantify the stellar populations and structure of this feature using the PAndAS data. We show that the stellar populations of this feature are consistent with an old population with ([Fe/H]) ∼ -1.6 dex and an interquartile range in metallicity of ∼0.5 dex. We construct a surface brightness map of M33 that traces this feature to μ V ≅ 33 mag arcsec -2 . At these low surface brightness levels, the structure extends to projected radii of ∼40 kpc from the center of M33 in both the northwest and southeast quadrants of the galaxy. Overall, the structure has an 'S-shaped' appearance that broadly aligns with the orientation of the H I disk warp. We calculate a lower limit to the integrated luminosity of the structure of -12.7 ± 0.5 mag, comparable to a bright dwarf galaxy such as Fornax or Andromeda II and slightly less than 1% of the total luminosity of M33. Further, we show that there is tentative evidence for a distortion in the distribution of young stars near the edge of the H I disk that occurs at similar azimuth to the warp in H I. The data also hint at a low-level, extended stellar component at larger radius that may be an M33 halo component. We revisit studies of M33 and its stellar populations in light of these new results and discuss possible formation scenarios for the vast stellar structure. Our favored model is that of the tidal disruption of M33 in its orbit around M31.

HIDE AND SEEK BETWEEN ANDROMEDA'S HALO, DISK, AND GIANT STREAM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clementini, Gisella; Contreras Ramos, Rodrigo; Federici, Luciana; Macario, Giulia; Tosi, Monica; Bellazzini, Michele; Fusi Pecci, Flavio; Diolaiti, Emiliano; Cacciari, Carla [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Beccari, Giacomo [European Southern Observatory, 85748 Garching bei Munchen (Germany); Testa, Vincenzo; Giallongo, Emanuele; Di Paola, Andrea; Gallozzi, Stefano [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monteporzio (Italy); Cignoni, Michele; Marano, Bruno [Dipartimento di Astronomia, Universita di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Marconi, Marcella; Ripepi, Vincenzo [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Napoli (Italy); Ragazzoni, Roberto [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padova (Italy); Smareglia, Riccardo, E-mail: gisella.clementini@oabo.inaf.it [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Trieste (Italy)

2011-12-10

Photometry in B, V (down to V {approx} 26 mag) is presented for two 23' Multiplication-Sign 23' fields of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) that were observed with the blue channel camera of the Large Binocular Telescope during the Science Demonstration Time. Each field covers an area of about 5.1 Multiplication-Sign 5.1 kpc{sup 2} at the distance of M31 ({mu}{sub M31} {approx} 24.4 mag), sampling, respectively, a northeast region close to the M31 giant stream (field S2) and an eastern portion of the halo in the direction of the galaxy minor axis (field H1). The stream field spans a region that includes Andromeda's disk and giant stream, and this is reflected in the complexity of the color-magnitude diagram of the field. One corner of the halo field also includes a portion of the giant stream. Even though these demonstration time data were obtained under non-optimal observing conditions, the B photometry, which was acquired in time-series mode, allowed us to identify 274 variable stars (among which 96 are bona fide and 31 are candidate RR Lyrae stars, 71 are Cepheids, and 16 are binary systems) by applying the image subtraction technique to the selected portions of the observed fields. Differential flux light curves were obtained for the vast majority of these variables. Our sample mainly includes pulsating stars that populate the instability strip from the Classical Cepheids down to the RR Lyrae stars, thus tracing the different stellar generations in these regions of M31 down to the horizontal branch of the oldest (t {approx} 10 Gyr) component.

Global Properties of M31’s Stellar Halo from the SPLASH Survey. III. Measuring the Stellar Velocity Dispersion Profile

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Karoline M.; Tollerud, Erik; Beaton, Rachael L.; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Bullock, James S.; Chiba, Masashi; Kalirai, Jason S.; Kirby, Evan N.; Majewski, Steven R.; Tanaka, Mikito

2018-01-01

We present the velocity dispersion of red giant branch stars in M31’s halo, derived by modeling the line-of-sight velocity distribution of over 5000 stars in 50 fields spread throughout M31’s stellar halo. The data set was obtained as part of the Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda’s Stellar Halo (SPLASH) Survey, and covers projected radii of 9 to 175 kpc from M31’s center. All major structural components along the line of sight in both the Milky Way (MW) and M31 are incorporated in a Gaussian Mixture Model, including all previously identified M31 tidal debris features in the observed fields. The probability that an individual star is a constituent of M31 or the MW, based on a set of empirical photometric and spectroscopic diagnostics, is included as a prior probability in the mixture model. The velocity dispersion of stars in M31’s halo is found to decrease only mildly with projected radius, from 108 km s‑1 in the innermost radial bin (8.2 to 14.1 kpc) to ∼80 to 90 km s‑1 at projected radii of ∼40–130 kpc, and can be parameterized with a power law of slope ‑0.12 ± 0.05. The quoted uncertainty on the power-law slope reflects only the precision of the method, although other sources of uncertainty we consider contribute negligibly to the overall error budget. The data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation.

Habitability in different Milky Way stellar environments: a stellar interaction dynamical approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Torres, Juan J; Pichardo, Bárbara; Lake, George; Segura, Antígona

2013-05-01

Every Galactic environment is characterized by a stellar density and a velocity dispersion. With this information from literature, we simulated flyby encounters for several Galactic regions, numerically calculating stellar trajectories as well as orbits for particles in disks; our aim was to understand the effect of typical stellar flybys on planetary (debris) disks in the Milky Way Galaxy. For the solar neighborhood, we examined nearby stars with known distance, proper motions, and radial velocities. We found occurrence of a disturbing impact to the solar planetary disk within the next 8 Myr to be highly unlikely; perturbations to the Oort cloud seem unlikely as well. Current knowledge of the full phase space of stars in the solar neighborhood, however, is rather poor; thus we cannot rule out the existence of a star that is more likely to approach than those for which we have complete kinematic information. We studied the effect of stellar encounters on planetary orbits within the habitable zones of stars in more crowded stellar environments, such as stellar clusters. We found that in open clusters habitable zones are not readily disrupted; this is true if they evaporate in less than 10(8) yr. For older clusters the results may not be the same. We specifically studied the case of Messier 67, one of the oldest open clusters known, and show the effect of this environment on debris disks. We also considered the conditions in globular clusters, the Galactic nucleus, and the Galactic bulge-bar. We calculated the probability of whether Oort clouds exist in these Galactic environments.

THE STELLAR NUMBER DENSITY DISTRIBUTION IN THE LOCAL SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD IS NORTH-SOUTH ASYMMETRIC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yanny, Brian [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Gardner, Susan [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0055 (United States)

2013-11-10

We study the number density distribution of a sample of K and M dwarf stars, matched north and south of the Galactic plane within a distance of 2 kpc from the Sun, using observations from the Ninth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We determine distances using the photometric parallax method, and in this context systematic effects exist which could potentially impact the determination of the number density profile with height from the Galactic plane—and ultimately affect a number density north-south asymmetry. They include: (1) the calibration of the various photometric parallax relations, (2) the ability to separate dwarfs from giants in our sample, (3) the role of stellar population differences such as age and metallicity, (4) the ability to determine the offset of the Sun from the Galactic plane, and (5) the correction for reddening from dust in the Galactic plane, though our stars are at high Galactic latitudes. We find the various analyzed systematic effects to have a negligible impact on our observed asymmetry, and using a new and larger sample of stars we confirm and refine the earlier discovery of Widrow et al. of a significant Galactic north-south asymmetry in the stellar number density distribution.

THE STELLAR NUMBER DENSITY DISTRIBUTION IN THE LOCAL SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD IS NORTH-SOUTH ASYMMETRIC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yanny, Brian; Gardner, Susan

2013-10-17

We study the number density distribution of a sample of K and M dwarf stars, matched North and South of the Galactic plane within a distance of 2 kpc from the sun, using observations from the Ninth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We determine distances using the photometric parallax method, and in this context systematic effects exist which could potentially impact the determination of the number density profile with height from the Galactic plane --- and ultimately affect a number density North-South asymmetry. They include: (i) the calibration of the various photometric parallax relations, (ii) the ability to separate dwarfs from giants in our sample, (iii) the role of stellar population differences such as age and metallicity, (iv) the ability to determine the offset of the sun from the Galactic plane, and (v) the correction for reddening from dust in the Galactic plane, though our stars are at high Galactic latitudes. We find the various analyzed systematic effects to have a negligible impact on our observed asymmetry, and using a new and larger sample of stars we confirm and refine the earlier discovery of Widrow et al. of a significant Galactic North-South asymmetry in the stellar number density distribution.

The “Building Blocks” of Stellar Halos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyle A. Oman

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The stellar halos of galaxies encode their accretion histories. In particular, the median metallicity of a halo is determined primarily by the mass of the most massive accreted object. We use hydrodynamical cosmological simulations from the apostle project to study the connection between the stellar mass, the metallicity distribution, and the stellar age distribution of a halo and the identity of its most massive progenitor. We find that the stellar populations in an accreted halo typically resemble the old stellar populations in a present-day dwarf galaxy with a stellar mass ∼0.2–0.5 dex greater than that of the stellar halo. This suggests that had they not been accreted, the primary progenitors of stellar halos would have evolved to resemble typical nearby dwarf irregulars.

Tools to probe the universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagage, P.O.; Augueres, J.L.; Amiaux, J.; Cara, Ch.; Fontignie, J.; Rio, Y.; Fermon, C.; Pannetier-Lecoeur, M.; De Vismes, A.; Cordier, B.; Fesquet, M.; Ferrando, Ph.; Authier, M.; Pantin, E.; Glicenstein, J.F.; Boulade, O.; Refregier, A.; Stolarczyk, Th.; Agnese, P.; Rodriguez, L.; Agnese, P.; Pigot, C.; Duband, L.; Limousin, O.; Delagnes, E.; Turck-Chieze, S.; Carton, P.H.; Starck, J.L.; Bournaud, F.; Teyssier, R.; Audit, E.; Brun, A.S.; Leca, P.; Menache, Ch.; Pomarede, D.; Thooris, B.; Meis, C.

2009-01-01

This special issue of Clefs CEA journal is entirely devoted to astrophysics and to the exploration and probing of the Universe. The second part of this dossier, described here, makes a status of the tools used to probe the universe: telescopes, imaging spectrometers, data processing and simulation. Content: A - Telescopes of the future: 1. Seeing further out: JWST: looking back on a past 13 billion years old, Space specifics: the learning curve to know-how, Fabricating a corona-graph mask, SVOM, a satellite to detect the explosions of the first stars to be formed in the Universe; 2. Seeing more precisely: SIMBOL-X, pioneering formation flying, ELT/METIS, a 42-meter giant, One hundred telescopes for the CTA arrays; 3. Seeing wider: Euclid, mapping the extragalactic sky, ANTARES: the neutrino, another cosmic messenger; B - The new generation of imaging spectrometers: Observing the Universe in the submillimeter spectral region, The X-ray Universe, Space cryo-coolers, Out in the extreme, tumultuous Universe, Probing the Sun with GOLF-NG, Focus: From light to imagery; C - Data analysis in astrophysics; D - Numerical simulation in astrophysics: Information technology and theoretical predictions in astrophysics, Supercomputers for a better understanding of the Universe, The visualization of astrophysical simulations, Godunov, a numerical platform for education and research

FROM THE COLOR-MAGNITUDE DIAGRAM OF {omega} CENTAURI AND (SUPER-)ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STELLAR MODELS TO A GALACTIC PLANE PASSAGE GAS PURGING CHEMICAL EVOLUTION SCENARIO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herwig, Falk; VandenBerg, Don A.; Navarro, Julio F. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3055, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6 (Canada); Ferguson, Jason [Department of Physics, Wichita State University Wichita, KS 67260 (United States); Paxton, Bill, E-mail: fherwig@uvic.ca, E-mail: vandenbe@uvic.ca, E-mail: jason.ferguson@wichita.edu, E-mail: paxton@kitp.ucsb.edu [KITP/UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

2012-10-01

We have investigated the color-magnitude diagram of {omega} Centauri and find that the blue main sequence (bMS) can be reproduced only by models that have a helium abundance in the range Y = 0.35-0.40. To explain the faint subgiant branch of the reddest stars ('MS-a/RG-a' sequence), isochrones for the observed metallicity ([Fe/H] Almost-Equal-To -0.7) appear to require both a high age ({approx}13 Gyr) and enhanced CNO abundances ([CNO/Fe] Almost-Equal-To 0.9). Y Almost-Equal-To 0.35 must also be assumed in order to counteract the effects of high CNO on turnoff colors and thereby to obtain a good fit to the relatively blue turnoff of this stellar population. This suggests a short chemical evolution period of time (<1 Gyr) for {omega} Cen. Our intermediate-mass (super-)asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models are able to reproduce the high helium abundances, along with [N/Fe] {approx}2 and substantial O depletions if uncertainties in the treatment of convection are fully taken into account. These abundance features distinguish the bMS stars from the dominant [Fe/H] Almost-Equal-To -1.7 population. The most massive super-AGB stellar models (M{sub ZAMS} {>=} 6.8 M{sub Sun }, M{sub He,core} {>=} 1.245 M{sub Sun }) predict too large N enhancements, which limit their role in contributing to the extreme populations. In order to address the observed central concentration of stars with He-rich abundance, we show here quantitatively that highly He- and N-enriched AGB ejecta have particularly efficient cooling properties. Based on these results and on the reconstruction of the orbit of {omega} Cen with respect to the Milky Way, we propose the Galactic plane passage gas purging scenario for the chemical evolution of this cluster. The bMS population formed shortly after the purging of most of the cluster gas as a result of the passage of {omega} Cen through the Galactic disk (which occurs today every {approx}40 Myr for {omega} Cen) when the initial mass function of the

Constraining the Stellar Mass Function in the Galactic Center via Mass Loss from Stellar Collisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas Rubin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The dense concentration of stars and high-velocity dispersions in the Galactic center imply that stellar collisions frequently occur. Stellar collisions could therefore result in significant mass loss rates. We calculate the amount of stellar mass lost due to indirect and direct stellar collisions and find its dependence on the present-day mass function of stars. We find that the total mass loss rate in the Galactic center due to stellar collisions is sensitive to the present-day mass function adopted. We use the observed diffuse X-ray luminosity in the Galactic center to preclude any present-day mass functions that result in mass loss rates >10-5M⨀yr−1 in the vicinity of ~1″. For present-day mass functions of the form, dN/dM∝M-α, we constrain the present-day mass function to have a minimum stellar mass ≲7M⨀ and a power-law slope ≳1.25. We also use this result to constrain the initial mass function in the Galactic center by considering different star formation scenarios.

Chemical Abundances of Main-sequence, Turnoff, Subgiant, and Red Giant Stars from APOGEE Spectra. I. Signatures of Diffusion in the Open Cluster M67

Science.gov (United States)

Souto, Diogo; Cunha, Katia; Smith, Verne V.; Allende Prieto, C.; García-Hernández, D. A.; Pinsonneault, Marc; Holzer, Parker; Frinchaboy, Peter; Holtzman, Jon; Johnson, J. A.; Jönsson, Henrik; Majewski, Steven R.; Shetrone, Matthew; Sobeck, Jennifer; Stringfellow, Guy; Teske, Johanna; Zamora, Olga; Zasowski, Gail; Carrera, Ricardo; Stassun, Keivan; Fernandez-Trincado, J. G.; Villanova, Sandro; Minniti, Dante; Santana, Felipe

2018-04-01

Detailed chemical abundance distributions for 14 elements are derived for eight high-probability stellar members of the solar metallicity old open cluster M67 with an age of ∼4 Gyr. The eight stars consist of four pairs, with each pair occupying a distinct phase of stellar evolution: two G dwarfs, two turnoff stars, two G subgiants, and two red clump (RC) K giants. The abundance analysis uses near-IR high-resolution spectra (λ1.5–1.7 μm) from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment survey and derives abundances for C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, and Fe. Our derived stellar parameters and metallicity for 2M08510076+1153115 suggest that this star is a solar twin, exhibiting abundance differences relative to the Sun of ≤0.04 dex for all elements. Chemical homogeneity is found within each class of stars (∼0.02 dex), while significant abundance variations (∼0.05–0.20 dex) are found across the different evolutionary phases; the turnoff stars typically have the lowest abundances, while the RCs tend to have the largest. Non-LTE corrections to the LTE-derived abundances are unlikely to explain the differences. A detailed comparison of the derived Fe, Mg, Si, and Ca abundances with recently published surface abundances from stellar models that include chemical diffusion provides a good match between the observed and predicted abundances as a function of stellar mass. Such agreement would indicate the detection of chemical diffusion processes in the stellar members of M67.

Tracing dust in old stellar populations : the mid-infrared spectrum of globular cluster AGB stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, H.

2010-01-01

Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are considered to be the main stellar dust producers in the universe. Their dusty circumstellar shells leave fingerprints in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of AGB stars and in unresolved old stellar populations. Bressan et al. (2007) showed that co-added MIR-spectra of AGB stars of known luminosity, metallicity and age (like those found in the Galactic globular cluster NGC104) can be used to model the dust excess in early-type galaxies. This work aims to improve our understanding of the MIR-spectra of old stellar populations with respect to their metallicities by studying a large sample of AGB stars in Galactic globular clusters. A sample of AGB stars (taken from Lebzelter et al. 2006 and Sloan et al. 2010) is used to produce co-added MIR-spectra of globular cluster combinations for three metallicity groups. Each group consists of several globular clusters with similar age and metallicity. Combining the clusters leads to a higher number of AGB stars with available Spitzer spectra in each group. The low metallicity group (Z=0.0038) consists of five globular clusters with 18 AGB star spectra, the intermediate (Z=0.0058) and high (Z=0.01) metallicity groups both include three clusters with eight and seven available MIR-spectra, respectively. Stars within the 90% mass radius of each globular cluster are used to generate 2MASS Color- Magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of each cluster combination. Binning the stars in the CMDs with respect to their MK-values results in Luminosity Functions (LFs) for the cluster combinations. The LFs based on 2MASS data are compared to LFs obtained using theoretical isochrones from the Padova group (Bertelli et al. 2008, Marigo et al. 2008). Using the 2MASS LFs integrated MIR-spectra of the three globular cluster combinations are derived by weighting the existing spectra with the total number of AGB stars within each MK-bin of the LFs along the upper giant branch. This relies on the assumption that stars that

Principles of Stellar Interferometry

CERN Document Server

Glindemann, Andreas

2011-01-01

Over the last decade, stellar interferometry has developed from a specialist tool to a mainstream observing technique, attracting scientists whose research benefits from milliarcsecond angular resolution. Stellar interferometry has become part of the astronomer’s toolbox, complementing single-telescope observations by providing unique capabilities that will advance astronomical research. This carefully written book is intended to provide a solid understanding of the principles of stellar interferometry to students starting an astronomical research project in this field or to develop instruments and to astronomers using interferometry but who are not interferometrists per se. Illustrated by excellent drawings and calculated graphs the imaging process in stellar interferometers is explained starting from first principles on light propagation and diffraction wave propagation through turbulence is described in detail using Kolmogorov statistics the impact of turbulence on the imaging process is discussed both f...

Advanced stellarator power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, R.L.

1994-01-01

The stellarator is a class of helical/toroidal magnetic fusion devices. Recent international progress in stellarator power plant conceptual design is reviewed and comparisons in the areas of physics, engineering, and economics are made with recent tokamak design studies

Planet-induced Stellar Pulsations in HAT-P-2's Eccentric System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wit, Julien de [Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Lewis, Nikole K. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Knutson, Heather A.; Batygin, Konstantin [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Fuller, Jim [TAPIR, Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, Mailcode 350-17, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Antoci, Victoria [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Fulton, Benjamin J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Laughlin, Gregory [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Deming, Drake [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Shporer, Avi [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91009 (United States); Cowan, Nicolas B. [Department of Physics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, 3550 rue University, Montreal, QC H3A 2A7 (Canada); Agol, Eric [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Burrows, Adam S. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Fortney, Jonathan J. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Langton, Jonathan [Department of Physics, Principia College, Elsah, IL 62028 (United States); Showman, Adam P. [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2017-02-20

Extrasolar planets on eccentric short-period orbits provide a laboratory in which to study radiative and tidal interactions between a planet and its host star under extreme forcing conditions. Studying such systems probes how the planet’s atmosphere redistributes the time-varying heat flux from its host and how the host star responds to transient tidal distortion. Here, we report the insights into the planet–star interactions in HAT-P-2's eccentric planetary system gained from the analysis of ∼350 hr of 4.5 μ m observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope . The observations show no sign of orbit-to-orbit variability nor of orbital evolution of the eccentric planetary companion, HAT-P-2 b. The extensive coverage allows us to better differentiate instrumental systematics from the transient heating of HAT-P-2 b’s 4.5 μ m photosphere and yields the detection of stellar pulsations with an amplitude of approximately 40 ppm. These pulsation modes correspond to exact harmonics of the planet’s orbital frequency, indicative of a tidal origin. Transient tidal effects can excite pulsation modes in the envelope of a star, but, to date, such pulsations had only been detected in highly eccentric stellar binaries. Current stellar models are unable to reproduce HAT-P-2's pulsations, suggesting that our understanding of the interactions at play in this system is incomplete.

Compact stellarator coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomphrey, N.; Berry, L.A.; Boozer, A.H.

2001-01-01

Experimental devices to study the physics of high-beta (β>∼4%), low aspect ratio (A<∼4.5) stellarator plasmas require coils that will produce plasmas satisfying a set of physics goals, provide experimental flexibility, and be practical to construct. In the course of designing a flexible coil set for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment, we have made several innovations that may be useful in future stellarator design efforts. These include: the use of Singular Value Decomposition methods for obtaining families of smooth current potentials on distant coil winding surfaces from which low current density solutions may be identified; the use of a Control Matrix Method for identifying which few of the many detailed elements of the stellarator boundary must be targeted if a coil set is to provide fields to control the essential physics of the plasma; the use of Genetic Algorithms for choosing an optimal set of discrete coils from a continuum of potential contours; the evaluation of alternate coil topologies for balancing the tradeoff between physics objective and engineering constraints; the development of a new coil optimization code for designing modular coils, and the identification of a 'natural' basis for describing current sheet distributions. (author)

Use of the stellarator expansion to investigate plasma equilibrium in modular stellarators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anania, G.; Johnson, J.L.; Weimer, K.E.

1982-11-01

A numerical code utilizing a large-aspect ratio, small-helical-distortion expansion is developed and used to investigate the effect of plasma currents on stellarator equilibrium. Application to modular stellarator configurations shows that a large rotational transform, and hence large coil deformation, is needed to achieve high-beta equilibria

RECONSTRUCTING THE STELLAR MASS DISTRIBUTIONS OF GALAXIES USING S4G IRAC 3.6 AND 4.5 μm IMAGES. I. CORRECTING FOR CONTAMINATION BY POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, HOT DUST, AND INTERMEDIATE-AGE STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meidt, Sharon E.; Schinnerer, Eva; Knapen, Johan H.; Bosma, Albert; Athanassoula, E.; Sheth, Kartik; Muñoz-Mateos, Juan-Carlos; Buta, Ronald J.; Zaritsky, Dennis; Hinz, Joannah L.; Skibba, Ramin A.; Laurikainen, Eija; Salo, Heikki; Elmegreen, Debra; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Gadotti, Dimitri A.; Regan, Michael; Ho, Luis C.; Madore, Barry F.; Gil de Paz, Armando

2012-01-01

With the aim of constructing accurate two-dimensional maps of the stellar mass distribution in nearby galaxies from Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies 3.6 and 4.5 μm images, we report on the separation of the light from old stars from the emission contributed by contaminants. Results for a small sample of six disk galaxies (NGC 1566, NGC 2976, NGC 3031, NGC 3184, NGC 4321, and NGC 5194) with a range of morphological properties, dust content, and star formation histories are presented to demonstrate our approach. To isolate the old stellar light from contaminant emission (e.g., hot dust and the 3.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature) in the IRAC 3.6 and 4.5 μm bands we use an independent component analysis (ICA) technique designed to separate statistically independent source distributions, maximizing the distinction in the [3.6]-[4.5] colors of the sources. The technique also removes emission from evolved red objects with a low mass-to-light ratio, such as asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and red supergiant (RSG) stars, revealing maps of the underlying old distribution of light with [3.6]-[4.5] colors consistent with the colors of K and M giants. The contaminants are studied by comparison with the non-stellar emission imaged at 8 μm, which is dominated by the broad PAH feature. Using the measured 3.6 μm/8 μm ratio to select individual contaminants, we find that hot dust and PAHs together contribute between ∼5% and 15% to the integrated light at 3.6 μm, while light from regions dominated by intermediate-age (AGB and RSG) stars accounts for only 1%-5%. Locally, however, the contribution from either contaminant can reach much higher levels; dust contributes on average 22% to the emission in star-forming regions throughout the sample, while intermediate-age stars contribute upward of 50% in localized knots. The removal of these contaminants with ICA leaves maps of the old stellar disk that retain a high degree of structural information

Mass and age of red giant branch stars observed with LAMOST and Kepler

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yaqian; Xiang, Maosheng; Bi, Shaolan; Liu, Xiaowei; Yu, Jie; Hon, Marc; Sharma, Sanjib; Li, Tanda; Huang, Yang; Liu, Kang; Zhang, Xianfei; Li, Yaguang; Ge, Zhishuai; Tian, Zhijia; Zhang, Jinghua; Zhang, Jianwei

2018-04-01

Obtaining accurate and precise masses and ages for large numbers of giant stars is of great importance for unraveling the assemblage history of the Galaxy. In this paper, we estimate masses and ages of 6940 red giant branch (RGB) stars with asteroseismic parameters deduced from Kepler photometry and stellar atmospheric parameters derived from LAMOST spectra. The typical uncertainties of mass is a few per cent, and that of age is ˜20 per cent. The sample stars reveal two separate sequences in the age-[α/Fe] relation - a high-α sequence with stars older than ˜8 Gyr and a low-α sequence composed of stars with ages ranging from younger than 1 Gyr to older than 11 Gyr. We further investigate the feasibility of deducing ages and masses directly from LAMOST spectra with a machine learning method based on kernel based principal component analysis, taking a sub-sample of these RGB stars as a training data set. We demonstrate that ages thus derived achieve an accuracy of ˜24 per cent. We also explored the feasibility of estimating ages and masses based on the spectroscopically measured carbon and nitrogen abundances. The results are quite satisfactory and significantly improved compared to the previous studies.

Stellar CME candidates: towards a stellar CME-flare relation

Science.gov (United States)

Paraskevi Moschou, Sofia; Drake, Jeremy J.; Cohen, Ofer; Alvarado-Gomez, Julian D.; Garraffo, Cecilia

2018-06-01

For decades the Sun has been the only star that allowed for direct CME observations. Recently, with the discovery of multiple extrasolar systems, it has become imperative that the role of stellar CMEs be assessed in the context of exoplanetary habitability. Solar CMEs and flares show a higher association with increasing flaring energy, with strong flares corresponding to large and fast CMEs. As argued in earlier studies, extrasolar environments around active stars are potentially dominated by CMEs, as a result of their extreme flaring activity. This has strong implications for the energy budget of the system and the atmospheric erosion of orbiting planets.Nevertheless, with current instrumentation we are unable to directly observe CMEs in even the closest stars, and thus we have to look for indirect techniques and observational evidence and signatures for the eruption of stellar CMEs. There are three major observational techniques for tracing CME signatures in other stellar systems, namely measuring Type II radio bursts, Doppler shifts in UV/optical lines or transient absorption in the X-ray spectrum. We present observations of the most probable stellar CME candidates captured so far and examine the different observational techniques used together with their levels of uncertainty. Assuming that they were CMEs, we try to asses their kinematic and energetic characteristics and place them in an extension of the well-established solar CME-flare energy scaling law. We finish by discussing future observations for direct measurements.

Kepler Detected Gravity-Mode Period Spacings in a Red Giant Star

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beck, P.G.; Bedding, Timothy R.; Mosser, Benoit

2011-01-01

Stellar interiors are inaccessible through direct observations. For this reason, helioseismologists made use of the Sun’s acoustic oscillation modes to tune models of its structure. The quest to detect modes that probe the solar core has been ongoing for decades. We report the detection of mixed...... modes penetrating all the way to the core of an evolved star from 320 days of observations with the Kepler satellite. The period spacings of these mixed modes are directly dependent on the density gradient between the core region and the convective envelope....

Stellar wind theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Summers, D.

1980-01-01

The theory of stellar winds as given by the equations of classical fluid dynamics is considered. The equations of momentum and energy describing a steady, spherically symmetric, heat-conducting, viscous stellar wind are cast in a dimensionless form which involves a thermal conduction parameter E and a viscosity parameter γ. An asymptotic analysis is carried out, for fixed γ, in the cases E→O and E→infinity (corresponding to small and large thermal conductivity, respectively), and it is found that it is possible to construct critical solutions for the wind velocity and temperature over the entire flow. The E→O solution represents a wind which emanates from the star at low, subsonic speeds, accelerates through a sonic point, and then approaches a constant asymptotic speed, with its temperature varying as r/sup -4/3/ at large distances r from the star; the E→infinity solution represents a wind which, after reaching an approximately constant speed, with temperature varying as r/sup -2/7/, decelerates through a diffuse shock and approaches a finite pressure at infinity. A categorization is made of all critical stellar wind solutions for given values of γ and E, and actual numerical examples are given. Numerical solutions are obtained by integrating upstream 'from infinity' from initial values of the flow parameters given by appropriate asymptotic expansions. The role of viscosity in stellar wind theory is discussed, viscous and inviscid stellar wind solutions are compared, and it is suggested that with certain limitations, the theory presented may be useful in analyzing winds from solar-type stars

The mass and age of the first SONG target: the red giant 46 LMi

Science.gov (United States)

Frandsen, S.; Fredslund Andersen, M.; Brogaard, K.; Jiang, C.; Arentoft, T.; Grundahl, F.; Kjeldsen, H.; Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Weiss, E.; Pallé, P.; Antoci, V.; Kjærgaard, P.; Sørensen, A. N.; Skottfelt, J.; Jørgensen, U. G.

2018-05-01

Context. The Stellar Observation Network Group (SONG) is an initiative to build a worldwide network of 1m telescopes with high-precision radial-velocity spectrographs. Here we analyse the first radial-velocity time series of a red-giant star measured by the SONG telescope at Tenerife. The asteroseismic results demonstrate a major increase in the achievable precision of the parameters for red-giant stars obtainable from ground-based observations. Reliable tests of the validity of these results are needed, however, before the accuracy of the parameters can be trusted. Aims: We analyse the first SONG time series for the star 46 LMi, which has a precise parallax and an angular diameter measured from interferometry, and therefore a good determination of the stellar radius. We use asteroseismic scaling relations to obtain an accurate mass, and modelling to determine the age. Methods: A 55-day time series of high-resolution, high S/N spectra were obtained with the first SONG telescope. We derive the asteroseismic parameters by analysing the power spectrum. To give a best guess on the large separation of modes in the power spectrum, we have applied a new method which uses the scaling of Kepler red-giant stars to 46 LMi. Results: Several methods have been applied: classical estimates, seismic methods using the observed time series, and model calculations to derive the fundamental parameters of 46 LMi. Parameters determined using the different methods are consistent within the uncertainties. We find the following values for the mass M (scaling), radius R (classical), age (modelling), and surface gravity (combining mass and radius): M = 1.09 ± 0.04M⊙, R = 7.95 ± 0.11R⊙ age t = 8.2 ± 1.9 Gy, and logg = 2.674 ± 0.013. Conclusions: The exciting possibilities for ground-based asteroseismology of solar-like oscillations with a fully robotic network have been illustrated with the results obtained from just a single site of the SONG network. The window function is still a

Dynamos in asymptotic-giant-branch stars as the origin of magnetic fields shaping planetary nebulae.

Science.gov (United States)

Blackman, E G; Frank, A; Markiel, J A; Thomas, J H; Van Horn, H M

2001-01-25

Planetary nebulae are thought to be formed when a slow wind from the progenitor giant star is overtaken by a subsequent fast wind generated as the star enters its white dwarf stage. A shock forms near the boundary between the winds, creating the relatively dense shell characteristic of a planetary nebula. A spherically symmetric wind will produce a spherically symmetric shell, yet over half of known planetary nebulae are not spherical; rather, they are elliptical or bipolar in shape. A magnetic field could launch and collimate a bipolar outflow, but the origin of such a field has hitherto been unclear, and some previous work has even suggested that a field could not be generated. Here we show that an asymptotic-giant-branch (AGB) star can indeed generate a strong magnetic field, having as its origin a dynamo at the interface between the rapidly rotating core and the more slowly rotating envelope of the star. The fields are strong enough to shape the bipolar outflows that produce the observed bipolar planetary nebulae. Magnetic braking of the stellar core during this process may also explain the puzzlingly slow rotation of most white dwarf stars.

Modification of the turbulence in the plasma boundary of the Wendelstein 7-AS stellarator using electric probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomsen, H.; Endler, M.; Schubert, M.

2001-01-01

The fluctuations in the edge plasmas of magnetic fusion experiments are thought to play an important role in terms of anomalous energy and particle transport. Experiments on Wendelstein 7-AS were conducted with the primary goal to investigate the performance of influencing and modifying the turbulence in the plasma boundary using electrical probes. Two movable poloidal probe arrays were used for the experiments, one located on the inboard side of the vessel and the other on the outboard side. A subset of probe tips was used for actively driving the plasma by different control signals, the remaining probes collected fluctuation data in the plasma boundary. Poloidally, we find a significant cross-correlation between active and passive probes. From analysis of the coherency and phases of the passive probe tips, it can clearly be seen that the background ExB-rotation of the plasma plays a crucial role for the applied signals. In the case of externally driven waves by several phase-locked active probes, the direction of the wave propagation with respect to the plasma rotation (co- or counter-rotating) is essential for a proper coupling to the turbulence. In toroidal direction we find that the propagation of the signals along the magnetic field lines depends on co- or counter-rotation with respect to the background plasma rotation. (author)

Stellarator fusion neutronics research in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimin, S.; Cross, R.C.

1997-01-01

The new status of the H-INF Heliac Stellaralor as a National Facility and the signed international Implementing Agreement on 'Collaboration in the Development of the Stellarator Concept' represents a significant encouragement for further fusion research in Australia. In this report the future of fusion research in Australia is discussed with special attention being paid to the importance of Stellarator power plant studies and in particular stellarator fusion neutronics. The main differences between tokamak and stellarator neutronics analyses are identified, namely the neutron wall loading, geometrical modelling and total heating in in-vessel reactor components including toroidal field (TF) coils. Due to the more complicated nature of stellarator neutronics analyses, simplified approaches to fusion neutronics already developed for tokamaks are expected to be even more important and widely used for designing a Conceptual Stellarator Power Plant

ON THE NEED FOR DEEP-MIXING IN ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS OF LOW MASS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busso, M.; Palmerini, S.; Maiorca, E.; Cristallo, S.; Abia, C.; Straniero, O.; Gallino, R.; Cognata, M. La

2010-01-01

The photospheres of low-mass red giants show CNO isotopic abundances that are not satisfactorily accounted for by canonical stellar models. The same is true for the measurements of these isotopes and of the 26 Al/ 27 Al ratio in presolar grains of circumstellar origin. Non-convective mixing, occurring during both red giant branch (RGB) and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stages, is the explanation commonly invoked to account for the above evidence. Recently, the need for such mixing phenomena on the AGB was questioned, and chemical anomalies usually attributed to them were suggested to be formed in earlier phases. We have therefore re-calculated extra-mixing effects in low-mass stars for both the RGB and AGB stages, in order to verify the above claims. Our results contradict them; we actually confirm that slow transport below the convective envelope occurs also on the AGB. This is required primarily by the oxygen isotopic mix and the 26 Al content of presolar oxide grains. Other pieces of evidence exist, in particular from the isotopic ratios of carbon stars of type N, or C(N), in the Galaxy and in the LMC, as well as of SiC grains of AGB origin. We further show that, when extra-mixing occurs in the RGB phases of Population I stars above about 1.2 M sun , this consumes 3 He in the envelope, probably preventing the occurrence of thermohaline diffusion on the AGB. Therefore, we argue that other extra-mixing mechanisms should be active in those final evolutionary phases.

A and F stars as probes of outer Galactic disc kinematics

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, A.; Drew, J. E.; Farnhill, H. J.; Monguió, M.; Gebran, M.; Wright, N. J.; Drake, J. J.; Sale, S. E.

2018-04-01

Previous studies of the rotation law in the outer Galactic disc have mainly used gas tracers or clump giants. Here, we explore A and F stars as alternatives: these provide a much denser sampling in the outer disc than gas tracers and have experienced significantly less velocity scattering than older clump giants. This first investigation confirms the suitability of A stars in this role. Our work is based on spectroscopy of ˜1300 photometrically selected stars in the red calcium-triplet region, chosen to mitigate against the effects of interstellar extinction. The stars are located in two low Galactic latitude sightlines, at longitudes ℓ = 118°, sampling strong Galactic rotation shear, and ℓ = 178°, near the anticentre. With the use of Markov Chain Monte Carlo parameter fitting, stellar parameters and radial velocities are measured, and distances computed. The obtained trend of radial velocity with distance is inconsistent with existing flat or slowly rising rotation laws from gas tracers (Brand & Blitz 1993; Reid et al. 2014). Instead, our results fit in with those obtained by Huang et al. (2016) from disc clump giants that favoured rising circular speeds. An alternative interpretation in terms of spiral arm perturbation is not straight forward. We assess the role that undetected binaries in the sample and distance error may have in introducing bias, and show that the former is a minor factor. The random errors in our trend of circular velocity are within ±5 km s-1.

The Galactic stellar disc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feltzing, S; Bensby, T

2008-01-01

The study of the Milky Way stellar discs in the context of galaxy formation is discussed. In particular, we explore the properties of the Milky Way disc using a new sample of about 550 dwarf stars for which we have recently obtained elemental abundances and ages based on high-resolution spectroscopy. For all the stars we also have full kinematic information as well as information about their stellar orbits. We confirm results from previous studies that the thin and the thick discs have distinct abundance patterns. But we also explore a larger range of orbital parameters than what has been possible in our previous studies. Several new results are presented. We find that stars that reach high above the Galactic plane and have eccentric orbits show remarkably tight abundance trends. This implies that these stars formed out of well-mixed gas that had been homogenized over large volumes. We find some evidence that suggest that the event that most likely caused the heating of this stellar population happened a few billion years ago. Through a simple, kinematic exploration of stars with super-solar [Fe/H], we show that the solar neighbourhood contains metal-rich, high velocity stars that are very likely associated with the thick disc. Additionally, the HR1614 moving group and the Hercules and Arcturus stellar streams are discussed and it is concluded that, probably, a large fraction of the groups and streams so far identified in the disc are the result of evolution and interactions within the stellar disc rather than being dissolved stellar clusters or engulfed dwarf galaxies.

Quasisymmetry equations for conventional stellarators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pustovitov, V.D.

1994-11-01

General quasisymmetry condition, which demands the independence of B 2 on one of the angular Boozer coordinates, is reduced to two equations containing only geometrical characteristics and helical field of a stellarator. The analysis is performed for conventional stellarators with a planar circular axis using standard stellarator expansion. As a basis, the invariant quasisymmetry condition is used. The quasisymmetry equations for stellarators are obtained from this condition also in an invariant form. Simplified analogs of these equations are given for the case when averaged magnetic surfaces are circular shifted torii. It is shown that quasisymmetry condition can be satisfied, in principle, in a conventional stellarator by a proper choice of two satellite harmonics of the helical field in addition to the main harmonic. Besides, there appears a restriction on the shift of magnetic surfaces. Thus, in general, the problem is closely related with that of self-consistent description of a configuration. (author)

MIB Probes for measurements of particle and energy fluxes in plasma of Wendelstein 7-X

Science.gov (United States)

Demidov, V. I.; Koepke, M. E.; Kurlyandskaya, I. P.; Raitses, Y.

2014-10-01

Magnetically insulated baffled (MIB) probes and probe arrays that share the simplicity of simple Langmuir probes but supersede them in their ability to make real-time measurements of plasma potential, temperature and energy/particle fluxes in W7-X stellarator plasma are being developed. The probes offer the advantages of direct measurements of the plasma fluid observables, while being non-emitting and electrically floating. The principle of operation of the probe is based on the dependence of the voltage drop in the plasma-probe sheath on the direction of the local magnetic field. The core technology for these probes rests with the use of a special baffling configuration such that electron current to the probe is fully controllable in the closed, open or partially open orientation, by a simple rotation of the baffle with respect to the magnetic field alignment in the plasma. The baffled-probe designs proposed for edge diagnostics will increase the capability to characterize separately plasma properties in real-time for understanding of underlying physics in the edge plasma.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE/NEAR-INFRARED CAMERA AND MULTI-OBJECT SPECTROMETER OBSERVATIONS OF THE GLIMPSE9 STELLAR CLUSTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messineo, Maria; Figer, Donald F.; Davies, Ben; Trombley, Christine; Kudritzki, R. P.; Rich, R. Michael; MacKenty, John

2010-01-01

We present Hubble Space Telescope/Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer photometry, and low-resolution K-band spectra of the GLIMPSE9 stellar cluster. The newly obtained color-magnitude diagram shows a cluster sequence with H - K S = ∼1 mag, indicating an interstellar extinction A K s = 1.6 ± 0.2 mag. The spectra of the three brightest stars show deep CO band heads, which indicate red supergiants with spectral type M1-M2. Two 09-B2 supergiants are also identified, which yield a spectrophotometric distance of 4.2 ± 0.4 kpc. Presuming that the population is coeval, we derive an age between 15 and 27 Myr, and a total cluster mass of 1600 ± 400 M sun , integrated down to 1 M sun . In the vicinity of GLIMPSE9 are several H II regions and supernova remnants, all of which (including GLIMPSE9) are probably associated with a giant molecular cloud (GMC) in the inner galaxy. GLIMPSE9 probably represents one episode of massive star formation in this GMC. We have identified several other candidate stellar clusters of the same complex.

Stellar formation

CERN Document Server

Reddish, V C

1978-01-01

Stellar Formation brings together knowledge about the formation of stars. In seeking to determine the conditions necessary for star formation, this book examines questions such as how, where, and why stars form, and at what rate and with what properties. This text also considers whether the formation of a star is an accident or an integral part of the physical properties of matter. This book consists of 13 chapters divided into two sections and begins with an overview of theories that explain star formation as well as the state of knowledge of star formation in comparison to stellar structure

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

Optimizing Stellarators for Turbulent Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mynick, H.E.; Pomphrey, N.; Xanthopoulos, P.

2010-01-01

Up to now, the term 'transport-optimized' stellarators has meant optimized to minimize neoclassical transport, while the task of also mitigating turbulent transport, usually the dominant transport channel in such designs, has not been addressed, due to the complexity of plasma turbulence in stellarators. Here, we demonstrate that stellarators can also be designed to mitigate their turbulent transport, by making use of two powerful numerical tools not available until recently, namely gyrokinetic codes valid for 3D nonlinear simulations, and stellarator optimization codes. A first proof-of-principle configuration is obtained, reducing the level of ion temperature gradient turbulent transport from the NCSX baseline design by a factor of about 2.5.

Stellar Structure and Evolution

CERN Document Server

Kippenhahn, Rudolf; Weiss, Achim

2013-01-01

This long-awaited second edition of the classical textbook on Stellar Structure and Evolution by Kippenhahn and Weigert is a thoroughly revised version of the original text. Taking into account modern observational constraints as well as additional physical effects such as mass loss and diffusion, Achim Weiss and Rudolf Kippenhahn have succeeded in bringing the book up to the state-of-the-art with respect to both the presentation of stellar physics and the presentation and interpretation of current sophisticated stellar models. The well-received and proven pedagogical approach of the first edition has been retained. The book provides a comprehensive treatment of the physics of the stellar interior and the underlying fundamental processes and parameters. The models developed to explain the stability, dynamics and evolution of the stars are presented and great care is taken to detail the various stages in a star’s life. Just as the first edition, which remained a standard work for more than 20 years after its...

Results of Compact Stellarator Engineering Trade Studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Tom; Bromberg, L.; Cole, M.

2009-01-01

A number of technical requirements and performance criteria can drive stellarator costs, e.g., tight tolerances, accurate coil positioning, low aspect ratio (compactness), choice of assembly strategy, metrology, and complexity of the stellarator coil geometry. With the completion of a seven-year design and construction effort of the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) it is useful to interject the NCSX experience along with the collective experiences of the NCSX stellarator community to improving the stellarator configuration. Can improvements in maintenance be achieved by altering the stellarator magnet configuration with changes in the coil shape or with the combination of trim coils? Can a mechanical configuration be identified that incorporates a partial set of shaped fixed stellarator coils along with some removable coil set to enhance the overall machine maintenance? Are there other approaches that will simplify the concepts, improve access for maintenance, reduce overall cost and improve the reliability of a stellarator based power plant? Using ARIES-CS and NCSX as reference cases, alternative approaches have been studied and developed to show how these modifications would favorably impact the stellarator power plant and experimental projects. The current status of the alternate stellarator configurations being developed will be described and a comparison made to the recently designed and partially built NCSX device and the ARIES-CS reactor design study

Results of Compact Stellarator Engineering Trade Studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, T.; Bromberg, L.; Cole, M.

2009-01-01

A number of technical requirements and performance criteria can drive stellarator costs, e.g., tight tolerances, accurate coil positioning, low aspect ratio (compactness), choice of assembly strategy, metrology, and complexity of the stellarator coil geometry. With the completion of a seven-year design and construction effort of the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) it is useful to interject the NCSX experience along with the collective experiences of the NCSX stellarator community to improving the stellarator configuration. Can improvements in maintenance be achieved by altering the stellarator magnet configuration with changes in the coil shape or with the combination of trim coils? Can a mechanical configuration be identified that incorporates a partial set of shaped fixed stellarator coils along with some removable coil set to enhance the overall machine maintenance? Are there other approaches that will simplify the concepts, improve access for maintenance, reduce overall cost and improve the reliability of a stellarator based power plant? Using ARIES-CS and NCSX as reference cases, alternative approaches have been studied and developed to show how these modifications would favorably impact the stellarator power plant and experimental projects. The current status of the alternate stellarator configurations being developed will be described and a comparison made to the recently designed and partially built NCSX device and the ARIES-CS reactor design study.

The Hubble Space Telescope UV Legacy Survey of Galactic globular clusters - XIV. Multiple stellar populations within M 15 and their radial distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Nardiello, D.; Milone, A. P.; Piotto, G.; Anderson, J.; Bedin, L. R.; Bellini, A.; Cassisi, S.; Libralato, M.; Marino, A. F.

2018-06-01

In the context of the Hubble Space Telescope UV Survey of Galactic globular clusters (GCs), we derived high-precision, multi-band photometry to investigate the multiple stellar populations in the massive and metal-poor GC M 15. By creating for red-giant branch (RGB) stars of the cluster a `chromosome map', which is a pseudo two-colour diagram made with appropriate combination of F275W, F336W, F438W, and F814W magnitudes, we revealed colour spreads around two of the three already known stellar populations. These spreads cannot be produced by photometric errors alone and could hide the existence of (two) additional populations. This discovery increases the complexity of the multiple-population phenomenon in M 15. Our analysis shows that M 15 exhibits a faint sub-giant branch (SGB), which is also detected in colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) made with optical magnitudes only. This poorly populated SGB includes about 5 per cent of the total number of SGB stars and evolves into a red RGB in the mF336W versus mF336W - mF814W CMD, suggesting that M 15 belongs to the class of Type II GCs. We measured the relative number of stars in each population at various radial distances from the cluster centre, showing that all of these populations share the same radial distribution within statistic uncertainties. These new findings are discussed in the context of the formation and evolution scenarios of the multiple populations.

Sulphur abundances in halo giants from the [S ı] line at 1082 nm and the [S ı] triplet around 1045 nm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jönsson, H.; Ryde, N.; Nissen, Poul Erik

2011-01-01

to clarify this situation by measuring the sulphur abundance in a sample of halo giants using two diagnostics: the S i triplet around 1045 nm and the [S i] line at 1082 nm. The latter of the two is not believed to be sensitive to non-LTE effects. We can thereby minimize the uncertainties in the diagnostic...... used and estimate the usefulness of the triplet for the sulphur determination in halo K giants. We will also be able to compare our sulphur abundance differences from the two diagnostics with the expected non-LTE effects in the 1045 nm triplet previously calculated by others. Methods. High...... diagnostics using tailored 1D model atmospheres and relying on non-LTE corrections from the litterature. Effects of convective inhomogeneities in the stellar atmospheres are investigated. Results. The sulphur abundances derived from both the [S i] line and the non-LTE corrected 1045 nm triplet favor a flat...

The Not So Simple Globular Cluster ω Cen. I. Spatial Distribution of the Multiple Stellar Populations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calamida, A.; Saha, A. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory—AURA, 950 N Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ, 85719 (United States); Strampelli, G.; Rest, A. [Space Telescope Science Institute—AURA, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Bono, G.; Ferraro, I.; Iannicola, G. [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma—Via Frascati 33, I-00040, Monteporzio Catone, Rome (Italy); Scolnic, D. [The University of Chicago, The Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, William Eckhardt Research Center—Suite 499, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); James, D.; Smith, C.; Zenteno, A., E-mail: calamida@noao.edu [Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile)

2017-04-01

We present a multi-band photometric catalog of ≈1.7 million cluster members for a field of view of ≈2° × 2° across ω Cen. Photometry is based on images collected with the Dark Energy Camera on the 4 m Blanco telescope and the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope . The unprecedented photometric accuracy and field coverage allowed us, for the first time, to investigate the spatial distribution of ω Cen multiple populations from the core to the tidal radius, confirming its very complex structure. We found that the frequency of blue main-sequence stars is increasing compared to red main-sequence stars starting from a distance of ≈25′ from the cluster center. Blue main-sequence stars also show a clumpy spatial distribution, with an excess in the northeast quadrant of the cluster pointing toward the direction of the Galactic center. Stars belonging to the reddest and faintest red-giant branch also show a more extended spatial distribution in the outskirts of ω Cen, a region never explored before. Both these stellar sub-populations, according to spectroscopic measurements, are more metal-rich compared to the cluster main stellar population. These findings, once confirmed, make ω Cen the only stellar system currently known where metal-rich stars have a more extended spatial distribution compared to metal-poor stars. Kinematic and chemical abundance measurements are now needed for stars in the external regions of ω Cen to better characterize the properties of these sub-populations.

Eddy current probe development based on a magnetic sensor array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vacher, F.

2007-06-01

This research deals with in the study of the use of innovating magnetic sensors in eddy current non destructive inspection. The author reports an analysis survey of magnetic sensor performances. This survey enables the selection of magnetic sensor technologies used in non destructive inspection. He presents the state-of-the-art of eddy current probes exploiting the qualities of innovating magnetic sensors, and describes the methods enabling the use of these magnetic sensors in non destructive testing. Two main applications of innovating magnetic sensors are identified: the detection of very small defects by means of magneto-resistive sensors, and the detection of deep defects by means of giant magneto-impedances. Based on the use of modelling, optimization, signal processing tools, probes are manufactured for these both applications

Pulsating red giants and supergiants as probes of galaxy formation and evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Theodorus van Loon, Jacco; Javadi, Atefeh; Khosroshahi, Habib; Rezaei, Sara; Golshan, Roya; Saberi, Maryam

2015-08-01

We have developed new techniques to use pulsating red giant and supergiants stars to reconstruct the star formation history of galaxies over cosmological time, as well as using them to map the dust production across their host galaxies. We describe the large programme on the Local Group spiral galaxy Triangulum (M33), which we have monitored at near-infrared wavelengths for several years using the United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope in Hawai'i. We outline the methodology and present the results for the central square kiloparsec (Javadi et al. 2011a,b, 2013) and - fresh from the press - the disc of M33 (Javadi et al. 2015, and in preparation). We also describe the results from our application of this new technique to other nearby galaxies: the Magellanic Clouds (published in Rezaei et al. 2014), the dwarf galaxies NGC 147 and 185 (Golshan et al. in preparation), and Centaurus A.

Atmospheric Circulation, Chemistry, and Infrared Spectra of Titan-like Exoplanets around Different Stellar Types

Science.gov (United States)

Lora, Juan M.; Kataria, Tiffany; Gao, Peter

2018-01-01

With the discovery of ever smaller and colder exoplanets, terrestrial worlds with hazy atmospheres must be increasingly considered. Our solar system’s Titan is a prototypical hazy planet, whose atmosphere may be representative of a large number of planets in our Galaxy. As a step toward characterizing such worlds, we present simulations of exoplanets that resemble Titan but orbit three different stellar hosts: G, K, and M dwarf stars. We use general circulation and photochemistry models to explore the circulation and chemistry of these Titan-like planets under varying stellar spectra, in all cases assuming a Titan-like insolation. Due to the strong absorption of visible light by atmospheric haze, the redder radiation accompanying later stellar types produces more isothermal stratospheres, stronger meridional temperature gradients at mbar pressures, and deeper and stronger zonal winds. In all cases, the planets’ atmospheres are strongly superrotating, but meridional circulation cells are weaker aloft under redder starlight. The photochemistry of hydrocarbon and nitrile species varies with stellar spectra, with variations in the FUV/NUV flux ratio playing an important role. Our results tentatively suggest that column haze production rates could be similar under all three hosts, implying that planets around many different stars could have similar characteristics to Titan’s atmosphere. Lastly, we present theoretical emission spectra. Overall, our study indicates that, despite important and subtle differences, the circulation and chemistry of Titan-like exoplanets are relatively insensitive to differences in the host star. These findings may be further probed with future space-based facilities, like WFIRST, LUVOIR, HabEx, and OST.

Targeted Optimization of Quasi-Symmetric Stellarators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegna, Chris C.; Talmadge, J. N.

2016-01-01

The proposed research focuses on targeted areas of plasma physics dedicated to improving the stellarator concept. Research was pursued in the technical areas of edge/divertor physics in 3D configurations, magnetic island physics in stellarators, the role of 3D shaping on microinstabilities and turbulent transport and energetic ion confinement in stellarators.

Targeted Optimization of Quasi-Symmetric Stellarators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hegna, Chris C. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Engineering Physics; Anderson, D. T. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Talmadge, J. N. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

2016-10-06

The proposed research focuses on targeted areas of plasma physics dedicated to improving the stellarator concept. Research was pursued in the technical areas of edge/divertor physics in 3D configurations, magnetic island physics in stellarators, the role of 3D shaping on microinstabilities and turbulent transport and energetic ion confinement in stellarators.

Stellar Absorption Line Analysis of Local Star-forming Galaxies: The Relation between Stellar Mass, Metallicity, Dust Attenuation, and Star Formation Rate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jabran Zahid, H. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Ho, I-Ting [University of Hawaii at Manoa, Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Conroy, Charlie [Department of Astronomy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138 (United States); Andrews, Brett, E-mail: zahid@cfa.harvard.edu [PITT PACC, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, 3941 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States)

2017-09-20

We analyze the optical continuum of star-forming galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by fitting stacked spectra with stellar population synthesis models to investigate the relation between stellar mass, stellar metallicity, dust attenuation, and star formation rate. We fit models calculated with star formation and chemical evolution histories that are derived empirically from multi-epoch observations of the stellar mass–star formation rate and the stellar mass–gas-phase metallicity relations, respectively. We also fit linear combinations of single-burst models with a range of metallicities and ages. Star formation and chemical evolution histories are unconstrained for these models. The stellar mass–stellar metallicity relations obtained from the two methods agree with the relation measured from individual supergiant stars in nearby galaxies. These relations are also consistent with the relation obtained from emission-line analysis of gas-phase metallicity after accounting for systematic offsets in the gas-phase metallicity. We measure dust attenuation of the stellar continuum and show that its dependence on stellar mass and star formation rate is consistent with previously reported results derived from nebular emission lines. However, stellar continuum attenuation is smaller than nebular emission line attenuation. The continuum-to-nebular attenuation ratio depends on stellar mass and is smaller in more massive galaxies. Our consistent analysis of stellar continuum and nebular emission lines paves the way for a comprehensive investigation of stellar metallicities of star-forming and quiescent galaxies.

Stellar Absorption Line Analysis of Local Star-forming Galaxies: The Relation between Stellar Mass, Metallicity, Dust Attenuation, and Star Formation Rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabran Zahid, H.; Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Ho, I-Ting; Conroy, Charlie; Andrews, Brett

2017-01-01

We analyze the optical continuum of star-forming galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by fitting stacked spectra with stellar population synthesis models to investigate the relation between stellar mass, stellar metallicity, dust attenuation, and star formation rate. We fit models calculated with star formation and chemical evolution histories that are derived empirically from multi-epoch observations of the stellar mass–star formation rate and the stellar mass–gas-phase metallicity relations, respectively. We also fit linear combinations of single-burst models with a range of metallicities and ages. Star formation and chemical evolution histories are unconstrained for these models. The stellar mass–stellar metallicity relations obtained from the two methods agree with the relation measured from individual supergiant stars in nearby galaxies. These relations are also consistent with the relation obtained from emission-line analysis of gas-phase metallicity after accounting for systematic offsets in the gas-phase metallicity. We measure dust attenuation of the stellar continuum and show that its dependence on stellar mass and star formation rate is consistent with previously reported results derived from nebular emission lines. However, stellar continuum attenuation is smaller than nebular emission line attenuation. The continuum-to-nebular attenuation ratio depends on stellar mass and is smaller in more massive galaxies. Our consistent analysis of stellar continuum and nebular emission lines paves the way for a comprehensive investigation of stellar metallicities of star-forming and quiescent galaxies.

AUTOMATED UNSUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION OF THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY STELLAR SPECTRA USING k-MEANS CLUSTERING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez Almeida, J.; Allende Prieto, C., E-mail: jos@iac.es, E-mail: callende@iac.es [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

2013-01-20

Large spectroscopic surveys require automated methods of analysis. This paper explores the use of k-means clustering as a tool for automated unsupervised classification of massive stellar spectral catalogs. The classification criteria are defined by the data and the algorithm, with no prior physical framework. We work with a representative set of stellar spectra associated with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) SEGUE and SEGUE-2 programs, which consists of 173,390 spectra from 3800 to 9200 A sampled on 3849 wavelengths. We classify the original spectra as well as the spectra with the continuum removed. The second set only contains spectral lines, and it is less dependent on uncertainties of the flux calibration. The classification of the spectra with continuum renders 16 major classes. Roughly speaking, stars are split according to their colors, with enough finesse to distinguish dwarfs from giants of the same effective temperature, but with difficulties to separate stars with different metallicities. There are classes corresponding to particular MK types, intrinsically blue stars, dust-reddened, stellar systems, and also classes collecting faulty spectra. Overall, there is no one-to-one correspondence between the classes we derive and the MK types. The classification of spectra without continuum renders 13 classes, the color separation is not so sharp, but it distinguishes stars of the same effective temperature and different metallicities. Some classes thus obtained present a fairly small range of physical parameters (200 K in effective temperature, 0.25 dex in surface gravity, and 0.35 dex in metallicity), so that the classification can be used to estimate the main physical parameters of some stars at a minimum computational cost. We also analyze the outliers of the classification. Most of them turn out to be failures of the reduction pipeline, but there are also high redshift QSOs, multiple stellar systems, dust-reddened stars, galaxies, and, finally, odd

Neutron Capture Cross Sections of Zr and La: Probing Neutron Exposure and Neutron Flux in Red Giant Stars

CERN Document Server

Kitis, G; Wiescher, M; Dahlfors, M; Soares, J

2002-01-01

We propose to measure the neutron capture cross sections of $^{139}$La, of $^{93}$Zr (t$_{1/2}$)=1.5 10$^{6}$ yr), and of all the stable Zr isotopes at n_TOF. The aim of these measurements is to improve the accuracy of existing results by at least a factor of three in order to meet the quality required for using the s-process nucleosynthesis as a diagnostic tool for neutron exposure and neutron flux during the He burning stages of stellar evolution. Combining these results with a wealth of recent information coming from high-resolution stellar spectroscopy and from the detailed analysis of presolar dust grains will shed new light on the chemical history of the universe. The investigated cross sections are also needed for technological applications, in particular since $^{93}$Zr is one of the major long-lived fission products.

Evidence for fast-electron-driven Alfvenic modes in the HSX stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brower, D.L.; Deng, C.; Spong, D.A.; Abdou, A.; Almagri, A.F.; Anderson, D.T.; Anderson, F.S.B.; Guttenfelder, W.; Likin, K.; Oh, S.; Sakaguchi, V.; Talmadge, J.N.; Zhai, K.

2005-01-01

The helically-symmetric experiment (HSX) stellarator device is the first of a new generation of stellarators that exploit the concept of quasi-symmetric magnetic fields. In HSX, the plasma is both produced and heated by use of electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) at the 2nd harmonic X-mode resonance. This heating configuration generates a nonthermal energetic electron population. Herein, we report on the first experimental evidence for fast-electron-driven Global Alfven Eigenmodes (GAE). This mode has previously been observed in both tokamaks and stellarators but it was always driven by energetic ions, not electrons. Evidence for this instability is obtained from quasi-helically symmetric HSX plasmas. Potential consequences of these measurements are twofold; (1) fast electrons can drive the GAE instability, and (2) quasi-symmetry makes a difference by better confining the particles that drive the instability as compared to the conventional stellarator configuration. We report on several features of this fluctuation. It is a coherent mode that is experimentally observed in the plasma core and edge by external magnetic coils, interferometry, ECE and Langmuir probes diagnostics. Fluctuations are observed in the frequency range of 20-120 kHz and scale with ion mass density according to expectations for Alfvenic modes. The mode is observed to be global with odd poloidal mode number (inferred from interferometry, possibly m=1) and is present in quasi-helically symmetric HSX plasmas. When quasi-helical symmetry is broken, the mode is no longer observed. Theory predicts a GAE mode in the gap below the Alfven continua can be excited in the frequency range of the measured fluctuations. By employing a biased electrode inserted deep into the plasma, flows can be generated. Under these conditions, the Alfvenic mode amplitude can increase and the fluctuation is even observed in the conventional stellarator configuration. Shifts in the measured frequency can be used to

Gamma Ray Bursts as Cosmological Probes with EXIST

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, Dieter; EXIST Team

2006-12-01

The EXIST mission, studied as a Black Hole Finder Probe within NASA's Beyond Einstein Program, would, in its current design, trigger on 1000 Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) per year (Grindlay et al, this meeting). The redshift distribution of these GRBs, using results from Swift as a guide, would probe the z > 7 epoch at an event rate of > 50 per year. These bursts trace early cosmic star formation history, point to a first generation of stellar objects that reionize the universe, and provide bright beacons for absorption line studies with groundand space-based observatories. We discuss how EXIST, in conjunction with other space missions and future large survey programs such as LSST, can be utilized to advance our understanding of cosmic chemical evolution, the structure and evolution of the baryonic cosmic web, and the formation of stars in low metallicity environments.

Local stellar kinematics from RAVE data—VIII. Effects of the Galactic disc perturbations on stellar orbits of red clump stars

Science.gov (United States)

Önal Taş, Ö.; Bilir, S.; Plevne, O.

2018-02-01

We aim to probe the dynamic structure of the extended Solar neighborhood by calculating the radial metallicity gradients from orbit properties, which are obtained for axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric potential models, of red clump (RC) stars selected from the RAdial Velocity Experiment's Fourth Data Release. Distances are obtained by assuming a single absolute magnitude value in near-infrared, i.e. M_{Ks}=-1.54±0.04 mag, for each RC star. Stellar orbit parameters are calculated by using the potential functions: (i) for the MWPotential2014 potential, (ii) for the same potential with perturbation functions of the Galactic bar and transient spiral arms. The stellar age is calculated with a method based on Bayesian statistics. The radial metallicity gradients are evaluated based on the maximum vertical distance (z_{max}) from the Galactic plane and the planar eccentricity (ep) of RC stars for both of the potential models. The largest radial metallicity gradient in the 01 kpc, the radial metallicity gradients have zero or positive values and they do not depend on ep subsamples. There is a large radial metallicity gradient for thin disc, but no radial gradient found for thick disc. Moreover, the largest radial metallicity gradients are obtained where the outer Lindblad resonance region is effective. We claim that this apparent change in radial metallicity gradients in the thin disc is a result of orbital perturbation originating from the existing resonance regions.

The Structure of the Nearby Giant Star-Forming Region 30 Doradus

Science.gov (United States)

Pellegrini, Eric; Baldwin, Jack; Hanson, Margaret; Ferland, Gary; Troland, Thomas

2007-08-01

The rates of star formation and chemical evolution are controlled in part by the interaction of stellar radiation and winds with the remnant molecular gas from which the stars have formed. We are carrying out a detailed, panchromatic study of these processes in the two nearest giant star-forming regions, 30 Doradus and NGC 3603, as an aide in understanding the nature of Giant Extragalactic H II Regions, starbursts, and Ultra-Luminous IR Galaxies. We recently completed our observations of NGC 3603. Here we request 2 nights on the Blanco telescope to obtain a dense grid of optical long-slit spectra criss- crossing 30 Dor. These will cover the [S II] doublet (to measure N_e) and also [O III], H(beta), [O I], H(alpha) and [N II] to measure the ionization mechanism and ionization parameter, at ~3800 different spots in the nebula. We also request 3 nights on SOAR to take K-band long slit spectra covering H^+ Br(gamma) and several H_2 lines across three representative edge-on ionization fronts in 30 Dor. The IR spectra will be taken in locations also covered by the optical spectra, and will tell us about the structure, pressure support and heating mechanisms in the photo-dissociation regions (PDRs) at these points. Either half of this project can stand on its own, but both parts together will permit the PI to complete his PhD thesis.

MUSE observations of M87: radial gradients for the stellar initial-mass function and the abundance of Sodium

Science.gov (United States)

Sarzi, Marc; Spiniello, Chiara; Barbera, Francesco La; Krajnović, Davor; Bosch, Remco van den

2018-05-01

Based on MUSE integral-field data we present evidence for a radial variation at the low-mass end of the stellar initial-mass function (IMF) in the central regions of the giant early-type galaxy NGC 4486 (M87). We used state-of-the-art stellar population models and the observed strength of various IMF-sensitive absorption-line features to solve for the best low-mass tapered "bimodal" form of the IMF, while accounting also for variations in stellar metallicity, the overall α-elements abundance and the abundance of individual elements such as Ti, O, Na and Ca. Our analysis reveals a strong negative IMF gradient corresponding to an exceeding fraction of low-mass stars compared to the case of the Milky Way toward the center of M87, which drops to nearly Milky-way levels by 0.4 Re. Such IMF variations correspond to over a factor two increase in stellar mass-to-light M/L ratio compared to the case of a Milky-way IMF, consistent with independent constraints on M/L radial variations in M87 from dynamical models. We also looked into the abundance of Sodium in M87, which turned up to be super-Solar over the entire radial range of our MUSE observations and to exhibit a considerable negative gradient. These findings suggest an additional role of metallicity in boosting the Na-yields in the central, metal-rich regions of M87 during its early and brief star-formation history. Our work adds M87 to the few objects that presently have radial constraints on their IMF or [Na/Fe] abundance, while also illustrating the accuracy that MUSE could bring to this kind of investigations.

HH 222: A GIANT HERBIG-HARO FLOW FROM THE QUADRUPLE SYSTEM V380 ORI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reipurth, Bo; Aspin, Colin; Connelley, M. S. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 640 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Bally, John [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Geballe, T. R. [Gemini Observatory, 670 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Kraus, Stefan [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS-78, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Appenzeller, Immo [Landessternwarte Heidelberg, Königstuhl 12, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Burgasser, Adam, E-mail: reipurth@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: caa@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: msc@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: John.Bally@colorado.edu, E-mail: tgeballe@gemini.edu, E-mail: stefan.kraus@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: iappenze@lsw.uni-heidelberg.de, E-mail: aburgasser@ucsd.edu [Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

2013-11-01

HH 222 is a giant shocked region in the L1641 cloud, and is popularly known as the Orion Streamers or ''the waterfall'' on account of its unusual structure. At the center of these streamers are two infrared sources coincident with a nonthermal radio jet aligned along the principal streamer. The unique morphology of HH 222 has long been associated with this radio jet. However, new infrared images show that the two sources are distant elliptical galaxies, indicating that the radio jet is merely an improbable line-of-sight coincidence. Accurate proper motion measurements of HH 222 reveal that the shock structure is a giant bow shock moving directly away from the well-known, very young, Herbig Be star V380 Ori. The already known Herbig-Haro object HH 35 forms part of this flow. A new Herbig-Haro object, HH 1041, is found precisely in the opposite direction of HH 222 and is likely to form part of a counterflow. The total projected extent of this HH complex is 5.3 pc, making it among the largest HH flows known. A second outflow episode from V380 Ori is identified as a pair of HH objects, HH 1031 to the northwest and the already known HH 130 to the southeast, along an axis that deviates from that of HH 222/HH 1041 by only 3.°7. V380 Ori is a hierarchical quadruple system, including a faint companion of spectral type M5 or M6, which at an age of ∼1 Myr corresponds to an object straddling the stellar-to-brown dwarf boundary. We suggest that the HH 222 giant bow shock is a direct result of the dynamical interactions that led to the conversion from an initial non-hierarchical multiple system into a hierarchical configuration. This event occurred no more than 28,000 yr ago, as derived from the proper motions of the HH 222 giant bow shock.

Stellar photometry and polarimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golay, M.; Serkowski, K.

1976-01-01

A critical review of progress made in stellar photometry and polarimetry over the period 1973-1975 is presented. Reports of photometric measurements from various observatories throughout the world are summarized. The summary of work on stellar polarimetry lists the review papers, the catalogues and lists of standard stars, and descriptions of new observing techniques. (B.R.H.)

The GAPS Programme with HARPS-N at TNG. XV. A substellar companion around a K giant star identified with quasi-simultaneous HARPS-N and GIANO measurements

Science.gov (United States)

González-Álvarez, E.; Affer, L.; Micela, G.; Maldonado, J.; Carleo, I.; Damasso, M.; D'Orazi, V.; Lanza, A. F.; Biazzo, K.; Poretti, E.; Gratton, R.; Sozzetti, A.; Desidera, S.; Sanna, N.; Harutyunyan, A.; Massi, F.; Oliva, E.; Claudi, R.; Cosentino, R.; Covino, E.; Maggio, A.; Masiero, S.; Molinari, E.; Pagano, I.; Piotto, G.; Smareglia, R.; Benatti, S.; Bonomo, A. S.; Borsa, F.; Esposito, M.; Giacobbe, P.; Malavolta, L.; Martinez-Fiorenzano, A.; Nascimbeni, V.; Pedani, M.; Rainer, M.; Scandariato, G.

2017-10-01

Context. Identification of planetary companions of giant stars is made difficult because of the astrophysical noise, that may produce radial velocity variations similar to those induced by a companion. On the other hand any stellar signal is wavelength dependent, while signals due to a companion are achromatic. Aims: Our goal is to determine the origin of the Doppler periodic variations observed in the thick disk K giant star TYC 4282-605-1 by HARPS-N at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) and verify if they can be due to the presence of a substellar companion. Methods: Several methods have been used to exclude the stellar origin of the observed signal including detailed analysis of activity indicators and bisector and the analysis of the photometric light curve. Finally we have conducted an observational campaign to monitor the near infrared (NIR) radial velocity with GIANO at the TNG in order to verify whether the NIR amplitude variations are comparable with those observed in the visible. Results: Both optical and NIR radial velocities show consistent variations with a period at 101 days and similar amplitude, pointing to the presence of a companion orbiting the target. The main orbital properties obtained for our giant star with a derived mass of M = 0.97 ± 0.03M⊙ are MPsini = 10.78 ± 0.12MJ; P = 101.54 ± 0.05 days; e = 0.28 ± 0.01 and a = 0.422 ± 0.009 AU. The chemical analysis shows a significant enrichment in the abundance of Na I, Mg I, Al I and Si I while the rest of analyzed elements are consistent with the solar value demonstrating that the chemical composition corresponds with an old K giant (age = 10.1 Gyr) belonging to local thick disk. Conclusions: We conclude that the substellar companion hypothesis for this K giant is the best explanation for the observed periodic radial velocity variation. This study also shows the high potential of multi-wavelength radial velocity observations for the validation of planet candidates. Based on

Giant pulses of pulsar radio emission

OpenAIRE

Kuzmin, A. D.

2007-01-01

Review report of giant pulses of pulsar radio emission, based on our detections of four new pulsars with giant pulses, and the comparative analysis of the previously known pulsars with giant pulses, including the Crab pulsar and millisecond pulsar PSR B1937+21.

Detecting Solar-like Oscillations in Red Giants with Deep Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Hon, Marc; Stello, Dennis; Zinn, Joel C.

2018-05-01

Time-resolved photometry of tens of thousands of red giant stars from space missions like Kepler and K2 has created the need for automated asteroseismic analysis methods. The first and most fundamental step in such analysis is to identify which stars show oscillations. It is critical that this step be performed with no, or little, detection bias, particularly when performing subsequent ensemble analyses that aim to compare the properties of observed stellar populations with those from galactic models. However, an efficient, automated solution to this initial detection step still has not been found, meaning that expert visual inspection of data from each star is required to obtain the highest level of detections. Hence, to mimic how an expert eye analyzes the data, we use supervised deep learning to not only detect oscillations in red giants, but also to predict the location of the frequency at maximum power, ν max, by observing features in 2D images of power spectra. By training on Kepler data, we benchmark our deep-learning classifier against K2 data that are given detections by the expert eye, achieving a detection accuracy of 98% on K2 Campaign 6 stars and a detection accuracy of 99% on K2 Campaign 3 stars. We further find that the estimated uncertainty of our deep-learning-based ν max predictions is about 5%. This is comparable to human-level performance using visual inspection. When examining outliers, we find that the deep-learning results are more likely to provide robust ν max estimates than the classical model-fitting method.

Does the stellar distribution flare? A comparison of stellar scale heights with LAB H I data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalberla, P. M. W.; Kerp, J.; Dedes, L. [Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn (Germany); Haud, U., E-mail: pkalberla@astro.uni-bonn.de [Tartu Observatory, 61602 Tõravere (Estonia)

2014-10-10

The question of whether the stellar populations in the Milky Way take part in the flaring of scale heights as observed for the H I gas is a matter of debate. Standard mass models for the Milky Way assume a constant scale height for each of the different stellar distributions. However, there is mounting evidence that at least some of the stellar distributions reach, at large galactocentric distances, high altitudes, which are incompatible with a constant scale height. We discuss recent observational evidence for stellar flaring and compare it with H I data from the Leiden/Argentine/Bonn survey. Within the systemic and statistical uncertainties we find a good agreement between both.

A LOW STELLAR OBLIQUITY FOR WASP-47, A COMPACT MULTIPLANET SYSTEM WITH A HOT JUPITER AND AN ULTRA-SHORT PERIOD PLANET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto; Isaacson, Howard; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Weiss, Lauren [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Winn, Joshua N.; Dai, Fei [Department of Physics, and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Howard, Andrew W.; Sinukoff, Evan [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Petigura, Erik; Rogers, Leslie [Department of Astronomy and Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Albrecht, Simon [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Hirano, Teruyuki, E-mail: sanchisojeda@berkeley.edu [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551 (Japan)

2015-10-10

We have detected the Rossiter–Mclaughlin effect during a transit of WASP-47b, the only known hot Jupiter with close planetary companions. By combining our spectroscopic observations with Kepler photometry, we show that the projected stellar obliquity is λ = 0° ± 24°. We can firmly exclude a retrograde orbit for WASP-47b, and rule out strongly misaligned prograde orbits. Low obliquities have also been found for most of the other compact multiplanet systems that have been investigated. The Kepler-56 system, with two close-in gas giants transiting their subgiant host star with an obliquity of at least 45{sup ◦}, remains the only clear counterexample.

Measuring the Evolution of Stellar Populations And Gas Metallicity in Galaxies with Far-Infrared Space Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Stacey, Gordon

We propose a study of the evolution of stellar populations and gas metallicities in about 80 nearby star forming galaxies based on mining the NASA data archives for observations of the [NIII] 57 µm, [OIII] 52 µm and/or 88 µm, [NII] 122 and [CII] 158 µm far-infrared (FIR) fine- structure lines and other archives for thermal radio continuum. These lines are powerful probes of both stellar populations and gas properties and our primary science derives from these tracers. For sources that show both signs of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and star formation, we will take advantage of the readily available NASA Spitzer IRS data base that includes mid-IR [NeII] 12.8 µm, [NeIII] 15.6 µm and [NeV] 14.3 µm, [OIV] 25.9 µm and PAH observations. These complementary data reveal the relative fractions of the FIR line emission that might arise from star formation and the narrow line regions (NLR) associated with an AGN, thereby providing a robust set of observations to compare with star formation models. Subsets of the FIR lines have been detected from hundreds of nearby galaxies. From both theoretical studies and the results of these pioneering observations we know that these lines can be powerful probes of stellar populations and star formation in galaxies. Here we plan to use various combinations of the lines to constrain (1) the age of the stellar populations (through lines that trace the hardness of the stellar radiation fields, hence stellar spectral type), (2) the degree of processing of the interstellar medium (through lines that trace growth of secondary to primary element abundances for example, the N/O ratio), (3) the efficiency of star formation (through growth in absolute abundances of N and O, the N/H and O/H ratios), and (4) the current day mass function of upper main sequence stars. Surprisingly, there has been no systematic study of the large sample of these line detections made with PACS on Herschel in order to truly assess and calibrate their diagnostic

Giant Oil Fields - The Highway to Oil: Giant Oil Fields and their Importance for Future Oil Production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robelius, Fredrik

2007-01-01

Since the 1950s, oil has been the dominant source of energy in the world. The cheap supply of oil has been the engine for economic growth in the western world. Since future oil demand is expected to increase, the question to what extent future production will be available is important. The belief in a soon peak production of oil is fueled by increasing oil prices. However, the reliability of the oil price as a single parameter can be questioned, as earlier times of high prices have occurred without having anything to do with a lack of oil. Instead, giant oil fields, the largest oil fields in the world, can be used as a parameter. A giant oil field contains at least 500 million barrels of recoverable oil. Only 507, or 1 % of the total number of fields, are giants. Their contribution is striking: over 60 % of the 2005 production and about 65 % of the global ultimate recoverable reserve (URR). However, giant fields are something of the past since a majority of the largest giant fields are over 50 years old and the discovery trend of less giant fields with smaller volumes is clear. A large number of the largest giant fields are found in the countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. The domination of giant fields in global oil production confirms a concept where they govern future production. A model, based on past annual production and URR, has been developed to forecast future production from giant fields. The results, in combination with forecasts on new field developments, heavy oil and oil sand, are used to predict future oil production. In all scenarios, peak oil occurs at about the same time as the giant fields peak. The worst-case scenario sees a peak in 2008 and the best-case scenario, following a 1.4 % demand growth, peaks in 2018

Wisconsin torsatron/stellarator program, FY 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shohet, J.L.; Anderson, D.T.; Anderson, F.S.B.; Talmadge, J.N.

1988-07-01

This proposal documents recent activities within the University of Wisconsin-Madison Torsatron/Stellarator Laboratory and presents plans for future research activities for a three year period. Research efforts have focused on fundamental stellarator physics issues through experimental investigations on the Interchangeable Module Stellarator (IMS) and the Proto-Cleo Stellarator. Theoretical activities and studies of new configurations are being undertaken to support and broaden the experimental program. Experimental research at the Torsatron Stellarator Laboratory has been primarily concerned with effects induced through electron-cyclotron resonant frequency plasma production and heating in the IMS device. Plasma electric fields have been shown to play a major role in particle transport and confinement in IMS. ECRF heating at 6 kG has produced electron tail populations in agreement with Monte-Carlo models. Electric and magnetic fields have been shown to alter the particle flows to the IMS modular divertors. 48 refs

Modelling linewidths of Kepler red giants in NGC 6819

Science.gov (United States)

Aarslev, Magnus J.; Houdek, Günter; Handberg, Rasmus; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jørgen

2018-04-01

We present a comparison between theoretical, frequency-dependent, damping rates and linewidths of radial-mode oscillations in red-giant stars located in the open cluster NGC 6819. The calculations adopt a time-dependent non-local convection model, with the turbulent pressure profile being calibrated to results of 3D hydrodynamical simulations of stellar atmospheres. The linewidths are obtained from extensive peakbagging of Kepler lightcurves. These observational results are of unprecedented quality owing to the long continuous observations by Kepler. The uniqueness of the Kepler mission also means that, for asteroseismic properties, this is the best data that will be available for a long time to come. We therefore take great care in modelling nine RGB stars in NGC 6819 using information from 3D simulations to obtain realistic temperature stratifications and calibrated turbulent pressure profiles. Our modelled damping rates reproduce well the Kepler observations, including the characteristic depression in the linewidths around the frequency of maximum oscillation power. Furthermore, we thoroughly test the sensitivity of the calculated damping rates to changes in the parameters of the nonlocal convection model.

Introduction to stellar astrophysics. V. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boehm-Vitense, E.

1989-01-01

This textbook introduces basic elements of fundamental astronomy and astrophysics which serve as a foundation for understanding the structure, evolution, and observed properties of stars. The first half of the book explains how stellar motions, distances, luminosities, colours, radii, masses and temperatures are measured or derived. The author then shows how data of these sorts can be arranged to classify stars through their spectra. Stellar rotation and stellar magnetic fields are introduced. Stars with peculiar spectra and pulsating stars also merit special attention. The endpoints of stellar evolutions are briefly described. There is a separate chapter on the Sun and a final one on interstellar absorption. (author)

Stellar Streams Discovered in the Dark Energy Survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shipp, N.; et al.

2018-01-09

We perform a search for stellar streams around the Milky Way using the first three years of multi-band optical imaging data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We use DES data covering $\\sim 5000$ sq. deg. to a depth of $g > 23.5$ with a relative photometric calibration uncertainty of $< 1 \\%$. This data set yields unprecedented sensitivity to the stellar density field in the southern celestial hemisphere, enabling the detection of faint stellar streams to a heliocentric distance of $\\sim 50$ kpc. We search for stellar streams using a matched-filter in color-magnitude space derived from a synthetic isochrone of an old, metal-poor stellar population. Our detection technique recovers four previously known thin stellar streams: Phoenix, ATLAS, Tucana III, and a possible extension of Molonglo. In addition, we report the discovery of eleven new stellar streams. In general, the new streams detected by DES are fainter, more distant, and lower surface brightness than streams detected by similar techniques in previous photometric surveys. As a by-product of our stellar stream search, we find evidence for extra-tidal stellar structure associated with four globular clusters: NGC 288, NGC 1261, NGC 1851, and NGC 1904. The ever-growing sample of stellar streams will provide insight into the formation of the Galactic stellar halo, the Milky Way gravitational potential, as well as the large- and small-scale distribution of dark matter around the Milky Way.

A spectroscopic search for colliding stellar winds in O-type close binary systems. IV - Iota Orionis

Science.gov (United States)

Gies, Douglas R.; Wiggs, Michael S.; Bagnuolo, William G., Jr.

1993-01-01

We present H-alpha and He I 6678 A line profiles for the eccentric orbit binary Iota Ori. We have applied a tomography algorithm which uses the established orbital velocity curves and intensity ratio to reconstruct the spectral line profiles for each star. The He I profiles appear as pure photospheric lines, and H-alpha shows variable emission in the line core throughout the orbit (which is typical of O giants) and in the blue wing near periastron passage. We show that the blue wing emission is consistent with an origin between the stars which probably results from a dramatic focusing of the primary's stellar wind at periastron. We also present IUE archival spectra of the UV wind lines N V 1240 A and C IV 1550 A.

Triple Microlens OGLE-2008-BLG-092L: Binary Stellar System with a Circumprimary Uranus-type Planet

Science.gov (United States)

Poleski, Radosław; Skowron, Jan; Udalski, Andrzej; Han, Cheongho; Kozłowski, Szymon; Wyrzykowski, Łukasz; Dong, Subo; Szymański, Michał K.; Kubiak, Marcin; Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Soszyński, Igor; Ulaczyk, Krzysztof; Pietrukowicz, Paweł; Gould, Andrew

2014-11-01

We present the gravitational microlensing discovery of a 4 M Uranus planet that orbits a 0.7 M ⊙ star at ≈18 AU. This is the first known analog of Uranus. Similar planets, i.e., cold ice giants, are inaccessible to either radial velocity or transit methods because of the long orbital periods, while low reflected light prevents direct imaging. We discuss how similar planets may contaminate the sample of the very short microlensing events that are interpreted as free-floating planets with an estimated rate of 1.8 per main-sequence star. Moreover, the host star has a nearby stellar (or brown dwarf) companion. The projected separation of the planet is only about three times smaller than that of the companion star, suggesting significant dynamical interactions.

Triple microlens OGLE-2008-BLG-092L: binary stellar system with a circumprimary uranus-type planet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poleski, Radosław; Gould, Andrew [Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Skowron, Jan; Udalski, Andrzej; Kozłowski, Szymon; Wyrzykowski, Łukasz; Szymański, Michał K.; Kubiak, Marcin; Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Soszyński, Igor; Ulaczyk, Krzysztof; Pietrukowicz, Paweł [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa (Poland); Han, Cheongho [Department of Physics, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 371-763 (Korea, Republic of); Dong, Subo, E-mail: poleski@astronomy.ohio-state.edu [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Yi He Yuan Road 5, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100871 (China)

2014-11-01

We present the gravitational microlensing discovery of a 4 M {sub Uranus} planet that orbits a 0.7 M {sub ☉} star at ≈18 AU. This is the first known analog of Uranus. Similar planets, i.e., cold ice giants, are inaccessible to either radial velocity or transit methods because of the long orbital periods, while low reflected light prevents direct imaging. We discuss how similar planets may contaminate the sample of the very short microlensing events that are interpreted as free-floating planets with an estimated rate of 1.8 per main-sequence star. Moreover, the host star has a nearby stellar (or brown dwarf) companion. The projected separation of the planet is only about three times smaller than that of the companion star, suggesting significant dynamical interactions.

Progress Toward Attractive Stellarators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neilson, G.H.; Bromberg, L.; Brown, T.G.; Gates, D.A.; Ku, L.P.; Zarnstorff, M.C.; Boozer, A.H.; Harris, J.H.; Meneghini, O.; Mynick, H.E.; Pomphrey, N.; Reiman, A.H.; Xanthopoulos, P.

2011-01-01

The quasi-axisymmetric stellarator (QAS) concept offers a promising path to a more compact stellarator reactor, closer in linear dimensions to tokamak reactors than previous stellarator designs. Concept improvements are needed, however, to make it more maintainable and more compatible with high plant availability. Using the ARIES-CS design as a starting point, compact stellarator designs with improved maintenance characteristics have been developed. While the ARIES-CS features a through-the-port maintenance scheme, we have investigated configuration changes to enable a sector-maintenance approach, as envisioned for example in ARIES AT. Three approaches are reported. The first is to make tradeoffs within the QAS design space, giving greater emphasis to maintainability criteria. The second approach is to improve the optimization tools to more accurately and efficiently target the physics properties of importance. The third is to employ a hybrid coil topology, so that the plasma shaping functions of the main coils are shared more optimally, either with passive conductors made of high-temperature superconductor or with local compensation coils, allowing the main coils to become simpler. Optimization tools are being improved to test these approaches.

The pillars of creation giant molecular clouds, star formation, and cosmic recycling

CERN Document Server

Beech, Martin

2017-01-01

This book explores the mechanics of star formation, the process by which matter pulls together and creates new structures. Written for science enthusiasts, the author presents an accessible explanation of how stars are born from the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds. Stars produce the chemicals that lead to life, and it is they that have enabled the conditions for planets to form and life to emerge. Although the Big Bang provided the spark of initiation, the primordial universe that it sired was born hopelessly sterile. It is only through the continued recycling of the interstellar medium, star formation, and stellar evolution that the universe has been animated beyond a chaotic mess of elementary atomic particles, radiation, dark matter, dark energy, and expanding spacetime. Using the Milky Way and the Eagle Nebula in particular as case studies, Beech follows every step of this amazing process. .

Transport in stellarators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maassberg, H.; Brakel, R.; Burhenn, R.; Gasparino, U.; Grigull, P.; Kick, M.; Kuehner, G.; Ringler, H.; Sardei, F.; Stroth, U.; Weller, A.

1993-01-01

The local electron and ion heat transport as well as the particle and impurity transport properties in stellarators are reviewed. In this context, neoclassical theory is used as a guideline for the comparison of the experimental results of the quite different confinement concepts. At sufficiently high temperatures depending on the specific magnetic configuration, neoclassical predictions are confirmed by experimental findings. The confinement properties in the LMFP collisionality regime are discussed with respect to the next stellarator generation, for which at higher temperatures the neoclassical transport is expected to become more important. (orig.)

The Orbital and Planetary Phase Variations of Jupiter-sized Planets: Characterizing Present and Future Giants

Science.gov (United States)

Mayorga, Laura C.; Jackiewicz, Jason; Rages, Kathy; West, Robert; Knowles, Ben; Lewis, Nikole K.; Marley, Mark S.

2018-01-01

Knowledge of how the brightness and color of a planet varies with viewing angle is essential for the design of future direct imaging missions and deriving constraints on atmospheric properties. However, measuring the phase curves for the solar system gas giants is impossible from the ground. Using data Cassini/ISS obtained during its flyby of Jupiter, I measured Jupiter's phase curve in six bands spanning 400-1000 nm. I found that Jupiter's brightness is less than that of a Lambertian scatterer and that its color varies more with phase angle than predicted by theoretical models. For hot Jupiters, the light from the planet cannot be spatially isolated from that of the star. As a result, determining the planetary phase curve requires removing the phase-dependent contributions from the host star. I consider the effect of varying the stellar model and present a parameterization of the Doppler beaming amplitude that depends upon the planetary mass, orbital period, and the stellar temperature. I consider the detectability of Doppler beaming amplitudes with data from TESS and find that TESS will be less sensitive to this signal than Kepler. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the New Mexico Higher Education Department Graduate Scholarship Program.

Kinematics and Metallicity of M31 Red Giants: The Giant Southern Stream and Discovery of a Second Cold Component at R=20 kpc

Science.gov (United States)

Kalirai, Jasonjot S.; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Reitzel, David B.; Majewski, Steven R.; Rich, R. Michael; Cooper, Michael C.

2006-04-01

We present spectroscopic observations of red giant branch (RGB) stars in the Andromeda spiral galaxy (M31), acquired with the DEIMOS instrument on the Keck II 10 m telescope. The three fields targeted in this study are in the M31 spheroid, outer disk, and giant southern stream. In this paper, we focus on the kinematics and chemical composition of RGB stars in the stream field located at a projected distance of R=20 kpc from M31's center. A mix of stellar populations is found in this field. M31 RGB stars are isolated from Milky Way dwarf star contaminants using a variety of spectral and photometric diagnostics. The radial velocity distribution of RGB stars displays a clear bimodality-a primary peak centered at v¯1=-513 km s-1 and a secondary one at v¯2=-417 km s-1-along with an underlying broad component that is presumably representative of the smooth spheroid of M31. Both peaks are found to be dynamically cold with intrinsic velocity dispersions of σ(v)~16 km s-1. The mean metallicity and metallicity dispersion of stars in the two peaks is also found to be similar: ~-0.45 and σ([Fe/H])=0.2. The observed velocity of the primary peak is consistent with that predicted by dynamical models for the stream, but there is no obvious explanation for the secondary peak. The nature of the secondary cold population is unclear: it may represent (1) tidal debris from a satellite merger event that is superimposed on, but unrelated to, the giant southern stream; (2) a wrapped around component of the giant southern stream; or (3) a warp or overdensity in M31's disk at Rdisk>50 kpc (this component is well above the outward extrapolation of the smooth exponential disk brightness profile). Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous

Excitation of giant resonances in heavy ion collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuehn, W.

1991-01-01

Introduction: What are Giant Resonances? General Features of Giant Resonances, Macroscopic Description and Classification, Basic Excitation Mechanisms, Decay Modes, Giant Resonances Built on Excited States, Relativistic Coulomb Excitation of Giant Resonances, Experimental Situation. (orig.)

APOKASC 2.0: Asteroseismology and Spectroscopy for Cool Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Elsworth, Yvonne P.; APOKASC

2017-01-01

The APOGEE survey has obtained and analyzed high resolution H band spectra of more than 10,000 cool dwarfs and giants in the original Kepler fields. The APOKASC effort combines this data with asteroseismology and star spot studies, resulting in more than 7,000 stellar mass estimates for dwarfs and giants with high quality abundances, temperatures, and surface gravities. We highlight the main results from this effort so far, which include a tight correlation between surface abundances in giants and stellar mass, precise absolute gravity calibrations, and the discovery of unexpected stellar populations, such as young alpha-enhanced stars. We discuss grid modeling estimates for stellar masses and compare the absolute asteroseismic mass scale to calibrators in star clusters and the halo Directions for future efforts are discussed.

Floret-like multinucleated giant cells in neurofibroma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golka Dariusz

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract This short report discusses a case of neurofibroma containing floret-like multinucleated giant cells. This being the second such case in the literature. Floret-like multinucleated giant cells have been reported in gynaecomastia and neurofibroma in neurofibromatosis type 1. These cells have been reported in uncommon soft tissue tumours including pleomorphic lipoma, giant cell collagenoma, giant cell fibroblastoma and giant cell angiofibroma. We recommend these cells to be interpreted carefully keeping in mind the rare malignant change in neurofibromas. Immunohistochemistry would help in defining the nature of such cells.

Astrospheres and Solar-like Stellar Winds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wood Brian E.

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Stellar analogs for the solar wind have proven to be frustratingly difficult to detect directly. However, these stellar winds can be studied indirectly by observing the interaction regions carved out by the collisions between these winds and the interstellar medium (ISM. These interaction regions are called "astrospheres", analogous to the "heliosphere" surrounding the Sun. The heliosphere and astrospheres contain a population of hydrogen heated by charge exchange processes that can produce enough H I Ly alpha absorption to be detectable in UV spectra of nearby stars from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST. The amount of astrospheric absorption is a diagnostic for the strength of the stellar wind, so these observations have provided the first measurements of solar-like stellar winds. Results from these stellar wind studies and their implications for our understanding of the solar wind are reviewed here. Of particular interest are results concerning the past history of the solar wind and its impact on planetary atmospheres.

Heavy-element yields and abundances of asymptotic giant branch models with a Small Magellanic Cloud metallicity

Science.gov (United States)

Karakas, Amanda I.; Lugaro, Maria; Carlos, Marília; Cseh, Borbála; Kamath, Devika; García-Hernández, D. A.

2018-06-01

We present new theoretical stellar yields and surface abundances for asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models with a metallicity appropriate for stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC, Z = 0.0028, [Fe/H] ≈ -0.7). New evolutionary sequences and post-processing nucleosynthesis results are presented for initial masses between 1 and 7 M⊙, where the 7 M⊙ is a super-AGB star with an O-Ne core. Models above 1.15 M⊙ become carbon rich during the AGB, and hot bottom burning begins in models M ≥ 3.75 M⊙. We present stellar surface abundances as a function of thermal pulse number for elements between C to Bi and for a selection of isotopic ratios for elements up to Fe and Ni (e.g. 12C/13C), which can be compared to observations. The integrated stellar yields are presented for each model in the grid for hydrogen, helium, and all stable elements from C to Bi. We present evolutionary sequences of intermediate-mass models between 4 and 7 M⊙ and nucleosynthesis results for three masses (M = 3.75, 5, and 7 M⊙) including s-process elements for two widely used AGB mass-loss prescriptions. We discuss our new models in the context of evolved AGB and post-AGB stars in the SMCs, barium stars in our Galaxy, the composition of Galactic globular clusters including Mg isotopes with a similar metallicity to our models, and to pre-solar grains which may have an origin in metal-poor AGB stars.

No Evidence for Multiple Stellar Populations in the Low-mass Galactic Globular Cluster E 3

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas, Ricardo; Strader, Jay

2015-08-01

Multiple stellar populations are a widespread phenomenon among Galactic globular clusters. Even though the origin of the enriched material from which new generations of stars are produced remains unclear, it is likely that self-enrichment will be feasible only in clusters massive enough to retain this enriched material. We searched for multiple populations in the low mass (M˜ 1.4× {10}4 {M}⊙ ) globular cluster E3, analyzing SOAR/Goodman multi-object spectroscopy centered on the blue cyanogen (CN) absorption features of 23 red giant branch stars. We find that the CN abundance does not present the typical bimodal behavior seen in clusters hosting multistellar populations, but rather a unimodal distribution that indicates the presence of a genuine single stellar population, or a level of enrichment much lower than in clusters that show evidence for two populations from high-resolution spectroscopy. E3 would be the first bona fide Galactic old globular cluster where no sign of self-enrichment is found. Based on observations obtained at the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope, which is a joint project of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Inovação (MCTI) da República Federativa do Brasil, the US National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU).

Enhanced-confinement class of stellarators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mynick, H.E.; Chu, T.K.; Boozer, A.H.

1981-08-01

A class of stellarators has been found in which the transport is reduced by an order of magnitude from transport in conventional stellarators, by localizing the helical ripple to the inside of the torus. The reduction is observed in numerical experiments and explained theoretically

Introduction to stellar structure

CERN Document Server

Maciel, Walter J

2016-01-01

In the first part of this book, the author presents the basic properties of the stellar interior and describes them thoroughly, along with deriving the main stellar structure equations of temperature, density, pressure and luminosity, among others. The process and application of solving these equations is explained, as well as linking these results with actual observations.  The second part of the text describes what happens to a star over time, and how to determine this by solving the same equations at different points during a star’s lifetime. The fate of various stars is quite different depending on their masses, and this is described in the final parts of the book. This text can be used for an upper level undergraduate course or an introductory graduate course on stellar physics.

The chemical composition of red giants in 47 Tucanae. II. Magnesium isotopes and pollution scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Thygesen, A. O.; Sbordone, L.; Ludwig, H.-G.; Ventura, P.; Yong, D.; Collet, R.; Christlieb, N.; Melendez, J.; Zaggia, S.

2016-04-01

Context. The phenomenon of multiple populations in globular clusters is still far from understood, with several proposed mechanisms to explain the observed behaviour. The study of elemental and isotopic abundance patterns are crucial for investigating the differences among candidate pollution mechanisms. Aims: We derive magnesium isotopic ratios for 13 stars in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae (NGC 104) to provide new, detailed information about the nucleosynthesis that has occurred within the cluster. For the first time, the impact of 3D model stellar atmospheres on the derived Mg isotopic ratios is investigated. Methods: Using both tailored 1D atmospheric models and 3D hydrodynamical models, we derive magnesium isotopic ratios from four features of MgH near 5135 Å in 13 giants near the tip of the red giant branch, using high signal-to-noise, high-resolution spectra. Results: We derive the magnesium isotopic ratios for all stars and find no significant offset of the isotopic distribution between the pristine and the polluted populations. Furthermore, we do not detect any statistically significant differences in the spread in the Mg isotopes in either population. No trends were found between the Mg isotopes and [Al/Fe]. The inclusion of 3D atmospheres has a significant impact on the derived 25Mg/24Mg ratio, increasing it by a factor of up to 2.5, compared to 1D. The 26Mg/24Mg ratio, on the other hand, essentially remains unchanged. Conclusions: We confirm the results seen from other globular clusters, where no strong variation in the isotopic ratios is observed between stellar populations, for observed ranges in [Al/Fe]. We see no evidence for any significant activation of the Mg-Al burning chain. The use of 3D atmospheres causes an increase of a factor of up to 2.5 in the fraction of 25Mg, resolving part of the discrepancy between the observed isotopic fraction and the predictions from pollution models. Based on observations made with the ESO Very Large Telescope

Near-term directions in the World Stellarator Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyon, J.F.

1990-01-01

Interest in stellarators has increased because of the progress being made in the development of this concept and the inherent advantages of stellarators as candidates for an attractive, steady-state fusion reactor. Three new stellarator experiments started operation in 1988, and three more are scheduled to start in the next few years. In addition, design studies have started on large next-generation stellarator experiments for the mid-1990s. These devices are designed to test four basic approaches to stellarator configuration optimization. Ways in which these devices complement each other in exploring the potential of the stellarator concept and the main issues that they will address during the next decade are described

Nanodielectrics with giant permittivity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Following the prediction, during the last couple of years we have investigated the effect of giant permittivity in one-dimensional systems of conventional metals and conjugated polymer chains. In this article, we have tried to summarize the works on giant permittivity and finally the fabrication of nanocapacitor using metal ...

THE CALIFORNIA PLANET SURVEY. I. FOUR NEW GIANT EXOPLANETS