Nearby Hot Stars May Change Our View of Distant Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

As if it werent enough that quasars distant and bright nuclei of galaxies twinkle of their own accord due to internal processes, nature also provides another complication: these distant radio sources can also appear to twinkle because of intervening material between them and us. A new study has identified a possible source for the material getting in the way.Unexplained VariabilityA Spitzer infrared view of the Helix nebula, which contains ionized streamers of gas extending radially outward from the central star. [NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Ariz.]Distant quasars occasionally display extreme scintillation, twinkling with variability timescales shorter than a day. This intra-day variability is much greater than we can account for with standard models of the interstellar medium lying between the quasar and us. So what could cause this extreme scattering instead?The first clue to this mystery came from the discovery of strong variability in the radio source PKS 1322110. In setting up follow-up observations of this object, Mark Walker (Manly Astrophysics, Australia) and collaborators noticed that, in the plane of the sky, PKS 1322110 lies very near the bright star Spica. Could this be coincidence, or might this bright foreground star have something to do with the extreme scattering observed?Diagram explaining the source of the intra-day radio source variability as intervening filaments surrounding a hot star. [M. Walker/CSIRO/Manly Astrophysics]Swarms of ClumpsWalker and collaborators put forward a hypothesis: perhaps the ultraviolet photons of nearby hot stars ionize plasma around them, which in turn causes the extreme scattering of the distant background sources.As a model, the authors consider the Helix Nebula, in which a hot, evolved star is surrounded by cool globules of molecular hydrogen gas. The radiation from the star hits these molecular clumps, dragging them into long radial streamers and ionizing their outer skins.Though the molecular clumps in the Helix

A DEEP, WIDE-FIELD Hα SURVEY OF NEARBY CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES: DATA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Shoko; Kennicutt, Robert C. Jr.; Moss, Chris

2012-01-01

We present the results of a wide-field Hα imaging survey of eight nearby (z = 0.02-0.03) Abell clusters. We have measured Hα fluxes and equivalent widths for 465 galaxies, of which 360 are new detections. The survey was designed to obtain complete emission-line-selected inventories of star-forming galaxies in the inner regions of these clusters, extending to star formation rates below 0.1 M ☉ yr –1 . This paper describes the observations, data processing, and source identification procedures, and presents an Hα and R-band catalog of detected cluster members and other candidates. Future papers in the series will use these data to study the completeness of spectroscopically based star formation surveys, and to quantify the effects of cluster environment on the present-day populations of star-forming galaxies. The data will also provide a valuable foundation for imaging surveys of redshifted Hα emission in more distant clusters.

Young star clusters in nearby molecular clouds

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-06-01

The SFiNCs (Star Formation in Nearby Clouds) project is an X-ray/infrared study of the young stellar populations in 22 star-forming regions with distances ≲ 1 kpc designed to extend our earlier MYStIX (Massive Young Star-Forming Complex Study in Infrared and X-ray) survey of more distant clusters. Our central goal is to give empirical constraints on cluster formation mechanisms. Using parametric mixture models applied homogeneously to the catalogue of SFiNCs young stars, we identify 52 SFiNCs clusters and 19 unclustered stellar structures. The procedure gives cluster properties including location, population, morphology, association with molecular clouds, absorption, age (AgeJX), and infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) slope. Absorption, SED slope, and AgeJX are age indicators. SFiNCs clusters are examined individually, and collectively with MYStIX clusters, to give the following results. (1) SFiNCs is dominated by smaller, younger, and more heavily obscured clusters than MYStIX. (2) SFiNCs cloud-associated clusters have the high ellipticities aligned with their host molecular filaments indicating morphology inherited from their parental clouds. (3) The effect of cluster expansion is evident from the radius-age, radius-absorption, and radius-SED correlations. Core radii increase dramatically from ˜0.08 to ˜0.9 pc over the age range 1-3.5 Myr. Inferred gas removal time-scales are longer than 1 Myr. (4) Rich, spatially distributed stellar populations are present in SFiNCs clouds representing early generations of star formation. An appendix compares the performance of the mixture models and non-parametric minimum spanning tree to identify clusters. This work is a foundation for future SFiNCs/MYStIX studies including disc longevity, age gradients, and dynamical modelling.

Colour-magnitude diagrams of star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds from wide-field electronography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersen, J.; Walker, M.F.

1984-01-01

Utilizing the good image quality and large field available with the 9-cm McMullan electronographic camera when attached to the Danish 1.54-m Ritchey-Chretien reflector at La Silla, Chile, a number of star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds have been observed in order to determine their colour-magnitude diagrams with proper correction for the field star contribution. In Hodge 11, the first cluster to be reported from this programme, good measurements have been obtained of 180 stars in the annular field 34 <= R <= 71 arcsec of the cluster itself, and of 154 stars in a nearby control field of similar area, to a limit of V of the order of 22. (author)

UVES abundances of stars in nearby galaxies : How good are theoretical isochrones?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tolstoy, E; Piotto, G; Meylan, G; Djougovski, SG; Riello, M

2003-01-01

Here we report some results from an ESO-VLT programme to observe individual stars in nearby dwarf galaxies at high resolution with the UVES spectrograph (Tolstoy, Venn, Shetrone, Primas, Hill, Kaufer & Szeifert 2002, submitted to AJ). We mainly concentrate on illustrating the issues and

Dependence of the velocity ellipsoid for nearby stars upon metallicity and spectral type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suchkov, A.A.

1983-01-01

For nearby dwarf stars the ratios of the dispersions in the velocity components along the axes of a rectangular galactic coordinate system depend on spectral type and chemical composition (metal abundance). Relationships are established which could provide clues to such problems as whether the component populations of the Galaxy are relaxing to a steady state and how stars come to be formed with differing mass at different times

Simultaneous, multi-wavelength flare observations of nearby low-mass stars

Science.gov (United States)

Thackeray, Beverly; Barclay, Thomas; Quintana, Elisa; Villadsen, Jacqueline; Wofford, Alia; Schlieder, Joshua; Boyd, Patricia

2018-01-01

Low-mass stars are the most common stars in the Galaxy and have been targeted in the tens-of-thousands by K2, the re-purposed Kepler mission, as they are prime targets to search for and characterize small, Earth-like planets. Understanding how these fully convective stars drive magnetic activity that manifests as stochastic, short-term brightenings, or flares, provides insight into the prospects of planetary habitability. High energy radiation and energetic particle emission associated with these stars can erode atmospheres, and impact habitability. An innovative campaign to study low mass stars through simultaneous multi-wavelength observations is currently underway with observations ongoing in the X-ray, UV, optical, and radio. I will present early results of our pilot study of the nearby M-Dwarf star Wolf 359 (CN Leo) using K2, SWIFT, and ground based radio observatories, forming a comprehensive picture of flare activity from an M-Dwarf, and discuss the potential impact of these results on exoplanets. "This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. DGE1322106. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation."

THE ACS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY. VII. THE NGC 4214 STARBURST AND THE EFFECTS OF STAR FORMATION HISTORY ON DWARF MORPHOLOGY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Benjamin F.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Weisz, Daniel R.; Seth, Anil C.; Skillman, Evan D.; Dolphin, Andrew E.

2011-01-01

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 optical observations obtained as part of the ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury as well as early release Wide Field Camera 3 ultraviolet and infrared observations of the nearby dwarf starbursting galaxy NGC 4214. Our data provide a detailed example of how covering such a broad range in wavelength provides a powerful tool for constraining the physical properties of stellar populations. The deepest data reach the ancient red clump at M F814W ∼ - 0.2. All of the optical data reach the main-sequence turnoff for stars younger than ∼300 Myr and the blue He-burning sequence for stars younger than 500 Myr. The full color-magnitude diagram (CMD) fitting analysis shows that all three fields in our data set are consistent with ∼75% of the stellar mass being older than 8 Gyr, in spite of showing a wide range in star formation rates at present. Thus, our results suggest that the scale length of NGC 4214 has remained relatively constant for many gigayears. As previously noted by others, we also find the galaxy has recently ramped up production consistent with its bright UV luminosity and its population of UV-bright massive stars. In the central field we find UV point sources with F336W magnitudes as bright as -9.9. These are as bright as stars with masses of at least 52-56 M sun and ages near 4 Myr in stellar evolution models. Assuming a standard initial mass function, our CMD is well fitted by an increase in star formation rate beginning 100 Myr ago. The stellar populations of this late-type dwarf are compared with those of NGC 404, an early-type dwarf that is also the most massive galaxy in its local environment. The late-type dwarf appears to have a similar high fraction of ancient stars, suggesting that these dominant galaxies may form at early epochs even if they have low total mass and very different present-day morphologies.

On the nature of absorption features toward nearby stars

Science.gov (United States)

Kohl, S.; Czesla, S.; Schmitt, J. H. M. M.

2016-06-01

Context. Diffuse interstellar absorption bands (DIBs) of largely unknown chemical origin are regularly observed primarily in distant early-type stars. More recently, detections in nearby late-type stars have also been claimed. These stars' spectra are dominated by stellar absorption lines. Specifically, strong interstellar atomic and DIB absorption has been reported in τ Boo. Aims: We test these claims by studying the strength of interstellar absorption in high-resolution TIGRE spectra of the nearby stars τ Boo, HD 33608, and α CrB. Methods: We focus our analysis on a strong DIB located at 5780.61 Å and on the absorption of interstellar Na. First, we carry out a differential analysis by comparing the spectra of the highly similar F-stars, τ Boo and HD 33608, whose light, however, samples different lines of sight. To obtain absolute values for the DIB absorption, we compare the observed spectra of τ Boo, HD 33608, and α CrB to PHOENIX models and carry out basic spectral modeling based on Voigt line profiles. Results: The intercomparison between τ Boo and HD 33608 reveals that the difference in the line depth is 6.85 ± 1.48 mÅ at the DIB location which is, however, unlikely to be caused by DIB absorption. The comparison between PHOENIX models and observed spectra yields an upper limit of 34.0 ± 0.3 mÅ for any additional interstellar absorption in τ Boo; similar results are obtained for HD 33608 and α CrB. For all objects we derive unrealistically large values for the radial velocity of any presumed interstellar clouds. In τ Boo we find Na D absorption with an equivalent width of 0.65 ± 0.07 mÅ and 2.3 ± 0.1 mÅ in the D2 and D1 lines. For the other Na, absorption of the same magnitude could only be detected in the D2 line. Our comparisons between model and data show that the interstellar absorption toward τ Boo is not abnormally high. Conclusions: We find no significant DIB absorption in any of our target stars. Any differences between modeled and

Temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultracool dwarf star.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillon, Michaël; Jehin, Emmanuël; Lederer, Susan M; Delrez, Laetitia; de Wit, Julien; Burdanov, Artem; Van Grootel, Valérie; Burgasser, Adam J; Triaud, Amaury H M J; Opitom, Cyrielle; Demory, Brice-Olivier; Sahu, Devendra K; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Magain, Pierre; Queloz, Didier

2016-05-12

Star-like objects with effective temperatures of less than 2,700 kelvin are referred to as 'ultracool dwarfs'. This heterogeneous group includes stars of extremely low mass as well as brown dwarfs (substellar objects not massive enough to sustain hydrogen fusion), and represents about 15 per cent of the population of astronomical objects near the Sun. Core-accretion theory predicts that, given the small masses of these ultracool dwarfs, and the small sizes of their protoplanetary disks, there should be a large but hitherto undetected population of terrestrial planets orbiting them--ranging from metal-rich Mercury-sized planets to more hospitable volatile-rich Earth-sized planets. Here we report observations of three short-period Earth-sized planets transiting an ultracool dwarf star only 12 parsecs away. The inner two planets receive four times and two times the irradiation of Earth, respectively, placing them close to the inner edge of the habitable zone of the star. Our data suggest that 11 orbits remain possible for the third planet, the most likely resulting in irradiation significantly less than that received by Earth. The infrared brightness of the host star, combined with its Jupiter-like size, offers the possibility of thoroughly characterizing the components of this nearby planetary system.

Star Formation In Nearby Clouds (SFiNCs): X-Ray and Infrared Source Catalogs and Membership

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Getman, Konstantin V.; Broos, Patrick S.; Feigelson, Eric D.; Richert, Alexander J. W.; Ota, Yosuke [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Kuhn, Michael A. [Instituto de Fisica y Astronomia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Gran Bretana 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaiso (Chile); Millennium Institute of Astrophysics, MAS (Chile); Bate, Matthew R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4SB (United Kingdom); Garmire, Gordon P. [Huntingdon Institute for X-Ray Astronomy, LLC, 10677 Franks Road, Huntingdon, PA 16652 (United States)

2017-04-01

The Star Formation in Nearby Clouds (SFiNCs) project is aimed at providing a detailed study of the young stellar populations and of star cluster formation in the nearby 22 star-forming regions (SFRs) for comparison with our earlier MYStIX survey of richer, more distant clusters. As a foundation for the SFiNCs science studies, here, homogeneous data analyses of the Chandra X-ray and Spitzer mid-infrared archival SFiNCs data are described, and the resulting catalogs of over 15,300 X-ray and over 1,630,000 mid-infrared point sources are presented. On the basis of their X-ray/infrared properties and spatial distributions, nearly 8500 point sources have been identified as probable young stellar members of the SFiNCs regions. Compared to the existing X-ray/mid-infrared publications, the SFiNCs member list increases the census of YSO members by 6%–200% for individual SFRs and by 40% for the merged sample of all 22 SFiNCs SFRs.

THE ADVANCED CAMERA FOR SURVEYS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY. VI. THE ANCIENT STAR-FORMING DISK OF NGC 404

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Benjamin F.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Stilp, Adrienne; Dolphin, Andrew; Seth, Anil C.; Weisz, Daniel; Skillman, Evan

2010-01-01

We present HST/WFPC2 observations across the disk of the nearby isolated dwarf S0 galaxy NGC 404, which hosts an extended gas disk. The locations of our fields contain a roughly equal mixture of bulge and disk stars. All of our resolved stellar photometry reaches m F814W = 26 (M F814W = -1.4), which covers 2.5 mag of the red giant branch and main-sequence stars with ages F814W = 27.2 (M F814W = -0.2), sufficient to resolve the red clump and main-sequence stars with ages 10 Gyr) population. Detailed modeling of the color-magnitude diagram suggests that ∼70% of the stellar mass in the NGC 404 disk formed by z ∼ 2 (10 Gyr ago) and at least ∼90% formed prior to z ∼ 1 (8 Gyr ago). These results indicate that the stellar populations of the NGC 404 disk are on average significantly older than those of other nearby disk galaxies, suggesting that early- and late-type disks may have different long-term evolutionary histories, not simply differences in their recent star formation rates. Comparisons of the spatial distribution of the young stellar mass and FUV emission in Galaxy Evolution Explorer images show that the brightest FUV regions contain the youngest stars, but that some young stars (<160 Myr) lie outside of these regions. FUV luminosity appears to be strongly affected by both age and stellar mass within individual regions. Finally, we use our measurements to infer the relationship between the star formation rate and the gas density of the disk at previous epochs. We find that most of the history of the NGC 404 disk is consistent with star formation that has decreased with the gas density according to the Schmidt law. However, ∼ 0.5-1 Gyr ago, the star formation rate was unusually low for the inferred gas density, consistent with the possibility that there was a gas accretion event that reignited star formation ∼0.5 Gyr ago. Such an event could explain why this S0 galaxy hosts an extended gas disk.

Constraints on the Equation-of-State of neutron stars from nearby neutron star observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuhäuser, R; Hambaryan, V V; Hohle, M M; Eisenbeiss, T

2012-01-01

We try to constrain the Equation-of-State (EoS) of supra-nuclear-density matter in neutron stars (NSs) by observations of nearby NSs. There are seven thermally emitting NSs known from X-ray and optical observations, the so-called Magnificent Seven (M7), which are young (up to few Myrs), nearby (within a few hundred pc), and radio-quiet with blackbody-like X-ray spectra, so that we can observe their surfaces. As bright X-ray sources, we can determine their rotational (pulse) period and their period derivative from X-ray timing. From XMM and/or Chandra X-ray spectra, we can determine their temperature. With precise astrometric observations using the Hubble Space Telescope, we can determine their parallax (i.e. distance) and optical flux. From flux, distance, and temperature, one can derive the emitting area - with assumptions about the atmosphere and/or temperature distribution on the surface. This was recently done by us for the two brightest M7 NSs RXJ1856 and RXJ0720. Then, from identifying absorption lines in X-ray spectra, one can also try to determine gravitational redshift. Also, from rotational phase-resolved spectroscopy, we have for the first time determined the compactness (mass/radius) of the M7 NS RBS1223. If also applied to RXJ1856, radius (from luminosity and temperature) and compactness (from X-ray data) will yield the mass and radius - for the first time for an isolated single neutron star. We will present our observations and recent results.

BANYAN. IV. Fundamental parameters of low-mass star candidates in nearby young stellar kinematic groups—isochronal age determination using magnetic evolutionary models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malo, Lison; Doyon, René; Albert, Loïc; Lafrenière, David; Artigau, Étienne; Gagné, Jonathan [Département de physique and Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada); Feiden, Gregory A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala (Sweden); Riedel, Adric, E-mail: malo@cfht.hawaii.edu, E-mail: doyon@astro.umontreal.ca [Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 (United States)

2014-09-01

Based on high-resolution optical spectra obtained with ESPaDOnS at Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, we determine fundamental parameters (T {sub eff}, R, L {sub bol}, log g, and metallicity) for 59 candidate members of nearby young kinematic groups. The candidates were identified through the BANYAN Bayesian inference method of Malo et al., which takes into account the position, proper motion, magnitude, color, radial velocity, and parallax (when available) to establish a membership probability. The derived parameters are compared to Dartmouth magnetic evolutionary models and field stars with the goal of constraining the age of our candidates. We find that, in general, low-mass stars in our sample are more luminous and have inflated radii compared to older stars, a trend expected for pre-main-sequence stars. The Dartmouth magnetic evolutionary models show a good fit to observations of field K and M stars, assuming a magnetic field strength of a few kG, as typically observed for cool stars. Using the low-mass members of the β Pictoris moving group, we have re-examined the age inconsistency problem between lithium depletion age and isochronal age (Hertzspring-Russell diagram). We find that the inclusion of the magnetic field in evolutionary models increases the isochronal age estimates for the K5V-M5V stars. Using these models and field strengths, we derive an average isochronal age between 15 and 28 Myr and we confirm a clear lithium depletion boundary from which an age of 26 ± 3 Myr is derived, consistent with previous age estimates based on this method.

Nearby stars of the Galactic disc and halo - IV

Science.gov (United States)

Fuhrmann, Klaus

2008-02-01

The Milky Way Galaxy has an age of about 13 billion years. Solar-type stars evolve all the long way to the realm of degenerate objects on essentially this time-scale. This, as well as the particular advantage that the Sun offers through reliable differential spectroscopic analyses, render these stars the ideal tracers for the fossil record of our parent spiral. Astrophysics is a science that is known to be notoriously plagued by selection effects. The present work - with a major focus in this fourth contribution on model atmosphere analyses of spectroscopic binaries and multiple star systems - aims at a volume-complete sample of about 300 nearby F-, G-, and K-type stars that particularly avoids any kinematical or chemical pre-selection from the outset. It thereby provides an unbiased record of the local stellar populations - the ancient thick disc and the much younger thin disc. On this base, the detailed individual scrutiny of the long-lived stars of both populations unveils the thick disc as a single-burst component with a local normalization of no less than 20 per cent. This enormous fraction, combined with its much larger scaleheight, implies a mass for the thick disc that is comparable to that of the thin disc. On account of its completely different mass-to-light ratio the thick disc thereby becomes the dark side of the Milky Way, an ideal major source for baryonic dark matter. This massive, ancient population consequently challenges any gradual build-up scenario for our parent spiral. Even more, on the supposition that the Galaxy is not unusual, the thick disc - as it emerges from this unbiased spectroscopic work - particularly challenges the hierarchical cold-dark-matter-dominated formation picture for spiral galaxies in general.

THE ACS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Williams, Benjamin F.; Rosema, Keith; Gogarten, Stephanie M.; Christensen, Charlotte; Gilbert, Karoline; Hodge, Paul; Seth, Anil C.; Dolphin, Andrew; Holtzman, Jon; Skillman, Evan D.; Weisz, Daniel; Cole, Andrew; Girardi, Leo; Karachentsev, Igor D.; Olsen, Knut; Freeman, Ken; Gallart, Carme; Harris, Jason; De Jong, Roelof S.

2009-01-01

The ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury (ANGST) is a systematic survey to establish a legacy of uniform multi-color photometry of resolved stars for a volume-limited sample of nearby galaxies (D 4 in luminosity and star formation rate. The survey data consist of images taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), supplemented with archival data and new Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) imaging taken after the failure of ACS. Survey images include wide field tilings covering the full radial extent of each galaxy, and single deep pointings in uncrowded regions of the most massive galaxies in the volume. The new wide field imaging in ANGST reaches median 50% completenesses of m F475W = 28.0 mag, m F606W = 27.3 mag, and m F814W = 27.3 mag, several magnitudes below the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). The deep fields reach magnitudes sufficient to fully resolve the structure in the red clump. The resulting photometric catalogs are publicly accessible and contain over 34 million photometric measurements of >14 million stars. In this paper we present the details of the sample selection, imaging, data reduction, and the resulting photometric catalogs, along with an analysis of the photometric uncertainties (systematic and random), for both ACS and WFPC2 imaging. We also present uniformly derived relative distances measured from the apparent magnitude of the TRGB.

A New Offset Debris Ring around a Nearby Star Observed with the HST/STIS

Science.gov (United States)

Krist, John; Stapelfeldt, Karl; Bryden, Geoffrey

2011-01-01

We are conducting an HST/STIS coronagraphic imaging study of nearby stars that have Spitzer-measured infrared excesses indicating that they are surrounded by debris disks. Around one of the stars we have imaged a debris ring with a sharp inner edge and extending from about 165 AU to 250 AU. The ring center is offset from the star by -8 AU with a visually estimated intrinsic ellipticity of e-0.1 , suggestive of gravitational perturbation of the disk by a planet, like the Fomalhaut disk. Assuming a neutral disk color, the mean surface brightness of V=22.3 mag/square arcsec makes this the second faintest disk yet imaged in scattered light, second to HD 207129.

A Resolved Debris Disk Around the Nearby G Star HIP 32480

Science.gov (United States)

Stapelfeldt, K. R.; Bryden, G. C.; Marshall, J.; Eiroa, C.; Absil, O.; Mora, A.; Krist, J. E.; Su, K. Y. L.

2012-01-01

The Herschel Space Observatory is providing unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution in the far-infrared. The DUNES Key Project (DUst around NEarby Stars, PI Carlos Eiroa) has finished its survey of 133 FGK stars within 25 pc of the Sun using the PACS photometer at 100 and 160 microns. We report the detection of a resolved debris ring around HIP 32480, a GO star 16.5 parsecs distant. The ring is almost 300 AU in diameter and inclined 30 degrees from edge-on. We present a thermal emission model for the system that fits the Spitzer spectroscopy and Herschel images of the system. We find a minimum grain-size of 4 microns in the main ring and a distinct warm dust population interior to it. Faint detached emission features just outside the ring may trace a separate, more distant ring in the system. The non-detection of the ring in archival HST/ACS coronagraphic images limits the dust grain albedo in the ring to be no more than 10%.

The Glory of a Nearby Star

Science.gov (United States)

2001-08-01

-west (the 4 o'clock direction). The motion is clearly visible on these two images obtained with the UK Schmidt telescope and reproduced from the Second Digized Sky Survey (DSS-2); the blue image (left) was taken several years before the red one (right). Moreover, the red colour of the star is obvious; the red image is clearly brighter than the blue one. The field measures 5 x 5 arcmin 2 ; North is up and East is left. These DSS-2 images are copyright by the UK SERC/PPARC (Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, formerly Science and Engineering Research Council), the Anglo-Australian Telescope Board and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). In order to increase the chances of success, Jürgen Schmitt and his colleagues decided to focus on optically faint, red dwarf stars . Such stars may have the same X-ray output (or even larger) than the Sun, and hence presumably possess pronounced coronae, yet their disks emit over one thousand times less visible light than does that of the Sun. They first turned their attention towards an optically faint (visual magnitude 14) and nearby (distance 8 light-years) red dwarf star (of type M5.5) known as CN Leonis , cf. PR Photo 24b/01 . It is located slightly north of the celestial equator in the constellation Leo (the Lion) and the two-letter name indicates that it is a variable star. It has been found to undergo sudden brightenings (it is a 'flare star' ), and exhibits strong magnetic activity. It is also a source of strong X-rays which the German astronomers had previously studied with the ROSAT satellite observatory and they therefore considered this star as an excellent first choice for a coronal study with the VLT. UVES detects a coronal line in the visible spectral region ESO PR Photo 24c/01 ESO PR Photo 24c/01 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 471 pix - 31k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 942 pix - 81k] [Hi-Res - JPEG: 2549 x 3000 pix - 496k] ESO PR Photo 24d/01 ESO PR Photo 24d/01 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 489 pix - 43

THE CONTRIBUTION OF TP-AGB STARS TO THE MID-INFRARED COLORS OF NEARBY GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chisari, Nora E.; Kelson, Daniel D.

2012-01-01

We study the mid-infrared color space of 30 galaxies from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) survey for which Sloan Digital Sky Survey data are also available. We construct two-color maps for each galaxy and compare them to results obtained from combining Maraston evolutionary synthesis models, galactic thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) colors, and smooth star formation histories. For most of the SINGS sample, the spatially extended mid-IR emission seen by Spitzer in normal galaxies is consistent with our simple model in which circumstellar dust from TP-AGB stars dominates at 8 and 24 μm. There is a handful of exceptions that we identify as galaxies that have high star formation rates presumably with star formation histories that cannot be assumed to be smooth, or anemic galaxies, which were depleted of their H I at some point during their evolution and have very low ongoing star formation rates.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF TP-AGB STARS TO THE MID-INFRARED COLORS OF NEARBY GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chisari, Nora E. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Kelson, Daniel D., E-mail: nchisari@astro.princeton.edu [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Science, 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)

2012-07-10

We study the mid-infrared color space of 30 galaxies from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) survey for which Sloan Digital Sky Survey data are also available. We construct two-color maps for each galaxy and compare them to results obtained from combining Maraston evolutionary synthesis models, galactic thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) colors, and smooth star formation histories. For most of the SINGS sample, the spatially extended mid-IR emission seen by Spitzer in normal galaxies is consistent with our simple model in which circumstellar dust from TP-AGB stars dominates at 8 and 24 {mu}m. There is a handful of exceptions that we identify as galaxies that have high star formation rates presumably with star formation histories that cannot be assumed to be smooth, or anemic galaxies, which were depleted of their H I at some point during their evolution and have very low ongoing star formation rates.

Stellar Death in the Nearby Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Holoien, Thomas Warren-Son

The night sky is replete with transient and variable events that help shape our universe. The violent, explosive deaths of stars represent some of the most energetic of these events, as a single star is able to outshine billions during its final moments. Aside from imparting significant energy into their host environments, stellar deaths are also responsible for seeding heavy elements into the universe, regulating star formation in their host galaxies, and affecting the evolution of supermassive black holes at the centers of their host galaxies. The large amount of energy output during these events allows them to be seen from billions of lightyears away, making them useful observational probes of physical processes important to many fields of astronomy. In this dissertation I present a series of observational studies of two classes of transients associated with the deaths of stars in the nearby universe: tidal disruption events (TDEs) and supernovae (SNe). Discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), the objects I discuss were all bright and nearby, and were subject to extensive follow-up observational campaigns. In the first three studies, I present observational data and theoretical models of ASASSN-14ae, ASASSN-14li, and ASASSN-15oi, three TDEs discovered by ASAS-SN and three of the most well-studied TDEs ever discovered. Next I present the discovery of ASASSN-13co, an SN that does not conform to the traditional model of Type II SNe. Finally, I discuss the full sample of bright SNe discovered from 2014 May 1 through 2016 December 31, which is significantly less biased than previous nearby SN samples due to the ASAS-SN survey approach, and perform statistical analyses on this population that will be used for future studies of nearby SNe and their hosts.

THE STAR CLUSTER SYSTEM IN THE NEARBY STARBURST GALAXY M82

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Sungsoon; Lee, Myung Gyoon; Hwang, Narae

2013-01-01

We present a photometric study of star clusters in the nearby starburst galaxy M82 based on the UBVI-, YJ- and H-band Hubble Space Telescope images. We find 1105 star clusters with V 0 ≈ 0.45, and a weaker red population. The luminosity function of the disk clusters shows a power-law distribution with a power-law index α = –2.04 ± 0.03, and the scale height of their distribution is h z = 9.''64 ± 0.''40 (164 ± 7 pc), similar to that of the stellar thin disk of M82. We have derived the ages of ∼630 star clusters using the spectral energy distribution fit method by comparing UBVI(YJ)H-band photometric data with the simple stellar population models. The age distribution of the disk clusters shows that the most dominant cluster population has ages ranging from 100 Myr to 1 Gyr, with a peak at about 500 Myr. This suggests that M82 has undergone a disk-wide star formation about 500 Myr ago, probably through the interaction with M81. The brightest star clusters in the nuclear region are much brighter than those in other regions, indicating that more massive star clusters are formed in the denser environments. On the other hand, the colors of the halo clusters are similar to those of globular clusters in the Milky Way, and their ages are estimated to be older than 1 Gyr. These are probably genuine old globular clusters in M82.

NEW M, L, AND T DWARF COMPANIONS TO NEARBY STARS FROM THE WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luhman, Kevin L.; Loutrel, Nicholas P.; McCurdy, Nicholas S.; Melso, Nicole D.; Star, Kimberly M.; Terrien, Ryan C. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Mace, Gregory N.; McLean, Ian S. [UCLA Division of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Young, Michael D.; Rhode, Katherine L. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, Swain West 319, 727 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Davy Kirkpatrick, J., E-mail: kluhman@astro.psu.edu [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, MS 100-22, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2012-12-01

We present 11 candidate late-type companions to nearby stars identified with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). Eight of the candidates are likely to be companions based on their common proper motions with the primaries. The remaining three objects are rejected as companions, one of which is a free-floating T7 dwarf. Spectral types are available for five of the companions, which consist of M2V, M8.5V, L5, T8, and T8. Based on their photometry, the unclassified companions are probably two mid-M dwarfs and one late-M/early-L dwarf. One of the T8 companions, WISE J142320.84+011638.0, has already been reported by Pinfield and coworkers. The other T8 companion, ULAS J095047.28+011734.3, was discovered by Burningham and coworkers through the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey, but its companionship has not been previously recognized in the literature. The L5 companion, 2MASS J17430860+8526594, is a new member of a class of L dwarfs that exhibit unusually blue near-IR colors. Among the possible mechanisms that have been previously proposed for the peculiar colors of these L dwarfs, low metallicity does not appear to be a viable explanation for 2MASS J17430860+8526594 since our spectrum of the primary suggests that its metallicity is not significantly subsolar.

NEW M, L, AND T DWARF COMPANIONS TO NEARBY STARS FROM THE WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luhman, Kevin L.; Loutrel, Nicholas P.; McCurdy, Nicholas S.; Melso, Nicole D.; Star, Kimberly M.; Terrien, Ryan C.; Mace, Gregory N.; McLean, Ian S.; Young, Michael D.; Rhode, Katherine L.; Davy Kirkpatrick, J.

2012-01-01

We present 11 candidate late-type companions to nearby stars identified with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). Eight of the candidates are likely to be companions based on their common proper motions with the primaries. The remaining three objects are rejected as companions, one of which is a free-floating T7 dwarf. Spectral types are available for five of the companions, which consist of M2V, M8.5V, L5, T8, and T8. Based on their photometry, the unclassified companions are probably two mid-M dwarfs and one late-M/early-L dwarf. One of the T8 companions, WISE J142320.84+011638.0, has already been reported by Pinfield and coworkers. The other T8 companion, ULAS J095047.28+011734.3, was discovered by Burningham and coworkers through the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey, but its companionship has not been previously recognized in the literature. The L5 companion, 2MASS J17430860+8526594, is a new member of a class of L dwarfs that exhibit unusually blue near-IR colors. Among the possible mechanisms that have been previously proposed for the peculiar colors of these L dwarfs, low metallicity does not appear to be a viable explanation for 2MASS J17430860+8526594 since our spectrum of the primary suggests that its metallicity is not significantly subsolar.

MaNGA: Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Weijmans, A.-M.; MaNGA Team

2016-10-01

MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO) is a galaxy integral-field spectroscopic survey within the fourth generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV). It will be mapping the composition and kinematics of gas and stars in 10,000 nearby galaxies, using 17 differently sized fiber bundles. MaNGA's goal is to provide new insights in galaxy formation and evolution, and to deliver a local benchmark for current and future high-redshift studies.

Relativistic deflection of background starlight measures the mass of a nearby white dwarf star.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahu, Kailash C; Anderson, Jay; Casertano, Stefano; Bond, Howard E; Bergeron, Pierre; Nelan, Edmund P; Pueyo, Laurent; Brown, Thomas M; Bellini, Andrea; Levay, Zoltan G; Sokol, Joshua; Dominik, Martin; Calamida, Annalisa; Kains, Noé; Livio, Mario

2017-06-09

Gravitational deflection of starlight around the Sun during the 1919 total solar eclipse provided measurements that confirmed Einstein's general theory of relativity. We have used the Hubble Space Telescope to measure the analogous process of astrometric microlensing caused by a nearby star, the white dwarf Stein 2051 B. As Stein 2051 B passed closely in front of a background star, the background star's position was deflected. Measurement of this deflection at multiple epochs allowed us to determine the mass of Stein 2051 B-the sixth-nearest white dwarf to the Sun-as 0.675 ± 0.051 solar masses. This mass determination provides confirmation of the physics of degenerate matter and lends support to white dwarf evolutionary theory. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A Herschel-Resolved Debris Disk Around the Nearby G Star HIP 32480

Science.gov (United States)

Stapelfeldt, K.

2011-01-01

The Herschel Space Observatory is providing unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution in the far-infrared. The DUNES Key Project (DUst around NEarby Stars, PI Carlos Eiroa) has finished its survey of 133 FGK stars within 25 pc of the Sun using the PACS photometer at 100 and 160 microns. We report the detection of a resolved debris ring around HIP 32480, a G0 star 16.5 parsecs distant. The ring is almost 300 AU in diameter and inclined 30 degrees from edge-on. We present a thermal emission model for the system that fits the Spitzer spectroscopy and Herschel images of the system. We find a minimum grainsize of approximately 4 microns in the main ring and a distinct warm dust population interior to it. Faint detached emission features just outside the ring may trace a separate, more distant ring in the system. The non-detection of the ring in archival HST/ACS coronagraphic images limits the dust grain albedo in the ring to be no more than 10%.

Scaling Relations between Gas and Star Formation in Nearby Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Bigiel, Frank; Leroy, Adam; Walter, Fabian

2011-04-01

High resolution, multi-wavelength maps of a sizeable set of nearby galaxies have made it possible to study how the surface densities of H i, H2 and star formation rate (ΣHI, ΣH2, ΣSFR) relate on scales of a few hundred parsecs. At these scales, individual galaxy disks are comfortably resolved, making it possible to assess gas-SFR relations with respect to environment within galaxies. ΣH2, traced by CO intensity, shows a strong correlation with ΣSFR and the ratio between these two quantities, the molecular gas depletion time, appears to be constant at about 2 Gyr in large spiral galaxies. Within the star-forming disks of galaxies, ΣSFR shows almost no correlation with ΣHI. In the outer parts of galaxies, however, ΣSFR does scale with ΣHI, though with large scatter. Combining data from these different environments yields a distribution with multiple regimes in Σgas - ΣSFR space. If the underlying assumptions to convert observables to physical quantities are matched, even combined datasets based on different SFR tracers, methodologies and spatial scales occupy a well define locus in Σgas - ΣSFR space.

MAGNETIC FIELDS OF STARS

OpenAIRE

Bychkov, V. D.; Bychkova, L. V.; Madej, J.

2008-01-01

Now it is known about 1212 stars of the main sequence and giants (from them 610 stars - it is chemically peculiarity (CP) stars) for which direct measurements of magnetic fields were spent (Bychkov et al.,2008). Let's consider, what representations were generated about magnetic fields (MT) of stars on the basis of available observations data.

Gravitational Waves from Stellar Black Hole Binaries and the Impact on Nearby Sun-like Stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopes, Ilídio [Centro Multidisciplinar de Astrofísica, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Silk, Joseph, E-mail: ilidio.lopes@tecnico.ulisboa.pt, E-mail: silk@astro.ox.ac.uk [Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095 CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 98 bis Boulevard Arago, Paris F-75014 (France)

2017-07-20

We investigate the impact of resonant gravitational waves on quadrupole acoustic modes of Sun-like stars located nearby stellar black hole binary systems (such as GW150914 and GW151226). We find that the stimulation of the low-overtone modes by gravitational radiation can lead to sizeable photometric amplitude variations, much larger than the predictions for amplitudes driven by turbulent convection, which in turn are consistent with the photometric amplitudes observed in most Sun-like stars. For accurate stellar evolution models, using up-to-date stellar physics, we predict photometric amplitude variations of 1–10{sup 3} ppm for a solar mass star located at a distance between 1 au and 10 au from the black hole binary and belonging to the same multi-star system. The observation of such a phenomenon will be within the reach of the Plato mission because the telescope will observe several portions of the Milky Way, many of which are regions of high stellar density with a substantial mixed population of Sun-like stars and black hole binaries.

Astronomers See First Stages of Planet-Building Around Nearby Star

Science.gov (United States)

2005-06-01

about the same size are present," Claussen said. Not only does TW Hydrae show evidence of ongoing planet formation, it also shows signs that at least one giant planet may have formed already. Wilner's colleague, Nuria Calvet (CfA), has created a computer simulation of the disk around TW Hydrae using previously published infrared observations. She showed that a gap extends from the star out to a distance of about 400 million miles - similar to the distance to the asteroid belt in our solar system. The gap likely formed when a giant planet sucked up all the nearby material, leaving a hole in the middle of the disk. Located about 180 light-years away in the constellation Hydra the Water Snake, TW Hydrae consists of a 10 million-year-old star about four-fifths as massive as the Sun. The protoplanetary disk surrounding TW Hydrae contains about one-tenth as much material as the Sun -- more than enough to form one or more Jupiter-sized worlds. "TW Hydrae is unique," said Wilner. "It's nearby, and it's just the right age to be forming planets. We'll be studying it for decades to come." This research was published in the June 20, 2005, issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) is a joint collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory. CfA scientists, organized into six research divisions, study the origin, evolution and ultimate fate of the universe. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Wide cool and ultracool companions to nearby stars from Pan-STARRS 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deacon, Niall R.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, Eugene A.; Aller, Kimberly M.; Best, William M. J.; Bowler, Brendan P.; Burgett, William S.; Chambers, Kenneth C.; Flewelling, H.; Kaiser, Nick; Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Morgan, Jeff S.; Tonry, John L.; Dupuy, Trent; Mann, Andrew W.; Redstone, Joshua A.; Draper, Peter W.; Metcalfe, Nigel; Hodapp, Klaus W.; Price, Paul A.

2014-01-01

We present the discovery of 57 wide (>5'') separation, low-mass (stellar and substellar) companions to stars in the solar neighborhood identified from Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) data and the spectral classification of 31 previously known companions. Our companions represent a selective subsample of promising candidates and span a range in spectral type of K7-L9 with the addition of one DA white dwarf. These were identified primarily from a dedicated common proper motion search around nearby stars, along with a few as serendipitous discoveries from our Pan-STARRS 1 brown dwarf search. Our discoveries include 23 new L dwarf companions and one known L dwarf not previously identified as a companion. The primary stars around which we searched for companions come from a list of bright stars with well-measured parallaxes and large proper motions from the Hipparcos catalog (8583 stars, mostly A-K dwarfs) and fainter stars from other proper motion catalogs (79170 stars, mostly M dwarfs). We examine the likelihood that our companions are chance alignments between unrelated stars and conclude that this is unlikely for the majority of the objects that we have followed-up spectroscopically. We also examine the entire population of ultracool (>M7) dwarf companions and conclude that while some are loosely bound, most are unlikely to be disrupted over the course of ∼10 Gyr. Our search increases the number of ultracool M dwarf companions wider than 300 AU by 88% and increases the number of L dwarf companions in the same separation range by 82%. Finally, we resolve our new L dwarf companion to HIP 6407 into a tight (0.''13, 7.4 AU) L1+T3 binary, making the system a hierarchical triple. Our search for these key benchmarks against which brown dwarf and exoplanet atmosphere models are tested has yielded the largest number of discoveries to date.

THE GREEN BANK TELESCOPE MAPS THE DENSE, STAR-FORMING GAS IN THE NEARBY STARBURST GALAXY M82

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kepley, Amanda A.; Frayer, David; Leroy, Adam K.; Usero, Antonio; Marvil, Josh; Walter, Fabian

2014-01-01

Observations of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies show that dense molecular gas correlates with recent star formation, suggesting that the formation of this gas phase may help regulate star formation. A key test of this idea requires wide-area, high-resolution maps of dense molecular gas in galaxies to explore how local physical conditions drive dense gas formation, but these observations have been limited because of the faintness of dense gas tracers like HCN and HCO + . Here we demonstrate the power of the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT)—the largest single-dish millimeter radio telescope—for mapping dense gas in galaxies by presenting the most sensitive maps yet of HCN and HCO + in the starburst galaxy M82. The HCN and HCO + in the disk of this galaxy correlates with both recent star formation and more diffuse molecular gas and shows kinematics consistent with a rotating torus. The HCO + emission extending to the north and south of the disk is coincident with the outflow previously identified in CO and traces the eastern edge of the hot outflowing gas. The central starburst region has a higher ratio of star formation to dense gas than the outer regions, pointing to the starburst as a key driver of this relationship. These results establish that the GBT can efficiently map the dense molecular gas at 90 GHz in nearby galaxies, a capability that will increase further with the 16 element feed array under construction

Shock-front compression of the magnetic field in the Canis Majoris R1 star-formation region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrba, F.J.; Baierlein, R.; Herbst, W.; Wesleyan Univ., Middletown, CT; Van Vleck Observatory, Middletown, CT)

1987-01-01

Results are presented from a linear polarization survey at optical wavelengths of over 140 stars in the direction of the CMa R1 star-formation region; 26 of these are clearly associated with nebulosity within the area. The observations were obtained in order to test the argument of Herbst et al. (1978) that star formation in CMa R1 is driven by a shock wave from a nearby supernova (Herbs and Assousa, 1977 and 1978). The polarizations are found to be consistent with a simple model of the compression by a supernova-induced spherical shock front of an initially uniform interstellar magnetic field. The polarization vectors are inconsistent with a scenario of quiescent cloud collapse along magnetic-field lines. Multicolor polarimetry of the nebular stars provides evidence of grain growth toward increasing cloud optical depth, characterized by a ratio of total-to-selective extinction of R = 3.0 at E(B-V) = 0.23, increasing to R = 4.2 at E(B-V) = 0.7. 15 references

WINGS: WFIRST Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Benjamin

WFIRST's combination of wide field and high resolution will revolutionize the study of nearby galaxies. We propose to produce and analyze simulated WFIRST data of nearby galaxies and their halos to maximize the scientific yield in the limited observing time available, ensuring the legacy value of WFIRST's eventual archive. We will model both halo structure and resolved stellar populations to optimize WFIRST's constraints on both dark matter and galaxy formation models in the local universe. WFIRST can map galaxy structure down to ~35 mag/square arcsecond using individual stars. The resulting maps of stellar halos and accreting dwarf companions will provide stringent tests of galaxy formation and dark matter models on galactic (and even sub-galactic) scales, which is where the most theoretical tension exists with the Lambda-CDM model. With a careful, coordinated plan, WFIRST can be expected to improve current sample sizes by 2 orders of magnitude, down to surface brightness limits comparable to those currently reached only in the Local Group, and that are >4 magnitudes fainter than achievable from the ground due to limitations in star-galaxy separation. WFIRST's maps of galaxy halos will simultaneously produce photometry for billions of stars in the main bodies of galaxies within 10 Mpc. These data will transform studies of star formation histories that track stellar mass growth as a function of time and position within a galaxy. They also will constrain critical stellar evolution models of the near-infrared bright, rapidly evolving stars that can contribute significantly to the integrated light of galaxies in the near-infrared. Thus, with WFIRST we can derive the detailed evolution of individual galaxies, reconstruct the complete history of star formation in the nearby universe, and put crucial constraints on the theoretical models used to interpret near-infrared extragalactic observations. We propose a three-component work plan that will ensure these gains by

Proper motion survey for solar nearby stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldman, Bertrand

2001-01-01

For its microlensing observations EROS 2 built one of the largest CCD mosaic opera ting since 1996. This instrument allowed us to survey a large area of the sky, to look for faint, cool compact objects in the Solar neighborhood that may contribute to the Dark Matter revealed by flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies and the Milky Way. We imaged over 400 square degrees, at least three times over four years, with a single, stable instrument. The aim of this work is the reduction, the analysis and the detection of high proper motion objects that would look like those expected in a dark halo. We selected and analyzed thousands of images taken in two bands, visible and near-infrared, and obtained a catalogue of several thousand stars with proper motion typically higher than 80 milli-arc-seconds per year. None of these candidates displays the expected properties of the halo objects: very high proper motion and faintness. The second part of our work was to put constraints on the contributions of white dwarfs and brown dwarfs ta the halo. To do that, we simulated our data set and estimated our sensitivity to halo objects. We compared our results about moderately high proper motion stars with existing Galactic models, and confirmed the robustness of these models. We deduced a upper limit ta the contribution of M_v = 17.5 white dwarfs to the standard halo of 10% (at the 95% confidence level), or 5% of a 14 Gyr old halo, and to the contribution of brown dwarfs of 7% (95% C.L.). Finally, among our candidates, several interesting objects, that do not belong to the halo but are among the coolest and faintest known, have been discovered. Systematic search for faint, nearby objects thus lead us to study disk L dwarfs, as well as old white dwarfs of the disk. (author) [fr

THE GREEN BANK TELESCOPE MAPS THE DENSE, STAR-FORMING GAS IN THE NEARBY STARBURST GALAXY M82

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kepley, Amanda A.; Frayer, David [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV 24944-0002 (United States); Leroy, Adam K. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475 (United States); Usero, Antonio [Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, C/Alfonso XII, 3, E-28014 Madrid (Spain); Marvil, Josh [Department of Physics, New Mexico Tech., 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Walter, Fabian, E-mail: akepley@nrao.edu [Max Planck Institute fur Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2014-01-01

Observations of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies show that dense molecular gas correlates with recent star formation, suggesting that the formation of this gas phase may help regulate star formation. A key test of this idea requires wide-area, high-resolution maps of dense molecular gas in galaxies to explore how local physical conditions drive dense gas formation, but these observations have been limited because of the faintness of dense gas tracers like HCN and HCO{sup +}. Here we demonstrate the power of the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT)—the largest single-dish millimeter radio telescope—for mapping dense gas in galaxies by presenting the most sensitive maps yet of HCN and HCO{sup +} in the starburst galaxy M82. The HCN and HCO{sup +} in the disk of this galaxy correlates with both recent star formation and more diffuse molecular gas and shows kinematics consistent with a rotating torus. The HCO{sup +} emission extending to the north and south of the disk is coincident with the outflow previously identified in CO and traces the eastern edge of the hot outflowing gas. The central starburst region has a higher ratio of star formation to dense gas than the outer regions, pointing to the starburst as a key driver of this relationship. These results establish that the GBT can efficiently map the dense molecular gas at 90 GHz in nearby galaxies, a capability that will increase further with the 16 element feed array under construction.

THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY AND CHEMICAL EVOLUTION OF STAR-FORMING GALAXIES IN THE NEARBY UNIVERSE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres-Papaqui, J. P.; Coziol, R.; Ortega-Minakata, R. A.; Neri-Larios, D. M.

2012-01-01

We have determined the metallicity (O/H) and nitrogen abundance (N/O) of a sample of 122,751 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) from the Data Release 7 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For all these galaxies we have also determined their morphology and obtained a comprehensive picture of their star formation history (SFH) using the spectral synthesis code STARLIGHT. The comparison of the chemical abundance with the SFH allows us to describe the chemical evolution of the SFGs in the nearby universe (z ≤ 0.25) in a manner consistent with the formation of their stellar populations and morphologies. A high fraction (45%) of the SFGs in our sample show an excess abundance of nitrogen relative to their metallicity. We also find this excess to be accompanied by a deficiency of oxygen, which suggests that this could be the result of effective starburst winds. However, we find no difference in the mode of star formation of the nitrogen-rich and nitrogen-poor SFGs. Our analysis suggests that they all form their stars through a succession of bursts of star formation extended over a period of few Gyr. What produces the chemical differences between these galaxies seems therefore to be the intensity of the bursts: the galaxies with an excess of nitrogen are those that are presently experiencing more intense bursts or have experienced more intense bursts in their past. We also find evidence relating the chemical evolution process to the formation of the galaxies: the galaxies with an excess of nitrogen are more massive, and have more massive bulges and earlier morphologies than those showing no excess. Contrary to expectation, we find no evidence that the starburst wind efficiency decreases with the mass of the galaxies. As a possible explanation we propose that the loss of metals consistent with starburst winds took place during the formation of the galaxies, when their potential wells were still building up, and consequently were weaker than today, making starburst winds more

The Diversity of Neutron Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, David L.

2004-12-01

Neutron stars are invaluable tools for exploring stellar death, the physics of ultra-dense matter, and the effects of extremely strong magnetic fields. The observed population of neutron stars is dominated by the >1000 radio pulsars, but there are distinct sub-populations that, while fewer in number, can have significant impact on our understanding of the issues mentioned above. These populations are the nearby, isolated neutron stars discovered by ROSAT, and the central compact objects in supernova remnants. The studies of both of these populations have been greatly accelerated in recent years through observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the XMM-Newton telescope. First, we discuss radio, optical, and X-ray observations of the nearby neutron stars aimed at determining their relation to the Galactic neutron star population and at unraveling their complex physical processes by determining the basic astronomical parameters that define the population---distances, ages, and magnetic fields---the uncertainties in which limit any attempt to derive basic physical parameters for these objects. We conclude that these sources are 1e6 year-old cooling neutron stars with magnetic fields above 1e13 Gauss. Second, we describe the hollow supernova remnant problem: why many of the supernova remnants in the Galaxy have no indication of central neutron stars. We have undertaken an X-ray census of neutron stars in a volume-limited sample of Galactic supernova remnants, and from it conclude that either many supernovae do not produce neutron stars contrary to expectation, or that neutron stars can have a wide range in cooling behavior that makes many sources disappear from the X-ray sky.

BAYESIAN ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY NEW STAR CANDIDATES IN NEARBY YOUNG STELLAR KINEMATIC GROUPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malo, Lison; Doyon, René; Lafrenière, David; Artigau, Étienne; Gagné, Jonathan; Baron, Frédérique; Riedel, Adric

2013-01-01

We present a new method based on a Bayesian analysis to identify new members of nearby young kinematic groups. The analysis minimally takes into account the position, proper motion, magnitude, and color of a star, but other observables can be readily added (e.g., radial velocity, distance). We use this method to find new young low-mass stars in the β Pictoris and AB Doradus moving groups and in the TW Hydrae, Tucana-Horologium, Columba, Carina, and Argus associations. Starting from a sample of 758 mid-K to mid-M (K5V-M5V) stars showing youth indicators such as Hα and X-ray emission, our analysis yields 214 new highly probable low-mass members of the kinematic groups analyzed. One is in TW Hydrae, 37 in β Pictoris, 17 in Tucana-Horologium, 20 in Columba, 6 in Carina, 50 in Argus, 32 in AB Doradus, and the remaining 51 candidates are likely young but have an ambiguous membership to more than one association. The false alarm rate for new candidates is estimated to be 5% for β Pictoris and TW Hydrae, 10% for Tucana-Horologium, Columba, Carina, and Argus, and 14% for AB Doradus. Our analysis confirms the membership of 58 stars proposed in the literature. Firm membership confirmation of our new candidates will require measurement of their radial velocity (predicted by our analysis), parallax, and lithium 6708 Å equivalent width. We have initiated these follow-up observations for a number of candidates, and we have identified two stars (2MASSJ01112542+1526214, 2MASSJ05241914-1601153) as very strong candidate members of the β Pictoris moving group and one strong candidate member (2MASSJ05332558-5117131) of the Tucana-Horologium association; these three stars have radial velocity measurements confirming their membership and lithium detections consistent with young age.

Magnetic field strength of a neutron-star-powered ultraluminous X-ray source

Science.gov (United States)

Brightman, M.; Harrison, F. A.; Fürst, F.; Middleton, M. J.; Walton, D. J.; Stern, D.; Fabian, A. C.; Heida, M.; Barret, D.; Bachetti, M.

2018-04-01

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are bright X-ray sources in nearby galaxies not associated with the central supermassive black hole. Their luminosities imply they are powered by either an extreme accretion rate onto a compact stellar remnant, or an intermediate mass ( 100-105M⊙) black hole1. Recently detected coherent pulsations coming from three bright ULXs2-5 demonstrate that some of these sources are powered by accretion onto a neutron star, implying accretion rates significantly in excess of the Eddington limit, a high degree of geometric beaming, or both. The physical challenges associated with the high implied accretion rates can be mitigated if the neutron star surface field is very high (1014 G)6, since this suppresses the electron scattering cross-section, reducing the radiation pressure that chokes off accretion for high luminosities. Surface magnetic field strengths can be determined through cyclotron resonance scattering features7,8 produced by the transition of charged particles between quantized Landau levels. Here, we present the detection at a significance of 3.8σ of an absorption line at 4.5 keV in the Chandra spectrum of a ULX in M51. This feature is likely to be a cyclotron resonance scattering feature produced by the strong magnetic field of a neutron star. Assuming scattering off electrons, the magnetic field strength is implied to be 1011 G, while protons would imply a magnetic field of B 1015 G.

Statistical investigation of flare stars. III. Flare stars in the general galactic star field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirzoyan, L.V.; Ambaryan, V.V.; Garibdzhanyan, A.T.; Mirzoyan, A.L.

1989-01-01

Some questions relating to the existence of a large number of flare stars in the general star field of the Galaxy are discussed. It is shown that only a small proportion of them can be found by photographic observations, and the fraction of field flare stars among such stars found in the regions of star clusters and associations does not exceed 10%. The ratio of the numbers of flare stars of the foreground and the background for a particular system depends on its distance, reaching zero at a distance of about 500 pc. The spatial density of flare stars in the Pleiades is at least two orders of magnitude greater than in the general galactic field. A lower limit for the number of flare stars in the Galaxy is estimated at 4.2 ·10 9 , and the number of nonflare red dwarfs at 2.1·10 10 . There are grounds for believing that they were all formed in star clusters and associations

THE BHB STARS IN THE SURVEY FIELDS OF RODGERS ET AL. (1993): NEW OBSERVATIONS AND COMPARISONS WITH OTHER RECENT SURVEYS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinman, T. D.; Brown, Warren R.

2011-01-01

We study blue horizontal branch (BHB) and RR Lyrae stars in the Rodgers et al. fields and compare their velocity and density distributions with other surveys in the same part of the sky. Photometric data are given for 176 early-type stars in the northern field. We identify fourteen BHB stars and four possible BHB stars, and determine the selection efficiency of the Century survey, the HK survey, and the SDSS survey for BHB stars. We give light curves and γ radial velocities for three type ab RR Lyrae stars in the northern field; comparison with the nearby LONEOS survey shows that there is likely to be an equal number of lower-amplitude type ab RR Lyrae stars that we do not find. There are therefore at least twice as many BHB stars as type ab RR Lyrae stars in the northern field-similar to the ratio in the solar neighborhood. The velocity distribution of the southern field shows no evidence for an anomalous thick disk that was found by Gilmore et al.; the halo velocity peaks at a slightly prograde rotational velocity but there is also a significant retrograde halo component in this field. The velocity distribution in the northern field shows no evidence of Galactic rotation for |Z| ≥ 4 kpc and a slight prograde motion for |Z| < 4 kpc. The space densities of BHB stars in the northern field agree with an extrapolation of the power-law distribution recently derived by de Propris et al. For |Z| < 4 kpc, however, we observe an excess of BHB stars compared with this power law. We conclude that these BHB stars mostly belong to a spatially flattened, non-rotating inner halo component of the Milky Way in confirmation of the Kinman et al. analysis of Century survey BHB stars.

FRB 121102: A Repeatedly Combed Neutron Star by a Nearby Low-luminosity Accreting Supermassive Black Hole

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bing

2018-02-01

The origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs) remains mysterious. Recently, the only repeating FRB source, FRB 121102, was reported to possess an extremely large and variable rotation measure (RM). The inferred magnetic field strength in the burst environment is comparable to that in the vicinity of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* of our Galaxy. Here, we show that all of the observational properties of FRB 121102 (including the high RM and its evolution, the high linear polarization degree, an invariant polarization angle across each burst and other properties previously known) can be interpreted within the “cosmic comb” model, which invokes a neutron star with typical spin and magnetic field parameters whose magnetosphere is repeatedly and marginally combed by a variable outflow from a nearby low-luminosity accreting supermassive black hole in the host galaxy. We propose three falsifiable predictions (periodic “on/off” states, and periodic/correlated variation of RM and polarization angle) of the model and discuss other FRBs within the context of the cosmic comb model as well as the challenges encountered by other repeating FRB models in light of the new observations.

Identifying New Members of Nearby Moving Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Holmbeck, Erika; Vican, Laura

2014-06-01

Our group has assembled a sample of 14,000 stars of spectral types B9-M9 with measured UVW Galactic space velocities and lying within 125 pc of Earth. We have identified candidate members of three nearby young (less than 100 Myr) moving groups. For stars of spectral types G5 and later, we have used the Kast spectrometer on the Shane 3m telescope at Lick Observatory to measure lithium abundance in order to determine stellar ages. With the data we have obtained from this run, we will be able to establish whether our candidates are bona fide members of the moving groups in question. I will be presenting the preliminary results from this survey, including spectra of the ~50 stars observed thus far. These nearby young stars will make excellent targets for direct imaging followup surveys, since any giant planets around young stars will still be warm, and will therefore be bright enough to detect with instruments like GPI.

Not-so-simple stellar populations in nearby, resolved massive star clusters

Science.gov (United States)

de Grijs, Richard; Li, Chengyuan

2018-02-01

Around the turn of the last century, star clusters of all kinds were considered ‘simple’ stellar populations. Over the past decade, this situation has changed dramatically. At the same time, star clusters are among the brightest stellar population components and, as such, they are visible out to much greater distances than individual stars, even the brightest, so that understanding the intricacies of star cluster composition and their evolution is imperative for understanding stellar populations and the evolution of galaxies as a whole. In this review of where the field has moved to in recent years, we place particular emphasis on the properties and importance of binary systems, the effects of rapid stellar rotation, and the presence of multiple populations in Magellanic Cloud star clusters across the full age range. Our most recent results imply a reverse paradigm shift, back to the old simple stellar population picture for at least some intermediate-age (˜1-3 Gyr old) star clusters, opening up exciting avenues for future research efforts.

VLA observations of dwarf M flare stars and magnetic stars

Science.gov (United States)

Willson, R. F.; Lang, K. R.; Foster, P.

1988-01-01

The VLA has been used to search for 6 cm emission from 16 nearby dwarf M stars, leading to the detection of only one of them - Gliese 735. The dwarf M flare stars AD Leonis and YZ Canis Minoris were also monitored at 6 cm and 20 cm wavelength in order to study variability. Successive oppositely circularly polarized bursts were detected from AD Leo at 6 cm, suggesting the presence of magnetic fields of both magnetic polarities. An impulsive 20-cm burst from YZ CMi preceded slowly varying 6-cm emission. The VLA was also used, unsuccessfully, to search for 6-cm emission from 13 magnetic Ap stars, all of which exhibit kG magnetic fields. Although the Ap magnetic stars have strong dipolar magnetic fields, the failure to detect gyroresonant radiation suggests that these stars do not have hot, dense coronae. The quiescent microwave emission from GL 735 is probably due to nonthermal radiation, since unusually high (H = 50 kG or greater) surface magnetic fields are inferred under the assumption that the 6-cm radiation is the gyroresonant radiation of thermal electrons.

Effective field theory for quantum liquid in dwarf stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gabadadze, Gregory [Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, Department of Physics, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003 (United States); Rosen, Rachel A., E-mail: gg32@nyu.edu, E-mail: rarosen@physik.su.se [Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, Roslagstullsbacken 21, SE - 106 91, Stockholm (Sweden)

2010-04-01

An effective field theory approach is used to describe quantum matter at greater-than-atomic but less-than-nuclear densities which are encountered in white dwarf stars. We focus on the density and temperature regime for which charged spin-0 nuclei form an interacting charged Bose-Einstein condensate, while the neutralizing electrons form a degenerate fermi gas. After a brief introductory review, we summarize distinctive properties of the charged condensate, such as a mass gap in the bosonic sector as well as gapless fermionic excitations. Charged impurities placed in the condensate are screened with great efficiency, greater than in an equivalent uncondensed plasma. We discuss a generalization of the Friedel potential which takes into account bosonic collective excitations in addition to the fermionic excitations. We argue that the charged condensate could exist in helium-core white dwarf stars and discuss the evolution of these dwarfs. Condensation would lead to a significantly faster rate of cooling than that of carbon- or oxygen-core dwarfs with crystallized cores. This prediction can be tested observationally: signatures of charged condensation may have already been seen in the recently discovered sequence of helium-core dwarfs in the nearby globular cluster NGC 6397. Sufficiently strong magnetic fields can penetrate the condensate within Abrikosov-like vortices. We find approximate analytic vortex solutions and calculate the values of the lower and upper critical magnetic fields at which vortices are formed and destroyed respectively. The lower critical field is within the range of fields observed in white dwarfs, but tends toward the higher end of this interval. This suggests that for a significant fraction of helium-core dwarfs, magnetic fields are entirely expelled within the core.

STAR FORMATION AND SUPERCLUSTER ENVIRONMENT OF 107 NEARBY GALAXY CLUSTERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, Seth A.; Hickox, Ryan C.; Wegner, Gary A.; Einasto, Maret; Vennik, Jaan

2017-01-01

We analyze the relationship between star formation (SF), substructure, and supercluster environment in a sample of 107 nearby galaxy clusters using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Previous works have investigated the relationships between SF and cluster substructure, and cluster substructure and supercluster environment, but definitive conclusions relating all three of these variables has remained elusive. We find an inverse relationship between cluster SF fraction ( f SF ) and supercluster environment density, calculated using the Galaxy luminosity density field at a smoothing length of 8 h −1 Mpc (D8). The slope of f SF versus D8 is −0.008 ± 0.002. The f SF of clusters located in low-density large-scale environments, 0.244 ± 0.011, is higher than for clusters located in high-density supercluster cores, 0.202 ± 0.014. We also divide superclusters, according to their morphology, into filament- and spider-type systems. The inverse relationship between cluster f SF and large-scale density is dominated by filament- rather than spider-type superclusters. In high-density cores of superclusters, we find a higher f SF in spider-type superclusters, 0.229 ± 0.016, than in filament-type superclusters, 0.166 ± 0.019. Using principal component analysis, we confirm these results and the direct correlation between cluster substructure and SF. These results indicate that cluster SF is affected by both the dynamical age of the cluster (younger systems exhibit higher amounts of SF); the large-scale density of the supercluster environment (high-density core regions exhibit lower amounts of SF); and supercluster morphology (spider-type superclusters exhibit higher amounts of SF at high densities).

Relativistic stars with purely toroidal magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiuchi, Kenta; Yoshida, Shijun

2008-01-01

We investigate the effects of the purely toroidal magnetic field on the equilibrium structures of the relativistic stars. The basic equations for obtaining equilibrium solutions of relativistic rotating stars containing purely toroidal magnetic fields are derived for the first time. To solve these basic equations numerically, we extend the Cook-Shapiro-Teukolsky scheme for calculating relativistic rotating stars containing no magnetic field to incorporate the effects of the purely toroidal magnetic fields. By using the numerical scheme, we then calculate a large number of the equilibrium configurations for a particular distribution of the magnetic field in order to explore the equilibrium properties. We also construct the equilibrium sequences of the constant baryon mass and/or the constant magnetic flux, which model the evolution of an isolated neutron star as it loses angular momentum via the gravitational waves. Important properties of the equilibrium configurations of the magnetized stars obtained in this study are summarized as follows: (1) For the nonrotating stars, the matter distribution of the stars is prolately distorted due to the toroidal magnetic fields. (2) For the rapidly rotating stars, the shape of the stellar surface becomes oblate because of the centrifugal force. But, the matter distribution deep inside the star is sufficiently prolate for the mean matter distribution of the star to be prolate. (3) The stronger toroidal magnetic fields lead to the mass shedding of the stars at the lower angular velocity. (4) For some equilibrium sequences of the constant baryon mass and magnetic flux, the stars can spin up as they lose angular momentum.

Lithium abundances, K line emission and ages of nearby solar type stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncan, D.K.

1981-01-01

Li abundances and chromospheric emission fluxes measured in the core of the Ca II K line have been determined in over 100 field F5--G5 dwarfs and subgiants. Although both quantities are known statistically to decrease in older stars, the correlation between them is not good. In particular, there are a number of anomalous solar type stars which show high Li abundances and very little chromospheric flux; the converse is rare. This might be understood if the intensity of chromospheric emission undergoes a sudden decrease when stars reach an age of 1 to 2 x 10 9 years, before much Li depletion occurs. Some of the anomalous stars appear to be older than this, however. Such stars must have preserved their Li from main sequence destruction

The Mitchell Spectrograph: Studying Nearby Galaxies with the VIRUS Prototype

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillermo A. Blanc

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The Mitchell Spectrograph (a.k.a. VIRUS-P on the 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith telescope at McDonald Observatory is currently the largest field of view (FOV integral field unit (IFU spectrograph in the world (1.7′×1.7′. It was designed as a prototype for the highly replicable VIRUS spectrograph which consists of a mosaic of IFUs spread over a 16′ diameter FOV feeding 150 spectrographs similar to the Mitchell. VIRUS will be deployed on the 9.2 meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET and will be used to conduct the HET Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX. Since seeing first light in 2007 the Mitchell Spectrograph has been widely used, among other things, to study nearby galaxies in the local universe where their internal structure and the spatial distribution of different physical parameters can be studied in great detail. These observations have provided important insight into many aspects of the physics behind the formation and evolution of galaxies and have boosted the scientific impact of the 2.7 meter telescope enormously. Here I review the contributions of the Mitchell Spectrograph to the study of nearby galaxies, from the investigation the spatial distribution of dark matter and the properties of supermassive black holes, to the studies of the process of star formation and the chemical composition of stars and gas in the ISM, which provide important information regarding the formation and evolution of these systems. I highlight the fact that wide field integral field spectrographs on small and medium size telescopes can be powerful cost effective tools to study the astrophysics of galaxies. Finally I briefly discuss the potential of HETDEX for conducting studies on nearby galaxies. The survey parameters make it complimentary and competitive to ongoing and future surveys like SAMI and MANGA.

AN ESTIMATE OF THE NEARBY INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELD USING NEUTRAL ATOMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heerikhuisen, J.; Pogorelov, N. V.

2011-01-01

The strength and orientation of the magnetic field in the nearby interstellar medium have remained elusive, despite continual improvements in observations and models. Data from NASA's Voyager mission and the Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) experiment on board Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) have placed observational constraints on the magnetic field, and the more recent Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) data appear to also bear an imprint of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). In this paper, we combine computational models of the heliosphere with data from Voyager, SOHO/SWAN, and IBEX to estimate both the strength and direction of the nearby ISMF. On the basis of our simulations, we find that a field strength of 2-3 μG pointing from ecliptic coordinates (220-224, 39-44), combined with an interstellar hydrogen density of ∼0.15 cm -3 , produces results most consistent with observations.

THE NATURE OF STARBURSTS. I. THE STAR FORMATION HISTORIES OF EIGHTEEN NEARBY STARBURST DWARF GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Stark, David; Weisz, Daniel; Cannon, John M.; Dalcanton, Julianne; Williams, Benjamin; Dolphin, Andrew; Hidalgo-RodrIguez, Sebastian; Holtzman, Jon

2010-01-01

We use archival Hubble Space Telescope observations of resolved stellar populations to derive the star formation histories (SFHs) of 18 nearby starburst dwarf galaxies. In this first paper, we present the observations, color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), and the SFHs of the 18 starburst galaxies, based on a homogeneous approach to the data reduction, differential extinction, and treatment of photometric completeness. We adopt a star formation rate (SFR) threshold normalized to the average SFR of the individual system as a metric for classifying starbursts in SFHs derived from resolved stellar populations. This choice facilitates finding not only the currently bursting galaxies but also 'fossil' bursts increasing the sample size of starburst galaxies in the nearby (D 100 Myr temporal baseline is thus fundamental to any starburst definition or identification method. The longer lived bursts rule out rapid 'self-quenching' of starbursts on global scales. The bursting galaxies' gas consumption timescales are shorter than the Hubble time for all but one galaxy confirming the short-lived nature of starbursts based on fuel limitations. Additionally, we find that the strength of the Hα emission usually correlates with the CMD-based SFR during the last 4-10 Myr. However, in four cases, the Hα emission is significantly less than what is expected for models of starbursts; the discrepancy is due to the SFR changing on timescales of a few Myr. The inherently short timescale of the Hα emission limits identifying galaxies as starbursts based on the current characteristics which may or may not be representative of the recent SFH of a galaxy.

The swift UVOT stars survey. I. Methods and test clusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siegel, Michael H.; Porterfield, Blair L.; Linevsky, Jacquelyn S.; Bond, Howard E.; Hoversten, Erik A.; Berrier, Joshua L.; Gronwall, Caryl A. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Holland, Stephen T. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Breeveld, Alice A. [Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT (United Kingdom); Brown, Peter J., E-mail: siegel@astro.psu.edu, E-mail: blp14@psu.edu, E-mail: heb11@psu.edu, E-mail: caryl@astro.psu.edu, E-mail: sholland@stsci.edu, E-mail: aab@mssl.ucl.ac.uk, E-mail: grbpeter@yahoo.com [George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Texas A. and M. University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4242 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 (United States)

2014-12-01

We describe the motivations and background of a large survey of nearby stellar populations using the Ultraviolet Optical Telescope (UVOT) on board the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission. UVOT, with its wide field, near-UV sensitivity, and 2.″3 spatial resolution, is uniquely suited to studying nearby stellar populations and providing insight into the near-UV properties of hot stars and the contribution of those stars to the integrated light of more distant stellar populations. We review the state of UV stellar photometry, outline the survey, and address problems specific to wide- and crowded-field UVOT photometry. We present color–magnitude diagrams of the nearby open clusters M67, NGC 188, and NGC 2539, and the globular cluster M79. We demonstrate that UVOT can easily discern the young- and intermediate-age main sequences, blue stragglers, and hot white dwarfs, producing results consistent with previous studies. We also find that it characterizes the blue horizontal branch of M79 and easily identifies a known post-asymptotic giant branch star.

The swift UVOT stars survey. I. Methods and test clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, Michael H.; Porterfield, Blair L.; Linevsky, Jacquelyn S.; Bond, Howard E.; Hoversten, Erik A.; Berrier, Joshua L.; Gronwall, Caryl A.; Holland, Stephen T.; Breeveld, Alice A.; Brown, Peter J.

2014-01-01

We describe the motivations and background of a large survey of nearby stellar populations using the Ultraviolet Optical Telescope (UVOT) on board the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission. UVOT, with its wide field, near-UV sensitivity, and 2.″3 spatial resolution, is uniquely suited to studying nearby stellar populations and providing insight into the near-UV properties of hot stars and the contribution of those stars to the integrated light of more distant stellar populations. We review the state of UV stellar photometry, outline the survey, and address problems specific to wide- and crowded-field UVOT photometry. We present color–magnitude diagrams of the nearby open clusters M67, NGC 188, and NGC 2539, and the globular cluster M79. We demonstrate that UVOT can easily discern the young- and intermediate-age main sequences, blue stragglers, and hot white dwarfs, producing results consistent with previous studies. We also find that it characterizes the blue horizontal branch of M79 and easily identifies a known post-asymptotic giant branch star.

STAR FORMATION AND SUPERCLUSTER ENVIRONMENT OF 107 NEARBY GALAXY CLUSTERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cohen, Seth A.; Hickox, Ryan C.; Wegner, Gary A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Einasto, Maret; Vennik, Jaan [Tartu Observatory, 61602 Tõravere (Estonia)

2017-01-20

We analyze the relationship between star formation (SF), substructure, and supercluster environment in a sample of 107 nearby galaxy clusters using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Previous works have investigated the relationships between SF and cluster substructure, and cluster substructure and supercluster environment, but definitive conclusions relating all three of these variables has remained elusive. We find an inverse relationship between cluster SF fraction ( f {sub SF}) and supercluster environment density, calculated using the Galaxy luminosity density field at a smoothing length of 8 h {sup −1} Mpc (D8). The slope of f {sub SF} versus D8 is −0.008 ± 0.002. The f {sub SF} of clusters located in low-density large-scale environments, 0.244 ± 0.011, is higher than for clusters located in high-density supercluster cores, 0.202 ± 0.014. We also divide superclusters, according to their morphology, into filament- and spider-type systems. The inverse relationship between cluster f {sub SF} and large-scale density is dominated by filament- rather than spider-type superclusters. In high-density cores of superclusters, we find a higher f {sub SF} in spider-type superclusters, 0.229 ± 0.016, than in filament-type superclusters, 0.166 ± 0.019. Using principal component analysis, we confirm these results and the direct correlation between cluster substructure and SF. These results indicate that cluster SF is affected by both the dynamical age of the cluster (younger systems exhibit higher amounts of SF); the large-scale density of the supercluster environment (high-density core regions exhibit lower amounts of SF); and supercluster morphology (spider-type superclusters exhibit higher amounts of SF at high densities).

Spectroscopic Observations of Nearby Low Mass Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Vican, Laura; Zuckerman, B. M.; Rodriguez, D.

2014-01-01

Young low-mass stars are known to be bright in X-ray and UV due to a high level of magnetic activity. By cross-correlating the GALEX Catalog with the WISE and 2MASS Point Source Catalogs, we have identified more than 2,000 stars whose UV excesses suggest ages in the 10-100 Myr range. We used the Shane 3-m telescope at Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, California to observe some of these 2,000 stars spectroscopically. We measured the equivalent width of lithium at 6708 A absorption and H-alpha emission lines. Out of a total of 122 stars observed with the Kast grating spectrometer, we find that roughly 10% have strong lithium absorption features. The high percentage of stars with lithium present is further evidence of the importance of UV emission as a youth indicator for low-mass stars. In addition, we used high-resolution spectra obtained with the Hamilton echelle spectrograph to determine radial velocities for several UV-bright stars. These radial velocities will be useful for the calculation of Galactic UVW space velocities for determination of possible moving group membership. This work is supported by NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program award NNX12AH37G to RIT and UCLA and Chilean FONDECYT grant 3130520 to Universidad de Chile. This submission presents work for the GALNYSS project and should be linked to abstracts submitted by David Rodriguez, Laura Vican, and Joel Kastner.

Young Stars with SALT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riedel, Adric R. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Alam, Munazza K.; Rice, Emily L.; Cruz, Kelle L. [Department of Astrophysics, The American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 (United States); Henry, Todd J., E-mail: arr@caltech.edu [RECONS Institute, Chambersburg, PA (United States)

2017-05-10

We present a spectroscopic and kinematic analysis of 79 nearby M dwarfs in 77 systems. All of these dwarfs are low-proper-motion southern hemisphere objects and were identified in a nearby star survey with a demonstrated sensitivity to young stars. Using low-resolution optical spectroscopy from the Red Side Spectrograph on the South African Large Telescope, we have determined radial velocities, H-alpha, lithium 6708 Å, and potassium 7699 Å equivalent widths linked to age and activity, and spectral types for all of our targets. Combined with astrometric information from literature sources, we identify 44 young stars. Eighteen are previously known members of moving groups within 100 pc of the Sun. Twelve are new members, including one member of the TW Hydra moving group, one member of the 32 Orionis moving group, 9 members of Tucana-Horologium, one member of Argus, and two new members of AB Doradus. We also find 14 young star systems that are not members of any known groups. The remaining 33 star systems do not appear to be young. This appears to be evidence of a new population of nearby young stars not related to the known nearby young moving groups.

A Missing Link in Galaxy Evolution: The Mysteries of Dissolving Star Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Pellerin, Anne; Meyer, Martin; Harris, Jason; Calzetti, Daniela

2007-05-01

Star-forming events in starbursts and normal galaxies have a direct impact on the global stellar content of galaxies. These events create numerous compact clusters where stars are produced in great number. These stars eventually end up in the star field background where they are smoothly distributed. However, due to instrumental limitations such as spatial resolution and sensitivity, the processes involved during the transition phase from the compact clusters to the star field background as well as the impact of the environment (spiral waves, bars, starburst) on the lifetime of clusters are still poorly constrained observationally. I will present our latest results on the physical properties of dissolving clusters directly detected in HST/ACS archival images of the three nearby galaxies IC 2574, NGC 1313, and IC 10 (D detect and spatially resolve individual stars in nearby galaxies within a large field-of-view. For all ACS images obtained in three filters (F435W, F555W or F606W, and F814W), we performed PSF stellar photometry in crowded field. Color-magnitude diagrams (CMD) allow us to identify the most massive stars more likely to be part of dissolving clusters (A-type and earlier), and to isolate them from the star field background. We then adapt and use a clustering algorithm on the selected stars to find groups of stars to reveal and quantify the properties of all star clusters (compactness, size, age, mass). With this algorithm, even the less compact clusters are revealed while they are being destroyed. Our sample of three galaxies covers an interesting range in gravitational potential well and explores a variety of galaxy morphological types, which allows us to discuss the dissolving cluster properties as a function of the host galaxy characteristics. The properties of the star field background will also be discussed.

SUB-MILLIMETER TELESCOPE CO (2-1) OBSERVATIONS OF NEARBY STAR-FORMING GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Xue-Jian; Gu, Qiusheng [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Wang, Zhong [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, MS 66, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Wang, Junzhi [Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030 (China); Zhang, Zhi-Yu, E-mail: xjjiang@nju.edu.cn [The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom)

2015-01-20

We present CO J = 2-1 observations toward 32 nearby gas-rich star-forming galaxies selected from the ALFALFA and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) catalogs, using the Sub-millimeter Telescope (SMT). Our sample is selected to be dominated by intermediate-M {sub *} galaxies. The scaling relations between molecular gas, atomic gas, and galactic properties (stellar mass, NUV – r, and WISE color W3 – W2) are examined and discussed. Our results show the following. (1) In the galaxies with stellar mass M {sub *} ≤10{sup 10} M {sub ☉}, the H I fraction (f {sub H} {sub I} ≡ M {sub H} {sub I}/M {sub *}) is significantly higher than that of more massive galaxies, while the H{sub 2} gas fraction (f{sub H{sub 2}} ≡ M{sub H{sub 2}}/M {sub *}) remains nearly unchanged. (2) Compared to f{sub H{sub 2}}, f {sub H} {sub I} correlates better with both M {sub *} and NUV – r. (3) A new parameter, WISE color W3 – W2 (12-4.6 μm), is introduced, which is similar to NUV – r in tracing star formation activity, and we find that W3 – W2 has a tighter anti-correlation with log f{sub H{sub 2}} than the anti-correlation of (NUV – r)-f {sub H} {sub I}, (NUV – r)-f{sub H{sub 2}}, and (W3 – W2)-f {sub H} {sub I}. This indicates that W3 – W2 can trace the H{sub 2} fraction in galaxies. For the gas ratio M{sub H{sub 2}}/M {sub H} {sub I} , only in the intermediate-M {sub *} galaxies it appears to depend on M {sub *} and NUV – r. We find a tight correlation between the molecular gas mass M{sub H{sub 2}} and 12 μm (W3) luminosities (L {sub 12} {sub μm}), and the slope is close to unity (1.03 ± 0.06) for the SMT sample. This correlation may reflect that the cold gas and dust are well mixed on a global galactic scale. Using the all-sky 12 μm (W3) data available in WISE, this correlation can be used to estimate CO flux for molecular gas observations and can even predict H{sub 2} mass for star-forming galaxies.

Neutron stars, magnetic fields, and gravitational waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, F.K.

2001-01-01

The r-modes of rapidly spinning young neutron stars have recently attracted attention as a promising source of detectable gravitational radiation. These neutron stars are expected to have magnetic fields ∼ 10 12 G. The r-mode velocity perturbation causes differential motion of the fluid in the star; this is a kinematic effect. In addition, the radiation-reaction associated with emission of gravitational radiation by r-waves drives additional differential fluid motions; this is a dynamic effect. These differential fluid motions distort the magnetic fields of neutron stars and may therefore play an important role in determining the structure of neutron star magnetic fields. If the stellar field is ∼ 10 16 (Ω/Ω B ) G or stronger, the usual r-modes are no longer normal modes of the star; here Ω and Ω B are the angular velocities of the star and at which mass shedding occurs. Much weaker magnetic fields can prevent gravitational radiation from amplifying the r-modes or damp existing r-mode oscillations on a relatively short timescale by extracting energy from the modes faster than gravitational wave emission can pump energy into them. The onset of proton superconductivity in the cores of newly formed magnetic neutron stars typically increases the effect on the r-modes of the magnetic field in the core by many orders of magnitude. Once the core has become superconducting, magnetic fields of the order of 10 12 G or greater are usually sufficient to damp r-modes that have been excited by emission of gravitational radiation and to suppress any further emission. A rapid drop in the strength of r-mode gravitational radiation from young neutron stars may therefore signal the onset of superconductivity in the core and provide a lower bound on the strength of the magnetic field there. Hence, measurements of r-mode gravitational waves from newly formed neutron stars may provide valuable diagnostic information about magnetic field strengths, cooling processes, and the

STAR FORMATION AND RELAXATION IN 379 NEARBY GALAXY CLUSTERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, Seth A.; Hickox, Ryan C.; Wegner, Gary A.

2015-01-01

We investigate the relationship between star formation (SF) and level of relaxation in a sample of 379 galaxy clusters at z < 0.2. We use data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to measure cluster membership and level of relaxation, and to select star-forming galaxies based on mid-infrared emission detected with the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer. For galaxies with absolute magnitudes M r < −19.5, we find an inverse correlation between SF fraction and cluster relaxation: as a cluster becomes less relaxed, its SF fraction increases. Furthermore, in general, the subtracted SF fraction in all unrelaxed clusters (0.117 ± 0.003) is higher than that in all relaxed clusters (0.097 ± 0.005). We verify the validity of our SF calculation methods and membership criteria through analysis of previous work. Our results agree with previous findings that a weak correlation exists between cluster SF and dynamical state, possibly because unrelaxed clusters are less evolved relative to relaxed clusters

Electromagnetic fields of rotating magnetized NUT stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmedov, B.J.; Khugaev, A.V.; Ahmedov, B.J.

2004-01-01

Full text: Analytic general relativistic expressions for the electromagnetic fields external to a slowly-rotating magnetized NUT star with nonvanishing gravitomagnetic charge have been presented. Solutions for the electric and magnetic fields have been found after separating the Maxwell equations in the external background spacetime of a slowly rotating NUT star into angular and radial parts in the lowest order approximation. The star is considered isolated and in vacuum, with different models for stellar magnetic field: i) monopolar magnetic field and II) dipolar magnetic field aligned with the axis of rotation. We have shown that the general relativistic corrections due to the dragging of reference frames and gravitomagnetic charge are not present in the form of the magnetic fields but emerge only in the form of the electric fields. In particular, we have shown that the frame-dragging and gravitomagnetic charge provide an additional induced electric field which is analogous to the one introduced by the rotation of the star in the flat spacetime limit

Neutron stars velocities and magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Paret, Daryel Manreza; Martinez, A. Perez; Ayala, Alejandro.; Piccinelli, G.; Sanchez, A.

2018-01-01

We study a model that explain neutron stars velocities due to the anisotropic emission of neutrinos. Strong magnetic fields present in neutron stars are the source of the anisotropy in the system. To compute the velocity of the neutron star we model its core as composed by strange quark matter and analice the properties of a magnetized quark gas at finite temperature and density. Specifically we have obtained the electron polarization and the specific heat of magnetized fermions as a functions of the temperature, chemical potential and magnetic field which allow us to study the velocity of the neutron star as a function of these parameters.

Spectro-photometric calibration of the SuperNova Integral Field Spectrograph in the Nearby Supernova Factory collaboration framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buton, Clement

2009-01-01

Ten years ago, type Ia supernovae used as distances indicators led to the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe. Today, a second generation of surveys has significantly increased the high-redshift type Ia supernovae sample. The low-redshift sample was however still limiting the cosmological analysis using SNe. In this framework, the Nearby Supernova Factory has followed 200 nearby type Ia supernovae using the dedicated Supernovae Integral Field Spectrograph with spectro-photometric capacities. My PhD thesis has been carried out at the Institut de Physique Nucleaire de Lyon and at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the framework of the international cosmological project SNfactory. In order to reach the design spectrophotometric accuracy, attention has been focused on several key aspects of the calibration procedure, including: determination of a dedicated point spread function for 3D point source extraction, estimating the nightly photometric quality, derivation of the nightly sky extinction over the extended optical domain, its modeling in terms of physical components and its variability within a given night. A full multi-standards calibration pipeline has been implemented using approximately 4000 observations of spectrophotometric standard stars taken throughout the night over nearly 500 individual nights. Preliminary scientific results of the whole SNfactory collaboration will be presented at the end of this thesis. (author)

Detecting planets around stars in nearby galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Covone, G; de Ritis, R; Dominik, M; Marino, AA

The only way to detect planets around stars at distances greater than or similar to several kpc is by (photometric or astrometric) microlensing (mu L) observations. In this paper, we show that the capability of photometric mu L extends to the detection of signals caused by planets around stars in

The HR diagram for luminous stars in nearby galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphreys, R.M.

1978-01-01

Due to the extreme faintness of stars in other galaxies it is only possible to sample the brightest stars in the nearest galaxies. The observations must then be compared with comparable data for the brightest stars, the supergiants and O-type stars, in the Milky Way. The data for the luminous stars are most complete for the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud. The luminosities for the stars in our Galaxy are based on their membership in associations and clusters, and consequently are representative of Population I within approximately 3kpc of the Sun. The data for the stars in the LMC with spectral types O to G8 come from published observations, and the M supergiants are from the author's recent observations of red stars in the LMC. This is the first time that the M supergiants have been included in an HR diagram of the Large Cloud. The presence of the red stars is important for any discussion of the evolution of the massive stars. (Auth.)

The Eating Habits of Giants and Dwarfs: Chemo-dynamics of Halo Assembly in Nearby Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Romanowsky, Aaron J.; SAGES Team

2012-01-01

I will present novel results on the halo assembly of nearby galaxies, from dwarfs to the most massive ellipticals, using Subaru imaging and Keck spectroscopy. Field stars, globular clusters, and planetary nebulae are used as wide-field chemo-dynamical tracers, mapping out halo substructures that were previously known and unknown. Comparisons are made with simulations of galaxy formation. Supported by the National Science Foundation Grants AST-0808099, AST-0909237, and AST-1109878.

THE ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH AND THE TIP OF THE RED GIANT BRANCH AS PROBES OF STAR FORMATION HISTORY: THE NEARBY DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXY KKH 98

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melbourne, J.; Williams, B.; Dalcanton, J.; Ammons, S. M.; Max, C.; Koo, D. C.; Girardi, Leo; Dolphin, A.

2010-01-01

We investigate the utility of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and the red giant branch (RGB) as probes of the star formation history (SFH) of the nearby (D = 2.5 Mpc) dwarf irregular galaxy, KKH 98. Near-infrared (near-IR) Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (AO) images resolve 592 IR-bright stars reaching over 1 mag below the tip of the RGB. Significantly deeper optical (F475W and F814W) Hubble Space Telescope images of the same field contain over 2500 stars, reaching to the red clump and the main-sequence turnoff for 0.5 Gyr old populations. Compared to the optical color-magnitude diagram (CMD), the near-IR CMD shows significantly tighter AGB sequences, providing a good probe of the intermediate-age (0.5-5 Gyr) populations. We match observed CMDs with stellar evolution models to recover the SFH of KKH 98. On average, the galaxy has experienced relatively constant low-level star formation (5 x 10 -4 M sun yr -1 ) for much of cosmic time. Except for the youngest main-sequence populations (age <0.1 Gyr), which are typically fainter than the AO data flux limit, the SFH estimated from the 592 IR-bright stars is a reasonable match to that derived from the much larger optical data set. Differences between the optical- and IR-derived SFHs for 0.1-1 Gyr populations suggest that current stellar evolution models may be overproducing the AGB by as much as a factor of 3 in this galaxy. At the depth of the AO data, the IR-luminous stars are not crowded. Therefore, these techniques can potentially be used to determine the stellar populations of galaxies at significantly further distances.

The Dark Side of Neutron Stars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kouvaris, Christoforos

2013-01-01

We review severe constraints on asymmetric bosonic dark matter based on observations of old neutron stars. Under certain conditions, dark matter particles in the form of asymmetric bosonic WIMPs can be eectively trapped onto nearby neutron stars, where they can rapidly thermalize and concentrate...... in the core of the star. If some conditions are met, the WIMP population can collapse gravitationally and form a black hole that can eventually destroy the star. Based on the existence of old nearby neutron stars, we can exclude certain classes of dark matter candidates....

Magnetic fields of Herbig Ae/Be stars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hubrig S.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We report on the status of our spectropolarimetric studies of Herbig Ae/Be stars carried out during the last years. The magnetic field geometries of these stars, investigated with spectropolarimetric time series, can likely be described by centred dipoles with polar magnetic field strengths of several hundred Gauss. A number of Herbig Ae/Be stars with detected magnetic fields have recently been observed with X-shooter in the visible and the near-IR, as well as with the high-resolution near-IR spectrograph CRIRES. These observations are of great importance to understand the relation between the magnetic field topology and the physics of the accretion flow and the accretion disk gas emission.

Negative and Positive Outflow-Feedback in Nearby (U)LIRGs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cazzoli, Sara, E-mail: sara@iaa.es [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Granada (Spain)

2017-12-15

The starburst-AGN coexistence in local (U)LIRGs makes these galaxies excellent laboratories for the study of stellar and AGN outflows and feedback. Outflows regulate star formation and AGN activity, redistributing gas, dust and metals over large scales in the interstellar and intergalactic media (negative feedback) being also considered to be able to undergo vigorous star formation (positive feedback). In this contribution, I will summarize the results from a search for outflows in a sample of nearby 38 local (U)LIRG systems observed with VIMOS/VLT integral field unit. For two galaxies of the sample I will detail the outflow properties and discuss the observational evidence for negative and positive outflow-feedback. The assessment of both negative and positive feedback effects represent a novel approach toward a comprehensive understanding of the impact of outflow feedback in the galaxy evolution.

Magnetic fields of HgMn stars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hubrig, S.; González, J. F.; Ilyin, I.

2012-01-01

Context. The frequent presence of weak magnetic fields on the surface of spotted late-B stars with HgMn peculiarity in binary systems has been controversial during the two last decades. Recent studies of magnetic fields in these stars using the least-squares deconvolution (LSD) technique have...... failed to detect magnetic fields, indicating an upper limit on the longitudinal field between 8 and 15G. In these LSD studies, assumptions were made that all spectral lines are identical in shape and can be described by a scaled mean profile. Aims. We re-analyse the available spectropolarimetric material...

The distances of nearby cool carbon stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergeat, J.; Sibille, F.; Lunel, M.

1978-01-01

Distance ratios are provided for 38 cool carbon stars on the basis of a previous study (Bergeat et al., 1976 a,b,c). The validation of this distance scale is obtained through an analysis of stellar velocities. A relationship is established between proper motions and the distance scale. Luminosities and radii are derived for cool carbon stars which permit a discussion of their evolutionary status. Finally, evaluations are given for the rate of mass ejection corresponding to large graphite grains. (WL) [de

Radiative feedback by low-mass stars in the first generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whalen, Daniel James; Hueckstaedt, Robert; Mcconkie, Thomas

2009-01-01

The survival of cosmological minihalos in both ionizing and Lyman-Werner (LW) UV fields from nearby and distant sources has attracted recent attention for its role in regulating the rise of stellar populations at high red-shifts. Numerical models suggest that the first stars form in isolation in small dark matter halos of ∼ 10 5 -10 7 M · at z ∼ 20-30 and that they are very massive, 25-500 M · . These stars form large H II regions 2.5-5 kpc in radius capable of engulfing nearby halos. With the rise of Population III stars throughout the cosmos also comes a global LW background that sterilizes mini-halos of H 2 , delaying or preventing new star formation in them. At high redshifts, ionizaing radiation is therefore relatively local while LW photons can originate from many megaparsects away because their energies lie below the ionization limit of H.

The Local ISM and its Interaction with the Winds of Nearby Late-type Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Brian E.; Linsky, Jeffrey L.

1998-01-01

We present new Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) observations of the Ly-alpha and Mg II absorption lines seen toward the nearby stars 61 Cyg A and 40 Eri A. We use these data to measure interstellar properties along these lines of sight and to search for evidence of circumstellar hydrogen walls, which are produced by collisions between the stellar winds and the Local InterStellar Medium (LISM). We were able to model the Ly-alpha lines of both stars without hydrogen-wall absorption components, but for 61 Cyg A the fit required a stellar Ly-alpha, line profile with an improbably deep self-reversal, and for 40 Eri A the fit required a very low deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio that is inconsistent with previous GHRS measurements. Since these problems could be rectified simply by including stellar hydrogen-wall components with reasonable attributes, our preferred fits to the data include these components. We have explored several ways in which the hydrogen-wall properties measured here and in previous work can be used to study stellar winds and the LISM. We argue that the existence of a hydrogen wall around 40 Eri A and a low H I column density along that line of sight imply that either the interstellar density must decrease toward 40 Eri A or the hydrogen ionization fraction (chi) must increase. We find that hydrogen-wall temperatures are larger for stars with faster velocities through the LISM. The observed temperature-velocity relation is consistent with the predictions of hydromagnetic shock jump conditions. More precise comparison of the data and the jump conditions suggests crude upper limits for both chi and the ratio of magnetic to thermal pressure in the LISM (alpha): chi less than 0.6 and alpha less than 2. The latter upper limit corresponds to a limit on the LISM magnetic field of B less than 5 micro G. These results imply that the plasma Mach number of the interstellar wind flowing into the heliosphere is M(sub A) greater than 1.3, which indicates that

MOLECULAR GAS AND STAR FORMATION IN NEARBY DISK GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leroy, Adam K.; Munoz-Mateos, Juan-Carlos; Walter, Fabian; Sandstrom, Karin; Meidt, Sharon; Rix, Hans-Walter; Schinnerer, Eva; Schruba, Andreas; Bigiel, Frank; Bolatto, Alberto; Brinks, Elias; De Blok, W. J. G.; Rosolowsky, Erik; Schuster, Karl-Friedrich; Usero, Antonio

2013-01-01

We compare molecular gas traced by 12 CO (2-1) maps from the HERACLES survey, with tracers of the recent star formation rate (SFR) across 30 nearby disk galaxies. We demonstrate a first-order linear correspondence between Σ mol and Σ SFR but also find important second-order systematic variations in the apparent molecular gas depletion time, τ dep mol =Σ mol /Σ SFR . At the 1 kpc common resolution of HERACLES, CO emission correlates closely with many tracers of the recent SFR. Weighting each line of sight equally, using a fixed α CO equivalent to the Milky Way value, our data yield a molecular gas depletion time, τ dep mol =Σ mol /Σ SFR ∼2.2 Gyr with 0.3 dex 1σ scatter, in very good agreement with recent literature data. We apply a forward-modeling approach to constrain the power-law index, N, that relates the SFR surface density and the molecular gas surface density, Σ SFR ∝Σ mol N . We find N = 1 ± 0.15 for our full data set with some scatter from galaxy to galaxy. This also agrees with recent work, but we caution that a power-law treatment oversimplifies the topic given that we observe correlations between τ dep mol and other local and global quantities. The strongest of these are a decreased τ dep mol in low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies and a correlation of the kpc-scale τ dep mol with dust-to-gas ratio, D/G. These correlations can be explained by a CO-to-H 2 conversion factor (α CO ) that depends on dust shielding, and thus D/G, in the theoretically expected way. This is not a unique interpretation, but external evidence of conversion factor variations makes this the most conservative explanation of the strongest observed τ dep mol trends. After applying a D/G-dependent α CO , some weak correlations between τ dep mol and local conditions persist. In particular, we observe lower τ dep mol and enhanced CO excitation associated with nuclear gas concentrations in a subset of our targets. These appear to reflect real enhancements in the

Symposium “Mapping the Galaxy and Nearby Galaxies”

CERN Document Server

Wada, Keiichi; ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE PROCEEDINGS

2008-01-01

This is a proceedings book of the symposium "Mapping the Galaxy and Nearby Galaxies" held on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan, on June 25 – 30, 2006. The symposium focused on mapping the interstellar media and other components in galaxies. Latest results of the following main topics are presented in the volume: Our Galaxy -- mass distribution, local ISM, supermassive black holes and their environments Central part of nearby galaxies -- ISM around starbursts, fueling mechanisms Nearby Galaxies -- molecular gas and star formation, gas dynamics Galactic environment and evolution -- formation of our Galaxy, origin of supermassive black holes The nature of the Dark Matter component -- effects on the internal structures of galaxies

THE VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION OF NEARBY STARS FROM HIPPARCOS DATA. II. THE NATURE OF THE LOW-VELOCITY MOVING GROUPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bovy, Jo; Hogg, David W.

2010-01-01

The velocity distribution of nearby stars (∼<100 pc) contains many overdensities or 'moving groups', clumps of comoving stars, that are inconsistent with the standard assumption of an axisymmetric, time-independent, and steady-state Galaxy. We study the age and metallicity properties of the low-velocity moving groups based on the reconstruction of the local velocity distribution in Paper I of this series. We perform stringent, conservative hypothesis testing to establish for each of these moving groups whether it could conceivably consist of a coeval population of stars. We conclude that they do not: the moving groups are neither trivially associated with their eponymous open clusters nor with any other inhomogeneous star formation event. Concerning a possible dynamical origin of the moving groups, we test whether any of the moving groups has a higher or lower metallicity than the background population of thin disk stars, as would generically be the case if the moving groups are associated with resonances of the bar or spiral structure. We find clear evidence that the Hyades moving group has higher than average metallicity and weak evidence that the Sirius moving group has lower than average metallicity, which could indicate that these two groups are related to the inner Lindblad resonance of the spiral structure. Further, we find weak evidence that the Hercules moving group has higher than average metallicity, as would be the case if it is associated with the bar's outer Lindblad resonance. The Pleiades moving group shows no clear metallicity anomaly, arguing against a common dynamical origin for the Hyades and Pleiades groups. Overall, however, the moving groups are barely distinguishable from the background population of stars, raising the likelihood that the moving groups are associated with transient perturbations.

Neutron stars. [quantum mechanical processes associated with magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Canuto, V.

1978-01-01

Quantum-mechanical processes associated with the presence of high magnetic fields and the effect of such fields on the evolution of neutron stars are reviewed. A technical description of the interior of a neutron star is presented. The neutron star-pulsar relation is reviewed and consideration is given to supernovae explosions, flux conservation in neutron stars, gauge-invariant derivation of the equation of state for a strongly magnetized gas, neutron beta-decay, and the stability condition for a neutron star.

A search for magnetic fields in Lambda Bootis stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohlender, D.A.; Landstreet, J.D.

1990-01-01

We have searched a sample of λ Boo stars for magnetic fields similar to those observed in the magnetic Ap and Bp stars, using a Balmer-line Zeeman analyser. Apart from one dubious measurement, no fields are detected in our sample. It appears that magnetic fields of the λ Boo stars, if they exist, are significantly smaller than those found in magnetic upper main-sequence stars of similar spectral type; this conclusion is supported at about the 90 or 95 per cent confidence level by the present data. (author)

Large-scale Organized Magnetic Fields in O, B and A Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Mathys, G.

2009-06-01

The status of our current knowledge of magnetic fields in stars of spectral types ranging from early F to O is reviewed. Fields with large-scale organised structure have now been detected and measured throughout this range. These fields are consistent with the oblique rotator model. In early F to late B stars, their occurrence is restricted to the subgroup of the Ap stars, which have the best studied fields among the early-type stars. Presence of fields with more complex topologies in other A and late B stars has been suggested, but is not firmly established. Magnetic fields have not been studied in a sufficient number of OB stars yet so as to establish whether they occur in all or only in some subset of these stars.

Main sequences defined by Hyades and field stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upgren, A.R.

1978-01-01

The author reviews the main sequences defined by members of the Hyades cluster and by the field stars in the solar neighborhood. For this purpose, the discussion is limited primarily to the stars of the lower portions of the main sequence, especially those of spectral classes K and early M. There are two reasons for emphasis on the faint red dwarf stars. First, the value of a parallax depends on its size or, more accurately, on the error in parallax divided by the parallax itself. Large parallaxes of high precision occur in large numbers only for stars inhabiting the lower main sequence. Furthermore, brighter stars of earlier spectral classes are more likely to be influenced by evolutionary effects which may differ between the Hyades and field stars, and which are difficult to calibrate. (Auth.)

Astrophysical tests of modified gravity: Constraints from distance indicators in the nearby universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jain, Bhuvnesh; Vikram, Vinu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Sakstein, Jeremy [Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge CB3 0WA (United Kingdom)

2013-12-10

We use distance measurements in the nearby universe to carry out new tests of gravity, surpassing other astrophysical tests by over two orders of magnitude for chameleon theories. The three nearby distance indicators—cepheids, tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) stars, and water masers—operate in gravitational fields of widely different strengths. This enables tests of scalar-tensor gravity theories because they are screened from enhanced forces to different extents. Inferred distances from cepheids and TRGB stars are altered (in opposite directions) over a range of chameleon gravity theory parameters well below the sensitivity of cosmological probes. Using published data, we have compared cepheid and TRGB distances in a sample of unscreened dwarf galaxies within 10 Mpc. We use a comparable set of screened galaxies as a control sample. We find no evidence for the order unity force enhancements expected in these theories. Using a two-parameter description of the models (the coupling strength and background field value), we obtain constraints on both the chameleon and symmetron screening scenarios. In particular we show that f(R) models with background field values f {sub R0} above 5 × 10{sup –7} are ruled out at the 95% confidence level. We also compare TRGB and maser distances to the galaxy NGC 4258 as a second test for larger field values. While there are several approximations and caveats in our study, our analysis demonstrates the power of gravity tests in the local universe. We discuss the prospects for additional improved tests with future observations.

Astrophysical tests of modified gravity: Constraints from distance indicators in the nearby universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, Bhuvnesh; Vikram, Vinu; Sakstein, Jeremy

2013-01-01

We use distance measurements in the nearby universe to carry out new tests of gravity, surpassing other astrophysical tests by over two orders of magnitude for chameleon theories. The three nearby distance indicators—cepheids, tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) stars, and water masers—operate in gravitational fields of widely different strengths. This enables tests of scalar-tensor gravity theories because they are screened from enhanced forces to different extents. Inferred distances from cepheids and TRGB stars are altered (in opposite directions) over a range of chameleon gravity theory parameters well below the sensitivity of cosmological probes. Using published data, we have compared cepheid and TRGB distances in a sample of unscreened dwarf galaxies within 10 Mpc. We use a comparable set of screened galaxies as a control sample. We find no evidence for the order unity force enhancements expected in these theories. Using a two-parameter description of the models (the coupling strength and background field value), we obtain constraints on both the chameleon and symmetron screening scenarios. In particular we show that f(R) models with background field values f R0 above 5 × 10 –7 are ruled out at the 95% confidence level. We also compare TRGB and maser distances to the galaxy NGC 4258 as a second test for larger field values. While there are several approximations and caveats in our study, our analysis demonstrates the power of gravity tests in the local universe. We discuss the prospects for additional improved tests with future observations.

Simulations of Magnetic Fields in Tidally Disrupted Stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guillochon, James [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, The Institute for Theory and Computation, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); McCourt, Michael, E-mail: jguillochon@cfa.harvard.edu [Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

2017-01-10

We perform the first magnetohydrodynamical simulations of tidal disruptions of stars by supermassive black holes. We consider stars with both tangled and ordered magnetic fields, for both grazing and deeply disruptive encounters. When the star survives disruption, we find its magnetic field amplifies by a factor of up to 20, but see no evidence for a self-sustaining dynamo that would yield arbitrary field growth. For stars that do not survive, and within the tidal debris streams produced in partial disruptions, we find that the component of the magnetic field parallel to the direction of stretching along the debris stream only decreases slightly with time, eventually resulting in a stream where the magnetic pressure is in equipartition with the gas. Our results suggest that the returning gas in most (if not all) stellar tidal disruptions is already highly magnetized by the time it returns to the black hole.

The Role of Magnetic Fields in Star Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Pipher, Judith

2018-06-01

The SOFIA instrument complement makes available the capability to characterize the physical properties (turbulence, dynamics, magnetic field structure and strength, gas density) of the molecular cloud filaments in which stars form.HAWC+, the newest SOFIA instrument, provides a unique opportunity to probe the complex roles that magnetic fields play in the star formation process on spatial scales intermediate to those explored by Planck (5’ scale), to those of ALMA at the smallest spatial scales (powerful tools to further our understanding of the fundamental physics of both low mass and high mass star formation, including the role that magnetic fields play in each.

VLA-ANGST: A HIGH-RESOLUTION H I SURVEY OF NEARBY DWARF GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, Jürgen; Stilp, Adrienne M.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Warren, Steven R.; Skillman, Evan D.; Walter, Fabian; De Blok, W. J. G.; Koribalski, Bärbel; West, Andrew A.

2012-01-01

We present the 'Very Large Array survey of Advanced Camera for Surveys Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury galaxies (VLA-ANGST)'. VLA-ANGST is a National Radio Astronomy Observatory Large Program consisting of high spectral (0.6-2.6 km s –1 ) and spatial (∼6'') resolution observations of neutral, atomic hydrogen (H I) emission toward 35 nearby dwarf galaxies from the ANGST survey. ANGST is a systematic Hubble Space Telescope survey to establish a legacy of uniform multi-color photometry of resolved stars for a volume-limited sample of nearby galaxies (D ∼ –1 for the majority of the galaxies). The VLA-ANGST data products are made publicly available through a dedicated Web site (https://science.nrao.edu/science/surveys/vla-angst). With available star formation histories from resolved stellar populations and lower resolution ancillary observations from the far-infrared to the ultraviolet, VLA-ANGST will enable detailed studies of the relationship between the ISM and star formation in dwarf galaxies on a ∼100 pc scale.

Field O stars: formed in situ or as runaways?

Science.gov (United States)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Weidner, C.; Kroupa, P.; Pflamm-Altenburg, J.

2012-08-01

A significant fraction of massive stars in the Milky Way and other galaxies are located far from star clusters and star-forming regions. It is known that some of these stars are runaways, i.e. possess high space velocities (determined through the proper motion and/or radial velocity measurements), and therefore most likely were formed in embedded clusters and then ejected into the field because of dynamical few-body interactions or binary-supernova explosions. However, there exists a group of field O stars whose runaway status is difficult to prove via direct proper motion measurements (e.g. in the Magellanic Clouds) or whose (measured) low space velocities and/or young ages appear to be incompatible with their large separation from known star clusters. The existence of this group led some authors to believe that field O stars can form in situ. Since the question of whether or not O stars can form in isolation is of crucial importance for star formation theory, it is important to thoroughly test candidates of such stars in order to improve the theory. In this paper, we examine the runaway status of the best candidates for isolated formation of massive stars in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds by searching for bow shocks around them, by using the new reduction of the Hipparcos data, and by searching for stellar systems from which they could originate within their lifetimes. We show that most of the known O stars thought to have formed in isolation are instead very likely runaways. We show also that the field must contain a population of O stars whose low space velocities and/or young ages are in apparent contradiction to the large separation of these stars from their parent clusters and/or the ages of these clusters. These stars (the descendants of runaway massive binaries) cannot be traced back to their parent clusters and therefore can be mistakenly considered as having formed in situ. We argue also that some field O stars could be detected in optical

Energy flux determines magnetic field strength of planets and stars.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Ulrich R; Holzwarth, Volkmar; Reiners, Ansgar

2009-01-08

The magnetic fields of Earth and Jupiter, along with those of rapidly rotating, low-mass stars, are generated by convection-driven dynamos that may operate similarly (the slowly rotating Sun generates its field through a different dynamo mechanism). The field strengths of planets and stars vary over three orders of magnitude, but the critical factor causing that variation has hitherto been unclear. Here we report an extension of a scaling law derived from geodynamo models to rapidly rotating stars that have strong density stratification. The unifying principle in the scaling law is that the energy flux available for generating the magnetic field sets the field strength. Our scaling law fits the observed field strengths of Earth, Jupiter, young contracting stars and rapidly rotating low-mass stars, despite vast differences in the physical conditions of the objects. We predict that the field strengths of rapidly rotating brown dwarfs and massive extrasolar planets are high enough to make them observable.

Effects of magnetic fields on main sequence stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubbard, E.N.

1981-01-01

A number of effects of low to medium strength ( 2 /8π) magnetic field pressure term so that the only effect of such a field may come from its inhibiting convection in the core. Isochrones of both convective and radiative core models of 2-5 M are presented. In the deep envelope, mixing of partially nuclear processed material driven by rising and falling magnetic flux tubes may be seen. The effects of this mixing will be brought to the surface during the deep convection phase of the star's tenure as a red giant. This model is used to predict a signature for magnetic mixing based on the CNO isotope and abundance ratios. In the outer envelope the gas pressure is low enough that one might expect to see a perturbation of the stellar structure due to the magnetic field pressure itself. This perturbation is calculated under several physical models for intermediate and high mass stars and it is determined that sufficient magnetic field energy may be available in the outer envelope to expand a star by about 20% over its unperturbed radius. Finally the evidence for the existence of non-magnetic neutron stars is considered, concluding that while no non-magnetic neutron stars have ever been positively identified, there is no evidence that prevents the existence of at least as many non-magnetic as magnetic neutron stars

THE MASSIVE STAR POPULATION IN M101. I. THE IDENTIFICATION AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE VISUALLY LUMINOUS STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grammer, Skyler; Humphreys, Roberta M.

2013-01-01

An increasing number of non-terminal giant eruptions are being observed by modern supernova and transient surveys. But very little is known about the origin of these giant eruptions and their progenitors, many of which are presumably very massive, evolved stars. Motivated by the small number of progenitors positively associated with these giant eruptions, we have begun a survey of the evolved massive star populations in nearby galaxies. The nearby, nearly face-on, giant spiral M101 is an excellent laboratory for studying a large population of very massive stars. In this paper, we present BVI photometry obtained from archival HST/ACS Wide Field Camera images of M101. We have produced a catalog of luminous stars with photometric errors <10% for V < 24.5 and 50% completeness down to V ∼ 26.5 even in regions of high stellar crowding. Using color and luminosity criteria, we have identified candidate luminous OB-type stars and blue supergiants, yellow supergiants, and red supergiants for future observation. We examine their spatial distributions across the face of M101 and find that the ratio of blue to red supergiants decreases by two orders of magnitude over the radial extent of M101 corresponding to 0.5 dex in metallicity. We discuss the resolved stellar content in the giant star-forming complexes NGC 5458, 5453, 5461, 5451, 5462, and 5449 and discuss their color-magnitude diagrams in conjunction with the spatial distribution of the stars to determine their spatio-temporal formation histories

Magnetic fields in beta Cep, SPB, and Be stars

OpenAIRE

Schoeller, M.; Hubrig, S.; Briquet, M.; Ilyin, I.

2013-01-01

Recent observational and theoretical results emphasize the potential significance of magnetic fields for structure, evolution, and environment of massive stars. Depending on their spectral and photometric behavior, the upper main-sequence B-type stars are assigned to different groups, such as beta Cep stars and slowly pulsating B (SPB) stars, He-rich and He-deficient Bp stars, Be stars, BpSi stars, HgMn stars, or normal B-type stars. All these groups are characterized by different magnetic fi...

A new method for determining which stars are near a star sensor field-of-view

Science.gov (United States)

Yates, Russell E., Jr.; Vedder, John D.

1991-01-01

A new method is described for determining which stars in a navigation star catalog are near a star sensor field of view (FOV). This method assumes that an estimate of spacecraft inertial attitude is known. Vector component ranges for the star sensor FOV are computed, so that stars whose vector components lie within these ranges are near the star sensor FOV. This method requires no presorting of the navigation star catalog, and is more efficient than tradition methods.

On the feasibility of studying the exospheres of Earth-like exoplanets by Lyman- α monitoring. Detectability constraints for nearby M stars

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Ana I. Gómez de; Beitia-Antero, Leire; Ustamujic, Sabina

2018-04-01

Observations of the Earth's exosphere have unveiled an extended envelope of hydrogen reaching further than 10 Earth radii composed of atoms orbiting around the Earth. This large envelope increases significantly the opacity of the Earth to Lyman α (Ly α) photons coming from the Sun, to the point of making feasible the detection of the Earth's transit signature from 1.35 pc if pointing with an 8 meter primary mirror space telescope through a clean line of sight ( N H flux variability. We show that, in spite of the interstellar, heliospheric and astrospheric absorption, the transit signature in M5 V type stars would be detectable with a dedicated Ly α flux monitor implemented in a 4-8 m class space telescope. Such monitoring programs would enable measuring the robustness of planetary atmospheres under heavy space weather conditions like those produced by M-type stars. A 2-m class telescope, such as the World Space Observatory, would suffice to detect an Earth-like planet orbiting around Proxima Centauri, if there was such a planet or nearby M5 type stars.

A MOLECULAR STAR FORMATION LAW IN THE ATOMIC-GAS-DOMINATED REGIME IN NEARBY GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schruba, Andreas; Walter, Fabian; Dumas, Gaelle; Sandstrom, Karin; Leroy, Adam K.; Bigiel, Frank; Brinks, Elias; De Blok, W. J. G.; Kramer, Carsten; Rosolowsky, Erik; Schuster, Karl; Usero, Antonio; Weiss, Axel; Wiesemeyer, Helmut

2011-01-01

We use the IRAM HERACLES survey to study CO emission from 33 nearby spiral galaxies down to very low intensities. Using 21 cm line atomic hydrogen (H I) data, mostly from THINGS, we predict the local mean CO velocity based on the mean H I velocity. By re-normalizing the CO velocity axis so that zero corresponds to the local mean H I velocity we are able to stack spectra coherently over large regions. This enables us to measure CO intensities with high significance as low as I CO ∼ 0.3 K km s -1 (Σ H 2 ∼1 M sun pc -2 ), an improvement of about one order of magnitude over previous studies. We detect CO out to galactocentric radii r gal ∼ r 25 and find the CO radial profile to follow a remarkably uniform exponential decline with a scale length of ∼0.2 r 25 . Here we focus on stacking as a function of radius, comparing our sensitive CO profiles to matched profiles of H I, Hα, far-UV (FUV), and Infrared (IR) emission at 24 μm and 70 μm. We observe a tight, roughly linear relationship between CO and IR intensity that does not show any notable break between regions that are dominated by molecular gas (Σ H 2 >Σ H i ) and those dominated by atomic gas (Σ H 2 H i ). We use combinations of FUV+24 μm and Hα+24 μm to estimate the recent star formation rate (SFR) surface density, Σ SFR , and find approximately linear relations between Σ SFR and Σ H 2 . We interpret this as evidence of stars forming in molecular gas with little dependence on the local total gas surface density. While galaxies display small internal variations in the SFR-to-H 2 ratio, we do observe systematic galaxy-to-galaxy variations. These galaxy-to-galaxy variations dominate the scatter in relationships between CO and SFR tracers measured at large scales. The variations have the sense that less massive galaxies exhibit larger ratios of SFR-to-CO than massive galaxies. Unlike the SFR-to-CO ratio, the balance between atomic and molecular gas depends strongly on the total gas surface density

CCD photometry of Cepheid sequences in four nearby galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalfe, N.; Shanks, T.

1991-01-01

We present Isaac Newton Telescope B and V CCD observations of deep photometric sequences in the vicinity of Cepheid variable stars in three nearby galaxies - M31, M33 and NGC 2403. We have also checked the photometry of the brightest stars in M81 and its dwarf companion, Holmberg IX. We use our data, combined with other recent results, to re-analyse the Cepheid distances to these galaxies. (author)

Magnetic fields and massive star formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Qizhou; Keto, Eric; Ho, Paul T. P.; Ching, Tao-Chung; Chen, How-Huan [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Qiu, Keping [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093 (China); Girart, Josep M.; Juárez, Carmen [Institut de Ciències de l' Espai, (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Facultat de Ciències, C5p 2, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia (Spain); Liu, Hauyu; Tang, Ya-Wen; Koch, Patrick M.; Rao, Ramprasad; Lai, Shih-Ping [Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Li, Zhi-Yun [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Frau, Pau [Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, Alfonso XII, 3 E-28014 Madrid (Spain); Li, Hua-Bai [Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China); Padovani, Marco [Laboratoire de Radioastronomie Millimétrique, UMR 8112 du CNRS, École Normale Supérieure et Observatoire de Paris, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75231 Paris Cedex 05 (France); Bontemps, Sylvain [OASU/LAB-UMR5804, CNRS, Université Bordeaux 1, F-33270 Floirac (France); Csengeri, Timea, E-mail: qzhang@cfa.harvard.edu [Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany)

2014-09-10

Massive stars (M > 8 M {sub ☉}) typically form in parsec-scale molecular clumps that collapse and fragment, leading to the birth of a cluster of stellar objects. We investigate the role of magnetic fields in this process through dust polarization at 870 μm obtained with the Submillimeter Array (SMA). The SMA observations reveal polarization at scales of ≲0.1 pc. The polarization pattern in these objects ranges from ordered hour-glass configurations to more chaotic distributions. By comparing the SMA data with the single dish data at parsec scales, we found that magnetic fields at dense core scales are either aligned within 40° of or perpendicular to the parsec-scale magnetic fields. This finding indicates that magnetic fields play an important role during the collapse and fragmentation of massive molecular clumps and the formation of dense cores. We further compare magnetic fields in dense cores with the major axis of molecular outflows. Despite a limited number of outflows, we found that the outflow axis appears to be randomly oriented with respect to the magnetic field in the core. This result suggests that at the scale of accretion disks (≲ 10{sup 3} AU), angular momentum and dynamic interactions possibly due to close binary or multiple systems dominate over magnetic fields. With this unprecedentedly large sample of massive clumps, we argue on a statistical basis that magnetic fields play an important role during the formation of dense cores at spatial scales of 0.01-0.1 pc in the context of massive star and cluster star formation.

STATISTICAL PROPERTIES OF GALACTIC δ SCUTI STARS: REVISITED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, S.-W.; Kim, D.-W.; Byun, Y.-I.; Protopapas, P.

2013-01-01

We present statistical characteristics of 1578 δ Scuti stars including nearby field stars and cluster member stars within the Milky Way. We obtained 46% of these stars (718 stars) from work by Rodríguez and collected the remaining 54% of stars (860 stars) from other literature. We updated the entries with the latest information of sky coordinates, color, rotational velocity, spectral type, period, amplitude, and binarity. The majority of our sample is well characterized in terms of typical period range (0.02-0.25 days), pulsation amplitudes (<0.5 mag), and spectral types (A-F type). Given this list of δ Scuti stars, we examined relations between their physical properties (i.e., periods, amplitudes, spectral types, and rotational velocities) for field stars and cluster members, and confirmed that the correlations of properties are not significantly different from those reported in Rodríguez's work. All the δ Scuti stars are cross-matched with several X-ray and UV catalogs, resulting in 27 X-ray and 41 UV-only counterparts. These counterparts are interesting targets for further study because of their uniqueness in showing δ Scuti-type variability and X-ray/UV emission at the same time. The compiled catalog can be accessed through the Web interface http://stardb.yonsei.ac.kr/DeltaScuti.

THE IMACS CLUSTER BUILDING SURVEY. III. THE STAR FORMATION HISTORIES OF FIELD GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oemler, Augustus Jr.; Dressler, Alan [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101-1292 (United States); Gladders, Michael G.; Abramson, Louis [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Fritz, Jacopo [Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Gent (Belgium); Poggianti, Bianca M.; Vulcani, Benedetta [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, vicolo dell' Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy)

2013-06-10

Using data from the IMACS Cluster Building Survey and from nearby galaxy surveys, we examine the evolution of the rate of star formation in field galaxies from z = 0.60 to the present. Fitting the luminosity function to a standard Schechter form, we find a rapid evolution of M{sub B}{sup *} consistent with that found in other deep surveys; at the present epoch M{sub B}{sup *} is evolving at the rate of 0.38 Gyr{sup -1}, several times faster than the predictions of simple models for the evolution of old, coeval galaxies. The evolution of the distribution of specific star formation rates (SSFRs) is also too rapid to explain by such models. We demonstrate that starbursts cannot, even in principle, explain the evolution of the SSFR distribution. However, the rapid evolution of both M{sub B}{sup *} and the SSFR distribution can be explained if some fraction of galaxies have star formation rates characterized by both short rise and fall times and by an epoch of peak star formation more recent than the majority of galaxies. Although galaxies of every stellar mass up to 1.4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun} show a range of epochs of peak star formation, the fraction of ''younger'' galaxies falls from about 40% at a mass of 4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun} to zero at a mass of 1.4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun }. The incidence of younger galaxies appears to be insensitive to the density of the local environment; but does depend on group membership: relatively isolated galaxies are much more likely to be young than are group members.

Star formation suppression and bar ages in nearby barred galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

James, P. A.; Percival, S. M.

2018-03-01

We present new spectroscopic data for 21 barred spiral galaxies, which we use to explore the effect of bars on disc star formation, and to place constraints on the characteristic lifetimes of bar episodes. The analysis centres on regions of heavily suppressed star formation activity, which we term `star formation deserts'. Long-slit optical spectroscopy is used to determine H β absorption strengths in these desert regions, and comparisons with theoretical stellar population models are used to determine the time since the last significant star formation activity, and hence the ages of the bars. We find typical ages of ˜1 Gyr, but with a broad range, much larger than would be expected from measurement errors alone, extending from ˜0.25 to >4 Gyr. Low-level residual star formation, or mixing of stars from outside the `desert' regions, could result in a doubling of these age estimates. The relatively young ages of the underlying populations coupled with the strong limits on the current star formation rule out a gradual exponential decline in activity, and hence support our assumption of an abrupt truncation event.

THE SPITZER INFRARED NEARBY GALAXIES SURVEY: A HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPY ANTHOLOGY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dale, D. A.; Schlawin, E. A.; Cohen, S. A.; Johnson, L. C.; Staudaher, S.; Smith, J. D. T.; Armus, L.; Helou, G.; Jarrett, T. H.; Murphy, E. J.; Sheth, K.; Buckalew, B. A.; Moustakas, J.; Roussel, H.; Bot, C.; Calzetti, D.; Engelbracht, C. W.; Gordon, K. D.; Hollenbach, D. J.; Kennicutt, R. C.

2009-01-01

High-resolution mid-infrared spectra are presented for 155 nuclear and extranuclear regions from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS). The fluxes for nine atomic forbidden and three molecular hydrogen mid-infrared emission lines are also provided, along with upper limits in key lines for infrared-faint targets. The SINGS sample shows a wide range in the ratio of [S III] 18.71 μm/[S III] 33.48 μm, but the average ratio of the ensemble indicates a typical interstellar electron density of 300-400 cm -3 on ∼23'' x 15'' scales and 500-600 cm -3 using ∼11'' x 9'' apertures, independent of whether the region probed is a star-forming nuclear, a star-forming extranuclear, or an active galactic nuclei (AGN) environment. Evidence is provided that variations in gas-phase metallicity play an important role in driving variations in radiation field hardness, as indicated by [Ne III] 15.56 μm/[Ne II] 12.81 μm, for regions powered by star formation. Conversely, the radiation hardness for galaxy nuclei powered by accretion around a massive black hole is independent of metal abundance. Furthermore, for metal-rich environments AGN are distinguishable from star-forming regions by significantly larger [Ne III] 15.56 μm/[Ne II] 12.81 μm ratios. Finally, [Fe II] 25.99 μm/[Ne II] 12.81 μm versus [Si II] 34.82 μm/[S III] 33.48 μm also provides an empirical method for discerning AGN from normal star-forming sources. However, similar to [Ne III] 15.56 μm/[Ne II] 12.81 μm, these mid-infrared line ratios lose their AGN/star-formation diagnostic powers for very low metallicity star-forming systems with hard radiation fields.

The Influence of Galactic Outflows on the Formation of Nearby Dwarf Galaxies.

Science.gov (United States)

Scannapieco; Ferrara; Broadhurst

2000-06-10

We show that the gas in growing density perturbations is vulnerable to the influence of winds outflowing from nearby collapsed galaxies that have already formed stars. This suggests that the formation of nearby galaxies with masses less, similar10(9) M( middle dot in circle) is likely to be suppressed, irrespective of the details of galaxy formation. An impinging wind may shock-heat the gas of a nearby perturbation to above the virial temperature, thereby mechanically evaporating the gas, or the baryons may be stripped from the perturbation entirely if they are accelerated to above the escape velocity. We show that baryonic stripping is the most effective of these two processes, because shock-heated clouds that are too large to be stripped are able to radiatively cool within a sound crossing time, limiting evaporation. The intergalactic medium temperatures and star formation rates required for outflows to have a significant influence on the formation of low-mass galaxies are consistent with current observations, but may soon be examined directly via associated distortions in the cosmic microwave background and with near-infrared observations from the Next Generation Space Telescope, which may detect the supernovae from early-forming stars.

Further RIOTS4 Characterization of Field OB Stars in the SMC

Science.gov (United States)

Oey, M. S.; Barnes, Jesse R.; Paggeot, Kevin J.; Dorigo Jones, John; Castro, Norberto; Simon-Diaz, Sergio; Kratter, Kaitlin M.; Moe, Maxwell; Szymanski, Michal

2018-06-01

We present recent results from the Runaways and O-Type Star Spectroscopic Survey of the SMC (RIOTS4), a survey quantifying properties of the field OB stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Based on PSF-fitting photometry and astrometry of OGLE-III I-band images, we quantify the degree of isolation for the target OB stars, classifying them as "tip-of-the-iceberg" stars accompanied by small, sparse, clusters; or as true, isolated field stars. Many of these field stars must be runaways, which we evaluate using GAIA DR2 proper motions. We measure v sin i using the IACOB code Fourier analysis, finding that the bimodal distribution of projected rotation velocities is less pronounced for O stars than early B stars. We examine rotation in relation to relative isolation and runaway status.

Cooling Curve of Strange Star in Strong Magnetic Field

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG Xiao-Qin; LUO Zhi-Quan

2008-01-01

In this paper, firstly, we investigate the neutrino emissivity from quark Urca process in strong magnetic field. Then, we discuss the heat capacity of strange stars in strong magnetic field. Finally, we give the cooling curve in strong magnetic field. In order to make a comparison, we also give the corresponding cooling curve in the case of null magnetic field. It turns out that strange stars cool faster in strong magnetic field than that without magnetic field.

Resolving the Milky Way and Nearby Galaxies with WFIRST

Science.gov (United States)

Kalirai, Jasonjot

High-resolution studies of nearby stellar populations have served as a foundation for our quest to understand the nature of galaxies. Today, studies of resolved stellar populations constrain fundamental relations -- such as the initial mass function of stars, the time scales of stellar evolution, the timing of mass loss and amount of energetic feedback, the color-magnitude relation and its dependency on age and metallicity, the stellar-dark matter connection in galaxy halos, and the build up of stellar populations over cosmic time -- that represent key ingredients in our prescription to interpret light from the Universe and to measure the physical state of galaxies. More than in any other area of astrophysics, WFIRST will yield a transformative impact in measuring and characterizing resolved stellar populations in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. The proximity and level of detail that such populations need to be studied at directly map to all three pillars of WFIRST capabilities - sensitivity from a 2.4 meter space based telescope, resolution from 0.1" pixels, and large 0.3 degree field of view from multiple detectors. Our WFIRST GO Science Investigation Team (F) will develop three WFIRST (notional) GO programs related to resolved stellar populations to fully stress WFIRST's Wide Field Instrument. The programs will include a Survey of the Milky Way, a Survey of Nearby Galaxy Halos, and a Survey of Star-Forming Galaxies. Specific science goals for each program will be validated through a wide range of observational data sets, simulations, and new algorithms. As an output of this study, our team will deliver optimized strategies and tools to maximize stellar population science with WFIRST. This will include: new grids of IR-optimized stellar evolution and synthetic spectroscopic models; pipelines and algorithms for optimal data reduction at the WFIRST sensitivity and pixel scale; wide field simulations of MW environments and galaxy halos; cosmological simulations

Neutron Star Structure in the Presence of Conformally Coupled Scalar Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Sultana, Joseph; Bose, Benjamin; Kazanas, Demosthenes

2014-01-01

Neutron star models are studied in the context of scalar-tensor theories of gravity in the presence of a conformally coupled scalar field, using two different numerical equations of state (EoS) representing different degrees of stiffness. In both cases we obtain a complete solution by matching the interior numerical solution of the coupled Einstein-scalar field hydrostatic equations, with an exact metric on the surface of the star. These are then used to find the effect of the scalar field and its coupling to geometry, on the neutron star structure, particularly the maximum neutron star mass and radius. We show that in the presence of a conformally coupled scalar field, neutron stars are less dense and have smaller masses and radii than their counterparts in the minimally coupled case, and the effect increases with the magnitude of the scalar field at the center of the star.

B fields in OB stars (BOB): Low-resolution FORS2 spectropolarimetry of the first sample of 50 massive stars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fossati, L.; Castro, N.; Schöller, M.; Hubrig, S.; Langer, N.; Morel, T.; Briquet, M.; Herrero, A.; Przybilla, N.; Sana, H.; Schneider, F.R.N.; de Koter, A.

2015-01-01

Within the context of the collaboration "B fields in OB stars" (BOB), we used the FORS2 low-resolution spectropolarimeter to search for a magnetic field in 50 massive stars, including two reference magnetic massive stars. Because of the many controversies of magnetic field detections obtained with

Massive runaway stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Kroupa, P.; Pflamm-Altenburg, J.

2010-09-01

The origin of massive field stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) has long been an enigma. The recent measurements of large offsets (˜ 100 km s-1) between the heliocentric radial velocities of some very massive (O2-type) field stars and the systemic LMC velocity provides a possible explanation of this enigma and suggests that the field stars are runaway stars ejected from their birthplaces at the very beginning of their parent cluster's dynamical evolution. A straightforward way to prove this explanation is to measure the proper motions of the field stars and to show that they are moving away from one of the nearby star clusters or OB associations. This approach is, however, complicated by the long distance to the LMC, which makes accurate proper motion measurements difficult. We used an alternative approach for solving the problem (first applied for Galactic field stars), based on the search for bow shocks produced by runaway stars. The geometry of detected bow shocks would allow us to infer the direction of stellar motion, thereby determining their possible parent clusters. In this paper we present the results of a search for bow shocks around six massive field stars that have been proposed as candidate runaway stars. Using archival Spitzer Space Telescope data, we found a bow shock associated with one of our programme stars, the O2 V((f*)) star BI 237, which is the first-ever detection of bow shocks in the LMC. Orientation of the bow shock suggests that BI 237 was ejected from the OB association LH 82 (located at ≃ 120 pc in projection from the star). A by-product of our search is the detection of bow shocks generated by four OB stars in the field of the LMC and an arc-like structure attached to the candidate luminous blue variable R81 (HD 269128). The geometry of two of these bow shocks is consistent with the possibility that their associated stars were ejected from the 30 Doradus star-forming complex. We discuss implications of our findings for the

Chromospheres in metal deficient field stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupree, A.K.; Hartmann, L.; Smith, G.

1984-01-01

The chromospheric structure of red giant stars with metal deficient atmospheres presents a fundamental observational and theoretical problem for atmospheric theory. Moreover, the occurrence and rate of mass loss from these stars have consequences for the theory of stellar evolution of low mass stars in globular clusters. This paper reports some results from a systematic program to assess the presence and character of chromospheric line profiles and their variations, and to obtain quantitative measurements of radiative losses from chromospheres. Such data are needed to constrain semi-empirical models of these atmospheres. Three metal deficient field stars have been observed both in the ultraviolet and optical spectral regions: HD 165195, HD 110281, and HD 232078. High dispersion spectra near the Hα transition were obtained with the echelle spectrograph and reticon detector at the F.L. Whipple Observatory of SAO. These stars were observed twice in 1983, separated by a two month interval. IUE spectra were also obtained using the long wavelength cameras in low dispersion mode. Observations of the three stars are discussed

A SURVEY OF THE HIGH ORDER MULTIPLICITY OF NEARBY SOLAR-TYPE BINARY STARS WITH Robo-AO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riddle, Reed L.; Bui, Khanh; Dekany, Richard G.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas; Tendulkar, Shriharsh P. [Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Tokovinin, Andrei [Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); Mason, Brian D.; Hartkopf, William I. [U.S. Naval Observatory, 3450 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20392-5420 (United States); Roberts, Lewis C. Jr. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Baranec, Christoph [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai" i at Mānoa, Hilo, HI 96720-2700 (United States); Law, Nicholas M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255 (United States); Burse, Mahesh P.; Das, H. K.; Punnadi, Sujit; Ramaprakash, A. N. [Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007 (India)

2015-01-20

We conducted a survey of nearby binary systems composed of main sequence stars of spectral types F and G in order to improve our understanding of the hierarchical nature of multiple star systems. Using Robo-AO, the first robotic adaptive optics instrument, we collected high angular resolution images with deep and well-defined detection limits in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey i' band. A total of 695 components belonging to 595 systems were observed. We prioritized observations of faint secondary components with separations over 10'' to quantify the still poorly constrained frequency of their subsystems. Of the 214 secondaries observed, 39 contain such subsystems; 19 of those were discovered with Robo-AO. The selection-corrected frequency of secondary subsystems with periods from 10{sup 3.5} to 10{sup 5} days is 0.12 ± 0.03, the same as the frequency of such companions to the primary. Half of the secondary pairs belong to quadruple systems where the primary is also a close pair, showing that the presence of subsystems in both components of the outer binary is correlated. The relatively large abundance of 2+2 quadruple systems is a new finding, and will require more exploration of the formation mechanism of multiple star systems. We also targeted close binaries with periods less than 100 yr, searching for their distant tertiary components, and discovered 17 certain and 2 potential new triples. In a subsample of 241 close binaries, 71 have additional outer companions. The overall frequency of tertiary components is not enhanced, compared to all (non-binary) targets, but in the range of outer periods from 10{sup 6} to 10{sup 7.5} days (separations on the order of 500 AU), the frequency of tertiary components is 0.16 ± 0.03, exceeding the frequency of similar systems among all targets (0.09) by almost a factor of two. Measurements of binary stars with Robo-AO allowed us to compute first orbits for 9 pairs and to improve orbits of another 11 pairs.

Galactic Doppelgängers: The Chemical Similarity Among Field Stars and Among Stars with a Common Birth Origin

Science.gov (United States)

Ness, M.; Rix, H.-W.; Hogg, David W.; Casey, A. R.; Holtzman, J.; Fouesneau, M.; Zasowski, G.; Geisler, D.; Shetrone, M.; Minniti, D.; Frinchaboy, Peter M.; Roman-Lopes, Alexandre

2018-02-01

We explore to what extent stars within Galactic disk open clusters resemble each other in the high-dimensional space of their photospheric element abundances and contrast this with pairs of field stars. Our analysis is based on abundances for 20 elements, homogeneously derived from APOGEE spectra (with carefully quantified uncertainties of typically 0.03 dex). We consider 90 red giant stars in seven open clusters and find that most stars within a cluster have abundances in most elements that are indistinguishable (in a {χ }2-sense) from those of the other members, as expected for stellar birth siblings. An analogous analysis among pairs of > 1000 field stars shows that highly significant abundance differences in the 20 dimensional space can be established for the vast majority of these pairs, and that the APOGEE-based abundance measurements have high discriminating power. However, pairs of field stars whose abundances are indistinguishable even at 0.03 dex precision exist: ∼0.3% of all field star pairs and ∼1.0% of field star pairs at the same (solar) metallicity [Fe/H] = 0 ± 0.02. Most of these pairs are presumably not birth siblings from the same cluster, but rather doppelgängers. Our analysis implies that “chemical tagging” in the strict sense, identifying birth siblings for typical disk stars through their abundance similarity alone, will not work with such data. However, our approach shows that abundances have extremely valuable information for probabilistic chemo-orbital modeling, and combined with velocities, we have identified new cluster members from the field.

Magnetic fields and dense chromospheres in dMe stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullan, D.J.

1975-01-01

We examine in a semi-quantitative fashion the hypothesis that dense chromospheres of dMe stars are heated by dissipation of hydromagnetic waves. We propose that dMe stars are a set of magnetic stars on the lower main sequence, with strong fields presumably generated by dynamo action in deep convective envelopes. We discuss how the combination of magnetic fields and dense chromospheres in dMe stars provides a consistent interpretation of the following features: 1) The dMe stars which are most likely to be flares stars are those with hydrogen lines in emission. However, it is proposed that in certain conditions, Balmer lines may appear in absorption, and we suggest that 'negative flares' can be explained at least in part by the occurrence of strong absorption in Hα. 2) The propagation of flare-initiated coronal waves can trigger sympathetic stellar flares. 3) Apart from flare activity, emission line strengths in dMe stars must exhibit time variations due to the emergence of new magnetic flux ropes through the stellar surface. 4) The combination of strong magnetic fields with dense chromospheres makes the Faraday rotation measure large enough to have potentially a detectable effect on polarized visible light. 5) It is suggested that grain formation occurs in starspots on dMe stars. (orig./WL) [de

HUBBLE'S ULTRAVIOLET VIEWS OF NEARBY GALAXIES YIELD CLUES TO EARLY UNIVERSE

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

Astronomers are using these three NASA Hubble Space Telescope images to help tackle the question of why distant galaxies have such odd shapes, appearing markedly different from the typical elliptical and spiral galaxies seen in the nearby universe. Do faraway galaxies look weird because they are truly weird? Or, are they actually normal galaxies that look like oddballs, because astronomers are getting an incomplete picture of them, seeing only the brightest pieces? Light from these galaxies travels great distances (billions of light-years) to reach Earth. During its journey, the light is 'stretched' due to the expansion of space. As a result, the light is no longer visible, but has been shifted to the infrared where present instruments are less sensitive. About the only light astronomers can see comes from regions where hot, young stars reside. These stars emit mostly ultraviolet light. But this light is stretched, appearing as visible light by the time it reaches Earth. Studying these distant galaxies is like trying to put together a puzzle with some of the pieces missing. What, then, do distant galaxies really look like? Astronomers studied 37 nearby galaxies to find out. By viewing these galaxies in ultraviolet light, astronomers can compare their shapes with those of their distant relatives. These three Hubble telescope pictures, taken with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, represent a sampling from that survey. Astronomers observed the galaxies in ultraviolet and visible light to study all the stars that make up these 'cities of stars.' The results of their survey support the idea that astronomers are detecting the 'tip of the iceberg' of very distant galaxies. Based on these Hubble ultraviolet images, not all the faraway galaxies necessarily possess intrinsically odd shapes. The results are being presented today at the 197th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in San Diego, CA. The central region of the 'star-burst' spiral galaxy at far left

THE ADVANCED CAMERA FOR SURVEYS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY. V. RADIAL STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF NGC 300

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gogarten, Stephanie M.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Williams, Benjamin F.; Roskar, Rok; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Quinn, Thomas R.; Holtzman, Jon; Seth, Anil C.; Dolphin, Andrew; Weisz, Daniel; Skillman, Evan; Cole, Andrew; Debattista, Victor P.; Olsen, Knut; De Jong, Roelof S.; Karachentsev, Igor D.

2010-01-01

We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of NGC 300 taken as part of the Advanced Camera for Surveys Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury (ANGST). Individual stars are resolved in these images down to an absolute magnitude of M F814W = 1.0 (below the red clump). We determine the star formation history of the galaxy in six radial bins by comparing our observed color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) with synthetic CMDs based on theoretical isochrones. We find that the stellar disk out to 5.4 kpc is primarily old, in contrast with the outwardly similar galaxy M33. We determine the scale length as a function of age and find evidence for inside-out growth of the stellar disk: the scale length has increased from 1.1 ± 0.1 kpc 10 Gyr ago to 1.3 ± 0.1 kpc at present, indicating a buildup in the fraction of young stars at larger radii. As the scale length of M33 has recently been shown to have increased much more dramatically with time, our results demonstrate that two galaxies with similar sizes and morphologies can have very different histories. With an N-body simulation of a galaxy designed to be similar to NGC 300, we determine that the effects of radial migration should be minimal. We trace the metallicity gradient as a function of time and find a present-day metallicity gradient consistent with that seen in previous studies. Consistent results are obtained from archival images covering the same radial extent but differing in placement and filter combination.

A search for strong, ordered magnetic fields in Herbig Ae/Be stars

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, G. A.; Bagnulo, S.; Drouin, D.; Landstreet, J. D.; Monin, D.

2007-04-01

The origin of magnetic fields in intermediate- and high-mass stars is fundamentally a mystery. Clues towards solving this basic astrophysical problem can likely be found at the pre-main-sequence (PMS) evolutionary stage. With this work, we perform the largest and most sensitive search for magnetic fields in PMS Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars. We seek to determine whether strong, ordered magnetic fields, similar to those of main-sequence Ap/Bp stars, can be detected in these objects, and if so, to determine the intensities, geometrical characteristics, and statistical incidence of such fields. 68 observations of 50 HAeBe stars have been obtained in circularly polarized light using the FORS1 spectropolarimeter at the ESO VLT. An analysis of both Balmer and metallic lines reveals the possible presence of weak longitudinal magnetic fields in photospheric lines of two HAeBe stars, HD 101412 and BF Ori. Results for two additional stars, CPD-53 295 and HD 36112, are suggestive of the presence of magnetic fields, but no firm conclusions can be drawn based on the available data. The intensity of the longitudinal fields detected in HD 101412 and BF Ori suggest that they correspond to globally ordered magnetic fields with surface intensities of order 1 kG. On the other hand, no magnetic field is detected in 4 other HAeBe stars in our sample in which magnetic fields had previously been confirmed. Monte Carlo simulations of the longitudinal field measurements of the undetected stars allow us to place an upper limit of about 300 G on the general presence of aligned magnetic dipole magnetic fields, and of about 500 G on perpendicular dipole fields. Taking into account the results of our survey and other published results, we find that the observed bulk incidence of magnetic HAeBe stars in our sample is 8-12 per cent, in good agreement with that of magnetic main-sequence stars of similar masses. We also find that the rms longitudinal field intensity of magnetically detected HAe

ELEVEN NEW HEAVILY REDDENED FIELD WOLF–RAYET STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J. D. T.; Cushing, Michael; Barletta, Anthony; McCarthy, Don; Kulesa, Craig; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.

2012-01-01

We report the results of a medium-narrowband 2 μm line survey covering 5.8 deg 2 near the Galactic plane. We confirm 11 new field Wolf-Rayet stars along three lines of sight probing the inner Galaxy, demonstrating the capability to uncover distant and highly reddened populations of Galactic wind-borne emission-line stars suffering extinction as high as A V ∼ 40 and as distant as 9 kpc down to modest magnitude limits of K s ∼ 12.5. All stars are of subtype WC7-8, with median distance d = 6 kpc and median extinction A K s = 2.5. Over the fields surveyed, the density of Wolf-Rayet stars to limiting magnitude K s ∼ 12.5 was found to be 1.9 deg –2 . We compare this to models which predict their distribution within the Galaxy and find that, even neglecting survey and subtype incompleteness, they consistently underpredict the number of newly discovered stars along the surveyed lines of sight.

MOLECULAR GAS AND STAR FORMATION IN NEARBY DISK GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leroy, Adam K.; Munoz-Mateos, Juan-Carlos [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Walter, Fabian; Sandstrom, Karin; Meidt, Sharon; Rix, Hans-Walter; Schinnerer, Eva [Max Planck Institute fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Schruba, Andreas [California Institute for Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Bigiel, Frank [Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Str. 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Bolatto, Alberto [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Brinks, Elias [Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB (United Kingdom); De Blok, W. J. G. [Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre, Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Rosolowsky, Erik [University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC (Canada); Schuster, Karl-Friedrich [IRAM, 300 rue de la Piscine, F-38406 St. Martin d' Heres (France); Usero, Antonio [Observatorio Astronomico Nacional, C/ Alfonso XII, 3, E-28014 Madrid (Spain)

2013-08-01

We compare molecular gas traced by {sup 12}CO (2-1) maps from the HERACLES survey, with tracers of the recent star formation rate (SFR) across 30 nearby disk galaxies. We demonstrate a first-order linear correspondence between {Sigma}{sub mol} and {Sigma}{sub SFR} but also find important second-order systematic variations in the apparent molecular gas depletion time, {tau}{sub dep}{sup mol}={Sigma}{sub mol}/{Sigma}{sub SFR}. At the 1 kpc common resolution of HERACLES, CO emission correlates closely with many tracers of the recent SFR. Weighting each line of sight equally, using a fixed {alpha}{sub CO} equivalent to the Milky Way value, our data yield a molecular gas depletion time, {tau}{sub dep}{sup mol}={Sigma}{sub mol}/{Sigma}{sub SFR}{approx}2.2 Gyr with 0.3 dex 1{sigma} scatter, in very good agreement with recent literature data. We apply a forward-modeling approach to constrain the power-law index, N, that relates the SFR surface density and the molecular gas surface density, {Sigma}{sub SFR}{proportional_to}{Sigma}{sub mol}{sup N}. We find N = 1 {+-} 0.15 for our full data set with some scatter from galaxy to galaxy. This also agrees with recent work, but we caution that a power-law treatment oversimplifies the topic given that we observe correlations between {tau}{sub dep}{sup mol} and other local and global quantities. The strongest of these are a decreased {tau}{sub dep}{sup mol} in low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies and a correlation of the kpc-scale {tau}{sub dep}{sup mol} with dust-to-gas ratio, D/G. These correlations can be explained by a CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor ({alpha}{sub CO}) that depends on dust shielding, and thus D/G, in the theoretically expected way. This is not a unique interpretation, but external evidence of conversion factor variations makes this the most conservative explanation of the strongest observed {tau}{sub dep}{sup mol} trends. After applying a D/G-dependent {alpha}{sub CO}, some weak correlations between {tau}{sub dep

Planetary nebulae and Wolf-Rayet stars in the galactic-centre field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, D A [Anglo-Australian Observatory, Epping (Australia)

1979-06-01

A UK Schmidt objective-prism plate of the Galactic-centre field has been examined. Of the 74 objects in the field which have been catalogued as planetary nebulae, only half appear correctly classified; the others include Be stars, symbiotic stars, and stars without emission lines. A further 19 planetary nebulae and two Wolf-Rayet stars have been discovered.

The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: 1.1-1.9 GHz Observations of 692 Nearby Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Enriquez, J. Emilio; Siemion, Andrew; Foster, Griffin; Gajjar, Vishal; Hellbourg, Greg; Hickish, Jack; Isaacson, Howard; Price, Danny C.; Croft, Steve; DeBoer, David; Lebofsky, Matt; MacMahon, David H. E.; Werthimer, Dan

2017-11-01

We report on a search for engineered signals from a sample of 692 nearby stars using the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, undertaken as part of the Breakthrough Listen Initiative search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Observations were made over 1.1-1.9 GHz (L band), with three sets of five-minute observations of the 692 primary targets, interspersed with five-minute observations of secondary targets. By comparing the “ON” and “OFF” observations, we are able to identify terrestrial interference and place limits on the presence of engineered signals from putative extraterrestrial civilizations inhabiting the environs of the target stars. During the analysis, 11 events passed our thresholding algorithm, but a detailed analysis of their properties indicates that they are consistent with known examples of anthropogenic radio-frequency interference. We conclude that, at the time of our observations, none of the observed systems host high-duty-cycle radio transmitters emitting between 1.1 and 1.9 GHz with an Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power of ˜1013 W, which is readily achievable by our own civilization. Our results suggest that fewer than ˜0.1% of the stellar systems within 50 pc possess the type of transmitters searched in this survey.

NEAR-INFRARED PERIODIC AND OTHER VARIABLE FIELD STARS IN THE FIELD OF THE CYGNUS OB7 STAR-FORMING REGION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolk, Scott J.; Rice, Thomas S. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Aspin, Colin A. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 640 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2013-04-15

We present a subset of the results of a three-season, 124 night, near-infrared monitoring campaign of the dark clouds Lynds 1003 and Lynds 1004 in the Cygnus OB7 star-forming region. In this paper, we focus on the field star population. Using three seasons of UKIRT J, H, and K-band observations spanning 1.5 years, we obtained high-quality photometry on 9200 stars down to J = 17 mag, with photometric uncertainty better than 0.04 mag. After excluding known disk-bearing stars we identify 149 variables-1.6% of the sample. Of these, about 60 are strictly periodic, with periods predominantly <2 days. We conclude this group is dominated by eclipsing binaries. A few stars have long period signals of between 20 and 60 days. About 25 stars have weak modulated signals, but it was not clear if these were periodic. Some of the stars in this group may be diskless young stellar objects with relatively large variability due to cool starspots. The remaining {approx}60 stars showed variations which appear to be purely stochastic.

Limits on Self-Interacting Dark Matter from Neutron Stars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kouvaris, C.

2012-01-01

We impose new severe constraints on the self-interactions of fermionic asymmetric dark matter based on observations of nearby old neutron stars. Weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) self-interactions mediated by Yukawa-type interactions can lower significantly the number of WIMPs necessary...... for gravitational collapse of the WIMP population accumulated in a neutron star. Even nearby neutron stars located at regions of low dark matter density can accrete a sufficient number of WIMPs that can potentially collapse, form a mini black hole, and destroy the host star. Based on this, we derive constraints...

Matter and Radiation in Strong Magnetic Fields of Neutron Stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, D

2006-01-01

Neutron stars are found to possess magnetic fields ranging from 10 8 G to 10 15 G, much larger than achievable in terrestrial laboratories. Understanding the properties of matter and radiative transfer in strong magnetic fields is essential for the proper interpretation of various observations of magnetic neutron stars, including radio pulsars and magnetars. This paper reviews the atomic/molecular physics and condensed matter physics in strong magnetic fields, as well as recent works on modeling radiation from magnetized neutron star atmospheres/surface layers

THE LICK-CARNEGIE EXOPLANET SURVEY: A SATURN-MASS PLANET IN THE HABITABLE ZONE OF THE NEARBY M4V STAR HIP 57050

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haghighipour, Nader; Vogt, Steven S.; Rivera, Eugenio J.; Laughlin, Greg; Meschiari, Stefano; Paul Butler, R.; Henry, Gregory W.

2010-01-01

Precision radial velocities (RV) from Keck/HIRES reveal a Saturn-mass planet orbiting the nearby M4V star HIP 57050. The planet has a minimum mass of Msin i ∼ 0.3 M J , an orbital period of 41.4 days, and an orbital eccentricity of 0.31. V-band photometry reveals a clear stellar rotation signature of the host star with a period of 98 days, well separated from the period of the RV variations and reinforcing a Keplerian origin for the observed velocity variations. The orbital period of this planet corresponds to an orbit in the habitable zone of HIP 57050, with an expected planetary temperature of ∼230 K. The star has a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.32 ± 0.06 dex, of order twice solar and among the highest metallicity stars in the immediate solar neighborhood. This newly discovered planet provides further support that the well-known planet-metallicity correlation for F, G, and K stars also extends down into the M-dwarf regime. The a priori geometric probability for transits of this planet is only about 1%. However, the expected eclipse depth is ∼7%, considerably larger than that yet observed for any transiting planet. Though long on the odds, such a transit is worth pursuing as it would allow for high quality studies of the atmosphere via transmission spectroscopy with Hubble Space Telescope. At the expected planetary effective temperature, the atmosphere may contain water clouds.

The Lick-Carnegie Exoplanet Survey: A Saturn-Mass Planet in the Habitable Zone of the Nearby M4V Star HIP 57050

Science.gov (United States)

Haghighipour, Nader; Vogt, Steven S.; Butler, R. Paul; Rivera, Eugenio J.; Laughlin, Greg; Meschiari, Stefano; Henry, Gregory W.

2010-05-01

Precision radial velocities (RV) from Keck/HIRES reveal a Saturn-mass planet orbiting the nearby M4V star HIP 57050. The planet has a minimum mass of Msin i ~ 0.3 M J, an orbital period of 41.4 days, and an orbital eccentricity of 0.31. V-band photometry reveals a clear stellar rotation signature of the host star with a period of 98 days, well separated from the period of the RV variations and reinforcing a Keplerian origin for the observed velocity variations. The orbital period of this planet corresponds to an orbit in the habitable zone of HIP 57050, with an expected planetary temperature of ~230 K. The star has a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.32 ± 0.06 dex, of order twice solar and among the highest metallicity stars in the immediate solar neighborhood. This newly discovered planet provides further support that the well-known planet-metallicity correlation for F, G, and K stars also extends down into the M-dwarf regime. The a priori geometric probability for transits of this planet is only about 1%. However, the expected eclipse depth is ~7%, considerably larger than that yet observed for any transiting planet. Though long on the odds, such a transit is worth pursuing as it would allow for high quality studies of the atmosphere via transmission spectroscopy with Hubble Space Telescope. At the expected planetary effective temperature, the atmosphere may contain water clouds.

Magnetic fields driven by tidal mixing in radiative stars

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal, Jérémie; Cébron, David; Schaeffer, Nathanaël; Hollerbach, Rainer

2018-04-01

Stellar magnetism plays an important role in stellar evolution theory. Approximatively 10 per cent of observed main sequence (MS) and pre-main-sequence (PMS) radiative stars exhibit surface magnetic fields above the detection limit, raising the question of their origin. These stars host outer radiative envelopes, which are stably stratified. Therefore, they are assumed to be motionless in standard models of stellar structure and evolution. We focus on rapidly rotating, radiative stars which may be prone to the tidal instability, due to an orbital companion. Using direct numerical simulations in a sphere, we study the interplay between a stable stratification and the tidal instability, and assess its dynamo capability. We show that the tidal instability is triggered regardless of the strength of the stratification (Brunt-Väisälä frequency). Furthermore, the tidal instability can lead to both mixing and self-induced magnetic fields in stably stratified layers (provided that the Brunt-Väisälä frequency does not exceed the stellar spin rate in the simulations too much). The application to stars suggests that the resulting magnetic fields could be observable at the stellar surfaces. Indeed, we expect magnetic field strengths up to several Gauss. Consequently, tidally driven dynamos should be considered as a (complementary) dynamo mechanism, possibly operating in radiative MS and PMS stars hosting orbital companions. In particular, tidally driven dynamos may explain the observed magnetism of tidally deformed and rapidly rotating Vega-like stars.

Spitzer Trigonometric Parallaxes of L, T, and Y Dwarfs: Complementing Gaia's Optically-selected Census of Nearby Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Smart, Richard; Marocco, Federico; Martin, Emily; Faherty, Jacqueline; Tinney, Christopher; Cushing, Michael; Beichman, Charles; Gelino, Christopher; Schneider, Adam; Wright, Edward; Lowrance, Patrick; Ingalls, James

2018-05-01

We now find ourselves at a moment in history where a parallax-selected census of nearby objects from the hottest A stars to the coldest Y dwarfs is almost a reality. With the release of Gaia DR2 in April of this year, we will be able to extract a volume-limited sample of stars out to 20 pc down to a spectral type of L5. Extending the census to colder types is much more difficult but nonetheless possible and essential. Ground-based astrometric monitoring of some of these colder dwarfs can be done with deep infrared detections on moderate to large (4+ meter) telescopes, but given the amount of time needed, only a portion of the colder objects believed to lie within 20 pc has been monitored. Our prior Spitzer observations have already enabled direct distance measures for T6 through Y dwarfs, but many 20-pc objects with spectral types between L5 and T5.5 have still not been astrometrically monitored, leaving a hole in our knowledge of this important all-sky sample. Spitzer Cycle 14 observations of modest time expenditure can rectify this problem by providing parallaxes for the 150+ objects remaining. Analysis of the brown dwarfs targeted by Spitzer is particularly important because it will provide insight into the low-mass cutoff of star formation, the shape of the mass function as inferred from the observed temperature distribution, the binary fraction of near-equal mass doubles, and the prevalence of extremely young (low-gravity) and extremely old (low metallicity) objects within the sample - all of which can be used to test and further refine model predictions of the underlying mass function.

HOST GALAXIES OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE FROM THE NEARBY SUPERNOVA FACTORY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Childress, M.; Aldering, G.; Aragon, C.; Bailey, S.; Fakhouri, H. K.; Hsiao, E. Y.; Kim, A. G.; Loken, S.; Antilogus, P.; Bongard, S.; Canto, A.; Cellier-Holzem, F.; Guy, J.; Baltay, C.; Buton, C.; Kerschhaggl, M.; Kowalski, M.; Chotard, N.; Copin, Y.; Gangler, E.

2013-01-01

We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of galaxies hosting Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed by the Nearby Supernova Factory. Combining Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV data with optical and near-infrared photometry, we employ stellar population synthesis techniques to measure SN Ia host galaxy stellar masses, star formation rates (SFRs), and reddening due to dust. We reinforce the key role of GALEX UV data in deriving accurate estimates of galaxy SFRs and dust extinction. Optical spectra of SN Ia host galaxies are fitted simultaneously for their stellar continua and emission lines fluxes, from which we derive high-precision redshifts, gas-phase metallicities, and Hα-based SFRs. With these data we show that SN Ia host galaxies present tight agreement with the fiducial galaxy mass-metallicity relation from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for stellar masses log(M * /M ☉ ) > 8.5 where the relation is well defined. The star formation activity of SN Ia host galaxies is consistent with a sample of comparable SDSS field galaxies, though this comparison is limited by systematic uncertainties in SFR measurements. Our analysis indicates that SN Ia host galaxies are, on average, typical representatives of normal field galaxies.

OVERVIEW OF THE SDSS-IV MaNGA SURVEY: MAPPING NEARBY GALAXIES AT APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bundy, Kevin [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI), Todai Institutes for Advanced Study, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8583 (Japan); Bershady, Matthew A.; Wake, David A.; Tremonti, Christy; Diamond-Stanic, Aleksandar M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 475 North Charter Street, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Law, David R.; Cherinka, Brian [Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H4 (Canada); Yan, Renbin; Sánchez-Gallego, José R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, 505 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40506-0055 (United States); Drory, Niv [McDonald Observatory, Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712-0259 (United States); MacDonald, Nicholas [Department of Astronomy, Box 351580, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Weijmans, Anne-Marie [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Thomas, Daniel; Masters, Karen; Coccato, Lodovico [Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth (United Kingdom); Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Avila-Reese, Vladimir [Instituto de Astronomia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, A.P. 70-264, 04510 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Badenes, Carles [Department of Physics and Astronomy and Pittsburgh Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology Center (PITT PACC), University of Pittsburgh, 3941 OHara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States); Falcón-Barroso, Jésus [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Belfiore, Francesco [Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 19 J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); and others

2015-01-01

We present an overview of a new integral field spectroscopic survey called MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory), one of three core programs in the fourth-generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) that began on 2014 July 1. MaNGA will investigate the internal kinematic structure and composition of gas and stars in an unprecedented sample of 10,000 nearby galaxies. We summarize essential characteristics of the instrument and survey design in the context of MaNGA's key science goals and present prototype observations to demonstrate MaNGA's scientific potential. MaNGA employs dithered observations with 17 fiber-bundle integral field units that vary in diameter from 12'' (19 fibers) to 32'' (127 fibers). Two dual-channel spectrographs provide simultaneous wavelength coverage over 3600-10300 Å at R ∼ 2000. With a typical integration time of 3 hr, MaNGA reaches a target r-band signal-to-noise ratio of 4-8 (Å{sup –1} per 2'' fiber) at 23 AB mag arcsec{sup –2}, which is typical for the outskirts of MaNGA galaxies. Targets are selected with M {sub *} ≳ 10{sup 9} M {sub ☉} using SDSS-I redshifts and i-band luminosity to achieve uniform radial coverage in terms of the effective radius, an approximately flat distribution in stellar mass, and a sample spanning a wide range of environments. Analysis of our prototype observations demonstrates MaNGA's ability to probe gas ionization, shed light on recent star formation and quenching, enable dynamical modeling, decompose constituent components, and map the composition of stellar populations. MaNGA's spatially resolved spectra will enable an unprecedented study of the astrophysics of nearby galaxies in the coming 6 yr.

OVERVIEW OF THE SDSS-IV MaNGA SURVEY: MAPPING NEARBY GALAXIES AT APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bundy, Kevin; Bershady, Matthew A.; Wake, David A.; Tremonti, Christy; Diamond-Stanic, Aleksandar M.; Law, David R.; Cherinka, Brian; Yan, Renbin; Sánchez-Gallego, José R.; Drory, Niv; MacDonald, Nicholas; Weijmans, Anne-Marie; Thomas, Daniel; Masters, Karen; Coccato, Lodovico; Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso; Avila-Reese, Vladimir; Badenes, Carles; Falcón-Barroso, Jésus; Belfiore, Francesco

2015-01-01

We present an overview of a new integral field spectroscopic survey called MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory), one of three core programs in the fourth-generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) that began on 2014 July 1. MaNGA will investigate the internal kinematic structure and composition of gas and stars in an unprecedented sample of 10,000 nearby galaxies. We summarize essential characteristics of the instrument and survey design in the context of MaNGA's key science goals and present prototype observations to demonstrate MaNGA's scientific potential. MaNGA employs dithered observations with 17 fiber-bundle integral field units that vary in diameter from 12'' (19 fibers) to 32'' (127 fibers). Two dual-channel spectrographs provide simultaneous wavelength coverage over 3600-10300 Å at R ∼ 2000. With a typical integration time of 3 hr, MaNGA reaches a target r-band signal-to-noise ratio of 4-8 (Å –1 per 2'' fiber) at 23 AB mag arcsec –2 , which is typical for the outskirts of MaNGA galaxies. Targets are selected with M * ≳ 10 9 M ☉ using SDSS-I redshifts and i-band luminosity to achieve uniform radial coverage in terms of the effective radius, an approximately flat distribution in stellar mass, and a sample spanning a wide range of environments. Analysis of our prototype observations demonstrates MaNGA's ability to probe gas ionization, shed light on recent star formation and quenching, enable dynamical modeling, decompose constituent components, and map the composition of stellar populations. MaNGA's spatially resolved spectra will enable an unprecedented study of the astrophysics of nearby galaxies in the coming 6 yr

Variable Stars in the Field of V729 Aql

Science.gov (United States)

Cagaš, P.

2017-04-01

Wide field instruments can be used to acquire light curves of tens or even hundreds of variable stars per night, which increases the probability of new discoveries of interesting variable stars and generally increases the efficiency of observations. At the same time, wide field instruments produce a large amount of data, which must be processed using advanced software. The traditional approach, typically used by amateur astronomers, requires an unacceptable amount of time needed to process each data set. New functionality, built into SIPS software package, can shorten the time needed to obtain light curves by several orders of magnitude. Also, newly introduced SILICUPS software is intended for post-processing of stored light curves. It can be used to visualize observations from many nights, to find variable star periods, evaluate types of variability, etc. This work provides an overview of tools used to process data from the large field of view around the variable star V729 Aql. and demonstrates the results.

NEW OPTICAL/ULTRAVIOLET COUNTERPARTS AND THE SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF NEARBY, THERMALLY EMITTING, ISOLATED NEUTRON STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, D. L.; Kamble, A.; Van Kerkwijk, M. H.; Ho, W. C. G.

2011-01-01

We present Hubble Space Telescope optical and ultraviolet photometry for five nearby, thermally emitting neutron stars. With these measurements, all seven such objects have confirmed optical and ultraviolet counterparts. Combining our data with archival space-based photometry, we present spectral energy distributions for all sources and measure the 'optical excess': the factor by which the measured photometry exceeds that extrapolated from X-ray spectra. We find that the majority have optical and ultraviolet fluxes that are inconsistent with that expected from thermal (Rayleigh-Jeans) emission, exhibiting more flux at longer wavelengths. We also find that most objects have optical excesses between 5 and 12, but that one object (RX J2143.0+0654) exceeds the X-ray extrapolation by a factor of more than 50 at 5000 A, and that this is robust to uncertainties in the X-ray spectra and absorption. We consider explanations for this ranging from atmospheric effects, magnetospheric emission, and resonant scattering, but find that none is satisfactory.

Emission-line diagnostics of nearby H II regions including interacting binary populations

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Lin; Stanway, Elizabeth R.; Eldridge, J. J.

2018-06-01

We present numerical models of the nebular emission from H II regions around young stellar populations over a range of compositions and ages. The synthetic stellar populations include both single stars and interacting binary stars. We compare these models to the observed emission lines of 254 H II regions of 13 nearby spiral galaxies and 21 dwarf galaxies drawn from archival data. The models are created using the combination of the BPASS (Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis) code with the photoionization code CLOUDY to study the differences caused by the inclusion of interacting binary stars in the stellar population. We obtain agreement with the observed emission line ratios from the nearby star-forming regions and discuss the effect of binary-star evolution pathways on the nebular ionization of H II regions. We find that at population ages above 10 Myr, single-star models rapidly decrease in flux and ionization strength, while binary-star models still produce strong flux and high [O III]/H β ratios. Our models can reproduce the metallicity of H II regions from spiral galaxies, but we find higher metallicities than previously estimated for the H II regions from dwarf galaxies. Comparing the equivalent width of H β emission between models and observations, we find that accounting for ionizing photon leakage can affect age estimates for H II regions. When it is included, the typical age derived for H II regions is 5 Myr from single-star models, and up to 10 Myr with binary-star models. This is due to the existence of binary-star evolution pathways, which produce more hot Wolf-Rayet and helium stars at older ages. For future reference, we calculate new BPASS binary maximal starburst lines as a function of metallicity, and for the total model population, and present these in Appendix A.

Streams and magnetic fields in surface layers of Ap-stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolginov, A.Z.; Urpin, V.A.

1978-01-01

Magnetic field generation of Ap-stars is considered. It is shown that in the surface layers of Ap-stars inhomogeneity of chemical composition produces a strong magnetic field. Velocities of possible circulation of stellar matter are estimated. It is shown that circulation does not prevent the process of the magnetic field generation. It needs the order of million years, for arranging the stationary magnetic field in surface layers

On planetary nebulae and Wolf-Rayet stars in the galactic-centre field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, D.A.

1979-01-01

A UK Schmidt objective-prism plate of the Galactic-centre field has been examined. Of the 74 objects in the field which have been catalogued as planetary nebulae, only half appear correctly classified; the others include Be stars, symbiotic stars, and stars without emission lines. A further 19 planetary nebulae and two Wolf-Rayet stars have been discovered. (author)

Magnetic field effects on the crust structure of neutron stars

Science.gov (United States)

Franzon, B.; Negreiros, R.; Schramm, S.

2017-12-01

We study the effects of high magnetic fields on the structure and on the geometry of the crust in neutron stars. We find that the crust geometry is substantially modified by the magnetic field inside the star. We build stationary and axis-symmetric magnetized stellar models by using well-known equations of state to describe the neutron star crust, namely, the Skyrme model for the inner crust and the Baym-Pethick-Sutherland equation of state for the outer crust. We show that the magnetic field has a dual role, contributing to the crust deformation via the electromagnetic interaction (manifested in this case as the Lorentz force) and by contributing to curvature due to the energy stored in it. We also study a direct consequence of the crust deformation due to the magnetic field: the thermal relaxation time. This quantity, which is of great importance to the thermal evolution of neutron stars, is sensitive to the crust properties, and, as such, we show that it may be strongly affected by the magnetic field.

Undergraduate ALFALFA Team: Analysis of Spatially-Resolved Star-Formation in Nearby Galaxy Groups and Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Finn, Rose; Collova, Natasha; Spicer, Sandy; Whalen, Kelly; Koopmann, Rebecca A.; Durbala, Adriana; Haynes, Martha P.; Undergraduate ALFALFA Team

2017-01-01

As part of the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team, we are conducting a survey of the gas and star-formation properties of galaxies in 36 groups and clusters in the local universe. The galaxies in our sample span a large range of galactic environments, from the centers of galaxy groups and clusters to the surrounding infall regions. One goal of the project is to map the spatial distribution of star-formation; the relative extent of the star-forming and stellar disks provides important information about the internal and external processes that deplete gas and thus drive galaxy evolution. We obtained wide-field H-alpha observations with the WIYN 0.9m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory for galaxies in the vicinity of the MKW11 and NRGb004 galaxy groups and the Abell 1367 cluster. We present a preliminary analysis of the relative size of the star-forming and stellar disks as a function of galaxy morphology and local galaxy density, and we calculate gas depletion times using star-formation rates and HI gas mass. We will combine these results with those from other UAT members to determine if and how environmentally-driven gas depletion varies with the mass and X-ray properties of the host group or cluster. This work has supported by NSF grants AST-0847430, AST-1211005 and AST-1637339.

Evolution of a massive binary in a star field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baranov, A.S.

1984-01-01

The orbital evolution of a massive binary system interacting with a background field of single stars whose phase density is homogeneous in configuration space is considered. The velocity distribution is assumed isotropic up to some limiting value, and a typical field star is regarded as having a velocity much higher than the orbital speed of the pair components. An expression is derived for the transfer of energy from the binary to the field stars. The time evolution of the orbit parameters a, e is established, and the evolution rate is estimated for Kardashev's (1983) model galactic nucleus containing a central black-hole binary. On the above assumptions the components should become twice as close together within only a few tens of millennia, although the picture may change fundamentally if the nucleus is rotating. 13 references

Zodiacal Exoplanets in Time: Searching for Young Stars in K2

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Nathan Ryan; Mann, Andrew; Rizzuto, Aaron

2018-01-01

Observations of planetary systems around young stars provide insight into the early stages of planetary system formation. Nearby young open clusters such as the Hyades, Pleiades, and Praesepe provide important benchmarks for the properties of stellar systems in general. These clusters are all known to be less than 1 Gyr old, making them ideal targets for a survey of young planetary systems. Few transiting planets have been detected around clusters stars, however, so this alone is too small of a sample. K2, the revived Kepler mission, has provided a vast number of light curves for young stars in clusters and elsewhere in the K2 field. This provides us with the opportunity to extend the sample of young systems to field stars while calibrating with cluster stars. We compute rotational periods from starspot patterns for ~36,000 K2 targets and use gyrochronological relationships derived from cluster stars to determine their ages. From there, we have begun searching for planets around young stars outside the clusters with the ultimate goal of shedding light on how planets and planetary systems evolve in their early, most formative years.

A NuSTAR survey of nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teng, Stacy H.; Rigby, Jane R.; Stern, Daniel

2015-01-01

We present a Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Chandra, and XMM-Newton survey of nine of the nearest ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The unprecedented sensitivity of NuSTAR at energies above 10 keV enables spectral modeling with far better precision than was previously......] line luminosity than do Seyfert 1 galaxies. We identify IRAS 08572+3915 as another candidate intrinsically X-ray weak source, similar to Mrk 231. We speculate that the X-ray weakness of IRAS 08572+3915 is related to its powerful outflow observed at other wavelengths....

The Nearby, Young, Argus Association: Membership, Age, and Dusty Debris Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Zuckerman, Ben

2018-01-01

The Argus Association (AA) defined by Torres et al. (2008) is distinguished from other nearby young moving groups by virtue of its unusual Galactic U-velocity. As defined by Torres et al, their initial AA consisted of 35 members of the IC 2391 open cluster (~135 pc from Earth) and 29 “field members”, 15 of which are within 100 pc of Earth. The spectral types range from F through K with the exception of two M-type members of IC 2391. Zuckerman et al. (2011 & 2012) proposed 13 additional field members – 12 A-type and one F-type -- all of which lie within 80 pc of Earth. Additional AA members have been proposed, typically a few at a time, by other researchers. Deduced ages of the AA (via various techniques) lie, typically, between 40 and 60 Myr. Bell et al (2015) consider the membership and age of a subset of proposed AA stars via color-magnitude diagrams combined with a Bayesian analysis (following Malo et al 2013 & 2014). For the sample of AA stars that they considered, the group age, membership status of individual stars, and even the reality of a coeval moving group were in some doubt. The purpose of the present communication is to consider all proposed AA members – including the frequency of dusty debris disks -- in an attempt to bring some clarity to what is going on.

The effect of the scalar-isovector meson field on hyperon-rich neutron star matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mi, Aijun; Zuo, Wei; Li, Ang

2008-01-01

We investigate the effect of the scalar-isovector δ-meson field on the equation of state (EOS) and composition of hyperonic neutron star matter, and the properties of hyperonic neutron stars within the framework of the relativistic mean field theory. The influence of the δ-field turns out to be quite different and generally weaker for hyperonic neutron star matter as compared to that for npeμ neutron star matter. We find that inclusion of the δ-field enhances the strangeness content slightly and consequently moderately softens the EOS of neutron star matter in its hyperonic phase. As for the composition of hyperonic star matter, the effect of the δ-field is shown to shift the onset of the negatively-charged (positively-charged) hyperons to slightly lower (higher) densities and to enhance (reduce) their abundances. The influence of the δ-field on the maximum mass of hyperonic neutron stars is found to be fairly weak, whereas inclusion of the δ-field turns out to enhance sizably both the radii and the moments of inertia of neutron stars with given masses. It is also shown that the effects of the δ-field on the properties of hyperonic neutron stars remain similar in the case of switching off the Σ hyperons. (author)

Distances of Dwarf Carbon Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Hugh C.; Dahn, Conard C.; Subasavage, John P.; Munn, Jeffrey A.; Canzian, Blaise J.; Levine, Stephen E.; Monet, Alice B.; Pier, Jeffrey R.; Stone, Ronald C.; Tilleman, Trudy M.; Hartkopf, William I.

2018-06-01

Parallaxes are presented for a sample of 20 nearby dwarf carbon stars. The inferred luminosities cover almost two orders of magnitude. Their absolute magnitudes and tangential velocities confirm prior expectations that some originate in the Galactic disk, although more than half of this sample are halo stars. Three stars are found to be astrometric binaries, and orbital elements are determined; their semimajor axes are 1–3 au, consistent with the size of an AGB mass-transfer donor star.

Multipolar electromagnetic fields around neutron stars: general-relativistic vacuum solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Pétri, J.

2017-12-01

Magnetic fields inside and around neutron stars are at the heart of pulsar magnetospheric activity. Strong magnetic fields are responsible for quantum effects, an essential ingredient to produce leptonic pairs and the subsequent broad-band radiation. The variety of electromagnetic field topologies could lead to the observed diversity of neutron star classes. Thus, it is important to include multipolar components to a presumably dominant dipolar magnetic field. Exact analytical solutions for these multipoles in Newtonian gravity have been computed in recent literature. However, flat space-time is not adequate to describe physics in the immediate surroundings of neutron stars. We generalize the multipole expressions to the strong gravity regime by using a slowly rotating metric approximation such as the one expected around neutron stars. Approximate formulae for the electromagnetic field including frame dragging are computed from which we estimate the Poynting flux and the braking index. Corrections to leading order in compactness and spin parameter are presented. As far as spin-down luminosity is concerned, it is shown that frame dragging remains irrelevant. For high-order multipoles starting from the quadrupole, the electric part can radiate more efficiently than the magnetic part. Both analytical and numerical tools are employed.

Properties of bare strange stars associated with surface electric fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picanco Negreiros, Rodrigo; Mishustin, Igor N.; Schramm, Stefan; Weber, Fridolin

2010-01-01

In this paper we investigate the electrodynamic surface properties of bare strange quark stars. The surfaces of such objects are characterized by the formation of ultrahigh electric surface fields which might be as high as ∼10 19 V/cm. These fields result from the formation of electric dipole layers at the stellar surfaces. We calculate the increase in gravitational mass associated with the energy stored in the electric dipole field, which turns out to be only significant if the star possesses a sufficiently strong net electric charge distribution. In the second part of the paper, we explore the intriguing possibility of what happens when the electron layer (sphere) rotates with respect to the stellar strange matter body. We find that in this event magnetic fields can be generated which, for moderate effective rotational frequencies between the electron layer and the stellar body, agree with the magnetic fields inferred for several central compact objects. These objects could thus be comfortably interpreted as strange stars whose electron atmospheres rotate at frequencies that are moderately different (∼10 Hz) from the rotational frequencies of the strange star itself.

Carbon and oxygen abundances of field RR Lyrae stars. I. Carbon abundances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butler, D.; Manduca, A.; Deming, D.; Bell, R.A.

1982-01-01

From an analysis of KPNO 4-m echelle plates and simultaneous uvbyβ photometry, we have determined carbon abundances and carbon-to-iron ratios for a large number of field RR Lyrae stars having [Fe/H]> or approx. =-1.2. It is found that these field RR Lyrae stars: stars which are known to be in an advanced evolutionary state: have carbon-to-iron ratios which are similar to those of unevolved stars

Investigating nearby star-forming galaxies in the ultraviolet with HST/COS spectroscopy. I. Spectral analysis and interstellar abundance determinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, B. L.; Aloisi, A.; Sohn, S. T.; Wolfe, M. A.; Heckman, T.

2014-01-01

This is the first in a series of three papers describing a project with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope to measure abundances of the neutral interstellar medium (ISM) in a sample of nine nearby star-forming galaxies. The goal is to assess the (in)homogeneities of the multiphase ISM in galaxies where the bulk of metals can be hidden in the neutral phase, yet the metallicity is inferred from the ionized gas in the H II regions. The sample, spanning a wide range in physical properties, is to date the best suited to investigate the metallicity behavior of the neutral gas at redshift z = 0. ISM absorption lines were detected against the far-ultraviolet spectra of the brightest star-forming region(s) within each galaxy. Here we report on the observations, data reduction, and analysis of these spectra. Column densities were measured by a multicomponent line-profile fitting technique, and neutral-gas abundances were obtained for a wide range of elements. Several caveats were considered, including line saturation, ionization corrections, and dust depletion. Ionization effects were quantified with ad hoc CLOUDY models reproducing the complex photoionization structure of the ionized and neutral gas surrounding the UV-bright sources. An 'average spectrum of a redshift z = 0 star-forming galaxy' was obtained from the average column densities of unsaturated profiles of neutral-gas species. This template can be used as a powerful tool for studies of the neutral ISM at both low and high redshift.

New nearby white dwarfs from Gaia DR1 TGAS and UCAC5/URAT

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, R.-D.; Meusinger, H.; Jahreiß, H.

2018-05-01

Aims: Using an accurate Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) 25 pc sample that is nearly complete for GK stars and selecting common proper motion (CPM) candidates from the 5th United States Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC5), we search for new white dwarf (WD) companions around nearby stars with relatively small proper motions. Methods: To investigate known CPM systems in TGAS and to select CPM candidates in TGAS+UCAC5, we took into account the expected effect of orbital motion on the proper motion and proper motion catalogue errors. Colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) MJ /J - Ks and MG /G - J were used to verify CPM candidates from UCAC5. Assuming their common distance with a given TGAS star, we searched for candidates that occupied similar regions in the CMDs as the few known nearby WDs (four in TGAS) and WD companions (three in TGAS+UCAC5). The CPM candidates with colours and absolute magnitudes corresponding neither to the main sequence nor to the WD sequence were considered as doubtful or subdwarf candidates. Results: With a minimum proper motion of 60 mas yr-1, we selected three WD companion candidates; two of which are also confirmed by their significant parallaxes measured in URAT data, whereas the third may also be a chance alignment of a distant halo star with a nearby TGAS star that has an angular separation of about 465 arcsec. One additional nearby WD candidate was found from its URAT parallax and GJKs photometry. With HD 166435 B orbiting a well-known G1 star at ≈24.6 pc with a projected physical separation of ≈700 AU, we discovered one of the hottest WDs, classified by us as DA2.0 ± 0.2, in the solar neighbourhood. We also found TYC 3980-1081-1 B, a strong cool WD companion candidate around a recently identified new solar neighbour with a TGAS parallax corresponding to a distance of ≈8.3 pc and our photometric classification as ≈M2 dwarf. This raises the question of whether previous assumptions on the completeness of the WD

Effect of tidal fields on star clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Chernoff, David; Weinberg, Martin

1991-01-01

We follow the dynamical evolution of a star cluster in a galactic tidal field using a restricted N-body code. We find large asymmetric distortions in the outer profile of the cluster in the first 10 or so crossing times as material is lost. Prograde stars escape preferentially and establish a potentially observable retrograde rotation in the halo. We present the rate of particle loss and compare with the prescription proposed by Lee and Ostriker (1987).

Evolution of Neutron Star Magnetic Fields

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

in nuclei. The neutrons are expected to form a 3P superfluid and the protons a 1S ... crust are expected to form a lattice; the electrons are free and highly degenerate, .... the reduced magnetic fields in neutron stars processed in binaries,.

The age distributions of clusters and field stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud — implications for star formation histories

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kruijssen, J.M.D.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/325799911; Lamers, H.J.G.L.M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/072834870

2008-01-01

Differences between the inferred star formation histories (SFHs) of star clusters and field stars seem to suggest distinct star formation processes for the two. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is an example of a galaxy where such a discrepancy is observed. We model the observed age distributions of

Star formation: Sibling rivalry begins at birth

Science.gov (United States)

Kratter, Kaitlin M.

2015-02-01

High-resolution astronomical observations of a nearby molecular gas cloud have revealed a quadruplet of stars in the act of formation. The system is arguably the youngest multiple star system detected so far. See Letter p.213

The Keck/OSIRIS Nearby AGN Survey (KONA). I. The Nuclear K-band Properties of Nearby AGN

Science.gov (United States)

Müller-Sánchez, F.; Hicks, E. K. S.; Malkan, M.; Davies, R.; Yu, P. C.; Shaver, S.; Davis, B.

2018-05-01

We introduce the Keck OSIRIS Nearby AGN survey (KONA), a new adaptive optics-assisted integral-field spectroscopic survey of Seyfert galaxies. KONA permits at ∼0.″1 resolution a detailed study of the nuclear kinematic structure of gas and stars in a representative sample of 40 local bona fide active galactic nucleus (AGN). KONA seeks to characterize the physical processes responsible for the coevolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies, principally inflows and outflows. With these IFU data of the nuclear regions of 40 Seyfert galaxies, the KONA survey will be able to study, for the first time, a number of key topics with meaningful statistics. In this paper we study the nuclear K-band properties of nearby AGN. We find that the K-band (2.1 μm) luminosities of the compact Seyfert 1 nuclei are correlated with the hard X-ray luminosities, implying a non-stellar origin for the majority of the continuum emission. The best-fit correlation is log L K = 0.9log L 2–10 keV + 4 over three orders of magnitude in both K-band and X-ray luminosities. We find no strong correlation between 2.1 μm luminosity and hard X-ray luminosity for the Seyfert 2 galaxies. The spatial extent and spectral slope of the Seyfert 2 galaxies indicate the presence of nuclear star formation and attenuating material (gas and dust), which in some cases is compact and in some galaxies extended. We detect coronal-line emission in 36 galaxies and for the first time in 5 galaxies. Finally, we find 4/20 galaxies that are usually classified as Seyfert 2 based on their optical spectra exhibit a broad component of Brγ emission, and one galaxy (NGC 7465) shows evidence of a double nucleus. Based on observations 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

Magnetic Fields of Neutron Stars

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Sushan Konar

2017-09-12

Sep 12, 2017 ... the material properties of the region where currents supporting the .... 1The evolution of magnetic field in neutron stars, in particular, the question of .... −10, 10. −9, 10. −8. M⊙/yr respec- tively. See Konar & Bhattacharya (1997) for details. Peq ≃ 1.9 ms ..... ported by a grant (SR/WOS-A/PM-1038/2014) from.

Massive stars in galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphreys, R.M.

1987-01-01

The relationship between the morphologic type of a galaxy and the evolution of its massive stars is explored, reviewing observational results for nearby galaxies. The data are presented in diagrams, and it is found that the massive-star populations of most Sc spiral galaxies and irregular galaxies are similar, while those of Sb spirals such as M 31 and M 81 may be affected by morphology (via differences in the initial mass function or star-formation rate). Consideration is also given to the stability-related upper luminosity limit in the H-R diagram of hypergiant stars (attributed to radiation pressure in hot stars and turbulence in cool stars) and the goals of future observation campaigns. 88 references

Fundamental Properties of Co-moving Stars Observed by Gaia

Science.gov (United States)

Bochanski, John J.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Gagné, Jonathan; Nelson, Olivia; Coker, Kristina; Smithka, Iliya; Desir, Deion; Vasquez, Chelsea

2018-04-01

We have estimated fundamental parameters for a sample of co-moving stars observed by Gaia and identified by Oh et al. We matched the Gaia observations to the 2MASS and Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer catalogs and fit MIST isochrones to the data, deriving estimates of the mass, radius, [Fe/H], age, distance, and extinction to 9754 stars in the original sample of 10606 stars. We verify these estimates by comparing our new results to previous analyses of nearby stars, examining fiducial cluster properties, and estimating the power-law slope of the local present-day mass function. A comparison to previous studies suggests that our mass estimates are robust, while metallicity and age estimates are increasingly uncertain. We use our calculated masses to examine the properties of binaries in the sample and show that separation of the pairs dominates the observed binding energies and expected lifetimes.

NGVLA Observations of Dense Gas Filaments in Star-Forming Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Di Francesco, James; Chen, Mike; Keown, Jared; GAS Team, KEYSTONE Team

2018-01-01

Recent observations of continuum emission from nearby star-forming regions with Herschel and JCMT have revealed that filaments are ubiquitous structures within molecular clouds. Such filaments appear to be intimately connected to star formation, with those having column densities of AV > 8 hosting the majority of prestellar cores and young protostars in clouds. Indeed, this “threshold” can be explained simply as the result of supercritical cylinder fragmentation. How specifically star-forming filaments form in molecular clouds, however, remains unclear, though gravity and turbulence are likely involved. Observations of their kinematics are needed to understand how mass flows both onto and through these filaments. We show here results from two recent surveys, the Green Bank Ammonia Survey (GAS) and the K-band Examinations of Young Stellar Object Natal Environments (KEYSTONE) that have used the Green Bank Telescope’s K-band Focal Plane Array instrument to map NH3 (1,1) emission from dense gas in nearby star-forming regions. Data from both surveys show that NH3 emission traces extremely well the high column density gas across these star-forming regions. In particular, the GAS results for NGC 1333 show NH3-based velocity gradients either predominantly parallel or perpendicular to the filament spines. Though the GAS and KEYSTONE data are vital for probing filaments, higher resolutions than possible with the GBT alone are needed to examine the kinematic patterns on the 0.1-pc scales of star-forming cores within filaments. We describe how the Next Generation Very Large Array (NGVLA) will uniquely provide the key wide-field data of high sensitivity needed to explore how ambient gas in molecular clouds forms filaments that evolve toward star formation.

MAGNETIC FIELD MEASUREMENTS OF T TAURI STARS IN THE ORION NEBULA CLUSTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Yang; Johns-Krull, Christopher M.

2011-01-01

We present an analysis of high-resolution (R ∼ 50, 000) infrared K-band echelle spectra of 14 T Tauri stars (TTSs) in the Orion Nebula Cluster. We model Zeeman broadening in three magnetically sensitive Ti I lines near 2.2 μm and consistently detect kilogauss-level magnetic fields in the stellar photospheres. The data are consistent in each case with the entire stellar surface being covered with magnetic fields, suggesting that magnetic pressure likely dominates over gas pressure in the photospheres of these stars. These very strong magnetic fields might themselves be responsible for the underproduction of X-ray emission of TTSs relative to what is expected based on main-sequence star calibrations. We combine these results with previous measurements of 14 stars in Taurus and 5 stars in the TW Hydrae association to study the potential variation of magnetic field properties during the first 10 million years of stellar evolution, finding a steady decline in total magnetic flux with age.

Photometry of Southern Hemisphere red dwarf stars

Science.gov (United States)

Weistrop, D.

1980-01-01

Results are presented for a photometric investigation of a spectroscopically selected sample of red dwarf stars in the Southern Hemisphere. Absolute magnitudes and distances for the stars are estimated from broadband red colors. Three stars which may be subluminous are identified, as are several stars which may be within 25 pc. The tangential velocity and velocity dispersion of the sample are similar to values found in other studies of nearby late-type stars.

New far infrared images of bright, nearby, star-forming regions

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, D. AL, Jr.; Cole, David M.; Dowell, C. Darren; Lees, Joanna F.; Lowenstein, Robert F.

1995-01-01

Broadband imaging in the far infrared is a vital tool for understanding how young stars form, evolve, and interact with their environment. As the sensitivity and size of detector arrays has increased, a richer and more detailed picture has emerged of the nearest and brightest regions of active star formation. We present data on M 17, M 42, and S 106 taken recently on the Kuiper Airborne Observatory with the Yerkes Observatory 60-channel far infrared camera, which has pixel sizes of 17 in. at 60 microns, 27 in. at 100 microns, and 45 in. at 160 and 200 microns. In addition to providing a clearer view of the complex central cores of the regions, the images reveal new details of the structure and heating of ionization fronts and photodissociation zones where radiation form luminous stars interacts with adjacent molecular clouds.

Spectrophotometry of nearby field galaxies : The data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, RA; Fabricant, D; Franx, M; Caldwell, N

We have obtained integrated and nuclear spectra as well as U, B, R surface photometry for a representative sample of 196 nearby galaxies. These galaxies span the entire Hubble sequence in morphological type, as well as a wide range of luminosities (M(B) = -14 to -22). Here we present the

Photometric Observations of 6000 Stars in the Cygnus Field

Science.gov (United States)

Borucki, W.; Caldwell, D.; Koch, D.; Jenkins, J.; Ninkov, Z.

1999-01-01

A small photometer to detect transits by extrasolar planets has been assembled and is being tested at Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton, California. The Vulcan photometer is constructed from a 30 cm focal length, F/2.5 AeroEktar reconnaissance lens and Photometrics PXL16800 CCD camera. A spectral filter is used to confine the pass band from 480 to 763 mn. It simultaneously monitors 6000 stars brighter than 12th magnitude within a single star field in the galactic plane. When the data are folded and phased to discover low amplitude transits, the relative precision of one-hour samples is about 1 part per thousand (10 x l0(exp -3)) for many of the brighter stars. This precision is sufficient to find jovian-size planets orbiting solar-like stars, which have signal amplitudes from 5 to 30 x l0(exp -3) depending on the inflation of the planet and the size of the star. Based on the frequency of giant inner-planets discovered by Doppler-velocity method, one or two planets should be detectable in a rich star field. The goal of the observations is to obtain the sizes of giant extrasolar planets in short-period orbits and to combine these with masses determined from Doppler velocity measurements to determine the densities of these planets. A further goal is to compare the measured planetary diameters with those predicted from theoretical models. From August 10 through September 30 of 1998, a forty nine square degree field in the Cygnus constellation centered at RA and DEC of 19 hr 47 min, +36 deg 55 min was observed. Useful data were obtained on twenty-nine nights. Nearly fifty stars showed some evidence of transits with periods between 0.3 and 8 days. Most had amplitudes too large to be associated with planetary transits. However, several stars showed low amplitude transits. The data for several transits of each of these two stars have been folded and been folded into 30 minute periods. Only Cygl433 shows any evidence of a flattened bottom that is expected when a small object

StarHorse: a Bayesian tool for determining stellar masses, ages, distances, and extinctions for field stars

Science.gov (United States)

Queiroz, A. B. A.; Anders, F.; Santiago, B. X.; Chiappini, C.; Steinmetz, M.; Dal Ponte, M.; Stassun, K. G.; da Costa, L. N.; Maia, M. A. G.; Crestani, J.; Beers, T. C.; Fernández-Trincado, J. G.; García-Hernández, D. A.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Zamora, O.

2018-05-01

Understanding the formation and evolution of our Galaxy requires accurate distances, ages, and chemistry for large populations of field stars. Here, we present several updates to our spectrophotometric distance code, which can now also be used to estimate ages, masses, and extinctions for individual stars. Given a set of measured spectrophotometric parameters, we calculate the posterior probability distribution over a given grid of stellar evolutionary models, using flexible Galactic stellar-population priors. The code (called StarHorse) can accommodate different observational data sets, prior options, partially missing data, and the inclusion of parallax information into the estimated probabilities. We validate the code using a variety of simulated stars as well as real stars with parameters determined from asteroseismology, eclipsing binaries, and isochrone fits to star clusters. Our main goal in this validation process is to test the applicability of the code to field stars with known Gaia-like parallaxes. The typical internal precisions (obtained from realistic simulations of an APOGEE+Gaia-like sample) are {˜eq } 8 {per cent} in distance, {˜eq } 20 {per cent} in age, {˜eq } 6 {per cent} in mass, and ≃ 0.04 mag in AV. The median external precision (derived from comparisons with earlier work for real stars) varies with the sample used, but lies in the range of {˜eq } [0,2] {per cent} for distances, {˜eq } [12,31] {per cent} for ages, {˜eq } [4,12] {per cent} for masses, and ≃ 0.07 mag for AV. We provide StarHorse distances and extinctions for the APOGEE DR14, RAVE DR5, GES DR3, and GALAH DR1 catalogues.

Radial modes of slowly rotating compact stars in the presence of magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panda, N.R. [Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar (India); Siksha ' O' Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar (India); Mohanta, K.K. [Rairangpur College, Rairangpur, Odisha (India); Sahu, P.K. [Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar (India)

2016-09-15

Compact stars are composed of very high-density hadron matter. When the matter is above nuclear matter density, then there is a chance of different phases of matter such as hadron matter to quark matter. There is a possible phase which, having the quark core surrounded by a mixed phase followed by hadronic matter, may be considered as a hybrid phase inside the stars called hybrid star (HS). The star which consists of only u, d and s quarks is called quark star (QS) and the star which has only hadronic matter is called neutron star (NS). For the equation of state (EOS) of hadronic matter, we have considered the Relativistic Mean Field (RMF) theory and we incorporated the effect of strong magnetic fields. For the EOS of the quark phase we use the simple MIT bag model. We have assumed Gaussian parametrization to make the density dependent for both bag pressure in quark matter and magnetic field. We have constructed the intermediate mixed phase by using the Glendenning conjecture. Eigenfrequencies of radial pulsations of slowly rotating magnetized compact stars (NS, QS, HS) are calculated in a general relativistic formalism given by Chandrasekhar and Friedman. We have studied the effect of central density on the square of the frequencies of the compact stars in the presence of zero and strong magnetic field. (orig.)

The Hα Emission of Nearby M Dwarfs and its Relation to Stellar Rotation

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Elisabeth R.; Irwin, Jonathan; Charbonneau, David; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Michael L.; Mink, Jessica

2017-01-01

The high-energy emission from low-mass stars is mediated by the magnetic dynamo. Although the mechanisms by which fully convective stars generate large-scale magnetic fields are not well understood, it is clear that, as for solar-type stars, stellar rotation plays a pivotal role. We present 270 new optical spectra of low-mass stars in the Solar Neighborhood. Combining our observations with those from the literature, our sample comprises 2202 measurements or non-detections of Hα emission in nearby M dwarfs. This includes 466 with photometric rotation periods. Stars with masses between 0.1 and 0.6 M⊙ are well-represented in our sample, with fast and slow rotators of all masses. We observe a threshold in the mass-period plane that separates active and inactive M dwarfs. The threshold coincides with the fast-period edge of the slowly rotating population, at approximately the rotation period at which an era of rapid rotational evolution appears to cease. The well-defined active/inactive boundary indicates that Hα activity is a useful diagnostic for stellar rotation period, e.g., for target selection for exoplanet surveys, and we present a mass-period relation for inactive M dwarfs. We also find a significant, moderate correlation between LHα/Lbol and variability amplitude: more active stars display higher levels of photometric variability. Consistent with previous work, our data show that rapid rotators maintain a saturated value of LHα/Lbol. Our data also show a clear power-law decay in LHα/Lbol with Rossby number for slow rotators, with an index of -1.7 ± 0.1.

A Search for Host Stars of Free-Floating Planetary Mass Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Tristan, Isaiah; Bowler, Brendan P.

2017-01-01

Over the past decade, the number of free-floating planetary-mass objects (FFPMOs) and imaged planets in widely-bound orbits (from hundreds to thousand of AU) have increased steadily, but the origin of these objects and the relationship between them is unclear. To test if known free-floating objects could actually be distant companions to stars, we searched for wide co-moving companions around a sample of 77 young brown dwarfs and FFPMOs using the PPMXL proper motion catalog. Contamination rates (the probability of field stars co-moving by chance) were then calculated using nearby but unrelated fields, and host star candidates were further vetted using their positions in color magnitude diagrams. Using this method, we recovered all previously known widely-bound host stars within our sample and identified several promising widely separated systems, with separations ranging from 10^4-10^5 AU. Follow up radial velocities are currently being obtained to validate the shared space motion of the most promising candidates; if confirmed, these will be the widest planetary systems known.

Stationary bound-state massive scalar field configurations supported by spherically symmetric compact reflecting stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hod, Shahar [The Ruppin Academic Center, Emeq Hefer (Israel); The Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem (Israel)

2017-12-15

It has recently been demonstrated that asymptotically flat neutral reflecting stars are characterized by an intriguing no-hair property. In particular, it has been proved that these horizonless compact objects cannot support spatially regular static matter configurations made of scalar (spin-0) fields, vector (spin-1) fields and tensor (spin-2) fields. In the present paper we shall explicitly prove that spherically symmetric compact reflecting stars can support stationary (rather than static) bound-state massive scalar fields in their exterior spacetime regions. To this end, we solve analytically the Klein-Gordon wave equation for a linearized scalar field of mass μ and proper frequency ω in the curved background of a spherically symmetric compact reflecting star of mass M and radius R{sub s}. It is proved that the regime of existence of these stationary composed star-field configurations is characterized by the simple inequalities 1 - 2M/R{sub s} < (ω/μ){sup 2} < 1. Interestingly, in the regime M/R{sub s} << 1 of weakly self-gravitating stars we derive a remarkably compact analytical equation for the discrete spectrum {ω(M,R_s, μ)}{sup n=∞}{sub n=1} of resonant oscillation frequencies which characterize the stationary composed compact-reflecting-star-linearized-massive-scalar-field configurations. Finally, we verify the accuracy of the analytically derived resonance formula of the composed star-field configurations with direct numerical computations. (orig.)

BINARY DISRUPTION BY MASSIVE BLACK HOLES: HYPERVELOCITY STARS, S STARS, AND TIDAL DISRUPTION EVENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bromley, Benjamin C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, 115 S 1400 E, Rm 201, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Kenyon, Scott J.; Geller, Margaret J.; Brown, Warren R., E-mail: bromley@physics.utah.edu, E-mail: skenyon@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: mgeller@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: wbrown@cfa.harvard.edu [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2012-04-20

We examine whether disrupted binary stars can fuel black hole growth. In this mechanism, tidal disruption produces a single hypervelocity star (HVS) ejected at high velocity and a former companion star bound to the black hole. After a cluster of bound stars forms, orbital diffusion allows the black hole to accrete stars by tidal disruption at a rate comparable to the capture rate. In the Milky Way, HVSs and the S star cluster imply similar rates of 10{sup -5} to 10{sup -3} yr{sup -1} for binary disruption. These rates are consistent with estimates for the tidal disruption rate in nearby galaxies and imply significant black hole growth from disrupted binaries on 10 Gyr timescales.

The Leoncino Dwarf: The Lowest Metallicity Star-Forming Galaxy in the Nearby Universe

Science.gov (United States)

McQuinn, Kristen

2017-08-01

Extremely metal-poor (XMP) galaxies are dwarf irregular galaxies with very low metallicities, traced by their gas-phase oxygen abundance. Galaxy evolution scenarios suggest three pathways to form an XMP: (1) secular evolution at low galaxy masses, (2) slow evolution in voids, or (3) dilution of measured abundances from infall of pristine gas. These scenarios have proven challenging to test because, despite concerted efforts, XMP galaxies in the nearby universe have proven hard to find. A notable exception is the recently discovered dwarf galaxy Leoncino. Leoncino has the lowest gas-phase oxygen abundance ever measured in a galaxy in the local Universe. From optical spectroscopy, the oxygen abundance is 12+log(O/H)=7.02+/-0.03, more than 40% lower than the iconic low-metallicity galaxy I Zw 18 and less than 2% Z_sun. Despite a precision oxygen abundance measurement, the evolutionary context of Leoncino remains uncertain without a secure distance. We propose HST WFC3 high-resolution optical imaging of Leoncino to accurately measure the distance to the galaxy using the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method. The distance will determine whether Leoncino is located in a typical field environment or in a void, and whether the galaxy is consistent with the luminosity-metallicity relation at low galaxy masses. The detailed study of Leoncino will provide benchmark results for future XMP discoveries in the nearby Universe, and an exceptionally timely comparison for studies of chemically primitive, high-redshift galaxies that will be observable in the JWST era.

BANYAN. V. A SYSTEMATIC ALL-SKY SURVEY FOR NEW VERY LATE-TYPE LOW-MASS STARS AND BROWN DWARFS IN NEARBY YOUNG MOVING GROUPS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gagné, Jonathan; Lafrenière, David; Doyon, René; Malo, Lison; Artigau, Étienne [Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada)

2015-01-10

We present the BANYAN All-Sky Survey (BASS) catalog, consisting of 228 new late-type (M4-L6) candidate members of nearby young moving groups (YMGs) with an expected false-positive rate of ∼13%. This sample includes 79 new candidate young brown dwarfs and 22 planetary-mass objects. These candidates were identified through the first systematic all-sky survey for late-type low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in YMGs. We cross-matched the Two Micron All Sky Survey and AllWISE catalogs outside of the galactic plane to build a sample of 98,970 potential ≥M5 dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and calculated their proper motions with typical precisions of 5-15 mas yr{sup –1}. We selected highly probable candidate members of several YMGs from this sample using the Bayesian Analysis for Nearby Young AssociatioNs II tool (BANYAN II). We used the most probable statistical distances inferred from BANYAN II to estimate the spectral type and mass of these candidate YMG members. We used this unique sample to show tentative signs of mass segregation in the AB Doradus moving group and the Tucana-Horologium and Columba associations. The BASS sample has already been successful in identifying several new young brown dwarfs in earlier publications, and will be of great interest in studying the initial mass function of YMGs and for the search of exoplanets by direct imaging; the input sample of potential close-by ≥M5 dwarfs will be useful to study the kinematics of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs and search for new proper motion pairs.

Period Changes of 23 Field RR Lyrae Stars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soo-Chang Rey

1994-12-01

Full Text Available The secular period behavior of 23 field RR Lyrae stars is studied in order to determine if the observed period changes could be attributed, at least in the mean, to stellar evolution. The sample of stars is subdivided into two Oosterhoff groups based on the metallicity and period-shift. Despite the small sample size, we found a distinct bias toward positive period changes in the group variables. The period changes of the group variables in globular clusters. This provides yet another support for the Lee, Demarque, and Zinn(1990 evolutionary models of RR Lyrae stars and their explanation of the Sandage period-shift effect.

Addressing Ionization and Depletion in the ISM of Nearby Star-Forming Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Aloisi, Alessandra

2017-08-01

Measuring galaxy metallicity with cosmic time is of paramount importance to understand galaxy formation. ISM abundances are typically determined using emission-line spectroscopy of HII regions. However, HII regions may be self-enriched and not typical of the whole galaxy. This is particularly true for star-forming galaxies (SFGs) where the bulk of metals may be in the neutral gas. Quantifying metals in the ISM is thus important to assess how reliably HII regions trace galaxy abundances at any redshift. We were awarded 34 HST orbits (Cycle 17) to measure abundances in the neutral ISM of 9 nearby SFGs using absorption lines in the COS G130M/1291 spectra of bright UV background sources within the galaxy itself. We found metallicities that differ by up to 2 dex depending on the element. These variations could be real or due to observational effects. Here we request 22 orbits in the new G130M/1222 and in G160M/1623 to access new FUV spectral transitions that will help us characterize ionized-gas contamination and dust depletion, and ultimately nail down the abundances of the different elements. These new data will nicely complement our Cycle 17 COS and Gemini/GMOS IFU programs, the latter aimed at deriving nebular abundances along the same COS sightlines. This first detailed and spatially-accurate comparison between neutral- and ionized-gas abundances in local (z 0) SFGs will provide crucial insights into the metallicity of galaxies at any redshift. If this UV spectroscopic study is not undertaken before HST ceases operation, the (in)homogeneity of the ISM in galaxies of the local Universe will continue to remain uncertain for at least another decade.

THE AGE-METALLICITY RELATIONSHIP OF THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD FIELD STAR POPULATION FROM WIDE-FIELD WASHINGTON PHOTOMETRY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piatti, Andrés E.; Geisler, Doug

2013-01-01

We analyze age and metallicity estimates for an unprecedented database of some 5.5 million stars distributed throughout the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) main body, obtained from CCD Washington CT 1 photometry, reported on in Piatti et al. We produce a comprehensive field star age-metallicity relationship (AMR) from the earliest epoch until ∼1 Gyr ago. This AMR reveals that the LMC has not evolved chemically as either a closed-box or bursting system, exclusively, but as a combination of both scenarios that have varied in relative strength over the lifetime of the galaxy, although the bursting model falls closer to the data in general. Furthermore, while old and metal-poor field stars have been preferentially formed in the outer disk, younger and more metal-rich stars have mostly been formed in the inner disk, confirming an outside-in formation. We provide evidence for the formation of stars between 5 and 12 Gyr, during the cluster age gap, although chemical enrichment during this period was minimal. We find no significant metallicity gradient in the LMC. We also find that the range in the metallicity of an LMC field has varied during the lifetime of the LMC. In particular, we find only a small range of the metal abundance in the outer disk fields, whereas an average range of Δ[Fe/H] = +0.3 ± 0.1 dex appears in the inner disk fields. Finally, the cluster and field AMRs show a satisfactory match only for the last 3 Gyr, while for the oldest ages (>11 Gyr), the cluster AMR is a remarkable lower envelope to the field AMR. Such a difference may be due to the very rapid early chemical evolution and lack of observed field stars in this regime, whereas the globular clusters are easily studied. This large difference is not easy to explain as coming from stripped ancient Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) clusters, although the field SMC AMR is on average ∼0.4 dex more metal-poor at all ages than that of the LMC but otherwise very similar.

THE AGE-METALLICITY RELATIONSHIP OF THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD FIELD STAR POPULATION FROM WIDE-FIELD WASHINGTON PHOTOMETRY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piatti, Andres E. [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, CC 67, Suc. 28, 1428 Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Geisler, Doug, E-mail: andres@iafe.uba.ar [Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Concepcion, Casilla 160-C, Concepcion (Chile)

2013-01-01

We analyze age and metallicity estimates for an unprecedented database of some 5.5 million stars distributed throughout the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) main body, obtained from CCD Washington CT{sub 1} photometry, reported on in Piatti et al. We produce a comprehensive field star age-metallicity relationship (AMR) from the earliest epoch until {approx}1 Gyr ago. This AMR reveals that the LMC has not evolved chemically as either a closed-box or bursting system, exclusively, but as a combination of both scenarios that have varied in relative strength over the lifetime of the galaxy, although the bursting model falls closer to the data in general. Furthermore, while old and metal-poor field stars have been preferentially formed in the outer disk, younger and more metal-rich stars have mostly been formed in the inner disk, confirming an outside-in formation. We provide evidence for the formation of stars between 5 and 12 Gyr, during the cluster age gap, although chemical enrichment during this period was minimal. We find no significant metallicity gradient in the LMC. We also find that the range in the metallicity of an LMC field has varied during the lifetime of the LMC. In particular, we find only a small range of the metal abundance in the outer disk fields, whereas an average range of {Delta}[Fe/H] = +0.3 {+-} 0.1 dex appears in the inner disk fields. Finally, the cluster and field AMRs show a satisfactory match only for the last 3 Gyr, while for the oldest ages (>11 Gyr), the cluster AMR is a remarkable lower envelope to the field AMR. Such a difference may be due to the very rapid early chemical evolution and lack of observed field stars in this regime, whereas the globular clusters are easily studied. This large difference is not easy to explain as coming from stripped ancient Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) clusters, although the field SMC AMR is on average {approx}0.4 dex more metal-poor at all ages than that of the LMC but otherwise very similar.

A systematic search for brown dwarfs orbiting nearby stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henry, T.J.; Mccarthy, D.W. Jr.

1990-01-01

Survey data for brown dwarf and stellar companions relative to known M dwarf stars within 5 pc north of -30 deg are analyzed. A region 0.2 to 5 arcsec in radius around 27 stars at the IR H and K bands are examined using IR speckle interferometry. The frequency of binary versus single M dwarfs in the solar neighborhood is examined. The IR mass-magnitude relations and mass-luminosity-age relation are studied. The data reveal that there are 19 single M dwarfs, 8 M dwarf binaries, 1 M dwarf triple system, and 1 M dwarf in a triple system for M dwarfs within 5 pc north of -30 deg. Also of the 27 M dwarfs studied none was found to have a brown dwarf companion. 64 refs

Variable stars in the field of open cluster NGC 2126

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Shunfang; Wu Zhenyu; Zhang Xiaobin; Wu Jianghua; Ma Jun; Jiang Zhaoji; Chen Jiansheng; Zhou Xu

2009-01-01

We report the results of a time-series CCD photometric survey of variable stars in the field of open cluster NGC 2126. In about a one square degree field covering the cluster, a total of 21 variable candidates are detected during this survey, of which 16 are newly found. The periods, classifications and spectral types of 14 newly discovered variables are discussed, which consist of six eclipsing binary systems, three pulsating variable stars, three long period variables, one RS CVn star, and one W UMa or δ Scuti star. In addition, there are two variable candidates, the properties of which cannot be determined. By a method based on fitting observed spectral energy distributions of stars with theoretical ones, the membership probabilities and the fundamental parameters of this cluster are determined. As a result, five variables are probably members of NGC 2126. The fundamental parameters of this cluster are determined as: metallicity to be 0.008 Z o-dot , age log(t) = 8.95, distance modulus (m - M) 0 = 10.34 and reddening value E (B - V) = 0.55 mag.

Molecular diagnostics of Galactic star-formation regions

Science.gov (United States)

Loenen, Edo; Baan, Willem; Spaans, Marco

2007-10-01

We propose a sensitive spectral survey of Galactic star-formation regions. Using the broadband correlator at two different frequencies, we expect to detect the (1-0) transition of CO, CN, HNC, HCN, HCO+, and HCO and various of their isotopes lines, as well as the (12-11) and (10-9) transitions of HC3N. The purpose of these observations is to create a consistent (public) database of molecular emission from galactic star-formation regions. The data will be interpreted using extensive physical and chemical modeling of the whole ensemble of lines, in order to get an accurate description of the molecular environment of these regions. In particular, this diagnostic approach will describe the optical depths, the densities, and the radiation fields in the medium and will allow the establishment of dominant temperature gradients. These observations are part of a program to study molecular emission on all scales, going from individual Galactic star-formation regions, through resolved nearby galaxies, to unresolved extra-galactic emission.

Fallback accretion onto magnetized neutron stars and the hidden magnetic field model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, A; Cerdá-Durán, P; Font, J A

2015-01-01

The observation of several neutron stars with relatively low values of the surface magnetic field found in supernova remnants has led in recent years to controversial interpretations. A possible explanation is the slow rotation of the proto-neutron star at birth which is unable to amplify its magnetic field to typical pulsar levels. An alternative possibility, the hidden magnetic field scenario, seems to be favoured over the previous one due to the observation of three low magnetic field magnetars. This scenario considers the accretion of the fallback of the supernova debris onto the neutron star as the responsible for the observed low magnetic field. In this work, we have studied under which conditions the magnetic field of a neutron star can be buried into the crust due to an accreting fluid. We have considered a simplified toy model in general relativity to estimate the balance between the incoming accretion flow an the magnetosphere. We conclude that the burial is possible for values of the surface magnetic field below 10 13 G. The preliminary results reported in this paper for simplified polytropic models should be confirmed using a more realistic thermodynamical setup. (paper)

The magnetic field of cloud 3 in L204

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cashman, Lauren R.; Clemens, D. P., E-mail: lcashman@bu.edu, E-mail: clemens@bu.edu [Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

2014-10-01

The L204 dark cloud complex is a nearby filamentary structure in Ophiuchus North that has no signs of active star formation. Past studies show that L204 is interacting with the nearby runaway O star, ζ Oph, and hosts a magnetic field that is coherent across parsec-length scales. Near-infrared H-band (1.6 μm) linear polarization measurements were obtained for 3896 background stars across a 1° × 1.°5 region centered on the dense Cloud 3 in L204, using the Mimir near-infrared instrument on the 1.8 m Perkins Telescope. Analysis of these observations reveals both large-scale properties and small-scale changes in the magnetic field direction in Cloud 3. In the northern and western ζ Oph facing regions of the cloud, the magnetic field appears to be pushed up against the face of the cloud. This may indicate that the UV flux from ζ Oph has compressed the magnetic field on the western edge of L204. The plane-of-sky magnetic field strength is estimated to be ∼11-26 μG using the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method. The polarimetry data also reveal that the polarization efficiency (PE ≡ P {sub H}/A {sub V}) steadily decreases with distance from ζ Oph (–0.09% ± 0.03% mag{sup –1} pc{sup –1}). Additionally, power-law fits of PE versus A {sub V} for localized samples of probe stars show steeper negative indices with distance from ζ Oph. Both findings highlight the importance of external illumination, here from ζ Oph, in aligning dust grains to embedded magnetic fields.

Signatures of field induced spin polarization of neutron star matter in seismic vibrations of paramagnetic neutron star

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastrukov, S I; Yang, J; Podgainy, D V; Weber, F

2003-01-01

A macroscopic model of the dissipative magneto-elastic dynamics of viscous spin polarized nuclear matter is discussed in the context of seismic activity of a paramagnetic neutron star. The source of the magnetic field of such a star is attributed to Pauli paramagnetism of baryon matter promoted by a seed magnetic field frozen into the star in the process of gravitational collapse of a massive progenitor. Particular attention is given to the effect of shear viscosity of incompressible stellar material on the timing of non-radial torsional magneto-elastic pulsations of the star triggered by starquakes. By accentuating the fact that this kind of vibration is unique to the seismology of a paramagnetic neutron star we show that the high-frequency modes decay faster than the low-frequency modes. The obtained analytic expressions for the period and relaxation time of this mode, in which the magnetic susceptibility and viscosity enter as input parameters, are then quantified by numerical estimates for these parameters taken from early and current works on transport coefficients of dense matter. It is found that the effect of viscosity is crucial for the lifetime of magneto-torsion vibrations but it does not appreciably affect the periods of this seismic mode which fall in the realm of periods of pulsed emission of soft gamma-ray repeaters and anomalous x-ray pulsars - young super-magnetized neutron stars, radiating, according to the magnetar model, at the expense of the magnetic energy release. Finally, we present arguments that the long periodic pulsed emission of these stars in a quiescent regime of radiation can be interpreted as a manifestation of weakly damped seismic magneto-torsion vibrations exhibiting the field induced spin polarization of baryon matter

Substellar objects in nearby young clusters (SONYC). VIII. Substellar population in Lupus 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mužić, Koraljka [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Casilla 19, Santiago 19001 (Chile); Scholz, Alexander; Geers, Vincent C. [School of Cosmic Physics, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 31 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Jayawardhana, Ray [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Martí, Belén López, E-mail: kmuzic@eso.org [Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Departamento de Astrofísica, P.O. Box 78, E-28261 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain)

2014-04-20

SONYC—Substellar Objects in Nearby Young Clusters—is a survey program to investigate the frequency and properties of substellar objects in nearby star-forming regions. We present a new imaging and spectroscopic survey conducted in the young (∼1 Myr), nearby (∼200 pc) star-forming region Lupus 3. Deep optical and near-infrared images were obtained with MOSAIC-II and NEWFIRM at the CTIO 4 m telescope, covering ∼1.4 deg{sup 2} on the sky. The i-band completeness limit of 20.3 mag is equivalent to 0.009-0.02 M {sub ☉}, for A{sub V} ≤ 5. Photometry and 11-12 yr baseline proper motions were used to select candidate low-mass members of Lupus 3. We performed a spectroscopic follow-up of 123 candidates, using VIMOS at the Very Large Telescope, and we identify 7 probable members, among which 4 have spectral type later than M6.0 and T {sub eff} ≤ 3000 K, i.e., are probably substellar in nature. Two of the new probable members of Lupus 3 appear underluminous for their spectral class and exhibit emission line spectrum with strong H{sub α} or forbidden lines associated with active accretion. We derive a relation between the spectral type and effective temperature: T {sub eff} = (4120 ± 175) – (172 ± 26) × SpT, where SpT refers to the M spectral subtype between 1 and 9. Combining our results with the previous works on Lupus 3, we show that the spectral type distribution is consistent with that in other star-forming regions, as well as the derived star-to-brown dwarf ratio of 2.0-3.3. We compile a census of all spectroscopically confirmed low-mass members with spectral type M0 or later.

Substellar objects in nearby young clusters (SONYC). VIII. Substellar population in Lupus 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mužić, Koraljka; Scholz, Alexander; Geers, Vincent C.; Jayawardhana, Ray; Martí, Belén López

2014-01-01

SONYC—Substellar Objects in Nearby Young Clusters—is a survey program to investigate the frequency and properties of substellar objects in nearby star-forming regions. We present a new imaging and spectroscopic survey conducted in the young (∼1 Myr), nearby (∼200 pc) star-forming region Lupus 3. Deep optical and near-infrared images were obtained with MOSAIC-II and NEWFIRM at the CTIO 4 m telescope, covering ∼1.4 deg 2 on the sky. The i-band completeness limit of 20.3 mag is equivalent to 0.009-0.02 M ☉ , for A V ≤ 5. Photometry and 11-12 yr baseline proper motions were used to select candidate low-mass members of Lupus 3. We performed a spectroscopic follow-up of 123 candidates, using VIMOS at the Very Large Telescope, and we identify 7 probable members, among which 4 have spectral type later than M6.0 and T eff ≤ 3000 K, i.e., are probably substellar in nature. Two of the new probable members of Lupus 3 appear underluminous for their spectral class and exhibit emission line spectrum with strong H α or forbidden lines associated with active accretion. We derive a relation between the spectral type and effective temperature: T eff = (4120 ± 175) – (172 ± 26) × SpT, where SpT refers to the M spectral subtype between 1 and 9. Combining our results with the previous works on Lupus 3, we show that the spectral type distribution is consistent with that in other star-forming regions, as well as the derived star-to-brown dwarf ratio of 2.0-3.3. We compile a census of all spectroscopically confirmed low-mass members with spectral type M0 or later.

A self-consistent study of magnetic field effects on hybrid stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dexheimer, V; Franzon, B; Schramm, S

2017-01-01

It is understood that strong magnetic fields affect the structure of neutron stars. Nevertheless, many calculations for magnetized neutron stars are still being performed using symmetric solutions of Einstein’s equations. In this conference proceeding, we review why this is not the correct procedure and we also discuss the effects of magnetic fields on the stellar population and temperature profiles. (paper)

Topological currents in neutron stars: kicks, precession, toroidal fields, and magnetic helicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charbonneau, James; Zhitnitsky, Ariel

2010-01-01

The effects of anomalies in high density QCD are striking. We consider a direct application of one of these effects, namely topological currents, on the physics of neutron stars. All the elements required for topological currents are present in neutron stars: degenerate matter, large magnetic fields, and parity violating processes. These conditions lead to the creation of vector currents capable of carrying momentum and inducing magnetic fields. We estimate the size of these currents for many representative states of dense matter in the neutron star and argue that they could be responsible for the large proper motion of neutron stars (kicks), the toroidal magnetic field and finite magnetic helicity needed for stability of the poloidal field, and the resolution of the conflict between type-II superconductivity and precession. Though these observational effects appear unrelated, they likely originate from the same physics — they are all P-odd phenomena that stem from a topological current generated by parity violation

The influence of hyperons and strong magnetic field in neutron star properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopes, L.L.; Menezes, D.P.

2012-01-01

Neutron stars are among the most exotic objects in the universe and constitute a unique laboratory to study nuclear matter above the nuclear saturation density. In this work, we study the equation of state (EoS) of the nuclear matter within a relativistic model subject to a strong magnetic field. We then apply this EoS to study and describe some of the physical characteristics of neutron stars, especially the massradius relation and chemical compositions. To study the influence of the magnetic field and the hyperons in the stellar interior, we consider altogether four solutions: two different magnetic fields to obtain a weak and a strong influence; and two configurations: a family of neutron stars formed only by protons, electrons, and neutrons and a family formed by protons, electrons, neutrons, muons, and hyperons. The limit and the validity of the results found are discussed with some care. In all cases, the particles that constitute the neutron star are in ,B equilibrium and zero total net charge. Our work indicates that the effect of a strong magnetic field has to be taken into account in the description of magnetars, mainly if we believe that there are hyperons in their interior, in which case the influence of the magnetic field can increase the mass by more than 10 %. We have also seen that although a magnetar can reach 2.48 M0, a natural explanation of why we do not know pulsars with masses above 2.0 Mo arises. We also discuss how the magnetic field affects the strangeness fraction in some standard neutron star masses, and to conclude our paper, we revisit the direct Urca process related to the cooling of the neutron stars and show how it is affected by the hyperons and the magnetic field. (author)

Surface structure of quark stars with magnetic fields

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We investigate the impact of magnetic fields on the electron distribution of the electrosphere of quark stars. For moderately strong magnetic fields of ∼ 1013 G, quantization effects are generally weak due to the large number density of electrons at surface, but can nevertheless affect the photon emission properties of quark ...

A YOUNG ECLIPSING BINARY AND ITS LUMINOUS NEIGHBORS IN THE EMBEDDED STAR CLUSTER Sh 2-252E

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lester, Kathryn V.; Gies, Douglas R.; Guo, Zhao, E-mail: lester@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: gies@chara.gsu.edu, E-mail: guo@chara.gsu.edu [Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5060, Atlanta, GA 30302-5060 (United States)

2016-12-01

We present a photometric and light curve analysis of an eccentric eclipsing binary in the K2 Campaign 0 field, which resides in Sh 2-252E, a young star cluster embedded in an H ii region. We describe a spectroscopic investigation of the three brightest stars in the crowded aperture to identify which is the binary system. We find that none of these stars are components of the eclipsing binary system, which must be one of the fainter nearby stars. These bright cluster members all have remarkable spectra: Sh 2-252a (EPIC 202062176) is a B0.5 V star with razor sharp absorption lines, Sh 2-252b is a Herbig A0 star with disk-like emission lines, and Sh 2-252c is a pre-main-sequence star with very red color.

Neutron stars in relativistic mean field theory with isovector scalar meson

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubis, S.; Kutschera, M.; Stachniewicz, S.

1996-12-01

We study the equation of state (EOS) of neutron star matter in a relativistic mean field (RMF) theory with the isovector scalar mean field corresponding to the δ-meson [a 0 (980)]. A range of values of the δ-meson coupling compatible with the Bonn potentials is explored. Parameters of the model in the isovector sector are constrained to fit the nuclear symmetry energy, E s ∼ 30 MeV. We find that proton fraction of neutron star matter is higher in the presence of the δ-field whereas the energy per particle is lower. The EOS becomes slightly stiffer and the maximum mass of the neutron star increased with increasing δmeson coupling. The effect is stronger for soft EOS. (author). 7 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

Neutron stars in relativistic mean field theory with isovector scalar meson

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubis, S.; Kutschera, M.; Stachniewicz, S.

1998-01-01

We study the equation of state (EOS) of β-stable dense matter and models of neutron stars in the relativistic mean field (RMF) theory with the isovector scalar mean field corresponding to the δ-meson (a 0 (980)). A range of values of the δ-meson coupling compatible with the Bonn potentials is explored. Parameters of the model in the isovector sector are constrained to fit the nuclear symmetry energy, E s ∼30 MeV. We find that the quantity most sensitive to the δ-meson coupling is the proton fraction of neutron star matter. It increases significantly in the presence of the δ-field. The energy per baryon also increases but the effect is smaller. The EOS becomes slightly stiffer and the maximum neutron star mass increases for stronger δ-meson coupling. (author)

Neutron stars in relativistic mean field theory with isovector scalar meson

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubis, S.; Kutschera, M.; Stachniewicz, S. [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Cracow (Poland)

1996-12-01

We study the equation of state (EOS) of neutron star matter in a relativistic mean field (RMF) theory with the isovector scalar mean field corresponding to the {delta}-meson [a{sub 0}(980)]. A range of values of the {delta}-meson coupling compatible with the Bonn potentials is explored. Parameters of the model in the isovector sector are constrained to fit the nuclear symmetry energy, E{sub s} {approx} 30 MeV. We find that proton fraction of neutron star matter is higher in the presence of the {delta}-field whereas the energy per particle is lower. The EOS becomes slightly stiffer and the maximum mass of the neutron star increased with increasing {delta}meson coupling. The effect is stronger for soft EOS. (author). 7 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab.

Electromagnetic multipole fields of neutron stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, W.J.

1979-01-01

There is now indisputable evidence that some pulsars possess space velocities so high that internal asymmetries in the dynamics of their formation are strongly implied. We develop in this paper a complete formalism for the calculation of the only such mechanism that has yet been subjected to quantitative analysis: electromagnetic recoil radiation. To make the general problem tractable without doing violence to the physics, we have made the following simplifying assumptions: (1) the magnetic induction B in athin shell enclosing the surface can be satisfactorily approximated by a sum of vacuum multipole fields; (2) the star is spherical, and all parts are in good electrical contact; (3) vertical-bar Ω X r vertical-barvery-much-less-thanc everywhere within the star; and (4) the star is surrounded by a vacuum. Our qualitative conclusions hold even if these assumptions are violated, but corrections to our quantitative results required by a relaxation of our assumptions are not easily computed.Given this simple electrodynamic model of a neutron star, we solve the following problems: (1) What electric multipoles are induced by each magnetic multipole. (2) What is the general formula for the recoil produced by the projection on the rotational axis of a net linear momentum flux produced by the rotation of any two magnetic multipoles. (3) What is the set of centered multipoles that represents the field of an arbitrary off-centered multipole. We use these general results go perform a detailed analysis of the linear momentum radiated by an off-centered dipole. We find a force larger by a factor 6 than that obtained for the special case treated in the best previous calculation. In spite of this considerable increase in the computed strengrh of the effect, we still believe it to be too weak to produce the large space velocities observed for pulsars. For the mechanism to be effective, the pulsar must be born rotating near the breakup velocity

Abundances in field dwarf stars. II. Carbon and nitrogen abundances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laird, J.B.

1985-02-15

Intermediate-dispersion spectra of 116 field dwarf stars, plus 10 faint field giants and 3 Hyades dwarfs, have been used to derive carbon and nitrogen abundances relative to iron. The program sample includes both disk and halo stars, spanning a range in (Fe/H) of +0.50 to -2.45. Synthetic spectra of CH and NH bands have been used to determine carbon and nitrogen abundances. The C/Fe ratio is solar over the range of metallicity studied, with an estimated intrinsic scatter of 0.10 dex. Down to (Fe/H)roughly-equal-1.8, below which the nitrogen abundance could not be measured, the N/Fe ratio is also constant for the majority of stars, indicating that nitrogen production is largely primary. Four halo stars are found to be enhanced in nitrogen relative to iron, by factors between 5 and 50, although their carbon abundances appear to be normal. These results are discussed in connection with the chemical evolution of the Galaxy and the sites of C, N, and Fe nucleosynthesis. The results require that C, N, and Fe be produced in stars of similar mass. Our current understanding of N production, then, implies that most Type I supernovae have intermediate-mass progenitors. The nitrogen in the N-enhanced halo stars is very probably primordial, indicating that the interstellar medium at early epochs contained substantial inhomogeneities.

Abundances in field dwarf stars. II. Carbon and nitrogen abundances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laird, J.B.

1985-01-01

Intermediate-dispersion spectra of 116 field dwarf stars, plus 10 faint field giants and 3 Hyades dwarfs, have been used to derive carbon and nitrogen abundances relative to iron. The program sample includes both disk and halo stars, spanning a range in [Fe/H] of +0.50 to -2.45. Synthetic spectra of CH and NH bands have been used to determine carbon and nitrogen abundances. The C/Fe ratio is solar over the range of metallicity studied, with an estimated intrinsic scatter of 0.10 dex. Down to [Fe/H]roughly-equal-1.8, below which the nitrogen abundance could not be measured, the N/Fe ratio is also constant for the majority of stars, indicating that nitrogen production is largely primary. Four halo stars are found to be enhanced in nitrogen relative to iron, by factors between 5 and 50, although their carbon abundances appear to be normal. These results are discussed in connection with the chemical evolution of the Galaxy and the sites of C, N, and Fe nucleosynthesis. The results require that C, N, and Fe be produced in stars of similar mass. Our current understanding of N production, then, implies that most Type I supernovae have intermediate-mass progenitors. The nitrogen in the N-enhanced halo stars is very probably primordial, indicating that the interstellar medium at early epochs contained substantial inhomogeneities

Are neutron stars crushed? Gravitomagnetic tidal fields as a mechanism for binary-induced collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favata, Marc

2006-01-01

Numerical simulations of binary neutron stars by Wilson, Mathews, and Marronetti indicated that neutron stars that are stable in isolation can be made to collapse to black holes when placed in a binary. This claim was surprising as it ran counter to the Newtonian expectation that a neutron star in a binary should be more stable, not less. After correcting an error found by Flanagan, Wilson and Mathews found that the compression of the neutron stars was significantly reduced but not eliminated. This has motivated us to ask the following general question: Under what circumstances can general-relativistic tidal interactions cause an otherwise stable neutron star to be compressed? We have found that if a nonrotating neutron star possesses a current-quadrupole moment, interactions with a gravitomagnetic tidal field can lead to a compressive force on the star. If this current quadrupole is induced by the gravitomagnetic tidal field, it is related to the tidal field by an equation-of-state-dependent constant called the gravitomagnetic Love number. This is analogous to the Newtonian Love number that relates the strength of a Newtonian tidal field to the induced mass quadrupole moment of a star. The compressive force is almost never larger than the Newtonian tidal interaction that stabilizes the neutron star against collapse. In the case in which a current quadrupole is already present in the star (perhaps as an artifact of a numerical simulation), the compressive force can exceed the stabilizing one, leading to a net increase in the central density of the star. This increase is small (< or approx. 1%) but could, in principle, cause gravitational collapse in a star that is close to its maximum mass. This paper also reviews the history of the Wilson-Mathews-Marronetti controversy and, in an appendix, extends the discussion of tidally induced changes in the central density to rotating stars

Stroemgren and BV photometry of potential halo blue horizontal branch field stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flynn, C; Sommer-Larsen, J

1988-11-01

Stroemgren four-colour and broadband BV photoelectric photometry has been obtained for a sample of potential halo blue horizontal branch stars in two high galactic latitude fields. The large majority of the stars observed are classified as blue horizontal branch stars on the basis of two different surface gravity indicators. Measurements of Ca K-line equivalent widths from medium-dispersion spectra of the stars confirm that most are Population II objects. No metal-rich A-stars were found beyond a few kpc from the galactic disc in the study of faint blue stars.

X-ray studies of coeval star samples. II. The Pleiades cluster as observed with the Einstein Observatory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micela, G.; Sciortino, S.; Vaiana, G.S.; Harnden, F.R. Jr.; Rosner, R.

1990-01-01

Coronal X-ray emission of the Pleiades stars is investigated, and maximum likelihood, integral X-ray luminosity functions are computed for Pleiades members in selected color-index ranges. A detailed search is conducted for long-term variability in the X-ray emission of those stars observed more than once. An overall comparison of the survey results with those of previous surveys confirms the ubiquity of X-ray emission in the Pleiades cluster stars and its higher rate of emission with respect to older stars. It is found that the X-ray emission from dA and early dF stars cannot be proven to be dissimilar to that of Hyades and field stars of the same spectral type. The Pleiades cluster members show a real rise of the X-ray luminosity from dA stars to early dF stars. X-ray emission for the young, solarlike Pleiades stars is about two orders of magnitude more intense than for the nearby solarlike stars. 77 refs

X-ray studies of coeval star samples. II - The Pleiades cluster as observed with the Einstein Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Micela, G.; Sciortino, S.; Vaiana, G. S.; Harnden, F. R., Jr.; Rosner, R.

1990-01-01

Coronal X-ray emission of the Pleiades stars is investigated, and maximum likelihood, integral X-ray luminosity functions are computed for Pleiades members in selected color-index ranges. A detailed search is conducted for long-term variability in the X-ray emission of those stars observed more than once. An overall comparison of the survey results with those of previous surveys confirms the ubiquity of X-ray emission in the Pleiades cluster stars and its higher rate of emission with respect to older stars. It is found that the X-ray emission from dA and early dF stars cannot be proven to be dissimilar to that of Hyades and field stars of the same spectral type. The Pleiades cluster members show a real rise of the X-ray luminosity from dA stars to early dF stars. X-ray emission for the young, solarlike Pleiades stars is about two orders of magnitude more intense than for the nearby solarlike stars.

Observations of the Hubble Deep Field with the Infrared Space Observatory .4. Association of sources with Hubble Deep Field galaxies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mann, R.G.; Oliver, S.J.; Serjeant, S.B.G.

1997-01-01

We discuss the identification of sources detected by the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) at 6.7 and 15 mu m in the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) region. We conservatively associate ISO sources with objects in existing optical and near-infrared HDF catalogues using the likelihood ratio method, confirming...... these results (and, in one case, clarifying them) with independent visual searches, We find 15 ISO sources to be reliably associated with bright [I-814(AB) HDF, and one with an I-814(AB)=19.9 star, while a further 11 are associated with objects in the Hubble Flanking Fields (10 galaxies...... and one star), Amongst optically bright HDF galaxies, ISO tends to detect luminous, star-forming galaxies at fairly high redshift and with disturbed morphologies, in preference to nearby ellipticals....

Stars rich in heavy metals tend to harbor planets

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

"A comparison of 754 nearby stars like our Sun - some with planets and some without - shows definitively that the more iron and other metals there are in a star, the greater the chance it has a companion planet" (1 page).

Flares of Nearby, Mid-to-late M-dwarfs Characterized by the MEarth Project

Science.gov (United States)

Mondrik, Nicholas; Charbonneau, David; Irwin, Jonathan; Newton, Elisabeth R.

2017-01-01

Stellar flares are both a curse and a blessing: Transit and radial velocity searches for exoplanets are hindered by the variability caused by flares, while the characteristics of this variability offer valuable insight into the magnetic properties of the star. We present an analysis of flare events of nearby, mid-to-late M-dwarfs from the MEarth Project. MEarth consists of a northern and a southern array of 8 telescopes each that photometrically monitors most mid-to-late M-dwarfs within 30 parsecs. Although the initial motivation was to search for exoplanet transits, the cadence of approximately 20 minutes is well-suited to capturing long-lived flares. However, MEarth employs a single, wide, red bandpass, which poses challenges to the robust detection of flare events, which are typically bluer in color. Using MEarth data, our team has recently published trigonometric parallaxes and estimates of rotation periods for an unprecedented number of nearby low-mass stars. We also gathered supplementary optical and near infrared spectra of a subset of these stars. We describe here the properties of the flares detected by MEarth, and explore the relation of the presence of flares on individual stars with stellar parameters such as rotational period, mass, and H-alpha equivalent width. We also provide an estimate of flare rate for individual stars by injecting flares into our pipeline.The MEarth project acknowledges funding from the National Science Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship for Science and Engineering. This work was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

A Catalog of Stellar Unified Properties (CATSUP) for 951 FGK-Stars within 30 pc

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hinkel, Natalie R.; Somers, Garrett [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Mamajek, Eric E. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, M/S 321-100, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Turnbull, Margaret C. [Global Science Institute, P.O. Box 252, Antigo, WI 54409 (United States); Osby, Ella; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Desch, Steven J. [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States); Smith, Graeme H. [University of California Observatories and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz CA 95064 (United States); Klimasewski, Alexis, E-mail: natalie.hinkel@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627-0171 (United States)

2017-10-10

Almost every star in our Galaxy is likely to harbor a terrestrial planet, but accurate measurements of an exoplanet’s mass and radius demand accurate knowledge of the properties of its host star. The imminent TESS and CHEOPS missions are slated to discover thousands of new exoplanets. Along with WFIRST, which will directly image nearby planets, these surveys make urgent the need to better characterize stars in the nearby solar neighborhood (<30 pc). We have compiled the CATalog of Stellar Unified Properties (CATSUP) for 951 stars, including such data as: Gaia astrometry; multiplicity within stellar systems; stellar elemental abundance measurements; standardized spectral types; Ca ii H and K stellar activity indices; GALEX NUV and FUV photometry; and X-ray fluxes and luminosities from ROSAT , XMM, and Chandra . We use this data-rich catalog to find correlations, especially between stellar emission indices, colors, and galactic velocity. Additionally, we demonstrate that thick-disk stars in the sample are generally older, have lower activity, and have higher velocities normal to the galactic plane. We anticipate that CATSUP will be useful for discerning other trends among stars within the nearby solar neighborhood, for comparing thin-disk versus thick-disk stars, for comparing stars with and without planets, and for finding correlations between chemical and kinematic properties.

A Catalog of Stellar Unified Properties (CATSUP) for 951 FGK-Stars within 30 pc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinkel, Natalie R.; Somers, Garrett; Mamajek, Eric E.; Turnbull, Margaret C.; Osby, Ella; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Desch, Steven J.; Smith, Graeme H.; Klimasewski, Alexis

2017-01-01

Almost every star in our Galaxy is likely to harbor a terrestrial planet, but accurate measurements of an exoplanet’s mass and radius demand accurate knowledge of the properties of its host star. The imminent TESS and CHEOPS missions are slated to discover thousands of new exoplanets. Along with WFIRST, which will directly image nearby planets, these surveys make urgent the need to better characterize stars in the nearby solar neighborhood (<30 pc). We have compiled the CATalog of Stellar Unified Properties (CATSUP) for 951 stars, including such data as: Gaia astrometry; multiplicity within stellar systems; stellar elemental abundance measurements; standardized spectral types; Ca ii H and K stellar activity indices; GALEX NUV and FUV photometry; and X-ray fluxes and luminosities from ROSAT , XMM, and Chandra . We use this data-rich catalog to find correlations, especially between stellar emission indices, colors, and galactic velocity. Additionally, we demonstrate that thick-disk stars in the sample are generally older, have lower activity, and have higher velocities normal to the galactic plane. We anticipate that CATSUP will be useful for discerning other trends among stars within the nearby solar neighborhood, for comparing thin-disk versus thick-disk stars, for comparing stars with and without planets, and for finding correlations between chemical and kinematic properties.

Neutron stars in relativistic mean field theory with isovector scalar meson

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubis, S.; Kutschera, M.; Stachniewicz, S. [H. Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Cracow (Poland)

1998-03-01

We study the equation of state (EOS) of {beta}-stable dense matter and models of neutron stars in the relativistic mean field (RMF) theory with the isovector scalar mean field corresponding to the {delta}-meson (a{sub 0}(980)). A range of values of the {delta}-meson coupling compatible with the Bonn potentials is explored. Parameters of the model in the isovector sector are constrained to fit the nuclear symmetry energy, E{sub s}{approx}30 MeV. We find that the quantity most sensitive to the {delta}-meson coupling is the proton fraction of neutron star matter. It increases significantly in the presence of the {delta}-field. The energy per baryon also increases but the effect is smaller. The EOS becomes slightly stiffer and the maximum neutron star mass increases for stronger {delta}-meson coupling. (author) 8 refs, 6 figs, 2 tabs

Nearby Galaxies: Templates for Galaxies Across Cosmic Time

OpenAIRE

Lockman, F. J.; Ott, J.

2009-01-01

Studies of nearby galaxies including the Milky Way have provided fundamental information on the evolution of structure in the Universe, the existence and nature of dark matter, the origin and evolution of galaxies, and the global features of star formation. Yet despite decades of work, many of the most basic aspects of galaxies and their environments remain a mystery. In this paper we describe some outstanding problems in this area and the ways in which large radio facilities will contribute ...

ON THE CARBON-TO-OXYGEN RATIO MEASUREMENT IN NEARBY SUN-LIKE STARS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANET FORMATION AND THE DETERMINATION OF STELLAR ABUNDANCES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fortney, Jonathan J.

2012-01-01

Recent high-resolution spectroscopic analysis of nearby FGK stars suggests that a high C/O ratio of greater than 0.8, or even 1.0, is relatively common. Two published catalogs find C/O > 0.8 in 25%-30% of systems, and C/O > 1.0 in ∼6%-10%. It has been suggested that in protoplanetary disks with C/O > 0.8 that the condensation pathways to refractory solids will differ from what occurred in our solar system, where C/O = 0.55. The carbon-rich disks are calculated to make carbon-dominated rocky planets, rather than oxygen-dominated ones. Here we suggest that the derived stellar C/O ratios are overestimated. One constraint on the frequency of high C/O is the relative paucity of carbon dwarf stars (10 –3 -10 –5 ) found in large samples of low-mass stars. We suggest reasons for this overestimation, including a high C/O ratio for the solar atmosphere model used for differential abundance analysis, the treatment of a Ni blend that affects the O abundance, and limitations of one-dimensional LTE stellar atmosphere models. Furthermore, from the estimated errors on the measured stellar C/O ratios, we find that the significance of the high C/O tail is weakened, with a true measured fraction of C/O > 0.8 in 10%-15% of stars, and C/O > 1.0 in 1%-5%, although these are still likely overestimates. We suggest that infrared T-dwarf spectra could show how common high C/O is in the stellar neighborhood, as the chemistry and spectra of such objects would differ compared to those with solar-like abundances. While possible at C/O > 0.8, we expect that carbon-dominated rocky planets are rarer than others have suggested.

Ultraviolet spectra of field horizontal-branch A-type stars. II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philip, A.G.D.; Hayes, D.S.; Adelman, S.J.

1990-01-01

The spectra of six additional A-type stars have been obtained at low resolution between 1200 and 1900 A with the IUE. The energy distributions of four of the stars match that of the field horizontal branch (FHB) distribution in Huenemoerder et al. (1984) while those of the other two do not. Three of the FHB stars fall above a line in the C(19 - V)0 vs. (b-y)0 diagram; however, HD 60825 is anomalously blue for its C(19 - V) color. 7 refs

STAR/SVT alignment within a finite magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barannikova, O.Yu.; Belaga, V.V.; Ososkov, G.A.; Panebrattsev, Yu.A.; Bellweid, R.K.; Pruneau, C.A.; Wilson, W.K.

1999-01-01

We report on the development of SVT (Silicon Vertex Tracker) software for the purpose of the SVT and TPC (Time Projection Chamber) relative alignment as well as the internal alignment of the SVT components. The alignment procedure described complements the internal SVT alignment procedure discussed in Star Note 356. It involves track reconstruction in both the Star TPC and SVT for the calibration of the SVT geometry in the presence of a finite magnetic field. This new software has been integrated under the package SAL already running under STAR. Both the implementation and the performance of the alignment algorithm are described. We find that the current software implementation in SAL should enable a very satisfactory internal SVT alignment as well as an excellent SVT to TPC relative alignment

Three Small Planets Transiting the Bright Young Field Star K2-233

Science.gov (United States)

David, Trevor J.; Crossfield, Ian J. M.; Benneke, Björn; Petigura, Erik A.; Gonzales, Erica J.; Schlieder, Joshua E.; Yu, Liang; Isaacson, Howard T.; Howard, Andrew W.; Ciardi, David R.; Mamajek, Eric E.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Cody, Ann Marie; Riedel, Adric; Schwengeler, Hans Martin; Tanner, Christopher; Ende, Martin

2018-05-01

We report the detection of three small transiting planets around the young K3 dwarf K2-233 (2MASS J15215519‑2013539) from observations during Campaign 15 of the K2 mission. The star is relatively nearby (d = 69 pc) and bright (V = 10.7 mag, K s = 8.4 mag), making the planetary system an attractive target for radial velocity follow-up and atmospheric characterization with the James Webb Space Telescope. The inner two planets are hot super-Earths (R b = 1.40 ± 0.06 {R}\\oplus , R c = 1.34 ± 0.08 {R}\\oplus ), while the outer planet is a warm sub-Neptune (R d = 2.6 ± 0.1 {R}\\oplus ). We estimate the stellar age to be {360}-140+490 Myr based on rotation, activity, and kinematic indicators. The K2-233 system is particularly interesting given recent evidence for inflated radii in planets around similarly aged stars, a trend potentially related to photo-evaporation, core cooling, or both mechanisms.

Infrared study of new star cluster candidates associated to dusty globules

Science.gov (United States)

Soto King, P.; Barbá, R.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Jaque, M.; Firpo, V.; Nilo, J. L.; Soto, M.; Minniti, D.

2014-10-01

We present results from a study of a sample of small star clusters associated to dusty globules and bright-rimmed clouds that have been observed under ESO/Chile public infrared survey Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV). In this short communication, we analyse the near-infrared properties of a set of four small clusters candidates associated to dark clouds. This sample of clusters associated to dusty globules are selected from the new VVV stellar cluster candidates developed by members of La Serena VVV Group (Barbá et al. 2014). Firstly, we are producing color-color and color-magnitude diagrams for both, cluster candidates and surrounding areas for comparison through PSF photometry. The cluster positions are determined from the morphology on the images and also from the comparison of the observed luminosity function for the cluster candidates and the surrounding star fields. Now, we are working in the procedures to establish the full sample of clusters to be analyzed and methods for subtraction of the star field contamination. These clusters associated to dusty globules are simple laboratories to study the star formation relatively free of the influence of large star-forming regions and populous clusters, and they will be compared with those clusters associated to bright-rimmed globules, which are influenced by the energetic action of nearby O and B massive stars.

Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO: The MaNGA IFU Galaxy Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Law, David R.; MaNGA Team

2014-01-01

MaNGA is a new survey that will begin in August 2014 as part of SDSS-IV with the aim of obtaining integral-field spectroscopy for an unprecedented sample of 10,000 nearby galaxies. MaNGA's key goals are to understand the "life cycle" of present day galaxies from imprinted clues of their birth and assembly, through their ongoing growth via star formation and merging, to their death from quenching at late times. To achieve these goals, MaNGA will channel the impressive capabilities of the SDSS-III BOSS spectrographs in a fundamentally new direction by marshaling the unique power of 2D spectroscopy. MaNGA will deploy 17 pluggable Integral Field Units (IFUs) made by grouping fibers into hexagonal bundles ranging from 19 to 127 fibers each. The spectra obtained by MaNGA will cover the wavelength range 3600-10,000 Angstroms (with a velocity resolution of ~ 60 km/s) and will characterize the internal composition and the dynamical state of a sample of 10,000 galaxies with stellar masses greater than 10^9 Msun and an average redshift of z ~ 0.03. Such IFU observations enable a leap forward because they provide an added dimension to the information available for each galaxy. MaNGA will provide two-dimensional maps of stellar velocity and velocity dispersion, mean stellar age and star formation history, stellar metallicity, element abundance ratio, stellar mass surface density, ionized gas velocity, ionized gas metallicity, star formation rate, and dust extinction for a statistically powerful sample. This legacy dataset will address urgent questions in our understanding of galaxy formation, including 1) The formation history of galaxy subcomponents, including the disk, bulge, and dark matter halo, 2) The nature of present-day galaxy growth via merging and gas accretion, and 3) The processes responsible for terminating star formation in galaxies. Finally, MaNGA will also play a vital role in the coming era of advanced IFU instrumentation, serving as the low-z anchor for

Star Formation, Quenching And Chemical Enrichment In Local Galaxies From Integral Field Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Belfiore, Francesco

2017-08-01

Within the currently well-established ΛCDM cosmological framework we still lack a satisfactory understanding of the processes that trigger, regulate and eventually quench star formation on galactic scales. Gas flows (including inflows from the cosmic web and supernovae-driven outflows) are considered to act as self-regulatory mechanisms, generating the scaling relations between stellar mass, star formation rate and metallicity observed in the local Universe by large spectroscopic surveys. These surveys, however, have so far been limited by the availability of only one spectrum per galaxy. The aim of this dissertation is to expand the study of star formation and chemical abundances to resolved scales within galaxies by using integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data, mostly from the ongoing SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. In the first part of this thesis I demonstrate the ubiquitous presence of extended low ionisation emission-line regions (LIERs) in both late- and early-type galaxies. By studying the Hα equivalent width and diagnostic line ratios radial profiles, together with tracers of the underlying stellar population, I show that LIERs are not due to a central point source but to hot evolved (post-asymptotic giant branch) stars. In light of this, I suggest a new classification scheme for galaxies based on their line emission. By analysing the colours, star formation rates, morphologies, gas and stellar kinematics and environmental properties of galaxies with substantial LIER emission, I identify two distinct populations. Galaxies where the central regions are LIER-like, but show star formation at larger radii are late types in which star formation is slowly quenched inside-out. This transformation is associated with massive bulges. Galaxies dominated by LIER emission at all radii, on the other hand, are red-sequence galaxies harbouring a residual cold gas component, acquired mostly via external accretion. Quiescent galaxies devoid of line emission reside in denser

Revealing Companions to Nearby Stars with Astrometric Acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-01

CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Brazil), and Ministerio de Ciencia , Tecnologı́a e...Most observations were done in the I or Strömgren y bands. The detection limits Δm(ρ) for the unresolved stars are published. They are not as deep...is the duration of the Hipparcos mission. The dis- placement of the photo-center in X, Y caused by motion due to a binary is calculated for each of

UVES abundances of stars in nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tolstoy, E; Venn, K; Shetrone, M; Primas, F; Hill, [No Value; Kaufer, A; Szeifert, T

2002-01-01

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a galaxy in possession of a good quantity of gas must want to form stars. It is the details of how and why that baffle us all. The simplest theories either would have this process a carefully self-regulated affair, or one that goes completely out of

Environmental Quenching of Low-Mass Field Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Fillingham, Sean P.; Cooper, Michael C.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Bullock, James S.; Garrison-Kimmel, Shea; Wheeler, Coral

2018-04-01

In the local Universe, there is a strong division in the star-forming properties of low-mass galaxies, with star formation largely ubiquitous amongst the field population while satellite systems are predominantly quenched. This dichotomy implies that environmental processes play the dominant role in suppressing star formation within this low-mass regime (M⋆ ˜ 105.5 - 8 M⊙). As shown by observations of the Local Volume, however, there is a non-negligible population of passive systems in the field, which challenges our understanding of quenching at low masses. By applying the satellite quenching models of Fillingham et al. (2015) to subhalo populations in the Exploring the Local Volume In Simulations (ELVIS) suite, we investigate the role of environmental processes in quenching star formation within the nearby field. Using model parameters that reproduce the satellite quenched fraction in the Local Group, we predict a quenched fraction - due solely to environmental effects - of ˜0.52 ± 0.26 within 1 systems observed at these distances are quenched via environmental mechanisms. Beyond 2 Rvir, however, dwarf galaxy quenching becomes difficult to explain through an interaction with either the Milky Way or M31, such that more isolated, field dwarfs may be self-quenched as a result of star-formation feedback.

New measurements of photospheric magnetic fields in late-type stars and emerging trends

Science.gov (United States)

Saar, S. H.; Linsky, J. L.

1986-01-01

The magnetic fields of late-type stars are measured using the method of Saar et al. (1986). The method includes radiative transfer effects and compensation for line blending; the photospheric magnetic field parameters are derived by comparing observed and theoretical line profiles using an LTE code that includes line saturation and full Zeeman pattern. The preliminary mean active region magnetic field strengths (B) and surface area coverages for 20 stars are discussed. It is observed that there is a trend of increasing B towards the cooler dwarfs stars, and the linear correlation between B and the equipartition value of the magnetic field strength suggests that the photospheric gas pressure determines the photospheric magnetic field strengths. A tendency toward larger filling factors at larger stellar angular velocities is also detected.

THE H α EMISSION OF NEARBY M DWARFS AND ITS RELATION TO STELLAR ROTATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newton, Elisabeth R.; Irwin, Jonathan; Charbonneau, David; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Michael L.; Mink, Jessica

2017-01-01

The high-energy emission from low-mass stars is mediated by the magnetic dynamo. Although the mechanisms by which fully convective stars generate large-scale magnetic fields are not well understood, it is clear that, as for solar-type stars, stellar rotation plays a pivotal role. We present 270 new optical spectra of low-mass stars in the Solar Neighborhood. Combining our observations with those from the literature, our sample comprises 2202 measurements or non-detections of H α emission in nearby M dwarfs. This includes 466 with photometric rotation periods. Stars with masses between 0.1 and 0.6 M ⊙ are well-represented in our sample, with fast and slow rotators of all masses. We observe a threshold in the mass–period plane that separates active and inactive M dwarfs. The threshold coincides with the fast-period edge of the slowly rotating population, at approximately the rotation period at which an era of rapid rotational evolution appears to cease. The well-defined active/inactive boundary indicates that H α activity is a useful diagnostic for stellar rotation period, e.g., for target selection for exoplanet surveys, and we present a mass-period relation for inactive M dwarfs. We also find a significant, moderate correlation between L Hα / L bol and variability amplitude: more active stars display higher levels of photometric variability. Consistent with previous work, our data show that rapid rotators maintain a saturated value of L Hα / L bol . Our data also show a clear power-law decay in L Hα / L bol with Rossby number for slow rotators, with an index of −1.7 ± 0.1.

Near-IR TRGB Distance to Nearby Dwarf Irregular Galaxy NGC 6822

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.-J. Sohn

2008-09-01

Full Text Available We report the distance modulus of nearby dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822 estimated from the so-called Tip of Red-giant Branch (TRGB method. To detect the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB we use the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs and luminosity functions (LFs in the near-infrared JHK bands. Foreground stars, main-sequence stars, and supergiant stars have been classified on the (g - K, g plane and removed on the near-infrared CMDs, from which only RGB and AGB stars are remained on the CMDs and LFs. By applying the Savitzky-Golay filter to the obtained LFs and detecting the peak in the second derivative of the observed LFs, we determined the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB. Theoretical absolute magnitudes of the TRGB are estimated from Yonsei-Yale isochrones with the age of 12Gyr and the metallicity range of -2.0 <[Fe/H]< -0.5. The derived values of distance modulus to NGC 6822 are (m - M

Search for bright nearby M dwarfs with virtual observatory tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aberasturi, M.; Caballero, J. A.; Montesinos, B.; Gálvez-Ortiz, M. C.; Solano, E.; Martín, E. L. [Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Departamento de Astrofísica, P.O. Box 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain)

2014-08-01

Using Virtual Observatory tools, we cross-matched the Carlsberg Meridian 14 and the 2MASS Point Source catalogs to select candidate nearby bright M dwarfs distributed over ∼25,000 deg{sup 2}. Here, we present reconnaissance low-resolution optical spectra for 27 candidates that were observed with the Intermediate Dispersion Spectrograph at the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope (R≈ 1600). We derived spectral types from a new spectral index, R, which measures the ratio of fluxes at 7485-7015 Å and 7120-7150 Å. We also used VOSA, a Virtual Observatory tool for spectral energy distribution fitting, to derive effective temperatures and surface gravities for each candidate. The resulting 27 targets were M dwarfs brighter than J = 10.5 mag, 16 of which were completely new in the Northern hemisphere and 7 of which were located at less than 15 pc. For all of them, we also measured Hα and Na I pseudo-equivalent widths, determined photometric distances, and identified the most active stars. The targets with the weakest sodium absorption, namely, J0422+2439 (with X-ray and strong Hα emissions), J0435+2523, and J0439+2333, are new members in the young Taurus-Auriga star-forming region based on proper motion, spatial distribution, and location in the color-magnitude diagram, which reopens the discussion on the deficit of M2-4 Taurus stars. Finally, based on proper motion diagrams, we report on a new wide M dwarf binary system in the field, LSPM J0326+3929EW.

COMPANIONS TO NEARBY STARS WITH ASTROMETRIC ACCELERATION. II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokovinin, Andrei; Hartung, Markus; Hayward, Thomas L.

2013-01-01

Hipparcos astrometric binaries were observed with the NICI adaptive optics system at Gemini-S, completing the work of Paper I. Among the 65 F, G, and K dwarfs within 67 pc of the Sun studied here, we resolve 18 new subarcsecond companions, remeasure 7 known astrometric pairs, and establish the physical nature of yet another 3 wider companions. The 107 astrometric binaries targeted at Gemini so far have 38 resolved companions with separations under 3''. Modeling shows that bright enough companions with separations on the order of an arcsecond can perturb the Hipparcos astrometry when they are not accounted for in the data reduction. However, the resulting bias of parallax and proper motion is generally below formal errors and such companions cannot produce fake acceleration. This work contributes to the multiplicity statistics of nearby dwarfs by bridging the gap between spectroscopic and visual binaries and by providing estimates of periods and mass ratios for many astrometric binaries.

A search for thermal extreme ultraviolet radiation from nearby pulsars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenstein, G.; Margon, B.

1977-01-01

We present the first extreme ultraviolet (100-1000 A) observations of radio pulsars. Using an EUV telescope carried aboard the Apollo-Soyuz mission, data were acquired on the nearby pulsars PSR 1133 + 16, 1451 - 68 and 1929 + 10. The data are interpreted to set limits on the effective temperatures of the neutron stars, yielding T 5 K in the best cases, and the limits compared with theoretical predictions. (orig./BJ) [de

Lyman alpha emission in nearby star-forming galaxies with the lowest metallicities and the highest [OIII]/[OII] ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Izotov, Yuri

2017-08-01

The Lyman alpha line of hydrogen is the strongest emission line in galaxies and the tool of predilection for identifying and studying star-forming galaxies over a wide range of redshifts, especially in the early universe. However, it has become clear over the years that not all of the Lyman alpha radiation escapes, due to its resonant scattering on the interstellar and intergalactic medium, and absorption by dust. Although our knowledge of the high-z universe depends crucially on that line, we still do not have a complete understanding of the mechanisms behind the production, radiative transfer and escape of Lyman alpha in galaxies. We wish here to investigate these mechanisms by studying the properties of the ISM in a unique sample of 8 extreme star-forming galaxies (SFGs) that have the highest excitation in the SDSS spectral data base. These dwarf SFGs have considerably lower stellar masses and metallicities, and higher equivalent widths and [OIII]5007/[OII]3727 ratios compared to all nearby SFGs with Lyman alpha emission studied so far with COS. They are, however, very similar to the dwarf Lyman alpha emitters at redshifts 3-6, which are thought to be the main sources of reionization in the early Universe. By combining the HST/COS UV data with data in the optical range, and using photoionization and radiative transfer codes, we will be able to study the properties of the Lyman alpha in these unique objects, derive column densities of the neutral hydrogen N(HI) and compare them with N(HI) obtained from the HeI emission-line ratios in the optical spectra. We will derive Lyman alpha escape fractions and indirectly Lyman continuum escape fractions.

Chemical composition of F-stars in the solar neighbourhood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsakov, V.A.; Suchkov, A.A.; Shevelev, Yu.G.

1984-01-01

The normal deltamsub(1), deltacsub(1) indices and metallicities have been calculated for 2472 F-stars from the uvby and Hsub(β) photometry. It is found that, as the effective temperature grows+ the heavy elements abundance of nearby F-dwarfs increases suddenly near the spectral class F5; the abundance dispersion simultaneously decreases. It is shown that the metallicity distribution of F6-G0 dwarfs is not a Gaussian one, but may be considered as a sum of two normal distributions. At the centre, the distribution shows a gap which subdivides all the stars into two metallicity groups. The early F-dwarfs do not have such a gap. It is found that the reddened (''distant'') F-stars of the southern sky have a greater metallicity then the unreddened (''nearby'') ones

Magnetic field of massive chemically peculiar stars in the Orion OB1 association

Science.gov (United States)

Romanyuk, I. I.; Semenko, E. A.; Kudryavtsev, D. O.; Yakunin, I. A.

2018-01-01

Spectropolarimetric observations of 55 chemically peculiar stars in the Orion OB1 association were obtained at the 6 m telescope of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the aim of searching for the presence of stellar magnetic fields. We found 8 new magnetic stars in addition to 20 previously known objects. The frequency of chemically peculiar A and B-type stars among normal A and B-type stars and the frequency of magnetic stars among all chemically peculiar stars decreases with age in the Orion OB1 association.

What Determines Star Formation Rates?

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Neal John

2017-06-01

The relations between star formation and gas have received renewed attention. We combine studies on scales ranging from local (within 0.5 kpc) to distant galaxies to assess what factors contribute to star formation. These include studies of star forming regions in the Milky Way, the LMC, nearby galaxies with spatially resolved star formation, and integrated galaxy studies. We test whether total molecular gas or dense gas provides the best predictor of star formation rate. The star formation ``efficiency," defined as star formation rate divided by mass, spreads over a large range when the mass refers to molecular gas; the standard deviation of the log of the efficiency decreases by a factor of three when the mass of relatively dense molecular gas is used rather than the mass of all the molecular gas. We suggest ways to further develop the concept of "dense gas" to incorporate other factors, such as turbulence.

DISCOVERY OF A WOLF-RAYET STAR THROUGH DETECTION OF ITS PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Littlefield, Colin [Law School, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Garnavich, Peter; McClelland, Colin; Rettig, Terrence [Physics Department, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Marion, G. H. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Vinko, Jozsef [Department of Optics, University of Szeged (Hungary); Wheeler, J. Craig [Astronomy Department, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

2012-06-15

We report the serendipitous discovery of a heavily reddened Wolf-Rayet star that we name WR 142b. While photometrically monitoring a cataclysmic variable, we detected weak variability in a nearby field star. Low-resolution spectroscopy revealed a strong emission line at 7100 A, suggesting an unusual object and prompting further study. A spectrum taken with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope confirms strong He II emission and an N IV 7112 A line consistent with a nitrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet star of spectral class WN6. Analysis of the He II line strengths reveals no detectable hydrogen in WR 142b. A blue-sensitive spectrum obtained with the Large Binocular Telescope shows no evidence for a hot companion star. The continuum shape and emission line ratios imply a reddening of E(B - V) = 2.2-2.6 mag. We estimate that the distance to WR 142b is 1.4 {+-} 0.3 kpc.

DISCOVERY OF A WOLF-RAYET STAR THROUGH DETECTION OF ITS PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Littlefield, Colin; Garnavich, Peter; McClelland, Colin; Rettig, Terrence; Marion, G. H.; Vinkó, József; Wheeler, J. Craig

2012-01-01

We report the serendipitous discovery of a heavily reddened Wolf-Rayet star that we name WR 142b. While photometrically monitoring a cataclysmic variable, we detected weak variability in a nearby field star. Low-resolution spectroscopy revealed a strong emission line at 7100 Å, suggesting an unusual object and prompting further study. A spectrum taken with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope confirms strong He II emission and an N IV 7112 Å line consistent with a nitrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet star of spectral class WN6. Analysis of the He II line strengths reveals no detectable hydrogen in WR 142b. A blue-sensitive spectrum obtained with the Large Binocular Telescope shows no evidence for a hot companion star. The continuum shape and emission line ratios imply a reddening of E(B – V) = 2.2-2.6 mag. We estimate that the distance to WR 142b is 1.4 ± 0.3 kpc.

Star democracy in open string field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maccaferri, Carlo; Mamone, Davide

2003-01-01

We study three types of star products in Saft: the ghosts, the twisted ghosts and the matter. We find that their Neumann coefficients are related to each other in a compact way which includes the Gross-Jevicki relation between matter and ghost sector: we explicitly show that the same relation, with a minus sign, holds for the twisted and non-twisted ghosts (which are different but define the same solution). In agreement with this, we prove that matter and twisted ghost coefficients just differ by a minus sign. As a consistency check, we also compute the spectrum of the twisted ghost vertices from conformal field theory and, using equality of twisted and reduced slivers, we derive the spectrum of the non twisted ghost star. (author)

Seven temperate terrestrial planets around the nearby ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillon, Michaël; Triaud, Amaury H M J; Demory, Brice-Olivier; Jehin, Emmanuël; Agol, Eric; Deck, Katherine M; Lederer, Susan M; de Wit, Julien; Burdanov, Artem; Ingalls, James G; Bolmont, Emeline; Leconte, Jeremy; Raymond, Sean N; Selsis, Franck; Turbet, Martin; Barkaoui, Khalid; Burgasser, Adam; Burleigh, Matthew R; Carey, Sean J; Chaushev, Aleksander; Copperwheat, Chris M; Delrez, Laetitia; Fernandes, Catarina S; Holdsworth, Daniel L; Kotze, Enrico J; Van Grootel, Valérie; Almleaky, Yaseen; Benkhaldoun, Zouhair; Magain, Pierre; Queloz, Didier

2017-02-22

One aim of modern astronomy is to detect temperate, Earth-like exoplanets that are well suited for atmospheric characterization. Recently, three Earth-sized planets were detected that transit (that is, pass in front of) a star with a mass just eight per cent that of the Sun, located 12 parsecs away. The transiting configuration of these planets, combined with the Jupiter-like size of their host star-named TRAPPIST-1-makes possible in-depth studies of their atmospheric properties with present-day and future astronomical facilities. Here we report the results of a photometric monitoring campaign of that star from the ground and space. Our observations reveal that at least seven planets with sizes and masses similar to those of Earth revolve around TRAPPIST-1. The six inner planets form a near-resonant chain, such that their orbital periods (1.51, 2.42, 4.04, 6.06, 9.1 and 12.35 days) are near-ratios of small integers. This architecture suggests that the planets formed farther from the star and migrated inwards. Moreover, the seven planets have equilibrium temperatures low enough to make possible the presence of liquid water on their surfaces.

Polarized X-Ray Emission from Magnetized Neutron Stars: Signature of Strong-Field Vacuum Polarization

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Dong; Ho, Wynn C.

2003-08-01

In the atmospheric plasma of a strongly magnetized neutron star, vacuum polarization can induce a Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein type resonance across which an x-ray photon may (depending on its energy) convert from one mode into the other, with significant changes in opacities and polarizations. We show that this vacuum resonance effect gives rise to a unique energy-dependent polarization signature in the surface emission from neutron stars. The detection of polarized x rays from neutron stars can provide a direct probe of strong-field quantum electrodynamics and constrain the neutron star magnetic field and geometry.

Polarized x-ray emission from magnetized neutron stars: signature of strong-field vacuum polarization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Dong; Ho, Wynn C G

2003-08-15

In the atmospheric plasma of a strongly magnetized neutron star, vacuum polarization can induce a Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein type resonance across which an x-ray photon may (depending on its energy) convert from one mode into the other, with significant changes in opacities and polarizations. We show that this vacuum resonance effect gives rise to a unique energy-dependent polarization signature in the surface emission from neutron stars. The detection of polarized x rays from neutron stars can provide a direct probe of strong-field quantum electrodynamics and constrain the neutron star magnetic field and geometry.

A window on first-stars models from studies of dwarf galaxies and galactic halo stars

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatesan, Aparna

2018-06-01

Dwarf galaxies dominate the local universe by number and are predicted to be even more dominant at early times, with many having large star formation rates per unit mass. The cosmological role of dwarf galaxies in the metal enrichment and the reionization of the universe is an important but unresolved problem at present. Nearby low-mass galaxies are much more accessible observationally for detailed study and may be local analogs of the types of galaxies that hosted the first-light sources relevant for reionization. I will share recent results on UV studies of the escaping radiation from nearby low-mass starforming galaxies, as well as the tantalizing similarities in element abundance patterns between local dwarf galaxies and the latest data compilations on extremely metal-poor stars in galactic halos. I will highlight trends of interest in a variety of individual elements at values of [Fe/H] between -7 and -3, including alpha-elements, elements originating mostly in intermediate-mass stars, lithium, titanium, and r-process elements. These trends constrain not only models of the first stars and their supernovae, but provide a window into the physical conditions in early galaxies and when metal-free star formation may have ceased in the early universe.This work was supported by the University of San Francisco Faculty Development Fund, and NSF grant AST-1637339. We thank the Aspen Center for Physics, where some of this work was conducted, and which is supported by National Science Foundation grant PHY-1607611.

Local field theory on κ-Minkowski space, star products and noncommutative translations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosinski, P.; Maslanka, P.; Lukierski, J.

2000-01-01

We consider local field theory on κ-deformed Minkowski space which is an example of solvable Lie-algebraic noncommutative structure. Using integration formula over κ-Minkowski space and κ-deformed Fourier transform, we consider for deformed local fields the reality conditions as well as deformation of action functionals in standard Minkowski space. We present explicit formulas for two equivalent star products describing CBH quantization of field theory on κ-Minkowski space. We express also via star product technique the noncommutative translations in κ-Minkowski space by commutative translations in standard Minkowski space. (author)

Elemental abundances of the field horizontal-branch stars HD 86986, 130095 and 202759

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adelman, S.J.

1990-01-01

Fine analyses of limited spectral regions of the field horizontal-branch A Stars HD86986, 130095 and 202759 confirm that these stars have abundances typical of Population II stars. HD 86986 has a metallicity of about 1/200 solar while HD 130095 and 202759 are even more metal poor. (author)

A Spectroscopic Survey of Field Red Horizontal-branch Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Afşar, Melike; Bozkurt, Zeynep; Böcek Topcu, Gamze; Casetti-Dinescu, Dana I.; Sneden, Christopher; Şehitog̅lu, Gizem

2018-06-01

A metallicity, chemical composition, and kinematic survey has been conducted for a sample of 340 candidate field red horizontal-branch (RHB) stars. Spectra with high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio were gathered with the McDonald Observatory 2.7 m Tull and the Hobby–Eberly Telescope echelle spectrographs, and were used to determine effective temperatures, surface gravities, microturbulent velocities, [Fe/H] metallicities, and abundance ratios [X/Fe] for seven α and Fe-group species. The derived temperatures and gravities confirm that at least half of the candidates are true RHB stars, with (average) parameters T eff ∼ 5000 K and log g ∼ 2.5. From the α abundances alone, the thin and thick Galactic populations are apparent in our sample. Space motions for 90% of the program stars were computed from Hipparcos and Gaia parallaxes and proper motions. Correlations between chemical compositions and Galactic kinematics clearly indicate the existence of both thin-disk and thick-disk RHB stars.

Effects of neutrino emissivity on the cooling of neutron stars in the presence of a strong magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coelho, Eduardo Lenho, E-mail: eduardo.coelho@uva.br [Universidade Veiga de Almeida, 108 Ibituruna St., 20271-020, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Chiapparini, Marcelo [Instituto de Física, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 524 São Francisco Xavier St., 20271-020, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Negreiros, Rodrigo Picanço [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza Ave., 24210-346, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2015-12-17

One of the most interesting kind of neutron stars are the pulsars, which are highly magnetized neutron stars with fields up to 10{sup 14} G at the surface. The strength of magnetic field in the center of a neutron star remains unknown. According to the scalar virial theorem, magnetic field in the core could be as large as 10{sup 18} G. In this work we study the influence of strong magnetic fields on the cooling of neutron stars coming from direct Urca process. Direct Urca process is an extremely efficient mechanism for cooling a neutron star after its formation. The matter is described using a relativistic mean-field model at zero temperature with eight baryons (baryon octet), electrons and muons. We obtain the relative population of each species of particles as function of baryon density for different magnetic fields. We calculate numerically the cooling of neutron stars for a parametrized magnetic field and compare the results for the case without a magnetic field.

TWO NEARBY SUB-EARTH-SIZED EXOPLANET CANDIDATES IN THE GJ 436 SYSTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, Kevin B.; Harrington, Joseph; Lust, Nate B.; Blecic, Jasmina; Hardy, Ryan A.; Cubillos, Patricio; Campo, Christopher J.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Montagnier, Guillaume; Moses, Julianne I.; Visscher, Channon

2012-01-01

We report the detection of UCF-1.01, a strong exoplanet candidate with a radius 0.66 ± 0.04 times that of Earth (R ⊕ ). This sub-Earth-sized planet transits the nearby M-dwarf star GJ 436 with a period of 1.365862 ± 8 × 10 –6 days. We also report evidence of a 0.65 ± 0.06 R ⊕ exoplanet candidate (labeled UCF-1.02) orbiting the same star with an undetermined period. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, we measure the dimming of light as the planets pass in front of their parent star to assess their sizes and orbital parameters. If confirmed today, UCF-1.01 and UCF-1.02 would be designated GJ 436c and GJ 436d, respectively, and would be part of the first multiple-transiting-planet system outside of the Kepler field. Assuming Earth-like densities of 5.515 g cm –3 , we predict both candidates to have similar masses (∼0.28 Earth-masses, M ⊕ , 2.6 Mars-masses) and surface gravities of ∼0.65 g (where g is the gravity on Earth). UCF-1.01's equilibrium temperature (T eq , where emitted and absorbed radiation balance for an equivalent blackbody) is 860 K, making the planet unlikely to harbor life as on Earth. Its weak gravitational field and close proximity to its host star imply that UCF-1.01 is unlikely to have retained its original atmosphere; however, a transient atmosphere is possible if recent impacts or tidal heating were to supply volatiles to the surface. We also present additional observations of GJ 436b during secondary eclipse. The 3.6 μm light curve shows indications of stellar activity, making a reliable secondary eclipse measurement impossible. A second non-detection at 4.5 μm supports our previous work in which we find a methane-deficient and carbon monoxide-rich dayside atmosphere.

Two nearby Sub-Earth-sized Exoplanet Candidates in the GJ 436 System

Science.gov (United States)

Stevenson, Kevin B.; Harrington, Joseph; Lust, Nate B.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Montagnier, Guillaume; Moses, Julianne I.; Visscher, Channon; Blecic, Jasmina; Hardy, Ryan A.; Cubillos, Patricio; Campo, Christopher J.

2012-08-01

We report the detection of UCF-1.01, a strong exoplanet candidate with a radius 0.66 ± 0.04 times that of Earth (R ⊕). This sub-Earth-sized planet transits the nearby M-dwarf star GJ 436 with a period of 1.365862 ± 8 × 10-6 days. We also report evidence of a 0.65 ± 0.06 R ⊕ exoplanet candidate (labeled UCF-1.02) orbiting the same star with an undetermined period. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, we measure the dimming of light as the planets pass in front of their parent star to assess their sizes and orbital parameters. If confirmed today, UCF-1.01 and UCF-1.02 would be designated GJ 436c and GJ 436d, respectively, and would be part of the first multiple-transiting-planet system outside of the Kepler field. Assuming Earth-like densities of 5.515 g cm-3, we predict both candidates to have similar masses (~0.28 Earth-masses, M ⊕, 2.6 Mars-masses) and surface gravities of ~0.65 g (where g is the gravity on Earth). UCF-1.01's equilibrium temperature (T eq, where emitted and absorbed radiation balance for an equivalent blackbody) is 860 K, making the planet unlikely to harbor life as on Earth. Its weak gravitational field and close proximity to its host star imply that UCF-1.01 is unlikely to have retained its original atmosphere; however, a transient atmosphere is possible if recent impacts or tidal heating were to supply volatiles to the surface. We also present additional observations of GJ 436b during secondary eclipse. The 3.6 μm light curve shows indications of stellar activity, making a reliable secondary eclipse measurement impossible. A second non-detection at 4.5 μm supports our previous work in which we find a methane-deficient and carbon monoxide-rich dayside atmosphere.

Ap stars with resolved magnetically split lines: Magnetic field determinations from Stokes I and V spectra⋆

Science.gov (United States)

Mathys, G.

2017-05-01

Context. Some Ap stars that have a strong enough magnetic field and a sufficiently low v sini show spectral lines resolved into their magnetically split components. Aims: We present the results of a systematic study of the magnetic fields and other properties of those stars. Methods: This study is based on 271 new measurements of the mean magnetic field modulus ⟨ B ⟩ of 43 stars, 231 determinations of the mean longitudinal magnetic field ⟨ Bz ⟩ and of the crossover ⟨ Xz ⟩ of 34 stars, and 229 determinations of the mean quadratic magnetic field ⟨ Bq ⟩ of 33 stars. Those data were used to derive new values or meaningful lower limits of the rotation periods Prot of 21 stars. Variation curves of the mean field modulus were characterised for 25 stars, the variations of the longitudinal field were characterised for 16 stars, and the variations of the crossover and of the quadratic field were characterised for 8 stars. Our data are complemented by magnetic measurements from the literature for 41 additional stars with magnetically resolved lines. Phase coverage is sufficient to define the curve of variation of ⟨ B ⟩ for 2 of these stars. Published data were also used to characterise the ⟨ Bz ⟩ curves of variation for 10 more stars. Furthermore, we present 1297 radial velocity measurements of the 43 Ap stars in our sample that have magnetically resolved lines. Nine of these stars are spectroscopic binaries for which new orbital elements were derived. Results: The existence of a cut-off at the low end of the distribution of the phase-averaged mean magnetic field moduli ⟨ B ⟩ av of the Ap stars with resolved magnetically split lines, at about 2.8 kG, is confirmed. This reflects the probable existence of a gap in the distribution of the magnetic field strengths in slowly rotating Ap stars, below which there is a separate population of stars with fields weaker than 2 kG. In more than half of the stars with magnetically resolved lines that have a

Open Wilson lines and generalized star product in noncommutative scalar field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiem, Youngjai; Sato, Haru-Tada; Rey, Soo-Jong; Yee, Jung-Tay

2002-01-01

Open Wilson line operators and a generalized star product have been studied extensively in noncommutative gauge theories. We show that they also show up in noncommutative scalar field theories as universal structures. We first point out that the dipole picture of noncommutative geometry provides an intuitive argument for the robustness of the open Wilson lines and generalized star products therein. We calculate the one-loop effective action of noncommutative scalar field theory with a cubic self-interaction and show explicitly that the generalized star products arise in the nonplanar part. It is shown that, at the low-energy, large noncommutativity limit, the nonplanar part is expressible solely in terms of the scalar open Wilson line operator and descendants

MODELING THE RISE OF FIBRIL MAGNETIC FIELDS IN FULLY CONVECTIVE STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, Maria A.; Browning, Matthew K., E-mail: mweber@astro.ex.ac.uk [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, EX4 4QL Exeter (United Kingdom)

2016-08-20

Many fully convective stars exhibit a wide variety of surface magnetism, including starspots and chromospheric activity. The manner by which bundles of magnetic field traverse portions of the convection zone to emerge at the stellar surface is not especially well understood. In the solar context, some insight into this process has been gleaned by regarding the magnetism as consisting partly of idealized thin flux tubes (TFTs). Here we present the results of a large set of TFT simulations in a rotating spherical domain of convective flows representative of a 0.3 M {sub ⊙} main-sequence star. This is the first study to investigate how individual flux tubes in such a star might rise under the combined influence of buoyancy, convection, and differential rotation. A time-dependent hydrodynamic convective flow field, taken from separate 3D simulations calculated with the anelastic equations, impacts the flux tube as it rises. Convective motions modulate the shape of the initially buoyant flux ring, promoting localized rising loops. Flux tubes in fully convective stars have a tendency to rise nearly parallel to the rotation axis. However, the presence of strong differential rotation allows some initially low-latitude flux tubes of moderate strength to develop rising loops that emerge in the near-equatorial region. Magnetic pumping suppresses the global rise of the flux tube most efficiently in the deeper interior and at lower latitudes. The results of these simulations aim to provide a link between dynamo-generated magnetic fields, fluid motions, and observations of starspots for fully convective stars.

THE H α EMISSION OF NEARBY M DWARFS AND ITS RELATION TO STELLAR ROTATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newton, Elisabeth R.; Irwin, Jonathan; Charbonneau, David; Berlind, Perry; Calkins, Michael L.; Mink, Jessica [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-01-01

The high-energy emission from low-mass stars is mediated by the magnetic dynamo. Although the mechanisms by which fully convective stars generate large-scale magnetic fields are not well understood, it is clear that, as for solar-type stars, stellar rotation plays a pivotal role. We present 270 new optical spectra of low-mass stars in the Solar Neighborhood. Combining our observations with those from the literature, our sample comprises 2202 measurements or non-detections of H α emission in nearby M dwarfs. This includes 466 with photometric rotation periods. Stars with masses between 0.1 and 0.6 M {sub ⊙} are well-represented in our sample, with fast and slow rotators of all masses. We observe a threshold in the mass–period plane that separates active and inactive M dwarfs. The threshold coincides with the fast-period edge of the slowly rotating population, at approximately the rotation period at which an era of rapid rotational evolution appears to cease. The well-defined active/inactive boundary indicates that H α activity is a useful diagnostic for stellar rotation period, e.g., for target selection for exoplanet surveys, and we present a mass-period relation for inactive M dwarfs. We also find a significant, moderate correlation between L{sub Hα} / L{sub bol} and variability amplitude: more active stars display higher levels of photometric variability. Consistent with previous work, our data show that rapid rotators maintain a saturated value of L{sub Hα} / L {sub bol}. Our data also show a clear power-law decay in L{sub Hα} / L{sub bol} with Rossby number for slow rotators, with an index of −1.7 ± 0.1.

Multicolor photometry of the nearby galaxy cluster A119

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Jintao; Zhou Xu; Jiang Zhaoji; Ma Jun; Wu Zhenyu; Fan Zhou; Zhang Tianmeng; Zou Hu; Yuan Qirong; Wu Jianghua

2012-01-01

This paper presents multicolor optical photometry of the nearby galaxy cluster Abell 119 (z = 0.0442) with the Beijing-Arizona-Taiwan-Connecticut system of 15 intermediate bands. Within the BATC field of view of 58' × 58', there are 368 galaxies with known spectroscopic redshifts, including 238 member galaxies (called sample I). Based on the spectral energy distributions of 1376 galaxies brighter than i BATC = 19.5, the photometric redshift technique and the color-magnitude relation of early-type galaxies are applied to select faint member galaxies. As a result, 117 faint galaxies were selected as new member galaxies. Combined with sample I, an enlarged sample (called sample II) of 355 member galaxies is obtained. Spatial distribution and localized velocity structure for two samples demonstrate that A119 is a dynamically complex cluster with at least three prominent substructures in the central region within 1 Mpc. A large velocity dispersion for the central clump indicates a merging along the line of sight. No significant evidence for morphology or luminosity segregations is found in either sample. With the PEGASE evolutionary synthesis model, the environmental effect on the properties of star formation is confirmed. Faint galaxies in the low-density region tend to have longer time scales of star formation, smaller mean stellar ages, and lower metallicities in their interstellar medium, which is in agreement with the context of the hierarchical cosmological scenario. (research papers)

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.

Characterization of the magnetic field of the Herbig Be star HD200775

Science.gov (United States)

Alecian, E.; Catala, C.; Wade, G. A.; Donati, J.-F.; Petit, P.; Landstreet, J. D.; Böhm, T.; Bouret, J.-C.; Bagnulo, S.; Folsom, C.; Grunhut, J.; Silvester, J.

2008-03-01

The origin of the magnetic fields observed in some intermediate-mass and high-mass main-sequence stars is still a matter of vigorous debate. The favoured hypothesis is a fossil field origin, in which the observed fields are the condensed remnants of magnetic fields present in the original molecular cloud from which the stars formed. According to this theory a few per cent of the pre-main-sequence (PMS) Herbig Ae/Be star should be magnetic with a magnetic topology similar to that of main-sequence intermediate-mass stars. After our recent discovery of four magnetic Herbig stars, we have decided to study in detail one of them, HD200775, to determine if its magnetic topology is similar to that of the main-sequence magnetic stars. With this aim, we monitored this star in Stokes I and V over more than 2yr, using the new spectropolarimeters ESPaDOnS at Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), and Narval at Bernard Lyot Telescope (TBL). By analysing the intensity spectrum we find that HD200775 is a double-lined spectroscopic binary system, whose secondary seems similar, in temperature, to the primary. We have carefully compared the observed spectrum to a synthetic one, and we found no evidence of abundance anomalies in its spectrum. We infer the luminosity ratio of the components from the Stokes I profiles. Then, using the temperature and luminosity of HD200775 found in the literature, we estimate the age, the mass and the radius of both components from their HR diagram positions. From our measurements of the radial velocities of both stars we determine the ephemeris and the orbital parameters of the system. A Stokes V Zeeman signature is clearly visible in most of the least-squares deconvolution profiles and varies on a time-scale on the order of 1d. We have fitted the 30 profiles simultaneously, using a χ2 minimization method, with a centred and a decentred-dipole model. The best-fitting model is obtained with a reduced χ2 = 1.0 and provides a rotation period of 4

A dual-mask coronagraph for observing faint companions to binary stars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cady, E.; McElwain, M.; Kasdin, N.J.; Thalmann, C.

2011-01-01

Observations of binary stars for faint companions with conventional coronagraphic methods are challenging, as both targets will be bright enough to obscure any nearby faint companions if their scattered light is not suppressed. We propose coronagraphic examination of binary stars using an

THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD. XXVIII. THE MULTIPLICITY FRACTION OF NEARBY STARS FROM 5 TO 70 AU AND THE BROWN DWARF DESERT AROUND M DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dieterich, Sergio B.; Henry, Todd J.; Golimowski, David A.; Krist, John E.; Tanner, Angelle M.

2012-01-01

We report on our analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS snapshot high-resolution images of 255 stars in 201 systems within ∼10 pc of the Sun. Photometry was obtained through filters F110W, F180M, F207M, and F222M using NICMOS Camera 2. These filters were selected to permit clear identification of cool brown dwarfs through methane contrast imaging. With a plate scale of 76 mas pixel –1 , NICMOS can easily resolve binaries with subarcsecond separations in the 19.''5×19.''5 field of view. We previously reported five companions to nearby M and L dwarfs from this search. No new companions were discovered during the second phase of data analysis presented here, confirming that stellar/substellar binaries are rare. We establish magnitude and separation limits for which companions can be ruled out for each star in the sample, and then perform a comprehensive sensitivity and completeness analysis for the subsample of 138 M dwarfs in 126 systems. We calculate a multiplicity fraction of 0.0 +3.5 –0.0 % for L companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 5-70 AU, and 2.3 +5.0 –0.7 % for L and T companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 10-70 AU. We also discuss trends in the color-magnitude diagrams using various color combinations and present astrometry for 19 multiple systems in our sample. Considering these results and results from several other studies, we argue that the so-called brown dwarf desert extends to binary systems with low-mass primaries and is largely independent of primary mass, mass ratio, and separations. While focusing on companion properties, we discuss how the qualitative agreement between observed companion mass functions and initial mass functions suggests that the paucity of brown dwarfs in either population may be due to a common cause and not due to binary formation mechanisms.

THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD. XXVIII. THE MULTIPLICITY FRACTION OF NEARBY STARS FROM 5 TO 70 AU AND THE BROWN DWARF DESERT AROUND M DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dieterich, Sergio B.; Henry, Todd J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302-4106 (United States); Golimowski, David A. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Krist, John E. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Tanner, Angelle M., E-mail: dieterich@chara.gsu.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762 (United States)

2012-08-15

We report on our analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS snapshot high-resolution images of 255 stars in 201 systems within {approx}10 pc of the Sun. Photometry was obtained through filters F110W, F180M, F207M, and F222M using NICMOS Camera 2. These filters were selected to permit clear identification of cool brown dwarfs through methane contrast imaging. With a plate scale of 76 mas pixel{sup -1}, NICMOS can easily resolve binaries with subarcsecond separations in the 19.''5 Multiplication-Sign 19.''5 field of view. We previously reported five companions to nearby M and L dwarfs from this search. No new companions were discovered during the second phase of data analysis presented here, confirming that stellar/substellar binaries are rare. We establish magnitude and separation limits for which companions can be ruled out for each star in the sample, and then perform a comprehensive sensitivity and completeness analysis for the subsample of 138 M dwarfs in 126 systems. We calculate a multiplicity fraction of 0.0{sup +3.5}{sub -0.0}% for L companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 5-70 AU, and 2.3{sup +5.0}{sub -0.7}% for L and T companions to M dwarfs in the separation range of 10-70 AU. We also discuss trends in the color-magnitude diagrams using various color combinations and present astrometry for 19 multiple systems in our sample. Considering these results and results from several other studies, we argue that the so-called brown dwarf desert extends to binary systems with low-mass primaries and is largely independent of primary mass, mass ratio, and separations. While focusing on companion properties, we discuss how the qualitative agreement between observed companion mass functions and initial mass functions suggests that the paucity of brown dwarfs in either population may be due to a common cause and not due to binary formation mechanisms.

Star-Formation Histories, Abundances, and Kinematics of Dwarf Galaxies in the Local Group

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tolstoy, Eline; Hill, Vanessa; Tosi, Monica; Blandford, R; Kormendy, J; VanDishoeck, E

2009-01-01

Within the Local Universe galaxies can be studied in great detail star by star, and here we review the results of quantitative studies in nearby dwarf galaxies. The color-magnitude diagram synthesis method is well established as the most accurate way to determine star-formation histories of galaxies

Structure, dynamical impact and origin of magnetic fields in nearby galaxies in the SKA era

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beck, R.; Bomans, D.; Colafrancesco, S.; Dettmar, R. J.; Ferrière, K.; Fletcher, A.; Heald, G.; Heesen, V.; Horellou, C.; Krause, M.; Lou, Y. Q.; Mao, S. A.; Paladino, R.; Schinnerer, E.; Sokoloff, D.; Stil, J.; Tabatabaei, F.

2015-01-01

Magnetic fields are an important ingredient of the interstellar medium (ISM). Besides their importance for star formation, they govern the transport of cosmic rays, relevant to the launch and regulation of galactic outflows and winds, which in turn are pivotal in shaping the structure of halo

Observations of the Hubble Deep Field with the Infrared Space Observatory .5. Spectral energy distributions, starburst models and star formation history

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rowan Robinson, M.; Mann, R.G.; Oliver, S.J.

1997-01-01

We have modelled the spectral energy distributions of the 13 Hubble Deep Field (HDF) galaxies reliably detected by the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). For two galaxies the emission detected by ISO is consistent with being starlight or the infrared 'cirrus' in the galaxies. For the remaining II...... galaxies there is a clear midinfrared excess, which we interpret as emission from dust associated with a strong starburst. 10 of these galaxies are spirals or interacting pairs, while the remaining one is an elliptical with a prominent nucleus and broad emission lines. We give a new discussion of how...... compared with nearby normal galaxies, We discuss the implications of our detections for the history of star and heavy element formation in the Universe, Although uncertainties in the calibration, reliability of source detection, associations and starburst models remain, it is clear that dust plays...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in disks around young solar-type stars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geers, Vincent Carlo

2007-01-01

In this thesis we study the dust around solar-type young stars. In particular, we focus on one specific species of dust, namely the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a family of large molecules, or small grains, that are widely observed in nearby star-forming regions. We address the following

The NuSTAR Extragalactic Surveys: Overview And Catalog From The Cosmos Field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Civano, F.; Hickox, R. C.; Puccetti, S.

2015-01-01

To provide the census of the sources contributing to the X-ray background peak above 10 keV, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is performing extragalactic surveys using a three-tier "wedding cake" approach. We present the NuSTAR survey of the COSMOS field, the medium sensitivity...

The Star Formation in Radio Survey: Jansky Very Large Array 33 GHz Observations of Nearby Galaxy Nuclei and Extranuclear Star-forming Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, E. J.; Dong, D.; Momjian, E.; Linden, S.; Kennicutt, R. C., Jr.; Meier, D. S.; Schinnerer, E.; Turner, J. L.

2018-02-01

We present 33 GHz imaging for 112 pointings toward galaxy nuclei and extranuclear star-forming regions at ≈2″ resolution using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) as part of the Star Formation in Radio Survey. A comparison with 33 GHz Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope single-dish observations indicates that the interferometric VLA observations recover 78% ± 4% of the total flux density over 25″ regions (≈kpc scales) among all fields. On these scales, the emission being resolved out is most likely diffuse non-thermal synchrotron emission. Consequently, on the ≈30–300 pc scales sampled by our VLA observations, the bulk of the 33 GHz emission is recovered and primarily powered by free–free emission from discrete H II regions, making it an excellent tracer of massive star formation. Of the 225 discrete regions used for aperture photometry, 162 are extranuclear (i.e., having galactocentric radii r G ≥ 250 pc) and detected at >3σ significance at 33 GHz and in Hα. Assuming a typical 33 GHz thermal fraction of 90%, the ratio of optically-thin 33 GHz to uncorrected Hα star formation rates indicates a median extinction value on ≈30–300 pc scales of A Hα ≈ 1.26 ± 0.09 mag, with an associated median absolute deviation of 0.87 mag. We find that 10% of these sources are “highly embedded” (i.e., A Hα ≳ 3.3 mag), suggesting that on average, H II regions remain embedded for ≲1 Myr. Finally, we find the median 33 GHz continuum-to-Hα line flux ratio to be statistically larger within r G < 250 pc relative to the outer disk regions by a factor of 1.82 ± 0.39, while the ratio of 33 GHz to 24 μm flux densities is lower by a factor of 0.45 ± 0.08, which may suggest increased extinction in the central regions.

VLBA DETERMINATION OF THE DISTANCE TO NEARBY STAR-FORMING REGIONS. IV. A PRELIMINARY DISTANCE TO THE PROTO-HERBIG AeBe STAR EC 95 IN THE SERPENS CORE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzib, Sergio; Loinard, Laurent; Rodriguez, Luis F.; Mioduszewski, Amy J.; Boden, Andrew F.; Torres, Rosa M.

2010-01-01

Using the Very Long Base Array, we observed the young stellar object EC 95 in the Serpens cloud core at eight epochs from 2007 December to 2009 December. Two sources are detected in our field and are shown to form a tight binary system. The primary (EC 95a) is a 4-5 M sun proto-Herbig AeBe object (arguably the youngest such object known), whereas the secondary (EC 95b) is most likely a low-mass T Tauri star. Interestingly, both sources are non-thermal emitters. While T Tauri stars are expected to power a corona because they are convective while they go down the Hayashi track, intermediate-mass stars approach the main sequence on radiative tracks. Thus, they are not expected to have strong superficial magnetic fields, and should not be magnetically active. We review several mechanisms that could produce the non-thermal emission of EC 95a and argue that the observed properties of EC 95a might be most readily interpreted if it possessed a corona powered by a rotation-driven convective layer. Using our observations, we show that the trigonometric parallax of EC 95 is π = 2.41 ± 0.02 mas, corresponding to a distance of 414.9 +4.4 -4.3 pc. We argue that this implies a distance to the Serpens core of 415 ± 5 pc and a mean distance to the Serpens cloud of 415 ± 25 pc. This value is significantly larger than previous estimates (d ∼ 260 pc) based on measurements of the extinction suffered by stars in the direction of Serpens. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that these previous observations picked out foreground dust clouds associated with the Aquila Rift system rather than Serpens itself.

The POKEMON Speckle Survey of Nearby M-Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

van Belle, Gerard; von Braun, Kaspar; Horch, Elliott; Clark, Catherine; DSSI Speckle Team

2018-01-01

The POKEMON (Pervasive Overview of Kompanions of Every M-dwarf in Our Neighborhood) survey of nearby M-dwarfs intends to inspect, at diffraction-limited resolution, every low-mass star out to 15pc, along with selected additional objects to 25pc. The primary emphasis of the survey is detection of low-mass companions to these M-dwarfs for refinement of the low-mass star multiplicity rate. The resultant catalog of M-dwarf companions will also guide immediate refinement of transit planet detection results from surveys such as TESS. POKEMON is using Lowell Observatory's 4.3-m Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) with the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI) speckle camera, along with the NN-Explore Exoplanet Stellar Speckle Imager (NESSI) speckle imager on 3.5-m WIYN; the survey takes advantage of the extremely rapid observing cadence rates possible with WIYN and (especially) DCT. The current status and preliminary results from the first 20+ nights of observing will be presented. Gotta observe them all!

Nearby Red Dwarfs are Sexy for Planets and Life

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, T. J.; Jao, W.-C.; Subasavage, J. P.; RECONS Team

2005-12-01

The RECONS group continues to discover many nearby red dwarfs in the southern sky through a combination of proper motion surveys, literature review, and ultimately, our parallax program CTIOPI. Already, we have measured the first accurate parallaxes for 11 of the nearest 100 stellar systems, including four within 5 parsecs of the Sun. These nearby red dwarfs are prime candidates for NASA's Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) because the astrometric perturbations are largest for planets orbiting stars of low mass that are nearby. In addition, new multiple red dwarf systems can be targeted for mass determinations, thereby providing points on a comprehensive mass-luminosity relation for the most populous members of the Galaxy. Recent atmospheric modeling of planets orbiting red dwarfs indicates that even if the planets are tidally locked, heat distribution is highly effective in keeping the worlds balmy over the entire surface. Red dwarfs are therefore "back on the table" as viable hosts of life-bearing planets. Given their ubiquity, red dwarfs are being seriously considered as prime SETI targets, and will allow us to answer not only the question "Are We Alone?" but "Just How Alone Are We?" This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, and Georgia State University.

1969 - 2010: Multicolor Photometric Observations of Population II Field Horizontal-Branch Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Philip, A. G. Davis

2010-05-01

From 1969 to 2010 I have been involved in a photometric study of Population II Field Horizontal-Branch stars. I started by making Stromgren four-color observations at Kitt Peak National Observatory and then Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. I had taken spectral plates of all my selected areas on which I marked all the A-type stars. These stars were then observed photometrically. New FHB stars could be identified by their large c1 indices, caused by their greater (u-b) colors. Later four new filters were added ( U V B S ). With Richard Boyle of the Vatican Observatory we observed on Mt. Graham (Arizona) on the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope.We plan follow-up observations of the new FHB stars found.

Rotational Evolution and Magnetic Field of AP Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Xiaojun, C.; Matsuura, O. T.

1990-11-01

RESUMO. Prop6e- se qLie 0 campo de estrelas Ap pode ser 9cr ado pelo mecanismo de na base clo envelope c 0 fl V C C t V 0, C t r a ri S p 0 r t a d C) p a r a a S LI p e r f C 1 e p e I a Instabllidade de boiament 0 na ase de Haya hi. Campos cibservados permit em est imar uma perda de momento durante a ase pr -Seque%nC:ia P r ri C: p a I a ci ni p a t V C I C: C) m a s C) b s e r V a nT C 5. E S t r C I a S A normals, que ro t a ao , ria0 most ram camp Os :os superficia; importantes e isto pode ac:oriteaer C LIma protoestrela evolue para Sequencia Principal em passar pela fase de Hayashi. ABSTRACT: It 5 proposed that the ma9netic field o Ap stars may be enerated by the dynamo at the base of the convective envelope, arid transported to the surface b y t h C i ri s t a b iii t y C) f b LI 0 y a n c y i n t h C H a y a s hi p h a s e. Observed surface ma9netic fields allow to estimate a 1055 of an9ular momentum during the pre-Main Sequence phase compatible with the observations. apidIy rotating normal A stars do not shciw important surface magnetic fields and this may occur if a protostar evcilves to Main Sequence skipping the Hayashi phase. Key words: HYDROMAGNETICS - STARS-PECULIAR A

The globular cluster system of NGC 1316. IV. Nature of the star cluster complex SH2

Science.gov (United States)

Richtler, T.; Husemann, B.; Hilker, M.; Puzia, T. H.; Bresolin, F.; Gómez, M.

2017-05-01

Context. The light of the merger remnant NGC 1316 (Fornax A) is dominated by old and intermediate-age stars. The only sign of current star formation in this big galaxy is the Hii region SH2, an isolated star cluster complex with a ring-like morphology and an estimated age of 0.1 Gyr at a galactocentric distance of about 35 kpc. A nearby intermediate-age globular cluster, surrounded by weak line emission and a few more young star clusters, is kinematically associated. The origin of this complex is enigmatic. Aims: We want to investigate the nature of this star cluster complex. The nebular emission lines permit a metallicity determination which can discriminate between a dwarf galaxy or other possible precursors. Methods: We used the Integral Field Unit (IFU) of the VIMOS instrument at the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory in high dispersion mode to study the morphology, kinematics, and metallicity employing line maps, velocity maps, and line diagnostics of a few characteristic spectra. Results: The line ratios of different spectra vary, indicating highly structured Hii regions, but define a locus of uniform metallicity. The strong-line diagnostic diagrams and empirical calibrations point to a nearly solar or even super-solar oxygen abundance. The velocity dispersion of the gas is highest in the region offset from the bright clusters. Star formation may be active on a low level. There is evidence for a large-scale disk-like structure in the region of SH2, which would make the similar radial velocity of the nearby globular cluster easier to understand. Conclusions: The high metallicity does not fit to a dwarf galaxy as progenitor. We favour the scenario of a free-floating gaseous complex having its origin in the merger 2 Gyr ago. Over a long period the densities increased secularly until finally the threshold for star formation was reached. SH2 illustrates how massive star clusters can form outside starbursts and without a considerable field

THE ACS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY. XI. THE REMARKABLY UNDISTURBED NGC 2403 DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Benjamin F.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Stilp, Adrienne; Radburn-Smith, David [Department of Astronomy, Box 351580, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew [Raytheon, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85706 (United States); Skillman, Evan D., E-mail: ben@astro.washington.edu, E-mail: jd@astro.washington.edu, E-mail: adrienne@astro.washington.edu, E-mail: dolphin@raytheon.com, E-mail: skillman@astro.umn.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)

2013-03-10

We present detailed analysis of color-magnitude diagrams of NGC 2403, obtained from a deep (m {approx}< 28) Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 observation of the outer disk of NGC 2403, supplemented by several shallow (m {approx}< 26) HST Advanced Camera for Surveys fields. We derive the spatially resolved star formation history of NGC 2403 out to 11 disk scale lengths. In the inner portions of the galaxy, we compare the recent star formation rates (SFRs) we derive from the resolved stars with those measured using GALEX FUV + Spitzer 24{mu} fluxes, finding excellent agreement between the methods. Our measurements also show that the radial gradient in recent SFR mirrors the disk exponential profile to 11 scale lengths with no break, extending to SFR densities a factor of {approx}100 lower than those that can be measured with GALEX and Spitzer ({approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1} kpc{sup -2}). Furthermore, we find that the cumulative stellar mass of the disk was formed at similar times at all radii. We compare these characteristics of NGC 2403 to those of its ''morphological twins'', NGC 300 and M 33, showing that the structure and age distributions of the NGC 2403 disk are more similar to those of the relatively isolated system NGC 300 than to those of the Local Group analog M 33. We also discuss the environments and HI morphologies of these three nearby galaxies, comparing them to integrated light studies of larger samples of more distant galaxy disks. Taken together, the physical properties and evolutionary history of NGC 2403 suggest that the galaxy has had no close encounters with other M 81 group members and may be falling into the group for the first time.

VLT/UVES abundances in four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies. II. Implications for understanding galaxy evolution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tolstoy, E; Venn, KA; Shetrone, M; Primas, F; Hill, [No Value; Kaufer, A; Szeifert, T

We have used the Ultraviolet Visual-Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) on Kueyen (UT2) of the Very Large Telescope to take spectra of 15 individual red giant stars in the centers of four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph's) : Sculptor, Fornax, Carina, and Leo I. We measure the abundance variations of

THE NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES OF NEARBY S0 GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Meng-Yuan; Gu, Qiu-Sheng; Chen, Yan-Mei; Zhou, Luwenjia, E-mail: qsgu@nju.edu.cn [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, P. R. China (China)

2016-11-01

We present a study of nuclear activities in nearby S0 galaxies. After cross-matching the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 with the Third Reference Catalog of Bright Galaxies (RC3) and visually checking the SDSS images, we derive a sample of 583 S0 galaxies with the central spectrophotometric information. In order to separate nebular emission lines from the underlying stellar contribution, we fit the stellar population model to the SDSS spectra of these S0 galaxies. According to the BPT diagram, we find that 8% of S0 galaxies show central star-forming activity, while the fractions of Seyfert, Composite, and low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs) are 2%, 8%, and 21.4%, respectively. We also find that star-forming S0s have the lowest stellar masses, over one magnitude lower than the others, and that the active S0s are mainly located in the sparse environment, while the normal S0s are located in the dense environment, which might suggest that the environment plays an important role in quenching star formation and/or AGN activity in S0 galaxies. By performing bulge-disk decomposition of 45 star-forming S0s in g - and r -bands with the 2D fitting software Galfit, as well as exploiting the catalog of 2D photometric decompositions of Meert et al., we find that the bulges of approximately one-third of star-forming S0 galaxies (16/45) are bluer than their disks, while for other types of S0s the bulge and disk components show similar color distributions. Besides, the Sérsic index of most star-forming S0s bulges is less than two, while for normal S0s, it is between two and six.

The Equation of State of Neutron Star Matter in Strong Magnetic Fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broderick, A.; Prakash, M.; Lattimer, J. M.

2000-01-01

We study the effects of very strong magnetic fields on the equation of state (EOS) in multicomponent, interacting matter by developing a covariant description for the inclusion of the anomalous magnetic moments of nucleons. For the description of neutron star matter, we employ a field-theoretical approach, which permits the study of several models that differ in their behavior at high density. Effects of Landau quantization in ultrastrong magnetic fields (B>10 14 G) lead to a reduction in the electron chemical potential and a substantial increase in the proton fraction. We find the generic result for B>10 18 G that the softening of the EOS caused by Landau quantization is overwhelmed by stiffening due to the incorporation of the anomalous magnetic moments of the nucleons. In addition, the neutrons become completely spin polarized. The inclusion of ultrastrong magnetic fields leads to a dramatic increase in the proton fraction, with consequences for the direct Urca process and neutron star cooling. The magnetization of the matter never appears to become very large, as the value of |H/B| never deviates from unity by more than a few percent. Our findings have implications for the structure of neutron stars in the presence of large frozen-in magnetic fields. (c) 2000 The American Astronomical Society

The Equation of State of Neutron Star Matter in Strong Magnetic Fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broderick, A; Prakash, M; Lattimer, J M

2000-07-01

We study the effects of very strong magnetic fields on the equation of state (EOS) in multicomponent, interacting matter by developing a covariant description for the inclusion of the anomalous magnetic moments of nucleons. For the description of neutron star matter, we employ a field-theoretical approach, which permits the study of several models that differ in their behavior at high density. Effects of Landau quantization in ultrastrong magnetic fields (B>10{sup 14} G) lead to a reduction in the electron chemical potential and a substantial increase in the proton fraction. We find the generic result for B>10{sup 18} G that the softening of the EOS caused by Landau quantization is overwhelmed by stiffening due to the incorporation of the anomalous magnetic moments of the nucleons. In addition, the neutrons become completely spin polarized. The inclusion of ultrastrong magnetic fields leads to a dramatic increase in the proton fraction, with consequences for the direct Urca process and neutron star cooling. The magnetization of the matter never appears to become very large, as the value of |H/B| never deviates from unity by more than a few percent. Our findings have implications for the structure of neutron stars in the presence of large frozen-in magnetic fields. (c) 2000 The American Astronomical Society.

Correlating The Star Formation Histories Of MaNGA Galaxies With Their Past AGN Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez Ortiz, Andrea

2017-01-01

We investigate active galactic nuclei (AGN) as a primary mechanism affecting star formation in MaNGA galaxies. Using the Pipe3D code, we modeled the stellar population from MaNGA spectra and derived the star formation histories of 53 AGN host galaxies. We seek to compare the star formation histories of the host galaxies of AGN with the ages of their radio lobes to better understand the role of AGN feedback in the star formation histories of MaNGA galaxies. MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO) is one of the three core programs in the fourth generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS). MaNGA will investigate the internal kinematics of nearly 10,000 local galaxies through dithered observations using fiber integral field units (IFUs) that vary in diameter from 12" (19 fibers) to 32" (127 fibers). In this poster, we present initial results on the star formation histories of MaNGA AGN host galaxies. This work was supported by the SDSS Research Experience for Undergraduates program, which is funded by a grant from Sloan Foundation to the Astrophysical Research Consortium.

Tikekar superdense stars in electric fields

Science.gov (United States)

Komathiraj, K.; Maharaj, S. D.

2007-04-01

We present exact solutions to the Einstein-Maxwell system of equations with a specified form of the electric field intensity by assuming that the hypersurface {t=constant} are spheroidal. The solution of the Einstein-Maxwell system is reduced to a recurrence relation with variable rational coefficients which can be solved in general using mathematical induction. New classes of solutions of linearly independent functions are obtained by restricting the spheroidal parameter K and the electric field intensity parameter α. Consequently, it is possible to find exact solutions in terms of elementary functions, namely, polynomials and algebraic functions. Our result contains models found previously including the superdense Tikekar neutron star model [J. Math. Phys. 31, 2454 (1990)] when K=-7 and α=0. Our class of charged spheroidal models generalize the uncharged isotropic Maharaj and Leach solutions [J. Math. Phys. 37, 430 (1996)]. In particular, we find an explicit relationship directly relating the spheroidal parameter K to the electromagnetic field.

Thermal generation of the magnetic field in the surface layers of massive stars

Science.gov (United States)

Urpin, V.

2017-11-01

A new magnetic field-generation mechanism based on the Nernst effect is considered in hot massive stars. This mechanism can operate in the upper atmospheres of O and B stars where departures from the LTE form a region with the inverse temperature gradient.

Searching for magnetic fields in 11 Wolf-Rayet stars: Analysis of circular polarization measurements from ESPaDOnS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De la Chevrotière, A.; St-Louis, N.; Moffat, A. F. J. [Centre de Recherche en Astrophysique du Québec (CRAQ), Département de physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7 (Canada); Collaboration: MiMeS Collaboration

2014-02-01

With recent detections of magnetic fields in some of their progenitor O stars, combined with known strong fields in their possible descendant neutron stars, it is natural to search for magnetic fields in Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, despite the problems associated with the presence of winds enhanced by an order of magnitude over those of O stars. We continue our search among a sample of 11 bright WR stars following our introductory study in a previous paper of WR6 = EZ CMa using the spectropolarimeter ESPaDOnS at Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, most of them in all four Stokes parameters. This sample includes six WN stars and five WC stars encompassing a range of spectral subclasses. Six are medium/long-period binaries and three show corotating interaction regions. We report no definite detections of a magnetic field in the winds in which the lines form (which is about the same distance from the center of the star as it is from the surface of the progenitor O star) for any of the eleven stars. Possible reasons and their implications are discussed. Nonetheless, the data show evidence supporting marginal detections for WR134, WR137, and WR138. According to the Bayesian analysis, the most probable field intensities are B {sub wind} ∼ 200, 130, and 80 G, respectively, with a 95.4% probability that the magnetic fields present in the observable parts of their stellar wind, if stronger, does not exceed B{sub wind}{sup max}∼1900 G, ∼1500 G, and ∼1500 G, respectively. In the case of non-detections, we report an average field strength upper limit of B{sub wind}{sup max}∼500 G.

The Study of Nebular Emission on Nearby Spiral Galaxies in the IFU Era

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Fabián Rosales-Ortega

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A new generation of wide-field emission-line surveys based on integral field units (IFU is allowing us to obtain spatially resolved information of the gas-phase emission in nearby late-type galaxies, based on large samples of HII regions and full two-dimensional coverage. These observations are allowing us to discover and characterise abundance differentials between galactic substructures and new scaling relations with global physical properties. Here I review some highlights of our current studies employing this technique: (1 the case study of NGC 628, the largest galaxy ever sampled with an IFU; (2 a statistical approach to the abundance gradients of spiral galaxies, which indicates a universal radial gradient for oxygen abundance; and (3 the discovery of a new scaling relation of HII regions in spiral galaxies, the local mass-metallicity relation of star-forming galaxies. The observational properties and constrains found in local galaxies using this new technique will allow us to interpret the gas-phase abundance of analogue high-z systems.

A CHARA ARRAY SURVEY OF CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS AROUND NEARBY Be-TYPE STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Touhami, Y.; Gies, D. R.; McAlister, H. A.; Matson, R.

2013-01-01

We report on a high angular resolution survey of circumstellar disks around 24 northern sky Be stars. The K-band continuum survey was made using the CHARA Array long baseline interferometer (baselines of 30-331 m). The interferometric visibilities were corrected for the flux contribution of stellar companions in those cases where the Be star is a member of a known binary or multiple system. For those targets with good (u, v) coverage, we used a four-parameter Gaussian elliptical disk model to fit the visibilities and to determine the axial ratio, position angle, K-band photospheric flux contribution, and angular diameter of the disk's major axis. For the other targets with relatively limited (u, v) coverage, we constrained the axial ratio, inclination angle, and/or disk position angle where necessary in order to resolve the degeneracy between possible model solutions. We also made fits of the ultraviolet and infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to estimate the stellar angular diameter and infrared flux excess of each target. The mean ratio of the disk diameter (measured in K-band emission) to stellar diameter (from SED modeling) is 4.4 among the 14 cases where we reliably resolved the disk emission, a value which is generally lower than the disk size ratio measured in the higher opacity Hα emission line. We estimated the equatorial rotational velocity from the projected rotational velocity and disk inclination for 12 stars, and most of these stars rotate close to or at the critical rotational velocity.

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: A DETAILED MODEL ATMOSPHERE ANALYSIS OF NEARBY WHITE DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giammichele, N.; Bergeron, P. [Kitt Peak National Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (United States); Dufour, P., E-mail: noemi.giammichele@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: pierre.bergeron@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: patrick.dufour@astro.umontreal.ca [Departement de Physique, Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7 (Canada)

2012-04-01

We present improved atmospheric parameters of nearby white dwarfs lying within 20 pc of the Sun. The aim of the current study is to obtain the best statistical model of the least-biased sample of the white dwarf population. A homogeneous analysis of the local population is performed combining detailed spectroscopic and photometric analyses based on improved model atmosphere calculations for various spectral types including DA, DB, DC, DQ, and DZ stars. The spectroscopic technique is applied to all stars in our sample for which optical spectra are available. Photometric energy distributions, when available, are also combined to trigonometric parallax measurements to derive effective temperatures, stellar radii, as well as atmospheric compositions. A revised catalog of white dwarfs in the solar neighborhood is presented. We provide, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the mass distribution and the chemical distribution of white dwarf stars in a volume-limited sample.

HDE 229189 - A variable Ae star in the field of NGC 6910

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halbedel, E.M.

1991-01-01

The star HDE 229189 (BD + 40 4145; in the field, though probably not a member, of the open cluster NGC 6910) has been found to exhibit large photometric changes in V magnitude over relatively short time scales. The total observed range was 0.416 V magnitude. An outburst in 1982 showed an even greater V range (Delta V = 1.66) and concomitant color changes. A coude spectrum of the star taken a week before a minor outburst showed emission at H-alpha but no other unusual lines. The star is likely an A3 (V)e star, an unusual object in itself (since stars as late as A3 seldom show emission at H-α), or else possibly a member of a binary system undergoing mass transfer between the members. 19 refs

CHEMICAL AND KINEMATICAL PROPERTIES OF BLUE STRAGGLER STARS AND HORIZONTAL BRANCH STARS IN NGC 6397

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovisi, L.; Mucciarelli, A.; Lanzoni, B.; Ferraro, F. R.; Dalessandro, E.; Contreras Ramos, R.; Gratton, R.

2012-01-01

We used three sets of high-resolution spectra acquired with the multifiber facility FLAMES at the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory to investigate the chemical and kinematical properties of a sample of 42 horizontal branch (HB) stars, 18 blue straggler stars (BSSs), and 86 main-sequence (MS) turnoff (TO) and sub-giant branch stars in the nearby globular cluster NGC 6397. We measured rotational velocities and Fe, O, and Mg abundances. All of the unevolved stars in our sample have low rotational velocites (vsin i –1 ), while the HB stars and BSSs show a broad distribution, with values ranging from 0 to ∼70 km s –1 . For HB stars with T 8200 K and T > 10,500 K, respectively) also show significant deviations in their iron abundance with respect to the cluster metallicity (as traced by the unevolved stars, [Fe/H] = –2.12). While similar chemical patterns have already been observed in other hot HB stars, this is the first evidence ever collected for BSSs. We interpret these abundance anomalies as due to the metal radiative levitation, occurring in stars with shallow or no convective envelopes.

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.

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.

EVIDENCE FOR ACCRETION IN A NEARBY, YOUNG BROWN DWARF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reiners, Ansgar

2009-01-01

We report on the discovery of the young, nearby, brown dwarf 2MASS J0041353-562112. The object has a spectral type of M7.5; it shows Li absorption and signatures of accretion, which implies that it still has a disk and suggests an age below 10 Myr. The space motion vector and position on the sky indicate that the brown dwarf is probably a member of the ∼20 Myr old Tuc-Hor association, or that it may be an ejected member of the ∼12 Myr old β Pic association; both would imply that 2MASS J0041353-562112 may in fact be older than 10 Myr. No accreting star or brown dwarf was previously known in these associations. Assuming an age of 10 Myr, the brown dwarf has a mass of about 30 M Jup and is located at 35 pc distance. The newly discovered object is the closest accreting brown dwarf known. Its membership to an association older than 10 Myr implies that either disks in brown dwarfs can survive as long as in more massive stars, perhaps even longer, or that star formation in Tuc-Hor or β Pic occurred more recently than previously thought. The history and evolution of this object can provide new fundamental insight into the formation process of stars, brown dwarfs, and planets.

A UNIVERSAL, LOCAL STAR FORMATION LAW IN GALACTIC CLOUDS, NEARBY GALAXIES, HIGH-REDSHIFT DISKS, AND STARBURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krumholz, Mark R.; Dekel, Avishai; McKee, Christopher F.

2012-01-01

Star formation laws are rules that relate the rate of star formation in a particular region, either an entire galaxy or some portion of it, to the properties of the gas, or other galactic properties, in that region. While observations of Local Group galaxies show a very simple, local star formation law in which the star formation rate per unit area in each patch of a galaxy scales linearly with the molecular gas surface density in that patch, recent observations of both Milky Way molecular clouds and high-redshift galaxies apparently show a more complicated relationship in which regions of equal molecular gas surface density can form stars at quite different rates. These data have been interpreted as implying either that different star formation laws may apply in different circumstances, that the star formation law is sensitive to large-scale galaxy properties rather than local properties, or that there are high-density thresholds for star formation. Here we collate observations of the relationship between gas and star formation rate from resolved observations of Milky Way molecular clouds, from kpc-scale observations of Local Group galaxies, and from unresolved observations of both disk and starburst galaxies in the local universe and at high redshift. We show that all of these data are in fact consistent with a simple, local, volumetric star formation law. The apparent variations stem from the fact that the observed objects have a wide variety of three-dimensional size scales and degrees of internal clumping, so even at fixed gas column density the regions being observed can have wildly varying volume densities. We provide a simple theoretical framework to remove this projection effect, and we use it to show that all the data, from small solar neighborhood clouds with masses ∼10 3 M ☉ to submillimeter galaxies with masses ∼10 11 M ☉ , fall on a single star formation law in which the star formation rate is simply ∼1% of the molecular gas mass per local

CHANDRA X-RAY DETECTION OF THE ENIGMATIC FIELD STAR BP Psc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kastner, Joel H.; Montez, Rodolfo; Rodriguez, David; Zuckerman, B.; Perrin, Marshall D.; Grosso, Nicolas; Forveille, Thierry; Graham, James R.

2010-01-01

BP Psc is a remarkable emission-line field star that is orbited by a dusty disk and drives a parsec-scale system of jets. We report the detection by the Chandra X-ray Observatory of a weak X-ray point source coincident with the centroids of optical/IR and submillimeter continuum emission at BP Psc. As the star's photosphere is obscured throughout the visible and near-infrared, the Chandra X-ray source likely represents the first detection of BP Psc itself. The X-rays most likely originate with magnetic activity at BP Psc and hence can be attributed either to a stellar corona or to star-disk interactions. The log of the ratio of X-ray to bolometric luminosity, log(L X /L bol ), lies in the range -5.8 to -4.2. This is smaller than log(L X /L bol ) ratios typical of low-mass, pre-main sequence stars, but is well within the log(L X /L bol ) range observed for rapidly rotating (FK Com-type) G giant stars. Hence, the Chandra results favor an exotic model wherein the disk/jet system of BP Psc is the result of its very recently engulfing a companion star or a giant planet, as the primary star ascended the giant branch.

The evolution of surface magnetic fields in young solar-type stars II: the early main sequence (250-650 Myr)

Science.gov (United States)

Folsom, C. P.; Bouvier, J.; Petit, P.; Lèbre, A.; Amard, L.; Palacios, A.; Morin, J.; Donati, J.-F.; Vidotto, A. A.

2018-03-01

There is a large change in surface rotation rates of sun-like stars on the pre-main sequence and early main sequence. Since these stars have dynamo-driven magnetic fields, this implies a strong evolution of their magnetic properties over this time period. The spin-down of these stars is controlled by interactions between stellar and magnetic fields, thus magnetic evolution in turn plays an important role in rotational evolution. We present here the second part of a study investigating the evolution of large-scale surface magnetic fields in this critical time period. We observed stars in open clusters and stellar associations with known ages between 120 and 650 Myr, and used spectropolarimetry and Zeeman Doppler Imaging to characterize their large-scale magnetic field strength and geometry. We report 15 stars with magnetic detections here. These stars have masses from 0.8 to 0.95 M⊙, rotation periods from 0.326 to 10.6 d, and we find large-scale magnetic field strengths from 8.5 to 195 G with a wide range of geometries. We find a clear trend towards decreasing magnetic field strength with age, and a power law decrease in magnetic field strength with Rossby number. There is some tentative evidence for saturation of the large-scale magnetic field strength at Rossby numbers below 0.1, although the saturation point is not yet well defined. Comparing to younger classical T Tauri stars, we support the hypothesis that differences in internal structure produce large differences in observed magnetic fields, however for weak-lined T Tauri stars this is less clear.

A new nonlinear mean-field model of neutron star matter

CERN Document Server

Miyazaki, K

2005-01-01

A new relativistic mean-field model of neutron star matter is developed. It is a generalization of the Zimanyi-Moszkowski (ZM) model based on the constituent quark picture of baryons. The renormalized meson-hyperon coupling constants in medium are uniquely determined in contrast to the naive extention of ZM model and so the application of the model to high-density neutron star (NS) matter is possible. Our results of the particle composition and the mass-radius relation of NSs agree well with those obtained from the phenomenologically-determined realistic equation-of-state.

More Than Filaments and Cores: Statistical Study of Structure Formation and Dynamics in Nearby Molecular Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, How-Huan; Goodman, Alyssa

2018-01-01

In the past decade, multiple attempts at understanding the connection between filaments and star forming cores have been made using observations across the entire epectrum. However, the filaments and the cores are usually treated as predefined--and well-defined--entities, instead of structures that often come at different sizes, shapes, with substantially different dynamics, and inter-connected at different scales. In my dissertation, I present an array of studies using different statistical methods, including the dendrogram and the probability distribution function (PDF), of structures at different size scales within nearby molecular clouds. These structures are identified using observations of different density tracers, and where possible, in the multi-dimensional parameter space of key dynamic properties--the LSR velocity, the velocity dispersion, and the column density. The goal is to give an overview of structure formation in nearby star-forming clouds, as well as of the dynamics in these structures. I find that the overall statistical properties of a larger structure is often the summation/superposition of sub-structures within, and that there could be significant variations due to local physical processes. I also find that the star formation process within molecular clouds could in fact take place in a non-monolithic manner, connecting potentially merging and/or transient structures, at different scales.

Star-Forming Clouds Feed, Churn, and Fall

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-12-01

Molecular clouds, the birthplaces of stars in galaxies throughout the universe, are complicated and dynamic environments. A new series of simulations has explored how these clouds form, grow, and collapse over their lifetimes.This composite image shows part of the Taurus Molecular Cloud. [ESO/APEX (MPIfR/ESO/OSO)/A. Hacar et al./Digitized Sky Survey]Stellar BirthplacesMolecular clouds form out of the matter in between stars, evolving through constant interactions with their turbulent environments. These interactions taking the form of accretion flows and surface forces, while gravity, turbulence, and magnetic fields interplay are thought to drive the properties and evolution of the clouds.Our understanding of the details of this process, however, remains fuzzy. How does mass accretion affect these clouds as they evolve? What happens when nearby supernova explosions blast the outsides of the clouds? What makes the clouds churn, producing the motion within them that prevents them from collapsing? The answers to these questions can tellus about the gas distributed throughout galaxies, revealing information about the environments in which stars form.A still from the simulation results showing the broader population of molecular clouds that formed in the authors simulations, as well as zoom-in panels of three low-mass clouds tracked in high resolution. [Ibez-Meja et al. 2017]Models of TurbulenceIn a new study led by Juan Ibez-Meja (MPI Garching and Universities of Heidelberg and Cologne in Germany, and American Museum of Natural History), scientists have now explored these questions using a series of three-dimensional simulations of a population of molecular clouds forming and evolving in the turbulent interstellar medium.The simulations take into account a whole host of physics, including the effects of nearby supernova explosions, self-gravitation, magnetic fields, diffuse heating, and radiative cooling. After looking at the behavior of the broader population of

An Infrared Census of DUST in Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer (DUSTiNGS). IV. Discovery of High-redshift AGB Analogs

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, M. L.; McQuinn, K. B. W.; Groenewegen, M. A. T.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Whitelock, P. A.; van Loon, J. Th.; Sonneborn, G.; Sloan, G. C.; Skillman, E. D.; Meixner, M.; McDonald, I.; Jones, O. C.; Javadi, A.; Gehrz, R. D.; Britavskiy, N.; Bonanos, A. Z.

2017-12-01

The survey for DUST in Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer (DUSTiNGS) identified several candidate Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in nearby dwarf galaxies and showed that dust can form even in very metal-poor systems ({\\boldsymbol{Z}}∼ 0.008 {Z}ȯ ). Here, we present a follow-up survey with WFC3/IR on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), using filters that are capable of distinguishing carbon-rich (C-type) stars from oxygen-rich (M-type) stars: F127M, F139M, and F153M. We include six star-forming DUSTiNGS galaxies (NGC 147, IC 10, Pegasus dIrr, Sextans B, Sextans A, and Sag DIG), all more metal-poor than the Magellanic Clouds and spanning 1 dex in metallicity. We double the number of dusty AGB stars known in these galaxies and find that most are carbon rich. We also find 26 dusty M-type stars, mostly in IC 10. Given the large dust excess and tight spatial distribution of these M-type stars, they are most likely on the upper end of the AGB mass range (stars undergoing Hot Bottom Burning). Theoretical models do not predict significant dust production in metal-poor M-type stars, but we see evidence for dust excess around M-type stars even in the most metal-poor galaxies in our sample (12+{log}({{O}}/{{H}})=7.26{--}7.50). The low metallicities and inferred high stellar masses (up to ∼10 {M}ȯ ) suggest that AGB stars can produce dust very early in the evolution of galaxies (∼30 Myr after they form), and may contribute significantly to the dust reservoirs seen in high-redshift galaxies. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with program GO-14073.

Backyard Worlds: Finding Nearby Brown Dwarfs Through Citizen Science

Science.gov (United States)

Kuchner, Marc

Recent discoveries of cool brown dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and microlensing surveys both point to an undiscovered population of brown dwarfs and rogue planets in the solar neighborhood. We propose to develop and sustain a novel website that enables a unique and powerful citizen-science based search for these and other high-proper-motion objects at 3.5 and 4.6 microns. Through this search, we have an opportunity to discover new ultracool Y dwarfs, crucial links between star formation and planet formation, and also the Sun's nearest neighbors-potentially a system closer than Proxima Centauri. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission (WISE) is nominally sensitive enough to detect a 250 K brown dwarf to > 6 pc and even a Jupiter analog to > 0.6 pc. However, high proper motion objects like these can easily be confused with variable stars, electronic noise, latent images, optical ghosts, cosmic ray hits, and so on in the WISE archive. Computer-based searches for high-proper motion objects falter in dense star fields, necessitating visual inspection all candidates. Our citizen science project, called "Backyard Worlds: Planet 9", remedies this problem by engaging volunteers to visually inspect WISE and NEOWISE images. Roughly 104,000 participants have already begun using a preliminary version of the site to examine time-resolved co-adds of unWISE-processed images, four epochs spanning 2010 to 2014. They have already performed more than 3.6 million classifications of these images since the site's launch on February 15, 2017. Besides seeking new brown dwarfs and nearby stars, this site is also the most sensitive all-sky WISE-based search for a planet orbiting the Sun beyond Pluto (sometimes called Planet Nine). Preliminary analysis data from the site has resulted in the discovery of 13 brown dwarf candidates including 6 T dwarfs. We obtained a spectrum of one of these candidates and published it in Astrophysical Journal Letters, with four citizen scientists

Suppression of cooling by strong magnetic fields in white dwarf stars.

Science.gov (United States)

Valyavin, G; Shulyak, D; Wade, G A; Antonyuk, K; Zharikov, S V; Galazutdinov, G A; Plachinda, S; Bagnulo, S; Machado, L Fox; Alvarez, M; Clark, D M; Lopez, J M; Hiriart, D; Han, Inwoo; Jeon, Young-Beom; Zurita, C; Mujica, R; Burlakova, T; Szeifert, T; Burenkov, A

2014-11-06

Isolated cool white dwarf stars more often have strong magnetic fields than young, hotter white dwarfs, which has been a puzzle because magnetic fields are expected to decay with time but a cool surface suggests that the star is old. In addition, some white dwarfs with strong fields vary in brightness as they rotate, which has been variously attributed to surface brightness inhomogeneities similar to sunspots, chemical inhomogeneities and other magneto-optical effects. Here we describe optical observations of the brightness and magnetic field of the cool white dwarf WD 1953-011 taken over about eight years, and the results of an analysis of its surface temperature and magnetic field distribution. We find that the magnetic field suppresses atmospheric convection, leading to dark spots in the most magnetized areas. We also find that strong fields are sufficient to suppress convection over the entire surface in cool magnetic white dwarfs, which inhibits their cooling evolution relative to weakly magnetic and non-magnetic white dwarfs, making them appear younger than they truly are. This explains the long-standing mystery of why magnetic fields are more common amongst cool white dwarfs, and implies that the currently accepted ages of strongly magnetic white dwarfs are systematically too young.

Zero Sound in Neutron Stars with Dense Quark Matter under Strong Magnetic Fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kouvaris, Christoforos

2009-01-01

We study a neutron star with a quark matter core under extremely strong magnetic fields. We investigate the possibility of an Urca process as a mechanism for the cooling of such a star. We found that apart from very particular cases, the Urca process cannot occur. We also study the stability...

HIGH IONIZATION SPECIES IN THE NEARBY INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM FROM AN EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IUE INES DATABASE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freire Ferrero, R.; Halbwachs, J.-L. [Observatoire Astronomique, Universite de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l' Universite, 67.000 Strasbourg (France); Morales Duran, C.; Cabo Cubeiro, A. M., E-mail: rubens.freire@astro.unistra.fr, E-mail: jean-louis.halbwachs@astro.unistra.fr, E-mail: morales@cab.inta-csic.es, E-mail: amcabo@cab.inta-csic.es [LAEX, Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB, CSIC-INTA), LAEFF, European Space Astronomy Centre, P.O. Box 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid (Spain)

2012-02-15

Main-sequence (MS) and giant late-B and early-A type stars are the best targets for searching for nearby interstellar (IS) Si IV and C IV resonance lines because they are not able to produce them, either in atmospheric layers or in their circumstellar environment, and because many stars of these spectral types are nearby and located in the local interstellar medium (LISM). In addition, the use of certain stars hotter than B6 can lead to misinterpretations (e.g., alpha Arae). This work analyzes the reliable Short-Wavelength Prime high-resolution UV spectra of 558 B6-A9 type stars observed by the International Ultraviolet Explorer at distances lower than 400 pc from the Sun. For the first time, this work utilizes the entire INES database to extract stellar and IS information in a systematic way from homogeneous data. Stars were classified into seven groups: normal (MS and subgiant), giant, peculiar, emission line, Algols, pre-main sequence or Herbig Ae/Be, and shell stars. Only 10 normal stars, located beyond 90 pc, show weak Si IV and C IV absorptions and are clustered around the direction of Sco-Cen, while 85 located closer than 90 pc, as well as another 89 beyond 90 pc, do not show any absorptions at all. We conclude that these highly ionized species originate most probably in the LISM, at 90 pc from the Sun, corresponding to the warm interaction zone (IZ), where the expanding Loop I super-shell and the Local Bubble collide. We base our results on a robust statistical analysis of both spectral types and spatial distributions of the different stellar groups we defined. Our estimated column densities N of both ions are similar to those obtained by other authors for distant stars, suggesting that these absorptions concentrate fundamentally in the IZ. A logarithmic correlation between N and the distance D confirms these results.

Kepler red-clump stars in the field and in open clusters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bossini, D.; Miglio, A.; Salaris, M.

2017-01-01

Convective mixing in helium-core-burning (HeCB) stars is one of the outstanding issues in stellar modelling. The precise asteroseismic measurements of gravity-mode period spacing (Delta Pi(1)) have opened the door to detailed studies of the near-core structure of such stars, which had not been...... possible before. Here, we provide stringent tests of various core-mixing scenarios against the largely unbiased population of red-clump stars belonging to the old-open clusters monitored by Kepler, and by coupling the updated precise inference on Delta Pi(1) in thousands of field stars with spectroscopic...... constraints. We find that models with moderate overshooting successfully reproduce the range observed of Delta Pi(1) in clusters. In particular, we show that there is no evidence for the need to extend the size of the adiabatically stratified core, at least at the beginning of the HeCB phase. This conclusion...

Thomson scattering in magnetic fields. [of white dwarf stars

Science.gov (United States)

Whitney, Barbara

1989-01-01

The equation of transfer in Thomson scattering atmospheres with magnetic fields is solved using Monte Carlo methods. Two cases, a plane parallel atmosphere with a magnetic field perpendicular to the atmosphere, and a dipole star, are investigated. The wavelength dependence of polarization from plane-parallel atmosphere is qualitatively similar to that observed in the magnetic white dwarf Grw+70 deg 8247, and the field strength determined by the calculation, 320 MG, is quantitatively similar to that determined from the line spectrum. The dipole model does not resemble the data as well as the single plane-parallel atmosphere.

A WASHINGTON PHOTOMETRIC SURVEY OF THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD FIELD STAR POPULATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piatti, Andres E. [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, CC 67, Suc. 28, 1428, Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Geisler, Doug; Mateluna, Renee, E-mail: andres@iafe.uba.ar [Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Concepcion, Casilla 160-C, Concepcion (Chile)

2012-10-01

We present photometry for an unprecedented database of some 5.5 million stars distributed throughout the Large Magellanic Cloud main body, from 21 fields covering a total area of 7.6 deg{sup 2}, obtained from Washington CT{sub 1} T{sub 2} CTIO 4 m MOSAIC data. Extensive artificial star tests over the whole mosaic image data set and the observed behavior of the photometric errors with magnitude demonstrate the accuracy of the morphology and clearly delineate the position of the main features in the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). The representative T{sub 1}(MS TO) mags are on average {approx}0.5 mag brighter than the T{sub 1} mags for the 100% completeness level of the respective field, allowing us to derive an accurate age estimate. We have analyzed the CMD Hess diagrams and used the peaks in star counts at the main sequence turnoff and red clump (RC) locations to age date the most dominant sub-population (or 'representative' population) in the stellar population mix. The metallicity of this representative population is estimated from the locus of the most populous red giant branch track. We use these results to derive age and metallicity estimates for all of our fields. The analyzed fields span age and metallicity ranges covering most of the galaxy's lifetime and chemical enrichment, i.e., ages and metallicities between {approx}1 and 13 Gyr and {approx}-0.2 and -1.2 dex, respectively. We show that the dispersions associated with the mean ages and metallicities represent in general a satisfactory estimate of the age/metallicity spread ({approx}1-3 Gyr/0.2-0.3 dex), although a few subfields have a slightly larger age/metallicity spread. Finally, we revisit the study of the vertical structure (VS) phenomenon, a striking feature composed of stars that extend from the bottom, bluest end of the RC to {approx}0.45 mag fainter. We confirm that the VS phenomenon is not clearly seen in most of the studied fields and suggest that its occurrence is linked to

A WASHINGTON PHOTOMETRIC SURVEY OF THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD FIELD STAR POPULATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piatti, Andrés E.; Geisler, Doug; Mateluna, Renee

2012-01-01

We present photometry for an unprecedented database of some 5.5 million stars distributed throughout the Large Magellanic Cloud main body, from 21 fields covering a total area of 7.6 deg 2 , obtained from Washington CT 1 T 2 CTIO 4 m MOSAIC data. Extensive artificial star tests over the whole mosaic image data set and the observed behavior of the photometric errors with magnitude demonstrate the accuracy of the morphology and clearly delineate the position of the main features in the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). The representative T 1 (MS TO) mags are on average ∼0.5 mag brighter than the T 1 mags for the 100% completeness level of the respective field, allowing us to derive an accurate age estimate. We have analyzed the CMD Hess diagrams and used the peaks in star counts at the main sequence turnoff and red clump (RC) locations to age date the most dominant sub-population (or 'representative' population) in the stellar population mix. The metallicity of this representative population is estimated from the locus of the most populous red giant branch track. We use these results to derive age and metallicity estimates for all of our fields. The analyzed fields span age and metallicity ranges covering most of the galaxy's lifetime and chemical enrichment, i.e., ages and metallicities between ∼1 and 13 Gyr and ∼–0.2 and –1.2 dex, respectively. We show that the dispersions associated with the mean ages and metallicities represent in general a satisfactory estimate of the age/metallicity spread (∼1-3 Gyr/0.2-0.3 dex), although a few subfields have a slightly larger age/metallicity spread. Finally, we revisit the study of the vertical structure (VS) phenomenon, a striking feature composed of stars that extend from the bottom, bluest end of the RC to ∼0.45 mag fainter. We confirm that the VS phenomenon is not clearly seen in most of the studied fields and suggest that its occurrence is linked to some other condition(s) in addition to the appropriate age

HUBBLE CAPTURES THE HEART OF STAR BIRTH

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

NASA Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) has captured a flurry of star birth near the heart of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1808. On the left are two images, one superimposed over the other. The black-and-white picture is a ground-based view of the entire galaxy. The color inset image, taken with the Hubble telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), provides a close-up view of the galaxy's center, the hotbed of vigorous star formation. The ground-based image shows that the galaxy has an unusual, warped shape. Most spiral galaxies are flat disks, but this one has curls of dust and gas at its outer spiral arms (upper right-hand corner and lower left-hand corner). This peculiar shape is evidence that NGC 1808 may have had a close interaction with another nearby galaxy, NGC 1792, which is not in the picture Such an interaction could have hurled gas towards the nucleus of NGC 1808, triggering the exceptionally high rate of star birth seen in the WFPC2 inset image. The WFPC2 inset picture is a composite of images using colored filters that isolate red and infrared light as well as light from glowing hydrogen. The red and infrared light (seen as yellow) highlight older stars, while hydrogen (seen as blue) reveals areas of star birth. Colors were assigned to this false-color image to emphasize the vigorous star formation taking place around the galaxy's center. NGC 1808 is called a barred spiral galaxy because of the straight lines of star formation on both sides of the bright nucleus. This star formation may have been triggered by the rotation of the bar, or by matter which is streaming along the bar towards the central region (and feeding the star burst). Filaments of dust are being ejected from the core into a faint halo of stars surrounding the galaxy's disk (towards the upper left corner) by massive stars that have exploded as supernovae in the star burst region. The portion of the galaxy seen in this 'wide-field' image is

On the Iron Abundance Anomaly in K-dwarf and Hyades Stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aleo, Patrick D.; Sobotka, Alexander C. [McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1402, Austin, TX 78712-1205 (United States); Ramírez, Ivan [Tacoma Community College, 6501 South 19th Street, Tacoma, WA 98466-7400 (United States)

2017-09-01

Using standard 1D-LTE model atmosphere analysis, we provide an in-depth investigation of iron abundance as derived from neutral and singly ionization iron lines (Fe i, ii) in nearby star clusters. Specifically, we replicate the discrepancy regarding Δ[Fe/H], wherein the difference of Fe ii–Fe i increases for stars of the same cluster with decreasing T {sub eff}, reaching an astonishing 1.0 dex at T {sub eff} ∼ 4000 K. Previous studies have investigated this anomaly in the Pleiades and Hyades clusters with no concrete solution. In this analysis, we probe two samples: 63 wide binary field stars where the primary star is of Sun-like temperatures and the secondary is a K-dwarf, ranging from 4231 K ≤ T {sub eff} ≤ 6453 K, and 33 Hyades stars of temperatures 4268 K ≤ T {sub eff} ≤ 6072 K. Previous studies have found discrepancies on the order of 1.0 dex. However, we find that these studies have neglected line-blending effects of certain Fe ii lines, namely λ = (4508.29 Å, 4993.34 Å, 5197.58 Å, 5325.55 Å, 5425.26 Å, 6456.38 Å). When these lines are removed from the line-list, we find Δ[Fe/H] decreases to ∼0.6 dex in the field binaries and ∼0.3 dex in the Hyades. The reason for this remaining trend is investigated by probing NLTE effects, as well as age and activity considerations using Ca ii H+K emission and Li absorption, but these results appear to be small to negligible.

On the Iron Abundance Anomaly in K-dwarf and Hyades Stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aleo, Patrick D.; Sobotka, Alexander C.; Ramírez, Ivan

2017-01-01

Using standard 1D-LTE model atmosphere analysis, we provide an in-depth investigation of iron abundance as derived from neutral and singly ionization iron lines (Fe i, ii) in nearby star clusters. Specifically, we replicate the discrepancy regarding Δ[Fe/H], wherein the difference of Fe ii–Fe i increases for stars of the same cluster with decreasing T eff , reaching an astonishing 1.0 dex at T eff ∼ 4000 K. Previous studies have investigated this anomaly in the Pleiades and Hyades clusters with no concrete solution. In this analysis, we probe two samples: 63 wide binary field stars where the primary star is of Sun-like temperatures and the secondary is a K-dwarf, ranging from 4231 K ≤ T eff ≤ 6453 K, and 33 Hyades stars of temperatures 4268 K ≤ T eff ≤ 6072 K. Previous studies have found discrepancies on the order of 1.0 dex. However, we find that these studies have neglected line-blending effects of certain Fe ii lines, namely λ = (4508.29 Å, 4993.34 Å, 5197.58 Å, 5325.55 Å, 5425.26 Å, 6456.38 Å). When these lines are removed from the line-list, we find Δ[Fe/H] decreases to ∼0.6 dex in the field binaries and ∼0.3 dex in the Hyades. The reason for this remaining trend is investigated by probing NLTE effects, as well as age and activity considerations using Ca ii H+K emission and Li absorption, but these results appear to be small to negligible.

On the Iron Abundance Anomaly in K-dwarf and Hyades Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Aleo, Patrick D.; Sobotka, Alexander C.; Ramírez, Ivan

2017-09-01

Using standard 1D-LTE model atmosphere analysis, we provide an in-depth investigation of iron abundance as derived from neutral and singly ionization iron lines (Fe I, II) in nearby star clusters. Specifically, we replicate the discrepancy regarding Δ[Fe/H], wherein the difference of Fe II-Fe I increases for stars of the same cluster with decreasing T eff, reaching an astonishing 1.0 dex at T eff ˜ 4000 K. Previous studies have investigated this anomaly in the Pleiades and Hyades clusters with no concrete solution. In this analysis, we probe two samples: 63 wide binary field stars where the primary star is of Sun-like temperatures and the secondary is a K-dwarf, ranging from 4231 K ≤ T eff ≤ 6453 K, and 33 Hyades stars of temperatures 4268 K ≤ T eff ≤ 6072 K. Previous studies have found discrepancies on the order of 1.0 dex. However, we find that these studies have neglected line-blending effects of certain Fe II lines, namely λ = {4508.29 Å, 4993.34 Å, 5197.58 Å, 5325.55 Å, 5425.26 Å, 6456.38 Å}. When these lines are removed from the line-list, we find Δ[Fe/H] decreases to ˜0.6 dex in the field binaries and ˜0.3 dex in the Hyades. The reason for this remaining trend is investigated by probing NLTE effects, as well as age and activity considerations using Ca II H+K emission and Li absorption, but these results appear to be small to negligible.

Deriving temperature, mass, and age of evolved stars from high-resolution spectra. Application to field stars and the open cluster IC 4651

Science.gov (United States)

Biazzo, K.; Pasquini, L.; Girardi, L.; Frasca, A.; da Silva, L.; Setiawan, J.; Marilli, E.; Hatzes, A. P.; Catalano, S.

2007-12-01

Aims:We test our capability of deriving stellar physical parameters of giant stars by analysing a sample of field stars and the well studied open cluster IC 4651 with different spectroscopic methods. Methods: The use of a technique based on line-depth ratios (LDRs) allows us to determine with high precision the effective temperature of the stars and to compare the results with those obtained with a classical LTE abundance analysis. Results: (i) For the field stars we find that the temperatures derived by means of the LDR method are in excellent agreement with those found by the spectral synthesis. This result is extremely encouraging because it shows that spectra can be used to firmly derive population characteristics (e.g., mass and age) of the observed stars. (ii) For the IC 4651 stars we use the determined effective temperature to derive the following results. a) The reddening E(B-V) of the cluster is 0.12±0.02, largely independent of the color-temperature calibration used. b) The age of the cluster is 1.2±0.2 Gyr. c) The typical mass of the analysed giant stars is 2.0±0.2~M⊙. Moreover, we find a systematic difference of about 0.2 dex in log g between spectroscopic and evolutionary values. Conclusions: We conclude that, in spite of known limitations, a classical spectroscopic analysis of giant stars may indeed result in very reliable stellar parameters. We caution that the quality of the agreement, on the other hand, depends on the details of the adopted spectroscopic analysis. Based on observations collected at the ESO telescopes at the Paranal and La Silla Observatories, Chile.

Optical system design of CCD star sensor with large aperture and wide field of view

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chao; Jiang, Lun; Li, Ying-chao; Liu, Zhuang

2017-10-01

The star sensor is one of the sensors which are used to determine the spatial attitude of the space vehicle. An optical system of star sensor with large aperture and wide field of view was designed in this paper. The effective focal length of the optics was 16mm, and the F-number is 1.2, the field of view of the optical system is 20°.The working spectrum is 500 to 800 nanometer. The lens system selects a similar complicated Petzval structure and special glass-couple, and get a high imaging quality in the whole spectrum range. For each field-of-view point, the values of the modulation transfer function at 50 cycles/mm is higher than 0.3. On the detecting plane, the encircled energy in a circle of 14μm diameter could be up to 80% of the total energy. In the whole range of the field of view, the dispersion spot diameter in the imaging plane is no larger than 13μm. The full field distortion was less than 0.1%, which was helpful to obtain the accurate location of the reference star through the picture gotten by the star sensor. The lateral chromatic aberration is less than 2μm in the whole spectrum range.

Common Proper Motion Companions to Nearby Stars: Ages and Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

supplying the stars with NIR magnitudes from 2MASS . This allowed Gould & Chaname (2004) to estimate, for the first time, trigonometric parallaxes of...sup- plemented by BVR optical photometry, mainly from USNO-B, and JHK near-IR photometry from 2MASS . This catalog covers the entire magnitude range...for the Schmidt plate data used in the USNO-B catalog, with possible local offsets up to about 300 mas. Systematic errors in UCAC2 and 2MASS are much

Light-curve Modulation of Low-mass Stars in K2. I. Identification of 481 Fast Rotators in the Solar Neighborhood

Science.gov (United States)

Saylor, Dicy; Lepine, Sebastien; Crossfield, Ian; Petigura, Erik A.

2018-01-01

The K2 mission is targeting large numbers of nearby (d 40 mas yr‑1, V < 20). Additionally, the mission is targeting low-mass, high proper motion stars associated with the local (d < 500 pc) Galactic halo population also selected from SUPERBLINK. K2 campaigns 0 through 8 monitored a total of 26,518 of these cool main-sequence stars. We used the auto-correlation function to search for fast rotators by identifying short-period photometric modulations in the K2 light curves. We identified 481 candidate fast rotators with rotation periods <4 days that show light-curve modulations consistent with starspots. Their kinematics show low average transverse velocities, suggesting that they are part of the young disk population. A subset (13) of the fast rotators is found among those targets with colors and kinematics consistent with the local Galactic halo population and may represent stars spun up by tidal interactions in close binary systems. We further demonstrate that the M dwarf fast rotators selected from the K2 light curves are significantly more likely to have UV excess and discuss the potential of the K2 mission to identify new nearby young GKM dwarfs on the basis of their fast rotation rates. Finally, we discuss the possible use of local halo stars as fiducial, non-variable sources in the Kepler fields.

Surveying Low-Mass Star Formation with the Submillimeter Array

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham, Michael

2018-01-01

Large astronomical surveys yield important statistical information that can’t be derived from single-object and small-number surveys. In this talk I will review two recent surveys in low-mass star formation undertaken by the Submillimeter Array (SMA): a millimeter continuum survey of disks surrounding variably accreting young stars, and a complete continuum and molecular line survey of all protostars in the nearby Perseus Molecular Cloud. I will highlight several new insights into the processes by which low-mass stars gain their mass that have resulted from the statistical power of these surveys.

A Search for Pulsar Companions to OB Runaway Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Kaspi, V. M.

1995-01-01

We have searched for radio pulsar companions to 40 nearby OB runaway stars. Observations were made at 474 and 770 MHz with the NRAO 140 ft telescope. The survey was sensitive to long- period pulsars with flux densities of 1 mJy or more. One previously unknown pulsar was discovered, PSRJ2044+4614, while observing towards target O star BD+45,3260. Follow-up timing observations of the pulsar measured its position to high precision, revealing a 9' separation between the pulsar and the target star, unequivocally indicating they are not associated.

VLBA DETERMINATION OF THE DISTANCE TO NEARBY STAR-FORMING REGIONS. VI. THE DISTANCE TO THE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT HW 9 IN CEPHEUS A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzib, Sergio; Loinard, Laurent; RodrIguez, Luis F.; Mioduszewski, Amy J.; Torres, Rosa M.

2011-01-01

Using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), we have observed the radio continuum emission from the young stellar object HW 9 in the Cepheus A star-forming region at 10 epochs between 2007 February and 2009 November. Due to its strong radio variability, the source was detected at only four of the ten epochs. From these observations, the trigonometric parallax of HW 9 was determined to be π = 1.43 ± 0.07 mas, in excellent agreement with a recent independent determination by Moscadelli et al. of the trigonometric parallax of a methanol maser associated with the nearby young stellar source HW 2 (π = 1.43 ± 0.08 mas). This concordance in results, obtained in one case from continuum and in the other from line observations, confirms the reliability of VLBA trigonometric parallax measurements. By combining the two results, we constrain the distance to Cepheus A to be 700 +31 - 28 pc, an uncertainty of 3.5%.

Spontaneous scalarization with an extremely massive field and heavy neutron stars

Science.gov (United States)

Morisaki, Soichiro; Suyama, Teruaki

2017-10-01

We investigate the internal structure and the mass-radius relation of neutron stars in a recently proposed scalar-tensor theory dubbed asymmetron in which a massive scalar field undergoes spontaneous scalarization inside neutron stars. We focus on the case where the Compton wavelength is shorter than 10 km, which has not been investigated in the literature. By solving the modified Einstein equations, either purely numerically or by partially using a semianalytic method, we find that not only the weakening of gravity by spontaneous scalarization but also the scalar force affect the internal structure significantly in the massive case. We also find that the maximum mass of neutron stars is larger for certain parameter sets than that in general relativity and reaches 2 M⊙ even if the effect of strange hadrons is taken into account. There is even a range of parameters where the maximum mass of neutron stars largely exceeds the threshold that violates the causality bound in general relativity.

Radio-wavelength observations of magnetic fields on active dwarf-M, RS CVN and magnetic stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lang, K.R.

1986-01-01

The dwarf M stars YZ Canis Minoris and AD Leonis exhibit narrow band, slowly varying (hours) microwave emission that cannot be explained by conventional thermal radiation mechanisms. The dwarf M stars AD Leonis and Wolf 424 emit rapid spikes whose high brightness temperatures similarly require a nonthermal radiation process which could result from coherent mechanisms such as an electron-cyclotron maser or coherent-plasma radiation. If the electron-cyclotron maser emits at the second or third harmonic of the gyrofrequency, the coronal magnetic field strength H = 250 or 167 G and constraints on the plasma frequency imply an electron density of 6 x 10/sup 9//cm/sup 3/. Coherent-plasma radiation requires similar values of electron density but much weaker magnetic fields. Radio spikes from AD Leonis and Wolf 424 have rise times tau/sub R/ < 5 ms, indicating a linear size of L < 1.5 x 10/sup 8/ cm, or less than 0.005 of the stellar radius. Although Ap magnetic stars have strong dipole magnetic fields, they exhibit no detectable gyroresonant radiation, suggesting that these stars do not have hot, dense coronae. The binary RS CVn star UX Arietis exhibits variable emission at 6 cm wavelength on time scales ranging from 30 s to more than one hour. The shortest variation implies a linear size much less than that of the halo observed by VLBI techniques, and most probably sizes smaller than those of the component stars. The observed variations might be due to absorption by a thermal plasma located between the stars.

B- AND A-TYPE STARS IN THE TAURUS-AURIGA STAR-FORMING REGION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mooley, Kunal; Hillenbrand, Lynne; Rebull, Luisa; Padgett, Deborah; Knapp, Gillian

2013-01-01

We describe the results of a search for early-type stars associated with the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud complex, a diffuse nearby star-forming region noted as lacking young stars of intermediate and high mass. We investigate several sets of possible O, B, and early A spectral class members. The first is a group of stars for which mid-infrared images show bright nebulae, all of which can be associated with stars of spectral-type B. The second group consists of early-type stars compiled from (1) literature listings in SIMBAD, (2) B stars with infrared excesses selected from the Spitzer Space Telescope survey of the Taurus cloud, (3) magnitude- and color-selected point sources from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, and (4) spectroscopically identified early-type stars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey coverage of the Taurus region. We evaluated stars for membership in the Taurus-Auriga star formation region based on criteria involving: spectroscopic and parallactic distances, proper motions and radial velocities, and infrared excesses or line emission indicative of stellar youth. For selected objects, we also model the scattered and emitted radiation from reflection nebulosity and compare the results with the observed spectral energy distributions to further test the plausibility of physical association of the B stars with the Taurus cloud. This investigation newly identifies as probable Taurus members three B-type stars: HR 1445 (HD 28929), τ Tau (HD 29763), 72 Tau (HD 28149), and two A-type stars: HD 31305 and HD 26212, thus doubling the number of stars A5 or earlier associated with the Taurus clouds. Several additional early-type sources including HD 29659 and HD 283815 meet some, but not all, of the membership criteria and therefore are plausible, though not secure, members.

Magnetic Modeling of Inflated Low-mass Stars Using Interior Fields No Larger than ˜10 kG

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, James; Mullan, D. J.

2017-11-01

We have previously reported on models of low-mass stars in which the presence of inflated radii is ascribed to magnetic fields that impede the onset of convection. Some of our magneto-convection models have been criticized because, when they were first reported by Mullan & MacDonald, the deep interior fields were found to be very large (50-100 MG). Such large fields are now known to be untenable. For example, Browning et al. used stability arguments to suggest that interior fields in low-mass stars cannot be larger than ˜1 MG. Moreover, 3D models of turbulent stellar dynamos suggest that fields generated in low-mass interiors may be not much stronger than 10-20 kG. In the present paper, we present magneto-convective models of inflated low-mass stars in which the interior fields are not permitted to be stronger than 10 kG. These models are used to fit empirical data for 15 low-mass stars for which precise masses and radii have been measured. We show that our 10 kG magneto-convective models can replicate the empirical radii and effective temperatures for 14 of the stars. In the case of the remaining star (in the Praesepe cluster), two different solutions have been reported in the literature. We find that one of these solutions can be fitted well with our model using the nominal age of Praesepe (800 Myr). However, the second solution cannot be fitted unless the star’s age is assumed to be much younger (˜150 Myr).

Chemical composition of the horizontal-branch stars of globular clusters in the galactic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klochkova, V.G.; Panchuk, V.E.

1987-01-01

Chemical abundance is calculated for 6 field stars: HD 2857, 64488, 93329, 105262, HDE 281679, BD+20 deg 5009, using 12 spectra with a reciprocal dispersion of 9 A/mm, obtained on the 6-m telescope. Fundamental characteristics for 7 stars of the horizontal branch are found

Smooth H I Low Column Density Outskirts in Nearby Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Ianjamasimanana, R.; Walter, Fabian; de Blok, W. J. G.; Heald, George H.; Brinks, Elias

2018-06-01

The low column density gas at the outskirts of galaxies as traced by the 21 cm hydrogen line emission (H I) represents the interface between galaxies and the intergalactic medium, i.e., where galaxies are believed to get their supply of gas to fuel future episodes of star formation. Photoionization models predict a break in the radial profiles of H I at a column density of ∼5 × 1019 cm‑2 due to the lack of self-shielding against extragalactic ionizing photons. To investigate the prevalence of such breaks in galactic disks and to characterize what determines the potential edge of the H I disks, we study the azimuthally averaged H I column density profiles of 17 nearby galaxies from the H I Nearby Galaxy Survey and supplemented in two cases with published Hydrogen Accretion in LOcal GAlaxieS data. To detect potential faint H I emission that would otherwise be undetected using conventional moment map analysis, we line up individual profiles to the same reference velocity and average them azimuthally to derive stacked radial profiles. To do so, we use model velocity fields created from a simple extrapolation of the rotation curves to align the profiles in velocity at radii beyond the extent probed with the sensitivity of traditional integrated H I maps. With this method, we improve our sensitivity to outer-disk H I emission by up to an order of magnitude. Except for a few disturbed galaxies, none show evidence of a sudden change in the slope of the H I radial profiles: the alleged signature of ionization by the extragalactic background.

Dynamics of H II regions around exiled O stars

Science.gov (United States)

Mackey, Jonathan; Langer, Norbert; Gvaramadze, Vasilii V.

2013-11-01

At least 25 per cent of massive stars are ejected from their parent cluster, becoming runaways or exiles, travelling with often-supersonic space velocities through the interstellar medium (ISM). Their overpressurized H II regions impart kinetic energy and momentum to the ISM, compress and/or evaporate dense clouds, and can constrain properties of both the star and the ISM. Here, we present one-, two- and (the first) three-dimensional simulations of the H II region around a massive star moving supersonically through a uniform, magnetized ISM, with properties appropriate for the nearby O star ζ Oph. The H II region leaves an expanding overdense shell behind the star and, inside this, an underdense wake that should be filled with hot gas from the shocked stellar wind. The gas column density in the shell is strongly influenced by the ISM magnetic field strength and orientation. Hα emission maps show that H II region remains roughly circular, although the star is displaced somewhat from the centre of emission. For our model parameters, the kinetic energy feedback from the H II region is comparable to the mechanical luminosity of the stellar wind, and the momentum feedback rate is >100 times larger than that from the wind and ≈10 times larger than the total momentum input rate available from radiation pressure. Compared to the star's eventual supernova explosion, the kinetic energy feedback from the H II region over the star's main-sequence lifetime is >100 times less, but the momentum feedback is up to 4 times larger. H II region dynamics are found to have only a small effect on the ISM conditions that a bow shock close to the star would encounter.

A Search for Black Holes and Neutron Stars in the Kepler Field

Science.gov (United States)

Orosz, Jerome; Short, Donald; Welsh, William; Windmiller, Gur; Dabney, David

2018-01-01

Black holes and neutron stars represent the final evolutionary stages of the most massive stars. In addition to their use as probes into the evolution of massive stars, black holes and neutron stars are ideal laboratories to test General Relativity in the strong field limit. The number of neutron stars and black holes in the Milky Way is not precisely known, but there are an estimated one billion neutron stars in the galaxy based on the observed numbers of radio pulsars. The number of black holes is about 100 million, based on the behavior of the Initial Mass Function at high stellar masses.All of the known steller-mass black holes (and a fair number of neutron stars) are in ``X-ray binaries'' that were discovered because of their luminous X-ray emission. The requirement to be in an X-ray-emitting binary places a strong observational bias on the discovery of stellar-mass black holes. Thus the 21 known black hole binaries represent only the very uppermost tip of the population iceberg.We have conducted an optical survey using Kepler data designed to uncover black holes and neutron stars in both ``quiescent'' X-ray binaries and ``pre-contact'' X-ray binaries. We discuss how the search was conducted, including how potentially interesting light curves were classified and the how variability types were identified. Although we did not find any convincing candidate neutron star or black hole systems, we did find a few noteworthy binary systems, including two binaries that contain low-mass stars with unusually low albedos.

1969 to 2010: Multicolor Photometric Observations of Population II Field Horizontal-Branch Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Philip, A. G. D.

2011-04-01

From 1969 to 2010 I have been involved in a photometric study of Population II Field Horizontal-Branch Stars and published several papers on this topic in BOTT from 1967 thru 1972. I started by making Strömgren four-color observations at Kitt Peak National Observatory and then at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. I had taken spectral plates of all my selected areas on which I marked all the A-type stars. These stars were then observed photometrically. New FHB stars could be identified by their large c indices, caused by their greater (u-b) colors. Later four new filters were added (U, V, B, S). With Richard Boyle of the Vatican Observatory we observed on Mt. Graham (Arizona) on the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. We are making follow-up observations of the new FHB stars found.

SPECKLE INTERFEROMETRY OF SECONDARY COMPONENTS IN NEARBY VISUAL BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokovinin, Andrei; Horch, Elliott P.

2016-01-01

Statistical characterization of secondary subsystems in binaries helps to distinguish between various scenarios of multiple-star formation. The Differential Speckle Survey Instrument was used at the Gemini-N telescope for several hours in 2015 July to probe the binarity of 25 secondary components in nearby solar-type binaries. Six new subsystems were resolved, with meaningful detection limits for the remaining targets. The large incidence of secondary subsystems agrees with other similar studies. The newly resolved subsystem HIP 115417 Ba,Bb causes deviations in the observed motion of the outer binary from which an astrometric orbit of Ba,Bb with a period of 117 years is deduced.

Neutron Star masses from the Field Correlator Method Equation of State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zappalà D.

2014-04-01

Full Text Available We analyse the hadron-quark phase transition in neutron stars by confronting the hadronic Equation of State (EoS obtained according to the microscopic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock many body theory, with the quark matter EoS derived within the Field Correlator Method. In particular, the latter EoS is only parametrized in terms of the gluon condensate and the large distance quark-antiquark potential, so that the comparison of the results of this analysis with the most recent measurements of heavy neutron star masses provides some physical constraints on these two parameters.

A PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY SURVEY OF FIELD K AND M DWARF STARS WITH HATNet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartman, J. D.; Bakos, G. A.; Noyes, R. W.; Sipocz, B.; Pal, A.; Kovacs, G.; Mazeh, T.; Shporer, A.

2011-01-01

Using light curves from the HATNet survey for transiting extrasolar planets we investigate the optical broadband photometric variability of a sample of 27, 560 field K and M dwarfs selected by color and proper motion (V - K ∼> 3.0, μ > 30 mas yr -1 , plus additional cuts in J - H versus H - K S and on the reduced proper motion). We search the light curves for periodic variations and for large-amplitude, long-duration flare events. A total of 2120 stars exhibit potential variability, including 95 stars with eclipses and 60 stars with flares. Based on a visual inspection of these light curves and an automated blending classification, we select 1568 stars, including 78 eclipsing binaries (EBs), as secure variable star detections that are not obvious blends. We estimate that a further ∼26% of these stars may be blends with fainter variables, though most of these blends are likely to be among the hotter stars in our sample. We find that only 38 of the 1568 stars, including five of the EBs, have previously been identified as variables or are blended with previously identified variables. One of the newly identified EBs is 1RXS J154727.5+450803, a known P = 3.55 day, late M-dwarf SB2 system, for which we derive preliminary estimates for the component masses and radii of M 1 = M 2 = 0.258 ± 0.008 M sun and R 1 = R 2 = 0.289 ± 0.007 R sun . The radii of the component stars are larger than theoretical expectations if the system is older than ∼200 Myr. The majority of the variables are heavily spotted BY Dra-type stars for which we determine rotation periods. Using this sample, we investigate the relations between period, color, age, and activity measures, including optical flaring, for K and M dwarfs, finding that many of the well-established relations for F, G, and K dwarfs continue into the M dwarf regime. We find that the fraction of stars that is variable with peak-to-peak amplitudes greater than 0.01 mag increases exponentially with the V - K S color such that

Magnetic fields and star formation: evidence from imaging polarimetry of the Serpens Reflection Nebula

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warren-Smith, R F; Draper, P W; Scarrott, S M

1987-08-01

CCD imaging of the Serpens bipolar reflection nebula shows it to be surrounded by dark material having spiral density structure. Multi-colour polarization mapping also reveals details of the surrounding magnetic field, indicating that this also has spiral structure. These observations are discussed along with current ideas about the role of magnetic fields during star formation. An interpretation involving the non-axisymmetric magnetically braked collapse of a protostellar cloud is proposed and a resulting magnetic field configuration is described which can account for the observations. Evidence is also discussed for the formation of a binary star system within the nebula, resulting from the fragmentation of a magnetized protostellar disc.

Bubbles, Bow Shocks and B Fields: The Interplay Between Neutron Stars and Their Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Gaensler, Bryan M.

2006-12-01

Young neutron stars embody Nature's extremes: they spin incredibly rapidly, move through space at enormous velocities, and are imbued with unimaginably strong magnetic fields. Since their progenitor stars do not have any of these characteristics, these properties are presumably all imparted to a neutron star during or shortly after the supernova explosion in which it is formed. This raises two fundamental questions: how do neutron stars attain these extreme parameters, and how are their vast reservoirs of energy then dissipated? I will explain how multi-wavelength observations of the environments of neutron stars not only provide vital forensic evidence on the physics of supernova core collapse, but also spectacularly reveal the winds, jets, shocks and outflows through which these remarkable objects couple to their surroundings.

Neutron-captures in Low Mass Stars and the Early Solar System Record of Short-lived Radioactivities

Science.gov (United States)

Busso, Maurizio; Vescovi, Diego; Trippella, Oscar; Palmerini, Sara; Cristallo, Sergio; Piersanti, Luciano

2018-01-01

Noticeable improvements were recently introduced in the modelling of n-capture nucleosynthesis in the advanced evolutionary stages of giant stars (Asymptotic Giant Branch, or AGB, stars). Two such improvements are closely linked together and concern the introduction of non-parameterized, physical models for extended mixing processes and the adoption of accurate reaction rates for H- and He-burning reactions, including the one for the main neutron source 13C(α,n)16O. These improvements profited of a longstanding collaboration between stellar physicists and C. Spitaleri's team and of his seminal work both as a leader in the Nuclear Astrophysics scenario and as a talent-scout in the recruitment of young researchers in the field. We present an example of the innovative results that can be obtained thanks to the novelties introduced, by estimating the contributions from a nearby AGB star to the synthesis of short-lived (t1/2 ≤ 10 Myr) radioactive nuclei which were alive in early Solar System condensates. We find that the scenario indicating an AGB star as the source of such radioactivities, discussed for many years by researchers in this field, appears now to be no longer viable, when the mentioned improvements of AGB models and nuclear parameters are considered.

How good a clock is rotation? The stellar rotation-mass-age relationship for old field stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Epstein, Courtney R.; Pinsonneault, Marc H.

2014-01-01

The rotation-mass-age relationship offers a promising avenue for measuring the ages of field stars, assuming the attendant uncertainties to this technique can be well characterized. We model stellar angular momentum evolution starting with a rotation distribution from open cluster M37. Our predicted rotation-mass-age relationship shows significant zero-point offsets compared to an alternative angular momentum loss law and published gyrochronology relations. Systematic errors at the 30% level are permitted by current data, highlighting the need for empirical guidance. We identify two fundamental sources of uncertainty that limit the precision of rotation-based ages and quantify their impact. Stars are born with a range of rotation rates, which leads to an age range at fixed rotation period. We find that the inherent ambiguity from the initial conditions is important for all young stars, and remains large for old stars below 0.6 M ☉ . Latitudinal surface differential rotation also introduces a minimum uncertainty into rotation period measurements and, by extension, rotation-based ages. Both models and the data from binary star systems 61 Cyg and α Cen demonstrate that latitudinal differential rotation is the limiting factor for rotation-based age precision among old field stars, inducing uncertainties at the ∼2 Gyr level. We also examine the relationship between variability amplitude, rotation period, and age. Existing ground-based surveys can detect field populations with ages as old as 1-2 Gyr, while space missions can detect stars as old as the Galactic disk. In comparison with other techniques for measuring the ages of lower main sequence stars, including geometric parallax and asteroseismology, rotation-based ages have the potential to be the most precise chronometer for 0.6-1.0 M ☉ stars.

THE EFFECTS OF EPISODIC STAR FORMATION ON THE FUV-NUV COLORS OF STAR FORMING REGIONS IN OUTER DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnes, Kate L.; Van Zee, Liese [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Dowell, Jayce D., E-mail: barneskl@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: vanzee@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: jdowell@unm.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States)

2013-09-20

We run stellar population synthesis models to examine the effects of a recently episodic star formation history (SFH) on UV and Hα colors of star forming regions. Specifically, the SFHs we use are an episodic sampling of an exponentially declining star formation rate (SFR; τ model) and are intended to simulate the SFHs in the outer disks of spiral galaxies. To enable comparison between our models and observational studies of star forming regions in outer disks, we include in our models sensitivity limits that are based on recent deep UV and Hα observations in the literature. We find significant dispersion in the FUV-NUV colors of simulated star forming regions with frequencies of star formation episodes of 1 × 10{sup –8} to 4 × 10{sup –9} yr{sup –1}. The dispersion in UV colors is similar to that found in the outer disk of nearby spiral galaxies. As expected, we also find large variations in L{sub H{sub α}}/L{sub FUV}. We interpret our models within the context of inside-out disk growth, and find that a radially increasing τ and decreasing metallicity with an increasing radius will only produce modest FUV-NUV color gradients, which are significantly smaller than what is found for some nearby spiral galaxies. However, including moderate extinction gradients with our models can better match the observations with steeper UV color gradients. We estimate that the SFR at which the number of stars emitting FUV light becomes stochastic is ∼2 × 10{sup –6} M{sub ☉} yr{sup –1}, which is substantially lower than the SFR of many star forming regions in outer disks. Therefore, we conclude that stochasticity in the upper end of the initial mass function is not likely to be the dominant cause of dispersion in the FUV-NUV colors of star forming regions in outer disks. Finally, we note that if outer disks have had an episodic SFH similar to that used in this study, this should be taken into account when estimating gas depletion timescales and modeling chemical

A Search for Exomoons and TTVs from LHS 1140b, a nearby super-Earth orbiting in the habitable-zone of an M dwarf

Science.gov (United States)

Dittmann, Jason; Charbonneau, David; Irwin, Jonathan; Agol, Eric; Kipping, David; Newton, Elisabeth; Berta-Thompson, Zachory; Haywood, Raphaelle; Winters, Jennifer; Ballard, Sarah

2017-06-01

Exoplanets that transit nearby small stars present the best opportunity for future atmospheric studies with the James Webb Space Telescope and the ground based ELTs currently under construction. The MEarth Project has discovered a rocky planet with a period of 27.43 days residing in the habitable zone of the nearby inactive star LHS 1140. This planet will be the subject of GTO observations by JWST, and additional objects in the system would also be tantalizing targets for future study. Owing to the large planetary mass and orbital separation from its star, LHS 1140b is unique among the planets known to transit nearby M dwarfs in its capability to host a large moon. We propose to survey LHS 1140b for signs of exomoons and to search for transit timing variations that may indicate the presence of additional companions. The long orbital period of 25 days, the 12 hour duration for the transit of the Hill sphere, and the small amplitude of the expected signal preclude pursuing this from the ground and make Spitzer uniquely capable to undertake this study. If successful, we may discover additional planets via TTVs for which we may conduct future searches for transits and atmospheric spectroscopy with JWST, and possibly provide the first evidence for exomoons outside of the Solar System.

Evolution of thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars. IV. Constraining mass loss and lifetimes of low mass, low metallicity AGB stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenfield, Philip; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Weisz, Daniel; Williams, Benjamin F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Marigo, Paola [Department of Physics and Astronomy G. Galilei, University of Padova, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 3, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Girardi, Léo; Gullieuszik, Marco [Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova—INAF, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Bressan, Alessandro [Astrophysics Sector, SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste (Italy); Dolphin, Andrew [Raytheon Company, 1151 East Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Aringer, Bernhard [Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Turkenschanzstraße 17, A-1180 Wien (Austria)

2014-07-20

The evolution and lifetimes of thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars suffer from significant uncertainties. In this work, we analyze the numbers and luminosity functions of TP-AGB stars in six quiescent, low metallicity ([Fe/H] ≲ –0.86) galaxies taken from the ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury sample, using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry in both optical and near-infrared filters. The galaxies contain over 1000 TP-AGB stars (at least 60 per field). We compare the observed TP-AGB luminosity functions and relative numbers of TP-AGB and red giant branch (RGB) stars, N{sub TP-AGB}/N{sub RGB}, to models generated from different suites of TP-AGB evolutionary tracks after adopting star formation histories derived from the HST deep optical observations. We test various mass-loss prescriptions that differ in their treatments of mass loss before the onset of dust-driven winds (pre-dust). These comparisons confirm that pre-dust mass loss is important, since models that neglect pre-dust mass loss fail to explain the observed N{sub TP-AGB}/N{sub RGB} ratio or the luminosity functions. In contrast, models with more efficient pre-dust mass loss produce results consistent with observations. We find that for [Fe/H] ≲ –0.86, lower mass TP-AGB stars (M ≲ 1 M{sub ☉}) must have lifetimes of ∼0.5 Myr and higher masses (M ≲ 3 M{sub ☉}) must have lifetimes ≲ 1.2 Myr. In addition, assuming our best-fitting mass-loss prescription, we show that the third dredge-up has no significant effect on TP-AGB lifetimes in this mass and metallicity range.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF THIN-DISK, HIGH-METALLICITY RED HORIZONTAL-BRANCH FIELD STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afşar, M.; Sneden, C.; For, B.-Q.

2012-01-01

We present a detailed abundance analysis and atmospheric parameters of 76 stars from a survey to identify field Galactic red horizontal-branch (RHB) stars. High-resolution echelle spectra (R ≅ 60,000, S/N ≥ 100) were obtained with the 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. The target stars were selected only by color and parallax information. Overall metallicities and relative abundances of proton-capture elements (C, N, O, Li), α-elements (Ca and Si), and neutron-capture elements (Eu and La) were determined by either equivalent width or synthetic spectrum analyses. We used CN features at the λλ7995-8040 region in order to determine the 12 C/ 13 C ratios of our targets. Investigation of the evolutionary stages, using spectroscopic T eff and log g values along with derived 12 C/ 13 C ratios, revealed the presence of 18 probable RHB stars in our sample. We also derived kinematics of the stars with available distance information. Taking into account both the kinematics and probable evolutionary stages, we conclude that our sample contains 5 thick-disk and 13 thin-disk RHB stars. Up until now, RHB stars have been considered as members of the thick disk, and were expected to have large space velocities and sub-solar metallicities. However, our sample is dominated by low-velocity solar-metallicity RHB stars; their existence cannot be easily explained with standard stellar evolution.

NuSTAR observations of water megamaser AGN

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Masini, A.; Comastri, A.; Balokovic, M.

2016-01-01

Aims. We study the connection between the masing disk and obscuring torus in Seyfert 2 galaxies. Methods. We present a uniform X-ray spectral analysis of the high energy properties of 14 nearby megamaser active galactic nuclei observed by NuSTAR. We use a simple analytical model to localize the m...

LOW-MASS VISUAL COMPANIONS TO NEARBY G-DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokovinin, Andrei

2011-01-01

A complete census of wide visual companions to nearby G-dwarf stars can be achieved by selecting candidates from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) Point-Source Catalog and checking their status by second-epoch imaging. Such data are obtained for 124 candidates with separations up to 20'', 47 of which are shown to be new physical low-mass stellar companions. A list of visual binaries with G-dwarf primaries is produced by combining newly found companions with historical data. Maximum likelihood analysis leads to a companion frequency of 0.13 ± 0.015 per decade of separation. The mass ratio is distributed almost uniformly, with a power-law index between -0.4 and 0. The remaining uncertainty in the index is related to modeling of the companion detection threshold in 2MASS. These findings are confirmed by an alternative analysis of wider companions in 2MASS, removing the contamination by background stars statistically. Extension of this work will lead to a complete detection of visual companions-a necessary step toward reaching unbiased multiplicity statistics over the full range of orbital periods and, eventually, understanding the origin of multiple systems.

Antikaon condensation in neutron stars by a new nonlinear mean-field model

CERN Document Server

Miyazaki, K

2005-01-01

We have investigated both the K^- and \\bar{K}^0 condensations in beta-equilibrated neutron star (NS) matter using the relativistic mean-field model with the renormalized meson-baryon coupling constants. Adopting the antikaon optical potential of -120MeV, our model predicts the K^- condensation as the second-order phase transition inside the neutron star of maximum mass, while the deeper potential than -160MeV is ruled out. This is in contrast to the result of the density-dependent hadron field theory. Our model also predicts remarkable softening of the equation of state by the \\bar{K}^0 condensation at high densities. Although this is contrasted with the result of the nonlinear Walecka model, only the K^- condensation can be formed in NSs.

NGC 1277: A MASSIVE COMPACT RELIC GALAXY IN THE NEARBY UNIVERSE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trujillo, Ignacio; Vazdekis, Alexandre [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, c/Vía Láctea s/n, E-38205-La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Ferré-Mateu, Anna [Subaru Telescope, 650 North A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Balcells, Marc [Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, E-38700 Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands (Spain); Sánchez-Blázquez, Patricia, E-mail: trujillo@iac.es [Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049, Cantoblanco, Madrid (Spain)

2014-01-10

As early as 10 Gyr ago, galaxies with more than 10{sup 11} M {sub ☉} of stars already existed. While most of these massive galaxies must have subsequently transformed through on-going star formation and mergers with other galaxies, a small fraction (≲0.1%) may have survived untouched until today. Searches for such relic galaxies, useful windows to explore the early universe, have been inconclusive to date: galaxies with masses and sizes like those observed at high redshift (M {sub *} ≳ 10{sup 11} M {sub ☉}; R{sub e} ≲ 1.5 kpc) have been found in the local universe, but their stars are far too young for the galaxy to be a relic galaxy. This paper explores the first case of a nearby galaxy, NGC 1277 (at a distance of 73 Mpc in the Perseus galaxy cluster), which fulfills many criteria to be considered a relic galaxy. Using deep optical spectroscopy, we derive the star formation history along the structure of the galaxy: the stellar populations are uniformly old (>10 Gyr) with no evidence for more recent star formation episodes. The metallicity of their stars is super-solar ([Fe/H] = 0.20 ± 0.04 with a smooth decline toward the outer regions) and α-enriched ([α/Fe] = 0.4 ± 0.1). This suggests a very short formation time scale for the bulk of the stars in this galaxy. This object also rotates very fast (V {sub rot} ∼ 300 km s{sup –1}) and has a large central velocity dispersion (σ > 300 km s{sup –1}). NGC 1277 allows the exploration in full detail of properties such as the structure, internal dynamics, metallicity, and initial mass function as they were at ∼10-12 Gyr ago when the first massive galaxies were built.

AGB stars as tracers to IC 1613 evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, S. A.; Javadi, A.; van Loon, J. Th.

We are going to apply AGB stars to find star formation history for IC 1613 galaxy; this a new and simple method that works well for nearby galaxies. IC 1613 is a Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy that is located at distance of 750 kpc, a gas rich and isolated dwarf galaxy that has a low foreground extinction. We use the long period variable stars (LPVs) that represent the very final stage of evolution of stars with low and intermediate mass at the AGB phase and are very luminous and cool so that they emit maximum brightness in near-infrared bands. Thus near-infrared photometry with using stellar evolutionary models help us to convert brightness to birth mass and age and from this drive star formation history of the galaxy. We will use the luminosity distribution of the LPVs to reconstruct the star formation history-a method we have successfully applied in other Local Group galaxies. Our analysis shows that the IC 1613 has had a nearly constant star formation rate, without any dominant star formation episode.

Gamma ray bursts from comet neutron star magnetosphere interaction, field twisting and Eparallel formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colgate, S.A.

1990-01-01

Consider the problem of a comet in a collision trajectory with a magnetized neutron star. The question addressed in this paper is whether the comet interacts strongly enough with a magnetic field such as to capture at a large radius or whether in general the comet will escape a magnetized neutron star. 6 refs., 4 figs

Photometric light curves for ten rapidly rotating stars in Alpha Persei, the Pleiades, and the field

Science.gov (United States)

Prosser, Charles F.; Schild, Rudolph E.; Stauffer, John R.; Jones, Burton F.

1993-01-01

We present the results from a photometric monitoring program of ten rapidly rotating stars observed during 1991 using the FLWO 48-in. telescope. Brightness variations for an additional six cluster stars observed with the Lick 40-in. telescope are also given. The periods and light curves for seven Alpha Persei members, two Pleiades members, and one naked T Tauri field star are reported.

A M2FS Spectroscopic Study of Low-mass Young Stars in Orion OB1

Science.gov (United States)

Kaleida, Catherine C.; Briceno, Cesar; Calvet, Nuria; Mateo, Mario L.; Hernandez, Jesus

2015-01-01

Surveys of pre-main sequence stars in the ~4-10 Myr range provide a window into the decline of the accretion phase of stars and the formation of planets. Nearby star clusters and stellar associations allow for the study of these young stellar populations all the way down to the lowest mass members. One of the best examples of nearby 4-10 Myr old stellar populations is the Orion OB1 association. The CIDA Variability Survey of Orion OB1 (CVSO - Briceño et al. 2001) has used the variability properties of low-mass pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars to identify hundreds of K and M-type stellar members of the Orion OB1 association, a number of them displaying IR-excess emission and thought to be representative of more evolved disk-bearing young stars. Characterizing these young, low-mass objects using spectroscopy is integral to understanding the accretion phase in young stars. We present preliminary results of a spectroscopic survey of candidate and confirmed Orion OB1 low-mass members taken during November 2014 and February 2014 using the Michigan/Magellan Fiber Spectrograph (M2FS), a PI instrument on the Magellan Clay Telescope (PI: M. Matteo). Target fields located in the off-cloud regions of Orion were identified in the CVSO, and observed using the low and high-resolution modes of M2FS. Both low and high-resolution spectra are needed in order to confirm membership and derive masses, ages, kinematics and accretion properties. Initial analysis of these spectra reveal many new K and M-type members of the Orion OB1 association in these low extinction, off-cloud areas. These are the more evolved siblings of the youngest stars still embedded in the molecular clouds, like those in the Orion Nebula Cluster. With membership and spectroscopic indicators of accretion we are building the most comprehensive stellar census of this association, enabling us to derive a robust estimate of the fraction of young stars still accreting at a various ages, a key constraint for the end of

Star formation and abundances in the nearby irregular galaxy VII ZW 403

Science.gov (United States)

Tully, R. B.; Boesgaard, A. M.; Dyck, H. M.; Schempp, W. V.

1981-05-01

Photometry in J, H, and K bands reveals that there is an unresolved source of infrared emission associated with the brightest H II region in VII Zw 403, and the colors suggest the presence of a substantial number of K and M supergiants in addition to the hot O stars that must be present to account for the ionized gas. Spectrophotometry of this emission region indicates that reddening is substantial, and that the interpretation of the observed Balmer decrement in terms of reddening is not straightforward. The primary nucleosynthesis products O, S, and Ne are underabundant compared with the sun by a factor of 15; N is underabundant compared with the sun by a factor of 160; and the helium abundance suggests that either there could have been only a small number of star formation episodes or the galaxy is younger than the time scale of the process that deposits N in the interstellar medium.

The Star Formation Scenario in the Galactic Range from Ophiuchus to Chamaeleon

Science.gov (United States)

Sartori, Marília J.

2000-07-01

The molecular cloud complexes of Chamaeleon, Lupus and Ophiuchus, and the OB sub-groups of stars that form the Scorpius OB2 association are located at galactic longitudes in the interval 290° to 360°, all of them in a distance range from 100 to 200 pc. The distribution of known young stars in this region, both of low and of high mass, suggests that they belong to a single large structure. Moreover, a significant number of pre-main sequence (PMS) stars far from the star-forming clouds have been recently discovered. This scenario suggests that a global analysis of the star formation must be performed, especially of such nearby regions for which a large amount of data can be obtained. In order to test the models that intend to describe the history of star formation in these nearby star-forming regions, we collected information on the distribution of gas and dust and on the related young stellar populations. We mapped the molecular clouds of the complexes located in Chamaeleon, Lupus and Ophiuchus by means of an automatic method for star counting on plates of the Digitized Sky Survey. Another improvement with respect to the traditional star counts method is that we have adopted a relation between the extinction and the number of stars based on the predictions of the Galaxy's model by Ortiz & Lépine (1993, A&A 279, 90). Our maps confirm that there is an extended distribution of dust in the regions between the main clouds. We built a complete list of PMS and early-type stars from the literature, including all the available distance, radial velocity and proper motion data. We completed these data with our own determinations of proper motions of PMS stars, using positions obtained with the Valinhos Meridian Circle (IAG/USP, Brazil), photographic plates and public catalogs (Teixeira et al. 2000, A&A in press). Using these kinematical data and comparing the positions and spatial velocities of PMS stars to those of early-type stars, we verified that the kinematics of the

New insights into the X-ray properties of nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, L. P.; Brnadt, W. N.; Colbert, E. J. M.; Levan, A. J.; Roberts, T. P.; Ward, M. J.; Zezas, A.

2008-02-01

We present some preliminary results from new Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations of the nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC1672. It shows dramatic nuclear and extra-nuclear star formation activity, including starburst regions located near each end of its strong bar, both of which host ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). With the new high-spatial-resolution Chandra imaging, we show for the first time that NGC1672 possesses a faint ($L(X)~10^39 erg/s), hard central X-ray source surrounded by an X-ray bright circumnuclear starburst ring that dominates the X-ray emission in the region. The central source may represent low-level AGN activity, or alternatively the emission from X-ray binaries associated with star-formation in the nucleus.

THE HOST GALAXIES OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS. I. INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM PROPERTIES OF TEN NEARBY LONG-DURATION GAMMA-RAY BURST HOSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levesque, Emily M.; Kewley, Lisa J.; Berger, Edo; Bagley, Megan M.

2010-01-01

We present the first observations from a large-scale survey of nearby (z < 1) long-duration gamma-ray burst (LGRB) host galaxies, which consist of eight rest-frame optical spectra obtained at Keck and Magellan. Along with two host galaxy observations from the literature, we use optical emission-line diagnostics to determine metallicities, ionization parameters, young stellar population ages, and star formation rates. We compare the LGRB host environments to a variety of local and intermediate-redshift galaxy populations, as well as the newest grid of stellar population synthesis and photoionization models generated with the Starburst99/Mappings codes. With these comparisons, we investigate whether the GRB host galaxies are consistent with the properties of the general galaxy population, and therefore whether they may be used as reliable tracers of star formation. Despite the limitations inherent in our small sample, we find strong evidence that LGRB host galaxies generally have low-metallicity interstellar medium (ISM) environments out to z ∼ 1. The ISM properties of our GRB hosts, including metallicity and ionization parameter, are significantly different from the general galaxy population and host galaxies of nearby broad-lined Type Ic supernovae. However, these properties show better agreement with a sample of nearby metal-poor galaxies.

Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer Observations of the Evolution of Massive Star-Forming Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, X. P.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Benford, D. J.; Rebull, L. M.; Padgett, D. L.; Asslef, R. J.

2012-01-01

We present the results of a mid-infrared survey of II outer Galaxy massive star-forming regions and 3 open clusters with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Using a newly developed photometric scheme to identify young stellar objects and exclude extragalactic contamination, we have studied the distribution of young stars within each region. These data tend to support the hypothesis that latter generations may be triggered by the interaction of winds and radiation from the first burst of massive star formation with the molecular cloud material leftover from that earlier generation of stars. We dub this process the "fireworks hypothesis" since star formation by this mechanism would proceed rapidly and resemble a burst of fireworks. We have also analyzed small cutout WISE images of the structures around the edges of these massive star-forming regions. We observe large (1-3 pc size) pillar and trunk-like structures of diffuse emission nebulosity tracing excited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and small dust grains at the perimeter of the massive star-forming regions. These structures contain small clusters of emerging Class I and Class II sources, but some are forming only a single to a few new stars.

WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER OBSERVATIONS OF THE EVOLUTION OF MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, X. P.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Benford, D. J.; Padgett, D. L.; Rebull, L. M.; Assef, R. J.

2012-01-01

We present the results of a mid-infrared survey of 11 outer Galaxy massive star-forming regions and 3 open clusters with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Using a newly developed photometric scheme to identify young stellar objects and exclude extragalactic contamination, we have studied the distribution of young stars within each region. These data tend to support the hypothesis that latter generations may be triggered by the interaction of winds and radiation from the first burst of massive star formation with the molecular cloud material leftover from that earlier generation of stars. We dub this process the 'fireworks hypothesis' since star formation by this mechanism would proceed rapidly and resemble a burst of fireworks. We have also analyzed small cutout WISE images of the structures around the edges of these massive star-forming regions. We observe large (1-3 pc size) pillar and trunk-like structures of diffuse emission nebulosity tracing excited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and small dust grains at the perimeter of the massive star-forming regions. These structures contain small clusters of emerging Class I and Class II sources, but some are forming only a single to a few new stars.

The Destructive Birth of Massive Stars and Massive Star Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, Anna; Krumholz, Mark; McKee, Christopher F.; Klein, Richard I.; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico

2017-01-01

Massive stars play an essential role in the Universe. They are rare, yet the energy and momentum they inject into the interstellar medium with their intense radiation fields dwarfs the contribution by their vastly more numerous low-mass cousins. Previous theoretical and observational studies have concluded that the feedback associated with massive stars' radiation fields is the dominant mechanism regulating massive star and massive star cluster (MSC) formation. Therefore detailed simulation of the formation of massive stars and MSCs, which host hundreds to thousands of massive stars, requires an accurate treatment of radiation. For this purpose, we have developed a new, highly accurate hybrid radiation algorithm that properly treats the absorption of the direct radiation field from stars and the re-emission and processing by interstellar dust. We use our new tool to perform a suite of three-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of the formation of massive stars and MSCs. For individual massive stellar systems, we simulate the collapse of massive pre-stellar cores with laminar and turbulent initial conditions and properly resolve regions where we expect instabilities to grow. We find that mass is channeled to the massive stellar system via gravitational and Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instabilities. For laminar initial conditions, proper treatment of the direct radiation field produces later onset of RT instability, but does not suppress it entirely provided the edges of the radiation-dominated bubbles are adequately resolved. RT instabilities arise immediately for turbulent pre-stellar cores because the initial turbulence seeds the instabilities. To model MSC formation, we simulate the collapse of a dense, turbulent, magnetized Mcl = 106 M⊙ molecular cloud. We find that the influence of the magnetic pressure and radiative feedback slows down star formation. Furthermore, we find that star formation is suppressed along dense filaments where the magnetic field is

The Long Term Features of Tropical Cyclones Nearby Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yueh-Shyuan; Lee, Cheng-Shang

2017-04-01

Tropical cyclone (TC) activity is affected by several factors. The variability of TC activity over the western North Pacific (WNP) has been examined in the past decade. Previous studies showed that TC activity (such as TC number, intensity and tracks) has multiscale variation or affected by natural oscillation of different scales. However, most of these studies focused mainly on the entire WNP. Very few studies examined the variability of annual TC track or the variability of TC number in the area nearby Taiwan, which caused severe economic loss and life damage to Taiwan in the typhoon season. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the variation of TC activity nearby Taiwan to address its long term features, and also the possible relationship with the associated flow patterns. Preliminary results of wavelet analysis showed that the TC number nearby Taiwan during 1970-2014 had multiscale variations. The following analysis focused on the scale about 4- and 11-year signals, in the targeted area of 118o-125oE, 20o-27oN. The positive phases of both scale 4 and scale 11 showed a tendency of TC tracks toward Taiwan area, while the negative phases showed a lower tendency toward Taiwan. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis was applied on the 4-yr and the 11-yr filtered 500-hPa wind fields and geopotential heights. Results showed that the 4-yr signal was mostly dominated by the 500-hPa U- and V-wind fields, suggesting that the TC track patterns were affected mainly by the midlevel steering flow. On the other hand, the 11-yr signal was mostly dominated by the 500-hPa U-wind field and geopotential anomalies, indicating that the main cause of the difference in TC occurrence nearby Taiwan was the location of TC formation.

EFFECTS OF FOSSIL MAGNETIC FIELDS ON CONVECTIVE CORE DYNAMOS IN A-TYPE STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Featherstone, Nicholas A.; Toomre, Juri; Browning, Matthew K.; Brun, Allan Sacha

2009-01-01

The vigorous magnetic dynamo action achieved within the convective cores of A-type stars may be influenced by fossil magnetic fields within their radiative envelopes. We study such effects through three-dimensional simulations that model the inner 30% by radius of a 2 M sun A-type star, capturing the convective core and a portion of the overlying radiative envelope within our computational domain. We employ the three-dimensional anelastic spherical harmonic code to model turbulent dynamics within a deep rotating spherical shell. The interaction between a fossil field and the core dynamo is examined by introducing a large-scale magnetic field into the radiative envelope of a mature A star dynamo simulation. We find that the inclusion of a twisted toroidal fossil field can lead to a remarkable transition in the core dynamo behavior. Namely, a super-equipartition state can be realized in which the magnetic energy built by dynamo action is 10-fold greater than the kinetic energy of the convection itself. Such strong-field states may suggest that the resulting Lorentz forces should seek to quench the flows, yet we have achieved super-equipartition dynamo action that persists for multiple diffusion times. This is achieved by the relative co-alignment of the flows and magnetic fields in much of the domain, along with some lateral displacements of the fastest flows from the strongest fields. Convection in the presence of such strong magnetic fields typically manifests as 4-6 cylindrical rolls aligned with the rotation axis, each possessing central axial flows that imbue the rolls with a helical nature. The roll system also possesses core-crossing flows that couple distant regions of the core. We find that the magnetic fields exhibit a comparable global topology with broad, continuous swathes of magnetic field linking opposite sides of the convective core. We have explored several poloidal and toroidal fossil field geometries, finding that a poloidal component is essential

A Variation of the Present Star Formation Activity of Spiral Galaxies

OpenAIRE

Tomita, Akihiko; Tomita, Yoshio; Saito, Mamoru

1996-01-01

The star formation rate in spiral galaxies is considered to be decreasing continuously with time in a time scale of $10^{9}$ yr. The present star formation activity, on the other hand, shows various degrees among galaxies. We make a new data set of 1681 nearby spiral galaxies from available databases and study the statistics of the present star formation activity. We analyze far-infrared and optical B-band surface brightnesses of the H II regions and the non-H II regions in M~31 and show that...

The Origin of Runaway Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogerwerf, R.; de Bruijne, J. H. J.; de Zeeuw, P. T.

2000-12-01

Milliarcsecond astrometry provided by Hipparcos and by radio observations makes it possible to retrace the orbits of some of the nearest runaway stars and pulsars to determine their site of origin. The orbits of the runaways AE Aurigae and μ Columbae and of the eccentric binary ι Orionis intersected each other ~2.5 Myr ago in the nascent Trapezium cluster, confirming that these runaways were formed in a binary-binary encounter. The path of the runaway star ζ Ophiuchi intersected that of the nearby pulsar PSR J1932+1059, ~1 Myr ago, in the young stellar group Upper Scorpius. We propose that this neutron star is the remnant of a supernova that occurred in a binary system that also contained ζ Oph and deduce that the pulsar received a kick velocity of ~350 km s-1 in the explosion. These two cases provide the first specific kinematic evidence that both mechanisms proposed for the production of runaway stars, the dynamical ejection scenario and the binary-supernova scenario, operate in nature.

SPEXTRA: Optimal extraction code for long-slit spectra in crowded fields

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkisyan, A. N.; Vinokurov, A. S.; Solovieva, Yu. N.; Sholukhova, O. N.; Kostenkov, A. E.; Fabrika, S. N.

2017-10-01

We present a code for the optimal extraction of long-slit 2D spectra in crowded stellar fields. Its main advantage and difference from the existing spectrum extraction codes is the presence of a graphical user interface (GUI) and a convenient visualization system of data and extraction parameters. On the whole, the package is designed to study stars in crowded fields of nearby galaxies and star clusters in galaxies. Apart from the spectrum extraction for several stars which are closely located or superimposed, it allows the spectra of objects to be extracted with subtraction of superimposed nebulae of different shapes and different degrees of ionization. The package can also be used to study single stars in the case of a strong background. In the current version, the optimal extraction of 2D spectra with an aperture and the Gaussian function as PSF (point spread function) is proposed. In the future, the package will be supplemented with the possibility to build a PSF based on a Moffat function. We present the details of GUI, illustrate main features of the package, and show results of extraction of the several interesting spectra of objects from different telescopes.

Destruction of a Magnetized Star

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-01-01

What happens when a magnetized star is torn apart by the tidal forces of a supermassive black hole, in a violent process known as a tidal disruption event? Two scientists have broken new ground by simulating the disruption of stars with magnetic fields for the first time.The magnetic field configuration during a simulation of the partial disruption of a star. Top left: pre-disruption star. Bottom left: matter begins to re-accrete onto the surviving core after the partial disruption. Right: vortices form in the core as high-angular-momentum debris continues to accrete, winding up and amplifying the field. [Adapted from Guillochon McCourt 2017]What About Magnetic Fields?Magnetic fields are expected to exist in the majority of stars. Though these fields dont dominate the energy budget of a star the magnetic pressure is a million times weaker than the gas pressure in the Suns interior, for example they are the drivers of interesting activity, like the prominences and flares of our Sun.Given this, we can wonder what role stars magnetic fields might play when the stars are torn apart in tidal disruption events. Do the fields change what we observe? Are they dispersed during the disruption, or can they be amplified? Might they even be responsible for launching jets of matter from the black hole after the disruption?Star vs. Black HoleIn a recent study, James Guillochon (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and Michael McCourt (Hubble Fellow at UC Santa Barbara) have tackled these questions by performing the first simulations of tidal disruptions of stars that include magnetic fields.In their simulations, Guillochon and McCourt evolve a solar-mass star that passes close to a million-solar-mass black hole. Their simulations explore different magnetic field configurations for the star, and they consider both what happens when the star barely grazes the black hole and is only partially disrupted, as well as what happens when the black hole tears the star apart

New prospects for detecting high-energy neutrinos from nearby supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Murase, Kohta

2018-04-01

Neutrinos from supernovae (SNe) are crucial probes of explosive phenomena at the deaths of massive stars and neutrino physics. High-energy neutrinos are produced through hadronic processes by cosmic rays, which are accelerated during interaction between the supernova (SN) ejecta and circumstellar material (CSM). Recent observations of extragalactic SNe have revealed that a dense CSM is commonly expelled by the progenitor star. We provide new quantitative predictions of time-dependent high-energy neutrino emission from diverse types of SNe. We show that IceCube and KM3Net can detect ˜103 events from a SN II-P (and ˜3 ×105 events from a SN IIn) at a distance of 10 kpc. The new model also enables us to critically optimize the time window for dedicated searches for nearby SNe. A successful detection will give us a multienergy neutrino view of SN physics and new opportunities to study neutrino properties, as well as clues to the cosmic-ray origin. GeV-TeV neutrinos may also be seen by KM3Net, Hyper-Kamiokande, and PINGU.

DUSTY WINDS: EXTRAPLANAR POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON FEATURES OF NEARBY GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCormick, Alexander; Veilleux, Sylvain [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Rupke, David S. N., E-mail: alexm@astro.umd.edu, E-mail: veilleux@astro.umd.edu, E-mail: rupked@rhodes.edu [Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112 (United States)

2013-09-10

Recent observations have shown the presence of dust and molecular material in galactic winds, but relatively little is known about the distribution of these outflow components. To shed some light on this issue, we have used IRAC images from the Spitzer Space Telescope archive to investigate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission from a sample of 16 local galaxies with known winds. Our focus on nearby sources (median distance 8.6 Mpc) has revealed detailed PAH structure in the winds and allowed us to measure extraplanar PAH emission. We have identified extraplanar PAH features on scales of {approx}0.8-6.0 kpc. We find a nearly linear correlation between the amount of extraplanar PAH emission and the total infrared flux, a proxy for star formation activity in the disk. Our results also indicate a correlation between the height of extraplanar PAH emission and star formation rate surface density, which supports the idea of a surface density threshold on the energy or momentum injection rate for producing detectable extraplanar wind material.

Radio stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjellming, R.M.; Gibson, D.M.

1985-01-01

Studies of stellar radio emission became an important field of research in the 1970's and have now expanded to become a major area of radio astronomy with the advent of new instruments such as the Very Large Array in New Mexico and transcontinental telescope arrays. This volume contains papers from the workshop on stellar continuum radio astronomy held in Boulder, Colorado, and is the first book on the rapidly expanding field of radio emission from stars and stellar systems. Subjects covered include the observational and theoretical aspects of stellar winds from both hot and cool stars, radio flares from active double star systems and red dwarf stars, bipolar flows from star-forming regions, and the radio emission from X-ray binaries. (orig.)

Star formation in the outskirts of DDO 154: A top-light IMF in a nearly dormant disc

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, Adam B.; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Lagos, Claudia D. P.; Bruzzese, Sarah M.; Kroupa, Pavel; Jerabkova, Tereza

2018-04-01

We present optical photometry of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS/WFC data of the resolved stellar populations in the outer disc of the dwarf irregular galaxy DDO 154. The photometry reveals that young main sequence stars are almost absent from the outermost HI disc. Instead, most are clustered near the main stellar component of the galaxy. We constrain the stellar initial mass function (IMF) by comparing the luminosity function of the main sequence stars to simulated stellar populations assuming a constant star formation rate over the dynamical timescale. The best-fitting IMF is deficient in high mass stars compared to a canonical Kroupa IMF, with a best-fit slope α = -2.45 and upper mass limit MU = 16 M⊙. This top-light IMF is consistent with predictions of the Integrated Galaxy-wide IMF theory. Combining the HST images with HI data from The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury (THINGS) we determine the star formation law (SFL) in the outer disc. The fit has a power law exponent N = 2.92 ± 0.22 and zero point A = 4.47 ± 0.65 × 10-7 M⊙ yr-1 kpc-2. This is depressed compared to the Kennicutt-Schmidt Star Formation Law, but consistent with weak star formation observed in diffuse HI environments. Extrapolating the SFL over the outer disc implies that there could be significant star formation occurring that is not detectable in Hα. Last, we determine the Toomre stability parameter Q of the outer disc of DDO 154 using the THINGS HI rotation curve and velocity dispersion map. 72% of the HI in our field has Q ≤ 4 and this incorporates 96% of the observed MS stars. Hence 28% of the HI in the field is largely dormant.

SEARCH FOR A MAGNETIC FIELD VIA CIRCULAR POLARIZATION IN THE WOLF-RAYET STAR EZ CMa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De la Chevrotière, A.; St-Louis, N.; Moffat, A. F. J.

2013-01-01

We report on the first deep, direct search for a magnetic field via the circular polarization of Zeeman splitting in a Wolf-Rayet (W-R) star. Using the highly efficient ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, we observed at three different epochs one of the best W-R candidates in the sky expected to harbor a magnetic field, the bright, highly variable WN4 star EZ CMa = WR6 = HD 50896. We looked for the characteristic circular polarization (Stokes V) pattern in strong emission lines that would arise as a consequence of a global, rotating magnetic field with a split monopole configuration. We also obtained nearly simultaneous linear polarization spectra (Stokes Q and U), which are dominated by electron scattering, most likely from a flattened wind with large-scale corotating structures. As the star rotates with a period of 3.766 days, our view of the wind changes, which in turn affects the value of the linear polarization in lines versus continuum at the ∼0.2% level. Depending on the epoch of observation, our Stokes V data were affected by significant crosstalk from Stokes Q and U to V. We removed this spurious signal from the circular polarization data and experimented with various levels of spectral binning to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of our data. In the end, no magnetic field is unambiguously detected in EZ CMa. Assuming that the star is intrinsically magnetic and harbors a split monopole configuration, we find an upper limit of B ∼ 100 G for the intensity of its field in the line-forming regions of the stellar wind.

SEARCH FOR A MAGNETIC FIELD VIA CIRCULAR POLARIZATION IN THE WOLF-RAYET STAR EZ CMa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De la Chevrotiere, A.; St-Louis, N.; Moffat, A. F. J. [Departement de Physique, Universite de Montreal and Centre de Recherche en Astrophysique du Quebec (CRAQ), C. P. 6128, succ. centre-ville, Montreal (Quebec) H3C 3J7 (Canada); Collaboration: MiMeS Collaboration

2013-02-20

We report on the first deep, direct search for a magnetic field via the circular polarization of Zeeman splitting in a Wolf-Rayet (W-R) star. Using the highly efficient ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, we observed at three different epochs one of the best W-R candidates in the sky expected to harbor a magnetic field, the bright, highly variable WN4 star EZ CMa = WR6 = HD 50896. We looked for the characteristic circular polarization (Stokes V) pattern in strong emission lines that would arise as a consequence of a global, rotating magnetic field with a split monopole configuration. We also obtained nearly simultaneous linear polarization spectra (Stokes Q and U), which are dominated by electron scattering, most likely from a flattened wind with large-scale corotating structures. As the star rotates with a period of 3.766 days, our view of the wind changes, which in turn affects the value of the linear polarization in lines versus continuum at the {approx}0.2% level. Depending on the epoch of observation, our Stokes V data were affected by significant crosstalk from Stokes Q and U to V. We removed this spurious signal from the circular polarization data and experimented with various levels of spectral binning to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of our data. In the end, no magnetic field is unambiguously detected in EZ CMa. Assuming that the star is intrinsically magnetic and harbors a split monopole configuration, we find an upper limit of B {approx} 100 G for the intensity of its field in the line-forming regions of the stellar wind.

Flare stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicastro, A.J.

1981-01-01

The least massive, but possibly most numerous, stars in a galaxy are the dwarf M stars. It has been observed that some of these dwarfs are characterized by a short increase in brightness. These stars are called flare stars. These flare stars release a lot of energy in a short amount of time. The process producing the eruption must be energetic. The increase in light intensity can be explained by a small area rising to a much higher temperature. Solar flares are looked at to help understand the phenomenon of stellar flares. Dwarfs that flare are observed to have strong magnetic fields. Those dwarf without the strong magnetic field do not seem to flare. It is believed that these regions of strong magnetic fields are associated with star spots. Theories on the energy that power the flares are given. Astrophysicists theorize that the driving force of a stellar flare is the detachment and collapse of a loop of magnetic flux. The mass loss due to stellar flares is discussed. It is believed that stellar flares are a significant contributor to the mass of interstellar medium in the Milky Way

Magnetic fields in O-, B- and A-type stars on the main sequence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Briquet Maryline

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this review, the latest observational results on magnetic fields in main-sequence stars with radiative envelopes are summarised together with the theoretical works aimed at explaining them.

Free-field ground motions for the nonproliferation experiment: Preliminary comparisons with nearby nuclear events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, K.H.; Peratt, A.L.

1994-01-01

Since 1987, we have installed fixed arrays of tri-axial accelerometers in the fire-field near the shot horizons for low-yield (≤ 20 kt) nuclear events in the N-tunnel complex beneath Rainier Mesa. For the Nonproliferation Experiment (NPE) we augmented the array to achieve 23 free-field stations. Goals are: (a) to examine robustness and stability of various free-field source function estimates -- e.g., reduced displacement potentials (RDP) and spectra; (b) to compare close-in with regional estimates to test whether detailed close-in free-field and/or surface ground motion data can improve predictability of regional-teleseismic source functions; (c) to provide experimental data for checking two-dimensional numerical simulations. We report preliminary comparisons between experimental free-field data for NPE (1993) and three nearby nuclear events (MISTY ECHO, 1988; MINERAL QUARRY, 1990; HUNTERS TROPHY, 1992). All four working points are within 1 km of each other in the same wet tuff bed, thus reducing concerns about possible large differences in material properties between widely separated shots. Initial comparison of acceleration and velocity seismograms for the four events reveals: (1) There is a large departure from the spherical symmetry commonly assumed in analytic treatments of source theory; both vertical and tangential components are surprisingly large. (2) All shots show similar first-peak particle-velocity amplitude decay rates suggesting significant attenuation even in the supposedly purely elastic region. (3) Sharp (>20 Hz) arrivals are not observed at tunnel level from near-surface pP reflections or spall-closure sources -- but broadened peaks are seen that suggest more diffuse reflected energy from the surface and from the Paleozoic limestone basement below tunnel level

INTRINSIC COLORS, TEMPERATURES, AND BOLOMETRIC CORRECTIONS OF PRE-MAIN-SEQUENCE STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pecaut, Mark J.; Mamajek, Eric E. [University of Rochester, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester, NY 14627-0171 (United States)

2013-09-01

We present an analysis of the intrinsic colors and temperatures of 5-30 Myr old pre-main-sequence (pre-MS) stars using the F0- through M9-type members of nearby, negligibly reddened groups: the η Cha cluster, the TW Hydra Association, the β Pic Moving Group, and the Tucana-Horologium Association. To check the consistency of spectral types from the literature, we estimate new spectral types for 52 nearby pre-MS stars with spectral types F3 through M4 using optical spectra taken with the SMARTS 1.5 m telescope. Combining these new types with published spectral types and photometry from the literature (Johnson-Cousins BVI{sub C} , 2MASS JHK{sub S} and WISE W1, W2, W3, and W4), we derive a new empirical spectral type-color sequence for 5-30 Myr old pre-MS stars. Colors for pre-MS stars match dwarf colors for some spectral types and colors, but for other spectral types and colors, deviations can exceed 0.3 mag. We estimate effective temperatures (T {sub eff}) and bolometric corrections (BCs) for our pre-MS star sample through comparing their photometry to synthetic photometry generated using the BT-Settl grid of model atmosphere spectra. We derive a new T {sub eff} and BC scale for pre-MS stars, which should be a more appropriate match for T Tauri stars than often-adopted dwarf star scales. While our new T {sub eff} scale for pre-MS stars is within ≅100 K of dwarfs at a given spectral type for stars stars are ∼250 K cooler than their MS counterparts. Lastly, we present (1) a modern T {sub eff}, optical/IR color, and BC sequence for O9V-M9V MS stars based on an extensive literature survey, (2) a revised Q-method relation for dereddening UBV photometry of OB-type stars, and (3) introduce two candidate spectral standard stars as representatives of spectral types K8V and K9V.

In search of planets and life around other stars.

Science.gov (United States)

Lunine, J I

1999-05-11

The discovery of over a dozen low-mass companions to nearby stars has intensified scientific and public interest in a longer term search for habitable planets like our own. However, the nature of the detected companions, and in particular whether they resemble Jupiter in properties and origin, remains undetermined.

Stellar aspects of habitability--characterizing target stars for terrestrial planet-finding missions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaltenegger, Lisa; Eiroa, Carlos; Ribas, Ignasi; Paresce, Francesco; Leitzinger, Martin; Odert, Petra; Hanslmeier, Arnold; Fridlund, Malcolm; Lammer, Helmut; Beichman, Charles; Danchi, William; Henning, Thomas; Herbst, Tom; Léger, Alain; Liseau, René; Lunine, Jonathan; Penny, Alan; Quirrenbach, Andreas; Röttgering, Huub; Selsis, Frank; Schneider, Jean; Stam, Daphne; Tinetti, Giovanna; White, Glenn J

2010-01-01

We present and discuss the criteria for selecting potential target stars suitable for the search for Earth-like planets, with a special emphasis on the stellar aspects of habitability. Missions that search for terrestrial exoplanets will explore the presence and habitability of Earth-like exoplanets around several hundred nearby stars, mainly F, G, K, and M stars. The evaluation of the list of potential target systems is essential in order to develop mission concepts for a search for terrestrial exoplanets. Using the Darwin All Sky Star Catalogue (DASSC), we discuss the selection criteria, configuration-dependent subcatalogues, and the implication of stellar activity for habitability.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Spectral types of stars in CoRoT fields (Sebastian+, 2012)

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, D.; Guenther, E. W.; Schaffenroth, V.; Gandolfi, D.; Geier, S.; Heber, U.; Deleuil, M.; Moutou, C.

2012-03-01

Spectroscopic classification for 2950 O-, B-, and A-type stars in the CoRoT-fields IRa01, LRa01, and LRa02. Stars are named by their CoRoT-identifier and Coordinates are given. The visual magnitudes were obtained with the Wide Field Camera filter-system of the Isaac Newton Telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma and can be converted into Landolt standards, as shown in Deleuil et al. (2009AJ....138..649D). (1 data file).

ROTSE All-Sky Surveys for Variable Stars. I. Test Fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akerlof, C.; Amrose, S.; Balsano, R.; Bloch, J.; Casperson, D.; Fletcher, S.; Gisler, G.; Hills, J.; Kehoe, R.; Lee, B.

2000-01-01

The Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment I (ROTSE-I) experiment has generated CCD photometry for the entire northern sky in two epochs nightly since 1998 March. These sky patrol data are a powerful resource for studies of astrophysical transients. As a demonstration project, we present first results of a search for periodic variable stars derived from ROTSE-I observations. Variable identification, period determination, and type classification are conducted via automatic algorithms. In a set of nine ROTSE-I sky patrol fields covering roughly 2000 deg2, we identify 1781 periodic variable stars with mean magnitudes between m v = 10.0 and m v = 15.5. About 90% of these objects are newly identified as variable. Examples of many familiar types are presented. All classifications for this study have been manually confirmed. The selection criteria for this analysis have been conservatively defined and are known to be biased against some variable classes. This preliminary study includes only 5.6% of the total ROTSE-I sky coverage, suggesting that the full ROTSE-I variable catalog will include more than 32,000 periodic variable stars. (c) (c) 2000. The American Astronomical Society

The Globular Cluster NGC 6402 (M14). II. Variable Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras Peña, C.; Catelan, M.; Grundahl, F.; Stephens, A. W.; Smith, H. A.

2018-03-01

We present time-series BVI photometry for the Galactic globular cluster NGC 6402 (M14). The data consist of ∼137 images per filter, obtained using the 0.9 and 1.0 m SMARTS telescopes at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. The images were obtained during two observing runs in 2006–2007. The image-subtraction package ISIS, along with DAOPHOT II/ALLFRAME, was used to perform crowded-field photometry and search for variable stars. We identified 130 variables, eight of which are new discoveries. The variable star population is comprised of 56 ab-type RR Lyrae stars, 54 c-type RR Lyrae, 6 type II Cepheids, 1 W UMa star, 1 detached eclipsing binary, and 12 long-period variables. We provide Fourier decomposition parameters for the RR Lyrae, and discuss the physical parameters and photometric metallicity derived therefrom. The M14 distance modulus is also discussed, based on different approaches for the calibration of the absolute magnitudes of RR Lyrae stars. The possible presence of second-overtone RR Lyrae in M14 is critically addressed, with our results arguing against this possibility. By considering all of the RR Lyrae stars as members of the cluster, we derive =0.589 {{d}}{{a}}{{y}}{{s}}. This, together with the position of the RR Lyrae stars of both Bailey types in the period–amplitude diagram, suggests an Oosterhoff-intermediate classification for the cluster. Such an intermediate Oosterhoff type is much more commonly found in nearby extragalactic systems, and we critically discuss several other possible indications that may point to an extragalactic origin for this cluster. Based on observations obtained with the 0.9 m and 1 m telescopes at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile, operated by the SMARTS consortium.

Suites of dwarfs around Nearby giant galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karachentsev, Igor D.; Kaisina, Elena I.; Makarov, Dmitry I.

2014-01-01

The Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (UNGC) contains the most comprehensive summary of distances, radial velocities, and luminosities for 800 galaxies located within 11 Mpc from us. The high density of observables in the UNGC makes this sample indispensable for checking results of N-body simulations of cosmic structures on a ∼1 Mpc scale. The environment of each galaxy in the UNGC was characterized by a tidal index Θ 1 , depending on the separation and mass of the galaxy's main disturber (MD). We grouped UNGC galaxies with a common MD in suites, and ranked suite members according to their Θ 1 . All suite members with positive Θ 1 are assumed to be physical companions of the MD. About 58% of the sample are members of physical groups. The distribution of suites by the number of members, n, follows a relation N(n) ∼ n –2 . The 20 most populated suites contain 468 galaxies, i.e., 59% of the UNGC sample. The fraction of MDs among the brightest galaxies is almost 100% and drops to 50% at M B = –18 m . We discuss various properties of MDs, as well as galaxies belonging to their suites. The suite abundance practically does not depend on the morphological type, linear diameter, or hydrogen mass of the MD, the tightest correlation being with the MD dynamical mass. Dwarf galaxies around MDs exhibit well-known segregation effects: the population of the outskirts has later morphological types, richer H I contents, and higher rates of star formation activity. Nevertheless, there are some intriguing cases where dwarf spheroidal galaxies occur at the far periphery of the suites, as well as some late-type dwarfs residing close to MDs. Comparing simulation results with galaxy groups, most studies assume the Local Group is fairly typical. However, we recognize that the nearby groups significantly differ from each other and there is considerable variation in their properties. The suites of companions around the Milky Way and M31, consisting of the Local Group, do not

Helium-burning flashes on accreting neutron stars: effects of stellar mass, radius, and magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joss, P.C.; Li, F.K.

1980-01-01

We have computed the evolution of the helium-burning shell in an accreting neutron star for various values of the stellar mass (M), radius (R), and surface magnetic fields strength (B). As shown in previous work, the helium-burning shell is often unstable and undergoes thermonuclear flashes that result in the emission of X-ray bursts from the neutron-star surface. The dependence of the properties of these bursts upon the values of M and R can be described by simple scaling relations. A strong magnetic field decreases the radiative and conductive opacities and inhibits convection in the neutron-star surface layers. For B 12 gauss, these effects are unimportant; for B> or approx. =10 13 gauss, the enhancement of the electron thermal conductivity is sufficiently large to stabilize the helium-burning shell against thermonuclear flashes. For intermediate values of B, the reduced opacities increase the recurrence intervals between bursts and the energy released per burst, while the inhibition of convection increases the burst rise times to about a few seconds. If the magnetic field funnels the accreting matter onto the magnetic polar caps, the instability of the helium-burning shell will be very strongly suppressed. These results suggest that it may eventually be possible to extract information on the macroscopic properties of neutron stars from the observed features of X-ray burst sources

X-ray sources associated with young stellar objects in the star formation region CMa R1

Science.gov (United States)

Santos-Silva, Thais; Gregorio-Hetem, Jane; Montmerle, Thierry

2013-07-01

In previous works we studied the star formation scenario in the molecular cloud Canis Major R1 (CMa R1), derived from the existence of young stellar population groups near the Be stars Z CMa and GU CMa. Using data from the ROSAT X-ray satellite, having a field-of-view of ~ 1° in diameter, Gregorio-Hetem et al. (2009) discovered in this region young stellar objects mainly grouped in two clusters of different ages, with others located in between. In order to investigate the nature of these objects and to test a possible scenario of sequential star formation in this region, four fields (each 30 arcmin diameter, with some overlap) have been observed with the XMM-Newton satellite, with a sensitivity about 10 times better than ROSAT. The XMM-Newton data are currently under analysis. Preliminary results indicate the presence of about 324 sources, most of them apparently having one or more near-infrared counterparts showing typical colors of young stars. The youth of the X-ray sources was also confirmed by X-ray hardness ratio diagrams (XHRD), in different energy bands, giving an estimate of their Lx/Lbol ratios. In addition to these results, we present a detailed study of the XMM field covering the cluster near Z CMa. Several of these sources were classified as T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars, using optical spectroscopy obtained with Gemini telescopes, in order to validate the use of XHRD applied to the entire sample. This classification is also used to confirm the relation between the luminosities in the near-infrared and X-ray bands expected for the T Tauri stars in CMa R1. In the present work we show the results of the study based on the spectra of about 90 sources found nearby Z CMa. We checked that the X-ray spectra (0.3 to 10 keV) of young objects is different from that observed in field stars and extragalactic objects. Some of the candidates also have light curve showing flares that are typical of T Tauri stars, which confirms the young nature of these X

Atypical Mg-poor Milky Way Field Stars with Globular Cluster Second-generation-like Chemical Patterns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernández-Trincado, J. G.; Geisler, D.; Tang, B.; Villanova, S.; Mennickent, R. E. [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Zamora, O.; García-Hernández, D. A.; Dell’Agli, F.; Prieto, Carlos Allende [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Souto, Diogo; Cunha, Katia [Observatório Nacional, Rua Gal. José Cristino 77, Rio de Janeiro, RJ—20921-400 (Brazil); Schiavon, R. P. [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF (United Kingdom); Hasselquist, Sten [New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Shetrone, M. [University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, TX 79734 (United States); Vieira, K. [Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía, AP 264, Mérida 5101-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Zasowski, G. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Sobeck, J.; Hayes, C. R.; Majewski, S. R. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Placco, V. M., E-mail: jfernandezt@astro-udec.cl, E-mail: jfernandezt87@gmail.com [Department of Physics and JINA Center for the Evolution of the Elements, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); and others

2017-09-01

We report the peculiar chemical abundance patterns of 11 atypical Milky Way (MW) field red giant stars observed by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). These atypical giants exhibit strong Al and N enhancements accompanied by C and Mg depletions, strikingly similar to those observed in the so-called second-generation (SG) stars of globular clusters (GCs). Remarkably, we find low Mg abundances ([Mg/Fe] < 0.0) together with strong Al and N overabundances in the majority (5/7) of the metal-rich ([Fe/H] ≳ −1.0) sample stars, which is at odds with actual observations of SG stars in Galactic GCs of similar metallicities. This chemical pattern is unique and unprecedented among MW stars, posing urgent questions about its origin. These atypical stars could be former SG stars of dissolved GCs formed with intrinsically lower abundances of Mg and enriched Al (subsequently self-polluted by massive AGB stars) or the result of exotic binary systems. We speculate that the stars Mg-deficiency as well as the orbital properties suggest that they could have an extragalactic origin. This discovery should guide future dedicated spectroscopic searches of atypical stellar chemical patterns in our Galaxy, a fundamental step forward to understanding the Galactic formation and evolution.

TRACING COLD H I GAS IN NEARBY, LOW-MASS GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warren, Steven R.; Skillman, Evan D.; Stilp, Adrienne M.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Ott, Jürgen; Walter, Fabian; Petersen, Eric A.; Koribalski, Bärbel; West, Andrew A.

2012-01-01

We analyze line-of-sight atomic hydrogen (H I) line profiles of 31 nearby, low-mass galaxies selected from the Very Large Array—ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury (VLA-ANGST) and The H I Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) to trace regions containing cold (T ∼ –1 . Our galaxy sample spans four orders of magnitude in total H I mass and nine magnitudes in M B . We fit single and multiple component functions to each spectrum to isolate the cold, neutral medium given by a low-dispersion ( –1 ) component of the spectrum. Most H I spectra are adequately fit by a single Gaussian with a dispersion of 8-12 km s –1 . Cold H I is found in 23 of 27 (∼85%) galaxies after a reduction of the sample size due to quality-control cuts. The cold H I contributes ∼20% of the total line-of-sight flux when found with warm H I. Spectra best fit by a single Gaussian, but dominated by cold H I emission (i.e., have velocity dispersions of –1 ), are found primarily beyond the optical radius of the host galaxy. The cold H I is typically found in localized regions and is generally not coincident with the very highest surface density peaks of the global H I distribution (which are usually areas of recent star formation). We find a lower limit for the mass fraction of cold-to-total H I gas of only a few percent in each galaxy.

Search for white dwarf companions of cool stars with peculiar element abundances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boehm-Vitense, E.

1984-01-01

A search for a white dwarf companions of cool stars with peculiar element abundances was undertaken. One additional star the xi Cet, was found with a white dwarf companion. It was found that HR 1016, 56Uma, 16 Ser, have high excitation emission lines which indicate a high temperature object in the system. It is suggested that since these indications for high temperature companions were seen for all nearby Ba stars, it is highly probable that all Ba stars have white dwarf companions, and that the peculiar element abundances seen in the Ba stars are due to mass transfer. Observations, arguments and conclusions are presented. White dwarf companions were not found. Together with the Li and Be abundances and the chromospheric emission line spectra in these stars were studied. No white dwarf companions were seen for subgiant CH stars.

Search for white dwarf companions of cool stars with peculiar element abundances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boehm-Vitense, E.

1984-01-01

A search for a white dwarf companions of cool stars with peculiar element abundances was undertaken. One additional star the xi Cet, was found with a white dwarf companion. It was found that HR 1016, 56Uma, 16 Ser, have high excitation emission lines which indicate a high temperature object in the system. It is suggested that since these indications for high temperature companions were seen for all nearby Ba stars, it is highly probable that all Ba stars have white dwarf companions, and that the peculiar element abundances seen in the Ba stars are due to mass transfer. Observations, arguments and conclusions are presented. White dwarf companions were not found. Together with the Li and Be abundances and the chromospheric emission line spectra in these stars were studied. No white dwarf companions were seen for subgiant CH stars

Direct URCA-processes in neutron star quark core with strong magnetic field.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belyaev Vasily

2017-01-01

In evaluations, the strength of magnetic field corresponds to the case, where the quarks of medium occupy a lot of Landau levels, while the electrons are in ground Landau level. The analytical dependence of neutrino emissivity on chemical potentials of quarks and electrons, temperature and magnetic field strength is obtained and briefly discussed. The result could be important in application to a massive strongly magnetized neutron star with quark core.

FILAMENTARY STRUCTURE OF STAR-FORMING COMPLEXES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, Philip C.

2009-01-01

The nearest young stellar groups are associated with 'hubs' of column density exceeding 10 22 cm -2 , according to recent observations. These hubs radiate multiple 'filaments' of parsec length, having lower column density and fewer stars. Systems with many filaments tend to have parallel filaments with similar spacing. Such 'hub-filament structure' is associated with all of the nine young stellar groups within 300 pc, forming low-mass stars. Similar properties are seen in infrared dark clouds forming more massive stars. In a new model, an initial clump in a uniform medium is compressed into a self-gravitating, modulated layer. The outer layer resembles the modulated equilibrium of Schmid-Burgk with nearly parallel filaments. The filaments converge onto the compressed clump, which collapses to form stars with high efficiency. The initial medium and condensations have densities similar to those in nearby star-forming clouds and clumps. The predicted structures resemble observed hub-filament systems in their size, shape, and column density, and in the appearance of their filaments. These results suggest that HFS associated with young stellar groups may arise from compression of clumpy gas in molecular clouds.

Playing with Positive Feedback: External Pressure-triggering of a Star-forming Disk Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Bieri, Rebekka; Dubois, Yohan; Silk, Joseph; Mamon, Gary A.

2015-10-01

In massive galaxies, the currently favored method for quenching star formation is via active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback, which ejects gas from the galaxy using a central supermassive black hole. At high redshifts however, explanation of the huge rates of star formation often found in galaxies containing AGNs may require a more vigorous mode of star formation than is attainable by simply enriching the gas content of galaxies in the usual gravitationally driven mode that is associated with the nearby universe. Using idealized hydrodynamical simulations, we show that AGN-pressure-driven star formation potentially provides the positive feedback that may be required to generate the accelerated star formation rates observed in the distant universe.

Interacting binary stars

CERN Document Server

Sahade, Jorge; Ter Haar, D

1978-01-01

Interacting Binary Stars deals with the development, ideas, and problems in the study of interacting binary stars. The book consolidates the information that is scattered over many publications and papers and gives an account of important discoveries with relevant historical background. Chapters are devoted to the presentation and discussion of the different facets of the field, such as historical account of the development in the field of study of binary stars; the Roche equipotential surfaces; methods and techniques in space astronomy; and enumeration of binary star systems that are studied

Mass loss of evolved massive stars: the circumstellar environment at high angular resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montarges, Miguel

2014-01-01

Mass loss of evolved stars is still largely mysterious, despite its importance as the main evolution engine for the chemical composition of the interstellar medium. For red supergiants (RSG), the triggering of the outflow and the mechanism of dust condensation remain unknown. Concerning red giant stars, we still do not know how their mass loss is able to form a bipolar planetary nebula. During my PhD thesis, I observed evolved stars with high angular resolution techniques. They allowed us to study the surface and the close environment of these stars, from where mass loss originates. With near-infrared interferometric observations, I characterized the water vapor and carbon monoxide envelope of the nearby RSG Betelgeuse. I also monitored a hot spot on its surface and analyzed the structure of its convection, as well as that of Antares (another very nearby supergiant) thanks to radiative hydrodynamical simulations. Diffraction-limited imaging techniques (near-infrared adaptive optics, ultraviolet space telescope) allowed me to observe the evolution of inhomogeneities in the circumstellar envelope of Betelgeuse and to discover a circumstellar disk around L2 Puppis, an asymptotic giant branch star. These multi-scale and multi-wavelength observations obtained at several epochs allowed us to monitor the evolution of the structures and to derive information on the dynamics of the stellar environment. With a wider stellar sample expected in the next few years, this observing program will allow a better understanding of the mass loss of evolved stars. (author)

Bimodal star formation - constraints from galaxy colors at high redshift

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wyse, R.F.G.; Silk, J.

1987-01-01

The possibility that at early epochs the light from elliptical galaxies is dominated by stars with an initial mass function (IMF) which is deficient in low-mass stars, relative to the solar neighborhood is investigated. V-R colors for the optical counterparts of 3CR radio sources offer the most severe constraints on the models. Reasonable fits are obtained to both the blue, high-redshift colors and the redder, low-redshift colors with a model galaxy which forms with initially equal star formation rates in each of two IMF modes: one lacking low-mass stars, and one with stars of all masses. The net effect is that the time-integrated IMF has twice as many high-mass stars as the solar neighborhood IMF, relative to low mass stars. A conventional solar neighborhood IMF does not simultaneously account for both the range in colors at high redshift and the redness of nearby ellipticals, with any single star formation epoch. Models with a standard IMF require half the stellar population to be formed in a burst at low redshift z of about 1. 38 references

Charged Compact Boson Stars in a Theory of Massless Scalar Field

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sanjeev

2018-05-01

In this work we present some new results obtained in a study of the phase diagram of charged compact boson stars in a theory involving a complex scalar field with a conical potential coupled to a U(1) gauge field and gravity. We obtain new bifurcation points in this model. We present a detailed discussion of the various regions of the phase diagram with respect to the bifurcation points. The theory is seen to contain rich physics in a particular domain of the phase diagram.

Abundance Survey of M and K Dwarf Stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woolf, Vincent M. [Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98133 (United States); Wallerstein, George [Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98133 (United States)

2005-07-25

We report the measurement of chemical abundances in 35 low-mass main sequence (M and K dwarf) stars. We have measured the abundance of 12 elements in Kapteyn's Star, a nearby halo M subdwarf. The abundances indicate an iron abundance of [Fe/H] = -0.98, which is about 0.5 dex smaller than that measured in the only previous published measurement using atomic absorption lines. We have measured Fe and Ti abundances in 35 M and K dwarfs with -2.39 [Fe/H] +0.21 using atomic absorption lines, mostly in the 8000A <{lambda} < 8850A range. These will be used to calibrate photometric and low-resolution spectrum metallicity indices for low mass dwarfs, which will make metallicity estimates for these stars more certain. We also describe some difficulties encountered which are not normally necessary to consider when studying warmer stars.

MAGNETIC FIELD TOPOLOGY IN LOW-MASS STARS: SPECTROPOLARIMETRIC OBSERVATIONS OF M DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phan-Bao, Ngoc; Lim, Jeremy; Donati, Jean-Francois; Johns-Krull, Christopher M.; MartIn, Eduardo L.

2009-01-01

The magnetic field topology plays an important role in the understanding of stellar magnetic activity. While it is widely accepted that the dynamo action present in low-mass partially convective stars (e.g., the Sun) results in predominantly toroidal magnetic flux, the field topology in fully convective stars (masses below ∼0.35 M sun ) is still under debate. We report here our mapping of the magnetic field topology of the M4 dwarf G 164-31 (or Gl 490B), which is expected to be fully convective, based on time series data collected from 20 hr of observations spread over three successive nights with the ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter. Our tomographic imaging technique applied to time series of rotationally modulated circularly polarized profiles reveals an axisymmetric large-scale poloidal magnetic field on the M4 dwarf. We then apply a synthetic spectrum fitting technique for measuring the average magnetic flux on the star. The flux measured in G 164-31 is |Bf| = 3.2 ± 0.4 kG, which is significantly greater than the average value of 0.68 kG determined from the imaging technique. The difference indicates that a significant fraction of the stellar magnetic energy is stored in small-scale structures at the surface of G 164-31. Our Hα emission light curve shows evidence for rotational modulation suggesting the presence of localized structure in the chromosphere of this M dwarf. The radius of the M4 dwarf derived from the rotational period and the projected equatorial velocity is at least 30% larger than that predicted from theoretical models. We argue that this discrepancy is likely primarily due to the young nature of G 164-31 rather than primarily due to magnetic field effects, indicating that age is an important factor which should be considered in the interpretation of this observational result. We also report here our polarimetric observations of five other M dwarfs with spectral types from M0 to M4.5, three of them showing strong Zeeman signatures.

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE: INCREASED STAR FORMATION EFFICIENCIES IN THE EARLY HISTORIES OF DWARF GALAXIES?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madau, Piero; Weisz, Daniel R.; Conroy, Charlie

2014-01-01

On dwarf galaxy scales, the different shapes of the galaxy stellar mass function and the dark halo mass function require a star-formation efficiency (SFE) in these systems that is currently more than 1 dex lower than that of Milky Way-size halos. Here, we argue that this trend may actually be reversed at high redshift. Specifically, by combining the resolved star-formation histories of nearby isolated dwarfs with the simulated mass-growth rates of dark matter halos, we show that the assembly of these systems occurs in two phases: (1) an early, fast halo accretion phase with a rapidly deepening potential well, characterized by a high SFE; and (2) a late, slow halo accretion phase where, perhaps as a consequence of reionization, the SFE is low. Nearby dwarfs have more old stars than predicted by assuming a constant or decreasing SFE with redshift, a behavior that appears to deviate qualitatively from the trends seen among more massive systems. Taken at face value, the data suggest that at sufficiently early epochs, dwarf galaxy halos above the atomic cooling mass limit can be among the most efficient sites of star formation in the universe

Reversal of Fortune: Increased Star Formation Efficiencies in the Early Histories of Dwarf Galaxies?

Science.gov (United States)

Madau, Piero; Weisz, Daniel R.; Conroy, Charlie

2014-08-01

On dwarf galaxy scales, the different shapes of the galaxy stellar mass function and the dark halo mass function require a star-formation efficiency (SFE) in these systems that is currently more than 1 dex lower than that of Milky Way-size halos. Here, we argue that this trend may actually be reversed at high redshift. Specifically, by combining the resolved star-formation histories of nearby isolated dwarfs with the simulated mass-growth rates of dark matter halos, we show that the assembly of these systems occurs in two phases: (1) an early, fast halo accretion phase with a rapidly deepening potential well, characterized by a high SFE; and (2) a late, slow halo accretion phase where, perhaps as a consequence of reionization, the SFE is low. Nearby dwarfs have more old stars than predicted by assuming a constant or decreasing SFE with redshift, a behavior that appears to deviate qualitatively from the trends seen among more massive systems. Taken at face value, the data suggest that at sufficiently early epochs, dwarf galaxy halos above the atomic cooling mass limit can be among the most efficient sites of star formation in the universe.

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Observations of the Evolution of Massive Star-forming Regions

OpenAIRE

Koenig, X. P.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Benford, D. J.; Rebull, L. M.; Padgett, D. L.; Assef, R. J.

2012-01-01

We present the results of a mid-infrared survey of 11 outer Galaxy massive star-forming regions and 3 open clusters with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Using a newly developed photometric scheme to identify young stellar objects and exclude extragalactic contamination, we have studied the distribution of young stars within each region. These data tend to support the hypothesis that latter generations may be triggered by the interaction of winds and radiation from th...

High-energy gamma-ray and neutrino production in star-forming galaxies across cosmic time: Difficulties in explaining the IceCube data

Science.gov (United States)

Sudoh, Takahiro; Totani, Tomonori; Kawanaka, Norita

2018-04-01

We present new theoretical modeling to predict the luminosity and spectrum of gamma-ray and neutrino emission of a star-forming galaxy, from the star formation rate (ψ), gas mass (Mgas), stellar mass, and disk size, taking into account production, propagation, and interactions of cosmic rays. The model reproduces the observed gamma-ray luminosities of nearby galaxies detected by Fermi better than the simple power-law models as a function of ψ or ψMgas. This model is then used to predict the cosmic background flux of gamma-rays and neutrinos from star-forming galaxies, by using a semi-analytical model of cosmological galaxy formation that reproduces many observed quantities of local and high-redshift galaxies. Calibration of the model using gamma-ray luminosities of nearby galaxies allows us to make a more reliable prediction than previous studies. In our baseline model, star-forming galaxies produce about 20% of the isotropic gamma-ray background unresolved by Fermi, and only 0.5% of IceCube neutrinos. Even with an extreme model assuming a hard injection cosmic-ray spectral index of 2.0 for all galaxies, at most 22% of IceCube neutrinos can be accounted for. These results indicate that it is difficult to explain most of the IceCube neutrinos by star-forming galaxies, without violating the gamma-ray constraints from nearby galaxies.

Radio haloes in nearby galaxies modelled with 1D cosmic ray transport using SPINNAKER

Science.gov (United States)

Heesen, V.; Krause, M.; Beck, R.; Adebahr, B.; Bomans, D. J.; Carretti, E.; Dumke, M.; Heald, G.; Irwin, J.; Koribalski, B. S.; Mulcahy, D. D.; Westmeier, T.; Dettmar, R.-J.

2018-05-01

We present radio continuum maps of 12 nearby (D ≤ 27 Mpc), edge-on (i ≥ 76°), late-type spiral galaxies mostly at 1.4 and 5 GHz, observed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, Very Large Array, Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, Effelsberg 100-m, and Parkes 64-m telescopes. All galaxies show clear evidence of radio haloes, including the first detection in the Magellanic-type galaxy NGC 55. In 11 galaxies, we find a thin and a thick disc that can be better fitted by exponential rather than Gaussian functions. We fit our SPINNAKER (SPectral INdex Numerical Analysis of K(c)osmic-ray Electron Radio-emission) 1D cosmic ray transport models to the vertical model profiles of the non-thermal intensity and to the non-thermal radio spectral index in the halo. We simultaneously fit for the advection speed (or diffusion coefficient) and magnetic field scale height. In the thick disc, the magnetic field scale heights range from 2 to 8 kpc with an average across the sample of 3.0 ± 1.7 kpc; they show no correlation with either star formation rate (SFR), SFR surface density (ΣSFR), or rotation speed (Vrot). The advection speeds range from 100 to 700 km s - 1 and display correlations of V∝SFR0.36 ± 0.06 and V∝ Σ _SFR^{0.39± 0.09}; they agree remarkably well with the escape velocities (0.5 ≤ V/Vesc ≤ 2), which can be explained by cosmic ray-driven winds. Radio haloes show the presence of disc winds in galaxies with ΣSFR > 10 - 3 M⊙ yr - 1 kpc - 2 that extend over several kpc and are driven by processes related to the distributed star formation in the disc.

A Method to Measure the Transverse Magnetic Field and Orient the Rotational Axis of Stars