19 research outputs found
Two-flow magnetohydrodynamical jets around young stellar objects
We present the first-ever simulations of non-ideal magnetohydrodynamical
(MHD) stellar winds coupled with disc-driven jets where the resistive and
viscous accretion disc is self-consistently described. The transmagnetosonic,
collimated MHD outflows are investigated numerically using the VAC code. Our
simulations show that the inner outflow is accelerated from the central object
hot corona thanks to both the thermal pressure and the Lorentz force. In our
framework, the thermal acceleration is sustained by the heating produced by the
dissipated magnetic energy due to the turbulence. Conversely, the outflow
launched from the resistive accretion disc is mainly accelerated by the
magneto-centrifugal force. We also show that when a dense inner stellar wind
occurs, the resulting disc-driven jet have a different structure, namely a
magnetic structure where poloidal magnetic field lines are more inclined
because of the pressure caused by the stellar wind. This modification leads to
both an enhanced mass ejection rate in the disc-driven jet and a larger radial
extension which is in better agreement with the observations besides being more
consistent.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Science. Referred
proceeding of the fifth Mont Stromlo Symposium Dec. 1-8 2006, Canberra,
Australia. 5 pages, 3 figures. For high resolution version of the paper,
please click here http://www.apc.univ-paris7.fr/~fcasse/publications.htm
A self-consistent determination of the temperature profile and the magnetic field geometry in winds of late-type stars
Cool giant and supergiant stars generally present low velocity winds with
high mass loss rates. Several models have been proposed to explain the
acceleration process of these winds. Although dust is known to be present in
these objects, the radiation pressure on these particles is uneffective in
reproducing the observed physical parameters of the wind. The most promising
acceleration mechanism cited in the literature is the transference of momentum
and energy from Alfven waves to the gas. Usually, these models consider the
wind to be isothermal. We present a stellar wind model in which the Alfven
waves are used as the main acceleration mechanism, and determine the
temperature profile by solving the energy equation taking into account both the
radiative losses and the wave heating. We also determine self-consistently the
magnetic field geometry as the result of the competition between the magnetic
field and the thermal pressures gradient. As main result, we show that the
magnetic geometry present a super-radial index in the region where the gas
pressure is increasing. However, this super-radial index is greater than that
observed for the solar corona.Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews. Presented at the
World Space Environment Forum 2005, Austria. 8 pages, 2 figure
Kepler-22b: A 2.4 Earth-radius Planet in the Habitable Zone of a Sun-like Star
A search of the time-series photometry from NASA's Kepler spacecraft reveals
a transiting planet candidate orbiting the 11th magnitude G5 dwarf KIC 10593626
with a period of 290 days. The characteristics of the host star are well
constrained by high-resolution spectroscopy combined with an asteroseismic
analysis of the Kepler photometry, leading to an estimated mass and radius of
0.970 +/- 0.060 MSun and 0.979 +/- 0.020 RSun. The depth of 492 +/- 10ppm for
the three observed transits yields a radius of 2.38 +/- 0.13 REarth for the
planet. The system passes a battery of tests for false positives, including
reconnaissance spectroscopy, high-resolution imaging, and centroid motion. A
full BLENDER analysis provides further validation of the planet interpretation
by showing that contamination of the target by an eclipsing system would rarely
mimic the observed shape of the transits. The final validation of the planet is
provided by 16 radial velocities obtained with HIRES on Keck 1 over a one year
span. Although the velocities do not lead to a reliable orbit and mass
determination, they are able to constrain the mass to a 3{\sigma} upper limit
of 124 MEarth, safely in the regime of planetary masses, thus earning the
designation Kepler-22b. The radiative equilibrium temperature is 262K for a
planet in Kepler-22b's orbit. Although there is no evidence that Kepler-22b is
a rocky planet, it is the first confirmed planet with a measured radius to
orbit in the Habitable Zone of any star other than the Sun.Comment: Accepted to Ap
Atmospheric Heating and Wind Acceleration: Results for Cool Evolved Stars based on Proposed Processes
A chromosphere is a universal attribute of stars of spectral type later than
~F5. Evolved (K and M) giants and supergiants (including the zeta Aurigae
binaries) show extended and highly turbulent chromospheres, which develop into
slow massive winds. The associated continuous mass loss has a significant
impact on stellar evolution, and thence on the chemical evolution of galaxies.
Yet despite the fundamental importance of those winds in astrophysics, the
question of their origin(s) remains unsolved. What sources heat a chromosphere?
What is the role of the chromosphere in the formation of stellar winds? This
chapter provides a review of the observational requirements and theoretical
approaches for modeling chromospheric heating and the acceleration of winds in
single cool, evolved stars and in eclipsing binary stars, including physical
models that have recently been proposed. It describes the successes that have
been achieved so far by invoking acoustic and MHD waves to provide a physical
description of plasma heating and wind acceleration, and discusses the
challenges that still remain.Comment: 46 pages, 9 figures, 1 table; modified and unedited manuscript;
accepted version to appear in: Giants of Eclipse, eds. E. Griffin and T. Ake
(Berlin: Springer
Collisional and Radiative Processes in Optically Thin Plasmas
Most of our knowledge of the physical processes in distant plasmas is obtained
through measurement of the radiation they produce. Here we provide an overview of the
main collisional and radiative processes and examples of diagnostics relevant to the microphysical
processes in the plasma. Many analyses assume a time-steady plasma with ion
populations in equilibrium with the local temperature and Maxwellian distributions of particle
velocities, but these assumptions are easily violated in many cases. We consider these
departures from equilibrium and possible diagnostics in detail
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The Active Chromospheres of Lithium-rich Red Giant Stars* * Based on observations obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which is a joint project of the University of Texas at Austin, the Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.
We have gathered near-infrared zyJ-band high-resolution spectra of nearly 300 field red giant stars with known lithium abundances in order to survey their He i λ10830 absorption strengths. This transition is an indicator of chromospheric activity and/or mass loss in red giants. The majority of stars in our sample reside in the red clump or red horizontal branch based on their V − J, M V color-magnitude diagram, and Gaia T eff and log(g) values. Most of our target stars are Li-poor in the sense of having normally low Li abundances, defined here as log ϵ(Li) < 1.25. Over 90% of these Li-poor stars have weak λ10830 features. However, more than half of the 83 Li-rich stars (log ϵ(Li) > 1.25) have strong λ10830 absorptions. These large λ10830 lines signal excess chromospheric activity in Li-rich stars; there is almost no indication of significant mass loss. The Li-rich giants may also have a higher binary fraction than Li-poor stars, based on their astrometric data. It appears likely that both residence on the horizontal branch and present or past binary interaction play roles in the significant Li-He connection established in this survey. © 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]