1,883 research outputs found
Anisotropic nonlinear elasticity in a spherical bead pack: influence of the fabric anisotropy
Stress-strain measurements and ultrasound propagation experiments in glass
bead packs have been simultaneously conducted to characterize the
stress-induced anisotropy under uniaxial loading. These measurements, realized
respectively with finite and incremental deformations of the granular assembly,
are analyzed within the framework of the effective medium theory based on the
Hertz-Mindlin contact theory. Our work shows that both compressional and shear
wave velocities and consequently the incremental elastic moduli agree fairly
well with the effective medium model by Johnson et al. [J. Appl. Mech. 65, 380
(1998)], but the anisotropic stress ratio resulting from finite deformation
does not at all. As indicated by numerical simulations, the discrepancy may
arise from the fact that the model doesn't properly allow the grains to relax
from the affine motion approximation. Here we find that the interaction nature
at the grain contact could also play a crucial role for the relevant prediction
by the model; indeed, such discrepancy can be significantly reduced if the
frictional resistance between grains is removed. Another main experimental
finding is the influence of the inherent anisotropy of granular packs, realized
by different protocols of the sample preparation. Our results reveal that
compressional waves are more sensitive to the stress-induced anisotropy,
whereas the shear waves are more sensitive to the fabric anisotropy, not being
accounted in analytical effective medium models.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
Abundances of lithium, oxygen, and sodium in the turn-off stars of Galactic globular cluster 47 Tuc
We aim to determine abundances of Li, O and Na in a sample of of 110 turn-off
(TO) stars, in order to study the evolution of light elements in this cluster
and to put our results in perspective with observations of other globular and
open clusters, as well as with field stars. We use medium resolution spectra
obtained with the GIRAFFE spectrograph at the ESO 8.2m Kueyen VLT telescope and
use state of the art 1D model atmospheres and NLTE line transfer to determine
the abundances. We also employ CO5BOLD hydrodynamical simulations to assess the
impact of stellar granulation on the line formation and inferred abundances.
Our results confirm the existence of Na-O abundance anti-correlation and hint
towards a possible Li-O anti-correlation in the TO stars of 47 Tuc. We find no
convincing evidence supporting the existence of Li-Na correlation. The obtained
3D NLTE mean lithium abundance in a sample of 94 TO stars where Li lines were
detected reliably,
dex, appears to be significantly lower than what is observed in other globular
clusters. At the same time, star-to-star spread in Li abundance is also larger
than seen in other clusters. The highest Li abundance observed in 47 Tuc is
about 0.1 dex lower than the lowest Li abundance observed among the un-depleted
stars of the metal-poor open cluster NGC 2243. The lithium abundances in 47
Tuc, when put into context with observations in other clusters and field stars,
suggest that stars that are more metal-rich than [FeH] \sim -1.0 experience
significant lithium depletion during their lifetime on the main sequence, while
the more metal-poor stars do not. Rather strikingly, our results suggest that
initial lithium abundance with which the star was created may only depend on
its age (the younger the star, the higher its Li content) and not on its
metallicity.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures; discussion and conclusions expanded. Accepted
for publication in A&
Critical study of the distribution of rotational velocities of Be stars; II: Differential rotation and some hidden effects interfering with the interpretation of the Vsin i parameter
We assume that stars may undergo surface differential rotation to study its
impact on the interpretation of and on the observed distribution
of ratios of true rotational velocities u=V/V_\rm c (V_\rm c is
the equatorial critical velocity). We discuss some phenomena affecting the
formation of spectral lines and their broadening, which can obliterate the
information carried by concerning the actual stellar rotation. We
studied the line broadening produced by several differential rotational laws,
but adopted Maunder's expression
as an attempt to account for
all of these laws with the lowest possible number of free parameters. We
studied the effect of the differential rotation parameter on the
measured parameter and on the distribution of ratios
u=V/V_\rm c. We conclude that the inferred is smaller than
implied by the actual equatorial linear rotation velocity V_\rm eq if the
stars rotate with . For a
given the deviations of are larger when . If
the studied Be stars have on average , the number of rotators with
V_\rm eq\simeq0.9V_\rm c is larger than expected from the observed
distribution ; if these stars have on average , this number
is lower than expected. We discuss seven phenomena that contribute either to
narrow or broaden spectral lines, which blur the information on the rotation
carried by and, in particular, to decide whether the Be phenomenon
mostly rely on the critical rotation. We show that two-dimensional radiation
transfer calculations are needed in rapid rotators to diagnose the stellar
rotation more reliably.Comment: To appear in A&
Properties and nature of Be stars 30. Reliable physical properties of a semi-detached B9.5e+G8III binary BR CMi = HD 61273 compared to those of other well studied semi-detached emission-line binaries
Reliable determination of the basic physical properties of hot emission-line
binaries with Roche-lobe filling secondaries is important for developing the
theory of mass exchange in binaries. It is a very hard task, however, which is
complicated by the presence of circumstellar matter in these systems. So far,
only a small number of systems with accurate values of component masses, radii,
and other properties are known. Here, we report the first detailed study of a
new representative of this class of binaries, BR CMi, based on the analysis of
radial velocities and multichannel photometry from several observatories, and
compare its physical properties with those for other well-studied systems. BR
CMi is an ellipsoidal variable seen under an intermediate orbital inclination
of ~51 degrees, and it has an orbital period of 12.919059(15) d and a circular
orbit. We used the disentangled component spectra to estimate the effective
temperatures 9500(200) K and 4655(50) K by comparing them with model spectra.
They correspond to spectral types B9.5e and G8III. We also used the
disentangled spectra of both binary components as templates for the 2-D
cross-correlation to obtain accurate RVs and a reliable orbital solution. Some
evidence of a secular period increase at a rate of 1.1+/-0.5 s per year was
found. This, together with a very low mass ratio of 0.06 and a normal mass and
radius of the mass gaining component, indicates that BR CMi is in a slow phase
of the mass exchange after the mass-ratio reversal. It thus belongs to a still
poorly populated subgroup of Be stars for which the origin of Balmer emission
lines is safely explained as a consequence of mass transfer between the binary
components.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysics. appears in Astronomy and Astrophysics 201
Constraints on the H2O formation mechanism in the wind of carbon-rich AGB stars
Context. The recent detection of warm HO vapor emission from the outflows
of carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars challenges the current
understanding of circumstellar chemistry. Two mechanisms have been invoked to
explain warm HO vapor formation. In the first, periodic shocks passing
through the medium immediately above the stellar surface lead to HO
formation. In the second, penetration of ultraviolet interstellar radiation
through a clumpy circumstellar medium leads to the formation of HO
molecules in the intermediate wind.
Aims. We aim to determine the properties of HO emission for a sample of
18 carbon-rich AGB stars and subsequently constrain which of the above
mechanisms provides the most likely warm HO formation pathway.
Methods, Results, and Conclusions. See paper
The wind of W Hya as seen by Herschel. II. The molecular envelope of W Hya
The evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars on the asymptotic giant
branch (AGB) is mainly controlled by the rate at which these stars lose mass in
a stellar wind. Understanding the driving mechanism and strength of the stellar
winds of AGB stars and the processes enriching their surfaces with products of
nucleosynthesis are paramount to constraining AGB evolution and predicting the
chemical evolution of galaxies. In a previous paper we have constrained the
structure of the outflowing envelope of W Hya using spectral lines of the
CO molecule. Here we broaden this study by modelling an extensive set of
HO and SiO lines observed by the three instruments on board
Herschel using a state-of-the-art molecular excitation and radiative transfer
code. The oxygen isotopic ratios and the SiO abundance profile can be
connected to the initial stellar mass and to crucial aspects of dust formation
at the base of the stellar wind, respectively. The modelling of HO and
SiO confirms the properties of the envelope model of W Hya derived from
CO lines. We find an HO ortho-to-para ratio of
2.5\,, consistent with what is expected for an AGB wind. The
O/O ratio indicates that W Hya has an initial mass of about 1.5
M. Although the ortho- and para-HO lines observed by HIFI appear
to trace gas of slightly different physical properties, a turbulence velocity
of km s fits the HIFI lines of both spin isomers and those
of SiO well. The ortho- and para-HO and SiO abundances
relative to H are , , and , respectively. Assuming a solar
silicon-to-carbon ratio, the SiO line emission model is consistent with
about one-third of the silicon atoms being locked up in dust particles
Herschel spectral-mapping of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293): Extended CO photodissociation and OH+ emission
The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) is the closest planetary nebulae. Therefore, it
is an ideal template for photochemical studies at small spatial scales in
planetary nebulae. We aim to study the spatial distribution of the atomic and
the molecular gas, and the structure of the photodissociation region along the
western rims of the Helix Nebula as seen in the submillimeter range with
Herschel. We use 5 SPIRE FTS pointing observations to make atomic and molecular
spectral maps. We analyze the molecular gas by modeling the CO rotational lines
using a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) radiative transfer model.
For the first time, we have detected extended OH+ emission in a planetary
nebula. The spectra towards the Helix Nebula also show CO emission lines (from
J= 4 to 8), [NII] at 1461 GHz from ionized gas, and [CI] (2-1), which together
with the OH+ lines, trace extended CO photodissociation regions along the rims.
The estimated OH+ column density is (1-10)x1e12 cm-2. The CH+ (1-0) line was
not detected at the sensitivity of our observations. Non-LTE models of the CO
excitation were used to constrain the average gas density (n(H2)=(1-5)x1e5
cm-3) and the gas temperature (Tk= 20-40 K). The SPIRE spectral-maps suggest
that CO arises from dense and shielded clumps in the western rims of the Helix
Nebula whereas OH+ and [CI] lines trace the diffuse gas and the UV and X-ray
illuminated clumps surface where molecules reform after CO photodissociation.
[NII] traces a more diffuse ionized gas component in the interclump medium.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
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