7,350 research outputs found
On the frequency dependence of p-mode frequency shifts induced by magnetic activity in Kepler solar-like stars
The variations of the frequencies of the low-degree acoustic oscillations in
the Sun induced by magnetic activity show a dependence with radial order. The
frequency shifts are observed to increase towards higher-order modes to reach a
maximum of about 0.8 muHz over the 11-yr solar cycle. A comparable frequency
dependence is also measured in two other main-sequence solar-like stars, the
F-star HD49933, and the young 1-Gyr-old solar analog KIC10644253, although with
different amplitudes of the shifts of about 2 muHz and 0.5 muHz respectively.
Our objective here is to extend this analysis to stars with different masses,
metallicities, and evolutionary stages. From an initial set of 87 Kepler
solar-like oscillating stars with already known individual p-mode frequencies,
we identify five stars showing frequency shifts that can be considered reliable
using selection criteria based on Monte Carlo simulations and on the
photospheric magnetic activity proxy Sph. The frequency dependence of the
frequency shifts of four of these stars could be measured for the l=0 and l=1
modes individually. Given the quality of the data, the results could indicate
that a different physical source of perturbation than in the Sun is dominating
in this sample of solar-like stars.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Modeling dust emission in PN IC 418
We investigated the infrared (IR) dust emission from PN IC 418, using a
detailed model controlled by a previous determination of the stellar properties
and the characteristics of the photoionized nebula, keeping as free parameters
the dust types, amounts and distributions relative to the distance of the
central star. The model includes the ionized region and the neutral region
beyond the recombination front (Photodissociation region, or PDR), where the
[OI] and [CII] IR lines are formed. We succeeded in reproducing the observed
infrared emission from 2 to 200~\mm. The global energy budget is fitted by
summing up contributions from big grains of amorphous carbon located in the
neutral region and small graphite grains located in the ionized region (closer
to the central star).
Two emission features seen at 11.5 and 30~\mm are also reproduced by assuming
them to be due to silicon carbide (SiC) and magnesium and iron sulfides
(MgFeS), respectively. For this, we needed to consider ellipsoidal
shapes for the grains to reproduce the wavelength distribution of the features.
Some elements are depleted in the gaseous phase: Mg, Si, and S have sub-solar
abundances (-0.5 dex below solar by mass), while the abundance of C+N+O+Ne by
mass is close to solar. Adding the abundances of the elements present in the
dusty and gaseous forms leads to values closer to but not higher than solar,
confirming that the identification of the feature carriers is plausible. Iron
is strongly depleted (3 dex below solar) and the small amount present in dust
in our model is far from being enough to recover the solar value. A remaining
feature is found as a residue of the fitting process, between 12 and 25~\mm,
for which we do not have identification.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. V2: adding
reference
A search for hydrogenated fullerenes in fullerene-containing planetary nebulae
Detections of C60 and C70 fullerenes in planetary nebulae (PNe) of the
Magellanic Clouds and of our own Galaxy have raised the idea that other forms
of carbon such as hydrogenated fullerenes (fulleranes like C60H36 and C60H18),
buckyonions, and carbon nanotubes, may be widespread in the Universe. Here we
present VLT/ISAAC spectra (R ~600) in the 2.9-4.1 microns spectral region for
the Galactic PNe Tc 1 and M 1-20, which have been used to search for
fullerene-based molecules in their fullerene-rich circumstellar environments.
We report the non-detection of the most intense infrared bands of several
fulleranes around ~3.4-3.6 microns in both PNe. We conclude that if fulleranes
are present in the fullerene-containing circumstellar environments of these
PNe, then they seem to be by far less abundant than C60 and C70. Our
non-detections together with the (tentative) fulleranes detection in the
proto-PN IRAS 01005+7910 suggest that fulleranes may be formed in the short
transition phase between AGB stars and PNe but they are quickly destroyed by
the UV radiation field from the central star.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics (7 pages, 3
figures, and 3 Tables
Gas and dust from solar metallicity AGB stars
We study the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) evolution of stars with masses
between . We focus on stars with a solar chemical
composition, which allows us to interpret evolved stars in the Galaxy. We
present a detailed comparison with models of the same chemistry, calculated
with a different evolution code and based on a different set of physical
assumptions. We find that stars of mass experience hot
bottom burning at the base of the envelope. They have AGB lifetimes shorter
than yr and eject into their surroundings gas contaminated
by proton-capture nucleosynthesis, at an extent sensitive to the treatment of
convection. Low mass stars with become
carbon stars. During the final phases the C/O ratio grows to . We find
a remarkable agreement between the two codes for the low-mass models and
conclude that predictions for the physical and chemical properties of these
stars, and the AGB lifetime, are not that sensitive to the modelling of the AGB
phase. The dust produced is also dependent on the mass: low-mass stars produce
mainly solid carbon and silicon carbide dust, whereas higher mass stars produce
silicates and alumina dust. Possible future observations potentially able to
add more robustness to the present results are also discussed.Comment: 27 pages, 24 figures; accepted for publication in MNRA
A test for asymptotic giant branch evolution theories: Planetary Nebulae in the Large Magellanic Cloud
We used a new generation of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stellar models that
include dust formation in the stellar winds to find the links between
evolutionary models and the observed properties of a homogeneous sample of
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) planetary nebulae (PNe). Comparison between the
evolutionary yields of elements such as CNO and the corresponding observed
chemical abundances is a powerful tool to shed light on evolutionary processes
such as hot bottom burning (HBB) and third dredge-up (TDU). We found that the
occurrence of HBB is needed to interpret the nitrogen-enriched (log(N/H)+12>8)
PNe. In particular, N-rich PNe with the lowest carbon content are nicely
reproduced by AGB models of mass M >=6 Mo, whose surface chemistry reflects the
pure effects of HBB. PNe with log(N/H)+12<7.5 correspond to ejecta of stars
that have not experienced HBB, with initial mass below about 3 Mo. Some of
these stars show very large carbon abundances, owing to the many TDU episodes
experienced. We found from our LMC PN sample that there is a threshold to the
amount of carbon accumulated at AGB surfaces, log(C/H)+12<9. Confirmation of
this constraint would indicate that, after the C-star stage is reached,AGBs
experience only a few thermal pulses, which suggests a rapid loss of the
external mantle, probably owing to the effects of radiation pressure on
carbonaceous dust particles present in the circumstellar envelope. The
implications of these findings for AGB evolution theories and the need to
extend the PN sample currently available are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS (2015
July 13; in original form 2015 June 9
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