309 research outputs found
Mass Loss Evolution and the Formation of Detached Shells around TP-AGB Stars
The origin of the so called 'detached shells' around AGB stars is not fully
understood, but two common hypotheses state that these shells form either
through the interaction of distinct wind phases or an eruptive mass loss
associated with a He-shell flash. We present a model of the formation of
detached shells around thermal pulse asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars,
based on detailed modelling of mass loss and stellar evolution, leading to a
combination of eruptive mass loss and wind interaction.
The purpose of this paper is first of all to connect stellar evolution with
wind and mass loss evolution and demonstrate its consistency with observations,
but also to show how thin detached shells around TP-AGB stars can be formed.
Previous attempts to link mass loss evolution with the formation of detached
shells were based on approximate prescriptions for the mass loss and have not
included detailed modelling of the wind formation as we do here. (abridged)Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Three-component modeling of C-rich AGB star winds I. Method and first results
Radiative acceleration of newly-formed dust grains and transfer of momentum
from the dust to the gas plays an important role for driving winds of AGB
stars. Therefore a detailed description of the interaction of gas and dust is a
prerequisite for realistic models of such winds. In this paper we present the
method and first results of a three-component time-dependent model of
dust-driven AGB star winds. With the model we plan to study the role and
effects of the gas-dust interaction on the mass loss and wind formation. The
wind model includes separate conservation laws for each of the three components
of gas, dust and the radiation field and is developed from an existing model
which assumes position coupling between the gas and the dust. As a new feature
we introduce a separate equation of motion for the dust component in order to
fully separate the dust phase from the gas phase. The transfer of mass, energy
and momentum between the phases is treated by interaction terms. We also carry
out a detailed study of the physical form and influence of the momentum
transfer term (the drag force) and three approximations to it. In the present
study we are interested mainly in the effect of the new treatment of the dust
velocity on dust-induced instabilities in the wind. As we want to study the
consequences of the additional freedom of the dust velocity on the model we
calculate winds both with and without the separate dust equation of motion. The
wind models are calculated for several sets of stellar parameters. We find that
there is a higher threshold in the carbon/oxygen abundance ratio at which winds
form in the new model. The winds of the new models, which include drift, differ
from the previously stationary winds, and the winds with the lowest mass loss
rates no longer form.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, accepted by A&
Duration of deafness impacts auditory performance after cochlear implantation: A meta‐analysis
Objective: Hearing loss is a highly disabling condition. Cochlear implantation is an established remedy if conventional hearing aids have failed to alleviate the level of disability. Unfortunately, cochlear implant (CI) performance varies dramatically. This study aims to examine the effects of duration of deafness (DoD) prior to cochlear implantation and the postoperative duration of implant experience with resulting hearing performance in postlingually deaf patients.
Methods: A systematic literature review and two meta-analyses were conducted using the search terms cochlear implant AND duration deafness. Included studies evaluate the correlation between the DoD and auditory performance after cochlear implantation using monosyllabic and sentence tests. Correlation coefficients were determined using Pearson's correlation and Spearman rho.
Results: A total of 36 studies were identified and included data on cochlear implantations following postlingual deafness and postoperative speech testing of hearing outcomes for 1802 patients. The mean age ranged from 44 to 68 years with a DoD of 0.1 to 77 years. Cochlear implant use varied from 3 months to 14 years of age. Speech perception, which was assessed by sentence and monosyllabic word perception, was negatively correlated with DoD. Subgroup analyses revealed worse outcomes for longer DoD and shorter postoperative follow-up.
Conclusion: DoD is one of the most important factors to predict speech perception after cochlear implantation in postlingually deaf patients. The meta-analyses revealed a negative correlation between length of auditory deprivation and postoperative sentence and monosyllabic speech perception. Longer DoD seems to lead to worse CI performance, whereas more experience with CI mitigates the effect
Measuring The Mass Loss Evolution at The Tip of The Asymptotic Giant Branch
In the final stages of stellar evolution low- to intermediate-mass stars lose
their envelope in increasingly massive stellar winds. Such winds affect the
interstellar medium and the galactic chemical evolution as well as the
circumstellar envelope where planetary nebulae form subsequently.
Characteristics of this mass loss depend on both stellar properties and
properties of gas and dust in the wind formation region. In this paper we
present an approach towards studies of mass loss using both observations and
models, focusing on the stage where the stellar envelope is nearly empty of
mass. In a recent study we measure the mass-loss evolution, and other
properties, of four planetary nebulae in the Galactic Disk. Specifically we use
the method of integral field spectroscopy on faint halos, which are found
outside the much brighter central parts of a planetary nebula. We begin with a
brief comparison between our and other observational methods to determine
mass-loss rates in order to illustrate how they differ and complement each
other. An advantage of our method is that it measures the gas component
directly requiring no assumptions of properties of dust in the wind. Thereafter
we present our observational approach in more detail in terms of its validity
and its assumptions. In the second part of this paper we discuss capabilities
and assumptions of current models of stellar winds. We propose and discuss
improvements to such models that will allow meaningful comparisons with our
observations. Currently the physically most complete models include too little
mass in the model domain to permit a formation of winds with as high mass-loss
rates as our observations show.Comment: 7 pages, workshop in honour of Agnes Acker, Legacies of the
Macquarie/AAO/Strasbourg Halpha Planetary Nebula project, ed. Q.Parker and
D.Frew, PASA, in press; clarified some parts and added some additional
reference
Observing and modeling the dynamic atmosphere of the low mass-loss C-star R Sculptoris at high angular resolution
We study the circumstellar environment of the carbon-rich star R Scl using
the near- and mid-infrared high spatial resolution observations from the
ESO-VLTI instruments VINCI and MIDI. These observations aim at increasing our
knowledge of the dynamic processes in play within the very close circumstellar
environment where the mass loss of AGB stars is initiated. Data are interpreted
using a self-consistent dynamic model. Interferometric observations do not show
any significant variability effect at the 16 m baseline between phases 0.17 and
0.23 in the K band, and for both the 15 m baseline between phases 0.66 and 0.97
and the 31 m baseline between phases 0.90 and 0.97 in the N band. We find
fairly good agreement between the dynamic model and the spectrophotometric data
from 0.4 to 25 m. The model agrees well with the time-dependent flux data
at 8.5 m, whereas it is too faint at 11.3 and 12.5 m. The VINCI
visibilities are reproduced well, meaning that the extension of the model is
suitable in the K-band. In the mid-infrared, the model has the proper extension
to reveal molecular structures of C2H2 and HCN located above the stellar
photosphere. However, the windless model used is not able to reproduce the more
extended and dense dusty environment. Among the different explanations for the
discrepancy between the model and the measurements, the strong nonequilibrium
process of dust formation is one of the most probable. The complete dynamic
coupling of gas and dust and the approximation of grain opacities with the
small-particle limit in the dynamic calculation could also contribute to the
difference between the model and the data
From pole to pole : 33 years of physical oceanography onboard R/V Polarstern
Measuring temperature and salinity profiles in the world's oceans is crucial to understanding ocean dynamics and its influence on the heat budget, the water cycle, the marine environment and on our climate. Since 1983 the German research vessel and icebreaker Polarstern has been the platform of numerous CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth instrument) deployments in the Arctic and the Antarctic. We report on a unique data collection spanning 33 years of polar CTD data. In total 131 data sets (1 data set per cruise leg) containing data from 10 063 CTD casts are now freely available at doi: 10.1594/PANGAEA.860066. During this long period five CTD types with different characteristics and accuracies have been used. Therefore the instruments and processing procedures (sensor calibration, data validation, etc.) are described in detail. This compilation is special not only with regard to the quantity but also the quality of the data -the latter indicated for each data set using defined quality codes. The complete data collection includes a number of repeated sections for which the quality code can be used to investigate and evaluate long-term changes. Beginning with 2010, the salinity measurements presented here are of the highest quality possible in this field owing to the introduction of the OPTIMARE Precision Salinometer.Peer reviewe
- …