130 research outputs found
Radial Velocities of Six OB Stars
We present new results from a radial velocity study of six bright OB stars
with little or no prior measurements. One of these, HD 45314, may be a
long-period binary, but the velocity variations of this Be star may be related
to changes in its circumstellar disk. Significant velocity variations were also
found for HD 60848 (possibly related to nonradial pulsations) and HD 61827
(related to wind variations). The other three targets, HD 46150, HD 54879, and
HD 206183, are constant velocity objects, but we note that HD 54879 has
H emission that may originate from a binary companion. We illustrate
the average red spectrum of each target.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASP July 2007 issu
Runaway Massive Binaries and Cluster Ejection Scenarios
The production of runaway massive binaries offers key insights into the
evolution of close binary stars and open clusters. The stars HD 14633 and HD
15137 are rare examples of such runaway systems, and in this work we
investigate the mechanism by which they were ejected from their parent open
cluster, NGC 654. We discuss observational characteristics that can be used to
distinguish supernova ejected systems from those ejected by dynamical
interactions, and we present the results of a new radio pulsar search of these
systems as well as estimates of their predicted X-ray flux assuming that each
binary contains a compact object. Since neither pulsars nor X-ray emission are
observed in these systems, we cannot conclude that these binaries contain
compact companions. We also consider whether they may have been ejected by
dynamical interactions in the dense environment where they formed, and our
simulations of four-body interactions suggest that a dynamical origin is
possible but unlikely. We recommend further X-ray observations that will
conclusively identify whether HD 14633 or HD 15137 contain neutron stars.Comment: Accepted to ApJ, 11 page
A Spectroscopic Orbit for Regulus
We present a radial velocity study of the rapidly rotating B-star Regulus
that indicates the star is a single-lined spectroscopic binary. The orbital
period (40.11 d) and probable semimajor axis (0.35 AU) are large enough that
the system is not interacting at present. However, the mass function suggests
that the secondary has a low mass (M_2 > 0.30 M_sun), and we argue that the
companion may be a white dwarf. Such a star would be the remnant of a former
mass donor that was the source of the large spin angular momentum of Regulus
itself.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures, ApJL in pres
Spectral Energy Distributions of Be and Other Massive Stars
We present spectrophotometric data from 0.4 to 4.2 microns for bright,
northern sky, Be stars and several other types of massive stars. Our goal is to
use these data with ongoing, high angular resolution, interferometric
observations to model the density structure and sky orientation of the gas
surrounding these stars. We also present a montage of the H-alpha and
near-infrared emission lines that form in Be star disks. We find that a
simplified measurement of the IR excess flux appears to be correlated with the
strength of emission lines from high level transitions of hydrogen. This
suggests that the near-IR continuum and upper level line fluxes both form in
the inner part of the disk, close to the star.Comment: 2010, PASP, 122, 37
Spectral and spatial imaging of the Be+sdO binary phi Persei
The rapidly rotating Be star phi Persei was spun up by mass and angular
momentum transfer from a now stripped-down, hot subdwarf companion. Here we
present the first high angular resolution images of phi Persei made possible by
new capabilities in longbaseline interferometry at near-IR and visible
wavelengths. We observed phi Persei with the MIRC and VEGA instruments of the
CHARA Array. Additional MIRC-only observations were performed to track the
orbital motion of the companion, and these were fit together with new and
existing radial velocity measurements of both stars to derive the complete
orbital elements and distance. The hot subdwarf companion is clearly detected
in the near-IR data at each epoch of observation with a flux contribution of
1.5% in the H band, and restricted fits indicate that its flux contribution
rises to 3.3% in the visible. A new binary orbital solution is determined by
combining the astrometric and radial velocity measurements. The derived stellar
masses are 9.6+-0.3Msol and 1.2+-0.2Msol for the Be primary and subdwarf
secondary, respectively. The inferred distance (186 +- 3 pc), kinematical
properties, and evolutionary state are consistent with membership of phi Persei
in the alpha Per cluster. From the cluster age we deduce significant
constraints on the initial masses and evolutionary mass transfer processes that
transformed the phi Persei binary system. The interferometric data place strong
constraints on the Be disk elongation, orientation, and kinematics, and the
disk angular momentum vector is coaligned with and has the same sense of
rotation as the orbital angular momentum vector. The VEGA visible continuum
data indicate an elongated shape for the Be star itself, due to the combined
effects of rapid rotation, partial obscuration of the photosphere by the
circumstellar disk, and flux from the bright inner disk.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 1 Anne
A Spectroscopic Study of Mass Outflows in the Interacting Binary RY Scuti
The massive interacting binary RY Scuti is an important representative of an
active mass-transferring system that is changing before our eyes and which may
be an example of the formation of a Wolf-Rayet star through tidal stripping.
Utilizing new and previously published spectra, we present examples of how a
number of illustrative absorption and emission features vary during the binary
orbit. We identify spectral features associated with each component, calculate
a new, double-lined spectroscopic binary orbit, and find masses of 7.1 +/- 1.2
M_sun for the bright supergiant and 30.0 +/- 2.1 M_sun for the hidden massive
companion. Through tomographic reconstruction of the component spectra from the
composite spectra, we confirm the O9.7 Ibpe spectral class of the bright
supergiant and discover a B0.5 I spectrum associated with the hidden massive
companion; however, we suggest that the latter is actually the spectrum of the
photosphere of the accretion torus immediately surrounding the massive
companion. We describe the complex nature of the mass loss flows from the
system in the context of recent hydrodynamical models for beta Lyr, leading us
to conclude RY Scuti has matter leaving the system in two ways: 1) a bipolar
outflow from winds generated by the hidden massive companion, and 2) mass from
the bright O9.7 Ibpe supergiant flowing from the region near the L2 point to
fill out a large, dense circumbinary disk. This circumbinary disk (radius ~ 1
AU) may feed the surrounding double-toroidal nebula (radius ~ 2000 AU).Comment: 41 pages with 7 tables and 11 figures, accepted to Ap
Investigation of Non-Stable Processes in Close Binary Ry Scuti
We present results of reanalysis of old electrophotometric data of early type
close binary system RY Scuti obtained at the Abastumani Astrophysical
Observatory, Georgia, during 1972-1990 years and at the Maidanak Observatory,
Uzbekistan, during 1979-1991 years. It is revealed non-stable processes in RY
Sct from period to period, from month to month and from year to year. This
variation consists from the hundredths up to the tenths of a magnitude.
Furthermore, periodical changes in the system's light are displayed near the
first maximum on timescales of a few years. That is of great interest with
regard to some similar variations seen in luminous blue variable (LBV) stars.
This also could be closely related to the question of why RY Sct ejected its
nebula.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 2 table
Canonical Particle Acceleration in FRI Radio Galaxies
Matched resolution multi-frequency VLA observations of four radio galaxies
are used to derive the asymptotic low energy slope of the relativistic electron
distribution. Where available, low energy slopes are also determined for other
sources in the literature. They provide information on the acceleration physics
independent of radiative and other losses, which confuse measurements of the
synchrotron spectra in most radio, optical and X-ray studies. We find a narrow
range of inferred low energy electron energy slopes, n(E)=const*E^-2.1 for the
currently small sample of lower luminosity sources classified as FRI (not
classical doubles). This distribution is close to, but apparently inconsistent
with, the test particle limit of n(E)=const*E^-2.0 expected from strong
diffusive shock acceleration in the non-relativistic limit. Relativistic shocks
or those modified by the back-pressure of efficiently accelerated cosmic rays
are two alternatives to produce somewhat steeper spectra. We note for further
study the possiblity of acceleration through shocks, turbulence or shear in the
flaring/brightening regions in FRI jets as they move away from the nucleus.
Jets on pc scales and the collimated jets and hot spots of FRII (classical
double) sources would be governed by different acceleration sites and
mechanisms; they appear to show a much wider range of spectra than for FRI
sources.Comment: 16 figures, including 5 color. Accepted to Astrophysical Journa
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