7,684 research outputs found
Gaia FGK Benchmark Stars: Effective temperatures and surface gravities
Large Galactic stellar surveys and new generations of stellar atmosphere
models and spectral line formation computations need to be subjected to careful
calibration and validation and to benchmark tests. We focus on cool stars and
aim at establishing a sample of 34 Gaia FGK Benchmark Stars with a range of
different metallicities. The goal was to determine the effective temperature
and the surface gravity independently from spectroscopy and atmospheric models
as far as possible. Fundamental determinations of Teff and logg were obtained
in a systematic way from a compilation of angular diameter measurements and
bolometric fluxes, and from a homogeneous mass determination based on stellar
evolution models. The derived parameters were compared to recent spectroscopic
and photometric determinations and to gravity estimates based on seismic data.
Most of the adopted diameter measurements have formal uncertainties around 1%,
which translate into uncertainties in effective temperature of 0.5%. The
measurements of bolometric flux seem to be accurate to 5% or better, which
contributes about 1% or less to the uncertainties in effective temperature. The
comparisons of parameter determinations with the literature show in general
good agreements with a few exceptions, most notably for the coolest stars and
for metal-poor stars. The sample consists of 29 FGK-type stars and 5 M giants.
Among the FGK stars, 21 have reliable parameters suitable for testing,
validation, or calibration purposes. For four stars, future adjustments of the
fundamental Teff are required, and for five stars the logg determination needs
to be improved. Future extensions of the sample of Gaia FGK Benchmark Stars are
required to fill gaps in parameter space, and we include a list of suggested
candidates.Comment: Accepted by A&A; 34 pages (printer format), 14 tables, 13 figures;
language correcte
The resultant on compact Riemann surfaces
We introduce a notion of resultant of two meromorphic functions on a compact
Riemann surface and demonstrate its usefulness in several respects. For
example, we exhibit several integral formulas for the resultant, relate it to
potential theory and give explicit formulas for the algebraic dependence
between two meromorphic functions on a compact Riemann surface. As a particular
application, the exponential transform of a quadrature domain in the complex
plane is expressed in terms of the resultant of two meromorphic functions on
the Schottky double of the domain.Comment: 44 page
Spectral methods for the wave equation in second-order form
Current spectral simulations of Einstein's equations require writing the
equations in first-order form, potentially introducing instabilities and
inefficiencies. We present a new penalty method for pseudo-spectral evolutions
of second order in space wave equations. The penalties are constructed as
functions of Legendre polynomials and are added to the equations of motion
everywhere, not only on the boundaries. Using energy methods, we prove
semi-discrete stability of the new method for the scalar wave equation in flat
space and show how it can be applied to the scalar wave on a curved background.
Numerical results demonstrating stability and convergence for multi-domain
second-order scalar wave evolutions are also presented. This work provides a
foundation for treating Einstein's equations directly in second-order form by
spectral methods.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
New Abundances for Old Stars - Atomic Diffusion at Work in NGC 6397
A homogeneous spectroscopic analysis of unevolved and evolved stars in the
metal-poor globular cluster NGC 6397 with FLAMES-UVES reveals systematic trends
of stellar surface abundances that are likely caused by atomic diffusion. This
finding helps to understand, among other issues, why the lithium abundances of
old halo stars are significantly lower than the abundance found to be produced
shortly after the Big Bang.Comment: 8 pages, 7 colour figures, 1 table; can also be downloaded via
http://www.eso.org/messenger
Input-dependency analysis for hard real-time software
The execution time of soft-ware for hard real-time systems must be predictable. Further safe and not overly pessimistic bounds for the worst-case execution time (WCET) must be computable. We conceived a programming strategy called WCET-oriented programming and a code transformation strategy, the single-path conversion, that aid programmers in producing code that meets these requirements. These strategies avoid respectively eliminate input-data dependencies in the code. The paper describes the formal analysis, based on abstract interpretation, that identifies input-data dependencies in the code and thus forms the basis for the strategies provided for hard real-time code development
Observation of Parity Nonconservation in Møller Scattering
We report a measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry in fixed target electron-electron (Møller) scattering: A_(PV) = [-175 ± 30(stat)± 20(syst)] X 10^(-9). This first direct observation of parity nonconservation in Møller scattering leads to a measurement of the electron’s weak charge at low energy Q^e_W = -0:053 ± 0:011. This is consistent with the standard model expectation at the current level of precision: sin^2θ_W = (M_Z)_(MS) = 0:2293 ± 0:0024(stat) ± 0:0016(syst) ± 0:0006(theory)
An Efficient Pseudospectral Method for the Computation of the Self-force on a Charged Particle: Circular Geodesics around a Schwarzschild Black Hole
The description of the inspiral of a stellar-mass compact object into a
massive black hole sitting at a galactic centre is a problem of major relevance
for the future space-based gravitational-wave observatory LISA (Laser
Interferometer Space Antenna), as the signals from these systems will be buried
in the data stream and accurate gravitational-wave templates will be needed to
extract them. The main difficulty in describing these systems lies in the
estimation of the gravitational effects of the stellar-mass compact object on
his own trajectory around the massive black hole, which can be modeled as the
action of a local force, the self-force. In this paper, we present a new
time-domain numerical method for the computation of the self-force in a
simplified model consisting of a charged scalar particle orbiting a nonrotating
black hole. We use a multi-domain framework in such a way that the particle is
located at the interface between two domains so that the presence of the
particle and its physical effects appear only through appropriate boundary
conditions. In this way we eliminate completely the presence of a small length
scale associated with the need of resolving the particle. This technique also
avoids the problems associated with the impact of a low differentiability of
the solution in the accuracy of the numerical computations. The spatial
discretization of the field equations is done by using the pseudospectral
collocation method and the time evolution, based on the method of lines, uses a
Runge-Kutta solver. We show how this special framework can provide very
efficient and accurate computations in the time domain, which makes the
technique amenable for the intensive computations required in the
astrophysically-relevant scenarios for LISA.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, Revtex 4. Minor changes to match published
versio
Atomic Diffusion and Mixing in Old Stars I. VLT/FLAMES-UVES Observations of Stars in NGC 6397
We present a homogeneous photometric and spectroscopic analysis of 18 stars
along the evolutionary sequence of the metal-poor globular cluster NGC 6397
([Fe/H] = -2), from the main-sequence turnoff point to red giants below the
bump. The spectroscopic stellar parameters, in particular stellar-parameter
differences between groups of stars, are in good agreement with broad-band and
Stroemgren photometry calibrated on the infrared-flux method. The spectroscopic
abundance analysis reveals, for the first time, systematic trends of iron
abundance with evolutionary stage. Iron is found to be 31% less abundant in the
turnoff-point stars than in the red giants. An abundance difference in lithium
is seen between the turnoff-point and warm subgiant stars. The impact of
potential systematic errors on these abundance trends (stellar parameters, the
hydrostatic and LTE approximations) is quantitatively evaluated and found not
to alter our conclusions significantly. Trends for various elements (Li, Mg,
Ca, Ti and Fe) are compared with stellar-structure models including the effects
of atomic diffusion and radiative acceleration. Such models are found to
describe the observed element-specific trends well, if extra (turbulent) mixing
just below the convection zone is introduced. It is concluded that atomic
diffusion and turbulent mixing are largely responsible for the sub-primordial
stellar lithium abundances of warm halo stars. Other consequences of atomic
diffusion in old metal-poor stars are also discussed.Comment: 20 pages (emulateapj), 11 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Numerical evolution of axisymmetric, isolated systems in General Relativity
We describe in this article a new code for evolving axisymmetric isolated
systems in general relativity. Such systems are described by asymptotically
flat space-times which have the property that they admit a conformal extension.
We are working directly in the extended `conformal' manifold and solve
numerically Friedrich's conformal field equations, which state that Einstein's
equations hold in the physical space-time. Because of the compactness of the
conformal space-time the entire space-time can be calculated on a finite
numerical grid. We describe in detail the numerical scheme, especially the
treatment of the axisymmetry and the boundary.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, uses revtex4, replaced with revised versio
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