189 research outputs found
Asteroseismic test of rotational mixing in low-mass white dwarfs
We exploit the recent discovery of pulsations in mixed-atmosphere (He/H),
extremely low-mass white dwarf precursors (ELM proto-WDs) to test the
proposition that rotational mixing is a fundamental process in the formation
and evolution of low-mass helium core white dwarfs. Rotational mixing has been
shown to be a mechanism able to compete efficiently against gravitational
settling, thus accounting naturally for the presence of He, as well as traces
of metals such as Mg and Ca, typically found in the atmospheres of ELM
proto-WDs. Here we investigate whether rotational mixing can maintain a
sufficient amount of He in the deeper driving region of the star, such that it
can fuel, through HeII-HeIII ionization, the observed pulsations in this type
of stars. Using state-of-the-art evolutionary models computed with MESA, we
show that rotational mixing can indeed explain qualitatively the very existence
and general properties of the known pulsating, mixed-atmosphere ELM proto-WDs.
Moreover, such objects are very likely to pulsate again during their final WD
cooling phase.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A Letter
The Peculiar Phase Structure of Random Graph Bisection
The mincut graph bisection problem involves partitioning the n vertices of a
graph into disjoint subsets, each containing exactly n/2 vertices, while
minimizing the number of "cut" edges with an endpoint in each subset. When
considered over sparse random graphs, the phase structure of the graph
bisection problem displays certain familiar properties, but also some
surprises. It is known that when the mean degree is below the critical value of
2 log 2, the cutsize is zero with high probability. We study how the minimum
cutsize increases with mean degree above this critical threshold, finding a new
analytical upper bound that improves considerably upon previous bounds.
Combined with recent results on expander graphs, our bound suggests the unusual
scenario that random graph bisection is replica symmetric up to and beyond the
critical threshold, with a replica symmetry breaking transition possibly taking
place above the threshold. An intriguing algorithmic consequence is that
although the problem is NP-hard, we can find near-optimal cutsizes (whose ratio
to the optimal value approaches 1 asymptotically) in polynomial time for
typical instances near the phase transition.Comment: substantially revised section 2, changed figures 3, 4 and 6, made
minor stylistic changes and added reference
Research on the pigment content in various apple tree varieties, treated with capsicoside
Furostanol glycoside represents a natural substance belonging to the class of
saponines. Capsicoside , one of them, is found in Capsicum annuum seeds and it was obtained
by the alcoholic extraction from pepper seeds. It is a bioactive substance of vegetal origin,
having a wide range of biological activities, especially antiviral and antifungal properties. The
goal of the present paper was to promote this bioactive compound and to evaluate its biological
activity. The influence of the plant compound with steroidal glycoside structure was studied on
the plantation of apple trees. The treatments consisted in spraying the aqueous solution of
Capsicoside, at different doses and ways of using. The results of the experiments pointed out
the positive effects of the influence of steroidal glycosides on the growth and quality
development of apple trees
Discovery, TESS Characterization, and Modeling of Pulsations in the Extremely Low-mass White Dwarf GD 278
We report the discovery of pulsations in the extremely low-mass (ELM), likely helium-core white dwarf GD 278 via ground- and space-based photometry. GD 278 was observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in Sector 18 at a 2 minute cadence for roughly 24 days. The TESS data reveal at least 19 significant periodicities between 2447 and 6729 s, one of which is the longest pulsation period ever detected in a white dwarf. Previous spectroscopy found that this white dwarf is in a 4.61 hr orbit with an unseen >0.4 M ⊙ companion and has T eff = 9230 ± 100 K and logg=6.627±0.056" role="presentation">logg=6.627±0.056 , which corresponds to a mass of 0.191 ± 0.013 M ⊙. Patterns in the TESS pulsation frequencies from rotational splittings appear to reveal a stellar rotation period of roughly 10 hr, making GD 278 the first ELM white dwarf with a measured rotation rate. The patterns inform our mode identification for asteroseismic fits, which, unfortunately, do not reveal a global best-fit solution. Asteroseismology reveals two main solutions roughly consistent with the spectroscopic parameters of this ELM white dwarf, but with vastly different hydrogen-layer masses; future seismic fits could be further improved by using the stellar parallax. GD 278 is now the tenth known pulsating ELM white dwarf; it is only the fifth known to be in a short-period binary, but is the first with extended, space-based photometry.Fil: Lopez, Isaac D.. North Carolina State University; Estados UnidosFil: Hermes, J. J.. University Of Boston. Departament Astronomy; Estados UnidosFil: Calcaferro, Leila Magdalena. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Bell, Keaton. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Samuels, Adam. University Of Boston. Departament Astronomy. Center For Space Physics; Estados UnidosFil: Vanderbosch, Zachary P.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados UnidosFil: Corsico, Alejandro Hugo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Istrate, Alina G.. University of Utrecht; Países Bajo
Stellar archaeology with Gaia: the Galactic white dwarf population
Gaia will identify several 1e5 white dwarfs, most of which will be in the
solar neighborhood at distances of a few hundred parsecs. Ground-based optical
follow-up spectroscopy of this sample of stellar remnants is essential to
unlock the enormous scientific potential it holds for our understanding of
stellar evolution, and the Galactic formation history of both stars and
planets.Comment: Summary of a talk at the 'Multi-Object Spectroscopy in the Next
Decade' conference in La Palma, March 2015, to be published in ASP Conference
Series (editors Ian Skillen & Scott Trager
Progenitor neutron stars of the lightest and heaviest millisecond pulsars
The recent mass measurements of two binary millisecond pulsars, PSR
J1614-2230 and PSR J0751+1807 with a mass M=1.97+/-0.04 Msun and M= 1.26 +/-
0.14 Msun, respectively, indicate a wide range of masses for such objects and
possibly also a broad spectrum of masses of neutron stars born in core-collapse
supernovae.
Starting from the zero-age main sequence binary stage, we aim at inferring
the birth masses of PSR J1614-2230 and PSR J0751+1807 by taking the differences
in the evolutionary stages preceding their formation into account.
Using simulations for the evolution of binary stars, we reconstruct the
evolutionary tracks leading to the formation of PSR J1614-2230 and PSR
J0751+1807. We analyze in detail the spin evolution due to the accretion of
matter from a disk in the intermediate-mass/low-mass X-ray binary. We consider
two equations of state of dense matter, one for purely nucleonic matter and the
other one including a high-density softening due to the appearance of hyperons.
Stationary and axisymmetric stellar configurations in general relativity are
used, together with a recent magnetic torque model and
observationally-motivated laws for the decay of magnetic field.
The estimated birth mass of the neutron stars PSR J0751+1807 and PSR
J1614-2230 could be as low as 1.0 Msun and as high as 1.9 Msun, respectively.
These values depend weakly on the equation of state and the assumed model for
the magnetic field and its accretion-induced decay.
The masses of progenitor neutron stars of recycled pulsars span a broad
interval from 1.0 Msun to 1.9 Msun. Including the effect of a slow Roche-lobe
detachment phase, which could be relevant for PSR J0751+1807, would make the
lower mass limit even lower. A realistic theory for core-collapse supernovae
should account for this wide range of mass.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, accepted in A&
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