573 research outputs found
CCD-based observations of PG 0856+121 and a theoretical analysis of its oscillation modes
BVRI CCD-based and near-IR (J) imaging, together with unfiltered photometry
of the hot subdwarf B star PG 0856+121 are reported. Two close, faint, red,
point-like sources are resolved. They account for the previously reported IR
excess observed in this hot subdwarf. In addition, the new unfiltered
differential photometry of PG 0856+121 confirms its previously reported
pulsational nature. A comparison with the oscillation modes of stellar models
suggests the possible presence of g modes.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. Seven pages, four figures include
Circinus X-1: survivor of a highly asymmetric supernova
We have analyzed the kinematical parameters of Cir X-1 to constrain the
nature of its companion star, the eccentricity of the binary and the
pre-supernova parameter space. We argue that the companion is most likely to be
a low-mass (< 2.0 M_sun) unevolved star and that the eccentricity of the orbit
is 0.94 +/- 0.04. We have evaluated the dynamical effects of the supernova
explosion and we find it must have been asymmetric. On average, we find that a
kick of 740 km/s is needed to account for the recently measured radial velocity
of +430 km/s (Johnston, Fender & Wu) for this extreme system. The corresponding
minimum kick velocity is 500 km/s. This is the largest kick needed to explain
the motion of any observed binary system. If Cir X-1 is associated with the
supernova remnant G321.9-0.3 then we find a limiting minimum age of this
remnant of 60000 yr. Furthermore, we predict that the companion star has lost
10% of its mass as a result of stripping and ablation from the impact of the
supernova shell shortly after the explosion.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figues, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
Solar Neutrinos from CNO Electron Capture
The neutrino flux from the sun is predicted to have a CNO-cycle contribution
as well as the known pp-chain component. Previously, only the fluxes from beta+
decays of 13N, 15O, and 17F have been calculated in detail. Another neutrino
component that has not been widely considered is electron capture on these
nuclei. We calculate the number of interactions in several solar neutrino
detectors due to neutrinos from electron capture on 13N, 15O, and 17F, within
the context of the Standard Solar Model. We also discuss possible non-standard
models where the CNO flux is increased.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Phys. Rev. C; v2 has minor changes
including integration over solar volume and addition of missing reference to
previous continuum electron capture calculation; v3 has minor changes
including addition of references and the correction of a small (about 1%)
numerical error in the table
Observational constraints for Lithium depletion before the RGB
Precise Li abundances are determined for 54 giant stars mostly evolving
across the Hertzsprung gap. We combine these data with rotational velocity and
with information related to the deepening of the convective zone of the stars
to analyse their link to Li dilution in the referred spectral region. A sudden
decline in Li abundance paralleling the one already established in rotation is
quite clear. Following similar results for other stellar luminosity classes and
spectral regions, there is no linear relation between Li abundance and
rotation, in spite of the fact that most of the fast rotators present high Li
content. The effects of convection in driving the Li dilution is also quite
clear. Stars with high Li content are mostly those with an undeveloped
convective zone, whereas stars with a developed convective zone present clear
sign of Li dilution.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. accepted for publicatio
The cell adhesion molecule Fasciclin2 regulates brush border length and organization in Drosophila renal tubules
Multicellular organisms rely on cell adhesion molecules to coordinate cellâcell interactions, and to provide navigational cues during tissue formation. In Drosophila, Fasciclin 2 (Fas2) has been intensively studied due to its role in nervous system development and maintenance; yet, Fas2 is most abundantly expressed in the adult renal (Malpighian) tubule rather than in neuronal tissues. The role Fas2 serves in this epithelium is unknown. Here we show that Fas2 is essential to brush border maintenance in renal tubules of Drosophila. Fas2 is dynamically expressed during tubule morphogenesis, localizing to the brush border whenever the tissue is transport competent. Genetic manipulations of Fas2 expression levels impact on both microvilli length and organization, which in turn dramatically affect stimulated rates of fluid secretion by the tissue. Consequently, we demonstrate a radically different role for this well-known cell adhesion molecule, and propose that Fas2-mediated intermicrovillar homophilic adhesion complexes help stabilize the brush border
An upper limit on the contribution of accreting white dwarfs to the type Ia supernova rate
There is wide agreement that Type Ia supernovae (used as standard candles for
cosmology) are associated with the thermonuclear explosions of white dwarf
stars. The nuclear runaway that leads to the explosion could start in a white
dwarf gradually accumulating matter from a companion star until it reaches the
Chandrasekhar limit, or could be triggered by the merger of two white dwarfs in
a compact binary system. The X-ray signatures of these two possible paths are
very different. Whereas no strong electromagnetic emission is expected in the
merger scenario until shortly before the supernova, the white dwarf accreting
material from the normal star becomes a source of copious X-rays for ~1e7 yr
before the explosion. This offers a means of determining which path dominates.
Here we report that the observed X-ray flux from six nearby elliptical galaxies
and galaxy bulges is a factor of ~30-50 less than predicted in the accretion
scenario, based upon an estimate of the supernova rate from their K-band
luminosities. We conclude that no more than ~5 per cent of Type Ia supernovae
in early type galaxies can be produced by white dwarfs in accreting binary
systems, unless their progenitors are much younger than the bulk of the stellar
population in these galaxies, or explosions of sub-Chandrasekhar white dwarfs
make a significant contribution to the supernova rate.Comment: 10 pages, 1 tabl
UV and X-Ray Monitoring of AG Draconis During the 1994/1995 Outbursts
The recent 1994-1995 active phase of AG Draconis has given us for the first
time the opportunity to follow the full X-ray behaviour of a symbiotic star
during two successive outbursts and to compare with its quiescence X-ray
emission. With \ros observations we have discovered a remarkable decrease of
the X-ray flux during both optical maxima, followed by a gradual recovering to
the pre-outburst flux. In the UV the events were characterized by a large
increase of the emission line and continuum fluxes, comparable to the behaviour
of AG Dra during the 1980-81 active phase. The anticorrelation of X-ray/UV flux
and optical brightness evolution is shown to very likely be due to a
temperature decrease of the hot component. Such a temperature decrease could be
produced by an increased mass transfer to the burning compact object, causing
it to slowly expand to about twice its original size.Comment: 12 pages postscript incl. figures, Proc. of Workshop on Supersoft
X-Ray Sources, to appear in Lecture Notes in Physics vol. 472 (1996
On the formation of neon-enriched donor stars in ultracompact X-ray binaries
We study the formation of neon-enriched donor stars in ultracompact X-ray
binaries (orbital periods P<80 min) and show that their progenitors have to be
low-mass (0.3 - 0.4 solar mass) ``hybrid'' white dwarfs (with CO cores and
thick helium mantles). Stable mass transfer is possible if in the initial
stages of mass exchange mass is lost from the system, taking away the specific
orbital angular momentum of the accretor (``isotropic re-emission''). The
excess of neon in the transferred matter is due to chemical fractionation of
the white dwarf which has to occur prior to the Roche lobe overflow by the
donor. The estimated lower limit of the orbital periods of the systems with
neon-enriched donors is close to 10 min. We show that the X-ray pulsar 4U
1626-67, which likely also has a neon-enriched companion, may have been formed
via accretion induced collapse of an oxygen-neon white dwarf accretor if the
donor was a hybrid white dwarf.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, uses aa.cls 5.1 version class file, accepted for
publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Disc instability in RS Ophiuchi: a path to Type Ia supernovae?
We study the stability of disc accretion in the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi.
We construct a one-dimensional time-dependent model of the binary-disc system,
which includes viscous heating and radiative cooling and a self-consistent
treatment of the binary potential. We find that the extended accretion disc in
this system is always unstable to the thermal-viscous instability, and
undergoes repeated disc outbursts on ~10-20yr time-scales. This is similar to
the recurrence time-scale of observed outbursts in the RS Oph system, but we
show that the disc's accretion luminosity during outburst is insufficient to
explain the observed outbursts. We explore a range of models, and find that in
most cases the accretion rate during outbursts reaches or exceeds the critical
accretion rate for stable nuclear burning on the white dwarf surface.
Consequently we suggest that a surface nuclear burning triggered by disc
instability may be responsible for the observed outbursts. This allows the
white dwarf mass to grow over time, and we suggest that disc instability in RS
Oph and similar systems may represent a path to Type Ia supernovae.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Abundances in intermediate-mass AGB stars undergoing third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning
High dispersion near-infrared spectra have been taken of seven
highly-evolved, variable, intermediate-mass (4-6 Msun) AGB stars in the LMC and
SMC in order to look for C, N and O variations that are expected to arise from
third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning. The pulsation of the objects has been
modelled, yielding stellar masses, and spectral synthesis calculations have
been performed in order to derive abundances from the observed spectra. For two
stars, abundances of C, N, O, Na, Al, Ti, Sc and Fe were derived and compared
with the abundances predicted by detailed AGB models. Both stars show very
large N enhancements and C deficiencies. These results provide the first
observational confirmation of the long-predicted production of primary nitrogen
by the combination of third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning in
intermediate-mass AGB stars. It was not possible to derive abundances for the
remaining five stars: three were too cool to model, while another two had
strong shocks in their atmospheres which caused strong emission to fill the
line cores and made abundance determination impossible. The latter occurrence
allows us to predict the pulsation phase interval during which observations
should be made if successful abundance analysis is to be possible.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
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