197 research outputs found
Hole Transport in Impurity Band and Valence Bands Studied in Moderately Doped GaAs:Mn Single Crystals
We report on simple experiment on temperature-dependent Hall effect
measurements in GaMnAs single crystalline samples with Mn composition estimated
at 0.05-0.3 at.% which is slightly below the onset of ferromagnetism. Impurity
band transport is visible for Mn compositions of ~0.3 at.% as a clear metallic
behaviour. The results show interesting situation that the Metal-Insulator
transition in GaAs:Mn occurs within the impurity band which is separated from
the valence bands for Mn concentrations studied here. We also discuss on the
equilibrium high temperature solubility limit of Mn in GaAs, unknown precisely
in the literature.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, Proc. of 35th International School on the Physics
of Semiconducting Compounds, Jaszowiec 2007, Poland, to appear in Acta
Physica Polonica A (2007
Kepler photometry of RRc stars: peculiar double-mode pulsations and period doubling
We present the analysis of four first overtone RR Lyrae stars observed with the Kepler space telescope, based on data obtained over nearly 2.5 yr. All four stars are found to be multiperiodic.
The strongest secondary mode with frequency f2 has an amplitude of a few mmag, 20–45 times lower than the main radial mode with frequency f1. The two oscillations have a period ratio of P2/P1 = 0.612–0.632 that cannot be reproduced by any two radial modes. Thus, the secondary mode is non-radial. Modes yielding similar period ratios have also recently been discovered in other variables of the RRc and RRd types. These objects form a homogenous group and constitute a new class of multimode RR Lyrae pulsators, analogous to a similar class of multimode classical Cepheids in the Magellanic Clouds. Because a secondary mode with P2/P1 ∼ 0.61 is found in almost every RRc and RRd star observed from space, this form of multiperiodicity must be common. In all four Kepler RRc stars studied, we find subharmonics of f2 at ∼1/2f2 and at ∼3/2f2. This is a signature of period doubling of the secondary oscillation, and is the first detection of period doubling in RRc stars. The amplitudes and phases of f2 and its subharmonics are variable on a time-scale of 10–200 d. The dominant radial mode also shows variations on the same time-scale, but with much smaller amplitude. In three Kepler RRc stars we detect additional periodicities, with amplitudes below 1 mmag, that must correspond to non-radial g-modes. Such modes never before have been observed in RR Lyrae variables
The Extent and Cause of the Pre-White Dwarf Instability Strip
One of the least understood aspects of white dwarf evolution is the process
by which they are formed. We are aided, however, by the fact that many H- and
He-deficient pre-white dwarfs (PWDs) are multiperiodic g-mode pulsators.
Pulsations in PWDs provide a unique opportunity to probe their interiors, which
are otherwise inaccesible to direct observation. Until now, however, the nature
of the pulsation mechanism, the precise boundaries of the instability strip,
and the mass distribution of the PWDs were complete mysteries. These problems
must be addressed before we can apply knowledge of pulsating PWDs to improve
understanding of white dwarf formation. This paper lays the groundwork for
future theoretical investigations of these stars. In recent years, Whole Earth
Telescope observations led to determination of mass and luminosity for the
majority of the (non-central star) PWD pulsators. With these observations, we
identify the common properties and trends PWDs exhibit as a class. We find that
pulsators of low mass have higher luminosity, suggesting the range of
instability is highly mass-dependent. The observed trend of decreasing periods
with decreasing luminosity matches a decrease in the maximum (standing-wave)
g-mode period across the instability strip. We show that the red edge can be
caused by the lengthening of the driving timescale beyond the maximum
sustainable period. This result is general for ionization-based driving
mechanisms, and it explains the mass-dependence of the red edge. The observed
form of the mass-dependence provides a vital starting point for future
theoretical investigations of the driving mechanism. We also show that the blue
edge probably remains undetected because of selection effects arising from
rapid evolution.Comment: 40 pages, 6 figures, accepted by ApJ Oct 27, 199
Multi-Periodic Oscillations in Cepheids and RR Lyrae-Type Stars
Classical Cepheids and RR Lyrae-type stars are usually considered to be
textbook examples of purely radial, strictly periodic pulsators. Not all the
variables, however, conform to this simple picture. In this review I discuss
different forms of multi-periodicity observed in Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars,
including Blazhko effect and various types of radial and nonradial multi-mode
oscillations.Comment: Proceedings of the 20th Stellar Pulsation Conference Series: "Impact
of new instrumentation & new insights in stellar pulsations", 5-9 September
2011, Granada, Spai
Photometry of GSC 762-110, a new triple-mode radially pulsating star
Stars pulsating in three radial modes are very rare; only three examples are
known in the Galaxy. These stars are very useful since their periods may be
measured very precisely, and this will constrain the global stellar parameters
and the models of the star's interior. The purpose of this paper is to present
a new example of the class of triple-mode radial pulsators. A search for
candidate multi-mode pulsators was carried out in public survey data.
Time-series photometry of one of the candidates, GSC 762-110, was performed.
GSC 762-110 was found to be a triple-mode radial pulsator, with a fundamental
period of 0.1945d and period ratios of 0.7641 and 0.8012. In addition two
non-radial modes were found, for which the amplitude has diminished
considerably over the last few years.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
Uncovering hidden modes in RR Lyrae stars
The Kepler space telescope revealed new, unexpected phenomena in RR Lyrae
stars: period doubling and the possible presence of additional modes.
Identifying these modes is complicated because they blend in the rich features
of the Fourier-spectrum. Our hydrodynamic calculations uncovered that a
'hidden' mode, the 9th overtone is involved in the period doubling phenomenon.
The period of the overtone changes by up to 10 per cent compared to the linear
value, indicating a very significant nonlinear period shift caused by its
resonance with the fundamental mode. The observations also revealed weak peaks
that may correspond to the first or second overtones. These additional modes
are often coupled with period doubling. We investigated the possibilities and
occurrences of mutual resonances between the fundamental mode and multiple
overtones in our models. These theoretical findings can help interpreting the
origin and nature of the 'hidden' modes may be found in the high quality light
curves of space observatories.Comment: In proceedings of "20th Stellar Pulsation Conference Series: Impact
of new instrumentation & new insights in stellar pulsations", 5-9 September
2011, Granada, Spai
Variable turbulent convection as the cause of the Blazhko effect - testing the Stothers model
The amplitude and phase modulation observed in a significant fraction of the
RR Lyrae variables - the Blazhko effect - represents a long-standing enigma in
stellar pulsation theory. No satisfactory explanation for the Blazhko effect
has been proposed so far. In this paper we focus on the Stothers (2006) idea,
in which modulation is caused by changes in the structure of the outer
convective zone, caused by a quasi-periodically changing magnetic field.
However, up to this date no quantitative estimates were made to investigate
whether such a mechanism can be operational and whether it is capable of
reproducing the light variation we observe in Blazhko variables. We address the
latter problem. We use a simplified model, in which the variation of turbulent
convection is introduced into the non-linear hydrodynamic models in an ad hoc
way, neglecting interaction with the magnetic field. We study the light curve
variation through the modulation cycle and properties of the resulting
frequency spectra. Our results are compared with Kepler observations of RR Lyr.
We find that reproducing the light curve variation, as is observed in RR Lyr,
requires a huge modulation of the mixing length, of the order of +/-50 per
cent, on a relatively short time-scale of less than 40 days. Even then, we are
not able to reproduce neither all the observed relations between modulation
components present in the frequency spectrum, nor the relations between Fourier
parameters describing the shape of the instantaneous light curves.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS; for
associated animation, see
http://homepage.univie.ac.at/radek.smolec/publications/KASC11a
Discovery of period doubling in BL Herculis stars of the OGLE survey. Observations and theoretical models
We report the discovery of a period doubling behaviour in a 2.4d BL
Herculis-type variable of the Galactic bulge. Another bulge BL Her-type star
(P=2.25d) is a strong period doubling candidate. Both objects have been
identified with the OGLE-III photometry. Possibility of period doubling in this
type of pulsators has been predicted almost twenty years ago by Buchler &
Moskalik. Our finding is the first observational confirmation of their
theoretical results.
Discovery of the first BL Herculis star showing the period doubling effect
motivates a new theoretical investigation with the state-of-the-art convective
pulsation codes. We present the results of initial model survey, specifically
aimed at studying the observed period-doubled BL Her variable. All of our
non-linear models have P=2.4d. The computations confirm that the period
doubling effect is caused by the 3:2 resonance between the fundamental mode and
the first overtone, as indicated by earlier radiative models of Buchler &
Moskalik. Comparison of the computed and the observed light curves allows to
constrain the parameters of the star, in particular its metallicity, which
appears to be high, Z is approximately 0.01. The recent evolutionary tracks put
also constraint on the mass of the star, which is close to M=0.50 solar masses.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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