52 research outputs found
Binaries with total eclipses in the LMC: potential targets for spectroscopy
35 Eclipsing binaries presenting unambiguous total eclipses were selected
from a subsample of the list of Wyrzykowski et al. (2003). The photometric
elements are given for the I curve in DiA photometry, as well as approximate
Teff and masses of the components. The interest of these systems is stressed in
view of future spectroscopic observations.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; poster presented at the conference "Close binaries
in the 21st Century: new opportunities and challenges", Syros, 27-30 June
200
EC 11481-2303 - A Peculiar Subdwarf OB Star Revisited
EC 11481-2303 is a peculiar, hot, high-gravity pre-white dwarf. Previous
optical spectroscopy revealed that it is a sdOB star with an effective
temperature (Teff) of 41790 K, a surface gravity log(g)= 5.84, and He/H = 0.014
by number. We present an on-going spectral analysis by means of non-LTE
model-atmosphere techniques based on high-resolution, high-S/N optical
(VLT-UVES) and ultraviolet (FUSE, IUE) observations. We are able to reproduce
the optical and UV observations simultaneously with a chemically homogeneous
NLTE model atmosphere with a significantly higher effective temperature and
lower He abundance (Teff = 55000 K, log (g) = 5.8, and He / H = 0.0025 by
number). While C, N, and O appear less than 0.15 times solar, the iron-group
abundance is strongly enhanced by at least a factor of ten.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figure
The Relation between the Radial Temperature Profile in the Chromosphere and the Solar Spectrum at Centimeter, Millimeter, Sub-millimeter, and Infrared Wavelengths
Solar observations from millimeter to ultraviolet wavelengths show that there
is a temperature minimum between photosphere and chromosphere. Analysis based
on semi-empirical models locate this point at about 500 km over the
photosphere. The consistency of these models has been tested by means of
millimeter to infrared observations.
In the present work, we show that variations of the theoretical radial
temperature profile near the temperature minimum impacts the brightness
temperature at centimeter, submillimeter, and infrared wavelengths, but the
millimeter wavelength emission remains unchanged. We found a region between 500
and 1000 km over the photosphere that remains hidden to observations at the
frequencies under study in this work.Comment: Accepted in Solar Physic
Spectroscopy of high proper motion stars in the ground--based UV
Based on high quality spectral data (spectral resolution R>60000) within the
wavelength range of 3550-5000 AA we determined main parameters (effective
temperature, surface gravity, microturbulent velocity, and chemical element
abundances including heavy metals from Sr to Dy) for 14 metal-deficient G-K
stars with large proper motions. The stars we studied have a wide range of
metallicity: [Fe/H]=-0.3 \div -2.9. Abundances of Mg, Al, Sr and Ba were
calculated with non-LTE line-formation effects accounted for. Abundances both
of the radioactive element Th and r-process element Eu were determined using
synthetic spectrum calculations. We selected stars that belong to different
galactic populations according to the kinematical criterion and parameters
determined by us. We found that the studied stars with large proper motions
refer to different components of the Galaxy: thin, thick disks and halo. The
chemical composition of the star BD+80 245 located far from the galactic plane
agrees with its belonging to the accreted halo. For the giant HD115444 we
obtained [Fe/H]=-2.91, underabundance of Mn, overabundance of heavy metals from
Ba to Dy, and, especially high excess of the r-process element Europium:
[Eu/Fe]=+1.26. Contrary to its chemical composition typical for halo stars,
HD115444 belongs to the disc population according to its kinematic parameters.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables, "UV Universe-2010 (2nd NUVA Symposium)
conference
The Atomic Physics Underlying the Spectroscopic Analysis of Massive Stars and Supernovae
We have developed a radiative transfer code, CMFGEN, which allows us to model
the spectra of massive stars and supernovae. Using CMFGEN we can derive
fundamental parameters such as effective temperatures and surface gravities,
derive abundances, and place constraints on stellar wind properties. The last
of these is important since all massive stars are losing mass via a stellar
wind that is driven from the star by radiation pressure, and this mass loss can
substantially influence the spectral appearance and evolution of the star.
Recently we have extended CMFGEN to allow us to undertake time-dependent
radiative transfer calculations of supernovae. Such calculations will be used
to place constraints on the supernova progenitor, to place constraints on the
supernova explosion and nucleosynthesis, and to derive distances using a
physical approach called the "Expanding Photosphere Method". We describe the
assumptions underlying the code and the atomic processes involved. A crucial
ingredient in the code is the atomic data. For the modeling we require accurate
transition wavelengths, oscillator strengths, photoionization cross-sections,
collision strengths, autoionization rates, and charge exchange rates for
virtually all species up to, and including, cobalt. Presently, the available
atomic data varies substantially in both quantity and quality.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space
Scienc
Transiting Exoplanets with JWST
The era of exoplanet characterization is upon us. For a subset of exoplanets
-- the transiting planets -- physical properties can be measured, including
mass, radius, and atmosphere characteristics. Indeed, measuring the atmospheres
of a further subset of transiting planets, the hot Jupiters, is now routine
with the Spitzer Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will
continue Spitzer's legacy with its large mirror size and precise thermal
stability. JWST is poised for the significant achievement of identifying
habitable planets around bright M through G stars--rocky planets lacking
extensive gas envelopes, with water vapor and signs of chemical disequilibrium
in their atmospheres. Favorable transiting planet systems, are, however,
anticipated to be rare and their atmosphere observations will require tens to
hundreds of hours of JWST time per planet. We review what is known about the
physical characteristics of transiting planets, summarize lessons learned from
Spitzer high-contrast exoplanet measurements, and give several examples of
potential JWST observations.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures. In press in "Astrophysics in the Next Decade:
JWST and Concurrent Facilities, Astrophysics & Space Science Library,
Thronson, H. A., Tielens, A., Stiavelli, M., eds., Springer: Dordrecht
(2008)." The original publication will be available at
http://www.springerlink.co
A Method For Eclipsing Component Identification In Large Photometric Datasets
We describe an automated method for assigning the most likely physical
parameters to the components of an eclipsing binary (EB), using only its
photometric light curve and combined color. In traditional methods (e.g. WD and
EBOP) one attempts to optimize a multi-parameter model over many iterations, so
as to minimize the chi-squared value. We suggest an alternative method, where
one selects pairs of coeval stars from a set of theoretical stellar models, and
compares their simulated light curves and combined colors with the
observations. This approach greatly reduces the EB parameter-space over which
one needs to search, and allows one to determine the components' masses, radii
and absolute magnitudes, without spectroscopic data. We have implemented this
method in an automated program using published theoretical isochrones and
limb-darkening coefficients. Since it is easy to automate, this method lends
itself to systematic analyses of datasets consisting of photometric time series
of large numbers of stars, such as those produced by OGLE, MACHO, TrES, HAT,
and many others surveys.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. To appear in the conference proceedings of "Close
Binaries in the 21st Century: New Opportunities and Challenges", Syros,
Greece, 27-30 June, 200
ASTEC -- the Aarhus STellar Evolution Code
The Aarhus code is the result of a long development, starting in 1974, and
still ongoing. A novel feature is the integration of the computation of
adiabatic oscillations for specified models as part of the code. It offers
substantial flexibility in terms of microphysics and has been carefully tested
for the computation of solar models. However, considerable development is still
required in the treatment of nuclear reactions, diffusion and convective
mixing.Comment: Astrophys. Space Sci, in the pres
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