4,022 research outputs found
On the robustness of H-deficient post-AGB tracks
We analyze the robustness of H--deficient post--AGB tracks regarding previous
evolution of their progenitor stars and the constitutive physics of the
remnants. Our motivation is a recent suggestion of Werner & Herwig (2006) that
previous evolution should be important in shaping the final post--AGB track and
the persisting discrepancy between asteroseismological and spectroscopical mass
determinations. This work is thus complementary to our previous work (Miller
Bertolami & Althaus 2006) and intends to shed some light on the uncertainty
behind the evolutionary tracks presented there. We compute full evolutionary
models for PG1159 stars taking into account different extramixing
(overshooting) efficiencies and lifetimes on the TP-AGB during the progenitor
evolution. We also assess the effect of possible differences in the opacities
and equation of state by artificially changing them before the PG1159 stage.
Also comparisons are made with the few H-deficient post--AGB tracks available
in the literature. Contrary to our expectations, we found that previous
evolution is not a main factor in shaping H--deficient post--AGB tracks.
Interestingly enough, we find that only an increase of in the
intershell opacities at high effective temperatures may affect the tracks as to
reconcile spectroscopic and asteroseismologic mass determinations. This forces
us to conclude that our previous tracks (Miller Bertolami & Althaus 2006) are
robust enough as to be used for spectroscopic mass determinations, unless
opacities in the intershell region are substantially different. Our results,
then, call for an analysis of possible systematics in the usually adopted
asteroseismological mass determination methods.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysc
The born again (VLTP) scenario revisited: The mass of the remnants and implications for V4334 Sgr
We present 1-D numerical simulations of the very late thermal pulse
(VLTP) scenario for a wide range of remnant masses. We show that by taking
into account the different possible remnant masses, the observed evolution of
V4334 Sgr (a.k.a. Sakurai's Object) can be reproduced within the standard
1D-MLT stellar evolutionary models without the inclusion of any
reduced mixing efficiency. Our simulations hint at a consistent picture with
present observations of V4334 Sgr. From energetics, and within the standard MLT
approach, we show that low mass remnants \hbox{(\msun)} are
expected to behave markedly different than higher mass remnants
\hbox{(\msun)} in the sense that the latter are not expected to
expand significantly as a result of the violent H-burning that takes place
during the VLTP. We also assess the discrepancy in the born again times
obtained by different authors by comparing the energy that can be liberated by
H-burning during the VLTP event.Comment: Submitted to MNRAS. In includes an appendix regarding the treatment
of reduced convective motions within the Mixing Length Theor
Functional requirements for onboard management of space shuttle consumables, volume 1
A study was conducted to determine the functional requirements for onboard management of space shuttle consumables. A generalized consumable management concept was developed for application to advanced spacecraft. The subsystems and related consumables selected for inclusion in the consumables management system are: (1) propulsion, (2) power generation, and (3) environmental and life support
SYGMA: Stellar Yields for Galactic Modeling Applications
The stellar yields for galactic modeling applications (SYGMA) code is an
open-source module that models the chemical ejecta and feedback of simple
stellar populations (SSPs). It is intended for use in hydrodynamical
simulations and semi-analytic models of galactic chemical evolution. The module
includes the enrichment from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, massive
stars, SNIa and neutron-star mergers. An extensive and extendable stellar
yields library includes the NuGrid yields with all elements and many isotopes
up to Bi. Stellar feedback from mechanic and frequency-dependent radiative
luminosities are computed based on NuGrid stellar models and their synthetic
spectra. The module further allows for customizable initial-mass functions and
supernova Ia (SNIa) delay-time distributions to calculate time-dependent ejecta
based on stellar yield input. A variety of r-process sites can be included. A
comparison of SSP ejecta based on NuGrid yields with those from Portinari et
al. (1998) and Marigo (2001) reveals up to a factor of 3.5 and 4.8 less C and N
enrichment from AGB stars at low metallicity, a result we attribute to NuGrid's
modeling of hot-bottom burning. Different core-collapse supernova explosion and
fallback prescriptions may lead to substantial variations for the accumulated
ejecta of C, O and Si in the first at . An online
interface of the open-source SYGMA module enables interactive simulations,
analysis and data extraction of the evolution of all species formed by the
evolution of simple stellar populations.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, published in ApJ
Convective-reactive proton-C12 combustion in Sakurai's object (V4334 Sagittarii) and implications for the evolution and yields from the first generations of stars
Depending on mass and metallicity as well as evolutionary phase, stars
occasionally experience convective-reactive nucleosynthesis episodes. We
specifically investigate the situation when nucleosynthetically unprocessed,
H-rich material is convectively mixed with a He-burning zone, for example in
convectively unstable shell on top of electron-degenerate cores in AGB stars,
young white dwarfs or X-ray bursting neutron stars. Such episodes are
frequently encountered in stellar evolution models of stars of extremely low or
zero metal content [...] We focus on the convective-reactive episode in the
very-late thermal pulse star Sakurai's object (V4334 Sagittarii). Asplund etal.
(1999) determined the abundances of 28 elements, many of which are highly
non-solar, ranging from H, He and Li all the way to Ba and La, plus the C
isotopic ratio. Our simulations show that the mixing evolution according to
standard, one-dimensional stellar evolution models implies neutron densities in
the He that are too low to obtain a significant neutron capture nucleosynthesis
on the heavy elements. We have carried out 3D hydrodynamic He-shell flash
convection [...] we assume that the ingestion process of H into the He-shell
convection zone leads only after some delay time to a sufficient entropy
barrier that splits the convection zone [...] we obtain significantly higher
neutron densities (~few 10^15 1/cm^3) and reproduce the key observed abundance
trends found in Sakurai's object. These include an overproduction of Rb, Sr and
Y by about 2 orders of magnitude higher than the overproduction of Ba and La.
Such a peculiar nucleosynthesis signature is impossible to obtain with the
mixing predictions in our one-dimensional stellar evolution models. [...] We
determine how our results depend on uncertainties of nuclear reaction rates,
for example for the C13(\alpha, n)O16 reaction.Comment: ApJ in press, this revision contains several changes that improve
clarity of presentation reflecting the suggestions made by the referee; this
version represents no change in substance compared to version 1; some
technical material has been moved to an appendix; an additional appendix
deals in more detail with the combustion time scales; this version is
practically identical to the ApJ versio
Mass Loss Evolution and the Formation of Detached Shells around TP-AGB Stars
The origin of the so called 'detached shells' around AGB stars is not fully
understood, but two common hypotheses state that these shells form either
through the interaction of distinct wind phases or an eruptive mass loss
associated with a He-shell flash. We present a model of the formation of
detached shells around thermal pulse asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars,
based on detailed modelling of mass loss and stellar evolution, leading to a
combination of eruptive mass loss and wind interaction.
The purpose of this paper is first of all to connect stellar evolution with
wind and mass loss evolution and demonstrate its consistency with observations,
but also to show how thin detached shells around TP-AGB stars can be formed.
Previous attempts to link mass loss evolution with the formation of detached
shells were based on approximate prescriptions for the mass loss and have not
included detailed modelling of the wind formation as we do here. (abridged)Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
The Dogma of the Battle of Annihilation: The Theories of Clausewitz and Schlieffen and Their Impact on the German Conduct of Two World Wars
Simulation of Cosmic Ray neutrinos Interactions in Water
The program CORSIKA, usually used to simulate extensive cosmic ray air
showers, has been adapted to a water medium in order to study the acoustic
detection of ultra high energy neutrinos. Showers in water from incident
protons and from neutrinos have been generated and their properties are
described. The results obtained from CORSIKA are compared to those from other
available simulation programs such as Geant4.Comment: Talk presented on behalf of the ACoRNE Collaboration at the ARENA
Workshop 200
Uncertainties in Galactic Chemical Evolution Models
We use a simple one-zone galactic chemical evolution model to quantify the uncertainties generated by the input parameters in numerical predictions for a galaxy with properties similar to those of the Milky Way. We compiled several studies from the literature to gather the current constraints for our simulations regarding the typical value and uncertainty of the following seven basic parameters: the lower and upper mass limits of the stellar initial mass function (IMF), the slope of the high-mass end of the stellar IMF, the slope of the delay-time distribution function of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), the number of SNe Ia per M ⊙ formed, the total stellar mass formed, and the final mass of gas. We derived a probability distribution function to express the range of likely values for every parameter, which were then included in a Monte Carlo code to run several hundred simulations with randomly selected input parameters. This approach enables us to analyze the predicted chemical evolution of 16 elements in a statistical manner by identifying the most probable solutions, along with their 68% and 95% confidence levels. Our results show that the overall uncertainties are shaped by several input parameters that individually contribute at different metallicities, and thus at different galactic ages. The level of uncertainty then depends on the metallicity and is different from one element to another. Among the seven input parameters considered in this work, the slope of the IMF and the number of SNe Ia are currently the two main sources of uncertainty. The thicknesses of the uncertainty bands bounded by the 68% and 95% confidence levels are generally within 0.3 and 0.6 dex, respectively. When looking at the evolution of individual elements as a function of galactic age instead of metallicity, those same thicknesses range from 0.1 to 0.6 dex for the 68% confidence levels and from 0.3 to 1.0 dex for the 95% confidence levels. The uncertainty in our chemical evolution model does not include uncertainties relating to stellar yields, star formation and merger histories, and modeling assumptions
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