975 research outputs found
The Missing Luminous Blue Variables and the Bistability Jump
We discuss an interesting feature of the distribution of luminous blue
variables on the H-R diagram, and we propose a connection with the bistability
jump in the winds of early-type supergiants. There appears to be a deficiency
of quiescent LBVs on the S Dor instability strip at luminosities between log
L/Lsun = 5.6 and 5.8. The upper boundary, is also where the
temperature-dependent S Dor instability strip intersects the bistability jump
at about 21,000 K. Due to increased opacity, winds of early-type supergiants
are slower and denser on the cool side of the bistability jump, and we
postulate that this may trigger optically-thick winds that inhibit quiescent
LBVs from residing there. We conduct numerical simulations of radiation-driven
winds for a range of temperatures, masses, and velocity laws at log L/Lsun=5.7
to see what effect the bistability jump should have. We find that for
relatively low stellar masses the increase in wind density at the bistability
jump leads to the formation of a modest to strong pseudo photosphere -- enough
to make an early B-type star appear as a yellow hypergiant. Thus, the proposed
mechanism will be most relevant for LBVs that are post-red supergiants. Yellow
hypergiants like IRC+10420 and rho Cas occupy the same luminosity range as the
``missing'' LBVs, and show apparent temperature variations at constant
luminosity. If these yellow hypergiants do eventually become Wolf-Rayet stars,
we speculate that they may skip the normal LBV phase, at least as far as their
apparent positions on the HR diagram are concerned.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figs, accepted by Ap
Gamma-rays from binary system with energetic pulsar and Be star with aspherical wind: PSR B1259-63/SS2883
At least one massive binary system containing an energetic pulsar, PSR
B1259-63/SS2883, has been recently detected in the TeV gamma-rays by the HESS
telescopes. These gamma-rays are likely produced by particles accelerated in
the vicinity of the pulsar and/or at the pulsar wind shock, in comptonization
of soft radiation from the massive star. However, the process of gamma-ray
production in such systems can be quite complicated due to the anisotropy of
the radiation field, complex structure of the pulsar wind termination shock and
possible absorption of produced gamma-rays which might initiate leptonic
cascades. In this paper we consider in detail all these effects. We calculate
the gamma-ray light curves and spectra for different geometries of the binary
system PSR B1259-63/SS2883 and compare them with the TeV gamma-ray
observations. We conclude that the leptonic IC model, which takes into account
the complex structure of the pulsar wind shock due to the aspherical wind of
the massive star, can explain the details of the observed gamma-ray light
curve.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Low-Mass Pre-Main Sequence Stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud - III: Accretion Rates from HST-WFPC2 Observations
We have measured the present accretion rate of roughly 800 low-mass (~1-1.4
Mo) pre-Main Sequence stars in the field of Supernova 1987A in the Large
Magellanic Cloud (LMC, Z~0.3 Zo). It is the first time that this fundamental
parameter for star formation is determined for low-mass stars outside our
Galaxy. The Balmer continuum emission used to derive the accretion rate
positively correlates with the Halpha excess. Both these phenomena are believed
to originate from accretion from a circumstellar disk so that their
simultaneous detection provides an important confirmation of the pre-Main
Sequence nature of the Halpha and UV excess objects, which are likely to be the
LMC equivalent of Galactic Classical TTauri stars. The stars with statistically
significant excesses are measured to have accretion rates larger than
1.5x10^{-8}Mo/yr at an age of 12-16 Myrs. For comparison, the time scale for
disk dissipation observed in the Galaxy is of the order of 6 Myrs. Moreover,
the oldest Classical TTauri star known in the Milky Way (TW Hydrae, with 10
Myrs of age) has a measured accretion rate of only 5x10^{-10} Mo/yr, ie 30
times less than what we measure for stars at a comparable age in the LMC. Our
findings indicate that metallicity plays a major role in regulating the
formation of low-mass stars.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (10 June 2004),
28 pages, 9 figures. Typo corrected in the abstract on 21 February 200
Polymorphism in the Assembly of Phase-Segregated Block Molecules: Pathway Control to 1D and 2D Nanostructures
Nanomaterials with highly ordered, one- or two-dimensional molecular morphologies have promising properties for adaptive materials. Here, we present the synthesis and structural characterization of dinitrohydrazone (hydz) functionalized oligodimethylsiloxanes (oDMSs) of discrete length, which form both 1- and 2D nanostructures by precisely controlling composition and temperature. The morphologies are highly ordered due to the discrete nature of the siloxane oligomers. Columnar, 1D structures are formed from the melt within a few seconds as a result of phase segregation in combination with π-π stacking of the hydrazones. By tuning the length of the siloxane, the synergy between these interactions is observed which results in a highly temperature sensitive material. Macroscopically, this gives a material that switches reversibly and fast between an ordered, solid and a disordered, liquid state at almost equal temperatures. Ordered, 2D lamellar structures are formed under thermodynamic control by cold crystallization of the hydrazones in the amorphous siloxane bulk via a slow process. We elucidate the 1- and 2D morphologies from the nanometer to molecular level by the combined use of solid state NMR and X-ray scattering. The exact packing of the hydrazone rods within the cylinders and lamellae surrounded the liquid-like siloxane matrix is clarified. These results demonstrate that controlling the assembly pathway in the bulk and with that, tuning the nanostructure dimensions and domain spacings, material properties are altered for applications in nanotechnology or thermoresponsive materials
The Discovery of a P Cygni Analog in M31
We present spectroscopy and discuss the photometric history of a previously
obscure star in M31. The spectrum of the star is an extremely close match to
that of P Cygni, one of the archetypes of Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs). The
star has not shown much variability over the past 40 years ( mag),
although small-scale (0.05 mag) variations over a year appear to be real.
Nevertheless, the presence of a sub-arcsecond extension around the star is
indicative of a past outburst, and from the nebula's size (0.5 pc diameter) we
estimate the outburst took place roughly 2000 yrs ago. P Cygni itself exhibits
a similar photometric behavior, and has a similar nebula (0.2 pc diameter). We
argue that this may be more typical behavior for LBVs than commonly assumed.
The star's location in the HR diagram offers substantial support for stellar
evolutionary models that include the effects of rotation, as the star is just
at a juncture in the evolutionary track of a 85Mo star. The star is likely in a
transition from an O star to a late-type WN Wolf-Rayet.Comment: To appear in ApJ (Letters
Discovery and quantitative spectral analysis of an Ofpe/WN9 (WN11) star in the Sculptor spiral galaxy NGC 300
We have discovered an Ofpe/WN9 (WN11 following Smith et al.) star in the
Sculptor spiral galaxy NGC 300, the first object of this class found outside
the Local Group, during a recent spectroscopic survey of blue supergiant stars
obtained at the ESO VLT. The light curve over a five-month period in late 1999
displays a variability at the 0.1 mag level. The intermediate resolution
spectra (3800-7200 A) show a very close resemblance to the Galactic LBV AG Car
during minimum. We have performed a detailed non-LTE analysis of the stellar
spectrum, and have derived a chemical abundance pattern which includes H, He,
C, N, O, Al, Si and Fe, in addition to the stellar and wind parameters. The
derived stellar properties and the He and N surface enrichments are consistent
with those of other Local Group WN11 stars in the literature, suggesting a
similar quiescent or post-LBV evolutionary status.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journal Letter
Observations of H3+ in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium
Surprisingly large column densities of H3+ have been detected using infrared
absorption spectroscopy in seven diffuse cloud sightlines (Cygnus OB2 12,
Cygnus OB2 5, HD 183143, HD 20041, WR 104, WR 118, and WR 121), demonstrating
that H3+ is ubiquitous in the diffuse interstellar medium. Using the standard
model of diffuse cloud chemistry, our H3+ column densities imply unreasonably
long path lengths (~1 kpc) and low densities (~3 cm^-3). Complimentary
millimeter-wave, infrared, and visible observations of related species suggest
that the chemical model is incorrect and that the number density of H3+ must be
increased by one to two orders of magnitude. Possible solutions include a
reduced electron fraction, an enhanced rate of H2 ionization, and/or a smaller
value of the H3+ dissociative recombination rate constant than implied by
laboratory experiments.Comment: To be published in Astrophysical Journal, March 200
Stellar winds from Massive Stars
We review the various techniques through which wind properties of massive
stars - O stars, AB supergiants, Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs), Wolf-Rayet
(WR) stars and cool supergiants - are derived. The wind momentum-luminosity
relation (e.g. Kudritzki et al. 1999) provides a method of predicting mass-loss
rates of O stars and blue supergiants which is superior to previous
parameterizations. Assuming the theoretical sqrt(Z) metallicity dependence,
Magellanic Cloud O star mass-loss rates are typically matched to within a
factor of two for various calibrations. Stellar winds from LBVs are typically
denser and slower than equivalent B supergiants, with exceptional mass-loss
rates during giant eruptions Mdot=10^-3 .. 10^-1 Mo/yr (Drissen et al. 2001).
Recent mass-loss rates for Galactic WR stars indicate a downward revision of
2-4 relative to previous calibrations due to clumping (e.g. Schmutz 1997),
although evidence for a metallicity dependence remains inconclusive (Crowther
2000). Mass-loss properties of luminous (> 10^5 Lo) yellow and red supergiants
from alternative techniques remain highly contradictory. Recent Galactic and
LMC results for RSG reveal a large scatter such that typical mass-loss rates
lie in the range 10^-6 .. 10^-4 Mo/yr, with a few cases exhibiting 10^-3 Mo/yr.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, Review paper to appear in Proc `The influence of
binaries on stellar population studies', Brussels, Aug 2000 (D. Vanbeveren
ed.), Kluwe
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