230 research outputs found
Temperature and gravity of the pulsating extreme helium star LSS 3184 (BX Cir) through its pulsation cycle
We report the analysis of optical spectra of the extreme helium star LSS 3184
(BX Cir) to determine its effective temperature and gravity throughout its
pulsation cycle. The spectra were also used to measure its chemical abundances.
We report rest gravity, log g = 3.38 +/- 0.02, and a chemical abundance
mixture consistent with those reported earlier in a study using an optical
spectrum with lower spectral resolution and a lower signal to noise ratio. Our
analysis decreases the upper limit for the H abundance to H < 6.0 (mass
fraction < 7.1 x 10^-7). Our gravity corresponds to stellar mass M = 0.47 +/-
0.03 M_sun.
We find that the effective log g varies through the pulsation cycle with an
amplitude of 0.28 dex. The effective gravity is smaller than the rest gravity
except when the star is very near its minimum radius. The change in effective
gravity is primarily caused by acceleration of the stellar surface.
Based on the optical spectra, we find the temperature varies with an
amplitude of 3450 K. We find a time averaged mean temperature, 23390 +/- 90 K,
consistent with that found in the earlier optical spectrum study. The mean
temperature is 1750 K hotter than that found using combined ultraviolet spectra
and V and R photometry and the variation amplitude is larger. This discrepancy
is similar to that found for the extreme helium star V652 Her.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, LaTeX, to be published in A&
Hard X-ray flares in IGR J08408-4503 unveil clumpy stellar winds
Context : A 1000-s flare from a new hard X-ray transient, IGR J08408-4503,
was observed by INTEGRAL on May 15, 2006 during the real-time routine
monitoring of IBIS/ISGRI images performed at the INTEGRAL Science Data Centre.
The flare, detected during a single one-hour long pointing, peaked at 250 mCrab
in the 20-40 keV energy range.
Aims : Multi-wavelength observations, combining high-energy and optical data,
were used to unveil the nature of IGR J08408-4503.
Methods : A search in all INTEGRAL public data for other bursts from IGR
J08408-4503 was performed, and the detailed analysis of another major flare is
presented. The results of two Swift Target of Opportunity observations are also
described. Finally, a study of the likely optical counterpart, HD 74194, is
provided.
Results : IGR J08408-4503 is very likely a supergiant fast X-ray transient
(SFXT) system. The system parameters indicate that the X-ray flares are
probably related to the accretion of wind clumps on a compact object orbiting
about 1E13 cm from the supergiant HD 74194. The clump mass loss rate is of the
order of 1E-6 solar mass/yr.
Conclusions : Hard X-ray flares from SFXTs allow to probe the stellar winds
of massive stars, and could possibly be associated with wind perturbations due
to line-driven instabilities.Comment: 5 pages with 5 figures. Published as a Letter in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Discovery of New, Dust-Poor B[e] Supergiants in the Small Magellanic Cloud
We present the discovery of three new B[e] supergiants (sgB[e] stars) in the
Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). All three stars (R15, R38, and R48) were
identified in the course of our Runaways and Isolated O Type Star Spectroscopic
Survey of the SMC (RIOTS4). The stars show optical spectra that closely
resemble those of previously known B[e] stars, presenting numerous
low-ionization forbidden and permitted emission lines such as [Fe II] and Fe
II. Furthermore, our stars have luminosities of log(L/L_sun) > 4, demonstrating
that they are supergiants. However, we find lower infrared excesses and weaker
forbidden emission lines than for previously identified B[e] supergiants. Thus
our stars appear to either have less material in their circumstellar disks than
other sgB[e] stars, or the circumstellar material has lower dust content. We
suggest that these may constitute a new subclass of dust-poor sgB[e] stars.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted to Ap
Cool bottom processes on the thermally-pulsing AGB and the isotopic composition of circumstellar dust grains
(Abridged) We examine the effects of cool bottom processing (CBP) on several
isotopic ratios in the convective envelope during the TP-AGB phase of evolution
in a 1.5 M_sun initial-mass star of solar initial composition. We use a
parametric model which treats extra mixing by introducing mass flow between the
convective envelope and the underlying radiative zone. The parameters of this
model are the mass circulation rate (Mdot) and the maximum temperature (T_P)
experienced by the circulating material. The effects of nuclear reactions in
the flowing matter were calculated using a set of structures of the radiative
zone selected from a complete stellar evolution calculation. The compositions
of the flowing material were obtained and the resulting changes in the envelope
determined. Abundant ^26Al was produced by CBP for log T_P > 7.65. While
^26Al/^27Al depends on T_P, the isotopic ratios in CNO elements depend
dominantly on the circulation rate. The correspondence is shown between models
of CBP as parameterized by a diffusion formalism within the stellar evolution
model and those using the mass-flow formalism employed here. The isotopic
ratios are compared with the data on circumstellar dust grains. It is found
that the ratios ^{18}O/^{16}O, ^{17}O/^{16}O, and ^26Al/^27Al observed for
oxide grains formed at C/O < 1 are reasonably well-understood. However, the
^15N/^14N, ^12C/^13C, and ^26Al/^27Al in carbide grains (C/O > 1) require many
stellar sources with ^14N/^15N at least a factor of 4 below solar. The rare
grains with ^12C/^13C < 10 cannot be produced by any red-giant or AGB source.Comment: 35 pages, plus 18 included figures. Scheduled for January 10, 2003
issue of Ap
Spectral energy distribution of the gamma-ray microquasar LS 5039
The microquasar LS 5039 has recently been detected as a source of very high
energy (VHE) -rays. This detection, that confirms the previously
proposed association of LS 5039 with the EGRET source 3EG~J18241514, makes
of LS 5039 a special system with observational data covering nearly all the
electromagnetic spectrum. In order to reproduce the observed spectrum of LS
5039, from radio to VHE -rays, we have applied a cold matter dominated
jet model that takes into account accretion variability, the jet magnetic
field, particle acceleration, adiabatic and radiative losses, microscopic
energy conservation in the jet, and pair creation and absorption due to the
external photon fields, as well as the emission from the first generation of
secondaries. The radiative processes taken into account are synchrotron,
relativistic Bremsstrahlung and inverse Compton (IC). The model is based on a
scenario that has been characterized with recent observational results,
concerning the orbital parameters, the orbital variability at X-rays and the
nature of the compact object. The computed spectral energy distribution (SED)
shows a good agreement with the available observational data.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, submitted to A&A, revised vesion accounting for
referee comments, small improvements of the results due to better
calculation
The Stability of the Suggested Planet in the nu Octantis System: A Numerical and Statistical Study
We provide a detailed theoretical study aimed at the observational finding
about the nu Octantis binary system that indicates the possible existence of a
Jupiter-type planet in this system. If a prograde planetary orbit is assumed,
it has earlier been argued that the planet, if existing, should be located
outside the zone of orbital stability. However, a previous study by Eberle &
Cuntz (2010) [ApJ 721, L168] concludes that the planet is most likely stable if
assumed to be in a retrograde orbit with respect to the secondary system
component. In the present work, we significantly augment this study by taking
into account the observationally deduced uncertainty ranges of the orbital
parameters for the stellar components and the suggested planet. Furthermore,
our study employs additional mathematical methods, which include monitoring the
Jacobi constant, the zero velocity function, and the maximum Lyapunov exponent.
We again find that the suggested planet is indeed possible if assumed to be in
a retrograde orbit, but it is virtually impossible if assumed in a prograde
orbit. Its existence is found to be consistent with the deduced system
parameters of the binary components and of the suggested planet, including the
associated uncertainty bars given by observations.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables; Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society (in press
The Wunstorf Drilling Project: Coring a Global Stratigraphic Reference Section of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2
No abstract available.
<br><br>
doi:<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2204/iodp.sd.4.05.2007" target="_blank">10.2204/iodp.sd.4.05.2007</a
An analysis of ultraviolet spectra of Extreme Helium Stars and new clues to their origins
Abundances of about 18 elements including the heavy elements Y and Zr are
determined from Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph
ultraviolet spectra of seven extreme helium stars (EHes): LSE 78, BD+10 2179,
V1920 Cyg, HD 124448, PV Tel, LS IV -1 2, and FQ Aqr. New optical spectra of
the three stars -- BD+10 2179, V1920 Cyg, and HD 124448 were analysed. The
abundance analyses is done using LTE line formation and LTE model atmospheres
especially constructed for these EHe stars. The stellar parameters derived from
an EHe's UV spectrum are in satisfactory agreement with those derived from its
optical spectrum. Adopted abundances for the seven EHes are from a combination
of the UV and optical analyses. Published results for an additional ten EHes
provide abundances obtained in a nearly uniform manner for a total of 17 EHes,
the largest sample on record. The initial metallicity of an EHe is indicated by
the abundance of elements from Al to Ni; Fe is adopted to be the representative
of initial metallicity. Iron abundances range from approximately solar to about
one-hundredth of solar. Clues to EHe evolution are contained within the H, He,
C, N, O, Y, and Zr abundances. Two novel results are (i) the O abundance for
some stars is close to the predicted initial abundance yet the N abundance
indicates almost complete conversion of initial C, N, and O to N by the
CNO-cycles; (ii) three of the seven stars with UV spectra show a strong
enhancement of Y and Zr attributable to an s-process. The observed compositions
are discussed in light of expectations from accretion of a He white dwarf by a
CO white dwarf.Comment: 126 pages, 15 figures, 20 Tables, accepted for publication in the Ap
Identification of blue high proper motion objects in the Tycho-2 and 2MASS catalogues using Virtual Observatory tools
With available Virtual Observatory tools, we looked for new bright blue high
proper motion objects in the entire sky: white dwarfs, hot subdwarfs, runaway
OB stars, and early-type stars in nearby young moving groups. We performed an
all-sky cross-match between the optical Tycho-2 and near-infrared 2MASS
catalogues with Aladin, and selected objects with proper motions >50mas/yr and
colours Vt-Ks<-0.5mag with TOPCAT. We also collected multi-wavelength
photometry, constructed the spectral energy distributions and estimated
effective temperatures from fits to atmospheric models with VOSA for the most
interesting targets. We assembled a sample of 32 bright blue high proper motion
objects, including ten sdO/B subdwarfs, nine DA white dwarfs, five young
early-type stars (two of which are runaway stars), two blue horizontal branch
stars, one star with poor information, and five objects reported for the first
time in this work. These last five objects have magnitudes Bt~11.0-11.6mag,
effective temperatures ~24,000-30,000K, and are located in the region of known
white dwarfs and hot subdwarfs in a reduced proper motion-colour diagram. We
confirmed the hot subdwarf nature of one of the new objects, Albus 5, with
public far-ultraviolet spectroscopic data obtained with FUSE.Comment: Published in Astronomy & Astrophysic
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