Physics of rotation in stellar models

In these lecture notes, we present the equations presently used in stellar interior models in order to compute the effects of axial rotation. We discuss the hypotheses made. We suggest that the effects of rotation might play a key role at low metallicity.Comment: 32 pages, 7 figures, lectures, CNRS school, will be published by Springe

A model of transport nonuniversality in thick-film resistors

We propose a model of transport in thick-film resistors which naturally explains the observed nonuniversal values of the conductance exponent t extracted in the vicinity of the percolation transition. Essential ingredients of the model are the segregated microstructure typical of thick-film resistors and tunneling between the conducting grains. Nonuniversality sets in as consequence of wide distribution of interparticle tunneling distances.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figur

High Energy neutrino signals from the Epoch of Reionization

We perform a new estimate of the high energy neutrinos expected from GRBs associated with the first generation of stars in light of new models and constraints on the epoch of reionization and a more detailed evaluation of the neutrino emission yields. We also compare the diffuse high energy neutrino background from Population III stars with the one from "ordinary stars" (Population II), as estimated consistently within the same cosmological and astrophysical assumptions. In disagreement with previous literature, we find that high energy neutrinos from Population III stars will not be observable with current or near future neutrino telescopes, falling below both IceCube sensitivity and atmospheric neutrino background under the most extreme assumptions for the GRB rate. This rules them out as a viable diagnostic tool for these still elusive metal-free stars.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

Massive star evolution in close binaries:conditions for homogeneous chemical evolution

We investigate the impact of tidal interactions, before any mass transfer, on various properties of the stellar models. We study the conditions for obtaining homogeneous evolution triggered by tidal interactions, and for avoiding any Roche lobe overflow during the Main-Sequence phase. We consider the case of rotating stars computed with a strong coupling mediated by an interior magnetic field. In models without any tidal interaction (single stars and wide binaries), homogeneous evolution in solid body rotating models is obtained when two conditions are realized: the initial rotation must be high enough, the loss of angular momentum by stellar winds should be modest. This last point favors metal-poor fast rotating stars. In models with tidal interactions, homogeneous evolution is obtained when rotation imposed by synchronization is high enough (typically a time-averaged surface velocities during the Main-Sequence phase above 250 km s$^{-1}$), whatever the mass losses. In close binaries, mixing is stronger at higher than at lower metallicities. Homogeneous evolution is thus favored at higher metallicities. Roche lobe overflow avoidance is favored at lower metallicities due to the fact that stars with less metals remain more compact. We study also the impact of different processes for the angular momentum transport on the surface abundances and velocities in single and close binaries. In models where strong internal coupling is assumed, strong surface enrichments are always associated to high surface velocities in binary or single star models. In contrast, models computed with mild coupling may produce strong surface enrichments associated to low surface velocities. Close binary models may be of interest for explaining homogeneous massive stars, fast rotating Wolf-Rayet stars, and progenitors of long soft gamma ray bursts, even at high metallicities.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Diagnoses to unravel secular hydrodynamical processes in rotating main sequence stars

(Abridged) We present a detailed analysis of the main physical processes responsible for the transport of angular momentum and chemical species in the radiative regions of rotating stars. We focus on cases where meridional circulation and shear-induced turbulence only are included in the simulations. Our analysis is based on a 2-D representation of the secular hydrodynamics, which is treated using expansions in spherical harmonics. We present a full reconstruction of the meridional circulation and of the associated fluctuations of temperature and mean molecular weight along with diagnosis for the transport of angular momentum, heat and chemicals. In the present paper these tools are used to validate the analysis of two main sequence stellar models of 1.5 and 20 Msun for which the hydrodynamics has been previously extensively studied in the literature. We obtain a clear visualization and a precise estimation of the different terms entering the angular momentum and heat transport equations in radiative zones. This enables us to corroborate the main results obtained over the past decade by Zahn, Maeder, and collaborators concerning the secular hydrodynamics of such objects. We focus on the meridional circulation driven by angular momentum losses and structural readjustements. We confirm quantitatively for the first time through detailed computations and separation of the various components that the advection of entropy by this circulation is very well balanced by the barotropic effects and the thermal relaxation during most of the main sequence evolution. This enables us to derive simplifications for the thermal relaxation on this phase. The meridional currents in turn advect heat and generate temperature fluctuations that induce differential rotation through thermal wind thus closing the transport loop.Comment: 16 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

Abundances of Baade's Window Giants from Keck/HIRES Spectra: II. The Alpha- and Light Odd Elements

We report detailed chemical abundance analysis of 27 RGB stars towards the Galactic bulge in Baade's Window for elements produced by massive stars: O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca and Ti. All of these elements are overabundant in the bulge relative to the disk, especially Mg, indicating that the bulge is enhanced in Type~II supernova ejecta and most likely formed more rapidly than the disk. We attribute a rapid decline of [O/Fe] to metallicity-dependent yields of oxygen in massive stars, perhaps connected to the Wolf-Reyet phenomenon. he explosive nucleosynthesis alphas, Si, Ca and Ti, possess identical trends with [Fe/H], consistent with their putative common origin. We note that different behaviors of hydrostatic and explosive alpha elements can be seen in the stellar abundances of stars in Local Group dwarf galaxies. We also attribute the decline of Si,Ca and Ti relative to Mg, to metallicity- dependent yields for the explosive alpha elements from Type~II supernovae. The starkly smaller scatter of [/Fe] with [Fe/H] in the bulge, as compared to the halo, is consistent with expected efficient mixing for the bulge. The metal-poor bulge [/Fe] ratios are higher than ~80% of the halo. If the bulge formed from halo gas, the event occured before ~80% of the present-day halo was formed. The lack of overlap between the thick and thin disk composition with the bulge does not support the idea that the bulge was built by a thickening of the disk driven by the bar. The trend of [Al/Fe] is very sensitive to the chemical evolution environment. A comparison of the bulge, disk and Sgr dSph galaxy shows a range of ~0.7 dex in [Al/Fe] at a given [Fe/H], presumably due to a range of Type~II/Type~Ia supernova ratios in these systems.Comment: 51 pages, 6 tables, 27 figures, submitte

Impact of rotation and disc lifetime on pre-main sequence lithium depletion of solar-type stars

Aims: We study the influence of rotation and disc lifetime on lithium depletion of pre-main sequence (PMS) solar-type stars. Methods: The impact of rotational mixing and of the hydrostatic effects of rotation on lithium abundances are investigated by computing non-rotating and rotating PMS models that include a comprehensive treatment of shellular rotation. The influence of the disc lifetime is then studied by comparing the lithium content of PMS rotating models experiencing different durations of the disc-locking phase between 3 and 9 Myr. Results: The surface lithium abundance at the end of the PMS is decreased when rotational effects are included. During the beginning of the lithium depletion phase, only hydrostatic effects of rotation are at work. This results in a decrease in the lithium depletion rate for rotating models compared to non-rotating ones. When the convective envelope recedes from the stellar centre, rotational mixing begins to play an important role due to differential rotation near the bottom of the convective envelope. This mixing results in a decrease in the surface lithium abundance with a limited contribution from hydrostatic effects of rotation, which favours lithium depletion during the second part of the PMS evolution. The impact of rotation on PMS lithium depletion is also found to be sensitive to the duration of the disc-locking phase. When the disc lifetime increases, the PMS lithium abundance of a solar-type star decreases owing to the higher efficiency of rotational mixing in the radiative zone. A relationship between the surface rotation and lithium abundance at the end of the PMS is then obtained: slow rotators on the zero-age main sequence are predicted to be more lithium-depleted than fast rotators due to the increase in the disc lifetime.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figures, A&

B-type supergiants in the SMC: Rotational velocities and implications for evolutionary models

High-resolution spectra for 24 SMC and Galactic B-type supergiants have been analysed to estimate the contributions of both macroturbulence and rotation to the broadening of their metal lines. Two different methodologies are considered, viz. goodness-of-fit comparisons between observed and theoretical line profiles and identifying zeros in the Fourier transforms of the observed profiles. The advantages and limitations of the two methods are briefly discussed with the latter techniques being adopted for estimated projected rotational velocities (\vsini) but the former being used to estimate macroturbulent velocities. Only one SMC supergiant, SK 191, shows a significant degree of rotational broadening (\vsini $\simeq$ 90 \kms). For the remaining targets, the distribution of projected rotational velocities are similar in both our Galactic and SMC samples with larger values being found at earlier spectral types. There is marginal evidence for the projected rotational velocities in the SMC being higher than those in the Galactic targets but any differences are only of the order of 5-10 \kms, whilst evolutionary models predict differences in this effective temperature range of typically 20 to 70 \kms. The combined sample is consistent with a linear variation of projected rotational velocity with effective temperature, which would imply rotational velocities for supergiants of 70 \kms at an effective temperature of 28 000 K (approximately B0 spectral type) decreasing to 32 \kms at 12 000 K (B8 spectral type). For all targets, the macroturbulent broadening would appear to be consistent with a Gaussian distribution (although other distributions cannot be discounted) with an $\frac{1}{e}$ half-width varying from approximately 20 \kms at B8 to 60 \kms at B0 spectral types.Comment: 4 figures, 8 pages, submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysic

Sensors and packages based on LTCC and thick-film technology for severe conditions

Reliable operation in harsh environments such as high temperatures, high pressures, aggressive media and space, poses special requirements for sensors and packages, which usually cannot be met using polymer-based technologies. Ceramic technologies, especially LTCC (Low-Temperature Cofired Ceramic), offer a reliable platform to build hermetic, highly stable and reliable sensors and packages. This is illustrated in the present work through several such devices. The examples are discussed in terms of performance, reliability, manufacturability and cost issue

Domain and lattice contributions to dielectric and piezoelectric properties of Pb(Zrx, Ti1−x)O3 thin films as a function of composition

In situ reactively sputter deposited, 300-nm-thick Pb(Zrx, Ti1−x)O3 thin films were investigated as a function of composition, texture, and different electrodes (Pt,RuO2).X-ray diffraction analysis, ferroelectric, dielectric, and piezoelectric measurements were carried out. While for dielectric properties bulklike contributions from lattice as well as from domains are observed, domain wall contributions to piezoelectric properties are very much reduced in the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region. Permittivity and d33 do not peak at the same composition; the MPB region is broadened up and generally shifted to the tetragonal sid