202 research outputs found
Magnetic field topology of the RS CVn star II Pegasi
The dynamo processes in cool active stars generate complex magnetic fields
responsible for prominent surface stellar activity and variability at different
time scales. For a small number of cool stars magnetic field topologies were
reconstructed from the time series of spectropolarimetric observations using
the Zeeman Doppler imaging (ZDI) method. In this study we follow a long-term
evolution of the magnetic field topology of the RS CVn binary star II Peg. We
collected high-resolution circular polarisation observations of II Peg using
the SOFIN spectropolarimeter at the Nordic Optical Telescope. These data cover
12 epochs spread over 7 years. A multi-line diagnostic technique in combination
with a new ZDI code is applied to interpret these observations. Magnetic
inversions using these data reveals evolving magnetic fields with typical local
strengths of 0.5-1.0 kG and complex topologies. Despite using a self-consistent
magnetic and temperature mapping technique, we do not find a clear correlation
between magnetic and temperature features in the ZDI maps. Neither do we
confirm the presence of persistent azimuthal field rings found in other RS CVn
stars. Reconstruction of the magnetic field topology of II Peg reveals
significant evolution of both the surface magnetic field structure and the
extended magnetospheric field geometry. From 2004 to 2010 the total field
energy drastically declined and the field became less axisymmetric. This also
coincided with the transition from predominantly poloidal to mainly toroidal
field topology. A qualitative comparison of the ZDI maps of II Peg with the
prediction of dynamo theory suggests that the magnetic field in this star is
produced mainly by the turbulent alpha^2 dynamo rather than the solar
alphaOmega dynamo. Our results do not show a clear active longitude system, nor
is there an evidence of the presence of an azimuthal dynamo wave.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures; accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
The supernova-regulated ISM. I. The multi-phase structure
We simulate the multi-phase interstellar medium randomly heated and stirred
by supernovae, with gravity, differential rotation and other parameters of the
solar neighbourhood. Here we describe in detail both numerical and physical
aspects of the model, including injection of thermal and kinetic energy by SN
explosions, radiative cooling, photoelectric heating and various transport
processes. With 3D domain extending 1 kpc^2 horizontally and 2 kpc vertically,
the model routinely spans gas number densities 10^-5 - 10^2 cm^-3, temperatures
10-10^8 K, local velocities up to 10^3 km s^-1 (with Mach number up to 25).
The thermal structure of the modelled ISM is classified by inspection of the
joint probability density of the gas number density and temperature. We confirm
that most of the complexity can be captured in terms of just three phases,
separated by temperature borderlines at about 10^3 K and 5x10^5 K. The
probability distribution of gas density within each phase is approximately
lognormal. We clarify the connection between the fractional volume of a phase
and its various proxies, and derive an exact relation between the fractional
volume and the filling factors defined in terms of the volume and probabilistic
averages. These results are discussed in both observational and computational
contexts. The correlation scale of the random flows is calculated from the
velocity autocorrelation function; it is of order 100 pc and tends to grow with
distance from the mid-plane. We use two distinct parameterizations of radiative
cooling to show that the multi-phase structure of the gas is robust, as it does
not depend significantly on this choice.Comment: 28 pages, 22 figures and 8 table
The supernova-regulated ISM. II. The mean magnetic field
The origin and structure of the magnetic fields in the interstellar medium of
spiral galaxies is investigated with 3D, non-ideal, compressible MHD
simulations, including stratification in the galactic gravity field,
differential rotation and radiative cooling. A rectangular domain, 1x1x2
kpc^{3} in size, spans both sides of the galactic mid-plane. Supernova
explosions drive transonic turbulence. A seed magnetic field grows
exponentially to reach a statistically steady state within 1.6 Gyr. Following
Germano (1992) we use volume averaging with a Gaussian kernel to separate
magnetic field into a mean field and fluctuations. Such averaging does not
satisfy all Reynolds rules, yet allows a formulation of mean-field theory. The
mean field thus obtained varies in both space and time. Growth rates differ for
the mean-field and fluctuating field and there is clear scale separation
between the two elements, whose integral scales are about 0.7 kpc and 0.3 kpc,
respectively.Comment: 5 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Monthly Notices Letter
New scaling for the alpha effect in slowly rotating turbulence
Using simulations of slowly rotating stratified turbulence, we show that the
alpha effect responsible for the generation of astrophysical magnetic fields is
proportional to the logarithmic gradient of kinetic energy density rather than
that of momentum, as was previously thought. This result is in agreement with a
new analytic theory developed in this paper for large Reynolds numbers. Thus,
the contribution of density stratification is less important than that of
turbulent velocity. The alpha effect and other turbulent transport coefficients
are determined by means of the test-field method. In addition to forced
turbulence, we also investigate supernova-driven turbulence and stellar
convection. In some cases (intermediate rotation rate for forced turbulence,
convection with intermediate temperature stratification, and supernova-driven
turbulence) we find that the contribution of density stratification might be
even less important than suggested by the analytic theory.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, revised version, Astrophys. J., in pres
Multiperiodicity, modulations and flip-flops in variable star light curves I. Carrier fit method
The light curves of variable stars are commonly described using simple
trigonometric models, that make use of the assumption that the model parameters
are constant in time. This assumption, however, is often violated, and
consequently, time series models with components that vary slowly in time are
of great interest. In this paper we introduce a class of data analysis and
visualization methods which can be applied in many different contexts of
variable star research, for example spotted stars, variables showing the
Blazhko effect, and the spin-down of rapid rotators. The methods proposed are
of explorative type, and can be of significant aid when performing a more
thorough data analysis and interpretation with a more conventional method.Our
methods are based on a straightforward decomposition of the input time series
into a fast "clocking" periodicity and smooth modulating curves. The fast
frequency, referred to as the carrier frequency, can be obtained from earlier
observations (for instance in the case of photometric data the period can be
obtained from independently measured radial velocities), postulated using some
simple physical principles (Keplerian rotation laws in accretion disks), or
estimated from the data as a certain mean frequency. The smooth modulating
curves are described by trigonometric polynomials or splines. The data
approximation procedures are based on standard computational packages
implementing simple or constrained least-squares fit-type algorithms.Comment: 14 pages, 23 figures, submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysic
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