The shortest period M-dwarf eclipsing system BW3 V38, II: determination of absolute elements

The spectroscopic data for the short-period (0.1984 d)eclipsing binary V38, discovered by the OGLE micro-lensing team in Baade's Window field BW3, are analyzed. Radial velocity curves are derived from mid-resolution spectra obtained with EMMI-NTT at ESO - La Silla, and a simultaneous solution of the existing light curve by OGLE and of the new radial velocity curves is obtained. The system is formed by almost twin M3e dwarf components that are very close, but not yet in contact. The spectra of both dwarfs show signatures of the presence of strong chromospheres. Spectroscopy definitely confirms, therefore, what was suggested on the basis of photometry: BW3 V38 is indeed a unique system, as no other similar binary with M components and in such a tight orbit is known. Within the limits posed by the relatively large errors, due to the combined effect of system faintness and of the constraints on exposure time, the derived physical parameters seem to agree with the relations obtained from the other few known eclipsing binaries with late type components (which indicate a discrepancy between the available evolutionary models and the data at ~ 10% level). A possible explanation is the presence of strong magnetic fields and fast rotation (that applies to the BW3 V38 case as well). A simple computation of the system secular evolution by angular momentum loss and spin orbit synchronization shows that the evolution of a system with M dwarfs components is rather slow, and indicates as well a possible reason why systems similar to BW3 V38 are so rare.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&

A-type stars: evolution, rotation and binarity

We discuss the internal structure of stars in the mass range 1.5 to 4 M_sun from the PMS to the subgiant phase with a particular emphasis on the convective core and the convective superficial layers. Different physical aspects are considered such as overshooting, treatment of convection, microscopic diffusion and rotation. Their influence on the internal structure and on the photospheric chemical abundances is briefly described. The role of binarity in determining the observed properties and as a tool to constrain the internal structure is also introduced and the current limits of theories of orbital evolution and of available binary data--sets are discussed. keywords{stars: evolution, stars: binaries: general, stars: rotation}Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, conference: The A-star Puzzle, IAU Simp. 224, 200

Discriminating between overshooting and rotational mixing in massive stars: any help from asteroseismology?

Chemical turbulent mixing induced by rotation can affect the internal distribution of mu near the energy-generating core of main-sequence stars, having an effect on the evolutionary tracks similar to that of overshooting. However, this mixing also leads to a smoother chemical composition profile near the edge of the convective core, which is reflected in the behaviour of the buoyancy frequency and, therefore, in the frequencies of gravity modes. We show that for rotational velocities typical of main-sequence B-type pulsating stars, the signature of a rotationally induced mixing significantly perturbs the spectrum of gravity modes and mixed modes, and can be distinguished from that of overshooting. The cases of high-order gravity modes in Slowly Pulsating B stars and of low-order g modes and mixed modes in beta Cephei stars are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Comm. in Asteroseismology, Contribution to the Proceedings of the 38th LIAC, HELAS-ESTA, BAG, 200

Instability strips of main sequence B stars: a parametric study of iron enhancement

The discovery of beta Cephei stars in low metallicity environments, as well as the difficulty to theoretically explain the excitation of the pulsation modes observed in some beta Cephei and SPB stars, suggest that the iron opacity ``bump'' provided by standard models could be underestimated. We investigate, by means of a parametric study, the effect of a local iron enhancement on the location of the beta Cephei and SPB instability strips.Comment: 2 pages, to appear in the proceedings of "Vienna Workshop on the Future of Asteroseismology", September 20-22, 200

Instability strips of SPB and beta Cephei stars: the effect of the updated OP opacities and of the metal mixture

The discovery of $\beta$ Cephei stars in low metallicity environments, as well as the difficulty in theoretically explaining the excitation of the pulsation modes observed in some $\beta$ Cephei and hybrid SPB-$\beta$ Cephei pulsators, suggest that the ``iron opacity bump'' provided by stellar models could be underestimated. We analyze the effect of uncertainties in the opacity computations and in the solar metal mixture, on the excitation of pulsation modes in B-type stars. We carry out a pulsational stability analysis for four grids of main-sequence models with masses between 2.5 and 12 $\rm M_\odot$ computed with OPAL and OP opacity tables and two different metal mixtures. We find that in a typical $\beta$ Cephei model the OP opacity is 25% larger than OPAL in the region where the driving of pulsation modes occurs. Furthermore, the difference in the Fe mass fraction between the two metal mixtures considered is of the order of 20%. The implication on the excitation of pulsation modes is non-negligible: the blue border of the SPB instability strip is displaced at higher effective temperatures, leading to a larger number of models being hybrid SPB-$\beta$ Cephei pulsators. Moreover, higher overtone p-modes are excited in $\beta$ Cephei models and unstable modes are found in a larger number of models for lower metallicities, in particular $\beta$ Cephei pulsations are also found in models with Z=0.01.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

He abundances in disc galaxies. I. Predictions from cosmological chemodynamical simulations

Accepted for publication in A&AWe investigate how the stellar and gas-phase He abundances evolve as a function of time within simulated star-forming disc galaxies with different star formation histories. We make use of a cosmological chemodynamical simulation for galaxy formation and evolution, which includes star formation as well as energy and chemical enrichment feedback from asymptotic giant branch stars, core-collapse supernovae, and Type Ia supernovae. The predicted relations between the He mass fraction, Y, and the metallicity, Z, in the interstellar medium of our simulated disc galaxies depend on the galaxy star formation history. In particular, dY/dZ is not constant and evolves as a function of time, depending on the specific chemical element that we choose to trace Z; in particular, dY/dX O and dY/dX C increase as a function of time, whereas dY/dX N decreases. In the gas-phase, we find negative radial gradients of Y, due to the inside-out growth of our simulated galaxy discs as a function of time; this gives rise to longer chemical enrichment timescales in the outer galaxy regions, where we find lower average values for Y and Z. Finally, by means of chemical-evolution models, in the galactic bulge and inner disc, we predict steeper Y vs. age relations at high Z than in the outer galaxy regions. We conclude that for calibrating the assumed Y-Z relation in stellar models, C, N, and C+N are better proxies for the metallicity than O because they show steeper and less scattered relations.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Efficiency of convection and pre-mainsequence lithium depletion

We show by detailed model computation how much the Pre-Main Sequence (PMS) Lithium depletion depends on the treatment of over-adiabaticity, by taking advantage of the results of new models by Montalb\'an et al., which apply different treatments of convection to non-grey PMS models. In order to reproduce both the PMS lithium depletion (inferred from the lithium depletion patterns in young open clusters), and the location of PMS tracks in the HR diagram (inferred from the study of young PMS stars), convection both in the atmosphere and in a good fraction of the stellar envelope must be highly inefficient: e.g., in the Mixing Length Theory approximation, it must have a very low alpha=l/H_p. Unfortunately, the radii of these models are at variance with the solar radius, possibly indicating t hat there is some additional physical input, generally not taken into account in the stellar models, which affects the efficiency of convection in PMS stars, but probably not in the main sequence stars nor in evolved red giants. We stress the importance of determining precisely masses and lithium abundance in PMS binaries such as the important spectroscopic and eclipsing binary RXJ0529.4+0041.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A main journa

New light on the old problem of lithium pre--MS depletion: models with 2D RHD convection

The Teff location of Pre-Main Sequence (PMS) evolutionary tracks depends on the treatment of over-adiabaticity. We present here the PMS evolutionary tracks computed by using the mixing length theory of convection (MLT) in which the alpha_MLT=l/H_p parameter calibration is based on 2D--hydrodynamical models (Ludwig et al. 1999). These MLT--\alpha^2D stellar models and tracks are very similar to those computed with non--grey ATLAS9 atmospheric boundary conditions and Full Spectrum of Turbulence (FST) convection model both in the atmosphere and in the interior. The comparison of the new tracks with the location on the HR diagram of pre--MS binariesis not completely satisfactory, as some binary components are located at too low \teff. Besides, the pre--MS lithium depletion in the MLT--\alpha^2D tracks is still much larger than that expected from the observations of lithium in young open clusters. This result is similar to that of FST models. Thus, in spite of the fact that 2D RHD models should provide a better convection description than any local model, their introduction is not sufficient to reconcile theory and observations. Lithium depletion in young clusters points towards a convection efficiency which, in pre--MS, should be smaller than in the MS. The pre--MS lithium depletion decreases significantly in FST models if we reduce the solar metallicity down to the value suggested by Asplund et al.(2004), but the corresponding solar model does not reproduce the depth of the convective zone as determined by helioseismology