2,493 research outputs found
A comparison of plastic collapse and limit loads for single mitred pipe bends under in-plane bending
This paper presents a comparison of the plastic collapse loads from experimental in-plane bending tests on three 90 degree single un-reinforced mitred pipe bends, with the results from various 3D solid finite element models. The bending load applied reduced the bend angle and in turn, the resulting cross-sectional ovalisation led to a recognised weakening mechanism, which is only observable by testing or by including large displacement effects in the plastic finite element solution. A small displacement limit solution with an elastic-perfectly-plastic material model overestimated the collapse load by 40%. The plastic collapse finite element solution produced excellent agreement with experiment
Using limb darkening to measure fundamental parameters of stars
Context. Limb darkening is an important tool for understanding stellar
atmospheres, but most observations measuring limb darkening assume various
parameterizations that yield no significant information about the structure of
stellar atmospheres. Aims. We use a specific limb-darkening relation to study
how the best-fit coefficients relate to fundamental stellar parameters from
spherically symmetric model stellar atmospheres. Methods. Using a grid of
spherically symmetric Atlas model atmospheres, we compute limb-darkening
coefficients, and develop a novel method to predict fundamental stellar
parameters. Results. We find our proposed method predicts the mass of stellar
atmosphere models given only the radius and limb-darkening coefficients,
suggesting that microlensing, interferometric, transit and eclipse observations
can constrain stellar masses. Conclusions. This novel method demonstrates that
limb-darkening parameterizations contain important information about the
structure of stellar atmospheres, with the potential to be a valuable tool for
measuring stellar masses.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, A&A accepte
SAtlas: Spherical Versions of the Atlas Stellar Atmosphere Program
Context: The current stellar atmosphere programs still cannot match some
fundamental observations of the brightest stars, and with new techniques, such
as optical interferometry, providing new data for these stars, additional
development of stellar atmosphere codes is required. Aims: To modify the
open-source model atmosphere program Atlas to treat spherical geometry,
creating a test-bed stellar atmosphere code for stars with extended
atmospheres. Methods: The plane-parallel Atlas has been changed by introducing
the necessary spherical modifications in the pressure structure, in the
radiative transfer and in the temperature correction. Results: Several test
models show that the spherical program matches the plane-parallel models in the
high surface gravity regime, and matches spherical models computed by Phoenix
and by MARCS in the low gravity case.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, Accepted for publication in A&
The Cepheid mass discrepancy and pulsation-driven mass loss
Context. A longstanding challenge for understanding classical Cepheids is the
Cepheid mass discrepancy, where theoretical mass estimates using stellar
evolution and stellar pulsation calculations have been found to differ by
approximately 10 - 20%. Aims. We study the role of pulsation-driven mass loss
during the Cepheid stage of evolution as a possible solution to this mass
discrepancy. Methods. We computed stellar evolution models with a Cepheid
mass-loss prescription and various amounts of convective core overshooting. The
contribution of mass loss towards the mass discrepancy is determined using
these models, Results. Pulsation-driven mass loss is found to trap Cepheid
evolution on the instability strip, allowing them to lose about 5 - 10% of
their total mass when moderate convective core overshooting, an amount
consistent with observations of other stars, is included in the stellar models.
Conclusions. We find that the combination of moderate convective core
overshooting and pulsation-driven mass loss can solve the Cepheid mass
discrepancy.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures and 2 tables. Accepted for publication A&A Letter
Cepheid limb darkening, angular diameter corrections, and projection factor from static spherical model stellar atmospheres
Context. One challenge for measuring the Hubble constant using Classical
Cepheids is the calibration of the Leavitt Law or period-luminosity
relationship. The Baade-Wesselink method for distance determination to Cepheids
relies on the ratio of the measured radial velocity and pulsation velocity, the
so-called projection factor and the ability to measure the stellar angular
diameters. Aims. We use spherically-symmetric model stellar atmospheres to
explore the dependence of the p-factor and angular diameter corrections as a
function of pulsation period. Methods. Intensity profiles are computed from a
grid of plane-parallel and spherically-symmetric model stellar atmospheres
using the SAtlas code. Projection factors and angular diameter corrections are
determined from these intensity profiles and compared to previous results.
Results. Our predicted geometric period-projection factor relation including
previously published state-of-the-art hydrodynamical predictions is not with
recent observational constraints. We suggest a number of potential resolutions
to this discrepancy. The model atmosphere geometry also affects predictions for
angular diameter corrections used to interpret interferometric observations,
suggesting corrections used in the past underestimated Cepheid angular
diameters by 3 - 5%. Conclusions. While spherically-symmetric hydrostatic model
atmospheres cannot resolve differences between projection factors from theory
and observations, they do help constrain underlying physics that must be
included, including chromospheres and mass loss. The models also predict more
physically-based limb-darkening corrections for interferometric observations.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&
Is there a mass discrepancy in the Cepheid binary OGLE-LMC-CEP0227?
Context. The Cepheid mass discrepancy, the difference between masses
predicted from stellar evolution and stellar pulsation calculations, is a
challenge for the understanding of stellar astrophysics. Recent models of the
eclipsing binary Cepheid OGLE-LMC-CEP-0227 have suggested that the discrepancy
may be resolved. Aims. We explore for what physical parameters do stellar
evolution models agree with the measured properties of OGLE-LMC-CEP0227 and
compare to canonical stellar evolution models assuming no convective core
overshooting. Methods. We construct state-of-the-art stellar evolution models
for varying mass, metallicity, and convective core overshooting and compare the
stellar evolution predictions with the observed properties. Results. The
observed mass, effective temperature, and radius of the two stars in the binary
system are well fit by numerous combinations of physical parameters, suggesting
a Cepheid mass discrepancy of 10-20% relative to canonical stellar evolution
models. Conclusions. The properties of the observed binary Cepheid suggest that
the Cepheid mass discrepancy is still a challenge and requires more specific
observations, such as the rate of period change, to better constrain and
understand the necessary physics for stellar evolution models to resolve the
discrepancy.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, A&A accepte
Calibrating the projection factor for Galactic Cepheids
The projection factor (p), which converts the radial velocity to pulsational
velocity, is an important parameter in the Baade-Wesselink (BW) type analysis
and distance scale work. The p-factor is either adopted as a constant or
linearly depending on the logarithmic of pulsating periods. The aim of this
work is to calibrate the p-factor if a Cepheid has both the BW distance and an
independent distance measurement, and examine the p-factor for delta Cephei --
the prototype of classical Cepheids. We calibrated the p-factor for several
Galactic Cepheids that have both the latest BW distances and independent
distances either from Hipparcos parallaxes or main-sequence fitting distances
to Cepheid-hosted stellar clusters. Based on 25 Cepheids, the calibrated
p-factor relation is consistent with latest p-factor relation in literature.
The calibrated p-factor relation also indicates that this relation may not be
linear and may exhibit an intrinsic scatter. We also examined the discrepancy
of empirical p-factors for delta Cephei, and found that the reasons for this
discrepancy include the disagreement of angular diameters, the treatment of
radial velocity data, and the phase interval adopted during the fitting
procedure. Finally, we investigated the impact of the input p-factor in two BW
methodologies for delta Cephei, and found that different p-factors can be
adopted in these BW methodologies and yet result in the same angular diameters.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures and 2 tables. A&A accepte
Determining Parameters of Cool Giant Stars by Modeling Spectrophotometric and Interferometric Observations Using the SAtlas Program
Context: Optical interferometry is a powerful tool for observing the
intensity structure and angular diameter of stars. When combined with
spectroscopy and/or spectrophotometry, interferometry provides a powerful
constraint for model stellar atmospheres. Aims: The purpose of this work is to
test the robustness of the spherically symmetric version of the Atlas stellar
atmosphere program, SAtlas, using interferometric and spectrophotometric
observations. Methods: Cubes (three dimensional grids) of model stellar
atmospheres, with dimensions of luminosity, mass, and radius, are computed to
fit observations for three evolved giant stars, \psi Phoenicis, \gamma
Sagittae, and \alpha Ceti. The best-fit parameters are compared with previous
results. Results: The best-fit angular diameters and values of \chi^2 are
consistent with predictions using Phoenix and plane-parallel Atlas models. The
predicted effective temperatures, using SAtlas, are about 100 to 200 K lower,
and the predicted luminosities are also lower due to the differences in
effective temperatures. Conclusions: It is shown that the SAtlas program is a
robust tool for computing models of extended stellar atmospheres that are
consistent with observations. The best-fit parameters are consistent with
predictions using Phoenix models, and the fit to the interferometric data for
\psi Phe differs slightly, although both agree within the uncertainty of the
interferometric observations.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A as a Research
Not
Orbital Selective Magnetism in the Spin-Ladder Iron Selenides BaKFeSe
Here we show that the 2.80(8) {\mu}B/Fe block antiferromagnetic order of
BaFe2Se3 transforms into stripe antiferromagnetic order in KFe2Se3 with a
decrease in moment to 2.1(1) {\mu}B/Fe. This reduction is larger than expected
from the change in electron count from Ba to K, and occurs with
the loss of the displacements of Fe atoms from ideal positions in the ladders,
as found by neutron pair distribution function analysis. Intermediate
compositions remain insulating, and magnetic susceptibility measurements show a
suppression of magnetic order and probable formation of a spin-glass. Together,
these results imply an orbital-dependent selection of magnetic versus bonded
behavior, driven by relative bandwidths and fillings.Comment: Final versio
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