162 research outputs found
Isotope Shifts in Beryllium-, Boron-, Carbon-, and Nitrogen-like Ions from Relativistic Configuration Interaction Calculations
Energy levels, normal and specific mass shift parameters as well as
electronic densities at the nucleus are reported for numerous states along the
beryllium, boron, carbon, and nitrogen isoelectronic sequences. Combined with
nuclear data, these electronic parameters can be used to determine values of
level and transition isotope shifts. The calculation of the electronic
parameters is done using first-order perturbation theory with relativistic
configuration interaction wave functions that account for valence, core-valence
and core-core correlation effects as zero-order functions. Results are compared
with experimental and other theoretical values, when available.Comment: 56 pages, 1 figure, Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables (2014
The spectral variability and magnetic field characteristics of the Of?p star HD 148937
We report magnetic and spectroscopic observations and modeling of the Of?p
star HD 148937 within the context of the MiMeS LP at the CFHT. Thirty-two high
signal-to-noise ratio circularly polarised (Stokes V) spectra and 13
unpolarised (Stokes I) spectra of HD 148937 were acquired in 2009 and 2010. A
definite detection of a Stokes V Zeeman signature is obtained in the grand mean
of all observations (in both LSD mean profiles and individual spectral lines).
The longitudinal magnetic field inferred from the Stokes V LSD profiles is
consistently negative, in contrast to the essentially zero field strength
measured from the diagnostic null profiles. A period search of equivalent width
measurements confirms the previously-reported 7.03 d variability period. The
variation of equivalent widths is not strictly periodic: we present evidence
for evolution of the amount or distribution of circumstellar plasma.
Interpreting the 7.03 d period as the stellar rotational period within the
context of the ORM, we have phased the equivalent widths and longitudinal field
measurements. The longitudinal field measurements show a weak sinusoidal
variation of constant sign, with extrema out of phase with the H{\alpha}
variation by about 0.25 cycles. The inferred magnetic configuration confirms
the suggestion of Naz\'e et al (2010), who proposed that the weaker variability
of HD 148937 as compared to other members of this class is a consequence of the
stellar geometry. Based on the derived magnetic properties and published wind
characteristics, we find a wind magnetic confinement parameter \eta\ast \simeq
20 and rotation parameter W = 0.12, supporting a picture in which the Halpha
emission and other line variability have their origin in an oblique, rigidly
rotating magnetospheric structure resulting from a magnetically channeled wind.
(Abridged.)Comment: 13 pages, MNRAS. Version 2, small change to Fig. 1
X-ray emission from the giant magnetosphere of the magnetic O-type star NGC 1624-2
We observed NGC 1624-2, the O-type star with the largest known magnetic field
Bp~20 kG), in X-rays with the ACIS-S camera onboard the Chandra X-ray
Observatory. Our two observations were obtained at the minimum and maximum of
the periodic Halpha emission cycle, corresponding to the rotational phases
where the magnetic field is the closest to equator-on and pole-on,
respectively. With these observations, we aim to characterise the star's
magnetosphere via the X-ray emission produced by magnetically confined wind
shocks. Our main findings are:
(i) The observed spectrum of NGC 1624-2 is hard, similar to the magnetic
O-type star Theta 1 Ori C, with only a few photons detected below 0.8 keV. The
emergent X-ray flux is 30% lower at the Halpha minimum phase.
(ii) Our modelling indicated that this seemingly hard spectrum is in fact a
consequence of relatively soft intrinsic emission, similar to other magnetic
Of?p stars, combined with a large amount of local absorption (~1-3 x 10^22
cm^-2). This combination is necessary to reproduce both the prominent Mg and Si
spectral features, and the lack of flux at low energies. NGC 1624-2 is
intrinsically luminous in X-rays (log LX emission ~ 33.4) but 70-95% of the
X-ray emission produced by magnetically confined wind shocks is absorbed before
it escapes the magnetosphere (log LX ISM corrected ~ 32.5).
(iii) The high X-ray luminosity, its variation with stellar rotation, and its
large attenuation are all consistent with a large dynamical magnetosphere with
magnetically confined wind shocks.Comment: Accepted in MNRAS 13 pages, 10 figures, 4 table
Towards an understanding of the Of?p star HD 191612: optical spectroscopy
We present extensive optical spectroscopy of the early-type magnetic star HD
191612 (O6.5f?pe-O8fp). The Balmer and HeI lines show strongly variable
emission which is highly reproducible on a well-determined 538-d period. Metal
lines and HeII absorptions (including many selective emission lines but
excluding He II 4686A emission) are essentially constant in line strength, but
are variable in velocity, establishing a double-lined binary orbit with P(orb)
= 1542d, e=0.45. We conduct a model-atmosphere analysis of the primary, and
find that the system is consistent with a O8: giant with a B1: main-sequence
secondary. Since the periodic 538-d changes are unrelated to orbital motion,
rotational modulation of a magnetically constrained plasma is strongly favoured
as the most likely underlying `clock'. An upper limit on the equatorial
rotation is consistent with this hypothesis, but is too weak to provide a
strong constraint.Comment: Accepted for MNRA
Global X-ray properties of the O and B stars in Carina
The key empirical property of the X-ray emission from O stars is a strong
correlation between the bolometric and X-ray luminosities. In the framework of
the Chandra Carina Complex Project, 129 O and B stars have been detected as
X-ray sources; 78 of those, all with spectral type earlier than B3, have enough
counts for at least a rough X-ray spectral characterization. This leads to an
estimate of the Lx/Lbol ratio for an exceptional number of 60 O stars belonging
to the same region and triples the number of Carina massive stars studied
spectroscopically in X-rays. The derived log(Lx/Lbol) is -7.26 for single
objects, with a dispersion of only 0.21dex. Using the properties of hot massive
stars listed in the literature, we compare the X-ray luminosities of different
types of objects. In the case of O stars, the Lx/Lbol ratios are similar for
bright and faint objects, as well as for stars of different luminosity classes
or spectral types. Binaries appear only slightly harder and slightly more
luminous in X-rays than single objects; the differences are not formally
significant (at the 1% level), except for the Lx/Lbol ratio in the medium
(1.0--2.5keV) energy band. Weak-wind objects have similar X-ray luminosities
but they display slightly softer spectra compared to "normal" O stars with the
same bolometric luminosity. Discarding three overluminous objects, we find a
very shallow trend of harder emission in brighter objects. The properties of
the few B stars bright enough to yield some spectral information appear to be
different overall (constant X-ray luminosities, harder spectra), hinting that
another mechanism for producing X-rays, besides wind shocks, might be at work.
However, it must be stressed that the earliest and X-ray brightest amongst
these few detected objects are similar to the latest O stars, suggesting a
possibly smooth transition between the two processes.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for the ApJS Special Issue on the
Chandra Carina Complex Project (CCCP), scheduled for publication in May 2011.
All 16 CCCP Special Issue papers are available at
http://cochise.astro.psu.edu/Carina_public/special_issue.html through 2011 at
leas
A multiwavelength investigation of the massive eclipsing binary Cyg OB2 #5
The properties of the early-type binary Cyg OB2 #5 have been debated for many
years and spectroscopic and photometric investigations yielded conflicting
results. We have attempted to constrain the physical properties of the binary
by collecting new optical and X-ray observations. We find that the orbital
period of the system slowly changes though we are unable to discriminate
between several possible explanations of this trend. The best fit solution of
the continuum light curve reveals a contact configuration with the secondary
star being significantly brighter and hotter on its leading side facing the
primary. The mean temperature of the secondary star turns out to be only
slightly lower than that of the primary, whilst the bolometric luminosity ratio
is found to be 3.1. The solution of the light curve yields a distance of 925
+/- 25 pc much lower than the usually assumed distance of the Cyg OB2
association. Whilst we confirm the existence of episodes of higher X-ray
fluxes, the data reveal no phase-locked modulation with the 6.6 day period of
the eclipsing binary nor any clear relation between the X-ray flux and the 6.7
yr radio cycle. The bright region of the secondary star is probably heated by
energy transfer in a common envelope in this contact binary system as well as
by the collision with the primary's wind. The existence of a common photosphere
probably also explains the odd mass-luminosity relation of the stars in this
system. Most of the X-ray, non-thermal radio, and possibly gamma-ray emission
of Cyg OB2 #5 is likely to arise from the interaction of the combined wind of
the eclipsing binary with at least one additional star of this multiple system
A survey of the Wolf-Rayet population of the barred, spiral galaxy NGC 1313
We present a VLT/FORS1 survey of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in the spiral galaxy
NGC 1313. In total, 94 WR candidate sources have been identified from
narrow-band imaging. Of these, 82 have been spectroscopically observed, for
which WR emission features are confirmed in 70 cases, one of which also
exhibits strong nebular HeII 4686 emission. We also detect strong nebular HeII
4686 emission within two other regions of NGC 1313, one of which is a possible
supernova remnant. Nebular properties confirm that NGC 1313 has a metal-content
log(O/H)+12=8.23+/-0.06, in good agreement with previous studies. From
continuum subtracted Halpha images we infer a global star formation rate of 0.6
Msun/yr. Using template LMC WR stars, spectroscopy reveals that NGC 1313 hosts
a minimum of 84 WR stars. Our census comprises 51 WN stars, including a rare
WN/C transition star plus 32 WC stars. In addition, we identify one WO star
which represents the first such case identified beyond the Local Group. The
bright giant HII region PES 1, comparable in Halpha luminosity to NGC 595 in M
33, is found to host a minimum of 17 WR stars. The remaining photometric
candidates generally display photometric properties consistent with WN stars,
such that we expect a global WR population of ~115 stars with N(WR)/N(O)~0.01
and N(WC)/N(WN)~0.4.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Finding charts omitted, full
version available by anonymous ftp (ftp:
hydra.shef.ac.uk/pub/lh/ngc1313-fullversion.pd
Mass- and field-shift isotope parameters for the resonance doublet of lithium-like ions
It was recently shown that dielectronic recombination measurements can be
used for accurately inferring changes in the nuclear mean-square charge radii
of highly-charged lithium-like neodymium [Brandau et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100
073201 (2008)]. To make use of this method to derive information about the
nuclear charge distribution for other elements and isotopes, accurate
electronic isotope shift parameters are required. In this work, we calculate
and discuss the relativistic mass- and field-shift factors for the two transitions along the lithium
isoelectronic sequence. Based on the multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock
method, the electron correlation and the Breit interaction are taken into
account systematically. The analysis of the isotope shifts for these two
transitions along the isoelectronic sequence demonstrates the importance and
competition between the mass shifts and the field shifts.Comment: Accepted by Phys. Rev.
A Coordinated X-ray and Optical Campaign of the Nearby Massive Binary Orionis Aa: II. X-ray Variability
We present time-resolved and phase-resolved variability studies of an
extensive X-ray high-resolution spectral dataset of the Orionis Aa
binary system. The four observations, obtained with Chandra ACIS HETGS, have a
total exposure time of ~479 ks and provide nearly complete binary phase
coverage. Variability of the total X-ray flux in the range 5-25 is
confirmed, with maximum amplitude of about +/-15% within a single ~125 ks
observation. Periods of 4.76d and 2.04d are found in the total X-ray flux, as
well as an apparent overall increase in flux level throughout the 9-day
observational campaign. Using 40 ks contiguous spectra derived from the
original observations, we investigate variability of emission line parameters
and ratios. Several emission lines are shown to be variable, including S XV, Si
XIII, and Ne IX. For the first time, variations of the X-ray emission line
widths as a function of the binary phase are found in a binary system, with the
smallest widths at phase=0.0 when the secondary Orionis Aa2 is at
inferior conjunction. Using 3D hydrodynamic modeling of the interacting winds,
we relate the emission line width variability to the presence of a wind cavity
created by a wind-wind collision, which is effectively void of embedded wind
shocks and is carved out of the X-ray-producing primary wind, thus producing
phase-locked X-ray variability.Comment: 36 pages, 14 Tables, 19 Figures, accepted by ApJ, one of 4 related
papers to be published togethe
Herschel observations of nebulae ejected by massive evolved stars
We have obtained far-infrared Herschel PACS imaging and spectroscopic observations of nebulae associated to massive evolved stars. The study of these nebulae is crucial to understand the evolution of these stars as it can reveal the mass-loss history.
The infrared images along with available data at other wavelengths give a complete view of their morphology. The dust modeling provides the dust parameters, such as the temperature, the mass and the composition of dust. The spectroscopic analysis provides the gas C,N,O abundances and mass. Based on these observations, the evolutionary status of the star at the time of the nebula ejection can be constrained.
We present here selected results of an ongoing exhaustive study of nebulae around low- and high-luminosity LBVs (AG Car, HR Car, WRAY 15-751, G79.29+0.46, HD168625), WN stars (NGC6888, M1-67, He3-519) and Of stars (NGC6164/5)
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