272 research outputs found
Model atmospheres for type Ia supernovae: Basic steps towards realistic synthetic spectra
Type Ia supernovae are an important tool for studying the expansion history
of the universe. Advancing our yet incomplete understanding of the explosion
scenario requires detailed and realistic numerical models in order to interpret
and analyze the growing amount of observational data. Here we present first
results of our new NLTE model calculations for the expanding atmospheres of
type Ia supernovae that employ a detailed and consistent treatment of all
important NLTE effects as well as line blocking and blanketing. The comparison
of the synthetic spectra resulting from these models with observed data shows
that the employed methods represent an important step towards a more realistic
description of the atmospheres of supernovae Ia.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in: Proceedings of the 11th Workshop on
Nuclear Astrophysics, Ringberg Castle, Germany, 200
Numerical Models for the Diffuse Ionized Gas in Galaxies. II. Three-dimensional radiative transfer in inhomogeneous interstellar structures as a tool for analyzing the diffuse ionized gas
Aims: We systematically explore a plausible subset of the parameter space
involving effective temperatures and metallicities of the ionizing stellar
sources, the effects of the hardening of their radiation by surrounding leaky
HII regions with different escape fractions, as well as different scenarios for
the clumpiness of the DIG, and compute the resulting line strength ratios for a
number of diagnostic optical emission lines.
Methods: For the ionizing fluxes we compute a grid of stellar spectral energy
distributions (SEDs) from detailed, fully non-LTE model atmospheres that
include the effects of stellar winds and line blocking and blanketing. To
calculate the ionization and temperature structure in the HII regions and the
diffuse ionized gas we use spherically symmetric photoionization models as well
as state-of-the-art three-dimensional (3D) non-LTE radiative transfer
simulations, considering hydrogen, helium, and the most abundant metals.
Results: We provide quantitative predictions of how the line ratios from HII
regions and the DIG vary as a function of metallicity, stellar effective
temperature, and escape fraction from the HII region. The range of predicted
line ratios reinforces the hypothesis that the DIG is ionized by (filtered)
radiation from hot stars; however, comparison of observed and predicted line
ratios indicates that the DIG is typically ionized with a softer SED than
predicted by the chosen stellar population synthesis model. Even small changes
in simulation parameters like the clumping factor can lead to considerable
variation in the ionized volume. Both for a more homogeneous gas and a very
inhomogeneous gas containing both dense clumps and channels with low gas
density, the ionized region in the dilute gas above the galactic plane can
cease to be radiation-bounded, allowing the ionizing radiation to leak into the
intergalactic medium.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, accepted by A&
Radiation-driven winds of hot luminous stars XVII. Parameters of selected central stars of PN from consistent optical and UV spectral analysis and the universality of the mass-luminosity relation
Context: The commonly accepted mass-luminosity relation of central stars of
planetary nebulae (CSPNs) might not be universally valid. While earlier optical
analyses could not derive masses and luminosities independently (instead taking
them from theoretical evolutionary models) hydrodynamically consistent
modelling of the stellar winds allows using fits to the UV spectra to
consistently determine also stellar radii, masses, and luminosities without
assuming a mass-luminosity relation. Recent application to a sample of CSPNs
raised questions regarding the validity of the theoretical mass-luminosity
relation of CSPNs.
Aims: The results of the earlier UV analysis are reassessed by means of a
simultaneous comparison of observed optical and UV spectra with corresponding
synthetic spectra.
Methods: Using published stellar parameters (a) from a consistent UV analysis
and (b) from fits to optical H and He lines, we calculate simultaneous optical
and UV spectra with our model atmosphere code, which has been improved by
implementing Stark broadening for H and He lines.
Results: Spectra computed with the parameter sets from the UV analysis yield
good agreement to the observations, but spectra computed with the stellar
parameters from the published optical analysis and using corresponding
consistent wind parameters show large discrepancies to both the observed
optical and UV spectra. The published optical analyses give good fits to the
observed spectrum only because the wind parameters assumed in these analyses
are inconsistent with their stellar parameters. By enforcing consistency
between stellar and wind parameters, stellar parameters are obtained which
disagree with the core-mass-luminosity relation for the objects analyzed. This
disagreement is also evident from a completely different approach: an
investigation of the dynamical wind parameters.Comment: 22 pages, 18 fugre
The Effect of Magnetic Field Tilt and Divergence on the Mass Flux and Flow Speed in a Line-Driven Stellar Wind
We carry out an extended analytic study of how the tilt and
faster-than-radial expansion from a magnetic field affect the mass flux and
flow speed of a line-driven stellar wind. A key motivation is to reconcile
results of numerical MHD simulations with previous analyses that had predicted
non-spherical expansion would lead to a strong speed enhancement. By including
finite-disk correction effects, a dynamically more consistent form for the
non-spherical expansion, and a moderate value of the line-driving power index
, we infer more modest speed enhancements that are in good quantitative
agreement with MHD simulations, and also are more consistent with observational
results. Our analysis also explains simulation results that show the
latitudinal variation of the surface mass flux scales with the square of the
cosine of the local tilt angle between the magnetic field and the radial
direction. Finally, we present a perturbation analysis of the effects of a
finite gas pressure on the wind mass loss rate and flow speed in both spherical
and magnetic wind models, showing that these scale with the ratio of the sound
speed to surface escape speed, , and are typically 10-20% compared
to an idealized, zero-gas-pressure model.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, for the full version of the paper go
to: http://www.bartol.udel.edu/~owocki/preprints/btiltdiv-mdotvinf.pd
Radiation-driven winds of hot luminous stars. XVI. Expanding atmospheres of massive and very massive stars and the evolution of dense stellar clusters
Context: Starbursts, and particularly their high-mass stars, play an
essential role in the evolution of galaxies. The winds of massive stars not
only significantly influence their surroundings, but the mass loss also
profoundly affects the evolution of the stars themselves. In addition to the
evolution of each star, the evolution of the dense cores of massive starburst
clusters is affected by N-body interactions, and the formation of very massive
stars via mergers may be decisive for the evolution of the cluster.
Aims: To introduce an advanced diagnostic method of O-type stellar
atmospheres with winds, including an assessment of the accuracy of the
determinations of abundances, stellar and wind parameters.
Methods: We combine consistent models of expanding atmospheres with detailed
stellar evolutionary calculations of massive and very massive single stars with
regard to the evolution of dense stellar clusters. Accurate predictions of the
mass loss rates of very massive stars requires a highly consistent treatment of
the statistical equilibrium and the hydrodynamic and radiative processes in the
expanding atmospheres.
Results: We present computed mass loss rates, terminal wind velocities, and
spectral energy distributions of massive and very massive stars of different
metallicities, calculated from atmospheric models with an improved level of
consistency.
Conclusions: Stellar evolutionary calculations using our computed mass loss
rates show that low-metallicity very massive stars lose only a very small
amount of their mass, making it unlikely that very massive population III stars
cause a significant helium enrichment of the interstellar medium.
Solar-metallicity stars have higher mass-loss rates, but these are not so high
to exclude very massive stars formed by mergers in dense clusters from ending
their life massive enough to form intermediate-mass black holes.Comment: Accepted by A&
Ionizing Photon Emission Rates from O- and Early B-type Stars and Clusters
We present new computations of the ionizing spectral energy distributions
(SEDs) and Lyman continuum (Lyc) and HeI continuum photon emission rates, for
hot O-type and early B-type stars. We consider solar metallicity stars, with
effective temperatures ranging from 25,000 to 55,000 K and surface gravities
(cm s^-2) logg ranging from 3 to 4, covering the full range of spectral types
and luminosity classes for hot stars. We use our updated (WM-basic) code to
construct radiation-driven wind atmosphere models for hot stars. Our models
include the coupled effects of hydrodynamics and non-LTE radiative transfer in
spherically outflowing winds, including the detailed effects of metal line
blocking and line blanketing on the radiative transfer and energy balance. We
incorporate our hot-star models into our population synthesis code (STARS), and
we compute the time-dependent SEDs and resulting Lyc and HeI emission rates for
evolving star clusters. We present results for continuous and impulsive star
formation for a range of assumed stellar initial mass functions.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures. To appear in the Astrophysical Journal. For grid
of star models see ftp://wise3.tau.ac.il/pub/star
Non-LTE models for synthetic spectra of type Ia supernovae. III. An accelerated lambda iteration procedure for the mutual interaction of strong spectral lines in SN Ia models with and without energy deposition
Context. Spectroscopic analyses to interpret the spectra of the brightest
supernovae from the UV to the near-IR provide a powerful tool with great
astrophysical potential for the determination of the physical state of the
ejecta, their chemical composition, and the SNe distances even at significant
redshifts.
Methods. We report on improvements of computing synthetic spectra for SNIa
with respect to i) an improved and sophisticated treatment of thousands of
strong lines that interact intricately with the "pseudo-continuum" formed
entirely by Doppler- shifted spectral lines, ii) an improved and expanded
atomic database, and iii) the inclusion of energy deposition within the ejecta.
Results. We show that an accelerated lambda iteration procedure we have
developed for the mutual interaction of strong spectral lines appearing in the
atmospheres of SNeIa solves the longstanding problem of transferring the
radiative energy from the UV into the optical regime. In detail we discuss
applications of the diagnostic technique by example of a standard SNIa, where
the comparison of calculated and observed spectra revealed that in the early
phases the consideration of the energy deposition within the spectrum-forming
regions of the ejecta does not qualitatively alter the shape of the spectra.
Conclusions. The results of our investigation lead to an improved
understanding of how the shape of the spectrum changes radically as function of
depth in the ejecta, and show how different emergent spectra are formed as a
result of the particular physical properties of SNe Ia ejecta and the resulting
peculiarities in the radiative transfer. This provides an important insight
into the process of extracting information from observed SNIa spectra, since
these spectra are a complex product of numerous unobservable SNIa spectral
features which are thus analyzed in parallel to the observable spectral
features.Comment: 27 pages, 19 figures. Submitted to A&A, revised versio
Dynamics of Line-Driven Winds from Disks in Cataclysmic Variables. I. Solution Topology and Wind Geometry
We analyze the dynamics of 2-D stationary, line-driven winds from accretion
disks in cataclysmic variable stars. The driving force is that of line
radiation pressure, in the formalism developed by Castor, Abbott & Klein for O
stars. Our main assumption is that wind helical streamlines lie on straight
cones. We find that the Euler equation for the disk wind has two eigenvalues,
the mass loss rate and the flow tilt angle with the disk. Both are calculated
self-consistently. The wind is characterized by two distinct regions, an outer
wind launched beyond four white dwarf radii from the rotation axis, and an
inner wind launched within this radius. The inner wind is very steep, up to 80
degrees with the disk plane, while the outer wind has a typical tilt of 60
degrees. In both cases the ray dispersion is small. We, therefore, confirm the
bi-conical geometry of disk winds as suggested by observations and kinematical
modeling. The wind collimation angle appears to be robust and depends only on
the disk temperature stratification. The flow critical points lie high above
the disk for the inner wind, but close to the disk photosphere for the outer
wind. Comparison with existing kinematical and dynamical models is provided.
Mass loss rates from the disk as well as wind velocity laws are discussed in a
subsequent paper.Comment: 21 pages, 10 Postscript figures; available also from
http://www.pa.uky.edu/~shlosman/publ.html. Astrophysical Journal, submitte
Dynamics of Line-Driven Winds from Disks in Cataclysmic Variables. II. Mass Loss Rates and Velocity Laws
We analyze the dynamics of 2D stationary line-driven winds from accretion
disks in cataclysmic variables (CVs), by generalizing the Castor, Abbott and
Klein theory. In paper 1, we have solved the wind Euler equation, derived its
two eigenvalues, and addressed the solution topology and wind geometry. Here,
we focus on mass loss and velocity laws. We find that disk winds, even in
luminous novalike variables, have low optical depth, even in the strongest
driving lines. This suggests that thick-to-thin transitions in these lines
occur. For disks with a realistic radial temperature, the mass loss is
dominated by gas emanating from the inner decade in r. The total mass loss rate
associated with a luminosity 10 Lsun is 10^{-12} Msun/yr, or 10^{-4} of the
mass accretion rate. This is one order of magnitude below the lower limit
obtained from P Cygni lines, when the ionizing flux shortwards of the Lyman
edge is supressed. The difficulties with such small mass loss rates in CVs are
principal, and confirm our previous work. We conjecture that this issue may be
resolved by detailed nonLTE calculations of the line force within the context
of CV disk winds, and/or better accounting for the disk energy distribution and
wind ionization structure. We find that the wind velocity profile is well
approximated by the empirical law used in kinematical modeling. The
acceleration length scale is given by the footpoint radius of the wind
streamline in the disk. This suggests an upper limit of 10 Rwd to the
acceleration scale, which is smaller by factors of a few as compared to values
derived from line fitting.Comment: 14 pages, 3 Postscript figures, also from
http://www.pa.uky.edu/~shlosman/publ.html. Astrophysical Journal, submitte
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