604 research outputs found
Sakurai's Object: characterizing the near-infrared CO ejecta between 2003 and 2007
We present observations of Sakurai's Object obtained at 1–5 μm between 2003 and 2007. By fitting a radiative transfer model to an echelle spectrum of CO fundamental absorption features around 4.7 μm, we determine the excitation conditions in the line-forming region. We find 12C/13C = 3.5+2.0−1.5, consistent with CO originating in ejecta processed by the very late thermal pulse, rather than in the pre-existing planetary nebula. We demonstrate the existence of 2.2 × 10−6≤MCO≤ 2.7 × 10−6 M⊙ of CO ejecta outside the dust, forming a high-velocity wind of 500 ± 80 km s−1. We find evidence for significant weakening of the CO band and cooling of the dust around the central star between 2003 and 2005. The gas and dust temperatures are implausibly high for stellar radiation to be the sole contributor
Holstein polaron in the presence of disorder
Non-local, inhomogeneous and retarded response observed in experiments is
reproduced by introducing the Inhomogeneous Momentum Average (IMA) method to
study single polaron problems with disorder in the on-site potential and/or
spatial variations of the electron-phonon couplings and/or phonon frequencies.
We show that the electron-phonon coupling gives rise to an additional
inhomogeneous, strongly retarded potential, which makes instant approximations
questionable. The accuracy of IMA is demonstrated by comparison with results
from the approximation free Diagrammatic Monte Carlo (DMC) method. Its
simplicity allows for easy study of many problems that were previously
unaccessible. As an example, we show how inhomogeneities in the electron-phonon
coupling lead to nonlocal, retarded response in scanning tunneling microscopy
(STM) images.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Boron in Very Metal-Poor Stars
We have observed the B I 2497 A line to derive the boron abundances of two
very metal-poor stars selected to help in tracing the origin and evolution of
this element in the early Galaxy: BD +23 3130 and HD 84937. The observations
were conducted using the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on board the
Hubble Space Telescope. A very detailed abundance analysis via spectral
synthesis has been carried out for these two stars, as well as for two other
metal-poor objects with published spectra, using both Kurucz and OSMARCS model
photospheres, and taking into account consistently the NLTE effects on the line
formation. We have also re-assessed all published boron abundances of old disk
and halo unevolved stars. Our analysis shows that the combination of high
effective temperature (Teff > 6000 K, for which boron is mainly ionized) and
low metallicity ([Fe/H]<-1) makes it difficult to obtain accurate estimates of
boron abundances from the B I 2497 A line. This is the case of HD 84937 and
three other published objects (including two stars with [Fe/H] ~ -3), for which
only upper limits can be established. BD +23 3130, with [Fe/H] ~ -2.9 and
logN(B)_NLTE=0.05+/-0.30, appears then as the most metal-poor star for which a
firm measurement of the boron abundance presently exists. The evolution of the
boron abundance with metallicity that emerges from the seven remaining stars
with Teff < 6000 K and [Fe/H]<-1, for which beryllium abundances were derived
using the same stellar parameters, shows a linear increase with a slope ~ 1.
Furthermore, the B/Be ratio found is constant at a value ~ 20 for stars in the
range -3<[Fe/H]<-1. These results point to spallation reactions of ambient
protons and alpha particles with energetic particles enriched in CNO as the
origin of boron and beryllium in halo stars.Comment: 38 pages, 11 Encapsulated Postscript figures (included), uses
aaspp4.sty. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. The
preprint is also available at: http://www.iac.es/publicaciones/preprints.htm
Modelling the spectral energy distribution of the red giant in RS Ophiuchi: Evidence for irradiation
We present an analysis of optical and infrared spectra of the recurrent nova RS Oph obtained during between 2006 and 2009. The best fit to the optical spectrum for 2006 September 28 gives Teff = 3900 K for log g = 2.0, while for log g = 0.0 we find Teff = 4700 K, and a comparison with template stellar spectra provides Teff ~ 4500 K. The observed spectral energy distribution (SED), and the intensities of the emission lines, vary on short (≲1 d) time-scales, due to disc variability. We invoke a simple one-component model for the accretion disc, and a model with a hot boundary layer, with high (~3.9 × 10-6M⊙ yr-1) and low (~2 × 10-8M⊙ yr-1) accretion rates, respectively. Fits to the accretion disc-extracted infrared spectrum (2008 July 15) yield effective temperatures for the red giant of Teff = 3800 ± 100 K (log g = 2.0) and Teff = 3700 ± 100 K (log g = 0.0). Furthermore, using a more sophisticated approach, we reproduced the optical and infrared SEDs of the red giant in the RS Oph system with a twocomponent model atmosphere, in which 90 per cent of the surface has Teff = 3600 K and 10 per cent has Teff = 5000 K. Such structure could be due to irradiation of the red giant by the white dwarf. © 2015 The Authors
Modeling the spectrum of V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's Object)
Theoretical spectral energy distributions were computed for a grid of
hydrogen-deficient and carbon-rich model atmospheres of T(eff) in the range of
5000-6250 K and log g = 1.0 - 0.0 by the technique of opacity sampling, taking
into account continuous, molecular band and atomic line absorption. These
energy distributions were compared with the spectrum of V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's
object) of April, 1997 in the wavelength interval 300-1000 nm. We show that (1)
the shape of the theoretical spectra depends strongly on T(eff) but only very
weakly on the hydrogen abundance; (2) the comparison of the observed and
computed spectra permits to estimate T(eff) approximately 5500 K for V4334 Sgr
in April, 1997, and its interstellar reddening (plus a possible circumstellar
contribution) E(B-V) approximately 0.70.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, LaTeX, accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysic
Direct k-space mapping of the electronic structure in an oxide-oxide interface
The interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 hosts a two-dimensional electron
system of itinerant carriers, although both oxides are band insulators.
Interface ferromagnetism coexisting with superconductivity has been found and
attributed to local moments. Experimentally, it has been established that Ti 3d
electrons are confined to the interface. Using soft x-ray angle-resolved
resonant photoelectron spectroscopy we have directly mapped the interface
states in k-space. Our data demonstrate a charge dichotomy. A mobile fraction
contributes to Fermi surface sheets, whereas a localized portion at higher
binding energies is tentatively attributed to electrons trapped by O-vacancies
in the SrTiO3. While photovoltage effects in the polar LaAlO3 layers cannot be
excluded, the apparent absence of surface-related Fermi surface sheets could
also be fully reconciled in a recently proposed electronic reconstruction
picture where the built-in potential in the LaAlO3 is compensated by surface
O-vacancies serving also as charge reservoir.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, incl. Supplemental Informatio
Two-dimensional electron liquid state at LaAlO3-SrTiO3 interfaces
Using tunneling spectroscopy we have measured the spectral density of states
of the mobile, two-dimensional electron system generated at the LaAlO3-SrTiO3
interface. As shown by the density of states the interface electron system
differs qualitatively, first, from the electron systems of the materials
defining the interface and, second, from the two-dimensional electron gases
formed at interfaces between conventional semiconductors
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