33 research outputs found
CNONa and 12C/13C in giants of 10 open clusters
Evolved low-mass stars of a wide range of metallicity bear signatures of a
non-standard mixing event in their surface abundances of Li, C, and N, and in
their 12C/13C ratio. A Na overabundance has also been reported in some giants
of open clusters but remains controversial. The cause of the extra-mixing has
been attributed to thermohaline convection that should take place after the RGB
bump for low-mass stars and on the early-AGB for more massive objects. To track
the occurrence of this process over a wide mass range, we derive in a
homogeneous way the abundances of C, N, O, and Na, as well as the 12C/13C ratio
in a sample of 31 giants of 10 open clusters with turn-off masses from 1.7 to
3.1 Msun. A group of first ascent red giants with M/Msun \leq 2.5 exhibits
lower [N/C] ratios than those measured in clump giants of the same mass range,
suggesting an additional increase in the [N/C] ratio after the first dredge-up.
The sodium abundances corrected from NLTE are found to be about solar. [Na/Fe]
shows a slight increase of 0.10 dex as a function of stellar mass in the 1.8 to
3.2 Msun range covered by our sample, in agreement with standard first
dredge-up predictions. Our results do not support previous claims of sodium
overabundances as high as +0.60 dex. An anti-correlation between 12C/13C and
turn-off mass is identified and interpreted as being caused by a post-bump
thermohaline mixing. Moreover, we find low 12C/13C ratios in a few
intermediate-mass early-AGB stars, confirming that an extra-mixing process also
operates in stars that do not experienced the RGB bump. In this case, the
extra-mixing possibly acts on the early-AGB, in agreement with theoretical
expectations for thermohaline mixing. [abridged]Comment: A&A accepted, revised versio
12C/13C ratios in giants of open clusters
The carbon isotopic ratio, 12C/13C, is a tracer of the mixing events during the evolution along the giant branch, due to the conversion of 12C into 13C (and 14N) via the CN cycle. A decrease of this ratio from 90, the solar value, to 20-25, is expected due to the first dredge-up. However, ratios down to 3-4, the CN cycle equilibrium value, have been observed in giants of the field, of globular and of open clusters. Observations seem to indicate a non-standard mixing in the RGB, probably beginning in the luminosity bump, when the outward moving hydrogen burning shell crosses the molecular weight barrier left by the convective layer in its maximum extent. We are currently analyzing a sample of 24 giants in 8 open clusters for which we determined 12C/13C from high resolution, high signal to noise spectra using spectrum synthesis. In this work we discuss the general characteristics of our results in comparison to previous analyses of giants in open clusters available in the literatur
VLT multi-object spectroscopy of 33 eclipsing binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud. New distance and depth of the SMC, and a record-breaking apsidal motion
Aim: Our purpose is to provide reliable stellar parameters for a significant
sample of eclipsing binaries, which are representative of a whole dwarf and
metal-poor galaxy. We also aim at providing a new estimate of the mean distance
to the SMC and of its depth along the line of sight for the observed field of
view. Method: We use radial velocity curves obtained with the ESO FLAMES
facility at the VLT and light curves from the OGLE-II photometric survey. The
radial velocities were obtained by least-squares fits of the observed spectra
to synthetic ones, excluding the hydrogen Balmer lines. Results: Our sample
contains 23 detached, 9 semi-detached and 1 overcontact systems. Most detached
systems have properties consistent with stellar evolution calculations from
single-star models at the standard SMC metallicity Z = 0.004, though they tend
to be slightly overluminous. The few exceptions are probably due to third light
contribution or insufficient signal-to-noise ratio. The mass ratios are
consistent with a flat distribution, both for detached and
semi-detached/contact binaries. A mass-luminosity relation valid from ~4 to ~18
Msol is derived. The uncertainties are in the +-2 to +-11% range for the
masses, in the +-2 to +-5% range for the radii and in the +-1 to +-6% range for
the effective temperatures. The average distance modulus is 19.11+-0.03
(66.4+-0.9 kpc). The moduli derived from the V and from the I data are
consistent within 0.01 mag. The 2-sigma depth of the SMC is, for our field, of
0.25 mag or 7.6 kpc under the assumption of a gaussian distribution of stars
along the line of sight. Three systems show significant apsidal motion, one of
them with an apsidal period of 7.6 years, the shortest known to date for a
detached system with main sequence stars.Comment: 61 pages, 41 figures; accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Intensity Weighted Subtraction Microscopy Approach for Image Contrast and Resolution Enhancement
We propose and demonstrate a novel subtraction microscopy algorithm, exploiting fluorescence emission difference or switching laser mode and their derivatives for image enhancement. The key novelty of the proposed approach lies in the weighted subtraction coefficient, adjusted pixel-by-pixel with respect to the intensity distributions of initial images. This method produces significant resolution enhancement and minimizes image distortions. Our theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that this approach can be applied to any optical microscopy techniques, including label free and non-linear methods, where common super-resolution techniques cannot be used
Single geophone refraction profiling (SGPR) for the detection of lateral velocity changes.
VLT multi-object spectroscopy of 33 eclipsing binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud
International audienc