6,756 research outputs found
High-velocity gas towards the LMC resides in the Milky Way halo
To explore the origin of high-velocity gas in the direction of the Large
Magellanic Cloud (LMC) we analyze absorption lines in the ultraviolet spectrum
of a Galactic halo star that is located in front of the LMC at d=9.2 kpc
distance. We study the velocity-component structure of low and intermediate
metal ions in the spectrum of RXJ0439.8-6809, as obtained with the Cosmic
Origins Spectrograph (COS) onboard HST, and measure equivalent widths and
column densities for these ions. We supplement our COS data with a
Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer spectrum of the nearby LMC star Sk-69 59
and with HI 21cm data from the Leiden-Argentina-Bonn (LAB) survey. Metal
absorption towards RXJ0439.8-6809 is unambiguously detected in three different
velocity components near v_LSR=0,+60, and +150 km/s. The presence of absorption
proves that all three gas components are situated in front of the star, thus
being located in the disk and inner halo of the Milky Way. For the
high-velocity cloud (HVC) at v_LSR=+150 km/s we derive an oxygen abundance of
[O/H]=-0.63 (~0.2 solar) from the neighbouring Sk-69 59 sightline, in
accordance with previous abundance measurements for this HVC. From the observed
kinematics we infer that the HVC hardly participates in the Galactic rotation.
Our study shows that the HVC towards the LMC represents a Milky Way halo cloud
that traces low-column density gas with relatively low metallicity. It rules
out scenarios in which the HVC represents material close to the LMC that stems
from a LMC outflow.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; submitted to A&A Letter
Stellar laboratories III. New Ba V, Ba VI, and Ba VII oscillator strengths and the barium abundance in the hot white dwarfs G191-B2B and RE0503-289
For the spectral analysis of high-resolution and high-signal-to-noise (S/N)
spectra of hot stars, state-of-the-art non-local thermodynamic equilibrium
(NLTE) model atmospheres are mandatory. These are strongly dependent on the
reliability of the atomic data that is used for their calculation. Reliable Ba
V - VII oscillator strengths are used to identify Ba lines in the spectra of
the DA-type white dwarf G191-B2B and the DO-type white dwarf RE0503-289 and to
determine their photospheric Ba abundances. We newly calculated Ba V - VII
oscillator strengths to consider their radiative and collisional bound-bound
transitions in detail in our NLTE stellar-atmosphere models for the analysis of
Ba lines exhibited in high-resolution and high-S/N UV observations of G191-B2B
and RE0503-289. For the first time, we identified highly ionized Ba in the
spectra of hot white dwarfs. We detected Ba VI and Ba VII lines in the Far
Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spectrum of RE0503-289. The Ba VI /
Ba VII ionization equilibrium is well reproduced with the previously determined
effective temperature of 70000 K and surface gravity of . The Ba
abundance is (mass fraction, about 23000 times the
solar value). In the FUSE spectrum of G191-B2B, we identified the strongest Ba
VII line (at 993.41 \AA) only, and determined a Ba abundance of (about 265 times solar). Reliable measurements and calculations
of atomic data are a pre-requisite for stellar-atmosphere modeling. Observed Ba
VI - VII line profiles in two white dwarfs' (G191-B2B and RE0503-289)
far-ultraviolet spectra were well reproduced with our newly calculated
oscillator strengths. This allowed to determine the photospheric Ba abundance
of these two stars precisely.Comment: 36 pages, 8 figure
High-precision Atomic Physics Laboratories in Space: White Dwarfs and Subdwarfs
The 21st European Workshop on White Dwarfs was held in Austin, TX from July 23rd to 27th of 2018Stellar atmospheres are prime laboratories to determine
atomic properties of highly ionized species.
Reliable opacities are crucial ingredients for the
calculation of stellar atmospheres of white dwarfs
and subdwarfs. A detailed investigation on the
precision of many iron-group oscillator strengths
is still outstanding. To make progress, we used
the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph
to measure high-resolution spectra of three hot
subdwarfs that exhibit extremely high iron-group
abundances. The predicted relative strengths of
the identified lines are compared with the observations
to judge the quality of Kurucz’s line data
and to determine correction factors for abundance
determinations of the respective elements.Astronom
Stellar laboratories: new Ge V and Ge VI oscillator strengths and their validation in the hot white dwarf RE 0503-289
State-of-the-art spectral analysis of hot stars by means of non-LTE
model-atmosphere techniques has arrived at a high level of sophistication. The
analysis of high-resolution and high-S/N spectra, however, is strongly
restricted by the lack of reliable atomic data for highly ionized species from
intermediate-mass metals to trans-iron elements. Especially data for the latter
has only been sparsely calculated. Many of their lines are identified in
spectra of extremely hot, hydrogen-deficient post-AGB stars. A reliable
determination of their abundances establishes crucial constraints for AGB
nucleosynthesis simulations and, thus, for stellar evolutionary theory.
In a previous analysis of the UV spectrum of RE 0503-289, spectral lines of
highly ionized Ga, Ge, As, Se, Kr, Mo, Sn, Te, I, and Xe were identified.
Individual abundance determinations are hampered by the lack of reliable
oscillator strengths. Most of these identified lines stem from Ge V. In
addition, we identified Ge VI lines for the first time. We calculated Ge V and
Ge VI oscillator strengths to consider their radiative and collisional
bound-bound transitions in detail in our non-LTE stellar-atmosphere models for
the analysis of the Ge IV - VI spectrum exhibited in high-resolution and
high-S/N UV spectra of RE 0503-289. We identify four Ge IV, 37 Ge V, and seven
Ge VI lines. Most of these are identified for the first time in any star. We
reproduce almost all Ge IV, Ge VI, and Ge VI lines in the observed spectrum of
RE 0503-289 (Teff = 70 kK, log g = 7.5) at log Ge = -3.8 +/- 0.3 (mass
fraction, about 650 times solar).
Reliable measurements and calculations of atomic data are a prerequisite for
stellar-atmosphere modeling. Our oscillator-strength calculations have allowed,
for the first time, Ge V and Ge VI lines to be successfully reproduced in a
white dwarf's spectrum and to determine its photospheric Ge abundance.Comment: 54 pages, 8 figure
Complete spectral energy distribution of the hot, helium-rich white dwarf RX J0503.9-2854
In the line-of-sight toward the DO-type white dwarf RX J0503.9-2854, the
density of the interstellar medium (ISM) is very low, and thus the
contamination of the stellar spectrum almost negligible. This allows us to
identify many metal lines in a wide wavelength range from the extreme
ultraviolet to the near infrared. In previous spectral analyses, many metal
lines in the ultraviolet spectrum of RX J0503.9-2854 have been identified. A
complete line list of observed and identified lines is presented here. We
compared synthetic spectra that had been calculated from model atmospheres in
non-local thermodynamical equilibrium, with observations. In total, we
identified 1272 lines (279 of them were newly assigned) in the wavelength range
from the extreme ultraviolet to the near infrared. 287 lines remain
unidentified. A close inspection of the EUV shows that still no good fit to the
observed shape of the stellar continuum flux can be achieved although He, C, N,
O, Al, Si, P, S, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cr, Ni Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Kr, Zr, Mo,
Sn, Xe, and Ba are included in the stellar atmosphere models. There are two
possible reasons for the deviation between observed and synthetic flux in the
EUV. Opacities from hitherto unconsidered elements in the model-atmosphere
calculation may be missing and/or the effective temperature is slightly lower
than previously determined.Comment: 92 pages, 45 figure
EC 11481-2303 - A Peculiar Subdwarf OB Star Revisited
EC 11481-2303 is a peculiar, hot, high-gravity pre-white dwarf. Previous
optical spectroscopy revealed that it is a sdOB star with an effective
temperature (Teff) of 41790 K, a surface gravity log(g)= 5.84, and He/H = 0.014
by number. We present an on-going spectral analysis by means of non-LTE
model-atmosphere techniques based on high-resolution, high-S/N optical
(VLT-UVES) and ultraviolet (FUSE, IUE) observations. We are able to reproduce
the optical and UV observations simultaneously with a chemically homogeneous
NLTE model atmosphere with a significantly higher effective temperature and
lower He abundance (Teff = 55000 K, log (g) = 5.8, and He / H = 0.0025 by
number). While C, N, and O appear less than 0.15 times solar, the iron-group
abundance is strongly enhanced by at least a factor of ten.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figure
Neutron wave packet tomography
A tomographic technique is introduced in order to determine the quantum state
of the center of mass motion of neutrons. An experiment is proposed and
numerically analyzed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Spectral Types of Planetary Host Star Candidates: Two New Transiting Planets?
Recently, 46 low-luminosity object transits were reported from the Optical
Gravitational Lensing Experiment. Our follow-up spectroscopy of the 16 most
promising candidates provides a spectral classification of the primary.
Together with the radius ratio from the transit measurements, we derived the
radii of the low-luminosity companions. This allows to examine the possible
sub-stellar nature of these objects. Fourteen of them can be clearly identified
as low-mass stars. Two objects, OGLE-TR-03 and OGLE-TR-10 have companions with
radii of 0.15 R_sun which is very similar to the radius of the transiting
planet HD209458B. The planetary nature of these two objects should therefore be
confirmed by dynamical mass determinations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication by A&A Letter
Stellar laboratories. IX. New Se V, Sr IV - VII, Te VI, and I VI oscillator strengths and the Se, Sr, Te, and I abundances in the hot white dwarfs G191-B2B and RE 0503-289
To analyze spectra of hot stars, advanced non-local thermodynamic equilibrium
(NLTE) model-atmosphere techniques are mandatory. Reliable atomic data is for
the calculation of such model atmospheres.
We aim to calculate new Sr IV - VII oscillator strengths to identify for the
first time Sr spectral lines in hot white dwarf (WD) stars and to determine the
photospheric Sr abundances. o measure the abundances of Se, Te, and I in hot
WDs, we aim to compute new Se V, Te VI, and I VI oscillator strengths.
To consider radiative and collisional bound-bound transitions of Se V, Sr IV
- VII, Te VI, and I VI in our NLTE atmosphere models, we calculated oscillator
strengths for these ions.
We newly identified four Se V, 23 Sr V, 1 Te VI, and three I VI lines in the
ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of RE0503-289. We measured a photospheric Sr
abundance of 6.5 +3.8/-2.4 x 10**-4 (mass fraction, 9500 - 23800 times solar).
We determined the abundances of Se (1.6 +0.9/-0.6 x 10**-3, 8000 - 20000), Te
(2.5 +1.5/-0.9 x 10**-4, 11000 - 28000), and I (1.4 +0.8/-0.5 x 10**-5, 2700 -
6700). No Se, Sr, Te, and I line was found in the UV spectra of G191-B2B and we
could determine only upper abundance limits of approximately 100 times solar.
All identified Se V, Sr V, Te VI, and I VI lines in the UV spectrum of
RE0503-289 were simultaneously well reproduced with our newly calculated
oscillator strengths.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figure
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