528 research outputs found
On helium-dominated stellar evolution: the mysterious role of the O(He)-type stars
About a quarter of all post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are
hydrogen-deficient. Stellar evolutionary models explain the carbon-dominated
H-deficient stars by a (very) late thermal pulse scenario where the
hydrogen-rich envelope is mixed with the helium-rich intershell layer.
Depending on the particular time at which the final flash occurs, the entire
hydrogen envelope may be burned. In contrast, helium-dominated post-AGB stars
and their evolution are yet not understood. A small group of very hot,
helium-dominated stars is formed by O(He)-type stars. We performed a detailed
spectral analysis of ultraviolet and optical spectra of four O(He) stars by
means of state-of-the-art non-LTE model-atmosphere techniques. We determined
effective temperatures, surface gravities, and the abundances of H, He, C, N,
O, F, Ne, Si, P, S, Ar, and Fe. By deriving upper limits for the mass-loss
rates of the O(He) stars, we found that they do not exhibit enhanced mass-loss.
The comparison with evolutionary models shows that the status of the O(He)
stars remains uncertain. Their abundances match predictions of a double helium
white dwarf merger scenario, suggesting that they might be the progeny of the
compact and of the luminous helium-rich sdO-type stars. The existence of
planetary nebulae that do not show helium enrichment around every other O(He)
star, precludes a merger origin for these stars. These stars must have formed
in a different way, for instance via enhanced mass-loss during their post-AGB
evolution or a merger within a common-envelope (CE) of a CO-WD and a red giant
or AGB star. A helium-dominated stellar evolutionary sequence exists, that may
be fed by different types of mergers or CE scenarios. It appears likely, that
all these pass through the O(He) phase just before they become white dwarfs.Comment: 29 pages, 27 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Analysis of cool DO-type white dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 10
We report on the identification of 22 new cool DO-type white dwarfs (WD)
detected in Data Release 10 (DR10) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).
Among them, we found one more member of the so-called hot-wind DO WDs, which
show ultrahigh excitation absorption lines. Our non-LTE model atmosphere
analyses of these objects and two not previously analyzed hot-wind DO WDs,
revealed effective temperatures and gravities in the ranges Teff=45-80kK and
log g= 7.50-8.75. In eight of the spectra we found traces of C (0.001-0.01, by
mass). Two of these are the coolest DO WDs ever discovered that still show a
considerable amount of C in their atmospheres. This is in strong contradiction
with diffusion calculations, and probably, similar to what is proposed for DB
WDs, a weak mass-loss is present in DO WDs. One object is the most massive DO
WD discovered so far with a mass of 1.07 M_sun if it is an ONe-WD or 1.09 M_sun
if it is a CO-WD. We furthermore present the mass distribution of all known hot
non-DA (pre-) WDs and derive the hot DA to non-DA ratio for the SDSS DR7
spectroscopic sample. The mass distribution of DO WDs beyond the wind limit
strongly deviates from the mass distribution of the objects before the wind
limit. We address this phenomenon by applying different evolutionary input
channels. We argue that the DO WD channel may be fed by about 13% by
post-extreme-horizontal branch stars and that PG1159 stars and O(He) stars may
contribute in a similar extent to the non-DA WD channel.Comment: 13 pages, accepted for publication in A&
The rapid evolution of the exciting star of the Stingray Nebula
SAO244567, the exciting star of the Stingray nebula, is rapidly evolving.
Previous analyses suggested that it has heated up from an effective temperature
of about 21kK in 1971 to over 50kK in the 1990s. Canonical post-asymptotic
giant branch evolution suggests a relatively high mass while previous analyses
indicate a low-mass star. Fitting line profiles from static and expanding
non-LTE model atmospheres to the observed UV and optical spectra, taken during
1988-2013, allowed us to study the temporal change of effective temperature,
surface gravity, mass-loss rate, and terminal wind velocity. In addition, we
determined the chemical composition of the atmosphere. We find that the central
star has steadily increased its effective temperature from 38kK in 1988 to a
peak value of 60kK in 2002. During the same time, the star was contracting, as
concluded from an increase in surface gravity from log g = 4.8 to 6.0 and a
drop in luminosity. Simultaneously, the mass-loss rate declined from log
(dM/dt/Msun/yr)=-9.0 to -11.6 and the terminal wind velocity increased from
1800km/s to 2800km/s. Since around 2002, the star stopped heating and has
cooled down again to 55kK by 2006. It has a largely solar surface composition
with the exception of slightly subsolar carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur. By
comparison with stellar-evolution calculations, we confirm that SAO244567 must
be a low-mass star (M < 0.55 Msun). However, the slow evolution of the
respective stellar evolutionary models is in strong contrast to the observed
fast evolution and the young planetary nebula with a kinematical age of only
about 1000 years. We speculate that the star could be a late He-shell flash
object. Alternatively, it could be the outcome of close-binary evolution. Then
SAO244567 would be a low-mass (0.354 Msun) helium prewhite dwarf after the
common-envelope phase, during which the planetary nebula was ejected.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Twinning in muskox and the cytogenetic investigation of a freemartin
The occurrence of twinning has been documented for muskox in both wild and captive populations. Of two known captive twin births only one set survived beyond 120 days. In both cases the twins were male-female pairs and both females showed abnormal sexual development. Two sets of stillborn twins have also been recorded. All four stillborn fetuses were female and none showed anomalies of the reproductive tract upon post-mortem examination. Blood cultures from the surviving male and female twins revealed that both were chimeric, indicating the admixture of fetal blood. Fibroblast cultures were normal for the respective sex of each individual. The freemartin heifer had anatomical abnormalities of the clitoris as well as the secondary sex characteristics of a male
A far-UV survey of three hot, metal-polluted white dwarf stars: WD0455-282, WD0621-376, and WD2211-495
Using newly obtained high-resolution data () from the
\textit{Hubble Space Telescope}, and archival UV data from the \textit{Far
Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer} we have conducted a detailed UV survey of
the three hot, metal-polluted white dwarfs WD0455-282, WD0621-376, and
WD2211-495. Using bespoke model atmospheres we measured , log
, and photospheric abundances for these stars. In conjunction with data from
Gaia we measured masses, radii, and gravitational redshift velocities for our
sample of objects. We compared the measured photospheric abundances with those
predicted by radiative levitation theory, and found that the observed Si
abundances in all three white dwarfs, and the observed Fe abundances in
WD0621-376 and WD2211-495, were larger than those predicted by an order of
magnitude. These findings imply not only an external origin for the metals, but
also ongoing accretion, as the metals not supported by radiative levitation
would sink on extremely short timescales. We measured the radial velocities of
several absorption features along the line of sight to the three objects in our
sample, allowing us to determine the velocities of the photospheric and
interstellar components along the line of sight for each star. Interestingly,
we made detections of circumstellar absorption along the line of sight to
WD0455-282 with three velocity components. To our knowledge, this is the first
such detection of multi-component circumstellar absorption along the line of
sight to a white dwarf.Comment: 19 pages, 23 figures, 8 tables. Accepted for publication in the
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ
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