Three-Dimensional Adaptive Mesh Refinement Simulations of Point-Symmetric Nebulae

Previous analytical and numerical work shows that the generalized interacting stellar winds model can explain the observed bipolar shapes of planetary nebulae very well. However, many circumstellar nebulae have a multipolar or point-symmetric shape. With two-dimensional calculations, Icke showed that these seemingly enigmatic forms can be easily reproduced by a two-wind model in which the confining disk is warped, as is expected to occur in irradiated disks. In this contribution we present the extension to fully three-dimensional adaptive mesh refinement simulations of such an interaction.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in "Asymmetrical Planetary Nebulae III" editors M. Meixner, J. Kastner, N. Soker, & B. Balick (ASP Conf. Series). Movies are available at http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/AstroHydro3D/movies/index.htm

Star Formation with Adaptive Mesh Refinement Radiation Hydrodynamics

I provide a pedagogic review of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) radiation hydrodynamics (RHD) methods and codes used in simulations of star formation, at a level suitable for researchers who are not computational experts. I begin with a brief overview of the types of RHD processes that are most important to star formation, and then I formally introduce the equations of RHD and the approximations one uses to render them computationally tractable. I discuss strategies for solving these approximate equations on adaptive grids, with particular emphasis on identifying the main advantages and disadvantages of various approximations and numerical approaches. Finally, I conclude by discussing areas ripe for improvement.Comment: 8 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of IAU Symposium 270: Computational Star Formatio

Numerical nebulae

The late stages of evolution of stars like our Sun are dominated by several episodes of violent mass loss. Space based observations of the resulting objects, known as Planetary Nebulae, show a bewildering array of highly symmetric shapes. The interplay between gasdynamics and radiative processes determines the morphological outcome of these objects, and numerical models for astrophysical gasdynamics have to incorporate these effects. This thesis presents new numerical techniques for carrying out high-resolution three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamical simulations. Such calculations require parallelization of computer codes, and the use of state-of-the-art supercomputer technology. Numerical models in the context of the shaping of Planetary Nebulae are presented, providing insight into their origin and fate.Sterrewacht Leiden - OU

Discovery of a ~7 Hz Quasi-Periodic Oscillation in the low-luminosity low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1820-30

We have discovered a 7.06+-0.08 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the X-ray flux of the low-luminosity low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) and atoll source 4U 1820-30. This QPO was only observable at the highest observed mass accretion rate, when the source was in the uppermost part of the banana branch, at a 2-25 keV luminosity of 5.4x10^37 erg/s (for a distance of 6.4 kpc). The QPO had a FWHM of only 0.5+-0.2 Hz during small time intervals (32-s of data), and showed erratic shifts in the centroid frequency between 5.5 and 8 Hz. The rms amplitude over the energy range 2-60 keV was 5.6%+-0.2%. The amplitude increased with photon energy from 3.7%+-0.5% between 2.8 and 5.3 keV to 7.3%+-0.6% between 6.8 and 9.3 keV, above which it remained approximately constant at ~7%. The time lag of the QPO between 2.8-6.8 and 6.8-18.2 keV was consistent with being zero (-1.2+-3.4 ms). The properties of the QPO (i.e., its frequency and its presence only at the highest observed mass accretion rate) are similar to those of the 5-20 Hz QPO observed in the highest luminosity LMXBs (the Z sources) when they are accreting near the Eddington mass accretion limit. If this is indeed the same phenomenon, then models explaining the 5-20 Hz QPO in the Z sources, which require the near-Eddington accretion rates, will not hold. Assuming isotropic emission, the 2-25 keV luminosity of 4U 1820-30 at the time of the 7 Hz QPOs is at maximum only 40% (for a companion star with cosmic abundances), but most likely ~20% (for a helium companion star) of the Eddington accretion limit.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters (6 pages, including 3 figures

Interaction of massive stars with their surroundings

Due to their short lifetimes but their enormous energy release in all stages of their lives massive stars are the major engines for the comic matter circuit. They affect not only their close environment but are also responsible to drive mass flows on galactic scales. Recent 2D models of radiation-driven and wind-blown HII regions are summarized which explore the impact of massive stars to the interstellar medium but find surprisingly small energy transfer efficiencies while an observable Carbon self-enrichment in the Wolf-Rayet phase is detected in the warm ionized gas. Finally, the focus is set on state-of-the-art modelling of HII regions and its present weaknesses with respect to uncertainties and simplifications but on a perspective of the requested art of their modelling in the 21st century.Comment: 7 pages, 3 fig.s, to be published in IAU Symp. No. 252, "The art of modelling stars in the 21st century", L. Deng & K.L. Chang (eds.), 2008, invited tal