650 research outputs found
Discovery of the Pre-Main Sequence Population of the Stellar Association LH 95 in the Large Magellanic Cloud with Hubble Space Telescope ACS Observations
We report the discovery of an extraordinary number of pre-main sequence (PMS)
stars in the vicinity of the stellar association LH 95 in the Large Magellanic
Cloud (LMC). Using the {\em Advanced Camera for Surveys} on-board the {\em
Hubble} Space Telescope in wide-field mode we obtained deep high-resolution
imaging of the main body of the association and of a nearby representative LMC
background field. These observations allowed us to construct the
color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of the association in unprecedented detail, and
to decontaminate the CMD for the average LMC stellar population. The most
significant result is the direct detection of a substantial population of PMS
stars and their clustering properties with respect to the distribution of the
higher mass members of the association. Although LH 95 represents a rather
modest star forming region, our photometry, with a detection limit \lsim 28
mag, reveals in its vicinity more than 2,500 PMS stars with masses down to
M{\solar}. Our observations offer, thus, a new perspective of a
typical LMC association: The stellar content of LH 95 is found to extend from
bright OB stars to faint red PMS stars, suggesting a fully populated Initial
Mass Function (IMF) from the massive blue giants down to the sub-solar mass
regime.Comment: Accepted for Publication in ApJ Letters - 4 Pages ApJ paper format -
3 figures in low-resolution/grayscal
A Possible Massive Asteroid Belt Around zeta Lep
We have used the Keck I telescope to image at 11.7 microns and 17.9 microns
the dust emission around zeta Lep, a main sequence A-type star at 21.5 pc from
the Sun with an infrared excess. The excess is at most marginally resolved at
17.9 microns. The dust distance from the star is probably less than or equal to
6 AU, although some dust may extend to 9 AU. The mass of observed dust is
\~10^22 g. Since the lifetime of dust particles is about 10,000 years because
of the Poytning-Robertson effect, we robustly estimate at least 4 10^26 g must
reside in parent bodies which may be asteroids if the system is in a steady
state and has an age of ~300 Myr. This mass is approximately 200 times that
contained within the main asteroid belt in our solar system.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, ApJL in pres
A Spectroscopic Survey of Subarcsecond Binaries in the Taurus-Auriga Dark Cloud with the Hubble Space Telescope
We report the results of a spectroscopic survey of 20 close T Tauri binaries
in the Taurus-Auriga dark cloud where the separations between primaries and
their secondaries are less than the typical size of a circumstellar disk around
a young star. Analysis of low-resolution and medium-resolution STIS spectra
yields the stellar luminosities, reddenings, ages, masses, mass accretion
rates, IR excesses, and emission line luminosities for each star in each pair.
We examine the ability of IR color excesses, H-alpha equivalent widths, [O I]
emission, and veiling to distinguish between weak emission and classical T
Tauri stars. Four pairs have one cTTs and one wTTs; the cTTs is the primary in
three of these systems. This frequency of mixed pairs among the close T Tauri
binaries is similar to the frequency of mixed pairs in wider young binaries.
Extinctions within pairs are usually similar; however, the secondary is more
heavily reddened than the primary in some systems, where it may be viewed
through the primary's disk. Mass accretion rates of primaries and secondaries
are strongly correlated, and H-alpha luminosities, IR excesses, and ages also
correlate within pairs. Primaries tend to have somewhat larger accretion rates
than their secondaries do, and are typically slightly older than their
secondaries according to three different sets of modern pre-main-sequence
evolutionary tracks. Age differences for XZ Tau and FS Tau, systems embedded in
reflection nebulae, are striking; the secondary in each pair is less massive
but more luminous than the primary. The stellar masses of the UY Aur and GG Tau
binaries measured from their rotating molecular disks are about 30% larger than
the masses inferred from the spectra and evolutionary tracks
High-Resolution Spectroscopy in Tr37: Gas Accretion Evolution in Evolved Dusty Disks
Using the Hectochelle multifiber spectrograph, we have obtained
high-resolution (R~34,000) spectra in the Halpha region for a large number of
stars in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37, containing 146 previously known members
and 26 newly identified ones. We present the Halpha line profiles of all
members, compare them to our IR observations of dusty disks (2MASS/JHK + IRAC +
MIPS 24 micron), use the radial velocities as a membership criterion, and
calculate the rotational velocities. We find a good correlation between the
accretion-broadened profiles and the presence of protoplanetary disks, noting
that a small fraction of the accreting stars presents broad profiles with
Halpha equivalent widths smaller than the canonical limit separating CTTS and
WTTS. The number of strong accretors appears to be lower than in younger
regions, and a large number of CTTS have very small accretion rates
(dM/dt<10^{-9} Msun/yr). Taking into account that the spectral energy
distributions are consistent with dust evolution (grain growth/settling) in the
innermost disk, this suggests a parallel evolution of the dusty and gaseous
components. We also observe that about half of the "transition objects" (stars
with no IR excesses at wavelengths shorter than ~6 micron) do not show any
signs of active accretion, whereas the other half is accreting with accretion
rates <10^{-9} Msun/yr. These zero or very low accretion rates reveal important
gas evolution and/or gas depletion in the innermost disk, which could be
related to grain growth up to planetesimal or even planet sizes. Finally, we
examine the rotational velocities of accreting and non accreting stars, finding
no significant differences that could indicate disk locking at these ages.Comment: 51 pages, 13 (reduced resolution) figures, 2 tables. AJ in pres
The Chemical Evolution of Helium in Globular Clusters: Implications for the Self-Pollution Scenario
We investigate the suggestion that there are stellar populations in some
globular clusters with enhanced helium (Y from 0.28 to 0.40) compared to the
primordial value. We assume that a previous generation of massive Asymptotic
Giant Branch (AGB) stars have polluted the cluster. Two independent sets of AGB
yields are used to follow the evolution of helium and CNO using a Salpeter
initial mass function (IMF) and two top-heavy IMFs. In no case are we able to
produce the postulated large Y ~ 0.35 without violating the observational
constraint that the CNO content is nearly constant.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap
A double-lined spectroscopic orbit for the young star HD 34700
We report high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the young star HD
34700, which confirm it to be a double-lined spectroscopic binary. We derive an
accurate orbital solution with a period of 23.4877 +/- 0.0013 days and an
eccentricity of e = 0.2501 +/- 0.0068. The stars are found to be of similar
mass (M2/M1 = 0.987 +/- 0.014) and luminosity. We derive also the effective
temperatures (5900 K and 5800 K) and projected rotational velocities (28 km/s
and 22 km/s) of the components. These values of v sin i are much higher than
expected for main-sequence stars of similar spectral type (G0), and are not due
to tidal synchronization. We discuss also the indicators of youth available for
the object. Although there is considerable evidence that the system is young
--strong infrared excess, X-ray emission, Li I 6708 absorption (0.17 Angstroms
equivalent width), H alpha emission (0.6 Angstroms), rapid rotation-- the
precise age cannot yet be established because the distance is unknown.Comment: 17 pages, including 2 figures and 2 tables. Accepted for publication
in AJ, to appear in February 200
The low-mass pre-main sequence population of the stellar association LH 52 in the Large Magellanic Cloud discovered with Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 Observations
We report on the serendipitous discovery of ~ 500 low-mass candidate PMS
stars in the vicinity of the stellar association LH 52 in the Large Magellanic
Cloud. We present evidence that the red faint sequence of these stars seen in
the CMD of LH 52 from HST/WFPC2 observations belongs only to the association
and follows almost perfectly isochrone models for PMS stars of masses down to ~
0.3 M_solar. We find that this feature has a Galactic counterpart and that the
mass spectrum of the candidate PMS stars in LH 52 seems to correspond to a
Salpeter IMF with a slope Gamma ~ -1.26 in the mass range 0.8 - 1.4 M_solar.Comment: 4 Pages - 3 figures - Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
51 Eri and GJ 3305: A 10-15 Myr old binary star system at 30 parsecs
Following the suggestion of Zuckerman et al. (2001, ApJ, 562, L87), we
consider the evidence that 51 Eri (spectral type F0) and GJ 3305 (M0),
historically classified as unrelated main sequence stars in the solar
neighborhood, are instead a wide physical binary system and members of the
young beta Pic moving group (BPMG). The BPMG is the nearest (d < 50 pc) of
several groups of young stars with ages around 10 Myr that are kinematically
convergent with the Oph-Sco-Cen Association (OSCA), the nearest OB star
association. Combining SAAO optical photometry, Hobby-Eberly Telescope
high-resolution spectroscopy, Chandra X-ray data, and UCAC2 catalog kinematics,
we confirm with high confidence that the system is indeed extremely young. GJ
3305 itself exhibits very strong magnetic activity but has rapidly depleted
most of its lithium. The 51 Eri/GJ 3305 system is the westernmost known member
of the OSCA, lying 110 pc from the main subgroups. The system is similar to the
BPMG wide binary HD 172555/CD -64d1208 and the HD 104237 quintet, suggesting
that dynamically fragile multiple systems can survive the turbulent
environments of their natal giant molecular cloud complexes, while still being
imparted high dispersion velocities. Nearby young systems such as these are
excellent targets for evolved circumstellar disk and planetary studies, having
stellar ages comparable to that of the late phases of planet formation.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journal. For a version with high resolution figures, see
http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/edf/51Eri.pd
Turbulent Flow-Driven Molecular Cloud Formation: A Solution to the Post-T Tauri Problem?
We suggest that molecular clouds can be formed on short time scales by
compressions from large scale streams in the interstellar medium (ISM). In
particular, we argue that the Taurus-Auriga complex, with filaments of 10-20 pc
2-5 pc, most have been formed by H I flows in Myr,
explaining the absence of post-T Tauri stars in the region with ages Myr. Observations in the 21 cm line of the H I `halos' around the Taurus
molecular gas show many features (broad asymmetric profiles, velocity shifts of
H I relative to CO) predicted by our MHD numerical simulations, in which
large-scale H I streams collide to produce dense filamentary structures. This
rapid evolution is possible because the H I flows producing and disrupting the
cloud have much higher velocities (5-10 kms) than present in the molecular gas
resulting from the colliding flows. The simulations suggest that such flows can
occur from the global ISM turbulence without requiring a single triggering
event such as a SN explosion.Comment: 26 pages, 12 ps figures. Apj accepte
The Stellar Content of Obscured Galactic Giant HII Regions V: G333.1--0.4
We present high angular resolution near--infrared images of the obscured
Galactic Giant HII (GHII) region G333.1--0.4 in which we detect an OB star
cluster. For G333.1--0.4, we find OB stars and other massive objects in very
early evolutionary stages, possibly still accreting. We obtained --band
spectra of three stars; two show O type photospheric features, while the third
has no photospheric features but does show CO 2.3 m band--head emission.
This object is at least as hot as an early B type star based on its intrinsic
luminosity and is surrounded by a circumstellar disc/envelope which produces
near infrared excess emission. A number of other relatively bright cluster
members also display excess emission in the --band, indicative of
disks/envelopes around young massive stars. Based upon the O star photometry
and spectroscopy, the distance to the cluster is 2.6 0.4 kpc, similar to
a recently derived kinematic (near side) value. The slope of the --band
luminosity function is similar to those found in other young clusters. The mass
function slope is more uncertain, and we find - for stars with M M where the upper an lower limits are
calculated independently for different assumptions regarding the excess
emission of the individual massive stars. The number of Lyman continuum photons
derived from the contribution of all massive stars in the cluster is 0.2
. The
integrated cluster mass is 1.0
.Comment: 31 pages, including 12 figures and 3 tables. Accepted for publication
in the A
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