38 research outputs found
He-accreting WDs: AM CVn stars with WD donors
We study the physical and evolutionary properties of the `white dwarf (WD) family' of AM CVn stars by computing realistic models of interacting double-degenerate systems. We evaluate self-consistently both the mass-transfer rate from the donor, as determined by gravitational wave emission and interaction with the binary companion, and the thermal response of the accretor to mass deposition. We find that, after the onset of mass transfer, all the considered systems undergo a strong non-dynamical He-flash. However, due to the compactness of these systems, the expanding accretors fill their Roche lobe very soon, thus preventing the efficient heating of the external layers of the accreted CO WDs. Moreover, due to the loss of matter from the systems, the orbital separations enlarge and mass transfer comes to a halt. The further evolution depends on the value of dot{M} after the donors fill again their lobe. On one hand, if the accretion rate, as determined by the actual value of (Mdon, Macc), is high enough, the accretors experience several He-flashes of decreasing strength and then quiescent He-burning sets in. Later on, since the mass-transfer rate in IDD is a permanently decreasing function of time, accretors experience several recurrent strong flashes. On the other hand, for intermediate and low values of dot{M} the accretors enter directly the strong flashes accretion regime. As expected, in all the considered systems the last He-flash is the strongest one, even if the physical conditions suitable for a dynamical event are never attained. When the mass accretion rate decreases below (2-3) Ă 10-8 Mâ yr-1, the compressional heating of the He-shell becomes less efficient than the neutrino cooling, so that all the accretors in the considered systems evolve into massive degenerate objects. Our results suggest that SNe .Ia or Type Ia Supernovae due to Edge-Lit Detonation in the WD family of AM CVn stars should be much more rare than previously expected
Both Grass Development Stage and Grazing Management Influence Milk Terpene Content
Terpenes are a wide group of molecules originating from plantsâ secondary metabolism. Forage terpenes vary according to the botanical composition and in particular to the proportion of plants such as Apiaceae, Lamiaceae or Asteraceae. These molecules are considered effective milk markers for the presence of diversified forages in dairy cow diets. The variation in terpene content in the milk of grazing cows would depend on the period of development of terpene-rich plants and on the grazing management, whereby cows do or do not have the opportunity to choose and to modify the botanical composition of the ingested grass. The aim of this trial was to quantify the respective effects of grass development stage and grazing management on milk terpene content
Dark energy and thermonuclear supernovae
Nowadays it is widely accepted that the current Universe is dominated by dark energy and exotic matter, the so called StandardModel of Cosmoloy or _CDM model. All the available data (Thermonuclear Supernovae, Cosmic Microwave Background, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, Large Scale Structure, etc.) are compatible with a flat Universe made by _70% of dark energy. Up to now observations agree that dark energy may be the vacuum energy (or cosmological constant) although improvements are needed to constrain further its equation of state. In this context, the cĂČsmic destiny of the Universe is no longer linked to its geometry but to the nature of dark energy; it may be flat and expand forever or collapse. To understand the nature of dark energy is probably the most fundamental problem in physics today; it may open new roads of knowledge and led to unify gravity with the other fundamental interactions in nature. It is expected that astronomical data will continue to provide
directions to theorists and experimental physicists. Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) have played a fundamental role, showing the acceleration of the expansion rate of the Universe a decade ago, and up to now they are the only astronomical observations
that provide a direct evidence of the acceleration. However, in order to determine the source of the dark energy term it is mandatory to improve the precision of supernovae as distance indicators on cosmological scale.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
Thermonuclear oubursts of AM CVn stars
We consider initial stage of the evolution of AM CVn type stars with white dwarf donors, which is characterized by thermonuclear explosions in the layer of accreted He. It is shown that accretion never results in detonation of He and accretors in AM CVn stars finish their evolution as massive WD. We found, for the first time, that in the outbursts the synthesis of n-rich isotopes, initiated by reaction 22 Ne(α, n) 25 Mg, becomes possible
The Ages, Metallicities and Alpha Element Enhancements of Globular Clusters in the Elliptical NGC 5128: A Homogeneous Spectroscopic Study with Gemini/GMOS
We present new integrated light spectroscopy of globular clusters (GCs) in
NGC 5128 in order to measure radial velocities and derive ages, metallicities,
and alpha-element abundance ratios. Using Gemini-S 8-m/GMOS, we obtained
spectroscopy in the range of ~3400-5700 AA for 72 GCs with S/N > 30 /AA and we
have also discovered 35 new GCs within NGC 5128 from our radial velocity
measurements. We measured and compared the Lick indices from HdeltaA through
Fe5406 with the single stellar population (SSP) models of Thomas et
al.(2003,2004). We also measure Lick indices for 41 Milky Way GCs from Puzia et
al. (2002) and Schiavon et al. (2005) with the same methodology for direct
comparison. Our results show that 68% of the NGC 5128 GCs have old ages (> 8
Gyr), 14% have intermediate ages (5-8 Gyr), and 18% have young ages (< 5 Gyr).
However, when we look at the metallicity of the GCs as a function of age, we
find 92% of metal-poor GCs and 56% of metal-rich GCs in NGC 5128 have ages > 8
Gyr, indicating that the majority of both metallicity subpopulations of GCs
formed early, with a significant population of young and metal-rich GCs forming
later. Our metallicity distribution function generated directly from
spectroscopic Lick indices is clearly bimodal, as is the color distribution of
the same set of GCs. Thus the metallicity bimodality is real and not an
artifact of the color to metallicity conversion. The [alpha/Fe] values are
supersolar with a mean value of 0.14pm0.04, indicating a fast formation
timescale. However, the GCs in NGC 5128 are not as [alpha/Fe] enhanced as the
Milky Way GCs also examined in this study. Our results support a rapid, early
formation of the GC system in NGC 5128, with subsequent major accretion and/or
GC and star forming events in more recent times (abridged).Comment: Accepted to The Astrophysical Journal, 36 pages, 14 figures, 7 table
Dust formation around AGB and SAGB stars: a trend with metallicity?
We calculate the dust formed around AGB and SAGB stars of metallicity Z=0.008
by following the evolution of models with masses in the range 1M<M<8M
throughthe thermal pulses phase, and assuming that dust forms via condensation
of molecules within a wind expanding isotropically from the stellar surface. We
find that, because of the strong Hot Bottom Burning (HBB) experienced, high
mass models produce silicates, whereas lower mass objects are predicted to be
surrounded by carbonaceous grains; the transition between the two regimes
occurs at a threshold mass of 3.5M. These fndings are consistent with the
results presented in a previous investigation, for Z=0.001. However, in the
present higher metallicity case, the production of silicates in the more
massive stars continues for the whole AGB phase, because the HBB experienced is
softer at Z=0.008 than at Z=0.001, thus the oxygen in the envelope, essential
for the formation of water molecules, is never consumed completely. The total
amount of dust formed for a given mass experiencing HBB increases with
metallicity, because of the higher abundance of silicon, and the softer HBB,
both factors favouring a higher rate of silicates production. This behaviour is
not found in low mass stars,because the carbon enrichment of the stellar
surface layers, due to repeated Third Drege Up episodes, is almost independent
of the metallicity. Regarding cosmic dust enrichment by intermediate mass
stars, we find that the cosmic yield at Z=0.008 is a factor 5 larger than at
Z=0.001. In the lower metallicity case carbon dust dominates after about 300
Myr, but at Z=0.008 the dust mass is dominated by silicates at all times,with a
prompt enrichment occurring after about 40 Myr, associated with the evolution
of stars with masses M =7.5 -8M.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 2 Tables, accepted for publication in MNRA