The energy input mechanism into the lower transition regions between stellar chromospheres and coronae

The ratio of the emission line fluxes for the C II and C IV lines in the lower transition regions (T = 30,000 to 100,000 K) between stellar chromospheres and transition layers is shown to depend mainly on the temperature gradient in the line emitting regions which can therefore be determined from this line ratio. From the observed constant (within the limits of observational error) ratio of the emission line fluxes of the C II (1335 A) and C IV (1550 A) lines it is concluded that the temperature gradients in the lower transition layers are similar for the large majority of stars independently of T sub eff, L, and degree of activity. This means that the temperature dependence of the damping length for the mechanical flux must be the same for all these stars. Since for different kinds of mechanical fluxes the dependence of the damping length on gas pressure and temperature is quite different, it is concluded that the same heating mechanism must be responsible for the heating of all the lower transition layers of these stars, regardless of their chromospheric activity. Only the amount of mechanical flux changes. The T Tauri stars are exceptions: their emission lines are probably mainly due to circumstellar material

The white dwarf companion of the B a 2 star zeta Cap

The Ba II star zeta Cap has a white dwarf companion. Its T (sub eff) is determined to be 22000 K, its mass is approximately one solar mass. The importance of this finding for the explanation of abundance peculiarities is discussed

Search for white dwarf companions of cool stars with peculiar element abundances

A search for a white dwarf companions of cool stars with peculiar element abundances was undertaken. One additional star the xi Cet, was found with a white dwarf companion. It was found that HR 1016, 56Uma, 16 Ser, have high excitation emission lines which indicate a high temperature object in the system. It is suggested that since these indications for high temperature companions were seen for all nearby Ba stars, it is highly probable that all Ba stars have white dwarf companions, and that the peculiar element abundances seen in the Ba stars are due to mass transfer. Observations, arguments and conclusions are presented. White dwarf companions were not found. Together with the Li and Be abundances and the chromospheric emission line spectra in these stars were studied. No white dwarf companions were seen for subgiant CH stars

Silicon abundances in population I giants

Silicon to carbon abundance ratios for population I giants were determined from emission lines originating in the transition layers between stellar chromospheres and coronae. For effective temperatures larger than 6200 K we find a group of stars with increased silicon to carbon but normal nitrogen to carbon abundance ratios. These stars are presumably descendents from Ap stars with increased surface silicon to carbon abundance ratios. For G stars this anomaly disappears as is to be expected due to the increased depth of the convection zone and therefore deeper mixing which dilutes the surface overabundances. The disappearance of the abundance anomalies proves that the anomalous abundances observed for the F giants are indeed only a surface phenomenon. It also proves that the same holds for their progenitors, the Ap and Am stars, as has been generally believed. Unexplained is the increased silicon to carbon abundance ratio observed for several stars cooler than 5100 L. RS CVn and related stars do not show this increased abundance ratio. There are also some giants which appear to be enriched in carbon, perhaps due to a helium flash with some mixing if the star is a clump star

Outlook for ultraviolet astronomy

A brief overview of galactic and extragalactic research is given with emphasis on the problems of temperature determination, chemical abundance determination, and the question about the energy sources for the high temperature regions. Stellar astronomy, stellar winds, and the interstellar medium are among the topics covered

Ultraviolet studies of Cepheids

We discuss whether with new evolutionary tracks we still have a problem fitting the Cepheids and their evolved companions on the appropriate evolutionary tracks. We find that with the Bertelli et al. tracks with convective overshoot by one pressure scale height the problem is essentially removed, though somewhat more mixing would give a better fit. By using the results of recent nonlinear hydrodynamic calculations, we find that we also have no problem matching the observed pulsation periods of the Cepheids with those expected from their new evolutionary masses, provided that Cepheids with periods less than 9 days are overtone pulsators. We investigate possible mass loss of Cepheids from UV studies of the companion spectrum of S Mus and from the ultraviolet spectra of the long period Cepheid l Carinae. For S Mus with a period of 9.6 days we derive an upper limit for the mass loss of M less than 10(exp -9) solar mass, if a standard velocity law is assumed for the wind. For l Carinae with a period of 35.5 days we find a probable mass loss of M is approximately 10(exp -5+/-2) solar mass

Emission lines in the long period Cepheid l Carinae

For the Cepheid (l) Carinae with a pulsation period of 35.5 days we have studied the emission line fluxes as a function of pulsational phase in order to find out whether we see chromosphere and transition layer emission or whether we see emission due to an outward moving shock. All emission lines show a steep increase in flux shortly before maximum light suggestive of a shock moving through the surface layers. The large ratio of the C IV to C II line fluxes shows that these are not transition layer lines. During maximum light the large ratio of the C IV to C II line fluxes also suggests that we see emission from a shock with velocities greater than 100 km/sec such that C IV emission can be excited. With such velocities mass outflow appears possible. The variations seen in the Mg II line profiles show that there is an internal absorption over a broad velocity band independent of the pulsational phase. We attribute this absorption to a circumstellar 'shell'. This 'shell' appears to be seen also as spatially extended emission in the O I line at 1300 angstrom, which is probably excited by resonance with Ly beta

The edgeworth-kuiper belt as a debris disk

Allgegenwärtige Begleiter von Hauptreihensternen sind die sogenannten Trümmerscheiben. Sie sind Überreste der Planetenentstehung und bestehen aus Planetesimalen, welche in gegenseitigen Kollisionen kleinen Staub produzieren. Und es ist dieser Staub, welcher beobachtet werden kann. Im Sonnensystem kennen wir die Mutterkörper des Staubes, die transneptunischen Objekte (TNOs), und die Planeten. Jedoch ist das Wissen über den Staub begrenzt, da eine Detektion auf Grund der starken Emission des Zodiakallichtes unmöglich ist. Unter Anwendung derselben Kollisionsmodelle für extrasolare Trümmerscheiben auf das Sonnensystem, ist es möglich, die Verbindung zwischen Planetesimalen und Staub besser zu verstehen. Dieses Modell kann dann als Referenzmodell für alle Trümmerscheiben verwendet werden

Line formation in convective stellar atmospheres. I. Granulation corrections for solar photospheric abundances

In an effort to estimate the largely unknown effects of photospheric temperature fluctuations on spectroscopic abundance determinations, we have studied the problem of LTE line formation in the inhomogeneous solar photosphere based on detailed 2-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations of the convective surface layers of the Sun. By means of a strictly differential 1D/2D comparison of the emergent equivalent widths, we have derived "granulation abundance corrections" for individual lines, which have to be applied to standard abundance determinations based on homogeneous 1D model atmospheres in order to correct for the influence of the photospheric temperature fluctuations. In general, we find a line strengthening in the presence of temperature inhomogeneities as a consequence of the non-linear temperature dependence of the line opacity. For many lines of practical relevance, the magnitude of the abundance correction may be estimated from interpolation in the tables and graphs provided with this paper. The application of abundance corrections may often be an acceptable alternative to a detailed fitting of individual line profiles based on hydrodynamical simulations. The present study should be helpful in providing upper bounds for possible errors of spectroscopic abundance analyses, and for identifying spectral lines which are least sensitive to the influence of photospheric temperature inhomogeneities.Comment: Accepted by A&