101 research outputs found
Ultraviolet Spectra of Two Magnetic White Dwarfs and Ultraviolet Spectra of Subluminous Objects Found in the Kiso Schmidt Survey
Low resolution International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) spectroscopic observations of two magnetic white dwarfs BPM25114 and K813-14 were obtained using both the SWP and LWP cameras. The first object has an observed magnetic field of 4 x 10(7) Gauss and the second has one of 3 x 10(7) Gauss. Both objects have overall spectral energy distributions appropriate for cool DA white dwarfs with T(eff) near 10,000 K and accordingly show strong lambda lambda 1400 and 1600 absorption in their spectra. Compared to non-magnetic DA white dwarfs of comparable effective temperature, there are some differences in the profiles, presumably produced by the magnetic fields in these objects. In addition, the ultraviolet spectra of a number of hot subluminous stars in the Kiso Schmidt survey were observed
A Study of the Ultraviolet Absorptions in the Spectra of DA White Dwarfs and Ultraviolet Spectra of the Star HR6560
Two projects in conjunction with the International Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite are discussed. These projects were to: (1) study the properties of the H2 and H2+ quasi-molecular absorption features at lambda lambda 1600 and 1400 in the ultraviolet spectra of the hydrogen-rich DA white dwarfs and to search for additional spectroscopic features in the spectra of these stars; and (2) use the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum of the peculiar rare earth-rich late F type star, HR6560 (HD159870), to establish whether or not the element abundance anomalies are produced in conjunction with its having a white dwarf binary companion. The data show that HR6560 is probably not associated with any hot subluminous or degenerate star
Ultraviolet Spectra of Two Magnetic White Dwarfs and Ultraviolet Spectra of Subluminous Objects Found in the Kiso Schmidt Survey and Ultraviolet Absorptions in the Spectra of DA White Dwarfds
Research under NASA Grant NAG5-287 has carried out a number of projects in conjunction with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite. These include: (1) studies of the UV spectra of DA white dwarfs which show quasi-molecular bands of H2 and H2(+); (2) the peculiar star HR6560; (3) the UV spectra of two magnetic white dwarfs that also show the quasi-molecular features; (4) investigations of the UV spectra of subluminous stars, primarily identified from visual wavelength spectroscopy in the Kiso survey of UV excess stars, some of which show interesting metal lines in their UV spectra; and (5) completion of studies of UV spectra of DB stars. The main result of this research has been to further knowledge of the structure and compositions of subluminous stars which helps cast light on their formation and evolution
Higgs shifts from electron-positron annihilations near neutron stars
We discuss the potential for using neutron stars to determine bounds on the
Higgs-Kretschmann coupling by looking at peculiar shifts in gamma-ray
spectroscopic features. In particular, we reanalyse multiple lines observed in
GRB781119 detected by two gamma-ray spectrometers, and derive an upper bound on
the Higgs-Kretschmann coupling that is much more constraining than the one
recently obtained from white dwarfs. This calls for targeted analyses of
spectra of gamma-ray bursts from more recent observatories, dedicated searches
for differential shifts on electron-positron and proton-antiproton annihilation
spectra in proximity of compact sources, and signals of electron and proton
cyclotron lines from the same neutron star.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
Star Formation and Relaxation in 379 Nearby Galaxy Clusters
We investigate the relationship between star formation (SF) and level of
relaxation in a sample of 379 galaxy clusters at z < 0.2. We use data from the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey to measure cluster membership and level of relaxation,
and to select star-forming galaxies based on mid-infrared emission detected
with the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer. For galaxies with absolute
magnitudes M_r < -19.5, we find an inverse correlation between SF fraction and
cluster relaxation: as a cluster becomes less relaxed, its SF fraction
increases. Furthermore, in general, the subtracted SF fraction in all unrelaxed
clusters (0.117 +/- 0.003) is higher than that in all relaxed clusters (0.097
+/- 0.005). We verify the validity of our SF calculation methods and membership
criteria through analysis of previous work. Our results agree with previous
findings that a weak correlation exists between cluster SF and dynamical state,
possibly because unrelaxed clusters are less evolved relative to relaxed
clusters.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Ultraviolet Spectra of Subluminous Objects Found in the Kiso Schmidt Survey and Systematic Reanalysis of the Archived Ultraviolet Spectra of White Dwarfs Observed with the IUE Satellite Under the Astrophysics Data Program (ADP)
Recent research under NASA grant NAG5-971 consisted of the performance of two projects in conjunction with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellites. These are: (1) to look at the ultraviolet spectra of subluminous stars identified from visual wavelength spectroscopy that had been originally discovered from the Kiso Schmidt survey for ultraviolet excess stars and (2) to carry out a systematic reanalysis of the archived IUE spectra of white dwarfs. This report presents information on the progress of the re-reduction of over 600 IUE white dwarf spectra and their subsequent analysis employing model atmospheres and the observation of the Kiso ultraviolet excess stars
Search for Higgs Shifts in White Dwarfs
We report on a search for differential shifts between electronic and vibronic transitions in carbon-rich white dwarfs BPM 27606 and Procyon B. The absence of differential shifts within the spectral resolution and taking into account systematic effects such as space motion and pressure shifts allows us to set the first upper bound of astrophysical origin on the coupling between the Higgs field and the Kreschmann curvature invariant. Our analysis provides the basis for a more general methodology to derive bounds to the coupling of long-range scalar fields to curvature invariants in an astrophysical setting complementary to the ones available from high-energy physics or table-top experiments
Star Formation and Substructure in Galaxy Clusters
We investigate the relationship between star formation (SF) and substructure
in a sample of 107 nearby galaxy clusters using data from the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey (SDSS). Several past studies of individual galaxy clusters have
suggested that cluster mergers enhance cluster SF, while others find no such
relationship. The SF fraction in multi-component clusters (0.228 +/- 0.007) is
higher than that in single-component clusters (0.175 +/- 0.016) for galaxies
with M^0.1_r < -20.5. In both single- and multi-component clusters, the
fraction of star-forming galaxies increases with clustercentric distance and
decreases with local galaxy number density, and multi-component clusters show a
higher SF fraction than single-component clusters at almost all clustercentric
distances and local densities. Comparing the SF fraction in individual clusters
to several statistical measures of substructure, we find weak, but in most
cases significant at greater than 2 sigma, correlations between substructure
and SF fraction. These results could indicate that cluster mergers may cause
weak but significant SF enhancement in clusters, or unrelaxed clusters exhibit
slightly stronger SF due to their less evolved states relative to relaxed
clusters.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The double galaxy cluster Abell 2465 - II. Star formation in the cluster
We investigate the star formation rate and its location in the major merger
cluster Abell 2465 at = 0.245. Optical properties of the cluster are
described in Paper I. Measurements of the H and infrared dust emission
of galaxies in the cluster were made with an interference filter centred on the
redshifted line at a wavelength of 817 nm and utilized data from the WISE
satellite 12 m band. Imaging in the Johnson and bands was
obtained, and along with SDSS and was used to study the blue fraction,
which appears enhanced, as a further signatures of star formation in the
cluster. Star formation rates were calculated using standard calibrations. The
total star formation rate normalized by the cluster mass,
compared to compilations for other clusters indicate that the components of
Abell 2465 lie above the mean and relations, suggestive that
interacting galaxy clusters have enhanced star formation. The projected radial
distribution of the star forming galaxies does not follow a NFW profile and is
relatively flat indicating that fewer star forming galaxies are in the cluster
centre. The morphologies of the H sources within for the
cluster as a whole indicate that many are disturbed or merging, suggesting that
a combination of merging or harassment is working.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figure
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