3,268 research outputs found
BD+30 3639: The Infrared Spectrum During Post-AGB Stellar Evolution
We present a radiative-transfer calculation which reproduces the infrared
spectrum of the planetary nebula BD~+303639. We calculate the
transfer process through absorption and scattering in a spherical-symmetric
multi-grain dust shell. The emission of transiently heated particles is taken
into account, as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We obtain an
acceptable fit to most of the spectrum, including the PAH infrared bands. At
submillimetre wavelengths the observed emission is larger than the model
predicts, indicating that large dust conglomerates (``f{}luffy grains'') may be
needed as an additional constituent. The fit favours a distance of kpc, which implies that BD~+303639 has evolved from a massive
progenitor of several solar masses. A low dust-to-gas mass ratio is found in
the ionised region. The calculations yield an original mass-loss rate of
2\times10^{-4} \msolar \peryr on the Asymptotic Giant Branch. Using this
mass-loss rate, we calculate how the infrared spectrum has evolved during the
post-AGB evolution. We show in particular the evolution of the IRAS colours
during the preceding post-AGB evolution.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS. LaTeX, 15 pages, hardcopy and 8
figures available from [email protected] or [email protected]
Millimeter polarisation of the protoplanetary nebula OH 231.8+4.2: A follow-up study with CARMA
In order to investigate the characteristics and influence of the magnetic
field in evolved stars, we performed a follow-up investigation of our previous
submillimeter analysis of the proto-planetary nebula (PPN) OH 231.8+4.2 (Sabin
et al. 2014), this time at 1.3mm with the CARMA facility in polarisation mode
for the purpose of a multi-scale analysis. OH 231.8+4.2 was observed at ~2.5"
resolution and we detected polarised emission above the 3-sigma threshold (with
a mean polarisation fraction of 3.5 %). The polarisation map indicates an
overall organised magnetic field within the nebula. The main finding in this
paper is the presence of a structure mostly compatible with an ordered toroidal
component that is aligned with the PPN's dark lane. We also present some
alternative magnetic field configuration to explain the structure observed.
These data complete our previous SMA submillimeter data for a better
investigation and understanding of the magnetic field structure in OH
231.8+4.2.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA
The evolution of the Mira variable R Hydrae
The Mira variable R Hydrae is well known for its declining period, which Wood
& Zarro (1981) attributed to a possible recent thermal pulse. Here we
investigate the long-term period evolution, covering 340 years, going back to
its discovery in AD 1662. Wavelets are used to determine both the period and
semi-amplitude. We show that the period decreased linearly between 1770 and
1950; since 1950 the period has stabilized at 385 days. The semi-amplitude
closely follows the period evolution. Detailed analysis of the oldest data
shows that before 1770 the period was about 495 days. We find no evidence for
an increasing period during this time as found by Wood & Zarro. IRAS data shows
that the mass loss dropped dramatically around AD 1750. The decline agrees with
the mass-loss formalism from Vassiliadis & Wood, but is much larger than
predicted by the Bloecker mass-loss law. An outer detached IRAS shell suggests
that R Hya has experienced such mass-loss interruptions before. The period
evolution can be explained by a thermal pulse occuring around AD 1600, or by an
non-linear instability leading to an internal relaxation of the stellar
structure. The elapsed time between the mass-loss decline giving rise to the
outer detached shell, and the recent event, of approximately 5000 yr suggests
that only one of these events could be due to a thermal pulse. Further
monitoring of R Hya is recommended, as both models make strong predictions for
the future period evolution. R Hya-type events, on time scales of 10^2-10^3 yr,
could provide part of the explanation for the rings seen around some AGB and
post-AGB stars.Comment: 13 pages. MNRAS, accepted for publicatio
Mode switching in the nearby Mira-like variable R Doradus
We discuss visual observations spanning nearly 70 years of the nearby
semiregular variable R Doradus. Using wavelet analysis, we show that the star
switches back and forth between two pulsation modes having periods of 332 days
and about 175 days, the latter with much smaller amplitude. Comparison with
model calculations suggests that the two modes are the first and third radial
overtone, with the physical diameter of the star making fundamental mode
pulsation unlikely. The mode changes occur on a timescale of about 1000 d,
which is too rapid be related to a change in the overall thermal structure of
the star and may instead be related to weak chaos.
The Hipparcos distance to R Dor is 62.4 +/- 2.8 pc which, taken with its
dominant 332-day period, places it exactly on the period-luminosity relation of
Miras in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Our results imply first overtone pulsation
for all Miras which fall on the P-L relation. We argue that semiregular
variables with long periods may largely be a subset of Miras and should be
included in studies of Mira behaviour. The semiregulars may contain the
immediate evolutionary Mira progenitors, or stars may alternate between periods
of semiregular and Mira behaviour.Comment: 12 pages, latex with figures, accepted by MNRA
Non-spiky density of states of an icosahedral quasicrystal
The density of states of the ideal three-dimensional Penrose tiling, a
quasicrystalline model, is calculated with a resolution of 10 meV. It is not
spiky. This falsifies theoretical predictions so far, that spikes of width
10-20 meV are generic for the density of states of quasicrystals, and it
confirms recent experimental findings. The qualitative difference between our
results and previous calculations is partly explained by the small number of k
points that has usually been included in the evaluation of the density of
states of periodic approximants of quasicrystals. It is also shown that both
the density of states of a small approximant of the three-dimensional Penrose
tiling and the density of states of the ideal two-dimensional Penrose tiling do
have spiky features, which also partly explains earlier predictions.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Changes in this version: longer introduction,
details of figures shown in inset
Third-dredge-up oxygen in planetary nebulae
The planetary nebulae He 2-436 and Wray 16-423 in the Sagittarius dwarf
galaxy appear to result from nearly twin stars, except that third-dredge-up
carbon is more abundant in He 2-436. A thorough photoionization-model analysis
implies that ratios Ne/O, S/O and Ar/O are significantly smaller in He 2-436,
indicative of third-dredge-up oxygen enrichment. The enrichment of oxygen with
respect to carbon is (7 +/- 4)%. Excess nitrogen in Wray 16-423 suggests third
dredge-up of late CN-cycle products even in these low-mass,
intermediate-metallicity stars.Comment: To appear in Astron. Astrophys. Lett. (Latex, 5 pages, 1 postscript
figure
Detection of the Central Star of the Planetary Nebula NGC 6302
NGC 6302 is one of the highest ionization planetary nebulae known and shows
emission from species with ionization potential >300eV. The temperature of the
central star must be >200,000K to photoionize the nebula, and has been
suggested to be up to ~ 400,000K. On account of the dense dust and molecular
disc, the central star has not convincingly been directly imaged until now. NGC
6302 was imaged in six narrow band filters by Wide Field Camera 3 on HST as
part of the Servicing Mission 4 Early Release Observations. The central star is
directly detected for the first time, and is situated at the nebula centre on
the foreground side of the tilted equatorial disc. The magnitudes of the
central star have been reliably measured in two filters(F469N and F673N).
Assuming a hot black body, the reddening has been measured from the
(4688-6766\AA) colour and a value of c=3.1, A_v=6.6 mag determined. A G-K main
sequence binary companion can be excluded. The position of the star on the HR
diagram suggests a fairly massive PN central star of about 0.64,M_sun close to
the white dwarf cooling track. A fit to the evolutionary tracks for
(T,L,t)=(200,000K, 2000L_sun, 2200yr), where t is the nebular age, is obtained;
however the luminosity and temperature remain uncertain. The model tracks
predict that the star is rapidly evolving, and fading at a rate of almost 1 %
per year. Future observations could test this prediction.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, submitted to ApJ Letters on 25.09.2009 accepted
on 19.10.200
Investigating the nature of the Fried Egg nebula: CO mm-line and optical spectroscopy of IRAS 17163-3907
Through CO mm-line and optical spectroscopy, we investigate the properties of
the Fried Egg nebula IRAS 17163-3907, which has recently been proposed to be
one of the rare members of the yellow hypergiant class. The CO J=2-1 and J=3-2
emission arises from a region within 20" of the star and is clearly associated
with the circumstellar material. The CO lines show a multi-component
asymmetrical profile, and an unexpected velocity gradient is resolved in the
east-west direction, suggesting a bipolar outflow. This is in contrast with the
apparent symmetry of the dust envelope as observed in the infrared. The optical
spectrum of IRAS 17163-3907 between 5100 and 9000 {\AA} was compared with that
of the archetypal yellow hypergiant IRC+10420 and was found to be very similar.
These results build on previous evidence that IRAS 17163-3907 is a yellow
hypergiant.Comment: 14 pages including appendix, accepted for publication in A&
Ізоморфні зображення амальгамованих добутків нескінченних циклічних груп скінченно становими автоморфізмами p-адичного кореневого дерева
Встановлено, що амальгамовані вільні добутки нескінченних циклічних груп, які є резидуально скінченними p-групами, діють точно скінченно становими автоморфізмами p-адичного кореневого дерева Tp, що містяться в p-силовській підгрупі його групи автоморфізмів.It is shown that the amalgamated free products of infinite cyclic groups that are residually finite p-groups admit faithful actions by finite state automorphisms of a p-adic rooted tree Tp contained in the p-Sylow subgroup of its automorphism group
The superwind mass-loss rate of the metal-poor carbon star LI-LMC 1813 in the LMC cluster KMHK 1603
LI-LMC 1813 is a dust-enshrouded Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) star, located
in the small open cluster KMHK 1603 near the rim of the Large Magellanic Cloud
(LMC). Optical and infrared photometry between 0.5 and 60 micron is obtained to
constrain the spectral energy distribution of LI-LMC 1813. Near-infrared
spectra unambiguously show it to be a carbon star. Modelling with the radiation
transfer code Dusty yields accurate values for the bolometric luminosity, L=1.5
x 10^4 Lsun, and mass-loss rate, Mdot=3.7(+/-1.2) x 10^-5 Msun/yr. On the basis
of colour-magnitude diagrams, the age of the cluster KMHK 1603 is estimated to
be t=0.9-1.0 Gyr, which implies a Zero-Age Main Sequence mass for LI-LMC 1813
of M(ZAMS)=2.2+/-0.1 Msun. This makes LI-LMC 1813 arguably the object with the
most accurately and reliably determined (circum)stellar parameters amongst all
carbon stars in the superwind phase.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (better quality figure 1 on request
from jacco
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