21 research outputs found
Evidence for a companion to BM Gem, a silicate carbon star
Balmer and Paschen continuum emission as well as Balmer series lines of P
Cygni-type profile from H_gamma through H_23 are revealed in the violet spectra
of BM Gem, a carbon star associated with an oxygen-rich circumstellar shell
(`silicate carbon star') observed with the high dispersion spectrograph (HDS)
on the Subaru telescope. The blue-shifted absorption in the Balmer lines
indicates the presence of an outflow, the line of sight velocity of which is at
least 400 km s^-1, which is the highest outflow velocity observed to date in a
carbon star. We argue that the observed unusual features in BM Gem are strong
evidence for the presence of a companion, which should form an accretion disk
that gives rise to both an ionized gas region and a high velocity, variable
outflow. The estimated luminosity of ~0.2 (0.03-0.6) L_sun for the ionized gas
can be maintained by a mass accretion rate to a dwarf companion of ~10^-8 M_sun
yr^-1, while ~10^-10 M_sun yr^-1 is sufficient for accretion to a white dwarf
companion. These accretion rates are feasible for some detached binary
configurations on the basis of the Bond-Hoyle type accretion process. We
concluded that the carbon star BM Gem is in a detached binary system with a
companion of low mass and low luminosity. However, we are unable to determine
whether this companion object is a dwarf or a white dwarf. The upper limits for
binary separation are 210 AU and 930 AU for a dwarf and a white dwarf,
respectively. We also note that the observed features of BM Gem mimic those of
Mira (omi Cet), which may suggest actual similarities in their binary
configurations and circumstellar structures.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Ap
Interstellar Grains -- The 75th Anniversary
The year of 2005 marks the 75th anniversary since Trumpler (1930) provided
the first definitive proof of interstellar grains by demonstrating the
existence of general absorption and reddening of starlight in the galactic
plane. This article reviews our progressive understanding of the nature of
interstellar dust.Comment: invited review article for the "Light, Dust and Chemical Evolution"
conference (Gerace, Italy, 26--30 September 2004), edited by F. Borghese and
R. Saija, 2005, in pres
Elastic Properties of Nonstoichiometric Reacted PDMS Networks
The influence of stoichiometry on the elastic modulus of eight-functional end-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) networks was investigated by extensional rheometry with extensions up to more than 100%, and the stress-strain relation was found to be almost linear-a characteristic property for a network structure with an eight-functional cross-linker. The experimental data were compared to a stochastic model taking into account entanglements and to Monte Carlo simulations. The Mooney-Rivlin model was furthermore used to fit the data, and the dependency of C-1 and C-2 parameters on the stoichiometric ratio was investigated in order to clarify especially the influence of trapped entanglements acting either as chemical cross-links or as sliding links. It was found that including a locking factor dividing trapped entanglements into locked entanglements and slip-links could explain our data obtained for the Mooney-Rivlin constants. It was furthermore found that trapped entanglements dominate when there is an excess of cross-linker, ensuring that all long difunctional DMS chains are bound to the infinite network in both ends