How many nucleosynthesis processes exist at low metallicity?

Abundances of low-metallicity stars offer a unique opportunity to understand the contribution and conditions of the different processes that synthesize heavy elements. Many old, metal-poor stars show a robust abundance pattern for elements heavier than Ba, and a less robust pattern between Sr and Ag. Here we probe if two nucleosynthesis processes are sufficient to explain the stellar abundances at low metallicity, and we carry out a site independent approach to separate the contribution from these two processes or components to the total observationally derived abundances. Our approach provides a method to determine the contribution of each process to the production of elements such as Sr, Zr, Ba, and Eu. We explore the observed star-to-star abundance scatter as a function of metallicity that each process leads to. Moreover, we use the deduced abundance pattern of one of the nucleosynthesis components to constrain the astrophysical conditions of neutrino-driven winds from core-collapse supernovae.Comment: 13 pages, published in Ap

Multiwavelength optical observations of chromospherically active binary systems V. FF UMa (2RE J0933+624): a system with orbital period variation

This is the fifth paper in a series aimed at studying the chromospheres of active binary systems using several optical spectroscopic indicators to obtain or improve orbital solution and fundamental stellar parameters. We present here the study of FF UMa (2RE J0933+624), a recently discovered, X-ray/EUV selected, active binary with strong H_alpha emission. The objectives of this work are, to find orbital solutions and define stellar parameters from precise radial velocities and carry out an extensive study of the optical indicators of chromospheric activity. We obtained high resolution echelle spectroscopic observations during five observing runs from 1998 to 2004. We found radial velocities by cross correlation with radial velocity standard stars to achieve the best orbital solution. We also measured rotational velocity by cross-correlation techniques and have studied the kinematic by galactic space- velocity components (U, V, W) and Eggen criteria. Finally, we have determined the chromospheric contribution in optical spectroscopic indicators, from Ca II H & K to Ca II IRT lines, using the spectral subtraction technique. We have found that this system presents an orbital period variation, higher than previously detected in other RS CVn systems. We determined an improved orbital solution, finding a circular orbit with a period of 3.274 days. We derived the stellar parameters, confirming the subgiant nature of the primary component and obtained rotational velocities (vsini), of 33.57 km/s and 32.38 km/s for the primary and secondary components respectively. From our kinematic study, we can deduce its membership to the Castor moving group. Finally, the activity study has given us a better understanding of the possible mechanisms that produce the orbital period variation.Comment: Latex file with 16 pages, 18 figures. Available at http://www.ucm.es/info/Astrof/invest/actividad/actividad_pub.html Accepted for publication in: Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A

Cool dwarfs in wide multiple systems. Paper 6: A curious quintuple system of a compact Sun-like triple and a close pair of an M dwarf and a very cool white dwarf at a wide separation

The system WDS 16329+0315 is an old, nearby quintuple physical system in the thick Galactic disc formed by a close-resolved, triple primary of solar metallicity, namely HD 149162, and a very wide, common proper motion, secondary pair, formed by the mid-M dwarf G-17-23 and the white dwarf LSPM J1633+0311S. We present an exhaustive astrometric and photometric data compilation of the system, including Gaia DR2 parallaxes and proper motions, and the first analysis of the nature of the faintest component. LSPM J1633+0311S (HD 149162 C) is a very cool white dwarf with an effective temperature of only about 5500 K, near the coolest end of the grid of theoretical models.Comment: The Observatory, in press, to appear in December 201

Dynamics of two interacting particles in classical billiards

The problem of two interacting particles moving in a d-dimensional billiard is considered here. A suitable coordinate transformation leads to the problem of a particle in an unconventional hyperbilliard. A dynamical map can be readily constructed for this general system, which greatly simplifies calculations. As a particular example, we consider two identical particles interacting through a screened Coulomb potential in a one-dimensional billiard. We find that the screening plays an important role in the dynamical behavior of the system and only in the limit of vanishing screening length can the particles be considered as bouncing balls. For more general screening and energy values, the system presents strong non-integrability with resonant islands of stability.Comment: REVTEX manuscript, 4 figures (1 ps + 3 gif, Postscript versions available upon request). Also available at http://www.phy.ohiou.edu/~ulloa/ulloa.htm