Distances of Globular Clusters Based on Hipparcos Parallaxes of Nearby Subdwarfs
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The Variable Stars and Blue Horizontal Branch of the Metal-Rich Globular Cluster NGC 6441
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CERN Document Server The Variable Stars and Blue Horizontal Branch of the Metal-Rich Globular Cluster NGC 6441 Andrew C. Layden1;2 Physics & Astronomy Dept., Bowling Green State Univ., Bowling Green, OH 43403, U.S.A. Laura A. Ritter Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1090, U.S.A. Douglas L. Welch1,TracyM.A.Webb1 Department of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1, Canada ABSTRACT We present time-series VI photometry of the metal-rich ([Fe=H]= 0:53) globular − cluster NGC 6441. Our color-magnitude diagram shows that the extended blue horizontal branch seen in Hubble Space Telescope data exists in the outermost reaches of the cluster. About 17% of the horizontal branch stars lie blueward and brightward of the red clump. The red clump itself slopes nearly parallel to the reddening vector. A component of this slope is due to differential reddening, but part is intrinsic. The blue horizontal branch stars are more centrally concentrated than the red clump stars, suggesting mass segregation and a possible binary origin for the blue horizontal branch stars. We have discovered 50 new variable stars near NGC 6441, among ∼ them eight or more RR Lyrae stars which are highly-probable cluster members. Comprehensive period searches over the range 0.2–1.0 days yielded unusually long periods (0.5–0.9 days) for the fundamental pulsators compared with field RR Lyrae of the same metallicity. Three similar long-period RR Lyrae are known in other metal-rich globulars. -
(GK 1; Pr 1.1, 1.2; Po 1) What Is a Star?
1) Observed properties of stars. (GK 1; Pr 1.1, 1.2; Po 1) What is a star? Why study stars? The sun Age of the sun Nearby stars and distribution in the galaxy Populations of stars Clusters of stars Distances and characterization of stars Luminosity and flux Magnitudes Parallax Standard candles Cepheid variables SN Ia 2) The HR diagram and stellar masses (GK 2; Pr 1.4; Po 1) Colors of stars B-V Blackbody emission HR Diagram Interpretation of HR diagram stellar radii kinds of stars red giants white dwarfs planetary nebulae AGB stars Cepheids Horizontal branch evolutionary sequence turn off mass and ages Masses from binaries Circular orbits solution General solution Spectroscopic binaries Eclipsing spectroscopic binaries Empirical mass luminosity relation 3) Spectroscopy and abundances (GK 1; Pr 2) Stellar spectra OBFGKM Atomic physics H atom others Spectral types Temperature and spectra Boltzmann equation for levels Saha equation for ionization ionization stages Rotation Stellar Abundances More about ionization stages, e.g. Ca and H Meteorite abundances Standard solar set Abundances in other stars and metallicity 4) Hydrostatic balance, Virial theorem, and time scales (GK 3,4; Pr 1.3, 2; Po 2,8) Assumptions - most of the time Fully ionized gas except very near surface where partially ionized Spherical symmetry Broken by e.g., convection, rotation, magnetic fields, explosion, instabilities, etc Makes equations a lot easier Limits on rotation and magnetic fields Homogeneous composition at birth Isolation (drop this later in course) Thermal -
Hydrogen-Deficient Stars
Hydrogen-Deficient Stars ASP Conference Series, Vol. 391, c 2008 K. Werner and T. Rauch, eds. Hydrogen-Deficient Stars: An Introduction C. Simon Jeffery Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh BT61 9DG, N. Ireland, UK Abstract. We describe the discovery, classification and statistics of hydrogen- deficient stars in the Galaxy and beyond. The stars are divided into (i) massive / young star evolution, (ii) low-mass supergiants, (iii) hot subdwarfs, (iv) cen- tral stars of planetary nebulae, and (v) white dwarfs. We introduce some of the challenges presented by these stars for understanding stellar structure and evolution. 1. Beginning Our science begins with a young woman from Dundee in Scotland. The brilliant Williamina Fleming had found herself in the employment of Pickering at the Harvard Observatory where she noted that “the spectrum of υ Sgr is remarkable since the hydrogen lines are very faint and of the same intensity as the additional dark lines” (Fleming 1891). Other stars, well-known at the time, later turned out also to have an unusual hydrogen signature; the spectacular light variations of R CrB had been known for a century (Pigott 1797), while Wolf & Rayet (1867) had discovered their emission-line stars some forty years prior. It was fifteen years after Fleming’s discovery that Ludendorff (1906) observed Hγ to be completely absent from the spectrum of R CrB, while arguments about the hydrogen content of Wolf-Rayet stars continued late into the 20th century. Although these early observations pointed to something unusual in the spec- tra of a variety of stars, there was reluctance to accept (or even suggest) that hydrogen might be deficient. -
The Deaths of Stars
The Deaths of Stars 1 Guiding Questions 1. What kinds of nuclear reactions occur within a star like the Sun as it ages? 2. Where did the carbon atoms in our bodies come from? 3. What is a planetary nebula, and what does it have to do with planets? 4. What is a white dwarf star? 5. Why do high-mass stars go through more evolutionary stages than low-mass stars? 6. What happens within a high-mass star to turn it into a supernova? 7. Why was SN 1987A an unusual supernova? 8. What was learned by detecting neutrinos from SN 1987A? 9. How can a white dwarf star give rise to a type of supernova? 10.What remains after a supernova explosion? 2 Pathways of Stellar Evolution GOOD TO KNOW 3 Low-mass stars go through two distinct red-giant stages • A low-mass star becomes – a red giant when shell hydrogen fusion begins – a horizontal-branch star when core helium fusion begins – an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star when the helium in the core is exhausted and shell helium fusion begins 4 5 6 7 Bringing the products of nuclear fusion to a giant star’s surface • As a low-mass star ages, convection occurs over a larger portion of its volume • This takes heavy elements formed in the star’s interior and distributes them throughout the star 8 9 Low-mass stars die by gently ejecting their outer layers, creating planetary nebulae • Helium shell flashes in an old, low-mass star produce thermal pulses during which more than half the star’s mass may be ejected into space • This exposes the hot carbon-oxygen core of the star • Ultraviolet radiation from the exposed -
White Dwarfs in Globular Clusters 3 Received Additional Support from the Theoretical Investigations of [94, 95, 96]
White Dwarfs in Globular Clusters S. Moehler1 and G. Bono1,2,3 1 European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany, [email protected] 2 Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Rome Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy, [email protected] 3 INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy We review empirical and theoretical findings concerning white dwarfs in Galactic globular clusters. Since their detection is a critical issue we describe in detail the various efforts to find white dwarfs in globular clusters. We then outline the advantages of using cluster white dwarfs to investigate the forma- tion and evolution of white dwarfs and concentrate on evolutionary channels that appear to be unique to globular clusters. We also discuss the usefulness of globular cluster white dwarfs to provide independent information on the distances and ages of globular clusters, information that is very important far beyond the immediate field of white dwarf research. Finally, we mention pos- sible future avenues concerning globular cluster white dwarfs, like the study of strange quark matter or plasma neutrinos. 1 Introduction During the last few years white dwarfs have been the topic of several thorough review papers focused on rather different aspects. The interested reader is referred to [85] and to [86] for a comprehensive discussion concerning the use of white dwarfs as stellar tracers of Galactic stellar populations and the physics of cool white dwarfs. The advanced evolutionary phases and their impact on the dynamical evolution of open and globular clusters have been reviewed by [116], while [4] provide a comprehensive discussion of the use of arXiv:0806.4456v3 [astro-ph] 30 Jun 2011 white dwarfs to constrain stellar and cosmological parameters together with a detailed analysis of the physical mechanisms driving their evolutionary and pulsation properties. -
(NASA/Chandra X-Ray Image) Type Ia Supernova Remnant – Thermonuclear Explosion of a White Dwarf
Stellar Evolution Card Set Description and Links 1. Tycho’s SNR (NASA/Chandra X-ray image) Type Ia supernova remnant – thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2011/tycho2/ 2. Protostar formation (NASA/JPL/Caltech/Spitzer/R. Hurt illustration) A young star/protostar forming within a cloud of gas and dust http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1852-ssc2007-14d-Planet-Forming-Disk- Around-a-Baby-Star 3. The Crab Nebula (NASA/Chandra X-ray/Hubble optical/Spitzer IR composite image) A type II supernova remnant with a millisecond pulsar stellar core http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2009/crab/ 4. Cygnus X-1 (NASA/Chandra/M Weiss illustration) A stellar mass black hole in an X-ray binary system with a main sequence companion star http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2011/cygx1/ 5. White dwarf with red giant companion star (ESO/M. Kornmesser illustration/video) A white dwarf accreting material from a red giant companion could result in a Type Ia supernova http://www.eso.org/public/videos/eso0943b/ 6. Eight Burst Nebula (NASA/Hubble optical image) A planetary nebula with a white dwarf and companion star binary system in its center http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150607.html 7. The Carina Nebula star-formation complex (NASA/Hubble optical image) A massive and active star formation region with newly forming protostars and stars http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic0707b/ 8. NGC 6826 (Chandra X-ray/Hubble optical composite image) A planetary nebula with a white dwarf stellar core in its center http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/pne/ 9. -
Announcements
Announcements • Next Session – Stellar evolution • Low-mass stars • Binaries • High-mass stars – Supernovae – Synthesis of the elements • Note: Thursday Nov 11 is a campus holiday Red Giant 8 100Ro 10 years L 10 3Ro, 10 years Temperature Red Giant Hydrogen fusion shell Contracting helium core Electron Degeneracy • Pauli Exclusion Principle says that you can only have two electrons per unit 6-D phase- space volume in a gas. DxDyDzDpxDpyDpz † Red Giants • RG Helium core is support against gravity by electron degeneracy • Electron-degenerate gases do not expand with increasing temperature (no thermostat) • As the Temperature gets to 100 x 106K the “triple-alpha” process (Helium fusion to Carbon) can happen. Helium fusion/flash Helium fusion requires two steps: He4 + He4 -> Be8 Be8 + He4 -> C12 The Berylium falls apart in 10-6 seconds so you need not only high enough T to overcome the electric forces, you also need very high density. Helium Flash • The Temp and Density get high enough for the triple-alpha reaction as a star approaches the tip of the RGB. • Because the core is supported by electron degeneracy (with no temperature dependence) when the triple-alpha starts, there is no corresponding expansion of the core. So the temperature skyrockets and the fusion rate grows tremendously in the `helium flash’. Helium Flash • The big increase in the core temperature adds momentum phase space and within a couple of hours of the onset of the helium flash, the electrons gas is no longer degenerate and the core settles down into `normal’ helium fusion. • There is little outward sign of the helium flash, but the rearrangment of the core stops the trip up the RGB and the star settles onto the horizontal branch. -
Evolution of Stars
Evolution of Stars (Part I: Solar-type stars) 1 Death of the Sun Parts I and II 2 Learning goals: Be able to …. ! summarize the future of the Sun on a rough timescale; ! apply the basics of the conservation of energy and the battle between gravity and outward pressure to what “drives” a star to evolve at each major stage of evolution; ! explain what is meant by main sequence, subgiant, red giant branch, electron degeneracy, helium flash, horizontal branch, asymptotic giant branch, planetary nebula, white dwarf. 3 Be able to summarize the future of the Sun in a rough timescale. Apply the basics of the conservation of energy and the battle between gravely and pressure to what “drives” a star to evolve at each major stage of evolution. Explain what is meant by red giant branch, electron degeneracy, helium flash, horizontal branch, planetary nebula, white dwarf 4 5 http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/browndwarf_fg.html Brown Dwarf "In between a star and a planet "Jupiter < BD mass < 0.08 Sun "Radiates in infrared due to low temperature. "Mass too low to start fusion in core. "Slowly cools over trillions of years. 6 7 Core producing energy--Fusing H to He 8 A review of what we know the Sun is doing as a main-sequence star 9 Number of particles in core is decreasing. NET RESULT IN: 6 H OUT: 1 He + 2 H FUSION RATE MUST INCREASE TO OFFSET DECREASE IN PARTICLE PRESSURE! Sun is slowly becoming more and more luminous. 10 Explain how the Sun maintains a constant balance in its interior (solar thermostat) Part of the pressure depends on the number of particles Pressure decreases, core shrinks slightly, pressure evens out, fusion rate must increase to offset the smaller pressure provided by the number of particles present. -
Accretion Regimes in the X-Ray Pulsar 4U 1901+03 P
A&A 594, A45 (2016) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201629200 & c ESO 2016 Astrophysics Accretion regimes in the X-ray pulsar 4U 1901+03 P. Reig1; 2 and F. Milonaki2 1 IESL, Foundation for Reseach and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion, Greece e-mail: [email protected] 2 Physics Department, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece Received 28 June 2016 / Accepted 17 August 2016 ABSTRACT Context. The source 4U 1901+03 is a high-mass X-ray pulsar than went into outburst in 2003. Observation performed with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer showed spectral and timing variability, including the detection of flares, quasi-periodic oscillations, complex changes in the pulse profiles, and pulse phase dependent spectral variability. Aims. We re-analysed the data covering the 2003 X-ray outburst and focused on several aspects of the variability that have not been discussed so far. These are the 10 keV feature and the X-ray spectral states and their association with accretion regimes, including the transit to the propeller state at the end of the outburst. Methods. We extracted light curves and spectra using data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. Low time resolution light curves were used to create hardness-intensity diagrams and study daily changes in flux. High time resolution light curves were used to create pulse profiles. An average spectrum per observation allowed us to investigate the evolution of the spectral parameters with time. Results. We find that 4U 1901+03 went through three accretion regimes over the course of the X-ray outburst. -
Stellar Evolution: Evolution Off the Main Sequence
Evolution of a Low-Mass Star Stellar Evolution: (< 8 M , focus on 1 M case) Evolution off the Main Sequence sun sun - All H converted to He in core. - Core too cool for He burning. Contracts. Main Sequence Lifetimes Heats up. Most massive (O and B stars): millions of years - H burns in shell around core: "H-shell burning phase". Stars like the Sun (G stars): billions of years - Tremendous energy produced. Star must Low mass stars (K and M stars): a trillion years! expand. While on Main Sequence, stellar core has H -> He fusion, by p-p - Star now a "Red Giant". Diameter ~ 1 AU! chain in stars like Sun or less massive. In more massive stars, 9 Red Giant “CNO cycle” becomes more important. - Phase lasts ~ 10 years for 1 MSun star. - Example: Arcturus Red Giant Star on H-R Diagram Eventually: Core Helium Fusion - Core shrinks and heats up to 108 K, helium can now burn into carbon. "Triple-alpha process" 4He + 4He -> 8Be + energy 8Be + 4He -> 12C + energy - First occurs in a runaway process: "the helium flash". Energy from fusion goes into re-expanding and cooling the core. Takes only a few seconds! This slows fusion, so star gets dimmer again. - Then stable He -> C burning. Still have H -> He shell burning surrounding it. - Now star on "Horizontal Branch" of H-R diagram. Lasts ~108 years for 1 MSun star. More massive less massive Helium Runs out in Core Horizontal branch star structure -All He -> C. Not hot enough -for C fusion. - Core shrinks and heats up. -
Hercules a Monthly Sky Guide for the Beginning to Intermediate Amateur Astronomer Tom Trusock - 7/09
Small Wonders: Hercules A monthly sky guide for the beginning to intermediate amateur astronomer Tom Trusock - 7/09 Dragging forth the summer Milky Way, legendary strongman Hercules is yet another boundary constellation for the summer season. His toes are dipped in the stream of our galaxy, his head is firm in the depths of space. Hercules is populated by a dizzying array of targets, many extra-galactic in nature. Galaxy clusters abound and there are three Hickson objects for the aficionado. There are a smattering of nice galaxies, some planetary nebulae and of course a few very nice globular clusters. 2/19 Small Wonders: Hercules Widefield Finder Chart - Looking high and south, early July. Tom Trusock June-2009 3/19 Small Wonders: Hercules For those inclined to the straightforward list approach, here's ours for the evening: Globular Clusters M13 M92 NGC 6229 Planetary Nebulae IC 4593 NGC 6210 Vy 1-2 Galaxies NGC 6207 NGC 6482 NGC 6181 Galaxy Groups / Clusters AGC 2151 (Hercules Cluster) Tom Trusock June-2009 4/19 Small Wonders: Hercules Northern Hercules Finder Chart Tom Trusock June-2009 5/19 Small Wonders: Hercules M13 and NGC 6207 contributed by Emanuele Colognato Let's start off with the masterpiece and work our way out from there. Ask any longtime amateur the first thing they think of when one mentions the constellation Hercules, and I'd lay dollars to donuts, you'll be answered with the globular cluster Messier 13. M13 is one of the easiest objects in the constellation to locate. M13 lying about 1/3 of the way from eta to zeta, the two stars that define the westernmost side of the keystone. -
1949 Celebrating 65 Years of Bringing Astronomy to North Texas 2014
1949 Celebrating 65 Years of Bringing Astronomy to North Texas 2014 Contact information: Inside this issue: Info Officer (General Info)– [email protected]@fortworthastro.com Website Administrator – [email protected] Postal Address: Page Fort Worth Astronomical Society July Club Calendar 3 3812 Fenton Avenue Fort Worth, TX 76133 Celestial Events 4 Web Site: http://www.fortworthastro.org Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3eutb22 Sky Chart 5 Twitter: http://twitter.com/ftwastro Yahoo! eGroup (members only): http://tinyurl.com/7qu5vkn Moon Phase Calendar 6 Officers (2014-2015): Mecury/Venus Data Sheet 7 President – Bruce Cowles, [email protected] Vice President – Russ Boatwright, [email protected] Young Astronomer News 8 Sec/Tres – Michelle Theisen, [email protected] Board Members: Cloudy Night Library 9 2014-2016 The Astrolabe 10 Mike Langohr Tree Oppermann AL Obs Club of the Month 14 2013-2015 Bill Nichols Constellation of the Month 15 Jim Craft Constellation Mythology 19 Cover Photo This is an HaLRGB image of M8 & Prior Club Meeting Minutes 23 M20, composed entirely from a T3i General Club Information 24 stack of one shot color. Collected the data over a period of two nights. That’s A Fact 24 Taken by FWAS member Jerry Keith November’s Full Moon 24 Observing Site Reminders: Be careful with fire, mind all local burn bans! FWAS Foto Files 25 Dark Site Usage Requirements (ALL MEMBERS): Maintain Dark-Sky Etiquettehttp://tinyurl.com/75hjajy ( ) Turn out your headlights at the gate! Sign