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NASA NTRS1997

On the Role of Resonances in Nonradial Pulsators

Resonances or near resonances are ubiquitous among the excited nonradial pulsation modes of variable stars and they must play an important role in determining their pulsational behavior. Here in a first step at nonlinear asteroseismology, we explore some of the consequences of resonances by means of the amplitude equation formalism. We show how parity and angular momentum constraints can be used to eliminate many of the possible nonlinear resonant couplings between modes (and multiplets of modes), and how the amplitude equations can thus be simplified. Even when we may not be able, nor wish, to make an ab initio computation of the values of the coupling coefficients, it is still possible to obtain constraints on the nature of the excited modes if a resonance between observed frequencies can be identified. Resonances can cause nonlinear frequency locking of modes. This means that the observed frequencies appear in exact resonance even though the linear frequencies are only approximately in resonance. The nonlinear frequency lock, when it occurs, it does so over a range of departures from linear resonance, and it is accompanied by constant pulsation amplitudes. The locked, nonlinear frequencies can differ noticeably from their nonresonant counterparts which are usually used in seismology. This is particularly true for multiplets of modes split by rotation. Beyond the regime of the frequency lock, amplitude and frequency modulations can appear in the pulsations. Far from the resonance condition one recovers the regime of steady pulsations with nonresonant frequencies for which the seismological studies, as they are presently carried out, are justified (provided furthermore, of course, that nonlinear frequency shifts are negligible). Success in identifying a resonance in an observed power spectrum depends on the quality of the data. While keeping this limitation in mind, ew discuss the possible existence of peculiar resonances the pulsations specific variable white dwarfs and delta Scuti stars.

Buchler, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The radio source around Eta Carinae

We present high spatial resolution radio observations of the peculiar southern star Eta Carinae, made with the Australian Telescope. The images, at 8 and 9 GHz with a resolution of 1.0 arcsec show a source of dimension 10 arcsec and total flux of 0.7 Jy dominated by a strong central peak. The radio emission is unpolarized and offers no support to models which invoke degenerate stars or more exotic objects within the core of Eta Car. In these data we find no evidence for more than one energy source in the core with arcsecond separations as some infrared observations have suggested. Several levels of structure are evident in the radio image, which shows symmetry on the larger scales. Conventional formulae for stellar wind radio sources give a mass loss rate of order 3 x 10(exp -4) Solar Mass/yr based on the radio flux in the central peak, which yields a wind momentum flux of order 20% of the momentum flux available from the star's radiation field. The radio emission at these frequencies is consistent with thermal emission from gas flowing away from a 'luminous blue variable' star (LBV) Eta Car is probably the brightest thermal stellar wind radio source in the sky.

White, S. M.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Chemical compositions of semiregular variable red giants

ABSTRACT A sample of warm, low-level semiregular variables chosen from the General Catalogue of Variable Stars is studied for their chemical compositions by analysing high-resolution optical spectra. The abundance ratios from Na/Fe to Eu/Fe displayed by these and previously analysed semiregular variables are quite similar to ratios displayed by normal red giants across the Galactic thin and thick discs and halo populations in the solar neighbourhood, suggesting from this perspective that the variables may be among the more photometrically active red giants.

Pozhath, Ramya↗

NASA NTRS1990

A multiwavelength study of the Carlson-Henize sample of early-type Galactic extreme emission-line stars

A UV, optical, and radio study of nine early spectral type extreme emission-line Galactic stars from the Carlson and Henize (1979) sample is presented. He 3-407 and He 3-1482 appear to be analogs of the massive evolved B(e) and luminous blue variable stars of the Magellanic Clouds. The sample appears to be confined to a narrow range in spectral type from about B0 to B6. Most of the observed stars do not show strong N emission, with the striking exception of He 3-1482, and these Galactic stars may not have mixed significant quantities of nitrogen into their envelopes, unlike many of the LMC supergiants, Most of the Galactic stars are considerably fainter than those in the Magellanic Clouds, although their spectral properties are quite similar.

Shore, Steven N.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Chromospherically active stars. X - Spectroscopy and photometry of HD 212280

The system HD 212280 is a chromospherically active double lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 45.284 days and an eccentricity of 0.50. The spectrum is composite with spectral types of G8 IV and F5-8 V for the components. An estimated inclination of 78 +/- 8 deg results in masses of 1.7 and 1.4 solar mass for the G subgiant and mid-F star, respectively. The distance to the system is estimated to be 112 pc. Photometric observations obtained between 1987 November and 1992 June reveal that HD 212280 is a newly identified variable star with a V amplitude of about 0.15 mag and a mean period of 29.46 days. Our V data were divided into 11 sets and in all but one case two spots were required to fit the data. Lifetimes of 650 days and a minimum of 1350 days have been determined for two of the four spots. The differential rotation coefficient of 0.05 is relatively small. The age of the system is about 1.9 X 10 exp 9 yrs. The G subgiant is rotating slower than pseudosynchronously while the F-type star is rotating faster.

Fekel, Francis C.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Outflows in the star-formation region near R CrA

Photographs, spectra, and velocities are presented for the Herbig-Haro objects and visible stars associated with the star-formation region near R CrA. The new data are used to discuss the gas outflows in the area. At least two flows are present; one is linked with the bright variable star R CrA, and the second with the IR source near HH 100. Special attention is given to HH 101. The velocity and spatial structures HH 101 are complex, but are consistent with condensations inside an expanding shell of material ejected from HH 100IR.

Hartigan, Patrick↗

NASA NTRS1992

The metallicity and luminosity of RV Tauri variables from medium-resolution spectra

Results are reported from spectroscopic observations of members of the RV Tauri class of pulsating variable stars at moderate resolution, and from photometric observations of these stars with the B and V filters of the Johnson UBV system and the first four filters of the Wing eight-color narrowband near-IR system. Of the 22 variables observed, TiO absorption was detected in eight, and 10 variables displayed hydrogen-line emission at some phase. Spectral classifications were assigned relative to the MK process. Color excesses were determined for those variables for which spectroscopic and photometric data were obtained within a few days of each other. The spectra obtained at a resolution of 2.5 A were fitted with synthetic spectra to determine the stellar atmospheric parameters. The range in metallicity among the variables was found to be quite extensive, -0.3 to -0.7, and may reflect a mixture of stellar populations or masses.

Wahlgren, Glenn M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Circular polarimetry of EXO 033319-2554.2 - A new eclipsing AM Herculis star

This Letter presents circular polarimetry that unequivocally identifies EXO 033319-2554.2 as only the third eclipsing AM Her star and brings the total number of AM Her stars now identified to 14. The orbital period is 126.4 minutes, as previously reported, and defines a new short-period edge to the period gap seen in all classes of cataclysmic variable stars. EXO 033319-2554.2 shows 2.5 mag deep eclipses of the predominantly accreting magnetic pole on the white dwarf. Before the eclipse, the pole rotates into the line of sight and shows white-light circular polarization, due to cyclotron radiation, that reaches values as high as 10 percent. There is some evidence that the second pole is emitting cyclotron radiation too. How high time resolution photometry, linear polarimetry, and spectroscopy will be of great value in understanding this system.

Berriman, Graham↗

NASA NTRS1994

1ES 1113+432: Luminous, soft X-ray outburst from a nearby cataclysmic variable (AR Ursae Majoris)

A remarkable X-ray transient from the Einstein Slew Survey, 1 ES 1113+432, is identified with a nearby, short-period cataclysmic variable. Wenzel (1993) has confirmed that the optical counterpart is the variable star, AR UMa (cataloged as 'semiregular'), erroneously reported 5.7 min southeast of the true position. One of the Einstein slew observations recorded a flux of 43 IPC counts/s, which is an order of magnitude above the flux observed from the brightest cataclysmic variables in other X-ray surveys. The outburst spectrum is extremely 'soft,' with an implied blackbody temperature of approximately 22 eV. The optical counterpart (V = 16.5) exhibits a strong UV component, TiO bands from an M star, and broadened Balmer emission lines. Optical states as bright as V approx. 13 were found on photographs from the Harvard Plate Library, confirming outburst behavior in the optical counterpart. The historical photographic record suggests that 1ES 1113+432 remains in a low-accretion state most of the time. Both of the soft X-ray spectrum and the transitions between high and low-accretion states are suggestive of the AM Her (magnetic) subclass. Photometric observations in the I band show 0.18 mag modulations at a period of 0.966 hr. These are interpreted as ellipsiodal variations in the secondary star for a binary period of 1.932 hr, which is near the lower boundary of the 'period gap' in the histogram, of orbital periods of accreting white dwarfs. Thus 1ES 1113+432 provides the rare opportunity to study a secondary star in a cataclysmic binary that has evolved through the period gap. The optical spectral features from the secondary imply a spectral type of approximately M6 and a distance of approximately 88 pc. The peak luminosity in the soft X-ray component (unabsorbed) is then estimated to be 3 X 10(exp 33) ergs/s, assuming emission from a blackbody slab with a temperature of 22 eV. While this luminosity is higher than previous measures of the soft X-ray component, it does not exceed the amount of radiation that could be emitted from the accretion-heated surface of a white dwarf.

Remillard, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

A moderate-resolution, wide-band, astronomical echelle spectrograph

An echelle spectrograph is described which is specifically designed for use on a 52-in. f/7.6 telescope as an instrument optimally suited for studying spectra of the faint optical counterparts to X-ray stars at moderate spectral resolution. The spectrograph is also able to accomodate a two-dimensional photon-tagging panoramic image detector so that high-time-resolution studies of the spectra of variable stars can be carried out. The equations for echelle spectrographs are summarized, and some features of the present instrument are discussed. These include its prism cross-disperser, small elliptical flat mirror, and unusually high efficiency. An iron-argon calibration spectrum obtained by pressing the film against the output fiber optics of a three-stage electrostatically focused image intensifier, a spectrum of P Cygni taken by placing the film directly in the image plane of the spectrograph, and a photon-counted image of a small section of an echellogram produced during an observation of the Ring nebula in Lyra are provided to illustrate the performance of the instrument.

Bardas, D.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Soft X-ray emission from the vicinity of MV Lyr

Evidence for a soft X-ray source at the location of the nova-like variable star MV Lyr is presented. Data from the smallest field of view of the A2 experiment on board HEAO-1 in the range 0.18 to 2.5 keV reveals a source of 0.18 to 0.43 keV emission, designated H1901+43, with a count rate corresponding to a flux of 4 x 10 to the -12th erg/sq cm per sec if a spectral temperature of 3 x 10 to the 5th K is assumed. The two-dimensional error box of H1901+43 is observed to contain the UX UMa star MV Lyr, which is suggested as the only obvious candidate for the source of X-ray emission, in accordance with the observations of soft X-ray emission from other cataclysmic variables, notably AM Her, U Gem and SS Cyg.

Mason, K. O.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Interstellar silicon sulfide

Silicon sulfide has been observed in Sgr B2 at 108.92 GHz and 90.77 GHz and in Orion A at 108.92 GHz. The column density is 1-2 x 10 to the 13th/sq cm in both sources. SiS was not seen in two other molecular clouds where SiO has been detected; nor was it seen in a variety of late-type stars with varying C/O ratios. It appears that SiS is significantly less abundant than SiO in the interstellar medium and probably at least somewhat less abundant in oxygen-rich late-type variable stars.

Dickinson, D. F.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Winds from accretion disks - Ultraviolet line formation in cataclysmic variables

Winds from accretion disks in cataclysmic variable stars are ubiquitous. Observations by IUE reveal P Cygni-shaped profiles of high-ionization lines which are attributed to these winds. We have studied the formation of UV emission lines in cataclysmic variables by constructing kinematical models of biconical rotating outflows from disks around white dwarfs. The photoionization in the wind is calculated taking into account the radiation fields of the disk, the boundary layer, and the white dwarf. The 3D radiative transfer is solved in the Sobolev approximation. Effects on the line shapes of varying basic physical parameters of the wind are shown explicitly. We identify and map the resonant scattering regions in the wind which have strongly biconical character regardless of the assumed velocity and radiation fields. Rotation at the base of the wind introduces a radial shear which decreases the line optical depth and reduces the line core intensity. We find that it is possible to reproduce the observed P Cygni line shapes and make some predictions to be verified in high-resolution observations.

Shlosman, Isaac↗

NASA NTRS2019

Mapping the Interstellar Reddening and Extinction toward Baade's Window Using Minimum Light Colors of ab-type RR Lyrae Stars: Revelations from the De-reddened Color–Magnitude Diagrams

We have obtained repeated images of six fields toward the Galactic bulge in five passbands (u, g, r, i, z) with the DECam imager on the Blanco 4 m telescope at CTIO. From more than 1.6 billion individual photometric measurements in the field centered on Baade’s window, we have detected 4877 putative variable stars. A total of 474 of these have been confirmed as fundamental mode RR Lyrae stars, whose colors at minimum light yield line-of- sight reddening determinations, as well as a reddenning law toward the Galactic Bulge, which differs significantly from the standard R(V) = 3.1 formulation. Assuming that the stellar mix is invariant over the 3 square-degree field, we are able to derive a line-of-sight reddening map with sub-arcminute resolution, enabling us to obtain de-reddened and extinction corrected color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of this bulge field using up to 2.5 million well-measured stars. The corrected CMDs show unprecedented detail and expose sparsely populated sequences: for example, delineation of the very wide red giant branch, structure within the red giant clump, the full extent of the horizontal branch, and a surprising bright feature that is likely due to stars with ages younger than 1 Gyr. We use the RR Lyrae stars to trace the spatial structure of the ancient stars and find an exponential decline in density with Galactocentric distance. We discuss ways in which our data products can be used to explore the age and metallicity properties of the bulge, and how our larger list of all variables is useful for learning to interpret future LSST alerts.

Abhijit Saha↗

DOE OSTI2022

A Systematic Exploration of Kilonova Candidates from Neutron Star Mergers during the Third Gravitational-wave Observing Run

We present a comprehensive analysis of 653 optical candidate counterparts reported during the third gravitational-wave (GW) observing run. Our sample concentrates on candidates from the 15 events (published in GWTC-2, GWTC-3, or not retracted on GraceDB) that had a >1% chance of including a neutron star in order to assess their viability as true kilonovae. In particular, we leverage tools available in real time, including pre-merger detections and cross-matching with catalogs (i.e., point-source, variable-star, quasar and host-galaxy redshift data sets), to eliminate 65% of candidates in our sample. We further employ spectroscopic classifications, late-time detections, and light-curve behavior analyses and conclude that 66 candidates remain viable kilonovae. These candidates lack sufficient information to determine their classifications, and the majority would require luminosities greater than that of AT 2017gfo. Pre-merger detections in public photometric survey data and comparison of cataloged host-galaxy redshifts with the GW event distances are critical to incorporate into vetting procedures, as these tools eliminated >20% and >30% of candidates, respectively. We expect that such tools that leverage archival information will significantly reduce the strain on spectroscopic and photometric follow-up resources in future observing runs. Finally, we discuss the critical role prompt updates from GW astronomers to the EM community play in reducing the number of candidates requiring vetting.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1975

The Cepheid mode problem

The modal behavior of RR Lyrae stars and low mass Cepheids has been investigated using a nonlinear relaxation technique and stability analysis. The advantages of this type of numerical approach in investigations of preferred mode of pulsation are discussed. The results obtained for both classes of variable stars are quite similar: first harmonic pulsation toward the blue, fundamental pulsation toward the red, and mixed-mode behavior at the extreme red edge of the instability strip. In addition, stars near the center of the strip can pulsate in either the fundamental or the first harmonic mode. Possible implications for observational results, including the Oosterhoff dichotomy of globular clusters and the beat Cepheids, are discussed.

Stellingwerf, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Kepler Mission: Detecting Earth-sized Planets in Habitable Zones

The Kepler Mission, which is presently in Phase A, is being proposed for launch in 5 years for a 4-year mission to determine the frequency of Earth-sized or larger planets in habitable zones in our galaxy. Kepler will be placed in an Earth-trailing orbit to provide stable physical environments for the sensitive scientific instruments. The satellite is equipped with a photometric system with the precision of 10E-5, which should be sufficient for detecting the transits of Earth-sized or larger planets in front of dwarf stars similar to the Sun. Approximately 100,000 or more sun-like stars brighter than the 14th apparently magnitude will be monitored continuously for 4 years in a preselected region of the sky, which is about 100 square degrees in size. In addition, Kepler will have a participating scientist program that will enable research in intrinsic variable stars, interacting binaries including cataclysmic stars and X-ray binaries, and a large number of solar analogs in our galaxy. Several ten thousand additional stars may be investigated in the guest observer program open to the whole world.

Kondo, Yoji↗

NASA NTRS2004

Brightness Variations in the Central Star of Eta Carinae From 1998 to the Present

Recently, Eta Carinae has varied suprisingly in brightness combining a long term brightening trend with a 5.5-year cycle and unpredictable sporadic jumps. Only the Hubble Space Telescope had been able to provide reliable photometry of the central star resolved separately from its bright ejecta. We present data from the Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys High Resolution Camera (ACS/HRC) which chronicle the dramatic brightening of the central star of Eta Carinae from the 1998 "event" through 2000 and show that is has continued to slowly brighten. More frequent photometry during its recent "event" and a continued rise afterward. These data are compared to the more long term data compiled by the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) which also shows substantial brightening between events and other intervening fluctuations in the brightness of Eta Carinae at visual wavelengths.

Martin, J. C.↗