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NASA NTRS1995

Hubble Space Telescope observations of cool white dwarf stars: Detection of new species of heavy elements

Observations of cool white dwarf stars with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has uncovered a number of spectral features from previouslly unobserved species. In this paper we present the data on four cool white dwarfs. We present identifications, equivalent width measurements, and brief summaries of the significance of our findings. The four stars observed are GD 40 (DBZ3, G 74-7 (DAZ), L 745-46A (DZ), and LDS 749B (DBA). Many additional species of heavey elements were detected in GD 40 and G 74-7. In L 745-46A, while the detections are limited to Fe 1, Fe II, and Mg II, the quality of the Mg II h and K line profiles should permit a test of the line broadening theories, which are so crucial to abundance determinations. The clear detection of Mg II h and k in LDS 749 B should, once an abundance determination is made, provide a clear test of the hypothesis that the DBA stars are the result of accretion from the interstellar medium. This star contains no other clear features other than a tantalizing hint of C II 1335 with a P Cygni profile, and some expected He 1 lines.

Shipman, Harry↗
NASA NTRS1974

Luminosities and temperatures of M dwarf stars from infrared photometry

Bolometric magnitudes for a large number of M type dwarf stars, obtained by broadband infrared photometry at 1.65, 2.2, and 3.5 microns, are reviewed. The data obtained indicate that one parameter is sufficient to describe the blanketing in all of the UBVRI bands for all types of M dwarfs. In general, late M dwarfs seem to have lower effective temperatures than are predicted by theoretical models.

Veeder, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS2021

A Jovian analogue orbiting a white dwarf star

Studies have shown that the remnants of destroyed planets and debris-disk planetesimals can survive the volatile evolution of their host stars into white dwarfs, but few intact planetary bodies around white dwarfs have been detected. Simulations predict that planets in Jupiter-like orbits around stars of ≲8 Mꙩ (solar mass) avoid being destroyed by the strong tidal forces of their stellar host, but as yet, there has been no observational confirmation of such a survivor. Here we report the non-detection of a main-sequence lens star in the microlensing event MOA-2010-BLG-477Lb using near-infrared observations from the Keck Observatory. We determine that this system contains a 0.53 ± 0.11 Mꙩ white-dwarf host orbited by a 1.4 ± 0.3 Jupiter-mass planet with a separation on the plane of the sky of 2.8 ± 0.5 astronomical units, which implies a semi-major axis larger than this. This system is evidence that planets around white dwarfs can survive the giant and asymptotic giant phases of their host’s evolution, and supports the prediction that more than half of white dwarfs have Jovian planetary companions. Located at approximately 2.0 kiloparsecs towards the center of our Galaxy, it is likely to represent an analogue to the end stages of the Sun and Jupiter in our own Solar System.

J. W. Blackman↗
NASA NTRS1986

Narrow-band radio flares from red dwarf stars

VLA observations of narrow-band behavior in 20 cm flares from two red dwarf stars, L726 - 8A and AD Leo, are reported. The flare on L726 - 8A was observed at 1415 and 1515 MHz; the flux and the evolution differed significantly at the two frequencies. The flare on AD Leo lasted for 2 hr at 1415 MHz but did not appear at 1515 MHz. The AD Leo flare appears to rule out a source drifting through the stellar corona and is unlikely to be due to plasma emission. In the cyclotron maser model the narrow-band behavior reflects the range of magnetic fields present within the source. The apparent constancy of this field for 2 hr is difficult to understand if magnetic reconnection is the source of energy for the flare. The consistent polarization exhibited by red dwarf flares at 20 cm may be related to stellar activity cycles, and changes in this polarization will permit measuring the length of these cycles.

White, Stephen M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Photometry of Southern Hemisphere red dwarf stars

Results are presented for a photometric investigation of a spectroscopically selected sample of red dwarf stars in the Southern Hemisphere. Absolute magnitudes and distances for the stars are estimated from broadband red colors. Three stars which may be subluminous are identified, as are several stars which may be within 25 pc. The tangential velocity and velocity dispersion of the sample are similar to values found in other studies of nearby late-type stars.

Weistrop, D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Contributions of late-type dwarf stars to the soft X-ray diffuse background

Comprehensive calculations of the contribution of late-type dwarf stars to the soft X-ray diffuse background are presented. The mean X-ray luminosity as derived from optically and X-ray selected samples is examined, using the Bahcall-Soneira Galaxy model to describe the spatial distribution of stars and recent results on the X-ray spectra. The model calculations are compared with the Wisconsin sky maps in the C, M1, M2, I and J bands to assess the uncertainties of the calculations. Contributions of up to 10 percent to the M2 and I band background at high Galactic latitudes are found, while at low Galactic latitudes late-type stars contribute up to 40 percent of the background. However, a Galactic ridge as well as a relatively isotropic component still remains unexplained, even with the added contribution of the extrapolated high-energy power law.

Schmitt, J. H. M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

First detection of nonflare microwave emissions from the coronae of single late-type dwarf stars

Results are presented of a search for nonflare microwave radiation from the coronae of nearby late-type dwarf stars comparable to the sun: single stars without evidence for either a large wind or circumstellar envelope. The observing program consisted of flux measurements of six stars over a 24-h period with the VLA in the C configuration at a wavelength of 6 cm with 50 MHz bandwidth. Positive detections at 6 cm were made for Chi 1 Ori (0.6 mJy) and the flare star UV Cet (1.55 mJy), and upper limits were obtained for the stars Pi 1 UMa, Xi Boo A, 70 Oph A and Epsilon Eri. It is suggested that Chi 1 Ori, and possibly UV Cet, represent the first detected members of a new class of radio sources which are driven by gyroresonance emission, i.e. cyclotron emission from nonrelativistic Maxwellian electrons.

Gary, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Directivity of the radio emission from the K1 dwarf star AB Doradus

We present measurements of the spectrum and polarization of the flaring radio emission from the K1 dwarf star AB Doradus, together with previously reported single frequency measurements (with no polarization information) on 3 other days. On all 4 days spanning a 6 month period, the emission was strong and, when folded with the stellar rotation period, showed similar time variations with two prominant peaks at phase 0.35 and 0.75. These peaks coincide in longitude with two large starspots identified from the stellar optical light curve and have half-powe widths as small as 0.1 rotations and no larger than 0.2 rotations. The modulated emission shows no measurable circular polarization, and its two peaks have different turnover frequencies.

Lim, Jeremy↗
NASA NTRS1990

Spectra of late type dwarf stars of known abundance for stellar population models

The project consisted of two parts. The first was to obtain new low-dispersion, long-wavelength, high S/N IUE spectra of F-G-K dwarf stars with previously determined abundances, temperatures, and gravities. To insure high quality, the spectra are either trailed, or multiple exposures are taken within the large aperture. Second, the spectra are assembled into a library which combines the new data with existing IUE Archive data to yield mean spectral energy distributions for each important type of star. My principal responsibility is the construction and maintenance of this UV spectral library. It covers the spectral range 1200-3200A and is maintained in two parts: a version including complete wavelength coverage at the full spectral resolution of the Low Resolution cameras; and a selected bandpass version, consisting of the mean flux in pre-selected 20A bands. These bands are centered on spectral features or continuum regions of special utility - e.g. the C IV lambda 1550 or Mg II lambda 2800 feature. In the middle-UV region, special emphasis is given to those features (including continuum 'breaks') which are most useful in the study of F-G-K star spectra in the integrated light of old stellar populations.

Oconnell, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Microwave emission from the coronae of late-type dwarf stars

VLA microwave observations of 14 late-type dwarf and subgiant stars and binary systems are examined. In this extensive set of observations, four sources at 6 cm (Chi-1 Ori, UV Cet, YY Gem, and Wolf 630AB) were detected and low upper limits for the remaining stars were found. The microwave luminosities of the nondetected F-K dwarfs are as small as 0.01 those of the dMe stars. The detected emission is slowly variable in all cases and is consistent with gyroresonant emission from thermal electrons spiraling in magnetic fields of about 300 gauss if the source sizes are as large as R/R(asterisk) = 3-4. This would correspond to magnetic fields that are probably in the range 0.001-0.0001 gauss at the photospheric level. An alternative mechanism is gyrosynchrotron emission from a relatively small number of electrons with effective temperature.

Linsky, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Origin of the DA and non-DA white dwarf stars

Various proposals for the bifurcation of the white dwarf cooling sequence are reviewed. 'Primordial' theories, in which the basic bifurcation of the white dwarf sequence is rooted in events predating the white dwarf stage of stellar evolution, are discussed, along with the competing 'mixing' theories in which processes occurring during the white dwarf stage are responsible for the existence of DA or non-DA stars. A new proposal is suggested, representing a two-channel scenario. In the DA channel, some process reduces the hydrogen layer mass to the value of less than 10 to the -7th. The non-DA channel is similar to that in the primordial scenario. These considerations suggest that some mechanism operates in both channels to reduce the thickness of the outermost layer of the white dwarf. It is also noted that accretion from the interstellar medium has little to do with whether a particular white dwarf becomes a DA or a non-DA star.

Shipman, Harry L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

An X-ray survey of hot white dwarf stars - Evidence for a m(He)/n(H) versus Teff correlation

Observations of 13 white dwarf and subdwarf stars using the Einstein Observatory High Resolution Image are reported. Included are stars of classes DA, DB, DAV, sDO, and sDB, with optically determined effective temperatures in the range 10,000-60,000 K. X-ray emission was detected from two of the 13: the very hot (55,000 K) DA1 star WD 2309 + 105 (= EG 233), with a count rate one-fifth that of HZ 43, and the relatively cool (26,000 K) DA3 star WD 1052 - 273 (=GD 125). The effective temperatures determined from ultraviolet and optical observations were used to place limits on the He content of the white dwarf photospheres, presuming that trace photospheric He is the missing opacity source which quenches the thermal X-rays in these stars. When presently obtained results were combined with those available from the literature evidence was found for a correlation between Teff and n(He)/n(H), in which HZ 43 is a conspicuous exception to the general trend. Both this correlation and the exceptional behavior of HZ 43 are qualitatively accounted for by a radiative acceleration model, in which the rate of upward movement of the He is a function of temperature and surface gravity

Petre, R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

EX-111 Thermal Emission from Hot White Dwarfs: The Suggested He Abundance-Temperature Correlation. EX-112: The Unique Emission Line White Dwarf Star GD 356

Progress in the EXOSAT data analysis program is reported. EXOSAT observations for four white dwarfs (WD1031-115, WD0004+330, WD1615-154, and WD0109-264) were obtained. Counting rates were unexpectedly low, indicating that these objects have a substantial amount of x-ray absorbing matter in their photosheres. In addition, soft x-ray pulsations characterized by a 9.25 minute cycle were discovered in the DA white dwarf V471 Tauri. A residual x-ray flux from the K dwarf companion can be seen during the white dwarf eclipse at orbital phase 0.0. Pronounced dips in the soft x-ray light curve occur at orbital phases 0.15, 0.18, and 0.85. The dips may be correlated with the triangular Lagrangian points of the binary orbit. Smaller dips at phases near the eclipse may be associated with cool loops in the K star corona. Data for the white dwarf H1504+65 was also analyzed. This object is particularly unusual in that its photoshere is devoid of hydrogen and helium. Finally, existing data on the white dwarf Sirius B were analyzed to see what constraints from other data can be placed on the properties of this star. Interrelationships between radius, rotational velocity, and effective temperature were derived.

Shipman, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The influence of H2O line blanketing on the spectra of cool dwarf stars

We present our initial results of model atmosphere calculations for cool M dwarfs using an opacity sampling method and a new list of H2O lines. We obtain significantly improved fits to the infrared spectrum of the M dwarf VB10 when compared to earlier models. H2O is by far the dominant opacity source in cool stars. To illustrate this, we show the Rosseland mean of the total extinction under various assumptions. Our calculations demonstrate the importance of a good treatment of the water opacities in cool stars and the improvements possible by using up-to-date data for the water line absorption.

Allard, F.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Asteroseismology of White Dwarf Stars

The primary purpose of this investigation has been to study various aspects of multimode pulsations in variable white dwarfs. In particular, nonlinear interactions among pulsation modes in white dwarfs (and, to some extent, in other variable stars), analysis of recent observations where such interactions are important, and preliminary work on the effects of crystallization in cool white dwarfs are reported.

Hansen, Carl J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

White dwarf stars with chemically stratified atmospheres

Recent observations and theory suggest that some white dwarfs may have chemically stratified atmospheres - thin layers of hydrogen lying above helium-rich envelopes. Models of such atmospheres show that a discontinuous temperature inversion can occur at the boundary between the layers. Model spectra for layered atmospheres at 30,000 K and 50,000 K tend to have smaller decrements at 912 A, 504 A, and 228 A than uniform atmospheres would have. On the basis of their continuous extreme ultraviolet spectra, it is possible to distinguish observationally between uniform and layered atmospheres for hot white dwarfs.

Muchmore, D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Relations between broad-band linear polarization and Ca II H and K emission in late-type dwarf stars

Broadband UBV linear polarization data acquired for a sample of late-type dwarfs are compared with contemporaneous measurements of Ca II H and K line core emission. A weighted average of the largest values of the polarization degree is shown to be the best parameter for chromospheric activity diagnosis. The average maximum polarization in the UV is found to increase from late-F to late-G stars. It is noted that polarization in the U band is considerably more sensitive to activity variations than that in the B or V bands. The results indicate that stellar magnetic fields and the resulting saturation in the Zeeman-sensitive absorption lines are the most probably source of linear polarization in late-type main-sequence stars.

Huovelin, Juhani↗
NASA NTRS1971

The temperatures, abundances and gravities of F dwarf stars.

Theoretical colors computed from laboratory line data and from model stellar atmospheres have been used to interpret the colors of about 150 F and early G dwarfs. Effective temperatures have been derived from the H-beta index and from R-I, abundances have been obtained from m(sub 1) and from b-y, and gravities have been obtained from c(sub 1) and from b-y. The effective temperatures and gravities are in good agreement with values obtained from spectral scans. Absolute magnitudes have been obtained from the effective temperatures and gravities, the latter being used with assumed stellar masses to yield radii. The present results provide theoretical justification of the empirical formulas given by Crawford and by Stroemgren for the determination of absolute magnitudes and abundances from uvby photometry.

Bell, R. A.↗