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At least 1,099 records · Page 61
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DOE OSTI2010

METALLICITIES OF PLANET-HOSTING STARS: A SAMPLE OF GIANTS AND SUBGIANTS

This work presents a homogeneous derivation of atmospheric parameters and iron abundances for a sample of giant and subgiant stars which host giant planets, as well as a control sample of subgiant stars not known to host giant planets. The analysis is done using the same technique as for our previous analysis of a large sample of planet-hosting and control sample dwarf stars. A comparison between the distributions of [Fe/H] in planet-hosting main-sequence (MS) stars, subgiants, and giants within these samples finds that the MS stars and subgiants have the same mean metallicity of ([Fe/H]){approx_equal} +0.11 dex, while the giant sample is typically more metal poor, having an average metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.06 dex. The fact that the subgiants have the same average metallicities as the dwarfs indicates that significant accretion of solid metal-rich material onto the planet-hosting stars has not taken place, as such material would be diluted in the evolution from dwarf to subgiant. The lower metallicity found for the planet-hosting giant stars in comparison with the planet-hosting dwarfs and subgiants is interpreted as being related to the underlying stellar mass, with giants having larger masses and thus, on average, larger-mass protoplanetary disks. In core accretion models of planet formation, larger disk masses can contain the critical amount of metals necessary to form giant planets even at lower metallicities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

MAPPING THE SHORES OF THE BROWN DWARF DESERT. II. MULTIPLE STAR FORMATION IN TAURUS-AURIGA

We have conducted a high-resolution imaging study of the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region in order to characterize the primordial outcome of multiple star formation and the extent of the brown dwarf desert. Our survey identified 16 new binary companions to primary stars with masses of 0.25-2.5 M{sub sun}, raising the total number of binary pairs (including components of high-order multiples) with separations of 3-5000 AU to 90. We find that {approx}2/3-3/4 of all Taurus members are multiple systems of two or more stars, while the other {approx}1/4-1/3 appear to have formed as single stars; the distribution of high-order multiplicity suggests that fragmentation into a wide binary has no impact on the subsequent probability that either component will fragment again. The separation distribution for solar-type stars (0.7-2.5 M{sub sun}) is nearly log-flat over separations of 3-5000 AU, but lower-mass stars (0.25-0.7 M{sub sun}) show a paucity of binary companions with separations of {approx}>200 AU. Across this full mass range, companion masses are well described with a linear-flat function; all system mass ratios (q = M{sub B} /M{sub A} ) are equally probable, apparently including substellar companions. Our results are broadly consistent with the two expected modes of binary formation (free-fall fragmentation on large scales and disk fragmentation on small scales), but the distributions provide some clues as to the epochs at which the companions are likely to form.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

WHEELS OF FIRE. IV. STAR FORMATION AND THE NEUTRAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN THE RING GALAXY AM0644-741

We combine data from the Australia Telescope National Facility and Swedish ESO Submillimeter Telescope to investigate the neutral interstellar medium (ISM) in AM0644-741, a large and robustly star-forming ring galaxy. The galaxy's ISM is concentrated in the 42 kpc diameter starburst ring, but appears dominated by atomic gas, with a global molecular fraction (f{sub mol}) of only 0.062 {+-} 0.005. Apart from the starburst peak, the gas ring appears stable against the growth of gravitational instabilities (Q{sub gas} = 3-11). Including the stellar component lowers Q overall, but not enough to make Q < 1 everywhere. High star formation efficiencies (SFEs) follow from the ring's low H{sub 2} content. AM0644-741's star formation law is highly peculiar: H I obeys a Schmidt law while H{sub 2} is uncorrelated with star formation rate density. Photodissociation models yield low volume densities in the ring, especially in the starburst quadrant (n {approx} 2 cm{sup -3}), implying a warm neutral medium dominated ISM. At the same time, the ring's pressure and ambient far-ultraviolet radiation field lead to the expectation of a predominantly molecular ISM. We argue that the ring's high SFE, low f{sub mol} and n, and peculiar star formation law follow from the ISM's {approx}> 100 Myr confinement time in the starburst ring, which amplifies the destructive effects of embedded massive stars and supernovae. As a result, the ring's molecular ISM becomes dominated by small clouds, causing M{sub H{sub 2}} to be significantly underestimated by {sup 12}CO line fluxes: in effect, X{sub CO} >> X{sub Gal} despite the ring's {>=}solar metallicity. The observed H I is primarily a low-density photodissociation product, i.e., a tracer rather than a precursor of massive star formation. Such an 'over-cooked' ISM may be a general characteristic of evolved starburst ring galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

LONG-ORBITAL-PERIOD PREPOLARS CONTAINING EARLY K-TYPE DONOR STARS. BOTTLENECK ACCRETION MECHANISM IN ACTION

We studied two objects identified as cataclysmic variables (CVs) with periods exceeding the natural boundary for Roche-lobe-filling zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) secondary stars. We present observational results for V1082 Sgr with a 20.82 hr orbital period, an object that shows a low luminosity state when its flux is totally dominated by a chromospherically active K star with no signs of ongoing accretion. Frequent accretion shutoffs, together with characteristics of emission lines in a high state, indicate that this binary system is probably detached, and the accretion of matter on the magnetic white dwarf takes place through stellar wind from the active donor star via coupled magnetic fields. Its observational characteristics are surprisingly similar to V479 And, a 14.5 hr binary system. They both have early K-type stars as donor stars. We argue that, similar to the shorter-period prepolars containing M dwarfs, these are detached binaries with strong magnetic components. Their magnetic fields are coupled, allowing enhanced stellar wind from the K star to be captured and channeled through the bottleneck connecting the two stars onto the white dwarf’s magnetic pole, mimicking a magnetic CV. Hence, they become interactive binaries before they reach contact. This will help to explain an unexpected lack of systems possessing white dwarfs with strong magnetic fields among detached white+red dwarf systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Evolution Models of Helium White Dwarf–Main-sequence Star Merger Remnants

It is predicted that orbital decay by gravitational-wave radiation and tidal interaction will cause some close binary stars to merge within a Hubble time. The merger of a helium-core white dwarf with a main-sequence (MS) star can produce a red giant branch star that has a low-mass hydrogen envelope when helium is ignited and thus become a hot subdwarf. Because detailed calculations have not been made, we compute post-merger models with a stellar evolution code. We find the evolutionary paths available to merger remnants and find the pre-merger conditions that lead to the formation of hot subdwarfs. We find that some such mergers result in the formation of stars with intermediate helium-rich surfaces. These stars later develop helium-poor surfaces owing to diffusion. Combining our results with a model population and comparing to observed stars, we find that some observed intermediate helium-rich hot subdwarfs can be explained as the remnants of the mergers of helium-core white dwarfs with low-mass MS stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

On the Origin of Sub-subgiant Stars. I. Demographics

Sub-subgiants are stars that are observed to be redder than normal main-sequence stars and fainter than normal subgiant (and giant) stars in an optical color–magnitude diagram (CMD). The red straggler stars, which lie redward of the red giant branch, may be related and are often grouped together with the sub-subgiants in the literature. These stars defy our standard theory of single-star evolution and are important tests for binary evolution and stellar collision models. In total, we identify 65 sub-subgiants (SSG) and red stragglers (RS) in 16 open and globular star clusters from the literature; 50 of these, including 43 sub-subgiants, pass our strict membership selection criteria (though the remaining sources may also be cluster members). In addition to their unique location on the CMD, we find that at least 58% (25/43) of sub-subgiants in this sample are X-ray sources with typical 0.5–2.5 keV luminosities of order 10{sup 30}–10{sup 31} erg s{sup −1}. Their X-ray luminosities and optical–to–X-ray flux ratios are similar to those of RS CVn active binaries. At least 65% (28/43) of the sub-subgiants in our sample are variables, 21 of which are known to be radial-velocity binaries. Typical variability periods are ≲15 days. At least 33% (14/43) of the sub-subgiants are H α emitters. These observational demographics provide strong evidence that binarity is important for sub-subgiant formation. Finally, we find that the number of sub-subgiants per unit mass increases toward lower-mass clusters, such that the open clusters in our sample have the highest specific frequencies of sub-subgiants.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Star formation rate and stellar mass calibrations based on infrared photometry and their dependence on stellar population age and extinction

The stellar mass (M $\star$ ) and the star formation rate (SFR) are among the most important features that characterize galaxies. Measuring these fundamental properties accurately is critical for understanding the present state of galaxies, their history, and future evolution. Infrared (IR) photometry is widely used to measure the M $\star$ and SFR of galaxies because the near-IR traces the continuum emission of the majority of their stellar populations (SPs), and the mid/far-IR traces the dust emission powered by star-forming activity. This work explores the dependence of the IR emission of galaxies on their extinction, and the age of their SPs. It aims to provide accurate and precise IR-photometry SFR and M $\star$ calibrations that account for SP age and extinction while providing quantification of their scatter. We used the CIGALE spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting code to create model SEDs of galaxies with a wide range of star formation histories, dust content, and interstellar medium properties. We fit the relations between M $\star$ and SFR with IR and optical photometry of the model-galaxy SEDs with the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. As an independent confirmation of the MCMC fitting method, we performed a machine-learning random forest (RF) analysis on the same data set. The RF model yields similar results to the MCMC fits, thus validating the latter. This work provides calibrations for the SFR using a combination of the WISE bands 1 and 3, or the JWST NIR-F200W and MIRI-F2100W. It also provides mass-to-light ratio calibrations based on the WISE band-1, the JWST NIR-F200W, and the optical u - r or g - r colors. These calibrations account for the biases attributed to the SP age, while they are given in the form of extinction-dependent and extinction-independent relations. The proposed calibrations show robust estimations while minimizing the scatter and biases throughout a wide range of SFRs and stellar masses. The SFR calibration offers better results, especially in dust-free or passive galaxies where the contributions of old SPs or biases from the lack of dust are significant. Similarly, the M $\star$ calibration yields significantly better results for dusty and high-SFR galaxies where dust emission can otherwise bias the estimations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

SATURATION LEVELS FOR WHITE-LIGHT FLARES OF FLARE STARS: VARIATION OF MINIMUM FLARE DURATION FOR SATURATION

Taking into account results obtained from models and from statistical analyses of obtained parameters, we discuss flare activity levels and flare characteristics of five UV Ceti stars. We present the parameters of unpublished flares detected over two years of observations of V1005 Ori. We compare parameters of the U-band flares detected over several seasons of observations of AD Leo, EV Lac, EQ Peg, V1054 Oph, and V1005 Ori. Flare frequencies calculated for all program stars and maximum energy levels of the flares are compared, and we consider which is the most correct parameter as an indicator of flare activity levels. Using the One Phase Exponential Association function, the distributions of flare equivalent duration versus flare total duration are modeled for each program star. We use the Independent Samples t-Test in the statistical analyses of the parameters obtained from the models. The results reveal some properties of flare processes occurring on the surfaces of UV Ceti type stars. (1) Flare energies cannot be higher than a specific value regardless of the length of the flare total duration. This must be a saturation level for white-light flares occurring in flare processes observed in the U band. Thus, for the first time it is shown that white-light flares have a saturation in a specific energy range. (2) The span values, which are the difference between the equivalent durations of flares with the shortest and longest total durations, are almost equal for each star. (3) The half-life values, minimum flare durations for saturation, increase toward the later spectral types. (4) Both maximum total durations and maximum rise times computed from the observed flares decrease toward the later spectral types among the UV Ceti stars. According to the maximum energy levels obtained from the models, both EV Lac and EQ Peg are more active than the other three program stars, while AD Leo is the most active flare star according to the flare frequencies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

SEARCHES FOR METAL-POOR STARS FROM THE HAMBURG/ESO SURVEY USING THE CH G BAND

We describe a new method to search for metal-poor candidates from the Hamburg/ESO objective-prism survey (HES) based on identifying stars with apparently strong CH G-band strengths for their colors. The hypothesis we exploit is that large overabundances of carbon are common among metal-poor stars, as has been found by numerous studies over the past two decades. The selection was made by considering two line indices in the 4300 A region, applied directly to the low-resolution prism spectra. This work also extends a previously published method by adding bright sources to the sample. The spectra of these stars suffer from saturation effects, compromising the index calculations and leading to an undersampling of the brighter candidates. A simple numerical procedure, based on available photometry, was developed to correct the line indices and overcome this limitation. Visual inspection and classification of the spectra from the HES plates yielded a list of 5288 new metal-poor (and by selection, carbon-rich) candidates, which are presently being used as targets for medium-resolution spectroscopic follow-up. Estimates of the stellar atmospheric parameters, as well as carbon abundances, are now available for 117 of the first candidates, based on follow-up medium-resolution spectra obtained with the SOAR 4.1 m and Gemini 8 m telescopes. We demonstrate that our new method improves the metal-poor star fractions found by our pilot study by up to a factor of three in the same magnitude range, as compared with our pilot study based on only one CH G-band index. Our selection scheme obtained roughly a 40% success rate for identification of stars with [Fe/H] <-1.0; the primary contaminant is late-type stars with near-solar abundances and, often, emission line cores that filled in the Ca II K line on the prism spectrum. Because the selection is based on carbon, we greatly increase the numbers of known carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars from the HES with intermediate metallicities -2.0 < [Fe/H] <-1.0, which previous survey efforts undersampled. There are eight newly discovered stars with [Fe/H] <-3.0 in our sample, including two with [Fe/H] <-3.5.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

PLANETARY CONSTRUCTION ZONES IN OCCULTATION: DISCOVERY OF AN EXTRASOLAR RING SYSTEM TRANSITING A YOUNG SUN-LIKE STAR AND FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR DETECTING ECLIPSES BY CIRCUMSECONDARY AND CIRCUMPLANETARY DISKS

The large relative sizes of circumstellar and circumplanetary disks imply that they might be seen in eclipse in stellar light curves. We estimate that a survey of {approx}10{sup 4} young ({approx}10 million year old) post-accretion pre-main-sequence stars monitored for {approx}10 years should yield at least a few deep eclipses from circumplanetary disks and disks surrounding low-mass companion stars. We present photometric and spectroscopic data for a pre-main-sequence K5 star (1SWASP J140747.93-394542.6 = ASAS J140748-3945.7), a newly discovered {approx}0.9 M{sub Sun} member of the {approx}16 Myr old Upper Centaurus-Lupus subgroup of Sco-Cen at a kinematic distance of 128 {+-} 13 pc. This star exhibited a remarkably long, deep, and complex eclipse event centered on 2007 April 29 (as discovered in Super Wide Angle Search for Planets (SuperWASP) photometry, and with portions of the dimming confirmed by All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) data). At least five multi-day dimming events of >0.5 mag are identified, with a >3.3 mag deep eclipse bracketed by two pairs of {approx}1 mag eclipses symmetrically occurring {+-}12 days and {+-}26 days before and after. Hence, significant dimming of the star was taking place on and off over at least a {approx}54 day period in 2007, and a strong >1 mag dimming event occurring over a {approx}12 day span. We place a firm lower limit on the period of 850 days (i.e., the orbital radius of the eclipser must be >1.7 AU and orbital velocity must be <22 km s{sup -1}). The shape of the light curve is similar to the lopsided eclipses of the Be star EE Cep. We suspect that this new star is being eclipsed by a low-mass object orbited by a dense inner disk, further girded by at least three dusty rings of optical depths near unity. Between these rings are at least two annuli of near-zero optical depth (i.e., gaps), possibly cleared out by planets or moons, depending on the nature of the secondary. For possible periods in the range 2.33-200 yr, the estimated total ring mass is {approx}8-0.4 M{sub Moon} (if the rings have optical opacity similar to Saturn's rings), and the edge of the outermost detected ring has orbital radius {approx}0.4-0.09 AU. In the new era of time-domain astronomy opened by surveys like SuperWASP, ASAS, etc., and soon to be revolutionized by Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, discovering and characterizing eclipses by circumplanetary and circumsecondary disks will provide us with observational constraints on the conditions that spawn satellite systems around gas giant planets and planetary systems around stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE SIZES OF THE NEAREST YOUNG STARS

We present moderate resolution (R {approx} 3575) optical spectra of 19 known or suspected members of the AB Doradus and {beta} Pictoris Moving Groups, obtained with the DeVeny Spectrograph on the 72 inch Perkins telescope at Lowell Observatory. For four of five recently proposed members, signatures of youth such as Li I 6708 A absorption and H{alpha} emission further strengthen the case for youth and membership. The lack of detected lithium in the proposed {beta} Pic member TYC 2211-1309-1 implies that it is older than all other K-type members and weakens the case for membership. Effective temperatures are determined via line ratio analyses for the 11 F, G, and early-K stars observed, and via spectral comparisons for the eight late-K and M stars observed. We assemble updated candidate membership lists for these moving groups that account for known binarity. Currently, the AB Dor Moving Group contains 127 proposed members and the {beta} Pic Moving Group holds 77 proposed members. We then use temperature, luminosity, and distance estimates to predict angular diameters for these stars; the motivation is to identify stars that can be spatially resolved with long-baseline optical/infrared interferometers in order to improve age estimates for these groups and to constrain evolutionary models at young ages. Considering the portion of the sky accessible to northern hemisphere facilities (decl. > - 30), six stars have diameters large enough to be spatially resolved ({theta} > 0.4 mas) with the CHARA Array, which currently has the world's longest baseline of 331 m; this subsample includes the low-mass M2.5 member of AB Dor, GJ 393, which is likely to still be pre-main sequence. For southern hemisphere facilities (decl. < + 30), 18 stars have diameters larger than this limiting size, including the low-mass debris disk star AU Mic (0.72 mas). However, the longest baselines of southern hemisphere interferometers (160 m) are only able to resolve the largest of these, the B6 star {alpha} Gru (1.17 mas); proposed long-baseline stations may alleviate the current limitations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

UCAC4 nearby star survey: A search for our stellar neighbors

We use data from the U.S. Naval Observatory fourth CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC4) in combination with photometry from the AAVSO Photometric All-Sky Survey and Two Micron All-Sky Survey to identify stars within 25 pc of the Sun. A sample of nearby stars with accurate trigonometric parallaxes from the Research Consortium On Nearby Stars is used to generate a set of 16 new photometric color–M{sub K{sub s}} relations that provide distance estimates with uncertainties of 15%. This work expands the available suites of well-calibrated photometric distance relations that can be used to identify nearby stellar systems. The distance relations are used with quality cuts to extract an initial sample of stars from the UCAC4 estimated to be within 25 pc. Color, proper motion, and existing literature sources are then used to obtain a clean sample of red dwarfs, while limiting the amount of contamination from background giants, resulting in a sample of 1761 candidate nearby stars within 25 pc. Of these, 339 are new discoveries with no previously known published parallax or distance estimate, primarily with proper motions less than 0.2 arcsec yr{sup −1}. Five stars are estimated to be within 10 pc, with the nearest, TYC 3980 1081 1, with V=10.50 estimated to be at 5.9 pc. That several hundred new stars have been revealed so close to the Sun illustrates once again that there is considerable work yet to be done to map the solar neighborhood and that additional nearby stars are likely still to be discovered.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

CARMA SURVEY TOWARD INFRARED-BRIGHT NEARBY GALAXIES (STING): MOLECULAR GAS STAR FORMATION LAW IN NGC 4254

This study explores the effects of different assumptions and systematics on the determination of the local, spatially resolved star formation law. Using four star formation rate (SFR) tracers (H{alpha} with azimuthally averaged extinction correction, mid-infrared 24 {mu}m, combined H{alpha} and mid-infrared 24 {mu}m, and combined far-ultraviolet and mid-infrared 24 {mu}m), several fitting procedures, and different sampling strategies, we probe the relation between SFR and molecular gas at various spatial resolutions (500 pc and larger) and surface densities ({Sigma}{sub H{sub 2}})approx. 10-245 M{sub sun} pc{sup -2}) within the central {approx}6.5 kpc in the disk of NGC 4254. We explore the effect of diffuse emission using an unsharp masking technique with varying kernel size. The fraction of diffuse emission, f{sub DE}, thus determined is a strong inverse function of the size of the filtering kernel. We find that in the high surface brightness regions of NGC 4254 the form of the molecular gas star formation law is robustly determined and approximately linear ({approx}0.8-1.1) and independent of the assumed fraction of diffuse emission and the SFR tracer employed. When the low surface brightness regions are included, the slope of the star formation law depends primarily on the assumed fraction of diffuse emission. In such a case, results range from linear when the fraction of diffuse emission in the SFR tracer is f{sub DE} {approx}< 30% (or when diffuse emission is removed in both the star formation and the molecular gas tracer) to super-linear ({approx}1.4) when f{sub DE} {approx}> 50%. We find that the tightness of the correlation between gas and star formation varies with the choice of star formation tracer. The 24 {mu}m SFR tracer by itself shows the tightest correlation with the molecular gas surface density, whereas the H{alpha} corrected for extinction using an azimuthally averaged correction shows the highest dispersion. We find that for R < 0.5R{sub 25} the local star formation efficiency is constant and similar to that observed in other large spirals, with a molecular gas depletion time {tau}{sub dep} {approx} 2 Gyr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

CONSTRAINING THE PROPERTIES OF DELTA SCUTI STARS USING SPECTROSCOPIC ECLIPSING BINARY SYSTEMS

Many stars exhibit stellar pulsations, favoring them for asteroseismic analyses. Interpreting the oscillations requires some knowledge of the oscillation mode geometry (spherical degree, radial, and azimuthal orders). The {delta} Scuti stars (1.5-2.5 M{sub sun}) often show just one or few pulsation frequencies. Although this may promise a successful seismological analysis, we may not know enough about either the mode or the star to use the oscillation frequency to improve the determination of the stellar model or to probe the star's structure. For the observed frequencies to be used successfully as seismic probes of these objects, we need to concentrate on stars for which we can reduce the number of free parameters in the problem, such as binary systems or open clusters. We investigate how much our understanding of a {delta} Scuti star is improved when it is in a detached eclipsing binary system instead of being a single field star. We use singular value decomposition to explore the precision we expect in stellar parameters (mass, age, and chemical composition) for both cases. We examine how the parameter uncertainties propagate to the luminosity-effective temperature diagram and determine when the effort of obtaining a new measurement is justified. We show that for the single star, a correct identification of the oscillation mode is necessary to produce strong constraints on the stellar model properties, while for the binary system the observations without the pulsation mode provide the same or better constraints on the stellar parameters. In the latter case, the strong constraints provided by the binary system not only allow us to detect an incorrectly identified oscillation mode, but we can also constrain the oscillation mode geometry by comparing the distribution of possible solutions with and without including the oscillation frequency as a constraint.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

IMPACTS OF DARK STARS ON REIONIZATION AND SIGNATURES IN THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND

We perform a detailed and systematic investigation of the possible impacts of dark stars on the reionization history of the universe, and its signatures in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We compute hydrogen reionization histories, CMB optical depths, and anisotropy power spectra for a range of stellar populations including dark stars. If dark stars capture large amounts of dark matter (DM) via nuclear scattering, reionization can be substantially delayed, leading to decreases in the integrated optical depth to last scattering and large-scale power in the EE polarization power spectrum. Using the integrated optical depth observed by the Wilkinson Microwave Anistropy Probe seven-year mission, in our canonical reionization model we rule out the section of parameter space where dark stars with high scattering-induced capture rates tie up {approx}> 90% of all the first star-forming baryons, and live for {approx}> 250 Myr. When nuclear scattering delivers only moderate amounts of DM, reionization can instead be sped up slightly, modestly increasing the CMB optical depth. If dark stars do not obtain any DM via nuclear scattering, effects on reionization and the CMB are negligible. The effects of dark stars on reionization and its CMB markers can be largely mimicked or compensated for by changes in the existing parameters of reionization models, making dark stars difficult to disentangle from astrophysical uncertainties, but also widening the range of standard parameters in reionization models that can be made consistent with observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE CLUSTER OF BLUE STARS SURROUNDING THE M31 NUCLEAR BLACK HOLE

We obtained U{sub 330}- and B-band images of the M31 nucleus using the High Resolution Camera of the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The spatial resolution in the U{sub 330} band, 0.''03 FWHM, or 0.1 pc at M31, is sufficient to resolve the outskirts of the compact cluster (P3) of UV-bright stars surrounding the M31 black hole. The center of the cluster is marked by an extended source that is both brighter and redder than the other point sources within P3; it is likely to be a blend of several bright stars. We hypothesize that it marks the location of the M31 black hole. Both stellar photometry and a surface brightness fluctuation analysis show that the P3 stellar population is consistent with early-type main-sequence stars formed in a {approx}100-200 Myr old starburst population. Evolutionary tracks of post early asymptotic giant branch (PEAGB) stars, associated with late-stage evolution of an old population, also traverse the U and U - B domain occupied by the P3 stars; but we argue that only a few stars could be accounted for that way. PEAGB evolution is very rapid, and there is no progenitor population of red giants associated with P3. The result that P3 comprises young stars is consistent with inferences from earlier HST observations of the integrated light of the cluster. Like the Milky Way, M31 harbors a black hole closely surrounded by apparently young stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLACK HOLE GROWTH AND STAR FORMATION IN SEYFERT GALAXIES

We present estimates of black hole accretion rates (BHARs) and nuclear, extended, and total star formation rates for a complete sample of Seyfert galaxies. Using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, we measure the active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity using the [O IV] {lambda}25.89 {mu}m emission line and the star-forming luminosity using the 11.3 {mu}m aromatic feature and extended 24 {mu}m continuum emission. We find that black hole growth is strongly correlated with nuclear (r < 1 kpc) star formation, but only weakly correlated with extended (r > 1 kpc) star formation in the host galaxy. In particular, the nuclear star formation rate (SFR) traced by the 11.3 {mu}m aromatic feature follows a relationship with the BHAR of the form SFR{proportional_to} M-dot{sub BH}{sup 0.8}, with an observed scatter of 0.5 dex. This SFR-BHAR relationship persists when additional star formation in physically matched r = 1 kpc apertures is included, taking the form SFR{proportional_to} M-dot{sub BH}{sup 0.6}. However, the relationship becomes almost indiscernible when total SFRs are considered. This suggests a physical connection between the gas on sub-kiloparsec and sub-parsec scales in local Seyfert galaxies that is not related to external processes in the host galaxy. It also suggests that the observed scaling between star formation and black hole growth for samples of AGNs will depend on whether the star formation is dominated by a nuclear or an extended component. We estimate the integrated black hole and bulge growth that occurs in these galaxies and find that an AGN duty cycle of 5%-10% would maintain the ratio between black hole and bulge masses seen in the local universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE INITIAL MASS FUNCTION OF FIELD OB STARS IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD

Some theories of star formation suggest massive stars may only form in clustered environments, which would create a deficit of massive stars in low-density environments. Observationally, Massey finds such a deficit in samples of the field population in the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, with an initial mass function (IMF) slope of {Gamma}{sub IMF} {approx} 4. These IMF measurements represent some of the largest known deviations from the standard Salpeter IMF slope of {Gamma}{sub IMF} = 1.35. Here, we carry out a comprehensive investigation of the mass function above 20 M {sub Sun} for the entire field population of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), based on data from the Runaways and Isolated O Type Star Spectroscopic Survey of the SMC (RIOTS4). This is a spatially complete census of the entire field OB star population of the SMC obtained with the IMACS multi-object spectrograph and MIKE echelle spectrograph on the Magellan telescopes. Based on Monte Carlo simulations of the evolved present-day mass function, we find the slope of the field IMF above 20 M {sub Sun} is {Gamma}{sub IMF} = 2.3 {+-} 0.4. We extend our IMF measurement to lower masses using BV photometry from the OGLE II survey. We use a statistical approach to generate a probability distribution for the mass of each star from the OGLE photometry, and we again find {Gamma}{sub IMF} = 2.3 {+-} 0.6 for stellar masses from 7 M {sub Sun} to 20 M {sub Sun }. The discovery and removal of ten runaways in our RIOTS4 sample steepens the field IMF slope to {Gamma}{sub IMF} = 2.8 {+-} 0.5. We discuss the possible effects of binarity and star formation history on our results, and conclude that the steep field massive star IMF is most likely a real effect.

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