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At least 1,315 records · Page 73

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DOE OSTI2020

The Near-infrared Spectrum of the Nuclear Star Cluster: Looking below the Tip of the Iceberg, and Comparisons with Extragalactic Nuclei

Long-slit near-infrared (NIR) spectra of the Galactic nuclear star cluster (NSC) are discussed. The spectra sample the major axis of the NSC out to its half-light radius. The absorption spectrum of the central regions of the NSC is averaged over angular scales of tens of arc seconds in order to sample globular cluster-like total luminosities, and the results are compared with model spectra. The equivalent widths of Na i2.21 μm and Ca 2.26 μm outside of the center of the NSC, where light from nuclear bulge stars contributes a large fraction to the total flux, are consistent with solar chemical mixtures. In contrast, the equivalent widths of Na i2.21 μm and Ca i2.26 μm near the center of the NSC are larger than expected from models with solar chemical mixtures, even after light from the brightest evolved stars is removed. The depths of spectroscopic features changing along the major axis of the NSC are consistent with imaging studies that have found evidence of population gradients in the NSC. That Na i2.21 μm and Ca i2.26 μm are deeper than predicted for solar chemical mixtures over a range of evolutionary states is consistent with previous studies that find that the majority of stars near the center of the NSC formed from material that had nonsolar chemical mixtures. The depths of the Na i2.21 μm and Ca i2.26 μm features in the central regions of the NSC are comparable to those in the nuclear spectrum of the early-type Virgo disk galaxy NGC 4491, and are deeper than in the central spectra of NGC 253 and 7793. A spectrum of nebular emission and the youngest stars near the galactic center is also extracted. The equivalent widths of emission features in the extracted NIR spectrum are similar to those in the nuclear spectrum of NGC 253, and it is argued that this agreement is best achieved if the current episode of star formation near the center of the NSC has been in progress for at least a few megayears.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

The Young Massive Star Cluster Westerlund 2 Observed with MUSE. III. A Cluster in Motion—The Complex Internal Dynamics

Analyzing the dynamical state of nearby young massive star clusters is essential for understanding star cluster formation and evolution during their earliest stages. In this work we analyze the stellar and gas kinematics of the young massive star cluster Westerlund 2 (Wd2) using data from the integral field unit Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) and complement them with proper motions from the Gaia DR2. The mean gas radial velocity of 15.9 km s{sup −1} agrees with the assumption that Wd2 is the result of a cloud–cloud collision. The gas motions show the expansion of the H ii region, driven by the radiation from the many OB stars in the cluster center. The velocity profile of the cluster member stars reveals an increasing velocity dispersion with decreasing stellar mass and that the low-mass stars show five distinct velocity groups. Based on their spatial correlation with the cluster’s two clumps, we concluded that this is the imprint of the initial cloud collapse that formed Wd2. A thorough analysis of the dynamical state of Wd2, which determines a dynamical mass range of M {sub dyn,Wd2} = (7.5 ± 1.9) × 10{sup 4} − (4.4 ± 1.1) × 10{sup 5} M {sub ⊙} and exceeds the photometric mass by at least a factor of two, leads to the conclusion that Wd2 is not massive enough to remain gravitationally bound. Additionally we also identify 22 runaway candidates with peculiar velocities between 30 and 546 km s{sup −1}.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2021

Characterizing the X-Ray Emission of Intermediate-mass Pre-main-sequence Stars

We use X-ray and infrared observations to study the properties of three classes of young stars in the Carina Nebula: intermediate-mass (2–5 M {sub ⊙}) pre-main-sequence stars (IMPS; i.e., intermediate-mass T Tauri stars), late-B and A stars on the zero-age main sequence (AB), and lower-mass T Tauri stars (TTS). We divide our sources among these three subclassifications and further identify disk-bearing young stellar objects versus diskless sources with no detectable infrared (IR) excess emission using IR (1–8 μm) spectral energy distribution modeling. We then perform X-ray spectral fitting to determine the hydrogen-absorbing column density (N {sub H}), absorption-corrected X-ray luminosity (L {sub X}), and coronal plasma temperature (kT) for each source. We find that the X-ray spectra of both IMPS and TTS are characterized by similar kT and N {sub H}, and on average L {sub X}/L {sub bol} ~ 4 × 10{sup -4}. IMPS are systematically more luminous in X-rays (by ~0.3 dex) than all other subclassifications, with median L {sub X} = 2.5 × 10{sup 31} erg s{sup -1}, while AB stars of similar masses have X-ray emission consistent with TTS companions. These lines of evidence converge on a magnetocoronal flaring source for IMPS X-ray emission, a scaled-up version of the TTS emission mechanism. IMPS therefore provide powerful probes of isochronal ages for the first ~10 Myr in the evolution of a massive stellar population, because their intrinsic, coronal X-ray emission decays rapidly after they commence evolving along radiative tracks. We suggest that the most luminous (in both X-rays and IR) IMPS could be used to place empirical constraints on the location of the intermediate-mass stellar birth line.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Star formation around mid-infrared bubble N37: evidence of cloud-cloud collision

We have performed a multi-wavelength analysis of a mid-infrared (MIR) bubble N37 and its surrounding environment. The selected 15′ × 15′ area around the bubble contains two molecular clouds (N37 cloud; V{sub lsr} ∼ 37–43 km s{sup −1}, and C25.29+0.31; V{sub lsr} ∼ 43–48 km s{sup −1}) along the line of sight. A total of seven OB stars are identified toward the bubble N37 using photometric criteria, and two of them are spectroscopically confirmed as O9V and B0V stars. The spectro-photometric distances of these two sources confirm their physical association with the bubble. The O9V star appears to be the primary ionizing source of the region, which is also in agreement with the desired Lyman continuum flux analysis estimated from the 20 cm data. The presence of the expanding H ii region is revealed in the N37 cloud, which could be responsible for the MIR bubble. Using the {sup 13}CO line data and photometric data, several cold molecular condensations as well as clusters of young stellar objects (YSOs) are identified in the N37 cloud, revealing ongoing star formation (SF) activities. However, the analysis of ages of YSOs and the dynamical age of the H ii region do not support the origin of SF due to the influence of OB stars. The position–velocity analysis of {sup 13}CO data reveals that two molecular clouds are interconnected by a bridge-like structure, favoring the onset of a cloud–cloud collision process. The SF activities (i.e., the formation of YSO clusters and OB stars) in the N37 cloud are possibly influenced by the cloud–cloud collision.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

A new prescription for the mass-loss rates of WC and WO stars

We present a new empirical prescription for the mass-loss rates of carbon- and oxygen-sequence Wolf–Rayet stars as a function of their luminosity, surface chemical composition, and initial metallicity. The new prescription is based on results of detailed spectral analyses of WC and WO stars and improves the often applied Nugis and Lamers relation. We find that the mass-loss rates of WC and WO stars (with X = 0 and Y ≲ 0.98) can be expressed as log M-dot =−9.20+0.85log(L/L {sub ⊙}) + 0.44 log Y + 0.25 log (Z {sub Fe}/Z {sub Fe,⊙}). This relation is based on mass-loss determinations that assume a volume-filling factor of 0.1, but the prescription can easily be scaled to account for other volume-filling factors. The residual of the fit is σ = 0.06 dex. We investigated whether the relation can also describe the mass loss of hydrogen-free WN stars and showed that it can when an adjustment of the metallicity dependence (log M-dot ∝1.3log(Z{sub Fe}/Z{sub Fe,⊙})) is applied. Compared to that of Nugis and Lamers, M-dot is less sensitive to the luminosity and the surface abundance, implying a stronger mass loss of massive stars in their late stages of evolution. The modest metallicity dependence implies that if WC or WO stars are formed in metal-deficient environments, their mass-loss rates are higher than currently anticipated. These effects may result in the formation of a larger number of SNe Ic and fewer black holes and may favor the production of superluminous SNe Ic through interaction with C- and O-rich circumstellar material or dense stellar wind.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

The impact of feedback during massive star formation by core accretion

We study feedback during massive star formation using semi-analytic methods, considering the effects of disk winds, radiation pressure, photoevaporation, and stellar winds, while following protostellar evolution in collapsing massive gas cores. We find that disk winds are the dominant feedback mechanism setting star formation efficiencies (SFEs) from initial cores of ∼0.3–0.5. However, radiation pressure is also significant to widen the outflow cavity causing reductions of SFE compared to the disk-wind only case, especially for >100 M{sub ⊙} star formation at clump mass surface densities Σ{sub cl}≲0.3 g cm{sup −2}. Photoevaporation is of relatively minor importance due to dust attenuation of ionizing photons. Stellar winds have even smaller effects during the accretion stage. For core masses M{sub c}≃10–1000 M{sub ⊙} and Σ{sub cl}≃0.1–3 g cm{sup −2}, we find the overall SFE to be ε-bar {sub ∗f}=0.31(R{sub c}/0.1pc){sup −0.39}, potentially a useful sub-grid star formation model in simulations that can resolve pre-stellar core radii, R{sub c}=0.057(M{sub c}/60M{sub ⊙}){sup 1/2}(Σ{sub cl}/gcm{sup −2}){sup −1/2} pc. The decline of SFE with M {sub c} is gradual with no evidence for a maximum stellar-mass set by feedback processes up to stellar masses of m{sub ∗}∼300 M{sub ⊙}. We thus conclude that the observed truncation of the high-mass end of the IMF is shaped mostly by the pre-stellar core mass function or internal stellar processes. To form massive stars with the observed maximum masses of ∼150–300M{sub ⊙}, initial core masses need to be ≳500–1000 M{sub ⊙}. We also apply our feedback model to zero-metallicity primordial star formation, showing that, in the absence of dust, photoevaporation staunches accretion at ∼50 M{sub ⊙}. Our model implies radiative feedback is most significant at metallicities ∼10{sup −2}Z{sub ⊙}, since both radiation pressure and photoevaporation are effective in this regime.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

EXPANDING THE CATALOG: CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF CARBON, MAGNESIUM, AND NEON IN THE EVOLUTION OF STARS AND HABITABLE ZONES

Building on previous work, we have expanded our catalog of evolutionary models for stars with variable composition; here we present models for stars of mass 0.5–1.2 M {sub ⊙}, at scaled metallicities of 0.1–1.5 Z {sub ⊙}, and specific C/Fe, Mg/Fe, and Ne/Fe values of 0.58–1.72 C/Fe{sub ⊙}, 0.54–1.84 Mg/Fe{sub ⊙}, and 0.5–2.0 Ne/Fe{sub ⊙}, respectively. We include a spread in abundance values for carbon and magnesium based on observations of their variability in nearby stars; we choose an arbitrary spread in neon abundance values commensurate with the range seen in other low Z elements due to the difficult nature of obtaining precise measurements of neon abundances in stars. As indicated by the results of Truitt et al., it is essential that we understand how differences in individual elemental abundances, and not just the total scaled metallicity, can measurably impact a star’s evolutionary lifetime and other physical characteristics. In that work, we found that oxygen abundances significantly impacted the stellar evolution; carbon, magnesium, and neon are potentially important elements to individually consider due to their relatively high (but also variable) abundances in stars. We present 528 new stellar main-sequence models, and we calculate the time-dependent evolution of the associated habitable zone boundaries for each based on mass, temperature, and luminosity. We also reintroduce the 2 Gyr “Continuously Habitable Zone” (CHZ{sub 2}) as a useful tool to help gauge the habitability potential for a given planetary system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Intermediate-mass Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars and Sources of {sup 26}Al, {sup 60}Fe, {sup 107}Pd, and {sup 182}Hf in the Solar System

We explore the possibility that the short-lived radionuclides {sup 26}Al, {sup 60}Fe, {sup 107}Pd, and {sup 182}Hf inferred to be present in the proto-solar cloud originated from 3–8 M{sub ⊙} asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Models of AGB stars with initial mass above 5 M{sub ⊙} are prolific producers of {sup 26}Al owing to hot bottom burning (HBB). In contrast, {sup 60}Fe, {sup 107}Pd, and {sup 182}Hf are produced by neutron captures: {sup 107}Pd and {sup 182}Hf in models ≲5 M{sub ⊙}, and {sup 60}Fe in models with higher mass. We mix stellar yields from solar-metallicity AGB models into a cloud of solar mass and composition to investigate whether it is possible to explain the abundances of the four radioactive nuclides at the Sun’s birth using one single value of the mixing ratio between the AGB yields and the initial cloud material. We find that AGB stars that experience efficient HBB (⩾6 M{sub ⊙}) cannot provide a solution because they produce too little {sup 182}Hf and {sup 107}Pd relative to {sup 26}Al and {sup 60}Fe. Lower-mass AGB stars cannot provide a solution because they produce too little {sup 26}Al relative to {sup 107}Pd and {sup 182}Hf. A self-consistent solution may be found for AGB stars with masses in between (4–5.5 M{sub ⊙}), provided that HBB is stronger than in our models and the {sup 13}C(α, n){sup 16}O neutron source is mildly activated. If stars of M<5.5 M{sub ⊙} are the source of the radioactive nuclides, then some basis for their existence in proto-solar clouds needs to be explored, given that the stellar lifetimes are longer than the molecular cloud lifetimes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Constraining the Stellar Populations and Star Formation Histories of Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies with SED Fits

We discuss and test possible evolutionary connections between blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) and other types of dwarf galaxies. BCDs provide ideal laboratories to study intense star formation episodes in low-mass dwarf galaxies, and have sometimes been considered a short-lived evolutionary stage between types of dwarf galaxies. To test these connections, we consider a sample of BCDs as well as a comparison sample of nearby galaxies from the Local Volume Legacy (LVL) survey for context. We fit the multi-wavelength spectral energy distributions (SED, far-ultra-violet to far-infrared) of each galaxy with a grid of theoretical models to determine their stellar masses and star formation properties. We compare our results for BCDs with the LVL galaxies to put BCDs in the context of normal galaxy evolution. The SED fits demonstrate that the star formation events currently underway in BCDs are at the extreme of the continuum of normal dwarf galaxies, both in terms of the relative mass involved and in the relative increase over previous star formation rates. Today’s BCDs are distinctive objects in a state of extreme star formation that is rapidly transforming them. This study also suggests ways to identify former BCDs whose star formation episodes have since faded.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Luminous and Variable Stars in M31 and M33. IV. Luminous Blue Variables, Candidate LBVs, B[e] Supergiants, and the Warm Hypergiants: How to Tell Them Apart

In this series of papers we have presented the results of a spectroscopic survey of luminous stars in the nearby spirals M31 and M33. Here, we present spectroscopy of 132 additional stars. Most have emission-line spectra, including luminous blue variables (LBVs) and candidate LBVs, Fe ii emission line stars, the B[e] supergiants, and the warm hypergiants. Many of these objects are spectroscopically similar and are often confused with each other. We examine their similarities and differences and propose the following guidelines that can be used to help distinguish these stars in future work. (1) The B[e] supergiants have emission lines of [O i] and [Fe ii] in their spectra. Most of the spectroscopically confirmed sgB[e] stars also have warm circumstellar dust in their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). (2) Confirmed LBVs do not have the [O i] emission lines in their spectra. Some LBVs have [Fe ii] emission lines, but not all. Their SEDs show free–free emission in the near-infrared but no evidence for warm dust . Their most important and defining characteristic is the S Dor-type variability. (3) The warm hypergiants spectroscopically resemble the LBVs in their dense wind state and the B[e] supergiants. However, they are very dusty. Some have [Fe ii] and [O i] emission in their spectra like the sgB[e] stars, but are distinguished by their A- and F-type absorption-line spectra. In contrast, the B[e] supergiant spectra have strong continua and few if any apparent absorption lines. Candidate LBVs should share the spectral characteristics of the confirmed LBVs with low outflow velocities and the lack of warm circumstellar dust.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

High Dense Gas Fraction in a Gas-rich Star-forming Galaxy at z = 1.2

We report observations of dense molecular gas in the star-forming galaxy EGS 13004291 (z = 1.197) using the Plateau de Bure Interferometer. We tentatively detect HCN and HNC J=2→1 emission when stacked together at 4σ significance, yielding line luminosities of L{sub HCN(J=2→1)}{sup ′}=(9±3)×10{sup 9} K km s{sup −1} pc{sup 2} and L{sub HNC(J=2→1)}{sup ′}=(5±2)×10{sup 9} K km s{sup −1} pc{sup 2}, respectively. We also set 3σ upper limits of <7–8 ×10{sup 9} K km s{sup −1} pc{sup 2} on the HCO{sup +}(J=2→1), H{sub 2}O(3{sub 13}→2{sub 20}), and HC{sub 3}N(J = 20 → 19) line luminosities. We serendipitously detect CO emission from two sources at z∼1.8 and z∼3.2 in the same field of view. We also detect CO(J=2→1) emission in EGS 13004291, showing that the excitation in the previously detected CO(J=3→2) line is subthermal (r{sub 32}=0.65±0.15). We find a line luminosity ratio of L{sub HCN}{sup ′}/L{sub CO}{sup ′} = 0.17 ± 0.07, as an indicator of the dense gas fraction. This is consistent with the median ratio observed in z>1 galaxies (L{sub HCN}{sup ′}/L{sub CO}{sup ′} = 0.16 ± 0.07) and nearby ULIRGs (L{sub HCN}{sup ′}/L{sub CO}{sup ′} = 0.13 ± 0.03), but higher than that in local spirals (L{sub HCN}{sup ′}/L{sub CO}{sup ′} = 0.04 ± 0.02). Although EGS 13004291 lies significantly above the galaxy main sequence at z∼1, we do not find an elevated star formation efficiency (traced by L{sub FIR}/L{sub CO}{sup ′}) as in local starbursts, but a value consistent with main-sequence galaxies. The enhanced dense gas fraction, the subthermal gas excitation, and the lower than expected star formation efficiency of the dense molecular gas in EGS 13004291 suggest that different star formation properties may prevail in high-z starbursts. Thus, using L{sub FIR}/L{sub CO}{sup ′} as a simple recipe to measure the star formation efficiency may be insufficient to describe the underlying mechanisms in dense star-forming environments inside the large gas reservoirs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

The Hierarchical Distribution of the Young Stellar Clusters in Six Local Star-forming Galaxies

We present a study of the hierarchical clustering of the young stellar clusters in six local (3–15 Mpc) star-forming galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope broadband WFC3/UVIS UV and optical images from the Treasury Program LEGUS (Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey). We identified 3685 likely clusters and associations, each visually classified by their morphology, and we use the angular two-point correlation function to study the clustering of these stellar systems. We find that the spatial distribution of the young clusters and associations are clustered with respect to each other, forming large, unbound hierarchical star-forming complexes that are in general very young. The strength of the clustering decreases with increasing age of the star clusters and stellar associations, becoming more homogeneously distributed after ∼40–60 Myr and on scales larger than a few hundred parsecs. In all galaxies, the associations exhibit a global behavior that is distinct and more strongly correlated from compact clusters. Thus, populations of clusters are more evolved than associations in terms of their spatial distribution, traveling significantly from their birth site within a few tens of Myr, whereas associations show evidence of disruption occurring very quickly after their formation. The clustering of the stellar systems resembles that of a turbulent interstellar medium that drives the star formation process, correlating the components in unbound star-forming complexes in a hierarchical manner, dispersing shortly after formation, suggestive of a single, continuous mode of star formation across all galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Cloud-scale ISM Structure and Star Formation in M51

We compare the structure of molecular gas at 40 pc resolution to the ability of gas to form stars across the disk of the spiral galaxy M51. We break the PAWS survey into 370 pc and 1.1 kpc resolution elements, and within each we estimate the molecular gas depletion time (τ{sub Dep}{sup mol}), the star-formation efficiency per free-fall time (ϵ{sub ff}), and the mass-weighted cloud-scale (40 pc) properties of the molecular gas: surface density, Σ, line width, σ, and b≡Σ/σ{sup 2}∝α{sub vir}{sup −1}, a parameter that traces the boundedness of the gas. We show that the cloud-scale surface density appears to be a reasonable proxy for mean volume density. Applying this, we find a typical star-formation efficiency per free-fall time, ϵ{sub ff}(〈Σ{sub 40pc}〉)∼0.3%--0.36%, lower than adopted in many models and found for local clouds. Furthermore, the efficiency per free-fall time anti-correlates with both Σ and σ, in some tension with turbulent star-formation models. The best predictor of the rate of star formation per unit gas mass in our analysis is b≡Σ/σ{sup 2}, tracing the strength of self-gravity, with τ{sub Dep}{sup mol}∝b{sup −0.9}. The sense of the correlation is that gas with stronger self-gravity (higher b) forms stars at a higher rate (low τ{sub Dep}{sup mol}). The different regions of the galaxy mostly overlap in τ{sub Dep}{sup mol} as a function of b, so that low b explains the surprisingly high τ{sub Dep}{sup mol} found toward the inner spiral arms found by Meidt et al. (2013).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

The Pseudosynchronization of Binary Stars Undergoing Strong Tidal Interactions

Eccentric binaries known as heartbeat stars experience strong dynamical tides as the stars pass through periastron, providing a laboratory to study tidal interactions. We measure the rotation periods of 24 heartbeat systems, using the Kepler light curves to identify rotation peaks in the Fourier transform. Where possible, we compare the rotation period to the pseudosynchronization period derived by Hut. Few of our heartbeat stars are pseudosynchronized with the orbital period. For four systems, we were able to identify two sets of rotation peaks, which we interpret as the rotation from both stars in the binary. Most stars in our sample have rotation rates larger than the pseudosynchronization period while a single target rotates much faster than this rate. The majority of the systems have a rotation period that is approximately (3/2) times the pseudosynchronization period, suggesting that other physical mechanisms strongly influence the star’s evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

PHAT. XIX. The Ancient Star Formation History of the M31 Disk

We map the star formation history across M31 by fitting stellar evolution models to color–magnitude diagrams of each 83″ × 83″ (0.3 × 1.4 kpc, deprojected) region of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey outside of the innermost 6{sup ′}×12{sup ′} portion. We find that most of the star formation occurred prior to ∼8 Gyr ago, followed by a relatively quiescent period until ∼4 Gyr ago, a subsequent star formation episode about 2 Gyr ago, and a return to relative quiescence. There appears to be little, if any, structure visible for populations with ages older than 2 Gyr, suggesting significant mixing since that epoch. Finally, assuming a Kroupa initial mass function from 0.1 to 100 M {sub ⊙}, we find that the total amount of star formation over the past 14 Gyr in the area over which we have fit models is 5 × 10{sup 10} M {sub ⊙}. Fitting the radial distribution of this star formation and assuming azimuthal symmetry, (1.5 ± 0.2) × 10{sup 11} M {sub ⊙} of stars has formed in the M31 disk as a whole, (9 ± 2) × 10{sup 10} M {sub ⊙} of which has likely survived to the present after accounting for evolutionary effects. This mass is about one-fifth of the total dynamical mass of M31.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Effects of the σ{sup ∗} and ϕ Mesons on the Properties of Massive Protoneutron Stars

The properties of massive neutron stars and protoneutron stars are studied in this work in the framework of relativistic mean-field theory. For certain choices of coupling parameters, a two-solar mass cold neutron star is obtained in the presence of hyperons, taking into account the influence of σ{sup ∗} and ϕ mesons. The model for the coupling parameters is then extrapolated to study the effects of σ{sup ∗} and ϕ mesons on the properties of massive protoneutron stars in different evolutionary stages. The coupling constants are determined by two different methods, and their corresponding influence on the equation of state, mass, radius, and temperature is studied. The effect of the strange mesons is different at different evolution stages of the neutron star. The properties of a protoneutron star corresponding to the mass of PSR J0348+0432 are also presented.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Spatial and Kinematic Clustering of Stars in the Galactic Disk

The Galactic disk is expected to be spatially and kinematically clustered on many scales due to both star formation and the Galactic potential. In this work we calculate the spatial and kinematic two-point correlation functions (TPCF) using a sample of 1.7 × 10 6 stars with radial velocities from Gaia DR2. Clustering is detected on spatial scales of 1–300 pc and a velocity scale of 15 km s –1 . After removing bound structures, the data have a power-law index of γ ≈ –1 for 1 pc < Δr < 100 pc and γ ≲ –1.5 for Δr > 100 pc. We interpret these results with the aid of a star-by-star simulation of the Galaxy, in which stars are born in clusters orbiting in a realistic potential that includes spiral arms, a bar, and giant molecular clouds. We find that the simulation largely agrees with the observations at most spatial and kinematic scales. In detail, the TPCF in the simulation is shallower than the data at ≲20 pc scales, and steeper than the data at ≳30 pc. We also find a persistent clustering signal in the kinematic TPCF for the data at large Δv (>5 km s –1 ) that is not present in the simulations. We speculate that this mismatch between observations and simulations may be due to two processes: hierarchical star formation and transient spiral arms. Furthermore, we also predict that the addition of ages and metallicities measured with a precision of 50% and 0.05 dex, respectively, will enhance the clustering signal beyond current measurements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Variable Stars in the Giant Satellite Galaxy Antlia 2

We report 350 pulsating variable stars found in four DECam fields (~12 deg 2 ) covering the Antlia 2 satellite galaxy. The sample of variables includes 318 RR Lyrae stars and eight anomalous Cepheids in the galaxy. Reclassification of several objects designated previously to be RR Lyrae as anomalous Cepheids get rid of the satellite's stars intervening along the line of sight. This in turn removes the need for prolific tidal disruption of the dwarf, in agreement with the recently updated proper motion and pericenter measurements based on Gaia EDR3. There are also several bright foreground RR Lyrae stars in the field, and two distant background variables located ~45 kpc behind Antlia 2. We found RR Lyrae stars over the full search area, suggesting that the galaxy is very large and likely extends beyond our observed area. The mean period of the RRab in Antlia 2 is 0.599 days, while the RRc have a mean period of 0.368 days, indicating the galaxy is an Oosterhoff-intermediate system. The distance to Antlia 2 based on the RR Lyrae stars is 124.1 kpc (μ 0 = 20.47) with a dispersion of 5.4 kpc. We measured a clear distance gradient along the semimajor axis of the galaxy, with the southeast side of Antlia 2 being ~13 kpc farther away from the northwest side. This elongation along the line of sight is likely due to the ongoing tidal disruption of Ant 2.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗