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At least 1,495 records · Page 83

The Advanced Spectral Library (ASTRAL): Reference Spectra for Evolved M Stars

The HST (Hubble Space Telescope) Treasury Program Advanced Spectral Library Project: Cool Stars was designed to collect representative, high-quality ultraviolet spectra of eight evolved F-M type cool stars. The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) echelle spectra of these objects enable investigations of a broad range of topics, including stellar and interstellar astrophysics. This paper provides a guide to the spectra of the two evolved M stars, the M2 Iab super giant alpha Ori and the M3.4 giant gamma Cru, with comparisons to the prototypical K1.5 giant alpha Boo. It includes identifications of the significant atomic and molecular emission and absorption features and discusses the character of the photospheric and chromospheric continua and line spectra. The fluorescent processes responsible for a large portion of the emission-line spectrum, the characteristics of the stellar winds, and the available diagnostics for hot and cool plasmas are also summarized. This analysis will facilitate the future study of the spectra, outer atmospheres, and winds, not only of these objects but of numerous other cool, low-gravity stars, for years to come.

M Stars↗

The Great Dimming of Betelgeuse: A Surface Mass Ejection and Its Consequences

The bright supergiant, Betelgeuse(Alpha Orionis, HD 39801), underwent a historic optical dimming during 2020 January 27–February 13. Many imaging and spectroscopic observations across the electromagnetic spectrum were obtained prior to, during, and subsequent to this dimming event. These observations of Betelgeuse reveal that a substantial surface mass ejection (SME) occurred and moved out through the extended atmosphere of the supergiant. A photospheric shock occurred in 2019 January–March, progressed through the extended atmosphere of the star during the following 11 months and led to dust production in the atmosphere. Resulting from the substantial mass outflow, the stellar photosphere was left with lower temperatures and the chromosphere with a lower density. The mass ejected could represent a significant fraction of the total annual mass-loss rate from the star suggesting that episodic mass-loss events can contribute an amount comparable to that of the stellar wind. Following the SME, Betelgeuse was left with a cooler average photosphere, an unusual short photometric oscillation, reduced velocity excursions, and the disappearance of the∼400 day pulsation in the optical and radial velocity for more than two years following the Great Dimming.

M supergiant stars↗

Even Small Events Involve the Entire Solar Atmosphere

The connection between the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona is essential for understanding the energy flows throughout the solar atmosphere. Here we discuss and analyze observations centered on a bipolar region of enhanced-network magnetic flux near disk center on SOL2017-03-17T14:00-17:00. The comprehensive data set comprises observations from SDO: HMI, AIA; Hinode: SOT, XRT; DST: IBIS, FIRS; ALMA; and IRIS; thus providing a variety of plasma diagnostics spanning the photosphere to the corona. Numerous transient brightenings were observed across the data set, and here we highlight transient brightenings within a set of thin filamentary features. One interesting event shows initial heating in the cooler (ALMA, 7000 K) before showing in the hotter (XRT, 3 MK) data series. These brightenings showcase how even small events involve large ranges of the solar atmosphere.

chromosphere↗

Interrogating Solar Flare Loop Models With IRIS Observations 1: Overview of the Models, and Mass Flows

Solar flares are transient yet dramatic events in the atmosphere of the Sun, during which a vast amount of magnetic energy is liberated. This energy is subsequently transported through the solar atmosphere or into the heliosphere, and together with coronal mass ejections flares comprise a fundamental component of space weather. Thus, understanding the physical processes at play in flares is vital. That understanding often requires the use of forward modelling in order to predict the hydrodynamic and radiative response of the solar atmosphere. Those predictions must then be critiqued by observations to show us where our models are missing ingredients. While flares are of course 3D phenomenon, simulating the flaring atmosphere including an accurate chromosphere with the required spatial scales in 3D is largely beyond current computational capabilities, and certainly performing parameter studies of energy transport mechanisms is not yet tractable in 3D. Therefore, field-aligned 1D loop models that can resolve the relevant scales have a crucial role to play in advancing our knowledge of flares. In recent years, driven in part by the spectacular observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), flare loop models have revealed many interesting features of flares. For this review I highlight some important results that illustrate the utility of attacking the problem of solar flares with a combination of high quality observations, and state-of-the-art flare loop models, demonstrating: 1) how models help to interpret flare observations from IRIS, 2) how those observations show us where we are missing physics from our models, and 3) how the ever increasing quality of solar observations drives model improvements. Here in Paper one of this two part review I provide an overview of modern flare loop models, and of electron-beam driven mass flows during solar flares.

solar flares↗

Prospects of Detecting Nonthermal Protons in Solar Flares via Lyman Line Spectroscopy: Revisiting the Orrall-Zirker Effect

Solar flares are efficient particle accelerators, with a substantial fraction of the energy released manifesting as nonthermal particles. While the role that nonthermal electrons play in transporting flare energy is well studied, the properties and importance of nonthermal protons are rather less well understood. This is in large part due to the paucity of diagnostics, particularly at the lower-energy (deka-keV) range of nonthermal proton distributions in flares. One means to identify the presence of deka-keV protons is by an effect originally described by Orrall & Zirker. In the Orrall–Zirker effect, nonthermal protons interact with ambient neutral hydrogen, and via charge exchange produce a population of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the chromosphere. These ENAs subsequently produce an extremely redshifted photon in the red wings of hydrogen spectral lines. We revisit predictions of the strength of this effect using modern interaction cross sections, and numerical models capable of self-consistently simulating the flaring nonequilibrium ionization stratification, and the nonthermal proton distribution (and, crucially, their feedback on each other). We synthesize both the thermal and nonthermal emission from Ly α and Ly β, the most promising lines that may exhibit a detectable signal. These new predictions are weaker and more transient than prior estimates, but the effects should be detectable in fortuitous circumstances. We degrade the Ly β emission to the resolution of the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument on board Solar Orbiter, demonstrating that though likely difficult, it should be possible to detect the presence of nonthermal protons in flares observed by SPICE.

Solar flares↗

The second– and third– order nonlinear optical properties and electronic transition of a NLO chromophore: A DFT study

It is well known that the practical applications of second-order and third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) materials have been reported in modern technology, such as optical data processing, transmission and storage, etc. In this respect, the linear and nonlinear optical parameters (the molecular static polarizability (α), and the first–order static hyperpolarizability (β{sub 0}), the second–order static hyperpolarizability (γ)), UV-vis spectra and HOMO and LUMO energies of 2-(1′-(4’’’-Methoxyphenyl)-5′-(thien-2″-yl)pyrrol-2′-yl)-1,3-benzothiazole were investigated by using the HSEh1PBE/6–311G(d,p) level of density functional theory. The UV–vis spectra were simulated using TD/HSEh1PBE/6– 311G(d,p) level, and the major contributions to the electronic transitions were obtained. The molecular hardness (η) and electronegativity (χ) parameters were also obtained by using molecular frontier orbital energies. The NLO parameters of the title compound were calculated, and obtained data were compared with that of para-Nitroaniline (pNA) which is a typical NLO material and the corresponding experimental data. Obtained data of the chromosphere display significant molecular second-and third-nonlinearity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

The nature and source of solar magnetic phenomena

The heliosphere appears to be powered by coaxial helicity injection from a negative helicity injector in the northern hemisphere and a positive one in the southern hemisphere. The injector magnetic flux for both is the measured solar polar magnetic flux, and the injector voltage is generated by a simple dynamo effect due to the differential rotation of the solar surface with the polar magnetic flux. The dynamo current is estimated from the solar motion that it causes. This current also appears to sustain a thin, shallow global magnetic structure over most of the solar surface that has the form of a 1D minimum energy state. The current channel appears to be destroyed and reformed every 11 years. The currents and magnetic fields reverse in this solar cycle. A brief discussion of surface phenomena observed during this cycle is given. Plasma self-organization is briefly discussed and used in this analysis of solar data. The magnetic phenomena discussed include torsional oscillations, the heat source for the chromosphere and the corona, filaments, meridional flow, the solar cycle, sunspots, CMEs, and flares.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

X-ray spectroscopy evidence for plasma shell formation in experiments modeling accretion columns in young stars

Recent achievements in laboratory astrophysics experiments with high-power lasers have allowed progress in our understanding of the early stages of star formation. In particular, we have recently demonstrated the possibility of simulating in the laboratory the process of the accretion of matter on young stars [G. Revet et al., Sci. Adv. 3, e1700982 (2017)]. The present paper focuses on x-ray spectroscopy methods that allow us to investigate the complex plasma hydrodynamics involved in such experiments. We demonstrate that we can infer the formation of a plasma shell, surrounding the accretion column at the location of impact with the stellar surface, and thus resolve the present discrepancies between mass accretion rates derived from x-ray and optical-radiation astronomical observations originating from the same object. In our experiments, the accretion column is modeled by having a collimated narrow (1 mm diameter) plasma stream first propagate along the lines of a large-scale external magnetic field and then impact onto an obstacle, mimicking the high-density region of the stellar chromosphere. A combined approach using steady-state and quasi-stationary models was successfully applied to measure the parameters of the plasma all along its propagation, at the impact site, and in the structure surrounding the impact region. The formation of a hot plasma shell, surrounding the denser and colder core, formed by the incoming stream of matter is observed near the obstacle using x-ray spatially resolved spectroscopy.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A T8.5 BROWN DWARF MEMBER OF THE {xi} URSAE MAJORIS SYSTEM

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer has revealed a T8.5 brown dwarf (WISE J111838.70+312537.9) that exhibits common proper motion with a solar-neighborhood (8 pc) quadruple star system-{xi} Ursae Majoris. The angular separation is 8.'5, and the projected physical separation is Almost-Equal-To 4000 AU. The sub-solar metallicity and low chromospheric activity of {xi} UMa A argue that the system has an age of at least 2 Gyr. The infrared luminosity and color of the brown dwarf suggests the mass of this companion ranges between 14 and 38 M{sub J} for system ages of 2 and 8 Gyr, respectively.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

MULTI-WAVELENGTH RADIO CONTINUUM EMISSION STUDIES OF DUST-FREE RED GIANTS

Multi-wavelength centimeter continuum observations of non-dusty, non-pulsating K spectral-type red giants directly sample their chromospheres and wind acceleration zones. Such stars are feeble emitters at these wavelengths, however, and previous observations have provided only a small number of modest signal-to-noise measurements slowly accumulated over three decades. We present multi-wavelength Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array thermal continuum observations of the wind acceleration zones of two dust-free red giants, Arcturus (α Boo: K2 III) and Aldebaran (α Tau: K5 III). Importantly, most of our observations of each star were carried out over just a few days, so that we obtained a snapshot of the different stellar atmospheric layers sampled at different wavelengths, independent of any long-term variability. We report the first detections at several wavelengths for each star including a detection at 10 cm (3.0 GHz: S band) for both stars and a 20 cm (1.5 GHz: L band) detection for α Boo. This is the first time single (non-binary) luminosity class III red giants have been detected at these continuum wavelengths. Our long-wavelength data sample the outer layers of α Boo's atmosphere where its wind velocity is approaching (or possibly has reached) its terminal value and the ionization balance is becoming frozen-in. For α Tau, however, our long-wavelength data are still sampling its inner atmosphere, where the wind is still accelerating probably due to its lower mass-loss rate. We compare our data with published semi-empirical models based on ultraviolet data, and the marked deviations highlight the need for new atmospheric models to be developed. Spectral indices are used to discuss the possible properties of the stellar atmospheres, and we find evidence for a rapidly cooling wind in the case of α Boo. Finally, we develop a simple analytical wind model for α Boo based on our new long-wavelength flux measurements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

WIYN OPEN CLUSTER STUDY. LVII. OXYGEN ABUNDANCES OF SOLAR-TYPE DWARFS IN THE HYADES AND NGC 752

Oxygen has been proposed to be a superior tracer, compared to iron, for studying galactic chemical evolution. In the context of improving our understanding of the evolution of Galactic oxygen using open clusters, we present a spectroscopic analysis of oxygen and iron abundances in the 650 Myr old Hyades cluster and in the 1.45 Gyr old cluster NGC 752, using high-dispersion 7774 Å O I triplet region spectra of dwarfs in these clusters acquired with the Hydra MOS on the WIYN 3.5 m telescope. Motivated by recent improvements in analysis of the triplet, we use a strictly differential analysis in solar-type stars to obtain reliable O abundances. Using stars whose radial velocities and spectral cross-correlation analyses are consistent with single-star membership, we report Hyades cluster averages of [O/H] = 0.195 ± 0.010 and [Fe/H] = 0.130 ± 0.009 based on 22 stars, and NGC 752 cluster averages of [O/H] = –0.077 ± 0.02 and [Fe/H] = –0.063 ± 0.013 based on 36 stars (where the errors are σ{sub μ}; we discuss possible additional systematic errors). These cluster abundance averages are in very good agreement with most previous determinations. Whereas the [O/H] cluster averages utilize only stars found in the ''prime'' T {sub eff} range straddling the solar T {sub eff}, the [Fe/H] cluster averages come from stars exhibiting a flat [Fe/H]-T {sub eff} relation of over 1000 K for the Hyades and nearly 2000 K for NGC 752. Previous studies of open clusters younger than NGC 752 have reported oxygen triplet over abundances in cool dwarfs, as compared to oxygen abundances of the prime-T {sub eff} range. We report that NGC 752 also shows such overabundances, at a higher level than the Hyades overabundances, and thus contradicts the idea of a decline of such overabundances with increasing age. We discuss evidence for and against correlations of the oxygen overabundances with rotation, X-ray luminosity, chromospheric activity, and metallicity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Kepler eclipsing binary stars. IV. Precise eclipse times for close binaries and identification of candidate three-body systems

We present a catalog of precise eclipse times and analysis of third-body signals among 1279 close binaries in the latest Kepler Eclipsing Binary Catalog. For these short-period binaries, Kepler's 30 minute exposure time causes significant smearing of light curves. In addition, common astrophysical phenomena such as chromospheric activity, as well as imperfections in the light curve detrending process, can create systematic artifacts that may produce fictitious signals in the eclipse timings. We present a method to measure precise eclipse times in the presence of distorted light curves, such as in contact and near-contact binaries which exhibit continuously changing light levels in and out of eclipse. We identify 236 systems for which we find a timing variation signal compatible with the presence of a third body. These are modeled for the light travel time effect and the basic properties of the third body are derived. This study complements J. A. Orosz et al. (in preparation), which focuses on eclipse timing variations of longer period binaries with flat out-of-eclipse regions. Together, these two papers provide comprehensive eclipse timings for all binaries in the Kepler Eclipsing Binary Catalog, as an ongoing resource freely accessible online to the community.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Magnetic activity and orbital period variation of the short-period eclipsing binary DV Psc

We present six new BVR{sub c}I{sub c} CCD light curves of a short-period RS CVn binary DV Psc obtained in 2010-2012. The light curve distortions change on both short and long timescales, which is explained by two starspots on the primary component. Moreover, five new flare events were detected and the flare ratio of DV Psc is about 0.082 flares per hour. There is a possible relation between the phases (longitude) of the flares and starspots for all of the available data of late-type binaries, which implies a correlation of the stellar activity of the spots and flares. The cyclic oscillation, with a period of 4.9 ± 0.4 yr, may result from the magnetic activity cycle, identified by the variability of Max. I-Max. II. Until now, there were no spectroscopic studies of chromospheric activity indicators of the H{sub β} and H{sub γ} lines for DV Psc. Our observations of these indicators show that DV Psc is active, with excess emissions. The updated O – C diagram with an observing time span of about 15 yr shows an upward parabola, which indicates a secular increase in the orbital period of DV Psc. The orbital period secularly increases at a rate of dP/dt = 2.0×10{sup –7} days yr{sup –1}, which might be explained by the angular momentum exchanges or mass transfer from the secondary to primary component.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The ups and downs of α Centauri

The following is a progress report on the long-term coronal (T ∼ 1 MK) activity of α Centauri A (HD 128620: G2 V) and B (HD 128621: K1 V). Since 2005, Chandra X-Ray Observatory has carried out semiannual pointings on AB, mainly with the High Resolution Camera, but also on two occasions with the Low-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer, fully resolving the close pair in all cases. During 2008-2013, Chandra captured the rise, peak, and initial decline of B's coronal luminosity. Together with previous high states documented by ROSAT and XMM-Newton, the long-term X-ray record suggests a period of 8.1 ± 0.2 yr, compared to 11 yr for the Sun, with a minimum-to-peak contrast of 4.5, about half the typical solar cycle amplitude. Meanwhile, the A component has been mired in a Maunder-Minimum-like low state since 2005, initially recognized by XMM-Newton. But now, A finally appears to be climbing out of the extended lull. If interpreted simply as an overlong cycle, the period would be 19.2 ± 0.7 yr, with a minimum-to-peak contrast of 3.4. The short X-ray cycle of B, and possibly long cycle of A, are not unusual compared with the diverse (albeit much lower amplitude) chromospheric variations recorded, for example, by the HK Project. Further, the deep low state of A also is not unusual, but instead is similar to the L {sub X}/L {sub bol} of the Sun during recent minima of the sunspot cycle.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The far-ultraviolet UPS and downs of Alpha Centauri

Four years (2010–2014) of semiannual pointings by the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on nearby Alpha Centauri have yielded a detailed time history of far-ultraviolet (FUV: 1150–1700 Å) emissions of the solarlike primary (A: G2 V) and the cooler but more active secondary (B: K1 V). This period saw A climbing out of a prolonged coronal X-ray minimum, as documented contemporaneously by Chandra, while B was rising to, then falling from, a peak of its long-term (∼8 year) starspot cycle. The FUV fluxes of the primary were steady over most of the STIS period, although the [Fe xii] λ1242 coronal forbidden line (T∼1.5 MK) partly mirrored the slowly rising X-ray fluxes. The FUV emissions of the secondary more closely tracked the rise and fall of its coronal luminosities, especially the “hot lines” Si iv, C iv, and N v (T∼0.8–2 × 10{sup 5} K), and coronal [Fe xii] itself. The hot lines of both stars were systematically redshifted, relative to narrow chromospheric emissions, by several km s{sup −1}, showing little change in amplitude over the four-year period, especially for α Cen B, despite the significant evolution of its coronal activity. Further, the hot lines of both stars, individually and epoch-averaged, displayed non-Gaussian shapes, which most trivially could be decomposed into two components, one narrow (FWHM ∼25–45 km s{sup −1}), the other broad (60–80 km s{sup −1}). A bimodal Gaussian strategy had been applied previously to the α Cen stars, but this was the first opportunity to evaluate any time dependence. In fact, not much variation of the component properties was seen, even over the major cycle changes of B. Curiously, the line fluxes were about equally divided between the narrow and broad components for both stars. The fact that there is minimal activity dependence of the narrow/broad flux partition, as well as densities derived from O iv] line ratios, either during the cycle evolution of B or between A and B, suggests that there is a dominant “quantum” of FUV surface activity that is relatively unchanged during the cycle, aside from the fractional area covered.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

THE YOUNG SOLAR ANALOGS PROJECT. I. SPECTROSCOPIC AND PHOTOMETRIC METHODS AND MULTI-YEAR TIMESCALE SPECTROSCOPIC RESULTS

This is the first in a series of papers presenting methods and results from the Young Solar Analogs Project, which began in 2007. This project monitors both spectroscopically and photometrically a set of 31 young (300–1500 Myr) solar-type stars with the goal of gaining insight into the space environment of the Earth during the period when life first appeared. From our spectroscopic observations we derive the Mount Wilson S chromospheric activity index (S{sub MW}), and describe the method we use to transform our instrumental indices to S{sub MW} without the need for a color term. We introduce three photospheric indices based on strong absorption features in the blue-violet spectrum—the G-band, the Ca i resonance line, and the Hydrogen-γ line—with the expectation that these indices might prove to be useful in detecting variations in the surface temperatures of active solar-type stars. We also describe our photometric program, and in particular our “Superstar technique” for differential photometry which, instead of relying on a handful of comparison stars, uses the photon flux in the entire star field in the CCD image to derive the program star magnitude. This enables photometric errors on the order of 0.005–0.007 magnitude. We present time series plots of our spectroscopic data for all four indices, and carry out extensive statistical tests on those time series demonstrating the reality of variations on timescales of years in all four indices. We also statistically test for and discover correlations and anti-correlations between the four indices. We discuss the physical basis of those correlations. As it turns out, the “photospheric” indices appear to be most strongly affected by emission in the Paschen continuum. We thus anticipate that these indices may prove to be useful proxies for monitoring emission in the ultraviolet Balmer continuum. Future papers in this series will discuss variability of the program stars on medium (days–months) and short (minutes to hours) timescales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

ELECTRON ACCELERATION ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR JETS

This paper investigates the solar source region of supra-thermal (few keV up to the MeV range) electron beams observed near Earth by combining in situ measurements of the three-dimensional Plasma and Energetic Particles experiment on the WIND spacecraft with remote-sensing hard X-ray observations by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager. The in situ observations are used to identify events, and the hard X-ray observations are then searched for signatures of supra-thermal electrons radiating bremsstrahlung emission in the solar atmosphere. Only prompt events detected above 50 keV with a close temporal correlation between the flare hard X-ray emission and the electrons seen near Earth are selected, limiting the number of events to 16. We show that for 7 of these 16 events, hard X-ray imaging shows three chromospheric sources: two at the footpoints of the post-flare loop and one related to an apparently open field line. The remaining events show two footpoints (seven events, four of which show elongated sources possibly hiding a third source) or are spatially unresolved (two events). Out of the 16 events, 6 have a solar source region within the field of view of the Transition Region and Corona Explorer (TRACE). All events with TRACE data show EUV jets that have the same onset as the hard X-ray emission (within the cadence of tens of seconds). After the hard X-ray burst ends, the jets decay. These results suggest that escaping prompt supra-thermal electron events observed near Earth are accelerated in flares associated with reconnection between open and closed magnetic field lines, the so-called interchange reconnection scenario.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

OBSERVATIONS OF RECONNECTING FLARE LOOPS WITH THE ATMOSPHERIC IMAGING ASSEMBLY

Perhaps the most compelling evidence for the role of magnetic reconnection in solar flares comes from the supra-arcade downflows that have been observed above many post-flare loop arcades. These downflows are thought to be related to highly non-potential field lines that have reconnected and are propagating away from the current sheet. We present new observations of supra-arcade downflows taken with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The morphology and dynamics of the downflows observed with AIA provide new evidence for the role of magnetic reconnection in solar flares. With these new observations we are able to measure downflows originating at larger heights than in previous studies. We find, however, that the initial velocities measured here ({approx}144 km s{sup -1}) are well below the Alfven speed expected in the lower corona, and consistent with previous results. We also find no evidence that the downflows brighten with time, as would be expected from chromospheric evaporation. These observations suggest that simple two-dimensional models cannot explain the detailed observations of solar flares.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗