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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

A Comparison between Physics-based and Polytropic MHD Models for Stellar Coronae and Stellar Winds of Solar Analogs

The development of the Zeeman–Doppler Imaging (ZDI) technique has provided synoptic observations of surface magnetic fields of low-mass stars. This led the stellar astrophysics community to adopt modeling techniques that have been used in solar physics using solar magnetograms. However, many of these techniques have been neglected by the solar community due to their failure to reproduce solar observations. Nevertheless, some of these techniques are still used to simulate the coronae and winds of solar analogs. Here we present a comparative study between two MHD models for the solar corona and solar wind. The first type of model is a polytropic wind model, and the second is the physics-based AWSOM model. We show that while the AWSOM model consistently reproduces many solar observations, the polytropic model fails to reproduce many of them, and in the cases where it does, its solutions are unphysical. Our recommendation is that polytropic models, which are used to estimate mass-loss rates and other parameters of solar analogs, must first be calibrated with solar observations. Alternatively, these models can be calibrated with models that capture more detailed physics of the solar corona (such as the AWSOM model) and that can reproduce solar observations in a consistent manner. Without such a calibration, the results of the polytropic models cannot be validated, but they can be wrongly used by others.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

INDUCED SCATTERING LIMITS ON FAST RADIO BURSTS FROM STELLAR CORONAE

The origin of fast radio bursts remains a puzzle. Suggestions have been made that they are produced within the Earth’s atmosphere, in stellar coronae, in other galaxies, or at cosmological distances. If they are extraterrestrial, the implied brightness temperature is very high, and therefore the induced scattering places constraints on possible models. In this paper, constraints are obtained on flares from coronae of nearby stars. It is shown that the radio pulses with the observed power could not be generated if the plasma density within and in the nearest vicinity of the source is as high as is necessary to provide the observed dispersion measure. However, one cannot exclude the possibility that the pulses are generated within a bubble with a very low density and pass through the dense plasma only in the outer corona.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE DYNAMICS OF STELLAR CORONAE HARBORING HOT JUPITERS. I. A TIME-DEPENDENT MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATION OF THE INTERPLANETARY ENVIRONMENT IN THE HD 189733 PLANETARY SYSTEM

We carry out the first time-dependent numerical magnetohydrodynamic modeling of an extrasolar planetary system to study the interaction of the stellar magnetic field and wind with the planetary magnetosphere and outflow. We base our model on the parameters of the HD 189733 system, which harbors a close-in giant planet. Our simulation reveals a highly structured stellar corona characterized by sectors with different plasma properties. The star-planet interaction (SPI) varies in magnitude and complexity, depending on the planetary phase, planetary magnetic field strength, and the relative orientation of the stellar and planetary fields. It also reveals a long, comet-like tail which is a result of the wrapping of the planetary magnetospheric tail by its fast orbital motion. A reconnection event occurs at a specific orbital phase, causing mass loss from the planetary magnetosphere that can generate a hot spot on the stellar surface. The simulation also shows that the system has sufficient energy to produce hot spots observed in Ca II lines in giant planet hosting stars. However, the short duration of the reconnection event suggests that such SPI cannot be observed persistently.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spectroscopic diagnostics of high-temperature plasma in stellar coronae using Fe XXIV-XXIV K-shell lines with XRISM

The RS CVn type binary star GT Muscae was observed during its quiescence using the Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer onboard XRISM. The main and satellite lines of the Fe XXIV-XXIV K-shell transitions were resolved for the first time from stellar sources. We conducted line ratio analysis to investigate any deviations from collisional ionization equilibrium and Maxwell electron energy distribution with a single temperature. By using five combinations of direct excitation lines and dielectronic recombination satellite lines in three line complexes (Fe He$\alpha$, Ly$\alpha$, and He$\beta$), we found that the plasma is well characterized by two-temperature thermal plasmas with temperatures of 1.7 and 4.3 keV, which is consistent with thermal broadening of Fe xxv, and the broad-band fitting results in the 1.7–10 keV band. Other forms of deviation from a single-temperature plasma, such as different ionization and electron temperatures or the $\kappa$ distribution for the electron energy distributions, are not favored, which is reasonable for stellar coronae at quiescence. This study demonstrates the utility of the Fe K-shell line ratio diagnostics to probe plasma conditions using X-ray microcalorimeters.

X-rays: stars↗
DOE OSTI2013

STELLAR CORONAE, SOLAR FLARES: A DETAILED COMPARISON OF {sigma} GEM, HR 1099, AND THE SUN IN HIGH-RESOLUTION X-RAYS

The Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETG) spectra of the coronally active binary stars {sigma} Gem and HR 1099 are among the highest fluence observations for such systems taken at high spectral resolution in X-rays with this instrument. This allows us to compare their properties in detail to solar flare spectra obtained with the Russian CORONAS-F spacecraft's RESIK instrument at similar resolution in an overlapping bandpass. Here we emphasize the detailed comparisons of the 3.3-6.1 A region (including emission from highly ionized S, Si, Ar, and K) from solar flare spectra to the corresponding {sigma} Gem and HR 1099 spectra. We also model the larger wavelength range of the HETG, from 1.7 to 25 A - having emission lines from Fe, Ca, Ar, Si, Al, Mg, Ne, O, and N-to determine coronal temperatures and abundances. {sigma} Gem is a single-lined coronally active long-period binary which has a very hot corona. HR 1099 is a similar, but shorter period, double-lined system. With very deep HETG exposures we can even study emission from some of the weaker species, such as K, Na, and Al, which are important since they have the lowest first ionization potentials, a parameter well known to be correlated with elemental fractionation in the solar corona. The solar flare temperatures reach Almost-Equal-To 20 MK, comparable to the {sigma} Gem and HR 1099 coronae. During the Chandra exposures, {sigma} Gem was slowly decaying from a flare and its spectrum is well characterized by a collisional ionization equilibrium plasma with a broad temperature distribution ranging from 2 to 60 MK, peaking near 25 MK, but with substantial emission from 50 MK plasma. We have detected K XVIII and Na XI emission which allow us to set limits on their abundances. HR 1099 was also quite variable in X-rays, also in a flare state, but had no detectable K XVIII. These measurements provide new comparisons of solar and stellar coronal abundances, especially at the lowest first ionization potential (FIP) values. The low FIP elements do not show enhancement in the stellar coronae as they do in the Sun, except perhaps for K in {sigma} Gem. While {sigma} Gem and HR 1099 differ in their emission measure distributions, they have very similar elemental abundances.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

From solar to stellar corona: The role of wind, rotation, and magnetism

Observations of surface magnetic fields are now within reach for many stellar types thanks to the development of Zeeman–Doppler Imaging. These observations are extremely useful for constraining rotational evolution models of stars, as well as for characterizing the generation of the magnetic field. We recently demonstrated that the impact of coronal magnetic field topology on the rotational braking of a star can be parameterized with a scalar parameter: the open magnetic flux. However, without running costly numerical simulations of the stellar wind, reconstructing the coronal structure of the large-scale magnetic field is not trivial. An alternative—broadly used in solar physics—is to extrapolate the surface magnetic field assuming a potential field in the corona, to describe the opening of the field lines by the magnetized wind. This technique relies on the definition of a so-called source surface radius, which is often fixed to the canonical value of 2.5R{sub ⊙}. However this value likely varies from star to star. To resolve this issue, we use our extended set of 2.5D wind simulations published in 2015 to provide a criterion for the opening of field lines as well as a simple tool to assess the source surface radius and the open magnetic flux. This allows us to derive the magnetic torque applied to the star by the wind from any spectropolarimetric observation. We conclude by discussing some estimations of spin-down timescales made using our technique and compare them to observational requirements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE DYNAMICS OF STELLAR CORONAE HARBORING HOT JUPITERS. II. A SPACE WEATHER EVENT ON A HOT JUPITER

We carry out a numerical simulation depicting the effects of a coronal mass ejection (CME) event on a close-in giant planet in an extrasolar system. We drive the CME in a similar manner as in simulations of space weather events on Earth. The simulation includes the planetary orbital motion, which leads to the forming of a comet-like planetary magnetotail which is oriented almost perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the CME. The combination of this feature and the fact that the CME does not expand much by the time it reaches the planet leads to a unique CME-magnetosphere interaction, where the CME itself is highly affected by the presence of the planetary magnetosphere. This change in the CME properties throughout the event cannot be estimated by simple, analytic calculations. We find that the planet is well-shielded from CME penetration, even for a relatively weak intrinsic magnetic field. The planetary angular momentum loss associated with such an event is negligible compared to the total planetary angular momentum. We also find that the energy which is deposited in the magnetosphere is much higher than in the case of the Earth, and our simulation suggests there is a large-scale change in the orientation of the magnetosphere-ionosphere current system during the CME event.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Measurement of L-shell transitions in M-shell ions in the laboratory and identification in stellar coronae

Based on laboratory data from the Lawrence Livermore EBIT-I electron beam ion trap and calculations using the relativistic multi-reference Møller-Plesset (MRMP) perturbation theory approach, we identify L-shell transitions of M-shell iron ions in emission spectra of the nearby stars Capella and Procyon. In conclusion, these lines are weaker than the well known, prominent lines from Fe XVII. However, they need to be taken into account when modeling the spectra, especially of cool stars.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Atomic data and spectral line intensities for Fe XV

Electron impact collision strengths, energy levels, oscillator strengths, and spontaneous radiative decay rates are calculated for the n=4 and 5 complexes in Fe XV. We include in the calculations all the configurations in the n=3, 4, and 5 complexes, corresponding to 283 fine-structure levels. We also provide accurate A values for the n=3 complex. Collision strengths are calculated at five incident energies for all transitions: 12.1, 28.2, 50.4, 80.9 and 123.0 Ry above the threshold of each transition. An additional energy has been added, whose value is between 0.00075 and 0.40 Ry, depending on the transition. Calculations have been carried out using the Flexible Atomic Code and the distorted-wave approximation. Excitation rate coefficients are calculated as a function of electron temperature by assuming a Maxwellian electron velocity distribution. We combined the excitation rate coefficients and the radiative transition rates calculated in the present work with R-Matrix results available in the literature for the n=3 complex, to solve the statistical equilibrium equations for level populations at electron densities in the 10{sup 8}-10{sup 14} cm{sup -3} range and at an electron temperature of logT{sub e}(K)=6.3, corresponding to the maximum abundance of Fe XV. Spectral line intensities are calculated and compared with available observations. - Highlights: {yields} We calculate atomic data and transition rates to predict Fe XV line intensities. {yields} We provide data for the first time for many Fe XV lines observed in X-rays. {yields} These lines allow us to measure the physical parameters of solar and stellar coronae. {yields} Intensity ratios of lines emitted from n=3 and n=4 configurations do not agree with observations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CURRENT SHEETS FORMATION IN TANGLED CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELDS

We investigate the dynamical evolution of magnetic fields in closed regions of solar and stellar coronae. To understand under which conditions current sheets form, we examine dissipative and ideal reduced magnetohydrodynamic models in Cartesian geometry, where two magnetic field components are present: the strong guide field B{sub 0}, extended along the axial direction, and the dynamical orthogonal field b. Magnetic field lines thread the system along the axial direction that spans the length L and are line-tied at the top and bottom plates. The magnetic field b initially has only large scales, with its gradient (current) length scale of the order of l{sub b}. We identify the magnetic intensity threshold b/B{sub 0} {approx} l{sub b}/L. For values of b below this threshold, field-line tension inhibits the formation of current sheets, while above the threshold they form quickly on fast ideal timescales. In the ideal case, above the magnetic threshold, we show that current sheets thickness decreases in time until it becomes smaller than the grid resolution, with the analyticity strip width {delta} decreasing at least exponentially, after which the simulations become underresolved.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

THE IMPACT OF HOT JUPITERS ON THE SPIN-DOWN OF THEIR HOST STARS

We present a numerical magnetohydrodynamic study of the dependence of stellar mass and angular momentum loss rates on the orbital distance to close-in giant planets. We find that the mass loss rate drops by a factor of {approx}1.5-2, while the angular momentum loss rate drops by a factor of {approx}4 as the distance decreases past the Alfven surface. This reduction in angular momentum loss is due to the interaction between the stellar and planetary Alfven surfaces, which modifies the global structure of the stellar corona and stellar wind on the hemisphere facing the planet, as well as on the opposite hemisphere. The simulation also shows that the magnitude of change in angular momentum loss rate depends mostly on the strength of the planetary magnetic field and not on its polarity. The interaction, however, begins at greater separation if the overall field topology of the star and the planet are anti-aligned. Our results are consistent with evidence for excess angular momentum in stars harboring close-in giant planets and show that the reduction in wind-driven angular momentum loss can compete with, and perhaps dominate, spin-up due to tidal interaction.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE ROLE OF WHITE DWARFS IN CATACLYSMIC VARIABLE SPIN-DOWN

We study the effect of a white dwarf on the spin-down of a cataclysmic variable (CV) system using a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic numerical model. The model includes the stellar corona, the stellar wind, and the WD mass and magnetic field. The existence of the WD modifies the system spin-down by physically blocking the stellar wind, restructuring the wind, channeling the wind toward the WD surface, and modifying the shape and size of the Alfven surface. The combination of these processes differs among a set of simple test cases, and the resulting angular momentum loss rates vary by factors of 2-3, and by factors of 2 relative to a test model with a single M dwarf. While the model employs some simplifications, the results suggest that angular momentum loss schemes currently employed in CV studies do not require drastic revision. Insights are also gained on wind accretion. We find that efficient accretion switches on quite rapidly with decreasing orbital separation. Accretion rates depend on magnetic field alignment and should be modulated by magnetic cycles on the M dwarf. For particular values of white dwarf magnetic field strength, an efficient syphoning of coronal plasma from the inward facing M dwarf hemisphere occurs. Wind accretion rates are expected to vary by factors of 10 or more between fairly similar close binaries, depending on magnetic field strengths and orbital separation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Equilibria, dynamics, and current sheet formation in magnetically confined coronae

The dynamics of magnetic fields in closed regions of solar and stellar coronae are investigated with a reduced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model in the framework of the Parker scenario for coronal heating. A novel analysis of reduced MHD equilibria shows that their magnetic fields have an asymmetric structure in the axial direction with variation length scale z{sub ℓ} ∼ ℓB{sub 0}/b, where B{sub 0} is the intensity of the strong axial guide field, b that of the orthogonal magnetic field component, and ℓ the scale of b. Equilibria are then quasi-invariant along the axial direction for variation scales larger than approximatively the loop length z{sub ℓ} ≳ L{sub z}, and increasingly more asymmetric for smaller variation scales z{sub ℓ} ≲ L{sub z}. The critical length z{sub ℓ} ∼ L{sub z} corresponds to the magnetic field intensity threshold b ∼ ℓB{sub 0}/L{sub z}. Magnetic fields stressed by photospheric motions cannot develop strong axial asymmetries. Therefore, fields with intensities below such a threshold evolve quasi-statically, readjusting to a nearby equilibrium, without developing nonlinear dynamics or dissipating energy. But stronger fields cannot access their corresponding asymmetric equilibria; hence, they are out of equilibrium and develop nonlinear dynamics. The subsequent formation of current sheets and energy dissipation is necessary for the magnetic field to relax to equilibrium, since dynamically accessible equilibria have variation scales larger than the loop length z{sub ℓ} ≳ L{sub z}, with intensities smaller than the threshold b ≲ ℓB{sub 0}/L{sub z}. The dynamical implications for magnetic fields of interest to solar and stellar coronae are investigated numerically and the impact on coronal physics discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

TW Hya: SPECTRAL VARIABILITY, X-RAYS, AND ACCRETION DIAGNOSTICS

The nearest accreting T Tauri star, TW Hya was intensively and continuously observed over {approx}17 days with spectroscopic and photometric measurements from four continents simultaneous with a long segmented exposure using the Chandra satellite. Contemporaneous optical photometry from WASP-S indicates a 4.74 day period was present during this time. The absence of a similar periodicity in the H{alpha} flux and the total X-ray flux which are dominated by accretion processes and the stellar corona, respectively, points to a different source of photometric variations. The H{alpha} emission line appears intrinsically broad and symmetric, and both the profile and its variability suggest an origin in the post-shock cooling region. An accretion event, signaled by soft X-rays, is traced spectroscopically for the first time through the optical emission line profiles. After the accretion event, downflowing turbulent material observed in the H{alpha} and H{beta} lines is followed by He I ({lambda}5876) broadening near the photosphere. Optical veiling resulting from the heated photosphere increases with a delay of {approx}2 hr after the X-ray accretion event. The response of the stellar coronal emission to an increase in the veiling follows {approx}2.4 hr later, giving direct evidence that the stellar corona is heated in part by accretion. Subsequently, the stellar wind becomes re-established. We suggest a model that incorporates the dynamics of this sequential series of events: an accretion shock, a cooling downflow in a supersonically turbulent region, followed by photospheric and later, coronal heating. This model naturally explains the presence of broad optical and ultraviolet lines, and affects the mass accretion rates determined from emission line profiles.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A PILOT DEEP SURVEY FOR X-RAY EMISSION FROM fuvAGB STARS

We report the results of a pilot survey for X-ray emission from a newly discovered class of AGB stars with far-ultraviolet excesses (fuvAGB stars) using XMM-Newton and Chandra. We detected X-ray emission in three of six fuvAGB stars observed—the X-ray fluxes are found to vary in a stochastic or quasi-periodic manner on roughly hour-long timescales, and simultaneous UV observations using the Optical Monitor on XMM for these sources show similar variations in the UV flux. These data, together with previous studies, show that X-ray emission is found only in fuvAGB stars. From modeling the spectra, we find that the observed X-ray luminosities are ∼(0.002–0.2) L{sub ⊙} and the X-ray-emitting plasma temperatures are ∼(35–160) × 10{sup 6} K. The high X-ray temperatures argue against the emission arising in stellar coronae, or directly in an accretion shock, unless it occurs on a WD companion. However, none of the detected objects is a known WD-symbiotic star, suggesting that if WD companions are present, they are relatively cool (<20,000 K). In addition, the high X-ray luminosities specifically argue against emission originating in the coronae of main-sequence companions. We discuss several models for the X-ray emission and its variability and find that the most likely scenario for the origin of the X-ray (and FUV) emission involves accretion activity around a companion star, with confinement by strong magnetic fields associated with the companion and/or an accretion disk around it.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

IMPLICATIONS OF MASS AND ENERGY LOSS DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS ON MAGNETICALLY ACTIVE STARS

Analysis of a database of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and associated flares over the period 1996-2007 finds well-behaved power-law relationships between the 1-8 A flare X-ray fluence and CME mass and kinetic energy. We extrapolate these relationships to lower and higher flare energies to estimate the mass and energy loss due to CMEs from stellar coronae, assuming that the observed X-ray emission of the latter is dominated by flares with a frequency as a function of energy dn/dE = kE {sup -{alpha}}. For solar-like stars at saturated levels of X-ray activity, the implied losses depend fairly weakly on the assumed value of {alpha} and are very large: M-dot {approx}5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -10} M{sub sun} yr{sup -1} and E-dot {approx}0.1 L{sub sun}. In order to avoid such large energy requirements, either the relationships between CME mass and speed and flare energy must flatten for X-ray fluence {approx}> 10{sup 31} erg, or the flare-CME association must drop significantly below 1 for more energetic events. If active coronae are dominated by flares, then the total coronal energy budget is likely to be up to an order of magnitude larger than the canonical 10{sup -3} L {sub bol} X-ray saturation threshold. This raises the question of what is the maximum energy a magnetic dynamo can extract from a star? For an energy budget of 1% of L {sub bol}, the CME mass loss rate is about 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -11} M {sub Sun} yr{sup -1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Scaling the energy conversion rate from magnetic field reconnection to different bodies

Magnetic field reconnection is often invoked to explain electromagnetic energy conversion in planetary magnetospheres, stellar coronae, and other astrophysical objects. Because of the huge dynamic range of magnetic fields in these bodies, it is important to understand energy conversion as a function of magnetic field strength and related parameters. It is conjectured theoretically and shown experimentally that the energy conversion rate per unit area in reconnection scales as the cube of an appropriately weighted magnetic field strength divided by the square root of an appropriately weighted density. With this functional dependence, the energy release in flares on the Sun, the large and rapid variation of the magnetic flux in the tail of Mercury, and the apparent absence of reconnection on Jupiter and Saturn, may be understood. Electric fields at the perihelion of the Solar Probe Plus mission may be tens of V/m.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

GIANT CORONAL LOOPS DOMINATE THE QUIESCENT X-RAY EMISSION IN RAPIDLY ROTATING M STARS

Observations indicate that magnetic fields in rapidly rotating stars are very strong, on both small and large scales. What is the nature of the resulting corona? Here we seek to shed some light on this question. We use the results of an anelastic dynamo simulation of a rapidly rotating fully convective M star to drive a physics-based model for the stellar corona. We find that due to the several kilo Gauss large-scale magnetic fields at high latitudes, the corona, and its X-ray emission are dominated by star-size large hot loops, while the smaller, underlying colder loops are not visible much in the X-ray. Based on this result, we propose that, in rapidly rotating stars, emission from such coronal structures dominates the quiescent, cooler but saturated X-ray emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗