A warped m= 2 water maser disc in V778 Cyg?

The silicate carbon star V778 Cyg is a source of 22-GHz water maser emission which was recently resolved by MERLIN. Observations revealed an elongated     -like structure along which the velocities of the maser features show a linear dependence on the impact parameter. This is consistent with a doubly warped   m = 2  disc observed edge-on. Water masers and silicate dust emission (detected by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite and Infrared Space Observatory ) have a common origin in O-rich material and are likely to be co-located in the disc. We propose a detailed self-consistent model of a masing gas–dust disc around a companion to the carbon star in a binary system, which allows us to estimate the companion mass of  1.7 ± 0.1 M_⊙  , the disc radius of  40 ± 3  au and the distance between companions of ∼80 au. Using a dust–gas coupling model for water masing, we calculate the maser power self-consistently, accounting for both the gas and the dust energy balances. Comparing the simulation results with the observational data, we deduce the main physical parameters of the masing disc, such as the gas and dust temperatures and their densities. We also present an analysis of the stability of the disc.     

Variability in the power spectrum of solar five-minute oscillations

Two-dimensional power spectra of solar five-minute oscillations display prominent ridge structures in (k, ω) space, where k is the horizontal wavenumber and ω is the temporal frequency. The positions of these ridges in k and ω can be used to probe temperature and velocity structures in the subphotosphere. We have been carrying out a continuing program of observations of five-minute oscillations with the diode array instrument on the vacuum tower telescope at Sacramento Peak Observatory (SPO). We have sought to establish whether power spectra taken on separate days show shifts in ridge locations; these may arise from different velocity and temperature patterns having been brought into our sampling region by solar rotation. Power spectra have been obtained for six days of observations of Doppler velocities using the Mgi λ5173 and Fei λ5434 spectral lines. Each data set covers 8 to 11 hr in time and samples a region 256″ × 1024″ in spatial extent, with a spatial resolution of 2″ and temporal sampling of 65 s. We have detected shifts in ridge locations between certain data sets which are statistically significant. The character of these displacements when analyzed in terms of eastward and westward propagating waves implies that changes have occurred in both temperature and horizontal velocity fields underlying our observing window. We estimate the magnitude of the velocity changes to be on the order of 100 m s^-1; we may be detecting the effects of large-scale convection akin to giant cells.     

Near-Surface Flow Fields Deduced Using Correlation Tracking and Time-Distance Analyses

Near-photospheric flow fields on the Sun are deduced using two independent methods applied to the same time series of velocity images observed by SOI-MDI on SOHO. Differences in travel times between f modes entering and leaving each pixel measured using time-distance helioseismology are used to determine sites of supergranular outflows. Alternatively, correlation tracking analysis of mesogranular scales of motion applied to the same time series is used to deduce the near-surface flow field. These two approaches provide the means to assess the patterns and evolution of horizontal flows on supergranular scales even near disk center, which is not feasible with direct line-of-sight Doppler measurements. We find that the locations of the supergranular outflows seen in flow fields generated from correlation tracking coincide well with the locations of the outflows determined from the time-distance analysis, with a mean correlation coefficient after smoothing of _s=0.890. Near-surface velocity field measurements can be used to study the evolution of the supergranular network, as merging and splitting events are observed to occur in these images. The data consist of one 2048-min time series of high-resolution (0.6 pixels) line-of-sight velocity images taken by MDI on 1997 January 16–18 at a cadence of one minute.     

Physics of accretion in the millisecond pulsar XTE J1751 − 305

We have undertaken an extensive study of X-ray data from the accreting millisecond pulsar XTE J1751 − 305 observed by RXTE and XMM–Newton during its 2002 outburst. In all aspects this source is similar to the prototypical millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4 − 3658, except for the higher peak luminosity of 13 per cent of Eddington, and the optical depth of the hard X-ray source, which is larger by a factor ∼2. Its broad-band X-ray spectrum can be modelled by three components. We interpret the two soft components as thermal emission from a colder  ( kT ∼ 0.6 keV)  accretion disc and a hotter (∼1 keV) spot on the neutron star surface. We interpret the hard component as thermal Comptonization in plasma of temperature ∼40 keV and optical depth ∼1.5 in a slab geometry. The plasma is heated by the accretion shock as the material collimated by the magnetic field impacts on to the surface. The seed photons for Comptonization are provided by the hotspot, not by the disc. The Compton reflection is weak and the disc is probably truncated into an optically thin flow above the magnetospheric radius. Rotation of the emission region with the star creates an almost sinusoidal pulse profile with an rms amplitude of 3.3 per cent. The energy-dependent soft phase lags can be modelled by two pulsating components shifted in phase, which is naturally explained by a different character of emission of the optically thick spot and optically thin shock combined with the action of the Doppler boosting. The observed variability amplitude constrains the hotspot to lie within 3°–4° of the rotational pole. We estimate the inner radius of the optically thick accreting disc to be about 40 km. In that case, the absence of emission from the antipodal spot, which can be blocked by the accretion disc, gives the inclination of the system as ≳70°.     

Spectral variability of ultraluminous X-ray sources

We study spectral variability of 11 ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX) using archived XMM–Newton and Chandra observations. We use three models to describe the observed spectra: a power law, a multicolour disc (MCD) and a combination of these two models. We find that seven ULXs show a correlation between the luminosity L _X and the photon index Γ. Furthermore, four out of these seven ULXs also show spectral pivoting in the observed energy band. We also find that two ULXs show an   L _X–Γ  anticorrelation. The spectra of four ULXs in the sample can be adequately fitted with a MCD model. We compare these sources to known black hole binaries (BHB) and find that they follow similar paths in their luminosity–temperature diagrams. Finally, we show that the 'soft excess' reported for many of these ULXs at ∼0.2 keV seems to roughly follow a trend   L _soft∝ T ^−3.5  when modelled with a power law plus a 'cool' MCD model. This is contrary to the   L ∝ T ⁴  relation that is expected from theory and what is seen for many accreting BHBs. The observed trend could instead arise from disc emission beamed by an outflowing wind around a  ∼10 M_⊙  black hole.     

A multiphysics and multiscale software environment for modeling astrophysical systems

We present MUSE, a software framework for combining existing computational tools for different astrophysical domains into a single multiphysics, multiscale application. MUSE facilitates the coupling of existing codes written in different languages by providing inter-language tools and by specifying an interface between each module and the framework that represents a balance between generality and computational efficiency. This approach allows scientists to use combinations of codes to solve highly coupled problems without the need to write new codes for other domains or significantly alter their existing codes. MUSE currently incorporates the domains of stellar dynamics, stellar evolution and stellar hydrodynamics for studying generalized stellar systems. We have now reached a “Noah’s Ark” milestone, with (at least) two available numerical solvers for each domain. MUSE can treat multiscale and multiphysics systems in which the time- and size-scales are well separated, like simulating the evolution of planetary systems, small stellar associations, dense stellar clusters, galaxies and galactic nuclei. In this paper we describe three examples calculated using MUSE: the merger of two galaxies, the merger of two evolving stars, and a hybrid N-body simulation. In addition, we demonstrate an implementation of MUSE on a distributed computer which may also include special-purpose hardware, such as GRAPEs or GPUs, to accelerate computations. The current MUSE code base is publicly available as open source at http://muse.li.     

New Approach to Study Extended Evolution of Supergranular Flows and Their Advection of Magnetic Elements

Using velocity and magnetogram data extracted from the full-disk field of view of MDI during the 1999 Dynamics Program, we have studied the dynamics of small-scale magnetic elements (3–7 Mm in size) over time periods as long as six days while they are readily visible on the solar disk. By exploiting concurrent time series of magnetograms and Doppler images, we have compared the motion of magnetic flux elements with the supergranular velocity field inferred from the correlation tracking of mesogranular motions. Using this new method (which combines the results from correlation tracking of mesogranules with detailed analysis of simultaneous magnetograms), it is now possible to correlate the motions of the velocity field and magnetic flux for long periods of time and at high temporal resolution. This technique can be utilized to examine the long-term evolution of supergranulation and associated magnetic fields, for it can be applied to data that span far longer time durations than has been possible previously. As tests of its efficacy, we are able to use this method to verify many results of earlier investigations. We confirm that magnetic elements travel at approximately 350 m s ^–1 throughout the duration of their lifetime as they are transported by supergranular outflows. We also find that the positions of the magnetic flux elements coincide with the supergranular network boundaries and adjust as the supergranular network itself evolves over the six days of this data set. Thus we conclude that this new method permits us to study the extended evolution of the supergranular flow field and its advection of magnetic elements. Since small-scale magnetic elements are strongly advected by turbulent convection, their dynamics can give important insight into the properties of the subsurface convection.     

Convective instability when the temperature gradient and rotation vector are oblique to gravity. II. Real fluids with effects of diffusion

Abstract

The linear stability analysis of Hathaway, Gilman and Toomre (1979) (hereafter referred to as Paper I) is repeated for Boussinesq fluids with viscous and thermal diffusion. As in Paper I the fluid is confined between plane parallel boundaries and the rotation vector is oblique to gravity. This tilted rotation vector introduces a preference for roll-like disturbances whose axes are oriented north-south; the preference is particularly strong in the equatorial region. The presence of a latitudinal temperature gradient produces a thermal wind shear which favors axisymmetric convective rolls if the gradient exceeds some critical value. For vanishingly small diffusivities the value of this transition temperature gradient approaches the inviscid value found in Paper I. For larger diffusivities larger gradients are required particularly in the high latitudes. These results are largely independent of the Prandtl number. Diffusion tends to stabilize the large wavenumber rolls with the result that a unique wavenumber can be found at which the growth rate is maximized. These preferred rolls have widths comparable to the depth of the layer and tend to be broader near the equator. The axisymmetric rolls are similar in many respects to the cloud bands on Jupiter provided they extend to a depth of about 15,000 km.     

Nonlinear modal analysis of penetrative convection

Abstract

The modal expansion procedure has been used to analyze penetrative convection that arises when a thin unstable layer is embedded between two stable regions. The Boussinesq approximation is applied in which the effect of compressibility and stratification are neglected. Various calculations have been made, with one and two modes, for Rayleigh numbers ranging from the critical value to more than 10⁵ times critical. The effect of decreasing the Prandtl number has also been investigated.

It is found that in the nonlinear regime, the convective motions penetrate substantially into the stable regions. The flux of kinetic energy plays a crucial role in such penetration, and its existence puts some requirements on the motions: in the single-mode case, they need to be three-dimensional. The extent of penetration amounts to about half of the thickness of the unstable layer on each side of it when the degree of instability and that of stability are comparable in the two domains; it increases as the stability of the outer region is lowered. The penetration depth appears to be independent of all other parameters defining the problem.