银河系厚盘恒星的年龄-金属度关系

对太阳邻域内银河系盘星、特别是厚盘恒星年龄-金属度关系的研究进展作了较为详细的回顾和评述；说明目前对盘星是否确实存在年龄-金属度关系还存在争议，而厚盘恒星可能存在这种关系。同时指出，要得出明晰的结论，在观测资料的基础上取得合理的恒星样本至关重要。     

银盘恒星的年龄-金属丰度关系研究

该文回顾了恒星的AMR(年龄-金属丰度关系)研究的历史,评述了研究的现状;介绍和比较了确定恒星年龄和金属丰度的有关方法;分析和讨论了最近有关AMR研究的4个大样本工作,分别利用每两样本之间的共同样本星,详细比较了它们分别给出的恒星年龄、金属丰度和AMR;结果表明样本的选择效应以及确定恒星年龄和金属丰度的方法或采用参数的不同都会影响AMR.通过比较选取了恒星年龄比较一致且金属丰度精度相对较高的2个样本,分别包括4 007和1 042颗恒星,用纯运动学标准确定了各自的星族成分,分别讨论了薄盘和厚盘恒星的AMR,结果显示厚盘恒星的存在明显的AMR,而薄盘恒星的A:MR不如厚盘那么明显,也提出了进一步研究AMR需要开展的几项工作.     

银河系的厚盘成分和现代恒星计数分析

在本文中介绍有关银河系成分的认识及星族概念的新进展，对近年新发现的一个恒星成分、厚盘”的主要特性以及利用现代恒星计数分析测定厚盘大尺度结构参数的方法作了较详细的论述。     

银河系厚盘恒星元素丰度研究

自20世纪80年代开始的观测表明,银河系存在厚盘结构,但其形成机制至今还是一个没有解决的问题。近年来很多工作发现,厚盘恒星的α元素丰度随金属丰度的变化趋势与薄盘不同, 这种不同还表现在Al、Mn、Zn、中子俘获元素等其他元素上。结合年龄、运动学参数研究, 恒星元素丰度可以对银河系厚盘形成机制提供观测依据。     

Non－LTE Analysis of the Sodium Abundance of Metal－Poor Stars in the Galactic Disk and Halo

We performed an extensive non-LTE analysis of the neutral sodiumlines of Na I 5683/5688, 5890/5896, 6154/6161, and 8183/8195 in disk/halo starsof types F-K covering a wide metallicity range (-4 [Fe/H] +0.4), using ourown data as well as data collected from the literature. For comparatively metal-rich disk stars (-1 [Fe/H] +0.4) where the weaker 6154/6161 lines are thebest abundance indicators, we confirmed [Na/Fe] ～ 0 with an "upturn" (i.e., ashallow/broad dip around -0.5 [Fe/H] 0) as already reported in previousstudies. For the metal-deficient halo stars, where the much stronger 5890/5896 or8183/8195 lines subject to considerable (negative) non-LTE corrections amountingto 0.5 dex have to be used, our analysis suggests mildly "subsolar" [Na/Fe] valuesdown to ～ -0.4 (with a somewhat large scatter of ～±0.2 dex) on the average at thetypical halo metallicity of [Fe/H] ～ -2, followed by a rise again to a near-solar ratioof [Na/Fe] ～ 0 at the very metal-poor regime [Fe/H] ～ -3 to -4. These resultsare discussed in comparison with the previous observational studies along with thetheoretical predictions from the available chemical evolution models.     

银河系厚盘及其形成机制

银河系厚盘的发现，对于研究银河系以至星系的结构和演化具有重要意义。在简单回顾银河系结构研究史和厚盘发现过程的基础上，综合介绍了人们对银河系厚盘各方面性质认识的现状，并对迄今为止所提出的几种厚盘形成机制作了比较详细的说明和讨论。就目前来看，与伴星系的并合可能是形成厚盘最为可能的机制。     

Non-LTE Analysis of the Sodium Abundance of Metal- Poor Stars in the Galactic Disk and Halo

We performed an extensive non-LTE analysis of the neutral sodium lines of Na I 5683/5688, 5890/5896, 6154/6161, and 8183/8195 in disk/halo stars of types F-K covering a wide metallicity range (-4 (?) [Fe/H] (?) +0.4), using our own data as well as data collected from the literature. For comparatively metal-rich disk stars (-1(?) [Fe/H] (?) +0.4) where the weaker 6154/6161 lines are the best abundance indicators, we confirmed [Na/Fe]- 0 with an "upturn" (i.e., a shallow/broad dip around -0.5 (?) [Fe/H](?) 0) as already reported in previous studies. For the metal-deficient halo stars, where the much stronger 5890/5896 or 8183/8195 lines subject to considerable (negative) non-LTE corrections amounting to 0.5 dex have to be used, our analysis suggests mildly "subsolar" [Na/Fe] values down to--0.4 (with a somewhat large scatter of-±0.2 dex) on the average at the typical halo metallicity of [Fe/H] --2, followed by a rise again to a near-solar ratio of [Na/Fe] - 0 at the very metal-poor regime [Fe/H]--3 to -4     

Evolution of the Galactic Halo and Disk

Correlations between stellar kinematics and chemical abundances are fossil evidence for evolutionary connections between Galactic structural components. Extensive stellar surveys show that the only tolerably clear distinction between galactic components appears in the distributions of specific angular momentum. Here the stellar metal-poor halo and the metal-rich bulge are indistinguishable from each other, as are the thick disk and the old disk. Each pair is very distinct from the other. This leads to an evolutionary model in which the metal-poor stellar halo evolves into the inner bulge, while the thick disk is a precursor to the thin disk. These evolutionary sequences are distinct. The galaxy is made of two discrete 'populations', one of low and one of high angular momentum. Some (minor?) complexity is added to this picture by the debris of late and continuing mergers, which will be especially important in the outer stellar halo.     

极贫金属晕星中Eu元素的起源

快中子过程(r-过程)发生在富中子的环境中.但是它所在的具体天体物理环境并不是很清楚.随着观测的进展,近年发现了很多的极贫金属的晕星.它们有两个特征:一是快中子元素超丰,并且相对丰度与太阳上的一致.另一个特征是当金属丰度一样时,星体中快中子元素的含量有大的弥散性.这为研究r-过程起源提供了一种独特的途径.模拟计算的方法,用于研究星系演化的过程,以及相伴发生的恒星的快中子核素含量的弥散性,可用来了解快中子元素的起源这样得出的星系演化模型,不仅包含了气体区域自发的恒星形成,而且考虑了超新星爆发激发的恒星形成.结果显示,低质量端的超新星应是快中子核素的产生地.同时,超新星引起的星系演化的不均匀性不足以解释观测到的晕星快中子元素含量的弥散,因此这个问题还有待于更进一步研究.     

Radioactive Ages of Metal-Poor Halo Stars

The abundances of long-lived radioactive elements Th and U observed in metal-poor halo stars can be used as chronometers to determine the age of individual stars, and hence set a lower limit on the age of the Galaxy and hence of the universe. This radioactive dating requires the zero-decay productions of Th and U, which involves complicated r-process nucleosynthesis calculations. Several parametric r-process models have been used to calculate the initial abundance ratios of Th/Eu and U/Th, but, due to the sharp sensitivity of these models to nuclear physics inputs, the calculations have relatively large uncertainties which lead to large uncertainties in the age determinations. In order to reduce these uncertainties, we present a simple method to estimate the initial productions of Th and U, which only depends on the solar system abundances and the stellar abundances of stable r-process elements. From our calculations of the initial abundance ratios of Th/Eu and U/Th, we re-estimate the ages of those ver     

Abundance Ratios in Metal-Rich Halo and Thick-Disk Stars

Recent determinations of precise abundance ratios for nearby halo and thick disk stars in the metallicity range −1.3 < [Fe/H] < −0.5 have revealed a significant cosmic spread in the abundances of oxygen, magnesium, sodium, nickel, s-process and r-process elements relative to iron. Possible explanations of these variations are reviewed. In particular, it is discussed if the differences in abundance ratios are correlated with the kinematics of the stars, and hence can be used to identify stellar populations in the Galaxy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Distributions of Neutron Exposures in AGB Stars and the Galaxy

Based on the s-process nucleosynthesis model with the 13C(α,n)16O reaction oc- curring under radiative conditions in the interpulse phases, we investigate the characteristics of the distribution of neutron exposure in low-mass Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. We introduce a new concept, the distribution of neutron exposures of the Galaxy (NEG), to study the chemical evolution characteristics of the Galaxy for s-process elements. Using a chemical evolution model of the Galaxy, we develop a model for the NEG and obtain the evolution results of the NEG in different epochs. The present results appear to reasonably re- produce the distribution of neutron exposures of the solar system (hereafter NES). The main component and the strong component in the NES are built up in different epochs. The strong component of the s-process is mainly synthesised in the low-mass and metal-poor AGB stars, and the main component is produced by the s-process in the low-mass AGB stars with higher metallicities.     

The gaseous Halo of the Virgo Cluster Galaxy 45

Observations of the Virgo Cluster galaxy NGC 4569 in soft X-rays and in Hα reveal both an asymmetrically distributed hot gaseous halo and a giant filament of diffuse emission, respectively, extending from the same side of the disk, the latter one to at least 8.8 kpc. A deep longslit spectrum along the filament shows velocities systematically different from the systemic velocity of NGC 4569. With the inclination of the disk one can determine the Hα spur as a giant outflow in NGC 4569. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Most Luminous Stars in Our Galaxy

We present quantitative analyses of 7 galactic O stars of spectral types from O3 to O6. By means of classical hydrostatic and planeparallel models we find the so-called He and Mass Discrepancies for a number of stars of our sample. We also prove the need of line-blocking for the correct reproduction of these spectra. For stars with effective temperature around 50 000 K and above, there is no possibility of reproducing their spectra with these kind of models. Further analyses with unified models, including sphericity and mass loss, allow us to reproduce even the earliest spectra. They also show that the Mass Discrepancy is not only due to the neglect of sphericity and mass loss in the planeparallel analysis, and give us the mass loss rate of these stars. We find that HD15 570, with a present mass of 100 M_⊙, can be the most massive star known in the solar neighbourhood. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Response of a Disk Galaxy to a Satellite Galaxy in Elliptical Orbit

We use a 2-dimensional self consistent N-body simulation code in order to investigate the evolution of spiral structure in a disk galaxy caused by one small companion galaxy orbiting in elliptical orbit around the main disk galaxy. In all cases one can see spiral arms forming in the disk of the main galaxy. Our numerical results suggest that there is a connection between the shape of the spiral arms and the eccentricity of the companion's orbit. We also examine the maximum density distribution on the spiral arms and the influence of the companion on the velocity RMS of the stars that form the disk of the main galaxy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Galaxy Disk Formation in Hierarchical Hydrodynamical Simulations

We report some results on galaxy disk formation in hierarchical hydrodynamical simulations with characteristics compatible with observed spirals. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.