Changes in the red giant and dusty environment of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi following the 2006 eruption

We present near-infrared spectroscopy of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph) obtained on several occasions after its latest outburst in 2006 February. The  1–5 μ  m spectra are dominated by the red giant, but the H  i , He  i and coronal lines present during the eruption are present in all our observations. From the fits of the computed infrared spectral energy distributions to the observed fluxes, we find   T _eff= 4200 ± 200   K for the red giant. The first overtone CO bands at  2.3 μ  m, formed in the atmosphere of the red giant, are variable. The spectra clearly exhibit an infrared excess due to dust emission longward of  5 μ  m; we estimate an effective temperature for the emitting dust shell of 500 K, and find that the dust emission is also variable, being beyond the limit of detection in 2007. Most likely, the secondary star in RS Oph is intrinsically variable.     

Carbon abundances and 12C/13C from globular cluster giants

The behaviour of the  Δν= 2 CO  bands around 2.3 μm was examined by comparing observed and synthetic spectra in stars in globular clusters of different metallicity. Changes in the ¹²C/¹³C isotopic ratio and the carbon abundances were investigated in stars from 3500–4900 K in the galactic globular clusters M71, M5, M3 and M13, covering the metallicity range from −0.7 to −1.6. We found relatively low carbon abundances that are not affected by the value of oxygen abundance. For most giants, the ¹²C/¹³C ratios determined are consistent with the equilibrium value for the CN cycle. This suggests complete mixing on the ascent of the red giant branch, in contrast to the substantially higher values predicted across this range of parameters by the current generation of models. We found some evidence for a larger dispersion of ¹²C/¹³C in giants of M71 of metallicity  [μ]=[M/H]=−0.7  in comparison with the giants of M3, M5 and M13, which are more metal deficient. Finally, we show evidence for lower ¹²C/¹³C in giants of globular clusters with lower metallicities, as predicted by theory.     

Sakurai's Object: characterizing the near-infrared CO ejecta between 2003 and 2007

We present observations of Sakurai's Object obtained at 1–5 μm between 2003 and 2007. By fitting a radiative transfer model to an echelle spectrum of CO fundamental absorption features around  4.7 μm  , we determine the excitation conditions in the line-forming region. We find  ¹²C/¹³C = 3.5^+2.0_−1.5  , consistent with CO originating in ejecta processed by the very late thermal pulse, rather than in the pre-existing planetary nebula. We demonstrate the existence of  2.2 × 10⁻⁶≤ M _CO≤ 2.7 × 10⁻⁶ M_⊙  of CO ejecta outside the dust, forming a high-velocity wind of  500 ± 80 km s⁻¹  . We find evidence for significant weakening of the CO band and cooling of the dust around the central star between 2003 and 2005. The gas and dust temperatures are implausibly high for stellar radiation to be the sole contributor.     

High-resolution infrared spectra of NGC 6342 and 6528: two moderately reddened bulge globular clusters

Using the Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSPEC) spectrograph at Keck II, we have obtained infrared (IR) echelle spectra covering the range  1.5 –1.8 μm  for the moderately reddened bulge globular clusters NGC 6342 and 6528, finding  [Fe/H]=−0.60  and −0.17 dex, respectively. We measure an average α-enhancement of ≈+0.33 dex in both clusters, consistent with previous measurements on other metal-rich bulge clusters, and favouring the scenario of a rapid bulge formation and chemical enrichment. We also measure very low ¹²C/¹³C isotopic ratios (≈5 in NGC 6342 and ≈8 in NGC 6528), suggesting that extra-mixing mechanisms resulting from cool bottom processing are at work during evolution along the red giant branch (RGB).     

Infrared spectroscopy of Sakurai's object

We present near (ground-based) and far ( ISO ) infrared spectroscopy of Sakurai's object. As in the case of the optical spectrum, between 1996 and 1997 April the near-infrared spectrum underwent a dramatic change to later spectral type, and there is some evidence that the spectrum continued to evolve during 1997. Molecular features of carbon-bearing molecules (CN, C₂, CO) — corresponding to those seen in cool carbon stars — are now prominent in the 1–2.5 μ m range, and the ¹²C/¹³C ratio is low. The ISO data demonstrate the presence of hot circumstellar dust at a temperature of ∼ 680 K. If the dust shell is optically thin, the dust mass is ∼ 2.8 × 10⁻⁸ M⊙.     

RR Pic (1925): a Chandra X-ray view

We present the Chandra ACIS-S3 data of the old classical nova RR Pic (1925). The source has a count rate of 0.067 ± 0.002 count s⁻¹ in the 0.3–5.0 keV energy range. We detect the orbital period of the underlying binary system in the X-ray wavelengths. We also find that the neutral hydrogen column density differs for orbital minimum and orbital maximum spectra with values  0.25^+0.23_−0.18× 10²²  and  0.64^+0.13_−0.14× 10²² cm⁻²  at 3σ confidence level. The X-ray spectrum of RR Pic can be represented by a composite model of bremsstrahlung with a photoelectric absorption, two absorption lines centered around 1.1–1.4 keV and five Gaussian lines centered at emission lines around 0.3–1.1 keV corresponding to various transitions of S, N, O, C, Ne and Fe. The bremsstrahlung temperature derived from the fits ranges from 0.99 to 1.60 keV and the unabsorbed X-ray flux is found to be  2.5^+0.4_−1.2× 10⁻¹³ erg  cm⁻² s⁻¹  in the 0.3–5.0 keV range with a luminosity of 1.1 ± 0.2  10³¹ erg s⁻¹  at 600 pc. We also detect excess emission in the spectrum possibly originating from the reverse shock in the ejecta. A fit with a cooling flow plasma emission model shows enhanced abundances of He, C, N, O and Ne in the X-ray emitting region indicating existence of diffusive mixing.     

Spectral evolution of V838 Monocerotis in the optical and near-infrared in early 2002

We report optical and near-infrared spectroscopy, and optical spectropolarimetry, of the peculiar variable V838 Mon during the multiple outburst phase in early 2002. The spectral evolution is exceptional. Our earliest spectra (2002 January) are noteworthy for their strong absorption lines of barium and strontium in the optical, and bands of CO and circumstellar H₂O in the near-infrared. All but the CO weaken or are absent in later spectra. The behaviour of the CO band during this phase is extraordinary: initially in absorption, it was observed two months later in optically thick emission. The excitation of the CO is probably the result of the propagation of a shock wave at the third maximum. The two spectropolarimetric epochs were taken 6 and 27 d after the second outburst on 2002 February 8. The polarization at both times was measured to be   p_V ≈ 2.7  per cent. Nearly all of the measured polarization is believed to be due to interstellar dust, a conclusion that is consistent with previous studies. At both epochs, however, a weak and variable intrinsic component is thought to be present. Between January and March of 2002 the luminosity of V838 Mon increased by a factor of 15 and the apparent diameter increased fourfold.     

The X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet flux evolution of SS Cygni throughout outburst

We present the most complete multiwavelength coverage of any dwarf nova outburst: simultaneous optical, Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of SS Cygni throughout a narrow asymmetric outburst. Our data show that the high-energy outburst begins in the X-ray waveband 0.9–1.4 d after the beginning of the optical rise and 0.6 d before the extreme-ultraviolet rise. The X-ray flux drops suddenly, immediately before the extreme-ultraviolet flux rise, supporting the view that both components arise in the boundary layer between the accretion disc and white dwarf surface. The early rise of the X-ray flux shows that the propagation time of the outburst heating wave may have been previously overestimated.
The transitions between X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet dominated emission are accompanied by intense variability in the X-ray flux, with time-scales of minutes. As detailed by Mauche & Robinson, dwarf nova oscillations are detected throughout the extreme-ultraviolet outburst, but we find they are absent from the X-ray light curve.
X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet luminosities imply accretion rates of  3 × 10¹⁵ g s⁻¹  in quiescence,  1 × 10¹⁶ g s⁻¹  when the boundary layer becomes optically thick, and  ∼10¹⁸ g s⁻¹  at the peak of the outburst. The quiescent accretion rate is two and a half orders of magnitude higher than predicted by the standard disc instability model, and we suggest this may be because the inner accretion disc in SS Cyg is in a permanent outburst state.     

Overtones of silicate and aluminate minerals and the 5–8 μm ice bands of deeply embedded objects

The distinct patterns, relatively low intensities and peak positions of overtone-combination bands of silicates and oxides suggest that the 5–8 μm spectral region can provide clues for the dust composition when near optically thick conditions exist for the 10-μm silicate feature. We present 1000–2500 cm⁻¹ room-temperature laboratory spectra obtained from powders of silicate, aluminate and nitride minerals and silicate glasses. The spectra exhibit overtone absorption bands with mass absorption coefficients ∼100 times weaker than the fundamentals. These data are compared with the 5–8 μm spectra of deeply embedded young stellar objects observed with the Short Wavelength Spectrometer on the Infrared Space Observatory . Fits of the laboratory data to the observations, after subtraction of the 6.0-μm H₂O ice feature and the 6.0-μm feature identified with organic refractory material, indicate that crystalline melilite (a silicate) or metamict hibonite (a radiation-damaged crystalline aluminate) may be responsible for much of the 6.9-μm absorption feature in the observations, with melilite providing the best match. A weaker 6.2-μm absorption in the young stellar object spectra is well matched by the spectra of hydrous crystalline amphibole silicates (actinolite and tremolite). Relative abundances of Si–O in room-temperature amphiboles to low-temperature H₂O ice are in the range 0.46–3.9 and in melilite are in the range 2.5–8.6. No astronomical feature was matched by the overtones of amorphous silicates because these bands are too broad and peak at the wrong wavelength. Hence, this analysis is consistent with the 10-μm features of these objects being due to a mixture of crystalline and amorphous silicates, rather than only amorphous silicates.     

Interstellar CO towards X Persei (HD 24534) – II. Two-component model

The observations made by the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) of molecular CO in absorbing gas towards X Persei are reported. The two-component statistical equilibrium model incorporating radiative excitation of CO by line emission at the same velocity that originates in nearby molecular clouds has been used to reproduce high-resolution GHRS spectra. Earlier analysis indicates that the cloud has a complex structure and at least a two-component model should be used to obtain accurate results. The spectra obtained from the International Ultraviolet Explorer ( IUE ) were used to complement GHRS data and constrain the space of possible solutions. The new oscillator strengths recommended by Eidelsberg et al. for A–X bands have been used. The results show that one of the components may be attributed to the Perseus OB2 molecular cloud, and the other component to an extension of the Taurus dark cloud. The total CO column density N (CO)=(1.0±0.2)×10¹⁶ cm⁻² has been determined. According to the results about 85 per cent of the observed CO belongs to an extension of the Taurus dark cloud. The CO radiation that originates in nearby molecular clouds may be the dominant excitation mechanism of the observed CO. The early results of ¹³CO line analysis indicate a ¹³CO/¹²CO ratio of about 40.     

The carbon Cepheid RT Trianguli Australis: additional evidence of triple-α and CNO cycling

We have used echelle spectra of resolving power 35 000 to derive chemical abundances and the ¹²C/¹³C ratio in the 1.9-d carbon Cepheid RT TrA and the Cepheid U TrA, employed as a comparison star. We confirm that RT TrA is very metal-rich with [Fe/H]=+0.4. In addition, C and N are substantially in excess, and a small deficiency in O is present. We interpret these anomalies as resulting from the appearance on the stellar surface of material enriched in ¹²C by the 3- α process, followed by CNO cycling to convert ¹²C to ¹³C and ¹⁴N. In addition, some ¹⁶O has been processed to ¹⁴N. The partial processing of ¹⁶O to ¹⁴N indicates that substantial ¹⁷O may be present. Proton capture seems to have enhanced ²³Na from the Ne isotopes.     

Spitzer observations of acetylene bands in carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We investigate the molecular bands in carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), using the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope ( SST ) over the 5–38 μm range. All 26 low-resolution spectra show acetylene (C₂H₂) bands at 7 and 14 μm. The hydrogen cyanide (HCN) bands at these wavelengths are very weak or absent. This is consistent with low nitrogen abundances in the LMC. The observed 14 μm C₂H₂  band is reasonably reproduced by an excitation temperature of 500 K. There is no clear dilution of the 14 μm C₂H₂  band by circumstellar dust emission. This 14-μm band originates from molecular gas in the circumstellar envelope in these high mass-loss rate stars, in agreement with previous findings for Galactic stars. The C₂H₂ column density, derived from the 13.7 μm band, shows a gas mass-loss rate in the range 3 × 10⁻⁶ to 5 × 10⁻⁵ M_⊙ yr⁻¹. This is comparable with the total mass-loss rate of these stars estimated from the spectral energy distribution. Additionally, we compare the line strengths of the 13.7 μm C₂H₂  band of our LMC sample with those of a Galactic sample. Despite the low metallicity of the LMC, there is no clear difference in the C₂H₂  abundance among LMC and Galactic stars. This reflects the effect of the third dredge-up bringing self-produced carbon to the surface, leading to high carbon-to-oxygen ratio at low metallicity.     

Formation of interstellar clouds: Parker instability with phase transitions

We numerically follow the nonlinear evolution of the Parker instability in the presence of phase transitions from a warm to a cold H  i interstellar medium in two spatial dimensions. The nonlinear evolution of the system favours modes that allow the magnetic field lines to cross the galactic plane. Cold H  i clouds form with typical masses  ≃10⁵ M_⊙  , mean densities  ≃20 cm⁻³  , mean magnetic-field strengths  ≃4.3 μG  (rms field strengths  ≃6.4 μG  ), mass-to-flux ratios  ≃0.1–0.3  relative to critical, temperatures  ≃50 K  , (two-dimensional) turbulent velocity dispersions  ≃1.6 km s⁻¹  and separations  ≃500 pc  , in agreement with observations. The maximum density and magnetic-field strength are  ≃10³ cm⁻³  and  ≃20 μG  , respectively. Approximately 60 per cent of all H  i mass is in the warm neutral medium. The cold neutral medium is arranged into sheet-like structures both perpendicular and parallel to the galactic plane, but it is also found almost everywhere in the galactic plane, with the density being highest in valleys of the magnetic field lines. 'Cloudlets' also form whose physical properties are in quantitative agreement with those observed for such objects by Heiles. The nonlinear phase of the evolution takes ≲30 Myr, so that, if the instability is triggered by a nonlinear perturbation such as a spiral density shock wave, interstellar clouds can form within a time suggested by observations.     

Comparison of 13CO line and far-infrared continuum emission as a diagnostic of dust and molecular gas physical conditions – I. Motivation and modelling

Determining temperatures in molecular clouds from ratios of CO rotational lines or from ratios of continuum emission in different wavelength bands suffers from reduced temperature sensitivity in the high-temperature limit. In theory, the ratio of far-infrared (FIR), submillimetre or millimetre continuum to that of a ¹³CO (or C¹⁸O) rotational line can place reliable upper limits on the temperature of the dust and molecular gas. Consequently, FIR continuum data from the COBE /Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) instrument and Nagoya 4-m  ¹³CO  J = 1 → 0  spectral line data were used to plot  240 μm/¹³CO  J = 1 → 0  intensity ratios against 140/240 μm dust colour temperatures, allowing us to constrain the multiparsec-scale physical conditions in the Orion A and B molecular clouds.
The best-fitting models to the Orion clouds consist of two components: a component near the surface of the clouds that is heated primarily by a very large scale (i.e. ∼1 kpc) interstellar radiation field and a component deeper within the clouds. The former has a fixed temperature and the latter has a range of temperatures that vary from one sightline to another. The models require a dust–gas temperature difference of 0 ± 2 K and suggest that 40–50 per cent of the Orion clouds are in the form of dust and gas with temperatures between 3 and 10 K. The implications are discussed in detail in later papers and include stronger dust–gas thermal coupling and higher Galactic-scale molecular gas temperatures than are usually accepted, and an improved explanation for the N (H₂)/ I (CO) conversion factor. It is emphasized that these results are preliminary and require confirmation by independent observations and methods.     

Wind-swept clouds and possible triggered star formation associated with the supernova remnant G357.7+0.3

We present evidence for interaction between the supernova remnant (SNR) G357.7+0.3 and nearby molecular clouds, leading to the formation of wind-swept structures and bright emission rims. These features are not observed at visual wavelengths, but are clearly visible in mid-infrared mapping undertaken using the Spitzer Space Telescope . Analysis of one of these clouds, the bright cometary structure G357.46+0.60, suggests that it contains strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission features in the 5.8 and 8.0 μm photometric bands, and that these are highly variable over relatively small spatial scales. The source is also associated with strong variations in electron density; a far-infrared continuum peak associated with dust temperatures of ∼30 K; and has previously been observed in the 1720 MHz maser transition of OH, known to be associated with SNR shock excitation of interstellar clouds. This source also appears to contain a young stellar object (YSO) within the bright rim structure, with a steeply rising spectrum between 1.25 and 24 μm. If the formation of this star has been triggered recently by the SNR, then YSO modelling suggests a stellar mass  ∼5–10 M_⊙  , and luminosity   L _YSO∼10²–2 × 10³ L_⊙  .
Finally, it is noted that a further, conical emission region appears to be associated with the Mira V1139 Sco, and it is suggested that this may represent the case of a Mira outflow interacting with a SNR. If this is the case, however, then the distance to the SNR must be ∼half of that determined from CS   J = 2–1  and 3–2 line radial velocities.     

The WARPS survey – IV. The X-ray luminosity–temperature relation of high-redshift galaxy clusters

We present a measurement of the cluster X-ray luminosity–temperature ( L – T ) relation out to high redshift ( z ∼0.8). Combined ROSAT PSPC spectra of 91 galaxy clusters detected in the Wide Angle ROSAT Pointed Survey (WARPS) are simultaneously fitted in redshift and luminosity bins. The resulting temperature and luminosity measurements of these bins, which occupy a region of the high-redshift L – T relation not previously sampled, are compared with existing measurements at low redshift in order to constrain the evolution of the L – T relation. We find the best fit to low-redshift ( z <0.2) cluster data, at T >1 keV, to be L ∝ T ^3.15±0.06. Our data are consistent with no evolution in the normalization of the L – T relation up to z ∼0.8. Combining our results with ASCA measurements taken from the literature, we find η =0.19±0.38 (for Ω₀=1, with 1 σ errors) where L _Bol∝(1+ z ) ^η T ^3.15, or η =0.60±0.38 for Ω₀=0.3. This lack of evolution is considered in terms of the entropy-driven evolution of clusters. Further implications for cosmological constraints are also discussed.     

2–16 μm spectroscopy of micron-sized enstatite (Mg,Fe)2Si2O6 silicates from primitive chondritic meteorites

We present mid-infrared spectra from individual enstatite silicate grains separated from primitive type 3 chondritic meteorites. The 2–16 μm transmission spectra were taken with microspectroscopic Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) techniques as part of a project to produce a data base of infrared spectra from minerals of primitive meteorites for comparison with astronomical spectra. In general, the wavelength of enstatite bands increases with the proportion of Fe. However, the wavelengths of the strong En₁₀₀ bands at 10.67 and 11.67 decrease with increasing Fe content. The 11.67-μm band exhibits the largest compositional wavelength shift (twice as large as any other). Our fits of the linear dependence of the pyroxene peaks indicate that crystalline silicate peaks in the 10-μm spectra of Herbig AeBe stars, HD 179218 and 104237, are matched by pyroxenes of En₉₀₋₉₂ and En₇₈₋₈₀, respectively. If these simplistic comparisons with the astronomical grains are correct, then the enstatite pyroxenes seen in these environments are more Fe-rich than are the forsterite (Fo₁₀₀) grains identified in the far-infrared which are found to be Mg end-member grains. This differs from the general composition of type 3 chondritic meteoritic grains in which the pyroxenes are more Mg-rich than are the olivines from the same meteorite.     

Submillimetre detection of a high-redshift type 2 QSO

We report on the first SCUBA detection of a type 2 QSO at   z = 3.660  in the Chandra Deep Field South. This source is X-ray-absorbed, shows only narrow emission lines in the optical spectrum and is detected in the submillimetre: it is the ideal candidate in an evolution scheme for active galactic nuclei (AGN) (e.g. Fabian 1999 ; Page et al. 2004 ) of an early phase corresponding to the main growth of the host galaxy and formation of the central black hole. The overall photometry (from the radio to the X-ray energy band) of this source is well reproduced by the spectral energy distribution (SED) of NGC 6240, while it is incompatible with the spectrum of a type 1 QSO (3C 273) or a starburst galaxy (Arp 220). Its submillimetre (850 μm) to X-ray (2 keV) spectral slope  (α_SX)  is close to the predicted value for a Compton-thick AGN in which only 1 per cent of the nuclear emission emerges through scattering. Using the observed flux at 850 μm we have derived a star formation rate of  550–680 M_⊙ yr⁻¹  and an estimate of the dust mass   M _dust= 4.2 × 10⁸ M_⊙  .     

Multiwavelength observations of serendipitous Chandra X-ray sources in the field of A 2390

We present optical spectra and near-infrared imaging of a sample of 31 serendipitous X-ray sources detected in the field of Chandra observations of the A 2390 cluster of galaxies. The sources have  0.5–7 keV  fluxes of  (0.6–8)×10^-14 erg cm^-2 s^-1  and lie around the break in the  2–10 keV  source counts. They are therefore typical of sources dominating the X-ray Background in that band. 12 of the 15 targets for which we have optical spectra show emission lines at a range of line luminosities, and half of these show broad lines. These active galaxies and quasars have soft X-ray spectra. Including photometric redshifts and published spectra, we have redshifts for 17 of the sources, ranging from   z ∼0.2  up to   z ∼3  , with a peak between   z =1–2  . 10 of our sources have hard X-ray spectra indicating a spectral slope flatter than that of a typical unabsorbed quasar. Two hard sources that are gravitationally lensed by the foreground cluster are obscured quasars, with intrinsic  2–10 keV  luminosities of  (0.2–3)×10⁴⁵ erg s^-1  , and absorbing columns of   N _H>10²³ cm^-2  . Both of these sources were detected in the mid-infrared by ISOCAM on the Infrared Space Observatory , which when combined with radiative transfer modelling leads to the prediction that the bulk of the reprocessed flux emerges at ∼100 μm.     

On nova Scorpii 2007 N.1 (V1280 Sco)

We present the results of our photometric and spectroscopic observations of Nova Sco 2007 N.1 (V1280 Sco). The photometric data was represented by a single data point in the light curve since the observation was carried out only for one night. The spectra cover two different phases of the object’s evolution during the outburst, i.e. pre-maximum and post-maximum. Measurements of the P-Cygni profile on Na I ‘D’ line (5889 Å) was derived as the velocity of shell expansion, yielding 1567.43±174.14 km s^?1. We conclude that V1280 Sco is a fast Fe II-type nova.