Radial pulsation of less-massive yellow supergiants

Linear and nonlinear pulsation computations for the modelsM=0.8M _⊙,L=10000 and 20000L _⊙ were carried out in order to understand FG Sge's pulsation. The results may be summarized as follows:

1. In the modelsL=10000L _⊙, the fundamental blue edge is nearT _e =5700 K. The models show that instability of the third overtone extends to 7400 K and still has large positive growth rates. A nonlinear model of 7000 K shows a small amplitude ΔV=10 km s^?1, ΔM _bol=0.03 with a period of around 18 days, nearly equal to that of the third overtone.
2. In the linear models ofL=20000L _⊙, the fundamental blue edge is shifted to 7000 K but the damping of this mode is so small that it is marginally stable to 7700 K. The third overtone has large positive growth rates of this region. The nonlinear model at 7700 K, however, shows no indication of third overtone pulsation.

We also examine the possibility, suggested by Whitney (1978), that the mass of FG Sge is 0.4M _⊙.     

Models of pulsating low-massive yellow supergiants

The nonlinear self-excited oscillations of the envelopes of low-massive highly luminous stars are described. The parameters for these models wereM=0.8M ,M _bol=–5.5, –5.84 mag,T _eff=4500, 5000, 5500 K. The oscillations have been found to consist of the standing wave pulsation near the envelope bottom and running waves in outer layers. The ratio of the standing wave frequency _s to the average frequency of the running waves _r increases with the stellar luminosity: _s / _r =1.7 whenM _bol=–5.5 mag and _s / _r =2.4 whenM _bol=–5.84 mag. The frequency of oscillations near the photosphere is found to be in close agreement with the critical frequency for running waves. Mass loss from these stars is caused by shocks. It has been shown that agreement between FG Sge's period change observed during the last decade and the period-luminosity relation for double shell stars takes place when FG Sge's luminosity isM _bol=–5.96 mag.     

Line strengths for yellow supergiants and cepheids

Line strengths are presented for 15 yellow supergiants and 6 Cepheids. These line strengths are compared with those obtained previously by other investigators. Visiting Astronomer, Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

Origin of anomalous sodium abundances in yellow supergiants

Leningrad State University. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 293–303, September–October, 1989.     

Magnetic field measurements on four yellow supergiants. I

Multiyear high precision measurements of the longitudinal component of the magnetic field (B_e) of four supergiants are reported: Aqr (G0 Ib), Aqr (G2 Ib), Gem (G8 Ib), and Peg (K2 Ib). The best measurement accuracy, =0.8 G, was achieved for Peg. A Monte Carlo method was used to test the reliability of the derived measurement errors. The differences between the observational errors and the calculated Monte Carlo errors were 3.2%. For Aqr and Aqr no statistically significant value of the magnetic field was recorded when averaged over a night. For eGem the following overnight average values of the magnetic field were recorded on five nights: 11.1±2.7 G, 9.8±2.5 G, –10.5±3.0 G, 38.1±7.4 G, and 5.3±1.5 G. For Peg the magnetic field recorded over two nights was –5.3±0.9 G and – 2.7±0.8 G.Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 15–28 (February 2005).     

Spectroscopic studies of yellow supergiants in the Cepheid instability strip

High-resolution spectra of nine yellow nonvariable supergiants (NVSs) located within the canonical Cepheid instability strip from Sandage and Tammann (1969) (α Aqr, ? Leo, μ Per, ω Gem, BD+60 2532, HD 172365, HD 187299, HD 190113, and HD 200102) were taken with the 1-m Zeiss and 6-m BTA telescopes at the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the 1990s. These have been used to determine the atmospheric parameters, chemical composition, radial velocities, reddenings, luminosities, distances, and radii. The spectroscopic estimates of T _eff and the luminosities determined from the Hipparcos parallaxes have shown eight of the nine program NVSs on the T _eff?log(L/L _⊙) diagram to be outside the canonical Cepheid instability strip. When the edges of the Cepheid instability strip from Bono et al. (2000) are used, out of the NVSs from the list on the diagram one is within the Cepheid instability strip but closer to the red edge, two are at the red edge, three are beyond the red edge, two are at the blue edge, and one is beyond the blue edge. The evolutionary masses of the objects have been estimated. The abundances of α-elements, r- and s-process elements for all program objects have turned out to be nearly solar. The СNO, Na, Mg, and Al abundance estimates have shown that eight of the nine NVSs from the list have already passed the first dredge-up. Judging by the abundances of the key elements and its position on the T _eff?log(L/L _⊙) diagram, the lithium-rich supergiant HD 172365 is at the post-main-sequence evolutionary stage of gravitational helium core contraction and moves toward the first crossing of the Cepheid instability strip. The star ? Leo should be assigned to bright supergiants, while HD 187299 and HD 190113 may have already passed the second dredge-up and move to the asymptotic branch.     

Radial and nonradial pulsation of a rotating partially degenerate standard model

The effect of slow uniform rotation on the radial and nonradial modes of partially degenerate standard models has been investigated. For the case of the radial mode, it is shown that the destabilizing effect of slow uniform rotation reduces with increased central condensation of the model. However, it is found that the models with a strongly degenerate interior, become more unstable dynamically as a result of slow uniform rotation. Further, it is noted that the frequency of the nonradial modes of oscillation (Kelvin mode) increases due to the presence of rotation. Thus the period of radial modes of oscillation of a slowly uniformly rotating partially degenerate standard model are much larger than the corresponding periods of nonradial (Kelvin) modes.     

Non-stationary atmospheres of supergiants

A model of 5M hydrogen-helium star with no metals has been considered. The properties of the adiabatic oscillations were obtained, and the vibrational instability of the model has been investigated. The model is a double-shell burning star. Calculations were done for the fundamental mode as well as the first and the second harmonics. The model has been found vibrationally unstable against radial adiabatic pulsations.     

Four southern A-type supergiants

Measures of line intensities from high-dispersion spectrograms of HD 92207, 100262, 125835 and 161912 are presented. Analysis with a theoretical curve of growth leads to the selection of parameters for excitation temperature and microturbulence. The turbulent velocity in the atmosphere of HD 92207 varies through a factor of two in approximately one month, in phase with a similar change in the equivalent width of H. The spectra of the other three stars do not appear to vary, but the turbulent velocity is much less for Fei than for Feii and Crii.     

Nonlinear pulsations of red supergiants

Excitation of radial oscillations in population I (X = 0.7, Z = 0.02) red supergiants is investigated using the solution of the equations of radiation hydrodynamics and turbulent convection. The core helium burning stars with masses 8M _⊙ ≤ M ≤ 20M _⊙ and effective temperatures T _eff < 4000 K are shown to be unstable against radial pulsations in the fundamental mode. The oscillation periods range between 45 and 1180 days. The pulsational instability is due to the κ-mechanism in the hydrogen and heliumionization zones. Radial pulsations of stars with mass M < 15M _⊙ are strictly periodic with the light amplitude ΔM _bol ≤ 0?5. The pulsation amplitude increases with increasing stellar mass and for M > 15M _⊙ the maximum expansion velocity of outer layers is as high as one third of the escape velocity. The mean radii of outer Lagrangean mass zones increase due to nonlinear oscillations by ≤30% in comparison with the initial equilibrium. The approximate method (with uncertainty of a factor of 1.5) to evaluate the mass of the pulsating red supergiant with the known period of radial oscillations is proposed. The approximation of the pulsation constant Q as a function of the mass-to-radius ratio is given. Masses of seven galactic red supergiants are evaluated using the period-mean density relation.     

Radial pulsation modes as a possible cause for the heterogeneity of the Delta Scuti stars

On the basis of observational data (Breger, 1979), a radial pulsation mode of 83 Delta Scuti stars is estimated in two ways. These stars can pulsate in four lowest modes—F, 1H, 2H, 3H— and, perhaps, in 4H and 5H. Our earlier suggestion—that the apparent heterogeneity of these objects in both the period-luminosity plane and the period-frequency distribution may be explained by means of pulsations in various modes—is confirmed. Semi-empirical period-luminosity relations for the four lowest modes are derived and the semi-empirical period ratios are compared with the theoretical ones.     

Microturbulence in O supergiants

We investigate the role of classical microturbulence in the non-LTE He  i /He  ii line formation problem for luminous O-type stars. We find that the shapes and strengths of certain saturated He  i lines, in particular the triplets λλ4471, 4713 and the singlet λ4921, are sensitive to microturbulent velocities in excess of 5 km s⁻¹. Weaker lines, including most of the He  i singlets, are effectively independent of this parameter, as are the Fowler series He  ii lines λλ4199, 4541, 5411. We show that this behaviour is due to interaction between direct line-broadening effects in the radiative transfer, and indirect changes in the atmospheric structure and the populations of absorbing states. Using an analysis of high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio observations of the O9.7 supergiant HD 152003 as an illustrative example, we show how the introduction of microturbulence in non-LTE models allows consistent fits to be obtained for all   blue-region He  i lines — including the strong triplets λλ4026, 4713, 4471 — at an assumed solar helium abundance, thereby offering a resolution to the problem of the 'generalized dilution effect' described by Voels et al. We argue that by extension this result may also have implications for the so-called 'helium discrepancy' identified in OB-type stars by Herrero et al.     

Wind variability in intermediate luminosity B supergiants

We discuss wind variability in intermediate luminosity B supergiants. Because these are not the hottest, most luminous or just about other kind of -est stars, they have not attracted much attention. However, since their wind lines are well-developed, but unsaturated, they make ideal diagnostics for time dependent wind studies. We show that their wind profiles undergo large scale variability and that this phenomenon is quite common. We also discuss a time series for the B0.5 Ib HD 64760 which suggests the long sought after connection between wind and photospheric activity. Newly developed analysis techniques needed to extract physical information from the wind lines are discussed, and results are applied to the time series.     

Stellar mass loss in late B-type supergiants

A study using archive IUE data of time-varying mass loss has been carried out for a sample of 12 supergiants in the spectral range B5–B9. Additionally dedicated IUE velocity-time observations of discrete absorption components (DAC) in the UV resonance lines have been made for one of the stars (Ori), while optical data obtained for this star shows time variability in the H profile. Ions in which mass-loss features occur are unambiguously identified by comparing spectra of the stars at different mass loss episodes. Time variability in the mass-loss activity of late B-type supergiants is discussed and the stars are examined for trends with effective temperature. The basis for a theoretical model of the stellar wind in these stars is introduced.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.     

Inhomogeneities of the stellar winds of hot supergiants

The causes of variability of line profiles in the spectra of O supergiants are analyzed. It is suggested that the main cause of the variability is the motion in the atmosphere of dense clumps of matter (inhomogeneities or clouds) along the Une of sight between star and observer. The profiles of C IV and Si IV UV resonance lines in the spectra of bright OB supergiants are calculated for spherically symmetric atmospheres and for atmospheres with inhomogeneity along the line of sight. The dependence of the line profiles on the distance of the inhomogeneity from the center of the star is investigated. It is shown that the formation and evolution with time of discrete absorption components (DACs) in the profiles of C IV and Si IV UV resonance lines can be explained within the framework of the proposed model of variability of line profiles. The parameters of the inhomogeneities moving in the atmosphere to produce DACs are estimated. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 423–441, July–September, 1998.     

Three-mode Cepheid pulsation

Amplitude equations, that are used in the investigation of stellar pulsations, for the three-mode nonresonant coupling case are inferred from that of the two-mode nonresonant coupling case. Characteristics of the fixed points of the amplitude equations are studied. Chaotic behaviour is expected when the amplitude equations consist of more than two modes.     

Three-mode Cepheid pulsation

We simulated two models of classical Cepheids with the same effective temperature and luminosity but different masses. Neither model has significant resonance among linear nonadiabatic periods of the fundamental, the first overtone, and the second overtone radial modes. The higher mass model found to approach to the second overtone-only state. The lower mass model shows a complicated three-mode interaction and none of the amplitudes of three modes is negligible. The relation of the higher mass model to the shortest period Cepheid HR 7308, and that of the lower mass model to the double-mode Cepheids are discussed. It appears that three-mode nonresonant coupling should be considered to explain the behaviours of both models.     

Spectral atlas of O9.5-A1-Type supergiants

High-resolution spectra of nine supergiants and three comparison stars taken with CCD echelle spectrographs in the coude’ foci of the 1-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences and 2-m telescope of Terskol Observatory (with R = 40000 and R = 45000, respectively) are reported in a tabular and graphic form. Two hundred (α Cam, O9.5 Ia) to 1000 (HD 12953, A1 Ia-0) stellar and interstellar lines and bands are identified in the 3600–7800 ÅÅ wavelength interval and most of them have their central intensities and heliocentric radial velocities measured. A spectral classification based on weak photospheric absorptions is tested. This is actual for the brightest supergiants and hypergiants, where the formation regions of strong lines, which are traditionally used for classification, also include the bases of stellar winds. Radial gradients of velocity are revealed in the atmospheres of supergiants. The cases of the refinement of the effective wavelengths, analysis of blends, and revealing of wind anomalies in line profiles are illustrated. The atlas is used extensively as a teaching tool.