Intermediate luminosity optical transients during the grazing envelope evolution (GEE)

By comparing photon diffusion time with gas outflow time, I argue that a large fraction of the energy carried by the jets during the grazing envelope evolution (GEE) might end in radiation, hence leading to an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT). In the GEE a companion orbiting near the outskirts of the larger primary star accretes mass through an accretion disk, and launches jets that efficiently remove the envelope gas from the vicinity of the secondary star. In cases of high mass accretion rates onto the stellar companion the energy carried by the jets surpass the recombination energy from the ejected mass, and when the primary star is a giant this energy surpasses also the gravitational binding energy of the binary system. Some future ILOTs of giant stars might be better explained by the GEE than by merger and common envelope evolution without jets.     

The fractions of post-binary-interaction stars and evolved blue straggler stars on the red giant branch of globular clusters

The red giant branch(RGB) of globular clusters(GCs) is home to some exotic stars,which may provide clues on the formation of multiple stellar populations in GCs.It is well known that binary interactions are responsible for many exotic stars.Thus,it is important to understand what fraction of stars on the RGB of GCs is the result of binary interactions.In this paper,we performed a binary population synthesis study to track the number of post-binary-interaction(post-BI) stars that appear on the RGB,with particular emphasis on the evolved blue straggler stars(E-BSSs).Assuming an initial binary fraction of nearly 50%,we find that about half of the objects on the RGB(called giants) underwent the binary interactions,and that E-BSSs account for around 10% of the giants in our standard simulation.We also compare the properties of post-BI giants that evolved from different channels.We find that the initial orbital period and mass ratio distributions significantly affect the fraction of post-BI giants.Our results imply that the non-standard stars from binary interactions provide a non-negligible contribution to the RGB stars in GCs,which should be considered in future investigations of the origin of multiple stellar populations.     

Extrasolar planets and the rotation and axisymmetric mass-loss of evolved stars

I examine the implications of the recently found extrasolar planets on the planet-induced axisymmetric mass-loss model for the formation of elliptical planetary nebulae (PNe). This model attributes the low departure from spherical mass-loss of upper asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars to envelope rotation which results from deposition of orbital angular momentum of the planets. Since about half of all PNe are elliptical, i.e., have low equatorial to polar density contrast, it was predicted that about 50 per cent of all Sun-like stars have Jupiter-like planets around them, i.e., a mass about equal to that of Jupiter, M _J, or more massive. In the light of the new findings that only 5 per cent of Sun-like stars have such planets, and a newly proposed mechanism for axisymmetric mass-loss, the cool magnetic spots model, I revise this prediction. I predict that indeed ∼50 per cent of PN progenitors do have close planets around them, but the planets can have much lower masses, as low as ∼0.01 M _J, in order to spin-up the envelopes of AGB stars efficiently. To support this claim, I follow the angular momentum evolution of single stars with main-sequence mass in the range of 1.3–2.4 M_⊙ , as they evolve to the post-AGB phase. I find that single stars rotate much too slowly to possess any significant non-spherical mass-loss as they reach the upper AGB. It seems, therefore, that planets, in some cases even Earth-like planets, are sufficient to spin-up the envelope of these AGB stars for them to form elliptical PNe. The prediction that on average several such planets orbit each star, as in the Solar system, still holds.     

Population Synthesis of Binary Be Stars with Degenerate Companions in the Galaxy

Using the numerical code (`Scenario Machine') we study of number and physical properties of binary Be stars. Evolutionary tracks leading to a formation of the observational binary systems are presented. We conclude that synchronization must be taken into account when calculating binary Be star evolution and calculate the minimal orbital period for Be/evolved companion binary. The obtained distributions over orbital parameters are in good agreement with the observational lack of short-period Be/X-ray binaries. According to our calculations 70% of all Be stars must have a white dwarf. The white dwarfs in these systems should be hot enough with the surface temperature distribution peaking at 10000–20000 K. Their detection is possible during the period of the lack of Be star envelope by the detection of white dwarf extremely UV and soft X-ray emission. This method of registration appears to be particularly promising for `single' early-type Be stars because in these systems the white dwarfs must have a very high surface temperature. However, the loss of the Be disc-like envelope does not often occur and it is a rather rare event for many Be stars. The best possibility of white dwarf detection is given by the study of helium spectral lines found in emission from several Be stars. The ultraviolet continuum energy of these Be stars is found to be not enough to produce the observed helium emission. Besides, we also discuss the orbital properties of binary Be star systems with other evolved companions such as helium stars and neutron stars and give a possible explanation for the lack of Be/black hole binaries. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Dust formation and inhomogeneous mass-loss from asymptotic giant branch stars

We examine the flow from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars when along a small solid angle the optical depth resulting from dust is very large. We consider two types of flows. In the first, small cool spots are formed on the surface of slowly rotating AGB stars. Large quantities of dust are expected to be formed above the surface of these cool spots. We propose that if the dust formation occurs during the last AGB phase when the mass-loss rate is high, the dust shields the region above it from the stellar radiation. This leads to both further dust formation in the shaded region and, owing to lower temperature and pressure, the convergence of the stream toward the shaded region, and the formation of a flow having a higher density than its surroundings. This density contrast can be as high as ∼4. A concentration of magnetic cool spots toward the equator will lead to a density contrast of up to a few between the equatorial and polar directions. This process can explain the positive correlation between high mass-loss rate and a larger departure from sphericity in progenitors of elliptical planetary nebulae. In the second type of flow, the high density in the equatorial plane is formed by a binary interaction, where the secondary star is close to, but outside the AGB envelope. The shielding of the radiation by dust results in a very slow and dense flow in the equatorial plane. We suggest this flow as an alternative explanation for the equatorial dense matter found at several hundred astronomical units around several post-AGB binary systems.     

Stochasticity of Planetary Orbits in Double Star Systems

Cosmogonical theories as well as recent observations allow us to expect the existence of planets around many stars other than the Sun. On an other hand, double and multiple star systems are established to be more numerous than single stars (such as the Sun), at least in the solar neighborhood. We are then faced to the following dynamical problem: assuming that planets can form in a binary early environment (I do not deal here with), does long-term stability for planetary orbits exist in double star systems.Although preliminary studies were rather pessimistic about the possibility of existence of stable planetary orbits in double or multiple star systems, modern computation have shown that many such stable orbits do exist (but possible chaotic behavior), either around the binary as a whole (P-type) or around one component of the binary (S-type), this latter being explored here.The dynamical model is the elliptic plane restricted three-body problem; the phase space of initial conditions is systematically explored, and limits for stability have been established. Stable S-type planetary orbits are found up to distance of their "sun" of the order of half the periastron distance of the binary; moreover, among these stable orbits, nearly-circular ones exist up to distance of their "sun" of the order of one quarter the periastron distance of the binary; finally, among the nearly-circular stable orbits, several stay inside the "habitable zone", at least for two nearby binaries which components are nearly of solar type.Nevertheless, we know that chaos may destroy this stability after a long time (sometimes several millions years). It is therefore important to compute indicators of chaos for these stable planetary orbits to investigate their actual very long-term stability. Here we give an example of such a computation for more than a billion years.     

Composite spectra Paper 15: HD 216572, a triple system containing a short-period, double-lined secondary

We analyse 81 optical spectra of the composite-spectrum binary HD 216572, and show that the primary is a cool giant of type G8 III while the secondary is a double-lined binary consisting of two nearly identical B9 dwarfs in a 1.18-d orbit. The inner system undergoes partial eclipses, whose photometry we model to derive the physical parameters of both secondary stars. The outer system does not eclipse. We isolate the combined spectrum of the secondary by spectral subtraction, and from 48 separate radial-velocity measurements of both secondary components we obtain a triple-lined orbit solution from which we determine the individual masses of all three stars and the inclinations of both the inner and the outer orbits. The period of the outer system is 55 d, which is surprisingly short for a giant star, and our detection of small but non-negligible amounts of variable chromospheric emission in the Ca  ii K line is not unlike that detected in other systems with comparably short periods. The secondary components are in a circular orbit and are rotating at about  95 ± 10 km s⁻¹  ; although their surface-to-surface separation is only  4 R_⊙  the stars are not noticeably distorted geometrically by such close proximity. All three stars appear to be in synchronous rotation in their respective orbits. We derive fairly accurate Hertzsprung–Russell diagram positions for all three stars and compare them to evolutionary tracks calculated for the respective stellar masses, but cannot reconcile the age of the cool giant with that of the B stars.     

钡星系统轨道根数分布及丰度的Monte-Carlo模拟计算

采用星风质量吸积的角动量守恒模型，用Monte—Carlo方法研究了普通红巨星双星系统和钡星的轨道根数的变化规律，由于钡星系统是由普通红巨星双星系统演化而来，因此钡星系统的轨道偏心率及周期的分布显示了经过质量吸积后双星系统的最终轨道特征。计算结果表明，随着星风吸积过程的进行，在星风质量损失阶段系统轨道半长轴将增大，导致轨道周期增大，而偏心率变化不大，由此可以解释普通红巨星双星系统和钡星系统的轨道根数的分布规律和变化情况以及钡星重元素丰度分布特征。     

Pulsation period changes as a tool to identify pre-zero age horizontal branch stars

One of the most dramatic events in the life of a low-mass star is the He flash, which takes place at the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) and is followed by a series of secondary flashes before the star settles into the zero-age horizontal branch (ZAHB). Yet, no stars have been positively identified in this key evolutionary phase, mainly for two reasons: first, this pre-ZAHB phase is very short compared to other major evolutionary phases in the life of a star; and second, these pre-ZAHB stars are expected to overlap the loci occupied by asymptotic giant branch (AGB), HB, and RGB stars observed in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). We investigate the possibility of detecting these stars through stellar pulsations, since some of them are expected to rapidly cross the Cepheid/RR Lyrae instability strip in their route from the RGB tip to the ZAHB, thus becoming pulsating stars along the way. As a consequence of their very high evolutionary speed, some of these stars may present anomalously large period change rates. We constructed an extensive grid of stellar models and produced pre-ZAHB Monte Carlo simulations appropriate for the case of the Galactic globular cluster M3 (NGC 5272), where a number of RR Lyrae stars with high period change rates are found. Our results suggest that some—but certainly not all—of the RR Lyrae stars in M3 with large period change rates are in fact pre-ZAHB pulsators.     

中等质量恒星星风物质损失的机制

在考虑引力对星风物质损失的制约效果及辐射压与湍流压对其扰动效果的同时,通过引入可压缩流机制,考虑了恒星外壳对流区对星风物质损失的促进作用,从而建立了新的星风物质损失公式.之后,通过对3～5 M_⊙恒星理论模型的星风物质损失率计算,发现:从主序直至中心氦核燃烧结束阶段,新的星风物质损失公式计算所得星风物质损失率与经典星风物质损失公式计算结果几乎一致;而在TP-AGB阶段,应用新的星风物质损失公式计算的恒星模型则不受光度影响产生了持续的较大的星风物质损失,比较符合实际观测结果.     

Stellar winds from hot low-mass stars

Stellar winds appear as a persistent feature of hot stars, irrespective of their wide range of different luminosities, masses, and chemical composition. Among the massive stars, the Wolf–Rayet types show considerably stronger mass loss than the O stars. Among hot low-mass stars, stellar winds are seen at central stars of planetary nebulae, where again the hydrogen-deficient stars show much stronger winds than those central stars with “normal” composition. We also studied mass-loss from a few extreme helium stars and sdOs. Their mass-loss rate roughly follows the same proportionality with luminosity to the power 1.5 as the massive O stars. This relation roughly marks a lower limit for the mass loss from hot stars of all kinds, and provides evidence that radiation pressure on spectral lines is the basic mechanism at work. For certain classes of stars the mass-loss rates lie significantly above this relation, for reasons that are not yet fully understood. Mass loss from low-mass stars may affect their evolution, by reducing the envelope mass, and can easily prevent diffusion from establishing atmospheric abundance patterns. In close binary systems, their winds can feed the accretion onto a companion.     

Low-mass red giants and masses of NPNs

The evolutionary track of low-mass red giant stars (0.7–0.9M ) is computed with the aim to demonstrate the conditions under which low-mass white dwarfs (WDs) can form through the evolution of single stars. Also, the influence of the mixing length to the scale height ratio on the radius of the star is calculated and the coupling between the mixing-length and the mass-loss rate parameters is investigated. Our conclusions are that the uncertainties in mass-loss and mixing-length to scale-height ratio leave enough parameter space to allow the formation of low-mass WD via single star evolution. We also conclude that the gap between proto-WD stars without any nebula and stars with well-defined nebulae is bridged by stars which have a dilute gas cloud around them which cannot be observed as a nebula.     

The eccentricities of the barium stars

We investigate the eccentricities of barium (Ba  ii ) stars formed via a stellar wind accretion model. We carry out a series of Monte Carlo simulations using a rapid binary evolution algorithm, which incorporates full tidal evolution, mass loss and accretion, and nucleosynthesis and dredge-up on the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch. We follow the enhancement of barium in the envelope of the accreting main-sequence companion and dilution into its convective envelope once the star ascends the giant branch.
The observed eccentricities of Ba  ii stars are significantly smaller than those of an equivalent set of normal red giants but are nevertheless non-zero. We show that such a distribution of eccentricities is consistent with a wind accretion model for Ba  ii star production with weak viscous tidal dissipation in the convective envelopes of giant stars. We successfully model the distribution of orbital periods and the number of observed Ba  ii stars. The actual distribution of eccentricities is quite sensitive to the strength of the tides, so that we are able to confirm that this strength is close to, but less than, what is expected theoretically and found with alternative observational tests. Two systems – one very short-period but eccentric, and one long-period and highly eccentric – still lie outside the envelope of our models, and so require a more exotic formation mechanism. All our models, even those which were a good fit to the observed distributions, overproduced the number of high-period barium stars, a problem that could not be solved by some combination of the three parameters: tidal strength, tidal enhancement and wind accretion efficiency.     

Close encounters in young stellar clusters: implications for planetary systems in the solar neighbourhood

The stars that populate the solar neighbourhood were formed in stellar clusters. Through N -body simulations of these clusters, we measure the rate of close encounters between stars. By monitoring the interaction histories of each star, we investigate the singleton fraction in the solar neighbourhood. A singleton is a star which formed as a single star, has never experienced any close encounters with other stars or binaries, or undergone an exchange encounter with a binary. We find that, of the stars which formed as single stars, a significant fraction is not singletons once the clusters have dispersed. If some of these stars had planetary systems, with properties similar to those of the Solar System, the planets' orbits may have been perturbed by the effects of close encounters with other stars or the effects of a companion star within a binary. Such perturbations can lead to strong planet–planet interactions which eject several planets, leaving the remaining planets on eccentric orbits. Some of the single stars exchange into binaries. Most of these binaries are broken up via subsequent interactions within the cluster, but some remain intact beyond the lifetime of the cluster. The properties of these binaries are similar to those of the observed binary systems containing extrasolar planets. Thus, dynamical processes in young stellar clusters will alter significantly any population of Solar System-like planetary systems. In addition, beginning with a population of planetary systems exactly resembling the Solar System around single stars, dynamical encounters in young stellar clusters may produce at least some of the extrasolar planetary systems observed in the solar neighbourhood.     

Low-mass binary-induced outflows from asymptotic giant branch stars

A significant fraction of planetary nebulae (PNe) and protoplanetary nebulae (PPNe) exhibit aspherical, axisymmetric structures, many of which are highly collimated. The origin of these structures is not entirely understood, however, recent evidence suggests that many observed PNe harbour binary systems, which may play a role in their shaping. In an effort to understand how binaries may produce such asymmetries, we study the effect of low-mass  (<0.3 M_⊙)  companions (planets, brown dwarfs and low-mass main-sequence stars) embedded into the envelope of a  3.0-M_⊙  star during three epochs of its evolution [red giant branch, asymptotic giant branch (AGB), interpulse AGB]. We find that common envelope evolution can lead to three qualitatively different consequences: (i) direct ejection of envelope material resulting in a predominately equatorial outflow, (ii) spin-up of the envelope resulting in the possibility of powering an explosive dynamo-driven jet and (iii) tidal shredding of the companion into a disc which facilitates a disc-driven jet. We study how these features depend on the secondary's mass and discuss observational consequences.     

Stellar structure and mass loss on the upper asymptotic giant branch

We examine the envelope properties of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars as they evolve on the upper AGB and during the early post-AGB phase. Because of the high mass-loss rate, the envelope mass decreases by more than an order of magnitude. This makes the density profile below the photosphere much shallower, and the entropy profile much steeper. We discuss the possible role of these changes in the profiles in the onset of the high mass-loss rate (superwind) and the large deviation from spherical mass loss at the termination of the AGB. We concentrate on the idea that the shallower density profile and steeper entropy profile allow the formation of cool magnetic spots, above which dust forms much more easily.     

Neutron Stars in X-ray Binaries and their Environments

Neutron stars in X-ray binary systems are fascinating objects that display a wide range of timing and spectral phenomena in the X-rays. Not only parameters of the neutron stars, like magnetic field strength and spin period evolve in their active binary phase, the neutron stars also affect the binary systems and their immediate surroundings in many ways. Here we discuss some aspects of the interactions of the neutron stars with their environments that are revelaed from their X-ray emission. We discuss some recent developments involving the process of accretion onto high magnetic field neutron stars: accretion stream structure and formation, shape of pulse profile and its changes with accretion torque. Various recent studies of reprocessing of X-rays in the accretion disk surface, vertical structures of the accretion disk and wind of companion star are also discussed here. The X-ray pulsars among the binary neutron stars provide excellent handle to make accurate measurement of the orbital parameters and thus also evolution of the binray orbits that take place over time scale of a fraction of a million years to tens of millions of years. The orbital period evolution of X-ray binaries have shown them to be rather complex systems. Orbital evolution of X-ray binaries can also be carried out from timing of the X-ray eclipses and there have been some surprising results in that direction, including orbital period glitches in two X-ray binaries and possible detection of the most massive circum-binary planet around a Low Mass X-ray Binary.     

The destructive effects of binary encounters on red giants in the Galactic Centre

We consider the destructive effects of encounters between binaries and red giant stars in the Galactic Centre. Such encounters may explain the observed depletion of luminous red giants within the central 0.2 pc of the galaxy. We consider encounters involving 2- and 8-M⊙ red giants, and thus span the range of stellar masses contributing to the most luminous red giants observed in the Galactic Centre. To explore the phase space of encounters thoroughly, we simulate 18 × 10³ encounters using a modified four-body code in which the red giant core and components of the binary are treated as point masses, and where the envelope configuration is assumed to remain static throughout the encounter. We then rerun a small number of encounters with a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to confirm the reliability of conclusions drawn from the four-body runs. We see two possible pathways to red giant destruction. A large fraction of encounters lead to the formation of common-envelope systems, where two compact objects (drawn from the red giant core and the components of the original binary) form a binary within a common gaseous envelope, whilst the third body is ejected. The destruction of the red giant will then follow when the envelope is ejected as the binary hardens. In a smaller number of encounters, the intruding binary passes through the star and ejects the red giant core from the envelope. The red giant envelope will then disperse on short time-scales. We compute the time-scales for both of these processes to occur in the Galactic Centre for a variety of binary populations.     

A Compact Circumstellar Dust Envelope of an Evolved AGB Star IRC-10529

We have made far-infrared mapping observations around a heavily mass losing evolved star IRC-10529 with ISO. It is found that IRC-10529 shows a very compact circumstellar dust envelope in the 60 and 90 μm images obtained by ISOPHOT. Such a small size of the circumstellar dust envelope indicates very short history of the present strong mass loss. It is very likely that IRC-10529 has just evolved into the final stage of AGB evolution with an extremely high mass-loss rate very recently. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.