Photometrically determined mean surface magnetic fields of Ap stars

The photometrically determined mean surface magnetic fields B_S need a revision. None of the stars for which B_S can be measured directly by Zeeman line splitting fulfils the relation between the photometric parameter Δ(V₁ – G) and the mean surface field B_S, which is used by NORTH , CRAMER and MAEDER to determine B_S for other B2 – A3 stars. The ratio B_eff^Max/B_S for stars, which define North's relation, shows unreasonable large values.     

On the theory of annihilation lines in gamma-ray bursts

The mechanism of formation of an annihilation line 0.5 MeV in gamma-ray bursts due to electron-positron pair production in strong magnetic fields of neutron stars is discussed. Bremsstrahlung from a hot polar spot is supposed to be a source of gamma-quanta which produce the pairs. It is shown that a great part of radiation with the energyE>2mc ² per quantum (except for directions along or close to the magnetic field) is consumed by pair production and does not excape from the gamma-burster. This indicates a possible strong gap in continuum radiation at energies higher than 1 MeV. At the same time effective creation of pairs enables one to give a simple estimate of the expected annihilation line intensity in gamma-ray burst spectra. This estimate coincides with the available observational data.     

Evolution of magnetic fields in stars across the upper main sequence: II. Observed distribution of the magnetic field geometry

We re‐discuss the evolutionary state of upper main sequence magnetic stars using a sample of Ap and Bp stars with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes and definitely determined longitudinal magnetic fields. We confirm our previous results obtained from the study of Ap and Bp stars with accurate measurements of the mean magnetic field modulus and mean quadratic magnetic fields that magnetic stars of mass M < 3 M_⊙ are concentrated towards the centre of the main‐sequence band. In contrast, stars with masses M > 3 M_⊙ seem to be concentrated closer to the ZAMS. The study of a few known members of nearby open clusters with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes confirms these conclusions. Stronger magnetic fields tend to be found in hotter, younger and more massive stars, as well as in stars with shorter rotation periods. The longest rotation periods are found only in stars which spent already more than 40% of their main sequence life, in the mass domain between 1.8 and 3 M_⊙ and with log g values ranging from 3.80 to 4.13. No evidence is found for any loss of angular momentum during the main‐sequence life. The magnetic flux remains constant over the stellar life time on the main sequence. An excess of stars with large obliquities β is detected in both higher and lower mass stars. It is quite possible that the angle β becomes close to 0. in slower rotating stars of mass M > 3 M_⊙ too, analog to the behaviour of angles β in slowly rotating stars of M < 3 M_⊙. The obliquity angle distribution as inferred from the distribution of r ‐values appears random at the time magnetic stars become observable on the H‐R diagram. After quite a short time spent on the main sequence, the obliquity angle β tends to reach values close to either 90. or 0. for M < 3 M_⊙. The evolution of the obliquity angle β seems to be somewhat different for low and high mass stars. While we find a strong hint for an increase of β with the elapsed time on the main sequence for stars with M > 3 M_⊙, no similar trend is found for stars with M < 3 M_⊙. However, the predominance of high values of β at advanced ages in these stars is notable. As the physics governing the processes taking place in magnetised atmospheres remains poorly understood, magnetic field properties have to be considered in the framework of dynamo or fossil field theories. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The sun's magnetic sector structure

The synoptic appearance of solar magnetic sectors is studied using 454 sector boundaries observed at Earth during 1959–1973. The sectors are clearly visible in the photospheric magnetic field. Sector boundaries can be clearly identified as north-south running demarcation lines between regions of persistent magnetic polarity imbalances. These regions extend up to about 35 ° of latitude on both sides of the equator. They generally do not extend into the polar caps. The polar cap boundary can be identified as an east-west demarcation line marking the poleward limit of the sectors. The typical flux imbalance for a magnetic sector is about 4 × 10²¹ Mx.     

The atmospheres of helium-deficient Bp stars

Based on spectra taken with a 6-m telescope, we analyzed the abundances of chemical elements in the He-weak stars HD 21699 and HD 217833, estimated their surface magnetic fields (B_s = 4000 and 4500 G, respectively) from the magnetic intensification of spectral lines, and determined their microturbulences (V _t = 0.80 and 0.75 km s⁻¹, respectively). The low values of V _t show that the stellar atmospheres are stabilized by a magnetic field, which explains the presence of diffusion processes that lead to chemical anomalies. Helium is strongly underabundant, and its deficiency is −1.50 and −1.81 dex in HD 21699 and HD 217833, respectively. We used model atmospheres to determine the effective temperatures, T _eff = 16 000 and 15 450 K, and surface gravities, log g = 4.15 and 3.88, for the stars from the Hδ line, implying that they lie on the main sequence near the stars of luminosity class V.     

Large scale magnetic fields: Density power spectrum in redshift space

We compute the density redshift-space power spectrum in the presence of tangled magnetic fields and compare it with existing observations. Our analysis shows that if these magnetic fields originated in the early universe then it is possible to construct models for which the shape of the power spectrum agrees with the large scale slope of the observed power spectrum. However requiring compatibility with observed CMBR anisotropies, the normalization of the power spectrum is too low for magnetic fields to have significant impact on the large scale structure at present. Magnetic fields of a more recent origin generically give density power spectrumα k ⁴which doesn’t agree with the shape of the observed power spectrum at any scale. Magnetic fields generate curl modes of the velocity field which increase both the quadrupole and hexadecapole of the redshift space power spectrum. For curl modes, the hexadecapole dominates over quadrupole. So the presence of curl modes could be indicated by an anomalously large hexadecapole, which has not yet been computed from observation. It appears difficult to construct models in which tangled magnetic fields could have played a major role in shaping the large scale structure in the present epoch. However if they did, one of the best ways to infer their presence would be from the redshift space effects in the density power spectrum.     

Three-dimensional reddening map for stars from 2MASS photometry: The method and the first results

The first results of the construction of a three-dimensional reddening map for stars within 1600 pc of the Sun are presented. Analysis of the distribution of 70 million stars from the 2MASS catalog with the most accurate photometry on the (J-Ks)-Ks diagram supplemented with Monte Carlo simulations has shown that one of the maxima of this distribution corresponds to F-type dwarfs and subgiants with a mean absolute magnitude M _Ks = 2_⊙ ^m 5. The shift of this maximum toward large J-Ks with increasing Ks reflects the reddening of these stars with increasing heliocentric distance. The distribution of the sample of stars over Ks, l, and b cells with a statistically significant number of stars in each cell corresponds to their distribution over three-dimensional spatial cells. As a result, the reddening E(J-Ks) has been determined with an accuracy of 0_· ^m 03 for spatial cells with a side of 100 pc. All of the known large absorbing clouds within 1600 pc of the Sun have manifested themselves in the results obtained. The distances to the near and far edges of the clouds have been determined with a relative accuracy of 15%. The cases where unknown clouds are hidden behind known ones on the same line of sight have been found. The distance dependence of reddening is considered for various Galactic latitudes and longitudes. The absorbing matter of the Gould Belt is shown to manifest itself at latitudes up to 40° and within 600 pc of the Sun. The size and influence of the Gould Belt may have been underestimated thus far. The absorbing matter at latitudes up to 60° and within 1600 pc of the Sun has been found to be distributed predominantly in the first and second quadrants in the southern hemisphere and in the third and fourth quadrants in the northern hemisphere. The warping of the absorbing layer in the near Galaxy apparently manifests itself in this way. A nonrandom orientation of the clouds relative to the Sun is possible. The mass of the baryonic dark matter in solar neighborhoods can then be considerably larger than is generally believed.     

Discovery of magnetic fields in three He variable Bp stars with He and Si spots

It is essential for the understanding of stellar structure models of high mass stars to explain why constant stars, nonpulsating chemically peculiar hot Bp stars and pulsating stars co‐exist in the slowly pulsating B stars and β Cephei instability strips. We have conducted a search for magnetic fields in the four Bp stars HD55522, HD105382, HD131120, and HD138769 which previously have been wrongly identified as slowly pulsating B stars. A recent study of these stars using the Doppler Imaging technique revealed that the elements He and Si are inhomogeneously distributed on the stellar surface, causing the periodic variability. Using FORS 1 in spectropolarimetric mode at the VLT, we have acquired circular polarisation spectra to test the presence of a magnetic field in these stars. A variable magnetic field is clearly detected in HD55522 and HD105382, but no evidence for the existence of a magnetic field was found in HD131120. The presence of a magnetic field in HD138769 is suggested by one measurement at 3σ level. We discuss the occurrence of magnetic B stars among the confirmed pulsating B stars and find strong magnetic fields of order kG and oscillations to be mutually exclusive. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

An equatorially symmetric rotator model for magnetic stars

Suggested by theoretical and empirical investigations, a very simple magnetic field distribution at the surface of magnetic stars is proposed. This model corresponds to the superposition of a dipole and a quadrupole, both lying in the equatorial plane with their axes in the same direction. The observed variations of the effective magnetic field strength of the sixteen stars investigated can be represented surprisingly well with this model. When the quadrupole contribution is large, the variation of the magnetic field vector over the surface of the star differs characteristically from that of the decentred dipole model; thus the difficulty with the latter, regarding the representation of both the effective magnetic field and the mean surface field with the same parameters may perhaps be avoided.     

Lithium in chemically peculiar CP stars with magnetic fields

The problem of lithium in chemically peculiar Ap-CP stars has been the subject of debate for many years. The main reason for this is a lack of spectral observations of Ap stars in the neighborhood of the lithium resonance doublet Li I 6708 Å. An international cooperation project on “Lithium in cool CP stars with magnetic fields” was started in 1996. Systematic observations of CP stars in spectral regions of the 6708 Å and 6103 Å lines at the ZTSh (CrAO), CAT (ESO), Feros (ESO), and the 74″ telescope of the Mount Stromlo Observatory (Australia) have been used to analyze spectra of several CP stars studied by the way the 6708 Å lithium line varies with the stars’ rotational phase. Monitoring of the spectra of the oscillating CP stars (group I) HD 83368, HD 60435, and HD 3980, for which significant Doppler shifts of the Li I 6708 Å line are observed led to the discovery of “lithium spots” on the surface of these stars whose positions are related to the magnetic field structure. Models of the surfaces of these stars with the special program “ROTATE” based on the profiles of the Li I 6708 Å line are used to estimate the size of the spots, their positions on the stars’ surface, and the lithium abundances in these spots. A detailed analysis and modelling of the spectra of slowly rotating oscillating CP stars with strong, invariant lithium 6708 Å emission, including blending with lines of the rare earth elements, reveals an enhanced lithium abundance, with the abundance determined from the lithium 6103 Å line being higher than that determined from the 6708 Å line for all the stars. This may indicate vertical stratification of lithium in the atmospheres of CP stars with an anomalous isotopic composition (⁶Li/⁷Li = 0.2–0.5). HD 101065, an ultraslow rotator (vsini ≈ 1.5) visible from the poles and with powerful oscillations which cause pulsating line broadening in its spectrum, is unique among these stars. The amount of lithium in the atmosphere of HD 101065 logN(Li) = 3.1 on a scale of logN(H) = 12.0 and the isotope ratio ⁶Li/⁷Li ≈ 0.3. The high estimates of ⁶Li/⁷Li may be explained by the production of lithium in spallation reactions and the preservation of surface ⁶Li and ⁷Li by strong magnetic fields in the upper layers of the atmosphere near the magnetic poles. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 50, No. 3, pp. 463–492 (August 2007).     

The strength of the Sun's polar fields

The magnetic field strength within the polar caps of the Sun is an important parameter for both the solar activity cycle and for our understanding of the interplanetary magnetic field. Measurements of the line-of-sight component of the magnetic field generally yield 0.1 to 0.2 mT near times of sunspot minimum. In this paper we report measurements of the polar fields made at the Stanford Solar Observatory using the Fe i line 525.02 nm. We find that the average flux density poleward of 55° latitude is about 0.6 mT peaking to more than 1 mT at the pole and decreasing to 0.2 mT at the polar cap boundary. The total open flux through either polar cap thus becomes about 3 × 10¹⁴ Wb. We also show that observed magnetic field strengths vary as the line-of-sight component of nearly radial fields.     

Comprehensive study of the magnetic stars HD 5797 and HD 40711 with large chromium and iron overabundances

We present the results of a comprehensive study of the chemically peculiar stars HD 5797 and HD 40711. The stars have the same effective^temperature, T _eff = 8900 K, and a similar chemical composition with large iron (+1.5 dex) and chromium (+3 dex) overabundances compared to the Sun. The overabundance of rare-earth elements typically reaches +3 dex. We have measured the magnetic field of HD 5797. The longitudinal field component B _e has been found to vary sinusoidally between −100 and +1000 G with a period of 69 days. Our estimate of the evolutionary status of the stars suggests that HD 5797 and HD 40711, old objects with an age t ≈ 5 × 10⁸ yr, are near the end of the core hydrogen burning phase.     

On the differential rotation of the polar caps of neutron stars

The model of a magnetized rotating neutron star with an electric current in the region of its fluid polar magnetic caps is considered. The presence of an electric current leads to differential rotation of the magnetic caps. The rotation structure is determined by the electric current density distribution over the surface. In the simplest axisymmetric configuration, the current flows in one direction near the polar cap center and in the opposite direction in the outer ring (the total current is zero for the neutron star charge conservation). In this case, two rings with opposite directions of rotation appear on the neutron star surface, with the inner ring always lagging behind the star’s main rotation. The differential rotation velocity is directly proportional to the electric current density gradient along the polar cap radius. At a width of the region of change in the electric current from 1 to 10² cm and a period ～1 s and a magnetic field B ～ 10¹² G typical of radio pulsars, the linear differential rotation velocity is ～10^?2–10^?4 cm s^?1 (corresponding to a revolution time of ～0.1–10 yr).     

New magnetic field measurements of β Cephei stars and slowly pulsating B stars

We present the results of the continuation of our magnetic survey with FORS 1 at the VLT of a sample of B‐type stars consisting of confirmed or candidate β Cephei stars and Slowly Pulsating B (hereafter SPB) stars, along with a small number of normal B‐type stars. A weak mean longitudinal magnetic field of the order of a few hundred Gauss was detected in three β Cephei stars and two stars suspected to be β Cephei stars, in five SPB stars and eight stars suspected to be SPB stars. Additionally, a longitudinal magnetic field at a level larger than 3σ has been diagnosed in two normal B‐type stars, the nitrogen‐rich early B‐type star HD 52089 and in the B5 IV star HD 153716. Roughly one third of β Cephei stars have detected magnetic fields: Out of 13 β Cephei stars studied to date with FORS 1, four stars possess weak magnetic fields, and out of the sample of six suspected β Cephei stars two show a weak magnetic field. The fraction of magnetic SPBs and candidate SPBs is found to be higher: Roughly half of the 34 SPB stars have been found to be magnetic and among the 16 candidate SPBs eight stars possess magnetic fields. In an attempt to understand why only a fraction of pulsating stars exhibit magnetic fields, we studied the position of magnetic and non‐magnetic pulsating stars in the H‐R diagram. We find that their domains in the H‐R diagram largely overlap, and no clear picture emerges as to the possible evolution of the magnetic field across the main sequence. It is possible that stronger fields tend to be found in stars with lower pulsating frequencies and smaller pulsating amplitudes. A somewhat similar trend is found if we consider a correlation between the field strength and the v sin i ‐values, i.e. stronger magnetic fields tend to be found in more slowly rotating stars (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The exceptional Herbig Ae star HD 101412: The first detection of resolved magnetically split lines and the presence of chemical spots in a Herbig star

In our previous search for magnetic fields in Herbig Ae stars, we pointed out that HD 101412 possesses the strongest magnetic field among the Herbig Ae stars and hence is of special interest for follow‐up studies of magnetism among young pre‐main‐sequence stars. We obtained high‐resolution, high signal‐to‐noise UVES and a few lower quality HARPS spectra revealing the presence of resolved magnetically split lines. HD 101412 is the first Herbig Ae star for which the rotational Doppler effect was found to be small in comparison to the magnetic splitting and several spectral lines observed in unpolarized light at high dispersion are resolved into magnetically split components. The measured mean magnetic field modulus varies from 2.5 to 3.5kG, while the mean quadratic field was found to vary in the range of 3.5 to 4.8 kG. To determine the period of variations, we used radial velocity, equivalent width, line width, and line asymmetry measurements of variable spectral lines of several elements, as well as magnetic field measurements. The period determination was done using the Lomb‐Scargle method. The most pronounced variability was detected for spectral lines of He I and the iron peak elements, whereas the spectral lines of CNO elements are only slightly variable. From spectral variations and magnetic field measurements we derived a potential rotation period P_rot = 13.86 d, which has to be proven in future studies with a larger number of observations. It is the first time that the presence of element spots is detected on the surface of a Herbig Ae/Be star. Our previous study of Herbig Ae stars revealed a trend towards stronger magnetic fields for younger Herbig Ae stars, confirmed by statistical tests. This is in contrast to a few other (non‐statistical) studies claiming that magnetic Herbig Ae stars are progenitors of the magnetic Ap stars. New developments in MHD theory show that the measured magnetic field strengths are compatible with a current‐driven instability of toroidal fields generated by differential rotation in the stellar interior. This explanation for magnetic intermediate‐mass stars could be an alternative to a frozen‐in fossil field (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The dipole-quadrupole cycle of the background solar magnetic field

The evolution of the background magnetic field with the solar cycle has been studied using the dipole-quadrupole magnetic energy behaviour in a cycle. The combined energy of the axisymmetric dipole, non-axisymmetric quadrupole, and equatorial dipole is relatively lowly variable over the solar cycle. The dipole field changed sign when the quadrupole field was near a maximum, andvice versa. A conceptual picture involving four meridional magnetic polarity sectors proposed to explain these features may be in agreement with equatorial coronal hole observations. The rate of sector rotation is estimated to be 8 heliographic degrees per year faster than the Carrington rotation (P = 27.23^d synodic). Polarity boundaries of sectors located 180° apart show meridional migrations in one direction, while the boundaries of the other two sectors move in the opposite direction. A simple model of how the magnetic field energy varies, subject to specifying reasonable initial photospheric magnetic and velocity field patterns, follows the observed evolution of the dipole and quadrupole field energies quite nicely.     

Magnetic Field Elements at High Latitude: Lifetime and Rotation Rate

Using one-minute cadence time-series full disk magnetograms taken by the SOHO/MDI, we have studied the magnetic field elements at high latitude (poleward of 65° in latitude). It is found that an average lifetime of the magnetic field elements is 16.5 h during solar minimum, much longer than that during solar maximum (7.3 h). During solar minimum, number of the magnetic field elements with the dominant polarity is about 3 times as that of the opposite polarity elements. Their lifetime is 21.0 h on average, longer than that of the opposite polarity elements (2.3 h). It is also found that the lifetime of the magnetic field elements is related with their size, consistent with the magnetic field elements in the quiet sun at low latitude found by Hagenaar et al. (Astrophys. J. 511:932, 1999). During solar maximum, the polar regions are equally occupied by magnetic field elements with both polarities, and their lifetimes are roughly the same on average. No evidence shows there is a correlation between the lifetime and size of the magnetic field elements. Using an image cross-correlation method, we also measure the solar rotation rate at high latitude, up to 85° in latitude. The rate is ω=2.914−0.342sin ² φ−0.482sin ⁴ φ μrad s⁻¹ sidereal. It agrees with previous studies using the spectroscopic and image cross-correlation methods, and also agrees with the results using the element tracking method when the sample of the tracked magnetic field elements is large. The consistency of those results strongly suggests that this rate at high latitude is reliable.     

Magnetic survey of emission line B‐type stars with FORS 1 at the VLT

We report the results of our search for magnetic fields in a sample of 16 field Be stars, the binary emission‐line B‐type star υ Sgr, and in a sample of fourteen members of the open young cluster NGC3766 in the Carina spiral arm. The sample of cluster members includes Be stars, normal B‐type stars and He‐strong/He‐weak stars. Nine Be stars have been studied with magnetic field time series obtained over ∼1 hour to get an insight into the temporal behaviour and the correlation of magnetic field properties with dynamical phenomena taking place in Be star atmospheres. The spectropolarimetric data were obtained at the European Southern Observatory with the multi‐mode instrument FORS1 installed at the 8m Kueyen telescope. We detect weak photospheric magnetic fields in four field Be stars, HD 62367, μ Cen, o Aqr, and ε Tuc. The strongest longitudinal magnetic field, 〈B_z〉 = 117 ± 38 G, was detected in the Be star HD 62367. Among the Be stars studied with time series, one Be star, λ Eri, displays cyclic variability of the magnetic field with a period of 21.12 min. The binary star υ Sgr, in the initial rapid phase of mass exchange between the two components with strong emission lines in the visible spectrum, is a magnetic variable star, probably on a timescale of a few months. The maximum longitudinal magnetic field 〈B_z〉 = –102 ± 10 G at MJD 54333.018 was measured using hydrogen lines. The cluster NGC3766 seems to be extremely interesting, where we find evidence for the presence of a magnetic field in seven early B‐type stars out of the observed fourteen cluster members (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

One-photon and two-photon annihilation of positronium in strong magnetic fields

In the presence of a strong magnetic field (such as those believed to be characteristic of neutron stars:B-10¹² Gauss) positronium may annihilate through the emission of a single photon, the magnetic field providing the photon momentum. We report on calculations of the one-photon and two-photon annihilation rates for the ground state of positronium, for magnetic fields in the range (1–44)×10¹² Gauss, and give, in the two-photon case, the minimum energy half-width of the emission line due to the momentum contributions from the magnetic field. We find that unless neutron stars have magnetic fields in excess of 10¹³ Gauss, it is unlikely that the one-photon process will be observable.Research supported in part by the National Research Council of Canada.     

Results of magnetic field measurements in young stars DO Tau, DR Tau, and DS Tau

The results of longitudinal magnetic field measurements B _z in the hot accretion spot in three classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) are reported. In all three stars the magnetic field is detected at a level above 2σ in the formation region of the narrow component of the He I 5876 Å emission line. In the case of DS Tau the longitudinal field B _z in the hot spot was also measured from the narrow emission components of the Na I D lines, implying +0.8 ± 0.3 kG, which is equal to the B _z field component measured from the He I 5876 Å line. Our results suggest that the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory can be used to study magnetic fields in the hot spots of CTTS with magnitudes down to 13^m, making it possible to double the number of stars of this type with measured B _z values in the accretion zone.