The Demarcation Point from E-AGB Stars to TP-AGB Stars in HR Diagram for Medium-mass Stars

Via a study of the evolutionary tracks of 3∼10 M stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, the variations of the energy, density, temperature at the peak of helium-shell burning, ratio of surface luminosity of helium shell to stellar surface luminosity as well as the stellar radius are analyzed. Then the demarcation point of medium-mass stars in the evolution from early AGB stars to thermally pulsing AGB stars on the HR diagram is determined, and for 119 carbon stars our analysis agrees rather well with observation. At the same time the following is suggested. After arriving at this demarcation point in stellar evolution, in the formula of the loss of stellar wind material it is probably needed to introduce a quantity which is not concerned with the surface luminosity, but it dominates the formation of super stellar wind. On this basis and via the analysis of the structure and evolution of 5 M stars as well as the rate of mass loss of stellar wind, it is found that the effect of turbulent pressure on the mass loss of stellar wind in the stage of thermally pulsing AGB stars is rather great, hence the turbulent pressure of thermally pulsing AGB stars cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, the physical factors which possibly affect the matter loss of the stellar winds of thermally pulsing AGB stars are suggested.     

Analysis of the structure and dynamics of the stellar tails of open star clusters

We have analyzed the formation, structure, and dynamical evolution of the population of stars that escaped from open clusters by numerical simulations using S. Aarseth’s modified NBODY6 code. In the Galactic tidal field, the population of stars that escaped from a cluster is shown to be elongated along the orbit of the cluster symmetrically about its core in the form of stellar tails of increasing sizes. We analyze the parameters of stellar tails as a function of such initial simulation conditions as the number of stars, the cluster density, the eccentricity of the Galactic cluster orbit in the plane of the Galactic disk, and the z velocity component. As a result, we constructed a grid of model stellar tails of open clusters. The grid includes such time-dependent parameters of the stellar tails as the length, the cross section, the number of stars, the velocity distribution, etc. Our simulations allow us to clarify the origin of moving clusters and stellar streams and to assess the role of star clusters in forming the stellar velocity field in the solar neighborhood.     

The stellar content of associations and star complexes in M33

A list of 289 stellar associations and 47 star complexes has been compiled. This study is based on a photographicUBV photometry carried out with the 3.6 m CFHT by W. L. Freedman and the 2 m Bulgarian telescope. The identification charts of stellar associations and star complexes are presented. The photographs reveal new appearance for associations. They are seen as clustering within the classical OB associations. The boundaries of the associations were delineated using a cluster analysis. The problems related to the age and size distribution of associations are discussed. The stellar associations provide a good observational test for shock wave across the southern spiral arm. The star complexes in the central region and in the southern spiral arm are rich in WR, O and luminous stars and poor in red supergiants while in the outer region is quite contrary. There is a brief discussion whether the different stellar content of star complexes could be explained with radial metal abundance, in M33 or with variations of the luminosity function from one complex to another. M33 is compared with other nearby galaxies.     

The ISM in nearby galaxies

The SKA will revolutionise the study of the principles underlying star formation (SF), resolving interstellar cloud complexes which are the birthplaces of stars and answering such questions as which are the sufficient and necessary conditions for SF to commence. Also, massive SF is intimately related to stellar death. The SKA will be able to study the structure of the ISM at 100 pc resolution out to distances of up to 20 Mpc and will quantify the impact the demise of massive stars has on their environment. Importantly, the SKA will probe the transition region between ISM and IGM, linking star formation and stellar death in the disks of galaxies to faint HI structures further afield, such as “anomalous gas” and (Compact) High Velocity Clouds. Lastly, the superb sensitivity of the SKA will result in some hundred background sources per square degree against which HI absorption lines can be searched for, probing not only the relative importance of the different phases of the gas in galaxies but also the low density gas in the outskirts and between galaxies.     

The influence of multiple stars on the high-mass stellar initial mass function and age dating of young massive star clusters

The study of young stellar populations has revealed that most stars are in binary or higher order multiple systems. In this study, the influence on the stellar initial mass function (IMF) of large quantities of unresolved multiple massive stars is investigated by taking into account the stellar evolution and photometrically determined system masses. The models, where initial masses are derived from the luminosity and colour of unresolved multiple systems, show that even under extreme circumstances (100 per cent binaries or higher order multiples), the difference between the power-law index of the mass function (MF) of all stars and the observed MF is small (≲0.1). Thus, if the observed IMF has the Salpeter index  α= 2.35  , then the true stellar IMF has an index not flatter than  α= 2.25  . Additionally, unresolved multiple systems may hide between 15 and 60 per cent of the underlying true mass of a star cluster. While already a known result, it is important to point out that the presence of a large number of unresolved binaries amongst pre-main-sequence stars induces a significant spread in the measured ages of these stars even if there is none. Also, lower mass stars in a single-age binary-rich cluster appear older than the massive stars by about 0.6 Myr.     

Spectral classification of stars based on LAMOST spectra

In this work, we select spectra of stars with high signal-to-noise ratio from LAMOST data and map their MK classes to the spectral features. The equivalent widths of prominent spectral lines, which play a similar role as multi-color photometry, form a clean stellar locus well ordered by MK classes. The advantage of the stellar locus in line indices is that it gives a natural and continuous classification of stars consistent with either broadly used MK classes or stellar astrophysical parameters. We also employ an SVM-based classification algorithm to assign MK classes to LAMOST stellar spectra. We find that the completenesses of the classifications are up to 90% for A and G type stars, but they are down to about 50% for OB and K type stars. About 40% of the OB and K type stars are mis-classified as A and G type stars,respectively. This is likely due to the difference in the spectral features between late B type and early A type stars or between late G and early K type stars being very weak. The relatively poor performance of the automatic MK classification with SVM suggests that the direct use of line indices to classify stars is likely a more preferable choice.     

X-ray spectroscopy of stars

Non-degenerate stars of essentially all spectral classes are soft X-ray sources. Their X-ray spectra have been important in constraining physical processes that heat plasma in stellar environments to temperatures exceeding one million degrees. Low-mass stars on the cooler part of the main sequence and their pre-main sequence predecessors define the dominant stellar population in the galaxy by number. Their X-ray spectra are reminiscent, in the broadest sense, of X-ray spectra from the solar corona. The Sun itself as a typical example of a main-sequence cool star has been a pivotal testbed for physical models to be applied to cool stars. X-ray emission from cool stars is indeed ascribed to magnetically trapped hot gas analogous to the solar coronal plasma, although plasma parameters such as temperature, density, and element abundances vary widely. Coronal structure, its thermal stratification and geometric extent can also be interpreted based on various spectral diagnostics. New features have been identified in pre-main sequence stars; some of these may be related to accretion shocks on the stellar surface, fluorescence on circumstellar disks due to X-ray irradiation, or shock heating in stellar outflows. Massive, hot stars clearly dominate the interaction with the galactic interstellar medium: they are the main sources of ionizing radiation, mechanical energy and chemical enrichment in galaxies. High-energy emission permits to probe some of the most important processes at work in these stars, and put constraints on their most peculiar feature: the stellar wind. Medium and high- resolution spectroscopy have shed new light on these objects as well. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of cool and hot stars through the study of X-ray spectra, in particular high-resolution spectra now available from XMM-Newton and Chandra. We address issues related to coronal structure, flares, the composition of coronal plasma, X-ray production in accretion streams and outflows, X-rays from single OB-type stars, massive binaries, magnetic hot objects and evolved WR stars.     

Analyses of Wolf-Rayet ultraviolet spectra

Ultraviolet spectra of population I WR stars obtained from IUE archive are used to determine fundamental stellar parameters. Terminal velocities for 85 galactic and LMC Wolf-Rayet stars were obtained by means of the empirical relation between spectral quantities easily measured in low resolution and high-resolution terminal velocity measurements. Temperatures and so-called transformed radii were derived based on available contour plots of spectral characteristics for a grid of NLTE models. The effect of the reddening law on stellar far ultraviolet continua is emphasized and the revised extinction curve towards WR stars is used for dereddening. For the sample of stars attributed to open clusters or associations we construct the stellar distance scale and adopt it for the other WR stars. The remaining fundamental parameters are derived and HR diagram for population I WR stars is presented.     

Estimates of the radii,masses, and luminosities of LAMOST stars

Based on the spectral observations of the LAMOST (DR2) survey, the radii, masses, and luminosities of 700 481 stars were estimated. These stars belong to spectral types A, F, G, and K, and have metallicities between ?0.845 and 0.0. To determine the properties of the stars, we used up-to-date models of the stellar interior structure, computed with account for the stellar evolution rate and the initial mass function. The use of evolutionary estimates for two types of stars—with and without rotation—allowed us to account for the uncertainty associated with the lack of data on the rotation velocity of the stars under consideration. The obtained stellar radii, together with the photometric estimates of interstellar extinction and angular diameters can be used to study the dependence of interstellar extinction on distance as well as to estimate the stellar distances.     

Absolute Magnitudes of Be Stars Based on Hipparcos Parallaxes

The absolute visual magnitudes of 457 Be stars are determined from Hipparcos parallaxes, subsequently the mean absolute visual magnitudes of Be stars for luminosity classes III, IV and V are obtained. The new Mv calibration is compared with existing calibrations. It is found that Be stars are generally brighter than B stars of the corresponding spectral types, and that there is no direct correlation between absolute magnitudes and the stellar rotational velocity, these results are in agreement with some earlier results. A new and interesting result is that there is no direct correlation between near infrared excess and absolute visual magnitudes for Be stars. Moreover, possible biases, such as the Malmquist bias and the Lutz–Kelker bias, are also discussed.     

Method of ignoring the systematic variations of stellar parallaxes over the celestial sphere in a kinematic analysis of stellar proper motions

A method for determining the velocity field parameters free from the distortions due to the systematic variations of stellar parallaxes over the celestial sphere is proposed. The method is based on the approximation of parallaxes as a function of coordinates on the sphere using spherical harmonics and can be applied in those cases where the solar motion cannot be eliminated from the stellar proper motions. Numerical experiments have shown that our method is able to obtain accurate coordinates of the solar apex and to calculate the kinematic parameters of the Ogorodnikov-Milne model to within three coefficients of the decomposition of parallaxes into first-order spherical harmonics. Examples of applying the method to the stellar proper motions of the Hipparcos catalogue, which admits checking the results using trigonometric parallaxes, are provided. Such a check has been found to yield a positive result only for nearby stars at heliocentric distances that do not exceed 400 pc and for which the parallaxes were determined with a relative error of at least 30%. An interesting feature of this method is the possibility to construct the shape of the figure which is formed by the deviations of the parallaxes from the sphere corresponding to the average parallaxes of the stars under consideration. It should be specially emphasized that all of this is done in the complete absence of information about the stellar parallaxes. The “solar terms” of the stellar proper motions that are formed by the products of the parallaxes by the solar motion components relative to the centroid of stars are the main source of information about the parallaxes here.     

Simultaneous ROSAT XRT and WFC observations of a sample of active dwarf stars

The X-ray observations of the ROSAT -PSPC All-Sky Survey have revealed bright and energetic coronae for a number of late-type main-sequence stars, many of them flare stars. We have detected 31 X-ray flares on 14 stars. A search for simultaneous X-ray and EUV (extreme ultraviolet) flares using ROSAT Wide Field Camera survey data revealed a large number of simultaneous flares. These results indicate that the heating mechanisms of the X-ray and EUV‐emitting regions of the stellar coronae are similar. We find X-ray quiescent variability for nine of the 14 stars and simultaneous X-ray and EUV quiescent variability for seven of these nine stars. These results imply that the stellar coronae are in a continuous state of low-level activity. There are tight linear correlations of X-ray flare luminosity with the 'quiescent' X-ray as well as with the stellar bolometric luminosity. The similarity between the X-ray-to‐EUV quiescent and flare luminosity ratios suggests that the two underlying spectra are also similar. Both are indeed consistent with the previously determined Einstein two-temperature models. We suggest that both the variability and spectral results could indicate that the quiescent emission is composed of a multitude of unresolved flares.     

A panoramic view of M81: new stellar systems in the debris field

Using the MegaCam imager on the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, we have resolved individual stars in the outskirts of the nearby large spiral galaxy M81 (NGC 3031) well below the tip of the red giant branch of metal-poor stellar populations over  ∼60 × 58 kpc²  . In this paper, we report the discovery of new young stellar systems in the outskirts of M81. The most prominent feature is a chain of clumps of young stars distributed along the extended southern H  i tidal arm connecting M 81 and NGC 3077. The colour–magnitude diagrams of these stellar systems show plumes of bright main sequence stars and red supergiant stars, indicating extended events of star formation. The main sequence turn-offs of the youngest stars in the systems are consistent with ages of ∼40 Myr. The newly reported stellar systems show strong similarities with other known young stellar systems in the debris field around M81, with their properties best explained by these systems being of tidal origin.     

Parametrization of single and binary stars

Stellar masses and ages are not directly observable parameters, and the methods used to determine them are based on the calibrating relations. In particular, the mass–luminosity relation, based on the masses of less than 200 well-studied binaries, is virtually the only way to estimate the mass of single stars. Thus, the development of methods for estimating stellar masses with accuracy comparable to direct methods is a problem of vital importance.
Here, we describe a method for estimating stellar masses and ages, which is based on the geometric similarity of evolutionary tracks for the stars at the same evolutionary stage in the Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram. To examine the proposed approach, it has been applied to various test data sets. Application of the method, using synthetic stellar spectra Basel Stellar Library (of theoretical spectra; BaSeL), demonstrates that it allows determination of masses and ages of stars with a predictable distribution of uncertainties.
This statistical approach allows us to demonstrate the viability of the method using it on the set of double-lined eclipsing binaries with intermediate-mass and low-mass components which allows us to compare calculated characteristics with observational ones. As a result, the uncertainties of the stellar masses estimated with the proposed method are comparable with the accuracy of ones obtained from direct observations. This allows us to recommend the method for mass estimates of masses of single stars by the localization in the HR diagram.
As for the ages, the estimates for intermediate-mass stars are more reliable, while those obtained for low-mass stars are very uncertain, due both to slower movement of these stars in the HR diagram with age at stages close to the main sequence and to certain disagreements between theoretical models for this mass range.     

Planets and Planet-Sized Binaries from the OGLE Transit Survey

The OGLE survey for transiting planets has identified 177 transit candidates. Subsequent radial velocity follow-up of these candidates has allowed the detection of five transiting planets, as well as several dozen eclipsing binaries.Some of these systems consist of solar-type stars transited by small M dwarf companion, including the smallest stellar companions yet measured by transit. As a result, the OGLE transit survey has yielded a wealth of data on the mass-radius relation of planets and low-mass stars. In particular, two planet-sized stars were found, an empirical proof of the model predictions on Jupiter-sized main-sequence stars.     

A numerical study of the r-mode instability of rapidly rotating nascent neutron stars

The first results of numerical analysis of classical r-modes of rapidly rotating compressible stellar models are reported. The full set of linear perturbation equations of rotating stars in Newtonian gravity is solved numerically without the slow rotation approximation. A critical curve of gravitational wave emission induced instability, which restricts the rotational frequencies of hot young neutron stars, is obtained. Taking the standard cooling mechanisms of neutron stars into account, we also show the 'evolutionary curves' along which neutron stars are supposed to evolve as cooling and spinning down proceed. Rotational frequencies of 1.4-M_⊙ stars suffering from this instability decrease to around 100 Hz when the standard cooling mechanism of neutron stars is employed. This result confirms the results of other authors, who adopted the slow rotation approximation.     

The YNEV stellar evolution and oscillation code

We have developed a new stellar evolution and oscillation code YNEV,which calculates the structures and evolutions of stars,taking into account hydrogen and helium burning.A nonlocal turbulent convection theory and an updated overshoot mixing model are optional in this code.The YNEV code can evolve low-and intermediate-mass stars from the pre-main sequence to a thermally pulsing asymptotic branch giant or white dwarf.The YNEV oscillation code calculates the eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions of the adiabatic oscillations for a given stellar structure.The input physics and numerical scheme adopted in the code are introduced.Examples of solar models,stellar evolutionary tracks of low-and intermediate-mass stars with different convection theories(i.e.mixing-length theory and nonlocal turbulent convection theory),and stellar oscillations are shown.     

Formation of stellar associations

The Rayleigh-Taylor instability forms massive complexes. When 10²¹ atoms cm^–2 are gathered, X-rays which heat the gas and UV-rays which ionize carbon are absorbed. A layer should appear with temperatures as low as 6 K and density to 4×10³ cm^–3. Finally the layer is fragmented into stars whose masses may even be less than one solar mass. The temperature of the layer should increase with time because part of free carbon is gradually absorbed by dust. Therefore more massive stars should appear after less massive stars. The stars which are formed kept near the layer by its gravitation. When their total mass becomes comparable with the mass of the layer, they should fall to the galactic plane in agreement with observed proper motions of several studied stellar systems.     

Chemical composition of a sample of bright solar‐metallicity stars

We present a detailed analysis of seven young stars observed with the spectrograph SOPHIE at the Observatoire de Haute‐Provence for which the chemical composition was incomplete or absent in the literature. For five stars, we derived the stellar parameters and chemical compositions using our automatic pipeline optimized for F, G, and K stars, while for the other two stars with high rotational velocity, we derived the stellar parameters by using other information (parallax), and performed a line‐by‐line analysis. Chromospheric emission‐line fluxes from Caii are obtained for all targets. The stellar parameters we derive are generally in good agreement with what is available in the literature. We provide a chemical analysis of two of the stars for the first time. The star HIP 80124 shows a strong Li feature at 670.8 nm implying a high lithium abundance. Its chemical pattern is not consistent with it being a solar sibling, as has been suggested. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

重新审查昴星团成员星锂丰度的弥散

重新审查了昴星团成员星的活动性和在同一颜色处Li丰度的弥散．发现大多数的研究者低估了昴星团恒星的活动性．重新研究了恒星的活动性(包括黑子活动)和星团中恒星的不均匀红化效应对Li丰度弥散的影响．得到的主要结论是：没有坚实的证据说明观测到的Li丰度弥散是代表具相同有效温度星团成员大气Li丰度存在真实的差异．相反，假若不是全部，其大部的视Li丰度弥散是活动星的大气效应所致．Li丰度一恒星自转关联很可能只是Li丰度-恒星活动性关联的一种反映。