The chemical composition of the red giant η Ser

The paper presents the results of an analysis of elemental abundances in the atmosphere of η Ser—a red giant of spectral type K2IIIabCN1, according to Hoffleit and Jaschek [4]. The resulting atmospheric parameters correspond to a K0 giant, and the peculiarities of the star’s chemical composition provide evidence that the assignment of η Ser to the class of CN stars was erroneous.     

The detection of heavy metals in the circumstellar envelopes of post-AGB stars

A new kind of peculiarity is discussed: splitting or asymmetry of strong absorption lines in the optical spectra of selected post-AGB stars with carbon envelopes and atmospheres enriched in carbon and s-process heavy metals. This effect is strongest for BaII ions, whose lines can be split into two or three components. Infrared and radio spectroscopy data are used to demonstrate that the individual components of split absorption lines are formed in structured circumstellar envelopes. Thus, this effect reveals efficient enrichment of the envelope in heavy metals synthesized during the star’s earlier evolution. The nature of the strong absorption profile (split or asymmetric, number of components) could be related to the morphology and kinematical and chemical properties of the enenvelope.     

Modeling the spectral energy distributions of L dwarfs

Mechanisms for the formation of the optical (λλ500–950 nm) spectra of L dwarfs—stars and sub-stellar objects with T _eff<2200 K—are discussed. Their spectral energy distributions are determined primarily by the K I and Na I resonance-doublet absorption lines. The equivalent widths of these absorption lines formally computed using the dusty model atmospheres of Tsuji can reach several thousand angstroms. In this case, the extended wings of these lines form a pseudo-continuum for weaker absorption lines and even molecular bands. Mechanisms for the broadening of alkali-element lines in the atmospheres of late-type stars due to interactions between neutral atoms and hydrogen molecules are analyzed. The computed optical spectral energy distributions of several L dwarfs are compared with their observed spectra.     

Elemental abundances in atmospheres of cool dwarfs with solar-like activity

The elemental abundances in the atmosphere of the red dwarf HD 32147, which belongs to the HR 1614 moving groups, are analyzed. The atmospheric parameters determined from spectroscopic data (the condition of equal abundances for neutral and ionized atoms of a given element) differ considerably from those derived from photometry and parallax data. The abundances of several elements are also anomalous, with the anomaly increasing with decreasing ionization potential. It is concluded that this star is a red dwarf displaying solar-like activity; i.e., having dark (cool) spots on its surface, which may sometimes be considerable in size. Modeling synthetic spectra of stars with cool spots on their surfaces, with the spectral lines consisting of two components formed in media with different temperatures, indicate that the spectroscopic atmospheric parameters derived in such cases are incorrect; this can also explain the observed dependence of the elemental abundances on the corresponding ionization potentials. This leads to the conclusion thatHD32147 is indeed a star with solar-like activity. Several other such stars considered as examples display the same anomalies as those of HD 32147. These modeling results are also valid for Ap and Am stars, and are able to explain short-wavelength observations of the Sun and some stars (the FIP effect).     

Statistics of BY Draconis variables

A statistical survey of 113 spotted red dwarf stars that are known or suspected BY Draconis variables is presented. Typical indicators of stellar photometric activity—the amplitudes of the rotational modulation and seasonal mean brightness variations ΔV and Δ〈V〉—are compared to the global parameters of the stars. First, photometric variability shows a weak dependence on spectral type; second, ΔV and Δ〈V〉 grow with increasing stellar rotational velocity and decreasing Rossby number, with the dependences saturating at the critical values V _crit～15–20 km/s and Ro_crit～0.2–0.3; and third, the Sun as a star fits well into the derived relations. Thus, the spottedness of stars, like other indicators of stellar activity, depends on their global parameters.     

Kinematic structure of the atmosphere and envelope of the post-AGB star HD 56126

We present a detailed analysis of the optical spectrum of the post-AGB star HD 56126 (IRAS 07134+1005) based on observations made with the echelle spectrographs of the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory with resolutions of R = 25 000 and 60 000 at 4012-8790 Å. The profiles of strong lines (HI; FeII, YII, BaII absorption lines, etc.) formed in the expanding atmosphere at the base of the stellar wind display complex and variable shapes. To study the kinematics of the atmosphere, the velocities of individual features in these profiles must be measured. Differential line shifts of up to ΔV _r = 15–30 km/s have been detected from the lines of metals and molecular fetures. The stellar atmosphere simultaneously contains both expanding layers and layers falling onto the star. A comparison of the data for different times demonstrates that both the radial velocity and the overall velocity pattern are variable. The position of the molecular spectrum is stable, implying stability of the expansion velocity of the circumstellar envelope around HD 56126 detected in observations in the C₂ and NaI lines.     

Analysis of the Na,Mg, Al,and Si abundances in the atmospheres of red giants of different spectral subgroups

We analyze the Na, Mg, Al, and Si abundances in the atmospheres of more than 40 stars, includingred giants of different spectral subgroups (normal red giants, mild and classical barium stars) and several supergiants. All these elements exhibit abundance excesses, with the overabundance increasing with the star’s luminosity. The dependence of the overabundances for each of these elements on the luminosity (or log g) is the same for all the spectral subgroups, testifying to a common origin: they are all products of hydrogen burning in the NeNa and MgAl cycles that have been dredged up from the stellar interiors to the outer atmospheric layers by convection that gradually develops during the star’s evolution from the main sequence to the red-giant stage. The sodium abundances derived for several stars are lower than for other stars with similar atmospheric parameters. The ages and kinematic characteristics of these two groups of stars suggest that they probably belong to different stellar generations.     

Hyperfine Splitting in the VALD Database of Spectral-line Parameters

The Vienna Atomic Line Database (VALD) has been supplemented with new data and new functionality—the possibility of taking into account the effect of hyperfine splitting (HFS) of atomic levels in the analysis of line profiles. This has been done through the creation of an ancillary SQL database with the HFS constants for atomic levels of 58 isotopes of 30 neutral and singly-ionized atoms. The completeness of the collected data and new opportunities for studies of stars of various spectral types is analyzed. The database enables analysis of splitting of up to 60% of lines with measurable effects in the ultraviolet (λ ≳ 1000 Å ), and up to 100% of such lines in the optical and infrared ranges (λ ≲ 25 000 Å ) for A–M stars. In the spectra of hot O–B stars, it is necessary to use laboratory measurements for atoms in the second and higher stages of ionization.

     

Circumstellar activity around the Herbig Ae/Be stars MWC 361, MWC 614, AB Aur

A study of the optical spectra of three Herbig Ae/Be stars is presented: MWC 361,MWC 614, AB Aur. Variations of the equivalent widths, radial velocities, and profiles of spectral lines formed in different regions of the circumstellar environments of these stars are analyzed. The most active spectral variations are observed in the Hα, Hβ, and He I 5876 lines. Other emission lines, such as Si II λλ6347, 6371 Åand [O I] λλ6300, 6363 Å, also display variations, but these are much smaller. Interstellar DIBs at λλ5780 and 5797 ?A were detected for the stars MWC 361 and MWC 614 for the first time. The active processes that are underway in the circumstellar environments of these systems can also reach more distant, outer parts of their circumstellar disks.     

Analysis of the spectral energy distributions of four cool R CrB stars near the brightness maximum

The effective temperatures T _eff and carbon and nitrogen abundances in the atmospheres of the cool R CrB stars ES Aql, SV Sge, Z UMi, and NSV 11154 have been determined by modeling their spectral energy distributions in the optical and near-infrared. The hydrogen-deficient model atmospheres were computed using the SAM12 code in the classical approximation, taking into account sources of opacity characteristic of the atmospheres of R CrB stars. The influence of the hydrogen deficiency on theoretical stellar spectra is analyzed. The resulting effective-temperature estimates for ES Aql, SV Sge, Z UMi, and NSV 11154 are in the range T _eff = 4600–5200 K. The carbon abundances log n(C) in the atmospheres of ES Aql, SV Sge, and Z UMi are 8.9–10.1, corresponding to [C/Fe] values typical of the atmospheres of R CrB stars. The nitrogen abundances are lower than those determined in other studies, and differ considerably from star to star. The mean [N/Fe] value for these three stars is ≈1.5 dex lowthan the mean [N/Fe] for known warm R CrB stars. Abnormally high estimates were obtained for the atmosphere of NSV 11154: log n(C) = 10.8 and log n(N) = 10.0. The approximate log g estimates agree with the conclusion from photometric observations that cool R CrB stars have lower luminosities than hotter R CrB stars.     

Studies of sources from the WMAP catalog

Observations of a complete sample of sources from the WMAP catalog were obtained at 22.2 and 36.8 GHz on the RT-22 radio telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. We have determined the distribution of the source spectral indices between these frequencies. The distributions of the spectral indices of the WMAP catalog (between 23 and 33 GHz) and in the RT-22 sample have the same shape and half-width, suggesting that the mean source parameters are constant in time. We have plotted the log N — log S dependence down to the flux levels of about 0.1 Jy using pilot data from the AT20 survey, where a cosmological “cutoff” in the source counts is already observed. The variability of individual sources in connection with flare activity is considered. The optical characteristics of the complete sample of WMAP sources are compared to those of identified AT20 survey sources.     

A study of rare earth elements in the atmospheres of chemically peculiar stars. Pr III and Nd III lines

We determine the abundances of Pr and Nd in the atmospheres of magnetic and non-magnetic chemically peculiar stars from the lines of rare earth elements in the first and second ionization states. The computations for the magnetic stars take into account the influence of the magnetic field on line formation. We studied the influence of errors in the stellar-atmosphere parameters and the atomic parameters of the spectral lines on the accuracy of abundance determinations. Within the derived accuracy, ionization equilibrium is satisfied in the atmospheres of non-pulsating magnetic and non-magnetic stars (so that abundances derived separately from lines of first and second ions agree). For all the pulsating magnetic (roAp) stars studied, the abundances derived from lines of second ions are 1.0 to 1.7 dex higher than those derived from first ions. The violation of ionization equilibrium in the atmospheres of pulsating stars is probably due to, first, considerable enrichment of Pr and Nd in the uppermost atmospheric layers, and second, a higher location for the layer of enhanced elemental abundance in roAp stars than in non-pulsating stars. Two objects from the list of non-pulsating magnetic stars, HD 62140 and HD 115708, exhibit anomalies of their Pr and Nd lines characteristic of roAp stars. The differences in the rare earth anomalies for the pulsating and non-pulsating peculiar stars can be used as a selection criterion for candidate roAp stars.     

Observations of stellar objects at a shell boundary in the star-forming complex in the galaxy IC 1613

The single region of ongoing star formation in the galaxy IC 1613 has been observed in order to reveal the nature of compact emission-line objects at the edges of two shells in the complex, identified earlier in Hα line images. The continuum images show these compact objects to be stars. Detailed spectroscopic observations of these stars and the surrounding nebulae were carried out with an MPFS spectrograph mounted on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. The resulting stellar spectra were used to determine the spectral types and luminosity classes of the objects. Of star we identified the only object of this spectral type in IC 1613. The results of optical observations of the multishell complex are compared to 21-cm radio observations. The shells harboring the stars at their boundaries constitute the most active part of the star-forming region. There is evidence that shocks have played an important role in the formation of the shells.     

Dependence of the diffuse X-ray luminosities of virialized systems on the masses of their central objects

Based on the available observational data on the diffuse X-ray emission from hot gas in virialized systems (the central regions of clusters of galaxies or the coronas of spherical galaxies) and the masses of the central objects in these systems (the central galaxies in clusters or massive compact objects—supermassive black holes—in the galactic nuclei), we show that the X-ray luminosity is proportional to the square of the mass of the central object. This is consistent with the dependence obtained earlier between X-ray luminosities of systems and the square of their optical luminosities (i.e., the luminosity of stars in these systems). The existence of such dependences for virialized systems on various scales may provide evidence that they are all formed by a single mechanism, such as hierarchical gravitational clustering. Although the times to achieve hydrostatic equilibrium between the gaseous and stellar components in systems on various scales differ, the relation between certain internal parameters of these systems may remain the same. This enables us to estimate certain parameters of virialized systems in terms of others, in particular, to estimate the masses of their central objects based on the diffuse X-ray luminosity of their coronas.     

The evolution of solar-like activity of low-mass stars

An analysis of data on chromospheric activity obtained in the framework of exoplanet-search programs is presented. Observations of 1334 stars showing that the chromospheric activity of the Sun is clearly higher than for the vast majority of stars in the solar vicinity are used. A comparison of chromospheric and coronal activity led to the identification of a significant group of stars with a low level of chromospheric activity, whose coronal radiation spans wide ranges. There are reasons to believe that the chromospheric and coronal activities of one group of stars decrease simultaneously as the rotation decelerates, while, in stars of the other group, the chromospheric activity diminishes, but their coronas remain stronger than that of the Sun. Features of cyclic activity of the Sun are discussed. This enables us to associate differences in the behavior of the activity with different depths of the convective zones of stars of spectral classes earlier and later than G6. Arguments in favor of a two-layer dynamo and different roles of the large-scale and small-scale magnetic fields in the formation and evolution of activity are formulated. Age estimations based on activity levels (gyrochronology) must be carried out differently for these different groups of stars.     

DY Persei,the coolest metal-poor R CrB carbon star

We have derived the atmospheric parameters of the R CrB carbon star DY Per. The spectrum of DY Per near its maximum brightness was obtained using the 2.6-m ZTSh telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, and has a resolution of about 1.74 Å per pixel. We compare the absolute observed and theoretical spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of DY Per for λλ 430–730 nm for the first time. The model atmospheres were computed using a code written by Ya.V. Pavlenko in the classical approximation, taking into account the main opacity sources in carbon-star atmospheres. The theoretical SEDs were computed using the list of atomic lines from the VALD database and the molecular line lists from CD-ROM No. 18 of Kurucz’s database. The estimated by spectral synthesis effective temperature of DY Per is in the range of 2900–3100 K, if we assume log g = 0. We find a metal deficiency in the atmosphere of DY Per. Quantitative estimates of the overall metallicity, carbon and nitrogen abundances, and the H/He ratio are somewhat uncertain: ?2 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ ?0.5, 0.65 ≤ [C/Fe] ≤ 1.35, 0.0 ≤ [N/Fe] ≤ 0.8, 1/9 ≤ H/He ≤ 9/1. These high H/He values do not quite agree with qualitative observational estimates made by other authors. Our results confirm that DY Per is a unique stellar object. This is the coolest and possibly the most metal-poor of all known R CrB stars. We conclude that the large deficiencies of metals and hydrogen lead to [C/Fe] values in the atmosphere of DY Per characteristic of R CrB stars.     

Studies of classical barium stars

Using atmosphere models based on high-resolution spectra, we have derived the abundances of chemical elements in the atmospheres of seven classical barium stars and compared them with the elemental abundances of moderate barium stars and normal red giants. The behavior of elements up to the iron peak is the same in all three groups of giants, providing evidence that they have a common origin. The dependence of the anomalous abundances of s-process elements on stellar mass and metallicity is qualitatively similar for all three groups, probably indicating that a substantial role is played by the evolutionary phase of the stars. We conclude that the barium-star phenomenon and the overabundances of s-process elements in barium stars cannot be explained as a consequence of binarity alone. The extent to which the s-process elements are overabundant is affected by the mass, metallicity, and evolutionary phase of the given star, and any of these parameters may prove to be important in a specific object.     

The character of solar-type activity and the depth of the convective zone

The origin of solar-type activity for low-mass stars of late spectral types is considered. Spectroscopic data were used to study the dependence of the activity level logR′ _HK on the lithium abundance logA(Li) and axial rotation rate. A close correlation between logA(Li) and logR′ _HK is found for two groups of G stars, hotter and cooler than the Sun. This relation is most clearly expressed in the case of high activity, and is somewhat more strongly expressed for G6-K3 dwarfs, which includes many BY Dra variables, than for F8-G5 stars. It is confirmed that, for stars with high activity, both the lithium abundance and the activity level are determined by the rotation rate, which depends on the age. The lithium abundance exhibits different dependences on the chromospheric activity, depending on the level of this activity. Cooler stars, with detectable lithium and solar-like chromospheres, possess much stronger coronas. This change in the relationship between the relative luminosities of the chromosphere and corona can be reliably traced using larger datasets. The different ratios between the activity of the choromosphere and corona for cooler and hotter G stars may reflect the fact that their convective zones become deeper or shallower than some critical value. This is consistent with observations of parameters describing rotational modulation and the correlation and anti-correlation of chromospheric and photospheric activity indices for stars hotter and cooler than the Sun. Physically, this means that the character of the activity could be related to a changing contribution of the large-scale and local magnetic fields to the generation of the activity. The results of this study confirm the earlier idea that there may be different evolution paths associated with solar-type activity. The results can be used to refine methods for estimating ages of stars from their activity levels (gyrochronology).     

Merging of components in close binaries: Type Ia supernovae,massive white dwarfs,and Ap stars

The “Scenario Machine” (a computer code designed for studies of the evolution of close binaries) was used to carry out a population synthesis for a wide range of merging astrophysical objects: main-sequence stars with main-sequence stars; white dwarfs with white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes; neutron stars with neutron stars and black holes; and black holes with black holes. We calculate the rates of such events, and plot the mass distributions for merging white dwarfs and main-sequence stars. It is shown that Type Ia supernovae can be used as standard candles only after approximately one billion years of evolution of galaxies. In the course of this evolution, the average energy of Type Ia supernovae should decrease by roughly 10%; the maximum and minimum energies of Type Ia supernovae may differ by no less than by a factor of 1.5. This circumstance must be taken into account at estimating the parameters of the Universe expansion acceleration. According to theoretical estimates, the most massive—as a rule, magnetic—white dwarfs probably originate from mergers of white dwarfs of lower mass. At least some magnetic Ap and Bp stars may form in mergers of low-mass main-sequence stars (M ? 1.5 M _⊙) with convective envelopes.     

Variability of stars in the Pulkovo spectrophotometric catalog

We present the results of a statistical study of brightness variability for 693 stars of the Pulkovo spectrophotometric database in five spectral bands in the range λλ 320–1080 nm. Significant brightness variations were detected in at least one spectral band against the background of the random noise for one-third of the stars not earlier believed to be variable. A comparison of the distributions of these variations in amplitude and spectral band for the normal and variable stars shows that variability is inherent to most stars to some extent and is often wavelength dependent.