Coronal temperatures and temperature gradients from OSO-7 spectroheliograms

Temperatures and temperature gradients for the outer corona are obtained from brightness gradients of EUV lines that were measured with the spectroheliograph on OSO-7. Brightness gradients show considerable deviations from isothermal model calculations that include collisional excitation and photoexcitation. A negative temperature gradient that gives both positive and negative ion abundance gradients appears to be able to account for the discrepancy. For 284 of Fe xv, perhaps the strongest line from the outer corona, measurements during 1972 appear to be consistent with (i) a temperature near 2.3×10⁶K near the equator at = 1.3±0.1 solar radii from the solar center; (ii) (/T) dT/d values near -0.7 that extend from as low as = 1.2 to about = 1.8. Temperatures from strong lines of Fe xiv and Fe xvi indicate that variations of about ±0.2×10⁶K exist along lines of sight where emission is appreciable. There appears to be some agreement between these results and temperature measurements from ion abundances in the solar wind and Doppler width of 5303.     

Cooling sequence of a pure helium white dwarf of 0.15 solar masses

A new method of integration has been performed and applied to the computation of the cooling sequence of a 0.15M white dwarf consisting of helium. The results are discussed and compared with the previous ones obtained by other authors.

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Riassunto E' stato elaborato un nuovo metodo di integrazione numerica, ed applicato al calcolo della sequenza evolutiva di raffreddamento di una nana bianca di puro elio di 0.15M . I risultati vengono discussi e confrontati con i precedenti modelli ottenuti da altri autori.

     

Detection of background gravitational radiation by Doppler tracking of spacecraft

Low-frequency gravitational radiation, with wavelengths reaching or exceeding interplanetary distances, and with a mean energy density of the order of the critical cosmological density _c , generates a frequency-shift of order/10^–15 h ₀(1/10⁸km)(/ _c )^1/2 in electromagnetic signals transponded by interplanetary spacecraft at a distancel from the Earth.     

Luminosity and mass functions for low main-sequence stars

The luminosity function derived for main sequence stars in the neighbourhood of the Sun shows evidence for a flattening in the interval 5≲M _v ≲8. An interpretation of this feature by means of theoretical models enables us to deduce the mass function for stars belonging to the main sequence.

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Sommario Viene ricavata la funzione di luminosità per stelle di sequenza principale vicine al Sole. Si evidenzia un pianerottolo per 5≲M _v ≲8. II confronto con i modelli teorici consente di desumere la funzione di massa della sequenza principale.

     

Stellar atmospheres models of K-giant stars: the influence of opacity sources

Four different models for a K-giant atmosphere (T _e=4500K, logg=2) have been computed. Each model is characterized by the inclusion of different opacity sources (H, H^–, (H), metals, blanketing effect, He^–) in order to obtain an evaluation of the model sensitivity concerning the atmospheric structure and the emergent flux. The results show that hydrogen, metals and blanketing effect must be taken into account to achieve self-consistent and reliable models.A picture of the influence of the frequency distribution of the absorption coefficient on the model features is also shown.

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Sommario Sono stati calcolati quattro differenti modelli di una stella gigante K(T _e=4500K, logg=2). Ogni modello è caratterizzato dalla inclusione di differenti sorgenti di opacità (H, H^–, (H), metalli, effetto blanketing, He^–) per ottenere una valutazione della sensibilità del modello per quel che riguarda la struttura atmosferica ed il flusso emergente. I risultati ottenuti mostrano che per costruire modelli auto-consistenti e con un buon grado di affidabilità occorre tener conto almeno delle seguenti sorgenti di opacità: H, metalli, effetto blanketing.Si mostra inoltre come sia possibile una descrizione schematica dell'influenza del coefficiente di assorbimento sulle varie caratteristiche del modello.

     

Overshooting of convective cores in helium-burning horizontal-branch stars

In helium-burning horizontal-branch stars, transformation of helium into carbon increases opacity in the convective core. Such a situation can drive an increase of the core-mass extension via the mixing by overshooting. The efficiency of this mechanism is investigated in order to obtain an indication of the time scale for the propagation of the convective boundary. Schwarzschild's criterion is shown to be fulfilled within a few percent at the innermost interface of the core boundary.

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Riassunto Nei primi stadi evolutivi di stelle di ramo orizzontale, la combustione di elio in carbonio aumenta l'opacità nel nucleo convettivo. Ne segue che il rimescolamento al bordo della convezione (overshooting) induce una progressiva instabilità convettiva negli strati contornanti il nucleo con conseguente incremento della massa del nucleo stesso. E' studiata l'efficienza di tale meccanismo al fine di ottenere indicazioni sui tempi scala caratteristici del processo di propagazione. Si mostra come il criterio di Schwarzschild risulti verificato entro qualche percento al bordo interno del nucleo convettivo.

     

The interrelationship between cosmic dust and the microwave background

Attention is given to the radiation of microwaves by charged dust in space. Presently-used particle distributions do not restrict the presence in space of large numbers of small (r<10^–6 cm) silicate grains, but it is shown that such densities (10^–25–10^–26 g cm^–3) of small grains would produce a microwave background with an energy density of the same order of magnitude as the energy density of the (presumed) cosmological 3 K background. Limits set by the isotropy of the latter are: (HI clouds)10^–26, (Galactic plane)10^–30, (Halo)10^–32, (Local Group)10^–34 g cm^–3. These limits imply that either there is a cutoff in particle distributions atr10^–6 cm, or that the density of silicate grains in space has been generally overestimated, or that cosmic rays have broken up a lot of grains so that they now form a population of grains of very small size (10^–7 cm) which are difficult to detect by conventional methods. One way to look for the latter population is by studying expected distortions of the 3 K spectrum to the short wavelength side of the portion hitherto observed (grains may have a size distribution able to give an approximate black-body curve for radiation from larger grains of 10^–6 cm size), and by testing the effective energy density of the 3 K field in other galaxies.     

Self-accretion of matter,red subluminous stars and early evolution of low-mass stars

Low-mass stars during their pre-main sequence contraction phase are expected to be surrounded by a certain amount of the primordial gas. At low luminosities, accretion of this gas can make the stars to follow a peculiar evolutionary course which can account for certain types of red subluminous stars. The efficiency of the accretion mechanism can also account for some peculiarities in the spectra of the stars of low mass.

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Sommario Stelle di bassa massa in fase di contrazione pre-sequenza sono con ogni probabilità circondate da abbondante gas. In queste condizioni al diminuire della luminosità può divenire efficiente il meccanismo di accrescimento, cosi da condurre la stella su una linea evolutiva del tutto peculiare. Una simile evoluzione può rendere conto di oggetti sottoluminosi e a bassa temperatura, come pure di alcune peculiarità negli spettri di stelle di bassa massa.

     

Circular Polarization of Starlight

Of the 7500 stars cited in the Catalog of starlight polarization, those which satisfy the condition P _obs % and A _V 0^m.5 are selected. It is presumed that the selected stars (n=216) have circularly polarized light.     

On the evolutionary stage of stars in the Draco dwarf Galaxy

An analysis of the colour-magnitude diagram of stars in Draco dwarf Galaxy is performed on the basis of Baade and Swope observational results. Some evidence is found for the occurrence of a clump in the luminosity distribution of Red Giants stars. By combining this characteristic with the morphology of Horizontal Branch one obtains — in the frame of present knowledge of star-evolution —a suggestion for accepting high helium content (Y-0.30) with a relatively small age (1–2×10⁹ yr) for the evolving stars.Some correlations among lifetimes of evolutionaries stages are derived.

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Sommario Sulla base dei risultati osservativi di Baade e Swope viene eseguita un'analisi del diagramma colore-magnitudine delle stelle della Galassia Nana in Draco. Viene così evidenziata la possibile esistenza di un picco nella distribuzione in luminosità delle Giganti Rosse. Combinando questa caratteristica con l'osservato andamento del Ramo Orizzontale si mostra come — nell'ambito delle attuali conoscenze sull'evoluzione stellare — un simile comportamento conduca a postulare un alto contenuto di elio (Y-0.30) e una età relativamente bassa (1–2×10⁹ anni) per le stelle del sistema.Sono infine ricavate alcune correlazioni, tra le vite medie delle principali fasi evolutive.

     

The spectrum of the Bp star HD 36916

The spectrum of the peculiar Bp star HD 36916 has been studied on plates with dispersion 9.7 A/mm and compared with those of Aur, B3V andi And, B8V. A comparison of the observed contours of H, H and of the Balmer discontinuity D with those computed by Mihalas gives the following results: HD 36916: _e=0.347, logg=3.8;i And: _e=0.383, logg=3.2; Aur: _e=0.302, logg=3.6. HD 36916 presents the characteristics of the Si-4200 stars: strong deficiency in helium and probably also in oxygen and nitrogen, strong excess of silicon and strontium; 3984 Hgii is present. Moreover this star also has characteristics which are not common to Si-4200 stars but rather to Mn stars: excess by a factor of ten of the elements of the iron group and an excess larger, probably of the order of 100, for manganese. The star is a member of the Sword subgroup of the Orion association.     

The equivalent width of the Hβ emission line and the evolution of the Hii regions

The synthetic equivalent width (W _H) of the line H in emission is obtained for Hii regions opaque to the Lyman photon flux, with embedded OB associations with different initial chemical compositions and initial mass functions. The variation ofW _H as a function of the evolution of the ionizing stars is analysed. The observations ofW _H for M33, M101, and M51 by Searle (1971) are discussed.     

A static theory of the stability of the equilibrium

A static relativistic theory of the stability of the equilibrium of an isentropic spherically-symmetric star is deduced from the properties of a functionu which is solution of a second-order differential equation, and which is related to the model by means of the formulau = m(v, c)/c, wherem is the mass-energy inside the coordinate volumev and c is the central mass-energy density.Work done in the Laboratorio Astrofisico di Frascati, Roma.     

Expanding and superdense astrophysical systems in general relativistic hierarchical cosmology

A semi-continuous hierarchy, (i.e., one in which there are galaxies outside clusters, clusters outside superclusters etc.), is examined using an expression of the field equations of general relativity in a form due to Podurets, Misner and Sharp. It is shown (a) that for a sufficiently populous hierarchy, the thinning factor( _i+1/ _i [r _i /r _i+1] is approximately equal to the exponentN in a continuous density law (=aR ^–N) provided (r _i /r _i+1)^3-1; (b) that a hierarchical Universe will not look decidedly asymmetric to an observer like a human being because such salient observers live close to the densest elements of the hierarchy (viz stars), the probability of the Universe looking spherically symmetric (dipole anisotropy0.1 to such an observer being of order unity; (c) the existence of a semi-continuous or continuous hierarchy (Peebles) requires that 2 if galaxies, not presently bound to clusters were once members of such systems; (d) there are now in existence no less than ten arguments for believing 2, though recent number counts by Sandageet al. seem to be in contradiction to such a value; (e) Hubble's law, withH independent of distance, can be proved approximately in a relativistic hierarchy provided (i)N=2, (ii)2GM(R)/c ² R1; (iii)Rc (iv)M0 in a system of massM, sizeR (f) Hubble's law holds also in a hierarchy with density jumps; (g)H100 km s^–1 Mpc^–1; (h) objects forming the stellar level of the hierarchy (in a cosmology of the Wilson type) must once have had 2GM/c ² R1; (i) there is a finite pressurep=2Ga in all astrophysical systems (a=R ^N ,N2); (j) for the Galaxy, theory predictsp _G7×10^–12 dyn cm^–2, observation givesp _G5×10^–12 dyn cm^–2; (k) if the mass-defect (or excess binding energy) hypothesis is taken as a postulate, all non-collapsed astrophysical systems must be non-static, and any non-static, p0 systems must in any case be losing mass; (1) the predicted mass-loss rate from the Sun is 10¹² g s^–1, compared to 10¹¹ g s^–1 in the observed solar wind; (m) the mass-loss rates known by observation imply timescales of 5×10⁹ years for the Sun and 10¹⁰ years for other astrophysical systems; (n) degenerate superdense objects composed of fermions must haveN-2 if they were ever at their Schwarzschild radii and comprised a finite numberN _B of baryons; (o)N _B10⁵⁷N for degenerate fermion and boson systems; (p)285-4; (q) the metric coefficients for superdense bodies give equations of motion that imply equal maximum luminosities for all evolving superdense bodies (L _max10⁵⁹ erg s^–1); (r) larger bodies have longer time-scales of energy radiation atL _max (10^–5 s for stars,1 h for QSO's) (s) expansion velocities are c soon after the initial loss of equilibrium in a superdense object; (t) if the density parametera(t) in aR ^–N isa=a (non-atomic constants of physicsc, G, A), andA, thenN=2; (u) N2 is necessary to giveMM at the stellar level of the hierarchy;(v) systems larger than, and including, galaxies must have formed by clumping of smaller systems and not (as advocated by Wertz and others) in a multiple big bang.     

Why are spicules absent over plages and long under coronal holes?

One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations are performed in order to examine the influence of initial atmospheric structures on the dynamics of spicules. This is an extended version of our previous spicule theory: spicules are produced by the shock wave (MHD slow mode shock) which originates from a bright point appearance (sudden pressure increase) at the network in the photosphere or in the low chromosphere. Simulation results well reproduce the observational facts that spicules are absent over plages and long under coronal holes. The physical reason is that the growth of a shock wave during its propagation through the chromosphere is small in plage regions and large in coronal hole regions, since the growth of a shock is determined by the density ratio ( _{h 0}/ _c ) between the bright point and the corona. An empirical formula H _max ( _{h 0}/ _c )^0.46 is obtained, where H _max is the maximum height of spicules above the transition region. The cross-section of the vertical magnetic flux tube is assumed to be constant in the numerical simulations.     

Plane and cylindrical hydromagnetic shock waves

The Chisnell-Chester-Whitham method has been used to investigate the propagation of diverging plane and cylindrical shock waves through an ideal gas in presence of a magnetic field having only constant axial and variable azimuthal components, simultaneously for both weak and strong cases. Assuming an initial density distribution ₀=r ^–w , where is the density at the plane/axis of symmetry andw is a constant, the analytical expressions for shock velocity and shock strength have been obtained. The expressions for the pressure, the density, and the particle velocity immediately behind the shock have also been derived for both cases.     

Supernova remnants and content in high mass stars of the giant Hii region NGC 604

An optical survey of NGC 604, the brightestHII complex in M33, has lead to the discovery of a single supernova remnant, in agreement with the predominantly thermal radio spectrum of the region. For the same NGC 604, we have derived from the H flux and the evolutionary tracks of the stars, the population and the birth-rates of Main Sequence, high-mass stars. The computation is in agreement with the observations of the upper part of the stellar luminosity function. From the stellar population one predicts in the region a number of remnants significantly larger than 1. To explain this discrepancy, it is suggested the presence in NGC 604 of at least one overluminous, hot star (M _B9), which contributes to a large fraction of the ionizations.On leave from the Asiago Observatory.On leave from Istituto di Fisica Generale, Università di Torino.     

Induced semi-convection in helium-burning horizontal-branch stars

In the evolutionary phase of central helium burning, models of horizontal-branch stars reach a stage at which an intermediate region is unstable against convection. This feature is due to the progressive increase of the core mass by overshooting during the previous evolutionary stages and to the behaviour of the radiative temperature gradient at the core boundary. By consideration of the typical time scales of propagation of convection and nuclear burning, a partial mixing (semi-convection) can be induced in a region around the convective core.

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Riassunto Come conseguenza del progressivo aumento in massa per overshooting del nucleo convettivo nella fase iniziale di combustione centrale dell'elio in stelle di ramo orizzontale e per l'andamento del gradiente radiativo della temperatura al bordo del nucleo, viene raggiunto uno stadio nel quale una zona intermedia è instabile rispetto alla convezione. Dalla considerazione dei tempi caratteristici di propagazione della convezione e di combustione nucleare, si conclude che l'instabilità può indurre un mescolamento parziale (semiconvezione) in una regione esterna al nucleo.

     

The evidence of circumstellar shells for K type stars

Photometric data between 0.4 and 20 are discussed for K stars. Evidence of IR excess in the 11 region has been found for five stars in a sample of fourteen. The hypothesis of the presence of circumstellar matter in K stars seems to be confirmed.

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Sono stati analizzati dati fotometrici per stelle K tra 0.4 e 20 . Si è riscontrata la presenza di un eccesso infrarosso nella regione intorno a 11 per 5 stelle su 14. Sembra così trovare conferma la ipotesi della presenza di materia circumstellare anche in stelle K.

     

Rapidly rotating polytropes in the post-Newtonian approximation to general relativity

The study of uniformly polytropes with axial symmetry is extended to include all rotational terms of order ⁴, where is the angular velocity, consistently within the first post-Newtonian approximation to general relativity. The equilibrium structure is determined by treating the effects of rotation and post-Newtonian gravitation as independent perturbations on the classical polytropic structure. The perturbation effects are characterized by a rotation parameter = ²/2G _c and a relativity parameter, =p _c / _c C ² , wherep _c and _c are the central pressure and density respectively. The solution to the structural problem is obtained by following Chandrasekhar's series expansion technique and is complete to the post-Newtonian rotation terms of order ². The critical rotation parameterv _c , which characterizes the configuration with maximum uniform rotation, is accurately evaluated as a function of . Numerical values for all the structural parameters needed to determine the equilibrium configurations are presented for polytropes with indicesn=1, 1.5, 2, 2 5, 3, and 3.5.