COSMOS场中星系恒星形成的演化研究

基于COSMOS(Cosmic Evolution Survey)/Ultra VISTA(Ultra-deep Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy)场中多波段测光数据,利用质量限选取了红移分布在0z3.5的星系样本.通过UVJ(U-V和V-J)双色图分类判据将星系分类成恒星形成星系(SFGs)和宁静星系(QGs).对于红移分布在0z1.5范围内且M*1011M⊙的QGs来说,该星系在样本中所占比例高于70%.在红移0z3.5范围内,恒星形成星系的恒星形成率(SFR)与恒星质量(M*)之间有着很强的主序(MS)关系.对于某一固定的恒星质量M*来说,星系的SFR和比恒星形成率(s SFR)会随着红移增大而增大,这表明在高红移处恒星形成星系更加活跃,有激烈的恒星形成.相对于低质量的星系来说,高质量的SFGs有较低的s SFR,这意味着低质量星系的增长更多的是通过星系本身的恒星形成.通过结合来自文献中数据点信息,发现更高红移(2z8)星系的s SFR随红移的演化趋势变弱,其演化关系是s SFR∝(1+z)0.94±0.17.     

早型星系的恒星形成活动演化研究

从观测上测定早型星系中恒星形成活动随红移的演化有助于理解这类星系的形成演化.结合GEMS（Galaxy Evolution from Morphology and SEDs）巡天的HST/ACS（Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys）高分辨图像和CDFS（ChandraDeep Field South）天区Spitzer、GALEX（Galaxy Evolution Explorer）等多波段数据,基于形态、颜色和恒星质量选出一个0.2≤z≤1.0红移范围的包含456个早型星系的完备样本.利用stacking技术测量了样本星系紫外与红外平均光度,估计早型星系的恒星形成率.结果显示,早型星系中的恒星形成率较低(<3 M_⊙·yr^-1),随红移递减而降低.在红移z=1以来的恒星形成贡献的质量小于15%.星族分析亦肯定大质量早型星系的主体星族形成于宇宙早期（z>2）.     

贫金属星重元素丰度分布的参数化研究

基于大量贫金属星元素丰度的观测资料,以太阳系重元素丰度分布为标准,选取Sr、Ba、Eu分别作为贫金属星弱s-过程、主要s-过程、r-过程3种核合成的典型元素,采用参数化方法,分析了不同核合成过程对贫金属星重元素丰度的贡献比例.研究表明:金属丰度越高,弱s-过程、主要s-过程对较轻的中子俘获元素丰度的贡献就越大,较重的中子俘获元素主要由r-过程和主要s-过程产生;金属丰度较低,重中子俘获元素丰度主要由r-过程产生,星系早期弱s-过程对元素丰度几乎没有贡献.     

星系中恒星形成率指针的比较研究

利用赫歇尔空间望远镜的H-ATLAS(Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey)SDP(Science Demonstration Phase)天区从紫外到亚毫米波段数据,结合星族合成方法和尘埃模型,计算了星系的红外总光度.在此基础上,分别针对强恒星形成星系和弱恒星形成星系,研究了利用紫外光度、红外光度和Hα谱线计算得到的恒星形成率(Star Formation Rate,SFR)的差异以及导致差异的内在物理起因.发现对于恒星形成活动强的星系,这3种恒星形成率指针给出的结果基本一致,弥散较小、只是在高恒星形成率端,利用紫外光度算得的恒星形成率比利用Hα谱线流量算得的恒星形成率略微偏小;而在低恒星形成率端,紫外光度指针偏大于Hα谱线指针;红外光度指针与Hα谱线指针在两端无明显偏差.对弱恒星形成星系,紫外光度、Hα谱线和红外光度3种恒星形成率指针存在明显的差异,且弥散较大.利用紫外光度和Hα谱线计算得到的恒星形成率的弥散和系统偏差随着星系年龄、质量的增加而增大.系统偏差增大的主要原因是利用紫外连续谱斜率β定标恒星形成活动较弱星系的消光时,高估了这些星系的紫外消光,使得消光改正后的紫外光度偏大.另外,MPA/JHU(Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics/Johns Hopkins University)数据库中弱恒星形成星系的恒星形成率SFR(Hα)比真实值偏低.     

恒星内部的超声速对流区

依传统的局部混合长理论进行了对流包层模型计算,在黄红巨星和超巨星对流区的顶部出现超声速对流的情况,这与局部对流理论本身是不自恰的．文章详细分析了恒星大气超声速对流的成因,并按照星族Ⅰ恒星的演化轨迹,在赫罗图上给出了出现超声速对流的区域．其结果是。在演化过程中, (1)低质量星基本不出现超声速对流; (2)中等质量星的超声速对流主要出现在3．6相似文献   

恒星形成星系主序关系的研究现状

观测发现,恒星形成星系(star-forming galaxies, SFGs)的恒星形成率(ψSFR)与恒星质量(M*)之间存在紧密的相关关系(即lgψSFR-lg M*,称为“主序关系”),弥散约为0.2～0.4 dex。主序关系对限制星系演化的理论模型具有重要的意义,是描述星系演化的基本关系之一。近年来,随着大型观测设备和数据处理技术飞速发展,星系形成和演化的理论模型也越来越完善,在此基础上,天文学家对于主序关系的研究取得了许多重要进展。首先介绍测量星系ψSFR的技术和挑选SFGs的方法,方便后续分析主序关系存在系统性偏差的原因。然后介绍主序关系最新的观测进展：主序关系在大质量端会“变平”,可能是由于星系/暗晕冷热吸积模式发生转换导致冷吸积减少;主序关系的弥散对恒星质量的依赖呈现U型,可能是由于小质量端的恒星反馈和大质量端的活动星系核反馈导致恒星质量相近的星系在恒星形成历史上具有多样性;理论与观测得到的主序关系零点在中高红移存在差异的问题依然存在较大争议。最后对主序关系的研究进行了总结和展望。     

类太阳色球活动恒星的高色散光谱观测和锂丰度

基于对9颗类太阳色球活动恒星高信噪比的高色散光谱观测, 测量了这些恒星锂线(入 = 6707.8 A'')的等值宽度, 计算了这些恒星表层锂元素丰度. 通过研究这些类太阳色球活动恒星锂丰度和X射线光度之间的关系, 发现X射线光度 强的类太阳色球活动恒星锂丰度值大于X射线较弱的恒星. 也就是说活动性较强的类太阳色球活动恒星其锂丰度较高, 活动性较弱的类太阳色球活动恒星其锂丰度较低. 考虑到主序的类太阳恒星锂元素和恒星自转速度随着恒星年龄的增加逐渐减少, 以及随着类太阳色球活动恒星自转速度的减小, 色球活动又逐渐变弱. 因此类似于锂丰度, 类太阳色球活动恒星自转速度的大小和恒星的 活动水平也同样可以表明恒星的年龄.     

发射线星系[OⅡ]λ3727/Hα谱线流量比的研究

利用从斯隆数字巡天(Sloan Digital Sky Survey,简称SDSS)第4次释放的光谱数据中选取的10~5个发射线星系样本,研究了[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比与星系尘埃消光、气体电离态和金属丰度的关系.发现尘埃消光改正对[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα谱线流量比影响显著,消光改正前、后的[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα谱线流量比的中值分别为0.48和0.89;尘埃消光改正后,F([O_Ⅱ]λ3727)-F(Hα)的弥散显著减小.贫金属星系的[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα谱线流量比随星系气体的电离度增高而减小,而富金属星系不存在这种关系.另外,[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比与星系金属丰度相关.当12+lg(O/H)8.5时,星系[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比随金属丰度增加而下降;12+lg(O/H)8.5的星系,谱线流量比与金属丰度正相关.最后,利用气体电离度参数和星系的金属丰度,给出了计算不同类型星系[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比的公式.LAMOST望远镜将观测到大量红移z0.4的星系光谱,利用该公式可以给出星系的[O_Ⅱ]λ3727/Hα流量比,从而可以利用[O_Ⅱ]λ3727谱线流量计算z0.4星系的恒星形成率.     

主并合星系对SFR的增幅与其他参数关系的研究

主并合星系对是研究星系同时受到本身与外部环境影响的绝佳实验对象,而星系恒星形成率的变化可以示踪这些影响产生的作用.星系的恒星质量、星系对之间的投影距离与相对倾角都是影响恒星形成率的几个重要因素.研究结果表明,更大恒星质量星系倾向于有更大的恒星形成率增幅,相对倾角接近平行的星系同样趋于有更大的恒星形成率增幅,而投影距离在研究范围内与恒星形成率没有相关性.     

中等质量恒星星风物质损失的机制

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

High resolution study of the abundance pattern of the heavy elements in very metal‐poor field stars

The abundances of heavy elements in EMP stars are not well explained by the simple view of an initial basic “rapid” process. In a careful and homogeneous analysis of the “First Stars” sample (eighty per cent of the stars have a metallicity [Fe/H] ≃ –3.1 ± 0.4), it has been shown that at this metallicity [Eu/Ba] is constant, and therefore the europium‐rich stars (generally called “r‐rich”) are also Ba‐rich. The very large variation of [Ba/Fe] (existence of “r‐poor” and “r‐rich” stars) induces that the early matter was not perfectly mixed. On the other hand, the distribution of the values of [Sr/Ba] vs. [Ba/Fe] appears with well defined upper and lower envelopes. No star was found with [Sr/Ba] < –0.5 and the scatter of [Sr/Ba] increases regularly when [Ba/Fe] decreases. To explain this behavior, we suggest that an early “additional” process forming mainly first peak elements would affect the initial composition of the matter. For a same quantity of accreted matter, this additional Sr production would barely affect the r‐rich matter (which already contains an important quantity of Sr) but would change significantly the composition of the r‐poor matter. The abundances found in the CEMP‐r+s stars reflect the transfer of heavy elements from a defunct AGB companion. But the abundances of the heavy elements in CEMP‐no stars present the same characteristics as the the abundances in the EMP stars. Direct stellar ages may be found from radioactive elements, the precision is limited by the precision in the measurements of abundances from faint lines in faint stars, and the uncertainty in the initial abundances of the radioactive elements. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Investigation of the single neutron exposure model for the s-process: the primary nature of the neutron source

The primary nature of the ¹³C neutron source is very significant for the studies of the s -process nucleosynthesis. In this paper we present an attempt to fit the element abundances observed in 16 s -rich stars using parametric model of the single neutron exposure. The calculated results indicate that almost all s -elements were made in a single neutron exposure for nine sample stars. Although a large spread of neutron exposure is obtained, the maximum value of the neutron exposure will reach about 7.0 mbarn⁻¹, which is close to the theoretical predictions by the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) model. The calculated result is a significant evidence for the primary nature of the neutron source. Combining the result obtained in this work and the neutron exposure–initial mass relations, a large spread of neutron exposure can be explained by the different initial stellar mass and their time evolution. The possibility that the rotationally induced mixing process can lead to a spread of the neutron exposure in AGB stars is also existent.     

The effect of the 19F(α, p)22Ne reaction rate uncertainty on the yield of fluorine from Wolf–Rayet stars

In the light of recent recalculations of the  ¹⁹F(α, p)²²Ne  reaction rate, we present results of the expected yield of ¹⁹F from Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars. In addition to using the recommended rate, we have computed models using the upper and lower limits for the rate, and hence we constrain the uncertainty in the yield with respect to this reaction. We find a yield of  3.1 × 10⁻⁴ M_⊙  of ¹⁹F with our recommended rate, and a difference of a factor of 2 between the yields computed with the upper and lower limits. In comparison with previous work we find a difference in the yield of a factor of approximately 4, connected with a different choice of mass loss. Model uncertainties must be carefully evaluated in order to obtain a reliable estimate of the yield, together with its uncertainties, of fluorine from WR stars.     

Heavy-element abundances in seven SC stars and several related stars

We employ spectra of resolution 20–35000 of seven SC stars, four S stars, two Ba stars and two K–M stars to derive abundances of a variety of elements from Sr to Eu relative to iron. Special attention is paid to Rb and Tc, and to the ratio of the heavy s-process species to the light s-process elements. Abundances are derived in LTE, both by using model atmospheres in which the carbon and oxygen abundances are nearly equal and by using curves of growth. Spectrum synthesis is used for critical lines such as the 5924-Å line of Tc and the 7800-Å line of Rb. For most of the heavy-element stars the enhancement of the s-process elements is about a factor of 10. The ratio of the heavy to light s-process species is not far from solar, except for RR Her for which the same ratio is +0.45 dex. For Tc the blending by other lines is severe. While we have probably detected the 5924-Å line, we can only present abundances in the less-than-or-equal-to category. For Rb, whose abundance is sensitive to the ⁸⁵Rb/⁸⁷Rb ratio and hence to the neutron density during s-process production, we find a considerable range of abundances, indicating a neutron density from 10⁶ to ≳10⁸ cm⁻³ for the SC stars. For the four S stars the range is from 10⁷ to ≳10⁸ cm⁻³. Recent calculations by Gallino et al. show that neutron densities near 10⁷ cm⁻³ favour the ¹³C source for neutrons, while densities greater than 10⁸ cm⁻³ may be associated with neutrons from the ²²Ne source.     

Light‐element abundance variations in globular clusters

Star‐to‐star variations in abundances of the light elements carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sodium have been observed in stars of all evolutionary phases in all Galactic globular clusters that have been thoroughly studied. The data available for studying this phenomenon, and the hypotheses as to its origin, have both co‐evolved with observing technology; once high‐resolution spectra were available even for main‐sequence stars in globular clusters, scenarios involving multiple closely spaced stellar generations enriched by feedback from moderate‐ and high‐mass stars began to gain traction in the literature. This paper briefly reviews the observational history of globular cluster abundance inhomogeneities, discusses the presently favored models of their origin, and considers several aspects of this problem that require further study (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nuclear burning rates and Population II stellar models

We discuss theoretical predictions concerning the evolution of globular cluster Population II stars with respect to current estimates of standard errors in the determination of nuclear burning rates. Numerical evaluations are given for the dependence of the turn-off and horizontal branch luminosities on the rate of the relevant nuclear reactions. We conclude that evolutionary predictions appear rather solid in this respect, with a maximum 3 σ error of about 1 Gyr in the evaluation of cluster ages derived from the calibration of the difference in luminosity between the horizontal branch and the turn-off. However, current evaluation of the original He content, as given on the basis of the R -parameter, will need to wait for a much better determination of the ¹²C(α, γ)¹⁶O reaction before reaching a satisfactory accuracy.     

Pycnonuclear burning of 34Ne in accreting neutron stars

We study the pycnonuclear burning of ³⁴Ne in the inner crust of an accreting neutron star. We show that the associated energy production rate can be calculated analytically for any arbitrary temporal variability of the mass accretion rate. We argue that the theoretical time-scale for ³⁴Ne burning is currently very uncertain and ranges from a fraction of a millisecond to a few years. The fastest allowable burning may change the composition of the accreted crust while the slowest burning leads to a time-independent nuclear energy generation rate for a variable accretion. The results are important for constructing self-consistent models of the accreted crust and deep crustal heating in neutron stars which enter soft X-ray transients.