Debris discs around nearby solar analogues

An unbiased search for debris discs around nearby Sun-like stars is reported. 13 G-dwarfs at 12–15 parsec distance were searched at 850 μm wavelength, and a disc is confirmed around HD 30495. The estimated dust mass is  0.008 M_⊕  with a net limit  ≲0.0025 M_⊕  for the average disc of the other stars. The results suggest there is not a large missed population of substantial cold discs around Sun-like stars – HD 30495 is a bright rather than unusually cool disc, and may belong to a few hundred Myr old population of greater dust luminosity. The far-infrared and millimetre survey data for Sun-like stars are well fitted by either steady state or stirred models, provided that typical comet belts are comparable in size to that in the Solar system.     

Hotspots and a clumpy disc: variability of brown dwarfs and stars in the young σ Ori cluster

The properties of accretion discs around stars and brown dwarfs in the σ Ori cluster (age 3 Myr) are studied based on near-infrared (IR) time series photometry supported by mid-IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We monitor ∼30 young low-mass sources over eight nights in the J and K band using the duPont telescope at Las Campanas. We find three objects showing variability with J -band amplitudes  ≥0.5 mag  ; five additional objects exhibit low-level variations. All three highly variable sources have been previously identified as highly variable; thus, we establish the long-term nature of their flux changes. The light curves contain periodic components with time-scales of  ∼0.5–8 d  , but have additional irregular variations superimposed – the characteristic behaviour for classical T Tauri stars. Based on the colour variability, we conclude that hotspots are the dominant cause of variations in two objects (#19 and #33), including one likely brown dwarf, with spot temperatures in the range of 6000–7000 K. For the third one (#2), a brown dwarf or very low-mass star, inhomogeneities at the inner edge of the disc are the likely origin of variability. Based on mid-IR data from Spitzer , we confirm that the three highly variable sources are surrounded by circum-(sub)-stellar discs. They show typical SEDs for T Tauri-like objects. Using SED models, we infer an enhanced scaleheight in the disc for the object #2, which favours the detection of disc inhomogeneities in light curves and is thus consistent with the information from variability. In the σ Ori cluster, about every fifth accreting low-mass object shows persistent high-level photometric variability. We demonstrate that estimates for fundamental parameters in such objects can be significantly improved by determining the extent and origin of the variations.     

An infrared study of Be stars based on ISO SWS01 spectra

The Infrared Space Observatory （ISO） Short-Wavelength Spectrometer （SWS） spectra of 10 Be stars are presented. It can be seen that the Be stars show a diversity in their ISO SWS01 spectral classifications by Kraemer et al., from naked stars, stars associated with dust, stars with warm dust shells, stars with cool dust shells to very red sources. In addition, the Brα/HI（14-6） line flux ratio derived for the sample stars is compared with that of P Cyg, and it is found that the line ratio of Be stars which were investigated show not only lower values as suggested by Waters et al., but also larger values. Therefore, the line ratio cannot be used to judge whether a star is a Be star or not.     

Molecular lines from protoplanetary nebulae: observations with ALMA

Planetary nebulae (PNe) are formed in a very fast process. In just about 1000 years, the nebula evolves from a spherical and slowly expanding AGB envelope to a PN, with usually axial symmetry and high axial velocities. Molecular lines are known to probe most of the nebular material in young PNe and protoplanetary nebulae (PPNe), and are therefore very useful to study such an impressive evolution. Many quantitative results on these objects have been so obtained, including general structure, total mass and density distribution, kinetic temperatures, velocity fields, etc. Existing observations probe both the gas accelerated by post-AGB shocks and the quiescent components. But the study of crucial regions to understand PN formation (recently shocked shells, regions heated by the stellar UV and inner rotating disks) requires observations at higher frequency and with better spatial resolution.      

The stellar populations of starburst galaxies through near-infrared spectroscopy

We study the central (inner few hundred parsecs) stellar populations of four starburst galaxies (NGC 34, 1614, 3310 and 7714) in the near-infrared (NIR), from 0.8 to 2.4 μm, by fitting combinations of stellar population models of various ages and metallicities. The NIR spectra of these galaxies feature many absorption lines. For the first time, we fit simultaneously as much as 15 absorption features in the NIR. The observed spectra are best explained by stellar populations containing a sizable amount (20–56 per cent by mass) of ∼1-Gyr-old stellar population with thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars. We found that the metallicity of the stars which dominates the light is solar. Metallicities substantially different from solar give a worse fit. Though the ages and metallicities we estimate using the NIR spectroscopy are in agreement with values from the literature based on the ultraviolet/optical, we find older ages and a larger age spread. This may be due to the fact that the optical is mostly sensitive to the last episode of star formation, while the NIR better maintains the record of previous stellar generations. Another interesting result is that the reddening estimated from the whole NIR spectrum is considerably lower than that based on emission lines. Finally, we find a good agreement of the free emission-line spectrum with photoionization models, using as input spectral energy distribution the synthetic composite template we derived as best fit.     

The incidence of mid-infrared excesses in G and K giants

Using photometric data from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) and GLIMPSE catalogues, I investigate the incidence of mid-infrared (mid-IR) excesses  (∼10 μm)  in G and K stars of luminosity class III. In order to obtain a large sample size, stars are selected using a near-IR colour–magnitude diagram. Sources which are candidates for showing mid-IR excess are carefully examined and modelled to determined whether they are likely to be G/K giants. It is found that mid-IR excesses are present at a level of  (1.8 ± 0.4) × 10⁻³  . While the origin of these excesses remains uncertain, it is plausible that they arise from debris discs around these stars. I note that the measured incidence is consistent with a scenario in which dust lifetimes in debris discs are determined by Poynting–Robertson drag rather than by collisions.     

Stellar SiO 86GHz Maser Observations of IRAS Point Sources

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