| 1. |
- Cruzalebes, P., et al.
(författare)
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Brightness Asymmetries of Cool Giants and Supergiants Measured with VLTI-AMBER
- 2015
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Ingår i: WHY GALAXIES CARE ABOUT AGB STARS III. - : ASTRONOMICAL SOC PACIFIC. - 9781583818794 ; , s. 109-110
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on a search for asymmetries on the photospheres of 16 giants and supergiants. We found that all targets have surface-brightness asymmetries, but the most prominent ones are found along the upper AGB.
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| 2. |
- Cruzalebes, P., et al.
(författare)
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Measuring deviation from centrosymmetry for a source brightness distribution observed by spectro-interferometry
- 2014
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 443:4, s. 3550-3563
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on the testing of the centrosymmetry parameter (CSP), an indicator of deviation from centrosymmetry of a source brightness distribution. This indicator is derived from the spectral distribution of the triple product measured over three baselines of an optical interferometer. Numerical simulations using parametric toy-models (separated or transiting binary, one-spot model), generated with the SPIDAST software, are applied to the VLTI/AMBER facility in the K band (2.2 mu m). The simulations show that, in case of centrosymmetry, the CSP parameter is in agreement with the usual phase of the spectral mean of the triple product (called GCP, global closure phase). To justify the preferential use of CSP rather than GCP, we show situations with asymmetric geometries for which GCP diagnoses centrosymmetry, while CSP does not. Using realistic Roche lobe-filling binary and hydrodynamic convective models, we show that CSP can also be used as an indicator for geometric similarity between physical and toy-models. Thus, dealing with real data, the toy-model parameters can be fitted on the measured CSP values, in order to assess the input-parameter values of the most suitable complex physical model that will be used to interpret the data.
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| 3. |
- Klotz, D., et al.
(författare)
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Catching the fish - Constraining stellar parameters for TX Piscium using spectro-interferometric observations
- 2013
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 550, s. A86-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Stellar parameter determination is a challenging task when dealing with galactic giant stars. The combination of different investigation techniques has proven to be a promising approach. Aims. We analyse archive spectra obtained with the Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) onboard ISO, and new interferometric observations from the Very Large Telescope MID-infrared Interferometric instrument (VLTI/MIDI) of a very well studied carbon-rich giant: TXPsc. The aim of this work is to determine stellar parameters using spectroscopy and interferometry. Methods. The observations are used to constrain the model atmosphere, and eventually the stellar evolutionary model in the region where the tracks map the beginning of the carbon star sequence. Two different approaches are used to determine stellar parameters: (i) the "classic" interferometric approach where the effective temperature is fixed by using the angular diameter in the N-band (from interferometry) and the apparent bolometric magnitude; (ii) parameters are obtained by fitting a grid of state-of-the-art hydrostatic models to spectroscopic and interferometric observations. Results. We find good agreement between the parameters of the two methods. The effective temperature and luminosity clearly place TXPsc in the carbon-rich AGB star domain in the H-R-diagram. Current evolutionary tracks suggest that TXPsc became a C-star just recently, which means that the star is still in a "quiet" phase compared to the subsequent strong-wind regime. This agrees with the C/O ratio being only slightly greater than one.
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| 4. |
- Klotz, D., et al.
(författare)
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The geometry of the close environment of SV Piscium as probed by VLTI/MIDI
- 2012
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 541
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. SVPsc is an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star surrounded by an oxygen-rich dust envelope. The mm-CO line profile of the object's outflow shows a clear double-component structure. Because of the high angular resolution, mid-IR interferometry may give strong constraints on the origin of this composite profile. Aims. The aim of this work is to investigate the morphology of the environment around SVPsc using high-angular resolution interferometry observations in the mid-IR with the Very Large Telescope MID-infrared Interferometric instrument (VLTI/MIDI). Methods. Interferometric data in the N-band taken at different baseline lengths (ranging from 32-64 m) and position angles (73-142 degrees) allow a study of the morphology of the circumstellar environment close to the star. The data are interpreted on the basis of 2-dimensional, chromatic geometrical models using the fitting software tool GEM-FIND developed for this purpose. Results. The results favor two scenarios: (i) the presence of a highly inclined, optically thin, dusty disk surrounding the central star; (ii) the presence of an unresolved binary companion at a separation of 13.7(-4.8)(+4.2) AU and a position angle of 121.8 degrees(-24.5)degrees(+15.4)degrees. NE. The derived orbital period of the binary is 38.1(-22.6)(+20.4) yr. This detection is in good agreement with hydrodynamic simulations showing that a close companion could be responsible for the entrainment of the gas and dust into a circumbinary structure.
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| 5. |
- Olofsson, H., et al.
(författare)
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A Possible Solution to the Mass-Loss Problem in M-type AGB Stars
- 2011
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Ingår i: Why Galaxies Care about AGB Stars II.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mass loss is a fundamental, observationally well-established feature of AGB stars, but many aspects of this process are not yet understood. To date, self-consistent dynamical models of dust-driven winds reproducing the observed mass-loss rates seem only possible for M-type stars if the grains in the close circumstellar environment grow to larger sizes than previously assumed. In order to study the grain-size distribution where the mass loss is initiated, high-spatial-resolution interferometry observations are necessary. We have observed two M-type stars using the VLTI/MIDI instrument to constrain the dust-grain sizes through modeling the 10 μm silicate feature. Here we present preliminary results.
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| 6. |
- Olofsson, Hans, 1952, et al.
(författare)
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A Possible Solution to the Mass-Loss Problem in M-type AGB Stars
- 2011
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Ingår i: Proceedings from conference Why Galaxies Care about AGB stars II, in Vienna 16 - 20 August 2010; published in Astronomical Society of the Pacific conf series, vol 445. ; 445, s. 365-366
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 7. |
- Paladini, C., et al.
(författare)
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Detection of an asymmetry in the envelope of the carbon Mira R Fornacis using VLTI/MIDI
- 2012
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 544, s. L5-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. We present a study of the envelope morphology of the carbon Mira R For with VLTI/MIDI. This object is one of the few asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars that underwent a dust-obscuration event. The cause of such events is still a matter of discussion. Several symmetric and asymmetric scenarios have been suggested in the literature.Methods. Mid-infrared interferometric observations were obtained separated by two years. The observations probe different depths of the atmosphere and cover different pulsation phases. The visibilities and the differential phases were interpreted using GEM-FIND, a tool for fitting spectrally dispersed interferometric observations with the help of wavelength-dependent geometric models.Results. We report the detection of an asymmetric structure revealed through the MIDI differential phase. This asymmetry is observed at the same baseline and position angle two years later. The observations are best simulated with a model that includes a uniform-disc plus a Gaussian envelope plus a point-source. The geometric model can reproduce both the visibilities and the differential phase signatures.Conclusions. Our MIDI data favour explanations of the R For obscuration event that are based on an asymmetric geometry. We clearly detect a photocentre shift between the star and the strongly resolved dust component. This might be caused by a dust clump or a substellar companion. However, the available observations do not allow us to distinguish between the two options. The finding has strong implications for future studies of the geometry of the envelope of AGB stars: if this is a binary, are all AGB stars that show an obscuration event binaries as well? Or are we looking at asymmetric mass-loss processes (i.e. dusty clumps) in the inner part of a carbon-rich Mira?
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| 8. |
- Paladini, C., et al.
(författare)
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The VLTI/MIDI view on the inner mass loss of evolved stars from the Herschel MESS sample
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 600
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The mass-loss process from evolved stars is a key ingredient for our understanding of many fields of astrophysics, including stellar evolution and the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium (ISM) via stellar yields. Nevertheless, many questions are still unsolved, one of which is the geometry of the mass-loss process. Aims. Taking advantage of the results from the Herschel Mass loss of Evolved StarS (MESS) programme, we initiated a coordinated effort to characterise the geometry of mass loss from evolved red giants at various spatial scales. Methods. For this purpose we used the MID-infrared interferometric Instrument (MIDI) to resolve the inner envelope of 14 asymptotic giant branch stars (AGBs) in the MESS sample. In this contribution we present an overview of the interferometric data collected within the frame of our Large Programme, and we also add archive data for completeness. We studied the geometry of the inner atmosphere by comparing the observations with predictions from different geometric models. Results. Asymmetries are detected for the following five stars: R Leo, RT Vir, ?1Gruis, omi Ori, and R Crt. All the objects are O-rich or S-type, suggesting that asymmetries in the N band are more common among stars with such chemistry. We speculate that this fact is related to the characteristics of the dust grains. Except for one star, no interferometric variability is detected, i.e. the changes in size of the shells of non-mira stars correspond to changes of the visibility of less than 10%. The observed spectral variability confirms previous findings from the literature. The detection of dust in our sample follows the location of the AGBs in the IRAS colour-colour diagram: More dust is detected around oxygen-rich stars in region II and in the carbon stars in region VII. The SiC dust feature does not appear in the visibility spectrum of the U Ant and S Sct, which are two carbon stars with detached shells. This finding has implications for the theory of SiC dust formation.
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| 9. |
- Sacuto, Stéphane, et al.
(författare)
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The wind of the M-type AGB star RT Virginis probed by VLTI/MIDI
- 2013
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 551, s. A72-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. We study the circumstellar environment of the M-type AGB star RT Vir using mid-infrared high spatial resolution observations from the ESO-VLTI focal instrument MIDI. The aim of this study is to provide observational constraints on theoretical prediction that the winds of M-type AGB objects can be driven by photon scattering on iron-free silicate grains located in the close environment (about 2 to 3 stellar radii) of the star. Methods. We interpreted spectro-interferometric data, first using wavelength-dependent geometric models. We then used a self-consistent dynamic model atmosphere containing a time-dependent description of grain growth for pure forsterite dust particles to reproduce the photometric, spectrometric, and interferometric measurements of RT Vir. Since the hydrodynamic computation needs stellar parameters as input, a considerable effort was first made to determine these parameters. Results. MIDI differential phases reveal the presence of an asymmetry in the stellar vicinity. Results from the geometrical modeling give us clues to the presence of aluminum and silicate dust in the close circumstellar environment (<5 stellar radii). Comparison between spectro-interferometric data and a self-consistent dust-driven wind model reveals that silicate dust has to be present in the region between 2 to 3 stellar radii to reproduce the 59 and 63 m baseline visibility measurements around 9.8 mu m. This gives additional observational evidence in favor of winds driven by photon scattering on iron-free silicate grains located in the close vicinity of an M-type star. However, other sources of opacity are clearly missing to reproduce the 10-13 mu m visibility measurements for all baselines. Conclusions. This study is a first attempt to understand the wind mechanism of M-type AGB stars by comparing photometric, spectrometric, and interferometric measurements with state-of-the-art, self-consistent dust-driven wind models. The agreement of the dynamic model atmosphere with interferometric measurements in the 8-10 mu m spectral region gives additional observational evidence that the winds of M-type stars can be driven by photon scattering on iron-free silicate grains. Finally, a larger statistical study and progress in advanced self-consistent 3D modeling are still required to solve the remaining problems.
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| 10. |
- Wittkowski, M., et al.
(författare)
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CalVin 3 - A New Release of the ESO Calibrator Selection Tool for the VLT Interferometer
- 2011
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Ingår i: The Messenger. - : ESO. ; 145, s. 7-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interferometric observations require frequent measurements of calibration stars of known diameter to estimate the instrumental transfer function. ESO offers the preparation tool CalVin to select suitable calibrators from an underlying list of calibrators. The latest version 3, first released in January 2011, offers major improvements in the number of available calibrators, the functionality of the search tool, as well as in terms of performance and ease of use. It has been developed in a collaboration between ESO and the French Jean-Marie Mariotti Center (JMMC).
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