| 1. |
- Groenewegen, M. A. T., et al.
(author)
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MESS (Mass-loss of Evolved StarS), a Herschel key program
- 2011
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 526, s. A162-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- MESS (Mass-loss of Evolved StarS) is a guaranteed time key program that uses the PACS and SPIRE instruments on board the Herschel space observatory to observe a representative sample of evolved stars, that include asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and post-AGB stars, planetary nebulae and red supergiants, as well as luminous blue variables, Wolf-Rayet stars and supernova remnants. In total, of order 150 objects are observed in imaging and about 50 objects in spectroscopy. This paper describes the target selection and target list, and the observing strategy. Key science projects are described, and illustrated using results obtained during Herschel's science demonstration phase. Aperture photometry is given for the 70 AGB and post-AGB stars observed up to October 17, 2010, which constitutes the largest single uniform database of far-IR and sub-mm fluxes for late-type stars.
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| 2. |
- Ramstedt, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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The wonderful complexity of the Mira AB system
- 2014
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 570, s. Art. no. L14-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have mapped the (CO)-C-12(3-2) line emission around the Mira AB system at 0 ''.5 resolution using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The CO map shows amazing complexity. The circumstellar gas has been shaped by different dynamical actors during the evolution of the system, and several morphological components can be identified. The companion is marginally resolved in continuum emission and is currently at 0 ''.487 +/- 0 ''.006 separation. In the main line component, centered on the stellar velocity, spiral arcs around Mira A are found. The spiral appears to be relatively flat and oriented in the orbital plane. An accretion wake behind the companion is clearly visible, and the projected arc separation is about 5 ''. In the blue wing of the line emission, offset from the main line, several large (similar to 5-10 '') opposing arcs are found. We tentatively suggest that this structure is created by the wind of Mira B blowing a bubble in the expanding envelope of Mira A.
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| 3. |
- Chiavassa, A., et al.
(author)
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Radiative hydrodynamic simulations of red supergiant stars III. Spectro-photocentric variability, photometric variability, and consequences on Gaia measurements
- 2011
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 528, s. A120-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. It has been shown that convection in red supergiant stars (RSG) gives rise to large granules that cause surface inhomogeneities and shock waves in the photosphere. The resulting motion of the photocentre (on time scales ranging from months to years) could possibly have adverse effects on the parallax determination with Gaia. Aims. We explore the impact of the granulation on the photocentric and photometric variability. We quantify these effects in order to better characterise the error that could possibly alter the parallax. Methods. We use 3D radiative-hydrodynamics (RHD) simulations of convection with CO5BOLD and the post-processing radiative transfer code Optim3D to compute intensity maps and spectra in the Gaia G band [325-1030 nm]. Results. We provide astrometric and photometric predictions from 3D simulations of RSGs that are used to evaluate the possible degradation of the astrometric parameters of evolved stars derived by Gaia. We show in particular from RHD simulations that a supergiant like Betelgeuse exhibits a photocentric noise characterised by a standard deviation of the order of 0.1 AU. The number of bright giant and supergiant stars whose Gaia parallaxes will be altered by the photocentric noise ranges from a few tens to several thousands, depending on the poorly known relation between the size of the convective cells and the atmospheric pressure scale height of supergiants, and to a lower extent, on the adopted prescription for galactic extinction. In the worst situation, the degradation of the astrometric fit caused by this photocentric noise will be noticeable up to about 5 kpc for the brightest supergiants. Moreover, parallaxes of Betelgeuse-like supergiants are affected by an error of the order of a few percents. We also show that the photocentric noise, as predicted by the 3D simulation, does account for a substantial part of the supplementary "cosmic noise" that affects Hipparcos measurements of Betelgeuse and Antares.
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| 4. |
- Cruzalebes, P., et al.
(author)
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Fundamental parameters of 16 late-type stars derived from their angular diameter measured with VLTI/AMBER(star)
- 2013
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In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 434:1, s. 437-450
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Thanks to their large angular dimension and brightness, red giants and supergiants are privileged targets for optical long-baseline interferometers. 16 red giants and supergiants have been observed with the VLTI/AMBER facility over a 2-year period, at medium spectral resolution (R = 1500) in the K band. The limb-darkened angular diameters are derived from fits of stellar atmospheric models on the visibility and the triple product data. The angular diameters do not show any significant temporal variation, except for one target: TX Psc, which shows a variation of 4 per cent using visibility data. For the eight targets previously measured by long-baseline interferometry (LBI) in the same spectral range, the difference between our diameters and the literature values is less than 5 per cent, except for TX Psc, which shows a difference of 11 per cent. For the eight other targets, the present angular diameters are the first measured from LBI. Angular diameters are then used to determine several fundamental stellar parameters, and to locate these targets in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD). Except for the enigmatic Tc-poor low-mass carbon star W Ori, the location of Tc-rich stars in the HRD matches remarkably well the thermally-pulsating asymptotic giant branch, as it is predicted by the stellar evolution models. For pulsating stars with periods available, we compute the pulsation constant and locate the stars along the various sequences in the period-luminosity diagram. We confirm the increase in mass along the pulsation sequences, as predicted by theory, except for W Ori which, despite being less massive, appears to have a longer period than T Cet along the first-overtone sequence.
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| 5. |
- Cruzalebes, P., et al.
(author)
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Measuring deviation from centrosymmetry for a source brightness distribution observed by spectro-interferometry
- 2014
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In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 443:4, s. 3550-3563
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 6. |
- Cruzalebes, P., et al.
(author)
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SPIDAST : a new modular software to process spectrointerferometric measurements
- 2013
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In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 432:2, s. 1658-1671
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Extracting stellar fundamental parameters from Spectrointerferometric (SPI) data requires reliable estimates of observables and with robust uncertainties (visibility, triple product, phase closure). A number of fine calibration procedures are necessary throughout the reduction process. Testing departures from centrosymmetry of brightness distributions is a useful complement. Developing a set of automatic routines called spidast (made available to the community) to reduce, calibrate and interpret raw data sets of instantaneous spectrointerferograms at the spectral channel level, we complement (and in some respects improve) the ones contained in the amdlib Data Reduction Software. Our new software spidast is designed to work in an automatic mode, free from subjective choices, while being versatile enough to suit various processing strategies. spidast performs the following automated operations: weighting of non-aberrant SPI data (visibility, triple product), fine spectral calibration (subpixel level), accurate and robust determinations of stellar diameters for calibrator sources (and their uncertainties as well), correction for the degradations of the interferometer response in visibility and triple product, calculation of the centrosymmetry parameter from the calibrated triple product, fit of parametric chromatic models on SPI observables, to extract model parameters. spidast is currently applied to the scientific study of 18 cool giant and supergiant stars, observed with the VLTI/AMBER facility at medium resolution in the K band. Because part of their calibrators have no diameter in the current catalogues, spidast provides new determinations of the angular diameters of all calibrators. Comparison of spidast final calibrated observables with amdlib determinations shows good agreement, under good and poor seeing conditions.
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| 7. |
- Jorissen, A., et al.
(author)
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X Herculis and TX Piscium: two cases of ISM interaction with stellar winds observed by Herschel
- 2011
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 532
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars X Her and TX Psc have been imaged at 70 and 160 μm with the PACS instrument onboard the Herschel satellite, as part of the large MESS (Mass loss of Evolved StarS) guaranteed time key program. The images reveal an axisymmetric extended structure with its axis oriented along the space motion of the stars. This extended structure is very likely to be shaped by the interaction of the wind ejected by the AGB star with the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). As predicted by numerical simulations, the detailed structure of the wind-ISM interface depends upon the relative velocity between star+wind and the ISM, which is large for these two stars (108 and 55 km s-1 for X Her and TX Psc, respectively). In both cases, there is a compact blob upstream whose origin is not fully elucidated, but that could be the signature of some instability in the wind-ISM shock. Deconvolved images of X Her and TX Psc reveal several discrete structures along the outermost filaments, which could be Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices. Finally, TX Psc is surrounded by an almost circular ring (the signature of the termination shock?) that contrasts with the outer, more structured filaments. A similar inner circular structure seems to be present in X Her as well, albeit less clearly.
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| 8. |
- Paladini, C., et al.
(author)
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To be or not to be asymmetric? VLTI and the mass loss geometry of red giants
- 2012
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In: Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. - : SPIE. - 0277-786X .- 1996-756X. - 9780819491466 ; 8445, s. Art. no. 84451R-
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mass-loss process is a key ingredient for our understanding in many fields of astrophysics, including stellar evolution and the enrichment of the interstellar medium (ISM) via stellar yields. We combined the capability of the VLTI/MIDI and VLT/VISIR instruments with very recent Herschel/PACS observations to characterize the geometry of mass loss from evolved red giants on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) at various scales. This paper describes the sample of objects, the observing strategy, the tool for the interpretation, and preliminary MIDI results for two targets: U Ant and θ Aps.
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| 9. |
- Masseron, T., et al.
(author)
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A holistic approach to carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars
- 2010
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 509, s. A93-
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. Carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars are known to have properties that reflect the nucleosynthesis of the first low- and intermediate-mass stars, because most have been polluted by a now-extinct AGB star. Aims. By considering abundances in the various CEMP subclasses separately, we try to derive parameters (such as metallicity, mass, temperature, and neutron source) characterising AGB nucleosynthesis from the specific signatures imprinted on the abundances, and separate them from the impact of thermohaline mixing, first dredge-up, and dilution associated with the mass transfer from the companion. Methods. To place CEMP stars in a broader context, we collect abundances for about 180 stars of various metallicities (from solar to [Fe/H] = -4), luminosity classes (dwarfs and giants), and abundance patterns (e. g. C-rich and poor, Ba-rich and poor), from both our own sample and the literature. Results. We first show that there are CEMP stars that share the properties of CEMP-s stars and CEMP-no stars (which we refer to as CEMP-low-s stars). We also show that there is a strong correlation between Ba and C abundances in the s-only CEMP stars. This represents a strong detection of the operation of the C-13 neutron source in low-mass AGB stars. For the CEMP-rs stars (seemingly enriched with elements from both the s-and r-processes), the correlation of the N abundances with abundances of heavy elements from the 2nd and 3rd s-process peaks bears instead the signature of the Ne-22 neutron source. Since CEMP-rs stars also exhibit O and Mg enhancements, we conclude that extremely hot conditions prevailed during the thermal pulses of the contaminating AGB stars. We also note that abundances are not affected by the evolution of the CEMP-rs star itself (especially by the first dredge-up). This implies that mixing must have occurred while the star was on the main sequence, and that a large amount of matter must have been accreted so as to trigger thermohaline mixing. Finally, we argue that most CEMP-no stars (with neutron-capture element abundances comparable to non-CEMP stars) are likely the extremely metal-poor counterparts of CEMP neutron-capture-rich stars. We also show that the C enhancement in CEMP-no stars declines with metallicity at extremely low metallicity ([Fe/H] < -3.2). This trend is not predicted by any of the current AGB models.
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| 10. |
- Nardelli, M. P., et al.
(author)
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Experimental evidence for foraminiferal calcification under anoxia
- 2014
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In: Biogeosciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1726-4189. ; 11:14, s. 4029-4038
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Benthic foraminiferal tests are widely used for paleoceanographic reconstructions from a range of different environments with varying dissolved oxygen concentrations in the bottom water. There is ample evidence that foraminifera can live in anoxic sediments. For some species, this is explained by a switch to facultative anaerobic metabolism (i.e. denitrification). Here we show for the first time that adult specimens of three benthic foraminiferal species are not only able to survive, but are also able to calcify under anoxic conditions, at various depths in the sediment, and with or without nitrates. In fact, several specimens of Ammonia tepida (1-4 %), Bulimina marginata (8-24 %) and Cassidulina laevigata (16-23 %) were able to calcify at different redox fronts of sediment cores, under laboratory conditions. This demonstrates ongoing metabolic processes, even in microenvironments where denitrification is not possible. Earlier observations suggest that the disappearance of foraminiferal communities after prolonged anoxia is not due to instantaneous or strongly increased adult mortality. Here we show that it cannot be explained by an inhibition of growth through chamber addition either. Our observations of ongoing calcification under anoxic conditions mean that geochemical proxy data obtained from benthic foraminifera in settings experiencing intermittent anoxia have to be reconsidered. The analysis of whole single specimens or of their successive chambers may provide essential information about short-term environmental variability and/or the causes of anoxia.
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