scholarly journals Abundances in Stellar Populations

1976 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 183-204
Author(s):  
H. Spinrad

Stellar abundances are reviewed with emphasis on large-scale effects which may yield clues to galactic structure and evolution. Spectroscopic and indirect photoelectric abundance criteria are discussed, and utilized.The abundance statistics of nearby galactic disk stars, dominated by M dwarfs, but observed at spectral types F and GV and K III, suggest a weak age-abundance relationship with a substantial dispersion at any time. Very metal-poor stars are extremely rare. Spatial abundance gradients, with higher metal abundances occurring nearer the galactic centre, are indicated. Disk abundance gradients are prevalent for light elements in other Sb and Sc galaxies.The confusing status of supermetallicity is again reviewed. The super-metal-rich (SMR) giants (like μ Leo) are either over-abundant because of self-N-enrichment (from C–N–O processing?)and boundary-temperature cooling, or are really SMR. Each case may be reasonably argued. The old galactic clusters M67 and NGC 183 seem, by recent indirect acclaim, to be only slightly more metal-rich than the Sun. The Spinrad-Taylor data on the M67 giants would still seem to superficially suggest overabundances in Na and Mg, but other interpretations are possible.SMR dwarfs, like HR 72, and subgiants, like 31 Aql are surely very old, and have metal abundances larger than the Hyades. However, they are, by number, only ≈ 5% of the local main sequence.The galactic halo star tracers – red giants and RR Lyrae stars, have been observed extensively, lately. There is some indication of an abundance gradient from 5 or 10 kpc galactocentric radius out to r ~ 100 kpc. The most metal-poor stars observed in the Draco system are about 1000 times less abundant in heavy elements than is the Sun, and much of the galactic disk.Abundances in other galaxies, as a function of their total mass, and stellar/gaseous composition are also reviewed. There is a clear dependence of abundance on galaxian total mass.

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S259) ◽  
pp. 455-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
JinLin Han

AbstractThe magnetic structure in the Galactic disk, the Galactic center and the Galactic halo can be delineated more clearly than ever before. In the Galactic disk, the magnetic structure has been revealed by starlight polarization within 2 or 3 kpc of the Solar vicinity, by the distribution of the Zeeman splitting of OH masers in two or three nearby spiral arms, and by pulsar dispersion measures and rotation measures in nearly half of the disk. The polarized thermal dust emission of clouds at infrared, mm and submm wavelengths and the diffuse synchrotron emission are also related to the large-scale magnetic field in the disk. The rotation measures of extragalactic radio sources at low Galactic latitudes can be modeled by electron distributions and large-scale magnetic fields. The statistical properties of the magnetized interstellar medium at various scales have been studied using rotation measure data and polarization data. In the Galactic center, the non-thermal filaments indicate poloidal fields. There is no consensus on the field strength, maybe mG, maybe tens of μG. The polarized dust emission and much enhanced rotation measures of background radio sources are probably related to toroidal fields. In the Galactic halo, the antisymmetric RM sky reveals large-scale toroidal fields with reversed directions above and below the Galactic plane. Magnetic fields from all parts of our Galaxy are connected to form a global field structure. More observations are needed to explore the untouched regions and delineate how fields in different parts are connected.


2019 ◽  
Vol 630 ◽  
pp. A119 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Maíz Apellániz

Context. On the one hand, the second data release of the Gaia mission (Gaia DR2) has opened a trove of astrometric and photometric data for Galactic clusters within a few kiloparsecs of the Sun. On the other hand, lucky imaging has been an operational technique to measure the relative positions of visual binary systems for a decade and a half. This time is sufficient to apply the results of the technique to the calculation of orbits of some massive multiple systems within ∼1 kpc of the Sun. Aims. As part of an ambitious research program to measure distances to Galactic stellar groups (including clusters) containing O stars, I start with two of the nearest examples: Collinder 419 in Cygnus and NGC 2264 in Monoceros. The main ionizing source for each cluster is a multiple system with an O-type primary: HD 193 322 and 15 Mon, respectively. For each of the two multiple systems, I aim to derive new astrometric orbits for the Aa,Ab components. Methods. First, I present a method that uses Gaia DR2 G + GBP + GRP photometry, positions, proper motions, and parallaxes to obtain the membership and distance of a stellar group and applied these values to Collinder 419 and NGC 2264. Second, I present a new code that calculates astrometric orbits by searching the whole seven-parameter orbit space and apply it to HD 193 322 Aa,Ab and 15 Mon Aa,Ab using, as input, literature data from the Washington Double Star Catalog and the AstraLux measurements recently presented by our group in another paper published this year. Results. I obtain Gaia DR2 distances of 1006+37−34 pc for Collinder 419 and 719 ± 16 pc for NGC 2264; the main contribution to the uncertainties comes from the spatial covariance of the parallaxes. The two NGC 2264 subclusters are at the same distance (within the uncertainties) and show a significant relative proper motion. The distances are shown to be robust. HD 193 322 Aa,Ab follows an eccentric (e = 0.58+0.03−0.04) orbit with a period of 44 ± 1 a and the three stars it contains have a total mass of 76.1+9.9−7.4M⊙. The orbit of 15 Mon Aa,Ab is even more eccentric (e = 0.770+0.023−0.030); it has a period of 108 ± 12 a and a total mass of 45.1+3.6−3.3M⊙ for its two stars.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S334) ◽  
pp. 372-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Thorsbro ◽  
N. Ryde ◽  
R. M. Rich ◽  
M. Schultheis ◽  
T. K. Fritz ◽  
...  

AbstractA major avenue in the study of the Galaxy is the investigation of stellar populations and Galactic chemical evolution by stellar spectroscopy. Due to the dust obscuration, stars in the centre of the Galaxy can only be observed in the near-IR wavelength region. However, existing line lists in this wavelength region are demonstratively not of good enough quality for use in stellar spectroscopy. In response to this, we have developed an empirical astrophysical line list in the K-band based on modelling against the Sun and testing against Arcturus. Of ca. 700 identified interesting lines about 570 lines have been assigned empirically determined values.


1991 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 417-428
Author(s):  
Paul R. Shapiro

Observations of galactic halo gas are consistent with an interpretation in terms of the galactic fountain model in which supernova heated gas in the galactic disk escapes into the halo, radiatively cools and forms clouds which fall back to the disk. The results of a new study of several large-scale gas dynamical effects which are expected to occur in such a model for the origin and evolution of galactic halo gas will be summarized, including the following: (1) nonequilibrium absorption line and emission spectrum diagnostics for radiatively cooling halo gas in our own galaxy, as well the implications of such absorption line diagnostics for the origin of quasar absorption lines in galactic halo clouds of high redshift galaxies; (2) numerical MHD simulations and analytical analysis of large-scale explosions and superbubbles in the galactic disk and halo; (3) numerical MHD simulations of halo cloud formation by thermal instability, with and without magnetic field; and (4) the effect of the galactic fountain on the galactic dynamo.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (H15) ◽  
pp. 450-451
Author(s):  
JinLin Han

AbstractLarge-scale magnetic fields in the Galactic disk have been revealed by distributions of pulsar rotation measures (RMs) and Zeeman splitting data of masers in star formation regions, which have several reversals in arm and interarm regions. Magnetic fields in the Galactic halo are reflected by the antisymmetric sky distribution of RMs of extragalactic radio sources, which have azimuthal structure with reversed directions below and above the Galactic plane. Large-scale magnetic fields in the Galactic center probably have a poloidal and toroidal structure.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S266) ◽  
pp. 495-498
Author(s):  
C. B. Pereira ◽  
C. Quireza

AbstractWe present a chemical analysis of seven red giants in the open cluster NGC 3114. Our main goal is to investigate the chemical composition of this cluster, which is not yet available in the literature. We employed the FEROS spectrograph on the ESO 2.2m telescope. Atmospheric parameters and metallicity were derived from the measured equivalent widths of several iron lines using the spectral code moog and Kurucz model atmospheres. We obtained the abundances of O, Al, Ca, Mg, Si, Ti, Ni, Cr, Sc, Y, Zr, La, Ce and Nd by measuring the equivalent widths of the absorption lines of these elements. A mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.05 ± 0.13 relative to the Sun was determined from the data of the red-giant members. This result is in good agreement with the Galactic-disk radial distribution of iron traced by open clusters. We did not find any intrinsic star-to-star scatter in the [element/Fe] ratios for the stars in this cluster. We compare our results with investigations of other open clusters. An age of 8.2 Gyr is derived from isochrone fits.


2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (4) ◽  
pp. 5462-5478
Author(s):  
Danny Horta ◽  
J Ted Mackereth ◽  
Ricardo P Schiavon ◽  
Sten Hasselquist ◽  
Jo Bovy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The contribution of dissolved globular clusters (GCs) to the stellar content of the Galactic halo is a key constraint on models for GC formation and destruction, and the mass assembly history of the Milky Way. Earlier results from APOGEE pointed to a large contribution of destroyed GCs to the stellar content of the inner halo, by as much as 25 ${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, which is an order of magnitude larger than previous estimates for more distant regions of the halo. We set out to measure the ratio between nitrogen-rich (N-rich) and normal halo field stars, as a function of distance, by performing density modelling of halo field populations in APOGEE DR16. Our results show that at 1.5 kpc from the Galactic Centre, N-rich stars contribute a much higher 16.8$^{+10.0}_{-7.0}\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ fraction to the total stellar halo mass budget than the 2.7$^{+1.0}_{-0.8}\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ ratio contributed at 10 kpc. Under the assumption that N-rich stars are former GC members that now reside in the stellar halo field, and assuming the ratio between first and second population GC stars being 1:2, we estimate a total contribution from disrupted GC stars of the order of 27.5$^{+15.4}_{-11.5}\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at r = 1.5 kpc and 4.2$^{+1.5}_{-1.3}\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at r = 10 kpc. Furthermore, since our methodology requires fitting a density model to the stellar halo, we integrate such density within a spherical shell from 1.5 to 15 kpc in radius, and find a total stellar mass arising from dissolved and/or evaporated GCs of MGC,total = 9.6$^{+4.0}_{-2.6}\, \times$ 107 M⊙.


1991 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 187-196
Author(s):  
W. Reich

Changes of the cosmic ray electron spectrum throughout the Galaxy have been found, based on the comparison of large-scale radio continuum surveys. These observations are not compatible with the assumption of a static Galactic halo, but indicate the existence of a Galactic wind. Galactic plane surveys reveal sources of cosmic ray electrons in the Galactic disk. Recent studies of the population of radio sources show no evidence for a large number of compact Galactic non-thermal sources. Most of the extended sources are probably HII-regions. Relatively few new supernova remnants (SNRs) with low surface brightness could be identified. Most of the non-thermal emission in the disk-halo interface seems diffuse or unresolved, even at arcmin angular resolution.


Author(s):  
Nicholas Mee

The Cosmic Mystery Tour is a brief account of modern physics and astronomy presented in a broad historical and cultural context. The book is attractively illustrated and aimed at the general reader. Part I explores the laws of physics including general relativity, the structure of matter, quantum mechanics and the Standard Model of particle physics. It discusses recent discoveries such as gravitational waves and the project to construct LISA, a space-based gravitational wave detector, as well as unresolved issues such as the nature of dark matter. Part II begins by considering cosmology, the study of the universe as a whole and how we arrived at the theory of the Big Bang and the expanding universe. It looks at the remarkable objects within the universe such as red giants, white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, and considers the expected discoveries from new telescopes such as the Extremely Large Telescope in Chile, and the Event Horizon Telescope, currently aiming to image the supermassive black hole at the galactic centre. Part III considers the possibility of finding extraterrestrial life, from the speculations of science fiction authors to the ongoing search for alien civilizations known as SETI. Recent developments are discussed: space probes to the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn; the discovery of planets in other star systems; the citizen science project SETI@Home; Breakthrough Starshot, the project to develop technologies to send spacecraft to the stars. It also discusses the Fermi paradox which argues that we might actually be alone in the cosmos


1987 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 490-490
Author(s):  
A. K. Drukier ◽  
K. Freese ◽  
D. N. Spergel

We consider the use of superheated superconducting colloids as detectors of weakly interacting galactic halo candidate particles (e.g. photinos, massive neutrinos, and scalar neutrinos). These low temperature detectors are sensitive to the deposition of a few hundreds of eV's. The recoil of a dark matter particle off of a superheated superconducting grain in the detector causes the grain to make a transition to the normal state. Their low energy threshold makes this class of detectors ideal for detecting massive weakly interacting halo particles.We discuss realistic models for the detector and for the galactic halo. We show that the expected count rate (≈103 count/day for scalar and massive neutrinos) exceeds the expected background by several orders of magnitude. For photinos, we expect ≈1 count/day, more than 100 times the predicted background rate. We find that if the detector temperature is maintained at 50 mK and the system noise is reduced below 5 × 10−4 flux quanta, particles with mass as low as 2 GeV can be detected. We show that the earth's motion around the Sun can produce a significant annual modulation in the signal.


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