scholarly journals V363 Cassiopeiae: a new lithium-rich Galactic Cepheid

2020 ◽  
Vol 639 ◽  
pp. L4 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Catanzaro ◽  
V. Ripepi ◽  
G. Clementini ◽  
F. Cusano ◽  
G. De Somma ◽  
...  

Context. Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) are important astrophysical objects not only as standard candles in the determination of the cosmic distance ladder, but also as a testbed for the stellar evolution theory. This is based on the strict connection between their pulsation (period(s) and amplitudes) and stellar parameters (luminosity, mass, effective temperature, and metallicity). Aims. We examine the nature of the Galactic DCEP V363 Cas and other DCEPs that show cosmic abundances of lithium in their atmospheres. Methods. We collected three epochs of high-resolution spectroscopy for V363 Cas with HARPS-N at the TNG. We measured accurate stellar parameters: the effective temperatures, gravities, microturbulences, radial velocities, and metal abundances. Results. We detected a lithium abundance of A(Li) = 2.86 ± 0.10 dex, along with iron, carbon, and oxygen abundances of [Fe/H] = −0.30 ± 0.12 dex, [C/H] = −0.06 ± 0.15 dex, and [O/H] = 0.00 ± 0.12 dex. V363 Cas is the fifth of the Milky Way DCEPs to exhibit a Li-rich feature. An analysis of historical time-series spanning a 100-year interval shows that the period of V363 Cas is increasing, with a sharp acceleration after HJD = 2 453 000 days. This is a clear indication of a first crossing of the instability strip. Conclusions. Our results favour the scenario in which the five Galactic Li-rich DCEPs are on their first crossing of the instability strip and have had slowly rotating progenitors during their main-sequence phase.

2020 ◽  
Vol 640 ◽  
pp. A113
Author(s):  
M. A. T. Groenewegen

The flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relation (FWGLR) is investigated for a sample of 477 classical Cepheids (CCs), including stars that have been classified in the literature as such but are probably not. The luminosities are taken from the literature, based on the fitting of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) assuming a certain distance and reddening. The flux-weighted gravity (FWG) is taken from gravity and effective temperature determinations in the literature based on high-resolution spectroscopy. There is a very good agreement between the theoretically predicted and observed FWG versus pulsation period relation that could serve in estimating the FWG (and log g) in spectroscopic studies with a precision of 0.1 dex. As was known in the literature, the theoretically predicted FWGLR relation for CCs is very tight and is not very sensitive to metallicity (at least for LMC and solar values), rotation rate, and crossing of the instability strip. The observed relation has a slightly different slope and shows more scatter (0.54 dex). This is due both to uncertainties in the distances and to the pulsation phase averaged FWG values. Data from future Gaia data releases should reduce these errors, and then the FWGLR could serve as a powerful tool in Cepheid studies.


1979 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 467-473
Author(s):  
Yoji Osaki

The Beta Cephei (or Beta Canis Majoris) stars are a small group of pulsating variables of early spectral type. There are some 20 “classical” β Cephei stars, and several new or suspected variables in this group. The classical β Cephei stars are confined in a narrow “instability strip” which lies about 1 mag above and nearly parallel to the zero-age main-sequence of massive stars (M~10-20 M⊙). They are thus located far away from other well-known pulsating variables such as classical Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars in the HR diagram.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (S307) ◽  
pp. 224-225
Author(s):  
Hilding R. Neilson ◽  
Alexandra C. Bisol ◽  
Ed Guinan ◽  
Scott Engle

AbstractMeasurements of secular period change probe real-time stellar evolution of classical Cepheids making these measurements powerful constraints for stellar evolution models, especially when coupled with interferometric measurements. In this work, we present stellar evolution models and measured rates of period change for two Galactic Cepheids: Polaris and l Carinae, both important Cepheids for anchoring the Cepheid Leavitt law (period-luminosity relation). The combination of previously-measured parallaxes, interferometric angular diameters and rates of period change allows for predictions of Cepheid mass loss and stellar mass. Using the stellar evolution models, We find that l Car has a mass of about 9 M⊙ consistent with stellar pulsation models, but is not undergoing enhanced stellar mass loss. Conversely, the rate of period change for Polaris requires including enhanced mass-loss rates. We discuss what these different results imply for Cepheid evolution and the mass-loss mechanism on the Cepheid instability strip.


Author(s):  
V Ripepi ◽  
G Catanzaro ◽  
R Molinaro ◽  
M Gatto ◽  
G De Somma ◽  
...  

Abstract Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) are the most important primary indicators of the extragalactic distance scale. Establishing the dependence on metallicity of their period–luminosity and period–Wesenheit (PLZ/PWZ) relations has deep consequences on the calibration of secondary distance indicators that lead to the final estimate of the Hubble constant (H0). We collected high-resolution spectroscopy for 47 DCEPs plus 1 BL Her variables with HARPS-N@TNG and derived accurate atmospheric parameters, radial velocities and metal abundances. We measured spectral lines for 29 species and characterized their chemical abundances, finding very good agreement with previous results. We re-determined the ephemerides for the program stars and measured their intensity-averaged magnitudes in the V, I, J, H, Ks bands. We complemented our sample with literature data and used the Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) to investigate the PLZ/PWZ relations for Galactic DCEPs in a variety of filter combinations. We find that the solution without any metallicity term is ruled out at more than the 5 σ level. Our best estimate for the metallicity dependence of the intercept of the PLKs, PWJKs, PWVKs and PWHVI relations with three parameters, is −0.456 ±0.099, −0.465 ±0.071, −0.459 ±0.107 and −0.366 ±0.089 mag/dex, respectively. These values are significantly larger than the recent literature. The present data are still inconclusive to establish whether or not also the slope of the relevant relationships depends on metallicity. Applying a correction to the standard zero point offset of the Gaia parallaxes has the same effect of reducing by ∼22% the size of the metallicity dependence on the intercept of the PLZ/PWZ relations.


1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 565-565
Author(s):  
G. Cayrel de Strobel ◽  
R. Cayrel ◽  
Y. Lebreton

After having studied in great detail the observational HR diagram (log Teff, Mbol) composed by 40 main sequence stars of the Hyades (Perryman et al.,1997, A&A., in press), we have tried to apply the same method to the observational main sequences of the three next nearest open clusters: Coma Berenices, the Pleiades, and Praesepe. This method consists in comparing the observational main sequence of the clusters with a grid of theoretical ZAMSs. The stars composing the observational main sequences had to have reliable absolute bolometric magnitudes, coming all from individual Hipparcos parallaxes, precise bolometric corrections, effective temperatures and metal abundances from high resolution detailed spectroscopic analyses. If we assume, following the work by Fernandez et al. (1996, A&A,311,127), that the mixing-lenth parameter is solar, the position of a theoretical ZAMS, in the (log Teff, Mbol) plane, computed with given input physics, only depends on two free parameters: the He content Y by mass, and the metallicity Z by mass. If effective temperature and metallicity of the constituting stars of the 4 clusters are previously known by means of detailed analyses, one can deduce their helium abundances by means of an appropriate grid of theoretical ZAMS’s. The comparison between the empirical (log Teff, Mbol) main sequence of the Hyades and the computed ZAMS corresponding to the observed metallicity Z of the Hyades (Z= 0.0240 ± 0.0085) gives a He abundance for the Hyades, Y= 0.26 ± 0.02. Our interpretation, concerning the observational position of the main sequence of the three nearest clusters after the Hyades, is still under way and appears to be greatly more difficult than for the Hyades. For the moment we can say that: ‒ The 15 dwarfs analysed in detailed in Coma have a solar metallicity: [Fe/H] = -0.05 ± 0.06. However, their observational main sequence fit better with the Hyades ZAMS. ‒ The mean metallicity of 13 Pleiades dwarfs analysed in detail is solar. A metal deficient and He normal ZAMS would fit better. But, a warning for absorption in the Pleiades has to be recalled. ‒ The upper main sequence of Praesepe, (the more distant cluster: 180 pc) composed by 11 stars, analysed in detail, is the one which has the best fit with the Hyades ZAMS. The deduced ‘turnoff age’ of the cluster is slightly higher than that of the Hyades: 0.8 Gyr instead of 0.63 Gyr.


1996 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 363-366
Author(s):  
Koujun Yamashita

X-ray emissions from clusters are most likely originated from a thin hot plasma in a collisional ionization equilibrium. The optical depth of continuum component is order of 10–3, whereas that of emission lines is around unity. Present emission models used for spectral fitting can not estimate this effect, so that the determination of elemental abundances seems to include large uncertainty. The high resolution spectroscopy with ASCA gives a clue to investigate the physical state of hot intracluster gas and a impact to reconsider the basic atomic processes. This is important issue to deeply understand the structure, formation and evolution of clusters, and the origin of intracluster gas.


1968 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 243-246
Author(s):  
Edith A. Müller

The determination of the lithium abundance in the solar atmosphere is essentially based on the LiI resonance doublet at λ 6707·761 and 6707·912 Å. These two lines form a very faint absorption feature, the central depth of the stronger component being of the order of 1% of the continuum. The violet component, which is also the stronger of the two, occurs near the red wing of a faint solar line of unknown origin, and the lines appear to be blended with other faint lines including possibly the doublet of the Li6 isotope (the isotopic shift being 0·160 Å). No other line of LiI has been detected in the Fraunhofer spectum of the undisturbed solar disk. This is nothing surprising, because practically all lithium is expected to be ionized in the photosphere on account of its low ionization potential (Xion = 5·37 e.v.). In sunspot spectra the lower temperature reduces the degree of ionization of lithium and causes a strengthening of the LiI lines. In fact, the LiI resonance lines which appear as a very faint absorption feature on disk spectra are about 50 times stronger in spot spectra. Furthermore, the very weak feature at λ 6103·6 Å was identified by Dubov (1964) and by Schmahl and Schröter (1965) as due to the 2s 2S–3d 2D transition of LiI. Both the resonance doublet and the faint feature at 6103·6 Å have been used by the above-mentioned authors to derive the lithium abundance in spots.


2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A82 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Proxauf ◽  
R. da Silva ◽  
V. V. Kovtyukh ◽  
G. Bono ◽  
L. Inno ◽  
...  

We gathered more than 1130 high-resolution optical spectra for more than 250 Galactic classical Cepheids. The spectra were collected with the optical spectrographs UVES at VLT, HARPS at 3.6 m, FEROS at 2.2 m MPG/ESO, and STELLA. To improve the effective temperature estimates, we present more than 150 new line depth ratio (LDR) calibrations that together with similar calibrations already available in the literature allowed us to cover a broad range in wavelength (5348 ≤ λ ≤ 8427 Å) and in effective temperature (3500 ≤ Teff ≤ 7700 K). This gives us the unique opportunity to cover both the hottest and coolest phases along the Cepheid pulsation cycle and to limit the intrinsic error on individual measurements at the level of ~100 K. As a consequence of the high signal-to-noise ratio of individual spectra, we identified and measured hundreds of neutral and ionized lines of heavy elements, and in turn, have the opportunity to trace the variation of both surface gravity and microturbulent velocity along the pulsation cycle. The accuracy of the physical parameters and the number of Fe I (more than one hundred) and Fe II (more than ten) lines measured allowed us to estimate mean iron abundances with a precision better than 0.1 dex. We focus on 14 calibrating Cepheids for which the current spectra cover either the entire or a significant portion of the pulsation cycle. The current estimates of the variation of the physical parameters along the pulsation cycle and of the iron abundances agree very well with similar estimates available in the literature. Independent homogeneous estimates of both physical parameters and metal abundances based on different approaches that can constrain possible systematics are highly encouraged.


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