Age Spreads and Systematics in λ Orionis with Gaia DR2 and the SPOTS Tracks

In this paper we investigate the robustness of age measurements, age spreads, and stellar models in young pre-main-sequence stars. For this effort, we study a young cluster, λ Orionis, within the Orion star-forming complex. We use Gaia data to derive a sample of 357 targets with spectroscopic temperatures from spectral types or from the automated spectroscopic pipeline in APOGEE Net. After accounting for systematic offsets between the spectral type and APOGEE temperature systems, the derived properties of stars on both systems are consistent. The complex interstellar medium, with variable local extinction, motivates a star-by-star dereddening approach. We use a spectral energy distribution fitting method calibrated on open clusters for the Class III stars. For the Class II population, we use a Gaia G-RP dereddening method, minimizing systematics from disks, accretion, and other physics associated with youth. The cluster age is systematically different in models incorporating the structural impact of starspots or magnetic fields than in nonmagnetic models. Our mean ages range from 2–3 Myr (nonmagnetic models) to 3.9 ± 0.2 Myr in the SPOTS model (f = 0.34). We find that star-by-star dereddening methods distinguishing between pre-main-sequence classes provide a smaller age spread than techniques using a uniform extinction, and we infer a minimum age spread of 0.19 dex and a typical age spread of 0.35 dex after modeling age distributions convolved with observed errors. This suggests that the λ Ori cluster may have a long star formation timescale and that spotted stellar models significantly change age estimates for young clusters.

Wave-driven Mass Loss of Stripped Envelope Massive Stars: Progenitor-dependence, Mass Ejection, and Supernovae

The discovery of rapidly rising and fading supernovae powered by circumstellar interaction has suggested the pre-supernova mass eruption phase as a critical phenomenon in massive star evolution. It is important to understand the mass and radial extent of the circumstellar medium (CSM) from theoretically predicted mass ejection mechanisms. In this work, we study the wave heating process in massive hydrogen-poor stars, running a suite of stellar models in order to predict the wave energy and pre-explosion timescale of surface energy deposition. We survey stellar models with main-sequence progenitor masses from 20–70 M ⊙ and metallicity from 0.002–0.02. Most of these models predict that less than ∼1047 erg is deposited in the envelope, with the majority of the energy deposited in the last week of stellar evolution. This translates to CSM masses less than ∼10−2 M ⊙ that extend to less than ∼1014 cm, too small to greatly impact the light curves or spectra of the subsequent supernovae, except perhaps during the shock breakout phase. However, a few models predict somewhat higher wave energy fluxes, for which we perform hydrodynamical simulations of the mass ejection process. Radiative transfer simulations of the subsequent supernovae predict a bright but brief shock-cooling phase that could be detected in some Type Ib/c supernovae if they are discovered within a couple days of explosion.

Non-Radial Pulsations of Distorted Stellar Structures: Effect of Mass Variation

Eigen-frequencies (EF) of non–radial modes (NRM) of pulsations of differentially rotating (D R) and tidally distorted (T D) stellar models by considering the effect of mass variation (MV) on its equi-potentials surfaces inside a star. The method utilizes an averaging proposal of Kippenhahn and Thomas (K and T) with conjunction of the concept of Roche-equipotential. The study accolades and corrects earlier studies of non-radial (NR) pulsations of DR and TD stellar structures of different natures such as radial and non-radial oscillations, X-ray, gamma ray and other electromagnetic disturbances. The reflection of the work comes from the requirements of the inclusion of non-uniform densities that yield Lane-Emden equation to have reliable results up to second order disturbances.

Stellar models with like-Tolman IV complexity factor

In this work, we construct stellar models based on the complexity factor as a supplementary condition which allows to close the system of differential equations arising from the Gravitational Decoupling. The assumed complexity is a generalization of the one obtained from the well known Tolman IV solution. We use Tolman IV, Wyman IIa, Durgapal IV and Heintzmann IIa as seeds solutions. Reported compactness parameters of SMC X-1 and Cen X-3 are used to study the physical acceptability of the models. Some aspects related to the density ratio are also discussed.

The key impact of the host star’s rotational history on the evolution of TOI-849b

Context. TOI-849b is one of the few planets populating the hot-Neptune desert and it is the densest Neptune-sized one discovered so far. Its extraordinary proximity to the host star, together with the absence of a massive H/He envelope on top of the 40.8 M⊕ rocky core, calls into question the role played by the host star in the evolution of the system. Aims. We aim to study the impact of the host star’s rotational history on the evolution of TOI-849b, particularly focussing on the planetary migration due to dynamical tides dissipated in the stellar convective envelope, and on the high-energy stellar emission. Methods. Rotating stellar models of TOI-849 are coupled to our orbital evolution code to study the evolution of the planetary orbit. The evolution of the planetary atmosphere is studied by means of the JADE code, which uses realistic X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) fluxes provided by our rotating stellar models. Results. Assuming that the planet was at its present-day position (ain = 0.01598 AU) at the protoplanetary disc dispersal, with mass 40.8 M⊕, and considering a broad range of host star initial surface rotation rates (Ωin ∈ [3.2, 18] Ω⊙), we find that only for Ωin ≤ 5 Ω⊙ do we reproduce the current position of the planet, given that for Ωin > 5 Ω⊙ its orbit is efficiently deflected by dynamical tides within the first ∼40 Myr of evolution. We also simulated the evolution of the orbit for values of ain ≠ 0.01598 AU for each of the considered rotational histories, confirming that the only combination suited to reproduce the current position of the planet is given by ain = 0.01598 AU and Ωin ≤ 5 Ω⊙. We tested the impact of increasing the initial mass of the planet on the efficiency of tides, finding that a higher initial mass (Min = 1 MJup) does not change the results reported above. Based on these results we computed the evolution of the planetary atmospheres with the JADE code for a large range of initial masses above a core mass of 40.8 M⊕, finding that the strong XUV-flux received by the planet is able to remove the entirety of the envelope within the first 50 Myr, even if it formed as a Jupiter-mass planet.

s-Processing in Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars in the Light of Revised Neutron-Capture Cross Sections

Current AGB stellar models provide an adequate description of the s-process nucleosynthesis that occurs. Nonetheless, they still suffer from many uncertainties related to the modeling of the 13C pocket formation and the adopted nuclear reaction rates. For many important s-process isotopes, a best set of neutron-capture cross sections was recently re-evaluated. Using stellar models prescribing that the 13C pocket is a by-product of magnetic-buoyancy-induced mixing phenomena, s-process calculations were carried out with this database. Significant effects are found for a few s-only and branching point isotopes, pointing out the need for improved neutron-capture cross section measurements at low energy.