arXiv subjects

Alison Sills

Publications and source records attributed to Alison Sills.

115 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv1999

Rotational velocities of low-mass stars in the Pleiades and Hyades

We have obtained high-resolution spectra of 89 M dwarf members of the Pleiades and Hyades and have derived radial velocities, H-alpha equivalent widths, and spectroscopic rotational velocities for these stars. Typical masses of the newly-observed Pleiades and Hyades stars are ~ 0.4 M_{\sun} and ~ 0.2 M_{\sun}, respectively. We combine our new observations with previously published data to explore the rotational evolution of young stars with M < 0.4 M_\sun. The average rotation rate in the Hyades (age 600 Myr) is about 0.4 that of the Pleiades (110 Myr), and the mean equivalent widths of H-alpha are also lower. As found in previous studies, the correlation between rotation and chromospheric activity is identical in both clusters, implying that the lower activity in the Hyades is a result of the lower rotation rates. We show that a simple scaling of the Pleiades rotational distribution for M \leq 0.4 M_{\sun}, corrected for the effects of structural evolution, matches that of the Hyades if the average angular momentum loss from the Pleiades to the Hyades age is factor of \approx 6. This suggests that the distribution of initial angular momenta and disk-locking lifetimes for the lowest mass stars was similar in both clusters. We argue that this result provides further evidence for a saturation of the angular momentum loss rate at high rotational velocities.

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arXiv1999

The Structural Effects of Rotation in Low Mass Stars

We present theoretical models of rotating low mass stars (0.1 - 1.0 \Msun) to demonstrate the effect of rotation on the effective temperature and luminosity of stars. The range of rotation rates in our models corresponds to the observed rotation rates in young low mass stars. Rotation lowers the effective temperature and luminosity of the models relative to standard models of the same mass and composition. We find that the decrease in T$_{eff}$ and L can be significant at the higher end of our mass range, but becomes small below 0.4 \Msun. The effects of different assumptions about internal angular momentum transport are discussed. Formulae for relating T$_{eff}$ to mass and v$_{rot}$ are presented. We demonstrate that the kinetic energy of rotation is not a significant contribution to the luminosity of low mass stars.

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arXiv1998

Structure and Evolution of Nearby Stars with Planets. I. Short-Period Systems

Using the Yale stellar evolution code, we have calculated theoretical models for nearby stars with planetary-mass companions in short-period nearly circular orbits: 51 Pegasi, Tau Bootis, Upsilon Andromedae, Rho Cancri, and Rho Coronae Borealis. We present tables listing key stellar parameters such as mass, radius, age, and size of the convective envelope as a function of the observable parameters (luminosity, effective temperature, and metallicity), as well as the unknown helium fraction. For each star we construct best models based on recently published spectroscopic data and the present understanding of galactic chemical evolution. We discuss our results in the context of planet formation theory, and, in particular, tidal dissipation effects and stellar metallicity enhancements.

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arXiv1998

Tests of Spurious Transport in Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

We have performed a series of systematic tests to evaluate the effects of spurious transport in three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) calculations. Our tests investigate (i) particle diffusion, (ii) shock heating, (iii) numerical viscosity, and (iv) angular momentum transport. The results are useful for quantifying the accuracy of the SPH scheme, especially for problems where shear flows or shocks are present, as well as for problems where true hydrodynamic mixing is relevant. We examine the different forms of artificial viscosity (AV) which have been proposed by Monaghan, by Hernquist & Katz, and by Balsara. For each form, our tests suggest a single set of values for the AV parameters $α$ and $β$ (coefficients of the linear and quadratic terms) which are appropriate in a large number of situations. We also discuss how these parameters should be adjusted depending on the goals of the particular application. We find that both the Hernquist & Katz and Balsara forms introduce relatively small amounts of numerical viscosity. Furthermore, both Monaghan's and Balsara's AV do well at treating shocks and at limiting the amount of spurious mixing. For these reasons, we endorse the Balsara AV for use in a broad range of applications.

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arXiv1998

The Distribution of Collisionally Induced Blue Stragglers in the Colour-Magnitude Diagram

A primary production mechanism for blue stragglers in globular clusters is thought to be collisionally-induced mergers, perhaps mediated by dynamical encounters involving binary stars. We model the formation and evolution of such blue stragglers, and produce theoretical distributions of them in the colour-magnitude diagram. We use a crude representation of cluster dynamics and detailed binary-single star encounter simulations to produce cross sections and rates for a variety of collisions. The results of the collisions are determined based on SPH simulations of realistic star models. The evolution of the collision products are then followed in detail. We use our results to explore the effects of a variety of input assumptions on the number and kind of blue stragglers created by collisions. In particular, we describe the changes in the blue straggler distribution that result from using realistic collision products rather than the ``fully-mixed'' assumption, and from changes in assumptions about the number and orbital period distribution of the primordial binary population. We then apply our models to existing data from the core of M3, where the large blue straggler population is thought to be dominated by collision products. We find that we have difficulty successfully modeling the observed blue stragglers under a single consistent set of assumptions. However, if 3 particularly bright blue stragglers are considered to be part of a different observed population, the remainder can be successfully modeled using realistic encounter products and assuming a 20% binary fraction with plausible period distribution.

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arXiv1997

Evolution of Stellar Collision Products in Globular Clusters -- I. Head-on Collisions

We explore the evolution of collisionally merged stars in the blue straggler region of the HR diagram. The starting models for our stellar evolution calculations are the results of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of parabolic collisions between main sequence stars performed by Lombardi, Rasio and Shapiro (1996). Since SPH and stellar evolution codes employ different and often contradictory approximations, it is necessary to treat the evolution of these products carefully. The mixture and disparity of the relevant timescales (hydrodynamic, thermal relaxation and nuclear burning) and of the important physical assumptions between the codes makes the combined analysis of the problem challenging, especially during the initial thermal relaxation of the star. In particular, the treatment of convection is important, and semiconvection must be modeled in some detail. The products of seven head-on collisions are evolved through their initial thermal relaxation, and then through the main sequence phase to the base of the giant branch. Their evolutionary tracks are presented. In contrast to the assumptions in previous work, these collision products do not develop substantial convective regions during their thermal relaxation, and therefore are not mixed significantly after the collision.

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arXiv1997

The Importance of Realistic Starting Models for Hydrodynamic Simulations of Stellar Collisions

We demonstrate the necessity of using realistic stellar models taken from stellar evolution codes, as opposed to polytropes, for starting models in smoothed particle hydrodynamics calculations of collisions between main sequence stars. Evolved stars have mean molecular weight gradients, which affect their entropy profiles and therefore affect how they react during a collision. The structure of stellar collision products of polytrope parent stars is significantly different from that of collision products of realistic parent models. These differences strongly affect the future evolution of the collision products, particularly products of collisions between unequal mass stars which have undergone significant chemical evolution. The use of polytropes as parent star models is likely to result in qualitatively mistaken results for the structure of the collision product.

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