arXiv subjects

Ana I. Gomez de Castro

Publications and source records attributed to Ana I. Gomez de Castro.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

On the source of the Fe K-alpha emission in T Tauri Stars. Radiation induced by relativistic electrons during flares. An application to RY Tau

T Tauri Stars (TTSs) are magnetically active stars that accrete matter from the inner border of the surrounding accretion disc; plasma gets trapped into the large scale magnetic structures and falls onto the star, heating the surface through the so-called accretion shocks. The X-ray spectra of the TTSs show prominent Fe II Kalpha fluorescence emission at 6.4keV that cannot be explained in a pure accretion scenario. Neither, it can be produced by the hot coronal plasma. TTSs display all signs of magnetic activity and magnetic reconnection events are expected to occur frequently. In these events, electrons may get accelerated to relativistic speeds and their interaction with the environmental matter may result in Fe Kalpha emission. It is the aim of this work to evaluate the expected Fe Kalpha emission in the context of the TTS research and compare it with the actual Fe Kalpha measurements obtained during the flare detected while monitoring RY Tau with the XMM-Newton satellite. The propagation of high-energy electrons in dense gas generates a cascade of secondary particles that results in an electron shower of random nature whose evolution and radiative throughput is simulated in this work using the Monte Carlo code PENELOPE. A set of conditions representing the environment of the TTSs where these showers may impinge has been taken into account to generate a grid of models that can aid to the interpretation of the data. The simulations show that the electron beams produce a hot spot at the point of impact; strong Fe Kalpha emission and X-ray continuum radiation are produced by the spot. This emission is compatible with RY Tau observations. The Fe Kalpha emission observed in TTSs could be produced by beams of relativistic electrons accelerated in magnetic reconnection events during flares.

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arXiv2020

Accretion and inter-cycle variations in the PMS interacting binary AK Sco

There are only a handful of known short-period pre-main sequence spectroscopic binaries with significant accretion rates (Class II sources). AK Sco stands out in this list because the system is composed of two equal mass F5 stars in a highly eccentric orbit thus both stars get as close as 11 stellar radii at periastron passage. This configuration is optimal for accretion studies because enhance accretion events can be precisely timed at periastron passage. In this work, we present the results from the monitoring of the AK Sco system with Hubble during three consecutive periastron passages. These data provide a unique dataset to spectroscopically characterize accretion and evaluate the inter-cycle variability of the system. Clear evidence of accretion rate enhancement was observed in cycle1 and 3: the blueing of the near UV continuum, the sudden flux increase of important accretion tracers, such as the N V, Si IV and C IV lines, and also of neutral/singly ionized species such as O I and C II. Also, variations in the Si III]/C III] ratio reveals an enhancement of the electron density by an order of magnitude during the periastron passage. Moreover, in cycle 3, the spectral resolution of the observations obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph enabled discerning that the flow was channelled preferentially into one of the two components. The most remarkable feature in the cycle-to-cycle variations was the detection of a notable increase of the UV flux from cycle 1 to 2 that was not accompanied by enhanced accretion signatures.

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arXiv2019

Closing gaps to our origins. The UV window into the Universe

The investigation of the emergence of life is a major endeavour of science. Astronomy is contributing to it in three fundamental manners: (1) by measuring the chemical enrichment of the Universe, (2) by investigating planet formation and searching for exoplanets with signatures of life and, (3) by determining the abundance of aminoacids and the chemical routes to aminoacid and protein growth in astronomical bodies. This proposal deals with the first two. In the Voyage to 2050, the world-wide scientific community is getting equipped with large facilities for the investigation of the emergence of life in the Universe (i.e. VLT, JWST, ELT, GMT, TMT, ALMA, FAST, VLA, ATHENA, SKA) including the ESA's CHEOPS, PLATO and ARIEL missions. This white paper is a community effort to call for the development of a large ultraviolet optical observatory to gather fundamental data for this investigation that will not be accessible through other ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum. A versatile space observatory with UV sensitivity a factor of 50-100 greater than existing facilities will revolutionize our understanding of the pathway to life in the Universe.

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arXiv2019

The EarthASAP mission concept for a Lunar orbiting cubesat

There is a growing interest in Lunar exploration fed by the perception that the Moon can be made accessible to low-cost missions in the next decade. The on-going projects to set a communications relay in Lunar orbit and a deep space Gateway, as well as the spreading of commercial-of-the shelf (COTS) technology for small space platforms such as the cubesats contribute to this perception. Small, cubesat size satellites orbiting the Moon offer ample opportunities to study the Moon and enjoy an advantage point to monitor the Solar System and the large scale interaction between the Earth and the solar wind. In this article, we describe the technical characteristics of a 12U cubesat to be set in polar Lunar orbit for this purpose and the science behind it. The mission is named EarthASAP (Earth AS An exoPlanet) and was submitted to the Lunar Cubesats for Exploration (LUCE) call in 2016. EarthASAP was designed to monitor hydrated rock reservoirs in the Lunar poles and to study the interaction between the large Earth's exosphere and the solar wind in preparation for future exoplanetary missions.

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arXiv2019

Signatures of diffuse interstellar gas in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer all sky survey

The all sky survey run by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX AIS) mapped about 85% of the Galaxy at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths and detected the diffuse UV background produced by the scattering of the radiation from OBA stars by interstellar dust grains. Against this background, diffuse weak structures are detected as well as the UV counterparts to nebulae and molecular clouds. To make full profit of the survey, unsupervised and semi-supervised procedures need to be implemented. The main objective of this work is to implement and analyze the results of the method developed by us for the blind detection of ISM features in the GALEX AIS . Most ISM features are detected at very low signal levels (dark filaments, globules) against the already faint UV background. We have defined an index, the UV background fluctuations index (or UBF index), to identify areas of the sky where these fluctuations are detected. The algorithm is applied to the images obtained in the FUV (1344 -1786 Angstroms) band since this is less polluted by stellar sources, facilitating the automated detection. The UBF index is shown to be sensitive to the main star forming regions within the Gould's Belt, as well as to some prominent loops like Loop I or the Eridanus and Monogem areas. The catalogue with the UBF index values is made available on-line to the community.

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arXiv2018

HST STIS UV Spectroscopic Observations of the Protoplanetary Nebula Hen3-1475

We present UV spectra of the protoplanetary nebula (pPN) Hen3-1475 obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Our deep, low-dispersion spectroscopy enables monochromatic imaging of Hen3-1475 in UV nebular emission lines, the first of such attempt ever made for a pPN. The high spatial resolution of STIS imaging allows an unprecedentedly sharp view of the S-shaped jet, especially the inner NW1 knot, which is resolved into four components in the MgII 2800 line emission. Through critical comparison with HST optical narrowband images, we found a negative radial velocity gradient in NW1, from -1550 km/s on its innermost component to about -300 km/s on the outermost. Despite their high radial velocities, these components of NW1 mostly show no obvious (or very small) proper motions, indicating that they might be quasi-stationary shocks near the tip of the conical flow along the collimated jet of Hen3-1475.

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arXiv2017

On the feasibility of studying the exospheres of Earth-like exoplanets by Lyman-alpha monitoring. Detectability constraints for nearby M stars

Observations of the Earth's exosphere have unveiled an extended envelope of hydrogen reaching further than 10 Earth radii composed of atoms orbiting around the Earth. This large envelope increases significantly the opacity of the Earth to Lyman-alpha (Lya) photons coming from the Sun, to the point of making feasible the detection of the Earth's transit signature from 1.35 pc if pointing with an 8~meter primary mirror space telescope through a clean line of sight (NH < 1e17 cm-2), as we show. In this work, we evaluate the potential detectability of Earth analogues orbiting around nearby M-type stars by monitoring the variability of the Lya flux. We show that, in spite of the interstellar, heliospheric and astrospheric absorption, the transit signature in M5 V type stars would be detectable with a dedicated Lya flux monitor implemented in a 4-8 m class space telescope. Such monitoring programs would enable measuring the robustness of planetary atmospheres under heavy space weather conditions like those produced by M-type stars. A 2-m class telescope, such as the World Space Observatory, would suffice to detect an Earth-like planet orbiting around Proxima Centauri, if there was such a planet or nearby M5 type stars.

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arXiv2016

A data base of synthetic photometry in the GALEX ultraviolet bands for the stellar sources observed with the International Ultraviolet Explorer

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) has produced the largest photometric catalogue of ultraviolet (UV) sources. As such, it has defined the new standard bands for UV photometry: the near UV band (NUV) and the far UV band (FUV). However, due to brightness limits, the GALEX mission has avoided the Galactic plane which is crucial for astrophysical research and future space missions. The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite obtained 63,755 spectra in the low dispersion mode during its 18 years lifetime. We have derived the photometry in the GALEX bands for the stellar sources in the IUE Archive to extend the GALEX data base with observations including the Galactic plane.Good quality spectra have been selected for all IUE classes of stellar sources. The GALEX FUV and NUV magnitudes have been computed using the GALEX transmission curves, as well as the conversion equations between flux and magnitudes provided by the mission (galexgi.gsfc.nasa.gov). Consistency between GALEX and IUE synthetic photometries has been tested using White Dwarfs (WD) contained in both samples. The non-linear response performance of GALEX inferred from this data agrees with the results from GALEX calibration. The photometric data base is made available to the community through the services of the Centre de Données Stellaires at Strasbourg (CDS). The catalogue contains FUV magnitudes for 1,631 sources, ranging from FUV=1.81 to FUV=18.65 mag. In the NUV band, the catalogue includes observations for 1,005 stars ranging from NUV = 3.08 to NUV= 17.74 mag . UV photometry for 1,493 not included in the GALEX AIS GR5 catalogue is provided; most of them are hot (O-A spectral type) stars. The sources in the catalogue are distributed over the full sky, including the Galactic plane.

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arXiv2016

Protoplanetary disk shadowing by gas infalling onto the young star AK Sco

Young solar-type stars grow through the accretion of material from the circumstellar disk during pre-main sequence (PMS) evolution. The ultraviolet radiation generated in this process plays a key role in the chemistry and evolution of young planetary disks. In particular, the hydrogen Lyman-alpha line (Lya) etches the disk surface by driving photoevaporative flows that control disk evolution. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, we have monitored the PMS binary star AK Sco during the periastron passage and have detected a drop of the H2 flux by up to 10% lasting 5.9 hours. We show that the decrease of the H2 flux can be produced by the occultation of the stellar Lya photons by a gas stream in free fall from 3 R*. Given the high optical depth of the Lya line, a very low gas column of NH > 5e17 cm-2 suffices to block the Lya radiation without producing noticeable effects in the rest of the stellar spectral tracers.

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arXiv2015

Variation of the ultraviolet extinction law across the Taurus-Auriga star forming complex. A GALEX based study

The Taurus-Auriga molecular complex (TMC) is the main laboratory for the study of low mass star formation. The density and properties of interstellar dust are expected to vary across the TMC. These variations trace important processes such as dust nucleation or the magnetic field coupling with the cloud. In this article, we show how the combination of near ultraviolet (NUV) and infrared (IR) photometry can be used to derive the strength of the 2175 Å bump and thus any enhancement in the abundance of small dust grains and PAHs in the dust grains size distribution. This technique is applied to the envelope of the TMC, mapped by the GALEX All Sky Survey (AIS). UV and IR photometric data have been retrieved from the GALEX-AIS and the 2MASS catalogues. NUV and K-band star counts have been used to identify the areas in the cloud envelope where the 2175 Å bump is weaker than in the diffuse ISM namely, the low column density extensions of L1495, L1498 and L1524 in Taurus, L1545, L1548, L1519, L1513 in Auriga and L1482-83 in the California region. This finding agrees with previous results on dust evolution derived from Spitzer data and suggests that dust grains begin to decouple from the environmental galactic magnetic field already in the envelope.

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arXiv2014

A GALEX based search for the sparse young stellar population in the Taurus-Aurigae star forming region

In this work, we identify 63 bona fide new candidates to T Tauri stars (TTSs) in the Taurus-Auriga region using as baseline its ultraviolet excess. The initial data set has been defined from the GALEX all sky survey (AIS). The GALEX satellite obtained images in the near ultraviolet (NUV) and far ultraviolet (FUV) bands where the TTSs show a prominent excess, compared with main sequence or giants stars. GALEX AIS surveyed the Taurus-Auriga molecular complex, as well as, a fraction of the California Nebula and the Perseus complex; bright sources and the dark clouds themselves are avoided. The properties of the TTSs in the ultraviolet (GALEX), optical (UCAC4) and infrared (2MASS) have been defined using as qualification sample the TTSs observed with the International Ultraviolet Explorer. The candidates have been identified by means of a mixed ultraviolet-optical-infrared excess set of colors; it is found that the color-color diagram FUV-NUV versus J-K is ideally suited for this purpose. From an initial sample of 163,313 bona-fide NUV sources, a final list with 63 new candidates to TTSs in the region has been produced. The search procedure has been validated by its ability to detect all known TTSs in the area surveyed: 31 TTSs. Also, it is shown that the weak-lined TTSs are located in a well defined stripe in the FUV-NUV versus J-K diagram. Moreover, we provide in this work a list of TTSs photometric standards for future GALEX-based studies of the young stellar population in star forming regions.

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arXiv2013

XMM-Newton monitoring of the close pre-main-sequence binary AK Sco. Evidence of tide driven filling of the inner gap in the circumbinary disk

AK~Sco stands out among pre-main sequence binaries because of its prominent ultraviolet excess, the high eccentricity of its orbit and the strong tides driven by it. AK Sco consists of two F5 type stars that get as close as 11R$_*$ at periastron passage. The presence of a dense ($n_e \sim 10^{11}$~cm$^{-3}$) extended envelope has been unveiled recently. In this article, we report the results from a XMM-Newton based monitoring of the system. We show that at periastron, X-ray and UV fluxes are enhanced by a factor of $\sim 3$ with respect to the apastron values. The X-ray radiation is produced in an optically thin plasma with T$\sim 6.4\times 10^{6}$ K and it is found that the N$_H$ column density rises from 0.35$\times 10^{21}$~cm$^{-2}$ at periastron to 1.11$\times 10^{21}$~cm$^{-2}$ at apastron, in good agreement with previous polarimetric observations. The UV emission detected in the Optical Monitor band seems to be caused by the reprocessing of the high energy magnetospheric radiation on the circumstellar material. Further evidence of the strong magnetospheric disturbances is provided by the detection of line broadening of 278.7~km~s$^{-1}$ in the N~V line with HST/STIS. Numerical simulations of the mass flow from the circumbinary disk to the components have been carried out. They provide a consistent scenario with which to interpret AK~Sco observations. We show that the eccentric orbit acts like a gravitational piston. At apastron, matter is dragged efficiently from the inner disk border, filling the inner gap and producing accretion streams that end as ring-like structures around each component of the system. At periastron, the ring-like structures come into contact, leading to angular momentum loss, and thus producing an accretion outburst.

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arXiv2010

On the source of dense outflows from T Tauri Stars. and III. Winds driven from the star-disc shear layer

Ultraviolet observations of classical T Tauri Stars (cTTSs) have shown that there is a hot (Te ~ 80,000 K) and dense (ne ~ 1e10 cm-3) component associated with the large scale jet. This hot component is formed very close to the base of the jet providing fundamental information on the jet formation mechanism. In this series, we have investigated whether this component can be formed in disc winds, either cool or warm. To conclude the series, jet launching from the interface between the magnetic rotor (the star) and the disc is studied. Synthetic profiles are calculated from numerical simulations of outflow launching by star-disc interaction. Profiles are calculated for several possible configurations of the stellar field: dipolar (with surface strengths, B of 1, 2 and 5 kG) or dynamo fed. Also two types of discs, passive or subjected to an alpha/Omega-dynamo, are considered. These profiles have been used to define the locus of the various models in the observational diagram: dispersion versus centroid, for the profiles of the SiIII] line. Bulk motions produce an increasing broadening of the profile as the lever arm launching the jet becomes more efficient; predicted profiles are however, sensitive to the disc inclination. Models are compared with observations of the SiIII] lines obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. In addition, it is shown that the non-stationary nature of star-disc winds produce a flickering of the profile during quiescence with variations in the line flux of about 10%. At outburst, accretion signatures appear in the profiles together with an enhancement of the wind, producing the correlation between accretion and outflow as reported from RU Lup, AA Tau and RW Aur observations.

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arXiv2009

AK Sco, first detection of a highly disturbed atmosphere in a pre-main sequence close binary

AK Sco is a unique source: a ~10 Myrs old pre-main sequence spectroscopic binary composed of two nearly equal F5 stars that at periastron are separated by barely eleven stellar radii so, the stellar magnetospheres fill the Roche lobe at periastron. The orbit is not yet circularized (e=0.47) and very strong tides are expected. This makes of AK Sco, the ideal laboratory to study the effect of gravitational tides in the stellar magnetic field building up during pre-main sequence (PMS) evolution. In this letter, the detection of a highly disturbed (sigma ~ 100 km/s) and very dense atmosphere (ne = 1.6e10cm-3) is reported. Significant line broadening blurs any signs of ion belts or bow shocks in the spectrum of the atmospheric plasma. The radiative loses cannot be accounted solely by the dissipation of energy from the tidal wave propagating in the stellar atmosphere; neither by the accreting material. The release of internal energy from the star seems to be the most likely source of the plasma heating. This is the first clear indication of a highly disturbed atmosphere surrounding a pre-main sequence close binary.

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arXiv2008

Science with the World Space Observatory - Ultraviolet

The World Space Observatory-Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) will provide access to the UV range during the next decade. The instrumentation on board will allow to carry out high resolution imaging, high sensitivity imaging, high resolution (R~55000) spectroscopy and low resolution (R~2500) long slit spectroscopy. In this contribution, we briefly outline some of the key science issues that WSO-UV will address during its lifetime. Among them, of special interest are: the study of galaxy formation and the intergalactic medium; the astronomical engines; the Milky Way formation and evol ution, and the formation of the Solar System and the atmospheres of extrasolar p lanets.

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arXiv2008

The formation of planetary disks and winds: an ultraviolet view

Planetary systems are angular momentum reservoirs generated during star formation. This accretion process produces very powerful engines able to drive the optical jets and the molecular outflows. A fraction of the engine energy is released into heating thus the temperature of the engine ranges from the 3000K of the inner disk material to the 10MK in the areas where magnetic reconnection occurs. There are important unsolved problems concerning the nature of the engine, its evolution and the impact of the engine in the chemical evolution of the inner disk. Of special relevance is the understanding of the shear layer between the stellar photosphere and the disk; this layer controls a significant fraction of the magnetic field building up and the subsequent dissipative processes ougth to be studied in the UV. This contribution focus on describing the connections between 1 Myr old suns and the Sun and the requirements for new UV instrumentation to address their evolution during this period. Two types of observations are shown to be needed: monitoring programmes and high resolution imaging down to, at least, milliarsecond scales.

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arXiv2007

Evidence for stellar driven outflows from the Classical T Tauri star RY Tau

RY Tau is a rapidly rotating Classical T Tauri star observed close to edge-on. The combination of new HST/STIS observations obtained in 2001 with HST/GHRS Archive data from 1993 has allowed us to get, for the first time, information on the thermal structure and the velocity law of the wind. The repeated observations of the Si III] and C III] lines show a lack of changes with time in the blue side of the profile(dominated by the wind contribution). Very high temperature plasma (log Te = 4.8) is detected at densities of 9.5<log ne(cm3)< 10.2 associated with the wind. The emitting volumes are about (0.35Ro)^3 suggesting a stellar origin. The wind kinematics derived from the profiles (Si III], C III] and [O II]) does not satisfy the theoretical predictions of MHD centrifugally driven disk winds. The profiles' asymmetry, large velocity dispersions and small variability as well as the small emitting volumes are best explained if the wind is produced by the contribution of several outflows from atmospheric open field structures as those observed in the Sun.

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