arXiv subjects

Brad M. S. Hansen

Publications and source records attributed to Brad M. S. Hansen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

Probing the Faintest Stars in a Globular Star Cluster

NGC 6397 is the second closest globular star cluster to the Sun. Using 5 days of time on the Hubble Space Telescope, we have constructed the deepest ever color-magnitude diagram for this cluster. We see a clear truncation in each of its two major stellar sequences. Faint red main sequence stars run out well above our observational limit and near to the theoretical prediction for the lowest mass stars capable of stable hydrogen-burning in their cores. We also see a truncation in the number counts of faint blue stars, namely white dwarfs. This reflects the limit to which the bulk of the white dwarfs can cool over the lifetime of the cluster. There is also a turn towards bluer colors in the least luminous of these objects. This was predicted for the very coolest white dwarfs with hydrogen-rich atmospheres as the formation of H2 causes their atmospheres to become largely opaque to infrared radiation due to collision-induced absorption.

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arXiv2007

The Space Motion of the Globular Cluster NGC 6397

As a by-product of high-precision, ultra-deep stellar photometry in the Galactic globular cluster NGC 6397 with the Hubble Space Telescope, we are able to measure a large population of background galaxies whose images are nearly point-like. These provide an extragalactic reference frame of unprecedented accuracy, relative to which we measure the most accurate absolute proper motion ever determined for a globular cluster. We find mu_alpha = 3.56 +/- 0.04 mas/yr and mu_delta = -17.34 +/- 0.04 mas/yr. We note that the formal statistical errors quoted for the proper motion of NGC 6397 do not include possible unavoidable sources of systematic errors, such as cluster rotation. These are very unlikely to exceed a few percent. We use this new proper motion to calculate NGC 6397's UVW space velocity and its orbit around the Milky Way, and find that the cluster has made frequent passages through the Galactic disk.

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arXiv2005

A Spitzer Search for Infrared Excesses around Massive Young White Dwarfs

We examine 14 hot white dwarfs for signs of infrared excess using the Spitzer Space Telescope. Twelve of the objects are massive white dwarfs which have been suggested to be the result of binary mergers. The remaining two objects are undermassive white dwarfs which again may be the result of mergers or the inspiral of a substellar companion. In no case do we find any evidence for significant infrared excesses out to wavelengths of 8 microns. This places strong constraints on the presence of orbiting dust and weaker constraints on the presence of close substellar companions.

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arXiv2004

The Initial-Final Mass Relationship: Spectroscopy of White Dwarfs in NGC 2099 (M37)

We present new observations of very faint white dwarfs (WDs) in the rich open star cluster NGC 2099 (M37). Following deep, wide field imaging of the cluster using CFHT, we have now obtained spectroscopic observations of candidate WDs using both GMOS on Gemini and LRIS on Keck. Of our 24 WD candidates (all fainter than V = 22.4), 21 are spectroscopically confirmed to be bona fide WDs, 4-5 of which are most likely field objects. Fitting 18 of the 21 WD spectra with model atmospheres, we find that most WDs in this cluster are quite massive (0.7-0.9 Msun), as expected given the cluster's young age (650 Myr) and, hence, high turnoff mass (~2.4 Msun). We determine a new initial-final mass relationship and almost double the number of existing data points from previous studies. The results indicate that stars with initial masses between 2.8 and 3.4 Msun lose 70-75% of their mass through stellar evolution. For the first time, we find some evidence of a metallicity dependence on the initial-final mass relationship.

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arXiv2004

The Dearth of Massive, Helium-Rich White Dwarfs in Young Open Star Clusters

Spectra have been obtained of 21 white dwarfs (WDs) in the direction of the young, rich open star cluster NGC 2099. This represents an appreciable fraction (>30%) of the cluster's total WD population. The mean derived mass of the sample is 0.8 Msun - about 0.2 Msun larger than the mean seen among field WDs. A surprising result is that all of the NGC 2099 WDs have hydrogen-rich atmospheres (DAs) and none exhibit helium-rich ones (DBs), or any other spectral class. The number ratio in the field at the temperatures of the NGC 2099 WDs is DA/DB ~ 3.5. While the probability of seeing no DB WDs in NGC 2099 solely by chance is ~2%, if we include WDs in other open clusters of similar age it then becomes highly unlikely that the dearth of DB WDs in young open clusters is just a statistical fluctuation. We explore possible reasons for the lack of DBs in these clusters and conclude that the most promising scenario for the DA/DB number ratio discrepancy in young clusters is that hot, high-mass WDs do not develop large enough helium convection zones to allow helium to be brought to the surface and turn a hydrogen-rich WD into a helium-rich one.

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arXiv2003

Searching for Variability in the Globular Cluster Messier 4

Time-series data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope of a field six core radii (~5') from the center of the globular cluster Messier 4, and covering a period of about 10 weeks in early 2001, have been analyzed in search of variable objects. Various criteria were employed to select candidate variable stars. Period searches were performed on the selected candidates using phase dispersion minimization (PDM). The reliability of the PDM search results was tested using synthetic light curves of eclipsing binary stars and sinusoidal light curves of different periods. Results from this analysis showed that there are probably no eclipsing binary stars or periodic variables in our field with periods on the order of a few hours to a few days, down to limiting magnitudes of V~25 and I~24, which is consistent with the absence of contact binaries such as W Ursae Majoris systems. However, one candidate variable star does show an increase in brightness of ~0.1 magnitudes in both bandpasses, which seems to last for a few days. Possible explanations concerning the nature of this object include a binary system with a white dwarf primary and a low-mass main sequence secondary, or a BY Draconis variable star. We are able to set an upper limit to the observed fraction of photometric variability in this dataset of 0.05%.

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arXiv2002

The White Dwarf Cooling Sequence of the Globular Cluster Messier 4

We present the white dwarf sequence of the globular cluster M4, based on a 123 orbit Hubble Space Telescope exposure, with limiting magnitude V = 30, I = 28. The white dwarf luminosity function rises sharply for I >25.5, consistent with the behaviour expected for a burst population. The white dwarfs of M4 extend to approximately 2.5 magnitudes fainter than the peak of the local Galactic disk white dwarf luminosity function. This demonstrates a clear and significant age difference between the Galactic disk and the halo globular cluster M4. Using the same standard white dwarf models (Hansen 1999) to fit each luminosity function yields ages of 7.3 +/- 1.5 Gyr for the disk and 12.7 +/- 0.7 Gyr for M4 (2-sigma statistical errors).

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arXiv2001

Halo White Dwarfs, Thick Disks and a Sanity Check

The discovery of a population of high proper motion white dwarfs by Oppenheimer et al (2001) has caused a lot of speculation as to the origin of these stars. I show that the age distribution of the white dwarfs offers a kind of sanity check in these discussions. In particular, this population appears to have a similar age distribution to those in the standard, thin disk white dwarf population. This is not what is expected for either the halo or thick disk, which are thought to be old populations. It may indicate a different dynamical origin entirely, or it may be just be the tail of a larger distribution, implying a significantly larger total density in even older white dwarfs.

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arXiv2000

Stellar Collisions and Pulsar Planets

I describe models for the formation of planetary systems surrounding the remnants of stellar mergers and collisions. I focus primarily on models for the viscous evolution of disks suitable for the formation of the planets surrounding the pulsar B1257+12. I show that the adaptation of models for traditional protoplanetary disks which invoke quiescent or `dead' zones are quite successful in producing disks appropriate for the formation of the pulsar planets. I also briefly describe some even more exotic possibilities that may arise from compact object mergers.

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arXiv2000

Old White Dwarfs as a Microlensing Population

A popular interpretation of recent microlensing studies of the line of sight towards the Large Magellanic Cloud invokes a population of old white dwarf stars in the Galactic halo. Below I review the basic properties of old white dwarf stars and the ongoing efforts to detect this population directly.

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arXiv2000

Failed Oort Clouds and Planetary Migration

Planet formation is accompanied by the formation of comet clouds. In systems where planets migrate on rapid timescales, the diffusive evolution of comet orbits may stall, resulting in a comet cloud intermediate between a flattened Kuiper Belt and a spherical Oort cloud. These `failed Oort clouds' may provide a `smoking gun', indicating that planetary migration has taken place. If some fraction of the scattered component consists of planetary embryos, it may be possible to observe transits of such bodies even when the planetary system is not edge-on to the line of sight.

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arXiv2000

Radio and X-ray Signatures of Merging Neutron Stars

We describe the possible electromagnetic signals expected from the magnetospheric interactions of a neutron star binary prior to merger. We find that both radio and X-ray signals of detectable strength are possible. We discuss possible links with the phenomenon of gamma-ray bursts and describe the prospects for direct detection of these signals in searches for radio and X-ray transients.

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arXiv1999

Early planet formation as a trigger for further planet formation

Recent discoveries of extrasolar planets at small orbital radii, or with significant eccentricities, indicate that interactions between massive planets and the disks of gas and dust from which they formed are vital for determining the final shape of planetary systems. We show that if this interaction occurs at an early epoch, when the protoplanetary disc was still massive, then rapid planet growth through accretion causes an otherwise stable disc to fragment into additional planetary mass bodies when the planetary mass reaches 4-5 Jupiter masses. We suggest that such catastrophic planet formation could account for apparent differences in the mass function of massive planets and brown dwarfs, and the existence of young stars that appear to have dissipated their discs at an early epoch. Subsequent gravitational interactions will lead to planetary systems comprising a small number of massive planets in eccentric orbits.

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arXiv1999

The Origin of Primordial Dwarf Stars and Baryonic Dark Matter

I present a scenario for the production of low mass, degenerate dwarfs of mass $>0.1 M_{\odot}$ via the mechanism of Lenzuni, Chernoff & Salpeter (1992). Such objects meet the mass limit requirements for halo dark matter from microlensing surveys while circumventing the chemical evolution constraints on normal white dwarf stars. I describe methods to observationally constrain this scenario and suggest that such objects may originate in small clusters formed from the thermal instability of shocked, heated gas in dark matter haloes, such as suggested by Fall & Rees (1985) for globular clusters.

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arXiv1999

Cooling Models for Old White Dwarfs

We present new white dwarf cooling models which incorporate an accurate outer boundary condition based on new opacity and detailed radiative transfer calculations. We find that helium atmosphere dwarfs cool considerably faster than has previously been claimed, while old hydrogen atmosphere dwarfs will deviate significantly from black body appearance. We use our new models to derive age limits for the Galactic disk. We find that the Liebert, Dahn & Monet (1988) luminosity function yields an age of only 6 Gyr if it is complete to stated limits. However, age estimates of individual dwarfs and the luminosity function of Oswalt et al (1995) are both consistent with disk ages as large as \sim 11 Gyr. We have also used our models to place constraints on white dwarf dark matter in Galactic halos. We find that previous attempts using inadequate cooling models were too severe and that direct detection limits allow a halo that is 11 Gyr old. If the halo is composed solely of helium atmosphere dwarfs, the lower age limit is only 7.5 Gyr. We also demonstrate the importance of studying the cooling sequences of white dwarfs in Globular clusters.

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arXiv1999

On the frequency and remnants of Hypernovae

Under the hypothesis that some fraction of massive stellar core collapses give rise to unusually energetic events, termed hypernovae, I examine the required rates assuming some fraction of such events yield gamma ray bursts. I then discuss evidence from studies of pulsars and r-process nucleosynthesis that independently suggests the existence of a class of unusually energetic events. Finally I describe a scenario which links these different lines of evidence as supporting the hypernova hypothesis.

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arXiv1998

The Observational Signature of Old White Dwarfs

The recent discovery of microlensing of stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud has excited much interest in the nature of the lensing population. Detailed analyses indicate that the mass of these objects ranges from 0.3-0.8 solar masses, suggesting that they might be white dwarfs, the faint remnants of stellar evolution. The confirmation of such an hypothesis would yield profound insights into the early history of our galaxy and the early generations of stars in the universe. Previous attempts have been made to place theoretical constraints on this scenario, but were unduly pessimistic because they relied on inadequate evolutionary models. Here we present the first results from detailed evolutionary models appropriate for the study of white dwarfs of truly cosmological vintage. We find that the commonly held notion that old white dwarfs are red to hold only for helium atmosphere dwarfs and that hydrogen atmosphere dwarfs will be blue, with colours similar to those of the faint point sources found in the Hubble Deep Field. Thus, any direct observational search for the microlensing population should search for faint blue objects rather than faint red ones.

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arXiv1998

Gamma Ray Bursts from Stellar Collisions

We propose that the cosmological gamma ray bursts arise from the collapse of neutron stars to black holes triggered by collisions or mergers with main sequence stars. This scenario represents a cosmological history qualitatively different from most previous theories because it contains a significant contribution from an old stellar population, namely the globular clusters. Furthermore, the gas poor central regions of globular clusters provide an ideal environment for the generation of the recently confirmed afterglows via the fireball scenario. Collisions resulting from neutron star birth kicks in close binaries may also contribute to the overall rate and should lead to associations between some gamma ray bursts and supernovae of type Ib/c.

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