arXiv subjects

Charles R. Cowley

Publications and source records attributed to Charles R. Cowley.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Galactic kinematics of various stellar types

We compare and contrast the kinematics of various classes of stars, both normal (with M-K spectral types) and peculiar. Numerous plots show the differences in spatial and velocity distributions as well as distributions in kinetic energy vs. angular momentum (KE vs. LZ) space. In the latter plots, young, thin disk stars on nearly circular orbits cling to the left edge of a so-called solar parabola, while older objects on elliptical orbits fill the central parabolic region. Some of the young Wolf-Rayet stars violate this trend due to smaller semi-major axes than the Sun or orbital eccentricities. Deviation of the vertex of the velocity ellipsoid is discussed as an indication of population and youth, with an emphasis on Ap, Bp, Am, Fm, Herbig AeBe, and lambda Boo stars. Both the vertex deviation and phase space distribution provide useful insights.

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arXiv2023

A revised comparison of distant and nearby solar twins

Properties of solar twins reported by Lehmann et al. (2023) at kiloparsec distances from the local standard of rest (LSR) are compared to solar twins within 100 pc of the Sun. These have velocity distributions closely similar to those of the nearby twins in addition to closely matching $T_{\rm eff}$, $\log{(g)}$ and $[Fe/H]$. The new twins are at slightly higher galactic latitudes, and are somewhat closer to the Galactic center. Additionally, they may be significantly older than nearby solar twins.

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arXiv2022

Galactic chemical evolution]{Galactic chemical evolution of the solar neighborhood, solar twins and exoplanet indicators

Galactic chemical evolution (GCE), solar analogues or twins, and peculiarities of the solar composition with respect to the twins are inextricably related. We examine GCE parameters from the literature and present newly derived values using a quadratic fit that gives zero for a Solar age (i.e., 4.6 Gyr). We show how the GCE parameters may be used not only to "correct" abundances to the solar age, but to predict relative elemental abundances as a function of age. We address the question of whether the solar abundances are depleted in refractories and enhanced in volatiles and find that the answer is sensitive to the selection of a representative standard. The best quality data sets do not support the notion that the Sun is depleted in refractories and enhanced in volatiles. A simple model allows us to estimate the amount of refractory-rich material missing from the Sun or alternately added to the average solar twin. The model gives between zero and 1.4 earth masses.

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arXiv2021

Modeling stellar abundance patterns resulting from the addition of earthlike planetary material

The literature on precision differential abundances (PDAs) in stars is extensive. Surveys include sun-like stars in the solar neighborhood, binary systems, and Galactic clusters. Numerous references as well as a discussion of relevant mechanisms may be found in papers by Ramirez, et al. (2019) and Nagar, et al. (2020). A strong impetus for this work is the probability that the abundances have been influenced by exoplanetary systems and their evolution. We calculate the resulting differential abundances ([El/H]) assuming a given amount of material with the composition of the bulk earth (Wang, et al. 2018) was added to the stellar convection zone of a dwarf G-type star. The mass of the convection zone is uncertain and variable, depending on the spectral type. Here, we assume a mass of $5\cdot 10^{31}$ gm for the stellar convection zone (SCZ). This is 0.025 $M_\odot$ (Pinsonneault, et al. 2001, Chambers, 2010). For other SCZ masses, the parameters must be adjusted accordingly. In general, the sunlike star will not have exactly the solar composition. This contingency is roughly taken into account in our model. An appendix discusses issues of volatility and condensation temperature.

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arXiv2020

HD 196390: A tight correlation of differential abundances with condensation temperature

Bedell et al. (2018) give precision differential abundances for 79 mostly G-dwarf stars. We correct these abundances for Galactic chemical evolution in a manner similar to that used by these authors but with parameters derived from linear fits to plots of [El/H] vs. age in lieu of [El/Fe]. We examine the resulting abundances for correlations with the 50% condensation temperature using values from both Lodders (2003) and Wood et al. (2019), and compare with the results of Bedell et al. HD 196390 is distinct in having the most significant correlation of the 79-star sample. We report statistics for a subset of stars with lower significance, but of some interest.

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arXiv2016

A study of the elements copper through uranium in Sirius A: Contributions from STIS and ground-based spectra

We determine abundances or upper limits for all of the 55 stable elements from copper to uranium for the A1 Vm star Sirius. The purpose of the study is to assemble the most complete picture of elemental abundances with the hope of revealing the chemical history of the brightest star in the sky, apart from the Sun. We also explore the relationship of this hot metallic-line (Am) star to its cooler congeners, as well as the hotter, weakly- or non-magnetic mercury-manganese (HgMn) stars. Our primary observational material consists of {\em Hubble Space Telescope} ($HST$) spectra taken with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) in the ASTRAL project. We have also used archival material from the %\citep/{ayr10}. $COPERNICUS$ satellite, and from the $HST$ Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS), as well as ground-based spectra from Furenlid, Westin, Kurucz, Wahlgren, and their coworkers, ESO spectra from the UVESPOP project, and NARVAL spectra retrieved from PolarBase. Our analysis has been primarily by spectral synthesis, and in this work we have had the great advantage of extensive atomic data unavailable to earlier workers. We find most abundances as well as upper limits range from 10 to 100 times above solar values. We see no indication of the huge abundance excesses of 1000 or more that occur among many chemically peculiar (CP) stars of the upper main sequence. The picture of Sirius as a hot Am star is reinforced.

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arXiv2013

Putting the A-stars into context: concluding remarks

Concluding remarks following the international conference "Putting A Stars into Context," 3-7 June 2013 in Moscow. We argue that it is time for theoretical efforts to consider exogenous processes such as mass transfer or circumstellar infall as well as the standard endogenous processes of radiative levitation, gravitational settling, and mass-dependent separation in winds.

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arXiv2013

The Herbig Ae SB2 System HD 104237

The double-lined spectroscopic binary HD 104237 (DX Cha) is part of a complex system of some half-dozen nearby young stars. We report a significant change from an orbit for the SB2 system derived from 1999-2000 observations. We obtain abundances from the primary and secondary spectra. The abundance analysis uses both detailed spectral synthesis and determinations based on equivalent widths of weak absorption lines with W(lambda) typically < 25 mA. Abundances are derived for 25 elements in the primary, and 17 elements in the secondary. Apart from lithium and zirconium, abundances do not depart significantly from solar. Lithium may be marginally enhanced with respect to the meteoritic value in the primary. It somewhat depleted in the secondary. The emission-line spectrum is typical of Herbig Ae stars. We compare and contrast the spectra of the HD 104237 primary and two other Herbig Ae stars with low v.sin(i), HD 101412 and HD 190073.

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arXiv2006

HD 65949: The Highest Known Mercury Excess Of Any CP Star?

ESO spectra of HD 65949 show it to be unlike any of the well-known types within its temperature range $\approx$ 13600K. It is neither a silicon, nor a mercury-manganese star, though it has a huge Hg II line at $λ$3984. We estimate $\log({\rm Hg/H}) + 12.0 \approx 7.4$. This is higher than any published stellar mercury abundance. HD 65949 is a member of a nearby open cluster, NGC 2516, which is only slightly older than the Pleiades, and has been of recent interest because of its numerous X-ray emission stars, including HD 65949 itself, or a close companion. A longitudinal magnetic field of the order of -290 Gauss at the 4.7~$σ$ level was very recently diagnosed from accurate circular spectropolarimetric observations with FORS 1 at the VLT. The spectral lines are sharp, allowing a thorough identification study. Second spectra of Ti, Cr, and Fe are rich. Mn II is well identified but not unusually strong. Numerous lines of S II and P II are found, but not Ga II. The resonance lines of Sr II are strong. While many Y II lines are identified, and Nb II is very likely present, {\it no} Zr II lines were found. Xe II is well identified. Strong absorptions from the third spectra of the lanthanides Pr, Nd, and Ho are present, but lines from the second spectra of lanthanides are extremely weak or absent. Among lines from the heavier elements, those of Pt II are clearly present, and the heaviest isotope, $^{198}$Pt, is indicated. The uncommon spectrum of Re II is certain, while Os II and Te II are highly probable. Several of the noted anomalies are unusual for a star as hot as HD 65949.

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arXiv2003

Implementing TOPbase/Iron Project: Continuous Absorption from Fe II

We discuss implementation of TOPbase and Iron Project opacities for stellar spectral codes. We use a technique employed by Peach, where a Boltzmann-averaged cross section is calculated for selected temperatures, and the opacity obtained from double interpolation in temperature and wavelength. It is straightforward to include {\it all} levels for which cross sections have been calculated. Boltzmann-averaged cross sections for Fe II show a local maximum between 1700 and 2000[A]. We suggest this feature arises from 3d^5 4snl to 3d^5 4pnl transitions within Fe II. IUE spectra of iron-rich CP stars show local minima in this region. Theoretical calculations of a representative stellar continuum demonstrate that Fe II photoionization contributes significantly to the observed minima.

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arXiv2002

On the Abundance of Holmium in the Sun

The abundance of holmium (Z = 67) in the Sun remains uncertain. The photospheric abundance, based on lines of Ho II, has been reported as +0.26 +/- 0.16 (on the usual scale where log(H) = 12.00), while the meteoretic value is +0.51 +/- 0.02. Cowan code calculations have been undertaken to improve the partition function for this ion by including important contributions from unobserved levels arising from the (4f^{11}6p + 4f^{10}(5d + 6s)^{2}) group. Based on 6994 computed energy levels, the partition function for Ho II is 67.41 for a temperature of 6000 K. This is approximately 1.5 times larger than the value derived from the 49 published levels. The new partition function alone leads to an increase in the solar abundance of Ho to log(Ho) = +0.43. This is within 0.08 dex of the meteoretic abundance. Support for this result has been obtained through LTE spectrum synthesis calculations of a previously unidentified weak line at 3416.38 A in the solar spectrum. Attributing the feature to Ho II, the observations may be fitted with log(Ho) = +0.53. This calculation assumes log(gf) = 0.25 and is uncertain by at least 0.1 dex.

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arXiv2000

The Core-Wing Anomaly of Cool Ap Stars: Abnormal Balmer Profiles

Paper by Cowley et al. The Core-Wing Anomaly Etc. The profiles of H$α$ in a number of cool Ap stars are anomalous. Broad wings, indicative of temperatures in the range 7000-8000K end abruptly in narrow cores. The widths of these cores are compatible with those of dwarfs with temperatures of 6000K or lower. This profile has been known for Przybylski's star, but it is seen in other cool Ap's. The H$β$ profile in several of these stars shows a similar core-wing anomaly (CWA). In Przybylski's star, the CWA is probably present at higher Balmer members. We are unable to account for these profiles within the context of LTE and normal dwarf atmospheres. We conclude that the atmospheres of these stars are not ``normal.'' This is contrary to a notion that has long been held.

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arXiv2000

Calculations at Series Limits in One-Electron Systems

As soon as Lyman or Balmer lines overlap, the net absorption cross section rapidly approaches the value at the series limit. Independent of the difficult question of the relative contributions of line and continuous opacity, we can get a good estimate of their sum.

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