arXiv subjects

D. Shulyak

Publications and source records attributed to D. Shulyak.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Surface magnetism of cool stars

Magnetic fields are essential ingredients of many physical processes in the interiors and envelopes of cool stars. Yet their direct detection and characterisation is notoriously difficult, requiring high-quality observations and advanced analysis techniques. Significant progress has been recently achieved by several types of direct magnetic field studies on the surfaces of cool active stars. In particular, complementary techniques of the field topology mapping with polarisation data and total magnetic flux measurements from intensity spectra have been systematically applied to different classes of active stars leading to interesting and occasionally controversial results. In this paper we summarise the current status of direct magnetic field studies of cool stars, and investigations of surface inhomogeneities caused by the field, based on the material presented at the Cool Stars 19 splinter session.

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arXiv2015

Towards understanding dynamo action in M dwarfs

Recent progress in observational studies of magnetic activity in M dwarfs urgently requires support from ideas of stellar dynamo theory. We propose a strategy to connect observational and theoretical studies. In particular, we suggest four magnetic configurations that appear relevant to dwarfs from the viewpoint of the most conservative version of dynamo theory, and discuss observational tests to identify the configurations observationally. As expected, any such identification contains substantial uncertainties. However the situation in general looks less pessimistic than might be expected. Several identifications between the phenomenology of individual stars and dynamo models are suggested. Remarkably, all models discussed predict substantial surface magnetic activity at rather high stellar latitudes. This prediction looks unexpected from the viewpoint of our experience observing the Sun (which of course differs in some fundamental ways from these late-type dwarfs). We stress that a fuller understanding of the topic requires a long-term (at least 15 years) monitoring of M dwarfs by Zeeman-Doppler imaging.

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arXiv2014

Interferometry of chemically peculiar stars: theoretical predictions vs. modern observing facilities

By means of numerical experiments we explore the application of interferometry to the detection and characterization of abundance spots in chemically peculiar (CP) stars using the brightest star eps~Uma as a case study. We find that the best spectral regions to search for spots and stellar rotation signatures are in the visual domain. The spots can clearly be detected already at a first visibility lobe and their signatures can be uniquely disentangled from that of rotation. The spots and rotation signatures can also be detected in NIR at low spectral resolution but baselines longer than 180~m are needed for all potential CP candidates. According to our simulations, an instrument like VEGA (or its successor e.g., FRIEND) should be able to detect, in the visual, the effect of spots and spots+rotation, provided that the instrument is able to measure $V^2\approx10^{-3}$, and/or closure phase. In infrared, an instrument like AMBER but with longer baselines than the ones available so far would be able to measure rotation and spots. Our study provides necessary details about strategies of spot detection and the requirements for modern and planned interferometric facilities essential for CP star research.

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arXiv2014

Exploring the magnetic field complexity in M dwarfs at the boundary to full convection

Based on detailed spectral synthesis we carry out quantitative measurements of the strength and complexity of surface magnetic fields in the four well-known M-dwarfs GJ 388, GJ 729, GJ 285, and GJ 406 populating the mass regime around the boundary between partially and fully convective stars. Very high resolution R=100000, high signal-to-noise (up to 400) near-infrared Stokes I spectra were obtained with CRIRES at ESO's Very Large Telescope covering regions of the FeH Wing-Ford transitions at 1mum. The field distributions in all four stars are characterized by three distinct groups of field components, the data are neither consistent with a smooth distribution of different field strengths, nor with one average field strength covering the full star. We find evidence of a subtle difference in the field distribution of GJ 285 compared to the other three targets. GJ 285 also has the highest average field of 3.5kG and the strongest maximum field component of 7-7.5kG. The maximum local field strengths in our sample seem to be correlated with rotation rate. While the average field strength is saturated, the maximum local field strengths in our sample show no evidence for saturation. We find no difference between the field distributions of partially and fully convective stars. The one star with evidence for a field distribution different to the other three is the most active star (i.e. with largest x-ray luminosity and mean surface magnetic field) rotating relatively fast. A possible explanation is that rotation determines the distribution of surface magnetic fields, and that local field strengths grow with rotation even in stars in which the average field is already saturated.

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arXiv2013

Candidate Ap stars in close binary systems

Short period binary systems containing magnetic Ap stars are anomalously rare. This apparent anomaly may provide insight into the origin of the magnetic fields in theses stars. As an early investigation of this, we observed three close binary systems that have been proposed to host Ap stars. Two of these systems (HD 22128 and HD 56495) we find contain Am stars, but not Ap stars. However, for one system (HD 98088) we find the primary is indeed an Ap star, while the secondary is an Am star. Additionally, the Ap star is tidally locked to the secondary, and the predominately dipolar magnetic field of the Ap star is roughly aligned with the secondary. Further investigations of HD 98088 are planned by the BinaMIcS collaboration.

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arXiv2013

Multi-element Doppler imaging of the CP2 star HD 3980

In atmospheres of magnetic main-sequence stars, the diffusion of chemical elements leads to a number of observed anomalies, such as abundance spots across the stellar surface. The aim of this study was to derive a detailed picture of the surface abundance distribution of the magnetic chemically peculiar star HD 3980. Based on high-resolution, phase-resolved spectroscopic observations of the magnetic A-type star HD 3980, the inhomogeneous surface distribution of 13 chemical elements (Li, O, Si, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, and Gd) has been reconstructed. The INVERS12 code was used to invert the rotational variability in line profiles to elemental surface distributions. Assuming a centered, dominantly dipolar magnetic field configuration, we find that Li, O, Mg, Pr, and Nd are mainly concentrated in the area of the magnetic poles and depleted in the regions around the magnetic equator. The high abundance spots of Si, La, Ce, Eu, and Gd are located between the magnetic poles and the magnetic equator. Except for La, which is clearly depleted in the area of the magnetic poles, no obvious correlation with the magnetic field has been found for these elements otherwise. Ca, Cr, and Fe appear enhanced along the rotational equator and the area around the magnetic poles. The intersection between the magnetic and the rotational equator constitutes an exception, especially for Ca and Cr, which are depleted in that region. No obvious correlation between the theoretically predicted abundance patterns and those determined in this study could be found. This can be attributed to a lack of up-to-date theoretical models, especially for rare earth elements.

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arXiv2013

Orbital parameters, chemical composition, and magnetic field of the Ap binary HD 98088

HD 98088 is a synchronised, double-lined spectroscopic binary system with a magnetic Ap primary component and an Am secondary component. We study this rare system using high-resolution MuSiCoS spectropolarimetric data, to gain insight into the effect of binarity on the origin of stellar magnetism and the formation of chemical peculiarities in A-type stars. Using a new collection of 29 high-resolution Stokes VQU spectra we re-derive the orbital and stellar physical parameters and conduct the first disentangling of spectroscopic observations of the system to conduct spectral analysis of the individual stellar components. From this analysis we determine the projected rotational velocities of the stars and conduct a detailed chemical abundance analysis of each component using both the SYNTH3 and ZEEMAN spectrum synthesis codes. The surface abundances of the primary component are typical of a cool Ap star, while those of the secondary component are typical of an Am star. We present the first magnetic analysis of both components using modern data. Using Least-Squares Deconvolution, we extract the longitudinal magnetic field strength of the primary component, which is observed to vary between +1170 and -920 G with a period consistent with the orbital period. There is no field detected in the secondary component. The magnetic field in the primary is predominantly dipolar, with the positive pole oriented approximately towards the secondary.

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arXiv2012

Fundamental parameters of bright Ap stars from wide-range energy distributions and advanced atmospheric models

As a well-established procedure for the vast majority of normal main-sequence stars, determination of atmospheric and stellar parameters turns to be a challenging process in case of magnetic chemically peculiar stars. Inhomogeneous distribution of chemical elements and strong magnetic fields make most of the standard photometric and spectroscopic calibrations inapplicable for this class of stars. In this work we make use of available observed energy distributions calibrated to absolute units, stellar parallaxes, high-resolution spectroscopic observations, and advanced stellar atmosphere models to derive parameters of three bright Ap stars: 33Lib, gammaEqu, and betaCrB. Model atmospheres and fluxes were computed with the LLmodels code. Synth3 and Synthmag codes were used to compute profiles of individual spectral lines involved in abundance analysis. For each of the stars, we construct a self-consistent atmospheric models assuming normal and depleted helium compositions and derive empirically stratification profiles of certain elements. The effective temperatures and surface gravities are found from the simultaneous fit to spectroscopic, photometric, and spectrophotometric observations calibrated to absolute units. We show that using advanced model atmospheres and accurate stellar parallaxes allows one to derive stellar radii with high accuracy, and these are consistent with those obtained from independent but more complicated interferometric observations.

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arXiv2012

Multiple views of magnetism in cool stars

Magnetic fields are regarded as a crucial element for our understanding of stellar physics. They can be studied with a variety of methods which provide complementary - and sometimes contradictory - information about the structure, strength and dynamics of the magnetic field and its role in the evolution of stars. Stellar magnetic fields can be investigated either with direct methods based on the Zeeman effect or through the observation of activity phenomena resulting from the interaction of the field with the stellar atmosphere. In this Cool Stars XVII Splinter Session we discussed the results obtained by the many ongoing studies of stellar activity and direct studies of surface magnetic fields, as well as the state- of-the-art techniques on which they are based. We show the strengths and limitations of the various approaches currently used and to point out their evolution as well as the interest of coupling various magnetism and activity proxies.

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arXiv2012

Magnetic Doppler imaging considering atmospheric structure modifications due to local abundances: a luxury or a necessity?

Magnetic Doppler imaging is currently the most powerful method of interpreting high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of stars. This technique has revealed the presence of unexpected small-scale magnetic fields on the surfaces of Ap stars. These studies were recently criticisied by Stift et al. (2012), who claimed that magnetic inversions are not robust and are undermined by neglecting a feedback on the Stokes line profiles from the local atmospheric structure in the regions of enhanced metal abundance. We show that Stift et al. misinterpreted published magnetic Doppler imaging results and neglected some of the most fundamental principles behind magnetic mapping. We demonstrate that the variation of atmospheric structure across the surface of a star with chemical spots affects the local continuum intensity but is negligible for the normalised local Stokes profiles. For the disk-integrated spectra of an Ap star with extreme abundance variations, we find that the assumption of a mean model atmosphere leads to moderate errors in Stokes I but is negligible for polarisation spectra. Employing a new magnetic inversion code, which incorporates the horizontal variation of atmospheric structure, we reconstructed new maps of magnetic field and Fe abundance for the Ap star alpha^2 CVn. The resulting distribution of chemical spots changes insignificantly compared to the previous modelling based on a single model atmosphere, while the magnetic field geometry does not change at all. This shows that the assertions by Stift et al. are exaggerated as a consequence of unreasonable assumptions and extrapolations, as well as methodological flaws and inconsistencies of their analysis. Our discussion proves that published magnetic inversions based on a mean stellar atmosphere are robust and reliable, and that the presence of small-scale magnetic field structures on the surfaces of Ap stars is real.

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arXiv2011

Modelling of the ultraviolet and visual SED variability in the hot magnetic Ap star CU Vir

The spectral energy distribution (SED) in chemically peculiar stars may be significantly affected by their abundance anomalies. The observed SED variations are usually assumed to be a result of inhomogeneous surface distribution of chemical elements, flux redistribution and stellar rotation. However, the direct evidence for this is still only scarce. We aim to identify the processes that determine the SED and its variability in the UV and visual spectral domains of the helium-weak star CU Vir. We used the model atmospheres to obtain the emergent flux and predict the rotationally modulated flux variability of the star. We show that most of the light variations in the vby filters of the Stromgren photometric system are a result of the uneven surface distribution of silicon, chromium, and iron. Our models are only able to explain a part of the variability in the u filter, however. The observed UV flux distribution is very well reproduced, and the models are able to explain most of the observed features in the UV light curve. The variability observed in the visible is merely a faint gleam of that in the UV. While the amplitude of the light curves reaches only several hundredths of magnitude in the visual domain, it reaches about 1 mag in the UV. The visual and UV light variability of CU Vir is caused by the flux redistribution from the far UV to near UV and visible regions, inhomogeneous distribution of the elements and stellar rotation. Bound-free transitions of silicon and bound-bound transitions of iron and chromium contribute the most to the flux redistribution. This mechanism can explain most of the rotationally modulated light variations in the filters centred on the Paschen continuum and on the UV continuum of the star CU Vir. However, another mechanism(s) has to be invoked to fully explain the observed light variations in the u filter and in the region 2000-2500 A.

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arXiv2011

Rotation, magnetism, and metallicity of M dwarf systems

Close M-dwarf binaries and higher multiples allow the investigation of rotational evolution and mean magnetic flux unbiased from scatter in inclination angle and age since the orientation of the spin axis of the components is most likely parallel and the individual systems are coeval. Systems composed of an early (M0.0 -- M4.0) and a late (M4.0 -- M8.0) type component offer the possibility to study differences in rotation and magnetism between partially and fully convective stars. We have selected 10 of the closest dM systems to determine the rotation velocities and the mean magnetic field strengths based on spectroscopic analysis of FeH lines of Wing-Ford transitions at 1 $μ$m observed with VLT/CRIRES. We also studied the quality of our spectroscopic model regarding atmospheric parameters including metallicity. A modified version of the Molecular Zeeman Library (MZL) was used to compute Landé g-factors for FeH lines. Magnetic spectral synthesis was performed with the Synmast code. We confirmed previously reported findings that less massive M-dwarfs are braked less effectively than objects of earlier types. Strong surface magnetic fields were detected in primaries of four systems (GJ 852, GJ 234, LP 717-36, GJ 3322), and in the secondary of the triple system GJ 852. We also confirm strong 2 kG magnetic field in the primary of the triple system GJ 2005. No fields could be accurately determined in rapidly rotating stars with $\vsini>10$ \kms. For slow and moderately rotating stars we find the surface magnetic field strength to increase with the rotational velocity $\vsini$ which is consistent with other results from studying field stars.

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arXiv2011

A study of the photometric variability of the peculiar magnetic white dwarf WD1953-011

We present and interpret simultaneous new photometric and spectroscopic observations of the peculiar magnetic white dwarf WD1953-011. The flux in the V-band filter and intensity of the Balmer spectral lines demonstrate variability with the rotation period of about 1.45 days. According to previous studies, this variability can be explained by the presence of a dark spot having a magnetic nature, analogous to a sunspot. Motivated by this idea, we examine possible physical relationships between the suggested dark spot and the strong-field magnetic structure (magnetic "spot", or "tube") recently identified on the surface of this star. Comparing the rotationally-modulated flux with the variable spectral observables related to the magnetic "spot" we establish their correlation, and therefore their physical relationship. Modeling the variable photometric flux assuming that it is associated with temperature variations in the stellar photosphere, we argue that the strong-field area and dark, low-temperature spot are comparable in size and located at the same latitudes, essentially overlapping each other with a possible slight longitudinal shift. In this paper we also present a new, improved value of the star's rotational period and constrain the characteristics of the thermal inhomogeneity over the degenerate's surface.

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arXiv2010

Magnetic fields in M-dwarfs: quantitative results from detailed spectral synthesis in FeH lines

Strong surface magnetic fields are ubiquitously found in M-dwarfs with mean intensities on the order of few thousand Gauss-three orders of magnitude higher than the mean surface magnetic field of the Sun. These fields and their interaction with photospheric convection are the main source of stellar activity, which is of big interest to study links between parent stars and their planets. Moreover, the understanding of stellar magnetism, as well as the role of different dynamo-actions in particular, is impossible without explaining magnetic fields in M-dwarfs. Measuring magnetic field intensities and geometries in such cool objects, however, is strongly limited to our ability to simulate the Zeeman effect in molecular lines. In this work, we present quantitative results of modelling and analysis of the magnetic fields in selected M-dwarfs in FeH Wing-Ford lines and strong atomic lines. Some particular FeH lines are found to be the excellent probes of the magnetic field.

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arXiv2010

Spectral analysis of Kepler SPB and Beta Cep candidate stars

We determine the fundamental parameters of SPB and Beta Cep candidate stars observed by the Kepler satellite mission and estimate the expected types of non-radial pulsators by comparing newly obtained high-resolution spectra with synthetic spectra computed on a grid of stellar parameters assuming LTE and check for NLTE effects for the hottest stars. For comparison, we determine Teff independently from fitting the spectral energy distribution of the stars obtained from the available photometry. We determine Teff, log(g), micro-turbulent velocity, vsin(i), metallicity, and elemental abundance for 14 of the 16 candidate stars, two of the stars are spectroscopic binaries. No significant influence of NLTE effects on the results could be found. For hot stars, we find systematic deviations of the determined effective temperatures from those given in the Kepler Input Catalogue. The deviations are confirmed by the results obtained from ground-based photometry. Five stars show reduced metallicity, two stars are He-strong, one is He-weak, and one is Si-strong. Two of the stars could be Beta Cep/SPB hybrid pulsators, four SPB pulsators, and five more stars are located close to the borders of the SPB instability region.

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arXiv2010

Modelling the light variability of the Ap star epsilon Ursae Majoris

We simulate the light variability of the Ap star epsUMa using the observed surface distributions of Fe, Cr, Ca, Mn, Mg, Sr and Ti obtained with the help of Doppler Imaging technique. Using all photometric data available we specified light variations of epsUMa modulated by its rotation from far UV to IR. We employed the LLmodels stellar model atmosphere code to predict the light variability in different photometric systems. The rotational period of epsUMa is refined to 5d088631(18). It is shown that the observed light variability can be explained as a result of the redistribution of radiative flux from the UV spectral region to the visual caused by the inhomogeneous surface distribution of chemical elements. Among seven mapped elements, only Fe and Cr significantly contribute to the amplitude of the observed light variability. In general, we find a very good agreement between theory and observations. We confirm the important role of Fe and Cr to the magnitude of the well-known depression around 5200 Å through the analysis of the peculiar $a$-parameter. Finally, we show that the abundance spots of considered elements cannot explain the observed variability in near UV and $β$ index which are likely due to some other causes. The inhomogeneous surface distribution of chemical elements can explain most of the observed light variability of the A-type CP star epsUMa.

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arXiv2010

Modelling the molecular Zeeman effect in M-dwarfs: methods and first results

We present first quantitative results of the surface magnetic field measurements in selected M-dwarfs based on detailed spectra synthesis conducted simultaneously in atomic and molecular lines of the FeH Wing-Ford $F^4\,Δ-X^4\,Δ$ transitions. A modified version of the Molecular Zeeman Library (MZL) was used to compute Landé g-factors for FeH lines in different Hund's cases. Magnetic spectra synthesis was performed with the Synmast code. We show that the implementation of different Hund's case for FeH states depending on their quantum numbers allows us to achieve a good fit to the majority of lines in a sunspot spectrum in an automatic regime. Strong magnetic fields are confirmed via the modelling of atomic and FeH lines for three M-dwarfs YZ~CMi, EV~Lac, and AD~Leo, but their mean intensities are found to be systematically lower than previously reported. A much weaker field ($1.7-2$~kG against $2.7$~kG) is required to fit FeH lines in the spectra of GJ~1224. Our method allows us to measure average magnetic fields in very low-mass stars from polarized radiative transfer. The obtained results indicate that the fields reported in earlier works were probably overestimated by about $15-30$\%. Higher quality observations are needed for more definite results.

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arXiv2010

Realistic model atmosphere and revised abundances of the coolest Ap star HD101065

Among the known Ap stars, HD101065 is probably one of the most interesting objects, demonstrating very rich spectra of rare-earth elements (REE). Strongly peculiar photometric parameters of this star that can not be fully reproduced by any modern theoretical calculations, even those accounting for realistic chemistry of its atmosphere. In this study we investigate a role of missing REE line opacity and construct a self-consistent atmospheric model based on accurate abundance and chemical stratification analysis. We employed the LLmodels stellar model atmosphere code together with DDAFit and SynthMag software packages to derive homogeneous and stratified abundances for 52 chemical elements and to construct a self-consistent model of HD101065 atmosphere. The opacity in REE lines is accounted for in details, by using up-to-date extensive theoretical calculations. We show that REE elements play a key role in the radiative energy balance in the atmosphere of HD101065, leading to the strong suppression of the Balmer jump and energy redistribution very different from that of normal stars. Introducing new line lists of REEs allowed us to reproduce, for the first time, spectral energy distribution of HD101065 and achieve a better agreement between the unusually small observed Strömgren c1 index and the model predictions. Using combined photometric and spectroscopic approaches and based on the iterative procedure of abundance and stratification analysis we find effective temperature of HD101065 to be Teff=6400K.

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