arXiv subjects

F. Kupka

Publications and source records attributed to F. Kupka.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

High-resolution models of solar granulation: the 2D case

Using grid refinement, we have simulated solar granulation in 2D. The refined region measures 1.97*2.58 Mm (vertical*horizontal). Grid spacing there is 1.82*2.84 km. The downflows exhibit strong Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. Below the photosphere, acoustic pulses are generated. They proceed laterally (in some cases distances of at least the size of our refined domain) and may be enhanced when transversing downflows) as well as upwards where, in the photosphere they contribute significantly to 'turbulence' (velocity gradients, etc.) The acoustic pulses are ubiquitous in that at any time several of them are seen in our high-resolution domain. Their possible contributions to p-mode excitation or heating of the chromosphere needs to be investigated.

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arXiv2006

A closure model with plumes I. The solar convection

Oscillations of stellar p modes, excited by turbulent convection, are investigated. We take into account the asymmetry of the up and downflows created by turbulent plumes through an adapted closure model. In a companion paper, we apply it to the formalism of excitation of solar p modes developed by Samadi & Goupil 2001. Using results from 3D numerical simulations of the upper most part of the solar convection zone, we show that the two-scale-mass-flux model (TFM) is valid only for quasi-laminar or highly skewed flows (Gryanik & Hartmann 2002). We build a generalized-Two-scale-Mass-Flux Model (GTFM) model which takes into account both the skew introduced by the presence of two flows and the effects of turbulence in each flow. In order to apply the GTFM to the solar case, we introduce the plume dynamics as modelled by Rieutord & Zahn (1995) and construct a Closure Model with Plumes (CMP). When comparing with 3D simulation results, the CMP improves the agreement for the fourth order moments, by approximatively a factor of two compared with the use of the quasi-normal approximation or a skewness computed with the classical TFM. The asymmetry of turbulent convection in the solar case has an important impact on the vertical-velocity fourth-order moment which has to be accounted for by models. The CMP is a significant improvement and is expected to improve the modelling of solar p-mode excitation.

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arXiv2006

Solar-like oscillation amplitudes and line-widths as a probe for turbulent convection in stars

Excitation of solar-like oscillations is attributed to turbulent convection and takes place at the upper-most part of the outer convective zones. Amplitudes of these oscillations depend on the efficiency of the excitation processes as well as on the properties of turbulent convection. We present past and recent improvements on the modeling of those processes. We show how the mode amplitudes and mode line-widths can bring information about the turbulence in the specific cases of the Sun and Alpha Cen A.

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arXiv2006

A closure model with plumes II. Application to the stochastic excitation of stellar p modes

Our goal is to improve the theoretical modelling of stochastic excitation of p modes by turbulent convection. With the help of the closure model with plume (CMP) developed in a companion paper, we refine the theoretical description of the excitation by the turbulent Reynolds stress term. The CMP is generalized for two-point correlation products so as to apply it to the formalism developed by Samadi & Goupil (2001). The excitation source terms are then computed with this improvement, and a comparison with solar data from the GOLF instrument is performed. The present model provides a significant improvement when comparing absolute values of theoretical ampplitudes with observational data. It gives rise to a frequency dependence of the power supplied to solar p modes, which agrees with GOLF observations. It is shown that the asymmetry of the turbulent convection zone (up- and downflows) plays a major role in the excitation processes. Despite an increase in the Reynolds stress term contribution due to our improved description, an additional source of excitation, identified as the entropy source term, is still necessary for reproducing the observational data. Theoretical excitation rates in the frequency range [2.5 mHz, 4 mHz] now are in agreement with the observational data from the GOLF instrument. However, at lower frequencies, it exhibits small discrepancies at the maximum level of a few per cent. Improvements are likely to come from a better physical description of the excitation by entropy fluctuations in the superadiabatic zone.

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arXiv2005

Prospects for population synthesis in the H band: NeMo grids of stellar atmospheres compared to observations

For applications in population synthesis, libraries of theoretical stellar spectra are often considered an alternative to template libraries of observed spectra, because they allow a complete sampling of stellar parameters. Most attention in published theoretical spectral libraries has been devoted to the visual wavelength range. We present a detailed comparison of theoretical spectra in the range 1.57-1.67$μ$m, for spectral types from A to early M and for giants and dwarf stars, with observed stellar spectra at resolutions around 3000, which would be sufficient to disentangle the different groups of late type stars. We have selected the NeMo grids of stellar atmospheres to perform such a comparison. We first demonstrate that after combining atomic and molecular line lists, it is possible to match observed spectral flux distributions with theoretical ones very well for almost the entire parameter range covered by the NeMo grids at moderate resolution in the visual range. In the infrared range, although the overall shape of the observed flux distributions is still matched reasonably well, the individual spectral features are reproduced by the theoretical spectra only for stars earlier than mid F type. For later spectral types the differences increase and theoretical spectra of K type stars have systematically weaker line features than those found in observations. These discrepancies are traced back to stem primarily from incomplete data on neutral atomic lines, although some of them are also related to molecules. Improving atomic data in the near infrared is a key element in making the construction of reliable libraries of stellar spectra in the infrared feasible.

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arXiv2005

Influence of local treatments of convection upon solar p mode excitation rates

We compute the rates P at which acoustic energy is injected into the solar radial p modes for several solar models. The solar models are computed with two different local treatments of convection: the classical mixing-length theory (MLT hereafter) and Canuto et al (1996)'s formulation (CGM hereafter). Among the models investigated here, our best models reproduce both the solar radius and the solar luminosity at solar age and the observed Balmer line profiles. For the MLT treatment, the rates P do depend significantly on the properties of the atmosphere whereas for the CGM's treatment the dependence of P on the properties of the atmosphere is found smaller than the error bars attached to the seismic measurements. The excitation rates P for modes associated with the MLT models are significantly underestimated compared with the solar seismic constraints. The CGM models yield values for P closer to the seismic data than the MLT models. We conclude that the solar p-mode excitation rates provide valuable constraints and according to the present investigation clearly favor the CGM treatment with respect to the MLT, although neither of them yields values of P as close to the observations as recently found for 3D numerical simulations.

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arXiv2004

Effect of local treatments of convection upon the solar p-mode excitation rates

We compute, for several solar models, the rates P at which the solar radial p modes are expected to be excited. The solar models are computed with two different local treatments of convection : the classical mixing-length theory (MLT hereafter) and Canuto, Goldmann and Mazzitelli(1996, CGM hereafter)'s formulation. For one set of solar models (EMLT and ECGM models), the atmosphere is gray and assumes Eddington's approximation. For a second set of models (KMLT and KCGM models), the atmosphere is built using a T(tau) law which has been obtained from a Kurucz's model atmosphere computed with the same local treatment of convection. The mixing-length parameter in the model atmosphere is chosen so as to provide a good agreement between synthetic and observed Balmer line profiles, while the mixing-length parameter in the interior model is calibrated so that the model reproduces the solar radius at solar age. For the MLT treatment, the rates P do depend significantly on the properties of the atmosphere. On the other hand, for the CGM treatment, differences in P between the ECGM and the KCGM models are very small compared to the error bars attached to the seismic measurements. The excitation rates P for modes from the EMLT model are significantly under-estimated compared with the solar seismic constraints. The KMLT model results in intermediate values for P and shows also an important discontinuity in the temperature gradient and the convective velocity. On the other hand, the KCGM model and the ECGM model yield values for P closer to the seismic data than the EMLT and KMLT models. We conclude that the solar p-mode excitation rates provide valuable constraints and according to the present investigation cleary favor the CGM treatment with respect to the MLT.

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arXiv2004

Interpolation of Stellar Model Grids and Application to the NEMO Grid

NEMO.2003 (vienna NEw MOdel grid of stellar atmospheres) is a DVD with 91,520 stellar model atmospheres representing a 5D grid of modified ATLAS9 atmospheres; the purpose of the modifications was to include different treatments of convection and higher vertical resolution. In addition, for every model fluxes are provided and color indices for 14 different photometric systems. Because the model grid contained gaps due to non-converging models, we developed and applied a set of 4D interpolation routines to complete the grid. All the data, which will continuously be updated, can be found on the NEMO homepage (http://ams.astro.univie.ac.at/nemo/) and are available via DVD.

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arXiv2004

White dwarf envelopes: further results of a non-local model of convection

We present results of a fully non-local model of convection for white dwarf envelopes. We show that this model is able to reproduce the results of numerical simulations for convective efficiencies ranging from very inefficient to moderately efficient; this agreement is made more impressive given that no closure parameters have been adjusted in going from the previously reported case of A-stars to the present case of white dwarfs; for comparison, in order to match the peak convective flux found in numerical simulations for both the white dwarf envelopes discussed in this paper and the A-star envelopes discussed in our previous work requires changing the mixing length parameter of commonly used local models by a factor of 4. We also examine in detail the overshooting at the base of the convection zone, both in terms of the convective flux and in terms of the velocity field: we find that the flux overshoots by approximately 1.25 H_P and the velocity by approximately 2.5 H_P. Due to the large amount of overshooting found at the base of the convection zone the new model predicts the mixed region of white dwarf envelopes to contain at least 10 times more mass than local mixing length theory (MLT) models having similar photospheric temperature structures. This result is consistent with the upper limit given by numerical simulations which predict an even larger amount of mass to be mixed by convective overshooting. Finally, we attempt to parametrise some of our results in terms of local MLT-based models, insofar as is possible given the limitations of MLT

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arXiv2003

Convection in the atmospheres and envelopes of Pre-Main Sequence stars

The Teff location of Pre-Main Sequence (PMS) evolutionary tracks depends on the treatment of over-adiabaticity. Since the convection penetrates into the stellar atmosphere, also the treatment of convection in the modeling of stellar atmospheres will affect the location of the Hayashi tracks. We present new non-grey PMS tracks for Teff>4000 K. We compute several grids of evolutionary tracks varying: 1. the treatment of convection: either the Mixing Length Theory (MLT) or Canuto et al. (1996, CGM) treatment; 2.the atmospheric boundary conditions: we use the new Vienna grids of ATLAS9 atmospheres (Heiter et al. 2002a), which were computed using either MLT (with alpha=Lambda/Hp=0.5) or CGM treatments. We compute as well grids of models with the NextGen (Allard & Hauschildt 1997) atmosphere models, and a 1 Msun grey MLT evolutionary track using the alpha calibration based on 2D-hydrodynamical models (Ludwig et al. 1999)}. These different grids of models allow us to analyze the effects of convection modeling on the non--grey PMS evolutionary tracks. We conclude that: 1. In spite of the solar calibration, if MLT convection is adopted a large uncertainty results in the shape and location of PMS tracks. 2. As long as the model of convection is not the same in the interior and in the atmosphere the optical depth at which we take the boundary conditions is an additional parameter of the models. 3. The comparison between NextGen and ATLAS9 based models shows that, in the Teff domain they have in common (4000--10000K), the PMS location is mainly determined by the treatment of the over-adiabatic convection. 4. Comparison with observations indicates that, for any convection model and for any of the atmosphere grids, convection in the PMS phase appears to be less efficient than what is necessary in order to fit the Sun.

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arXiv2003

The 5200A flux depression of chemically peculiar stars: I. Synthetic Delta a photometry - the normality line

The Delta a photometric system provides an efficient observational method to identify and distinguish magnetic and several other types of chemically peculiar (CP) stars of spectral types B to F from other classes of stars in the same range of effective temperatures. We have developed a synthetic photometric system which can be used to explore the capability of model atmospheres with individual element abundances to predict photometric Delta a magnitudes which measure the extent of the flux depression around 5200A found in different types of CP stars. In this first paper, we confirm the observed dependency of the a-index as a function of various colour indices sensitive to the effective temperature of stars as well as its average scatter expected from surface gravity variations within the main sequence band. The behaviour of the so-called normality line of Delta a systems used in photometric observations of CP stars is well reproduced. The metallicity dependence of the normality line of the Delta a system was computed for several grids of model atmospheres where the abundances of elements heavier than He had been scaled +-0.5 dex with respect to the solar value. We estimate a lowering of Delta a magnitudes for CP stars within the Magellanic Clouds by approximately -3 mmag relative to those in the solar neighbourhood assuming an average metallicity of [Fe/H]= -0.5 dex. Using these results on the metallicity bias of the Delta a system we find the observational systems in use suitable to identify CP stars in other galaxies or distant regions of our own galaxy and capable to provide data samples on a statistically meaningful basis. In turn, the synthetic system is suitable to test the performance of model atmospheres for CP stars. This work will be presented in follow-up papers of this series.

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arXiv2002

On the anomaly of Balmer line profiles of A-type stars. Fundamental binary systems

In previous work, Gardiner et al. (1999) found evidence for a discrepancy between the Teff obtained from Balmer lines with that from photometry and fundamental values for A-type stars. An investigation into this anomaly is presented using Balmer line profiles of stars in binary system with fundamental values of both Teff and log g. A revision of the fundamental parameters for binary systems given by Smalley & Dworetsky (1995) is also presented. The Teff obtained by fitting Halpha and Hbeta line profiles is compared to the fundamental values and those obtained from uvby photometry. We find that the discrepancy found by Gardiner et al. (1999) for stars in the range 7000 K < Teff < 9000 K is no longer evident.

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arXiv2002

Using Balmer line profiles to investigate convection in A and F stars

Balmer lines are an important diagnostic of stellar atmospheric structure, since they are formed at a wide range of depths within the atmosphere. The different Balmer lines are formed at slightly different depths making them useful atmospheric diagnostics. The low sensitivity to surface gravity for stars cooler than ~8000 K makes them excellent diagnostics in the treatment of atmospheric convection. For hotter stars Balmer profiles are sensitive to both effective temperature and surface gravity. Provided we know the surface gravity of these stars from some other method (e.g. from eclipsing binary systems), we can use them to determine effective temperature. In previous work, we have found no significant systematic problems with using uvby photometry to determine atmospheric parameters of fundamental (and standard) stars. In fact, uvby was found to be very good for obtaining both Teff and log g. Using Halpha and Hbeta profiles, we have found that both the Canuto & Mazzitteli and standard Kurucz mixing-length theory without approximate overshooting are both in agreement to within the uncertainties of the fundamental stars. Overshooting models were always clearly discrepant. Some evidence was found for significant disagreement between all treatments of convection and fundamental values around 8000~9000K, but these results were for fundamental stars without fundamental surface gravities. We have used stars with fundamental values of both Teff and log g to explore this region in more detail.

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arXiv2002

New grids of ATLAS9 atmospheres I: Influence of convection treatments on model structure and on observable quantities

We present several new sets of grids of model stellar atmospheres computed with modified versions of the ATLAS9 code. Each individual set consists of several grids of models with different metallicities ranging from [M/H] = -2.0 to +1.0 dex. The grids range from 4000 to 10000 K in T_eff and from 2.0 to 5.0 dex in logg. The individual sets differ from each other and from previous ones essentially in the physics used for the treatment of the convective energy transport, in the higher vertical resolution of the atmospheres and in a finer grid in the (T_eff, logg) plane. These improvements enable the computation of derivatives of color indices accurate enough for pulsation mode identification. In addition, we show that the chosen vertical resolution is necessary and sufficient for the purpose of stellar interior modelling. To explain the physical differences between the model grids we provide a description of the currently available modifications of ATLAS9 according to their treatment of convection. Our critical analysis of the dependence of the atmospheric structure and observable quantities on convection treatment, vertical resolution and metallicity reveals that spectroscopic and photometric observations are best represented when using an inefficient convection treatment. This conclusion holds whatever convection formulation investigated here is used, i.e. MLT(alpha=0.5), CM and CGM are equivalent. We also find that changing the convection treatment can lead to a change in the effective temperature estimated from Stroemgren color indices from 200 to 400 K.

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arXiv2001

A-star envelopes: a test of local and non-local models of convection

We present results of a fully non-local, compressible model of convection for A-star envelopes. This model quite naturally reproduces a variety of results from observations and numerical simulations which local models based on a mixing length do not. Our principal results, which are for models with Teff between 7200 K and 8500 K, are the following: First, the photospheric velocities and filling factors are in qualitative agreement with those derived from observations of line profiles of A-type stars. Second, the He II and H I convection zones are separated in terms of convective flux and thermal interaction, but joined in terms of the convective velocity field, in agreement with numerical simulations. In addition, we attempt to quantify the amount of overshooting in our models at the base of the He II convection zone.

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arXiv1999

Turbulent convection: comparing the moment equations to numerical simulations

The non-local hydrodynamic moment equations for compressible convection are compared to numerical simulations. Convective and radiative flux typically deviate less than 20% from the 3D simulations, while mean thermodynamic quantities are accurate to at least 2% for the cases we have investigated. The moment equations are solved in minutes rather than days on standard workstations. We conclude that this convection model has the potential to considerably improve the modelling of convection zones in stellar envelopes and cores, in particular of A and F stars.

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arXiv1998

Eu III identification and Eu abundance in cool CP stars

We report the first identification of the Eu III lambda 6666.317 line in optical spectra of CP stars. This line is clearly present in the spectra of HR 4816, 73 Dra, HR 7575, and beta CrB, while it is marginally present or absent in spectra of the roAp stars alpha Cir, gamma Equ, BI Mic, 33 Lib, and HD 24712.

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arXiv1998

Atmospheric structure and acoustic cut-off frequency of roAp stars

Some of the rapidly oscillating (CP2) stars, have frequencies which are larger than the theoretical acoustic cut-off frequency. As the cut-off frequency depends on the T(tau) relation in the atmosphere, we have computed models and adiabatic frequencies for pulsating Ap stars with T(tau) laws based on Kurucz model atmospheres and on Hopf's purely radiative relation. The frequency-dependent treatment of radiative transfer as well as an improved calculation of the radiative pressure in Kurucz model atmospheres increase the theoretical acoustic cut-off frequency by about 200 microHz, which is closer to the observations. For alpha Cir we find models with Kurucz atmospheres which have indeed a cut-off frequency beyond the largest observed frequency and which are well within the Teff - L error box. For HD 24712 only models which are hotter by about 100 K and less luminous by nearly 10% than what is actually the most probable value would have an acoustic cut-off frequency large enough. One may thus speculate that the old controversy about a mismatch between observed largest frequencies and theoretical cut-off frequencies of roAp star models is resolved. However, the observational errors for the astrophysical fundamental parameters have to be reduced further and the model atmospheres refined. Further details can be found in Audard et al. (1997)

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