arXiv subjects

G. A. Wade

Publications and source records attributed to G. A. Wade.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

Search for vertical stratification of metals in atmospheres of blue horizontal-branch stars

The observed abundance peculiarities of many chemical species relative to the expected cluster metallicity in blue horizontal-branch (BHB) stars presumably appear as a result of atomic diffusion in the photosphere. The slow rotation (typically $v\sin{i}<$ 10 km s$^{-1}$) of BHB stars with effective temperatures $T_{\rm eff}>$ 11,500 K supports this idea since the diffusion mechanism is only effective in a stable stellar atmosphere. In this work we search for observational evidence of vertical chemical stratification in the atmospheres of six hot BHB stars: B84, B267 and B279 in M15 and WF2-2541, WF4-3085 and WF4-3485 in M13. We undertake an abundance stratification analysis of the stellar atmospheres of the aforementioned stars, based on acquired Keck HIRES spectra. We have found from our numerical simulations that three stars (B267, B279 and WF2-2541) show clear signatures of the vertical stratification of iron whose abundance increases toward the lower atmosphere, while the other two stars (B84 and WF4-3485) do not. For WF4-3085 the iron stratification results are inconclusive. B267 also shows a signature of titanium stratification. Our estimates for radial velocity, $v\sin{i}$ and overall iron, titanium and phosphorus abundances agree with previously published data for these stars after taking the measurement errors into account. The results support the hypothesis regarding the efficiency of atomic diffusion in the stellar atmospheres of BHB stars with $T_{\rm eff}>$ 11,500 K.

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arXiv2007

Magnetism and rotation in Herbig Ae/Be stars

Among the main sequence intermediate mass A and B stars, around 5% host large-scale organized magnetic fields. Most of these stars are very slow rotators compared to their non-magnetic counterparts, and show photospheric abundance anomalies. They are referred to as the Ap/Bp stars. One of the greatest challenges, today is to understand the origin of their magnetic field and their slow rotation. The favoured hypothesis is a fossil origin of the magnetic field, in which the magnetic fields of Ap/Bp stars are relics of those which existed in the parental molecular clouds during the formation. This implies that the magnetic field must survive all the initial phases of the stellar evolution and especially the pre-main sequence (PMS) phase. This is consistent with the general belief that magnetic braking occurs during the PMS phase, which sheds angular momentum and slows the rotation of these stars. In this context, we proceeded with a survey of a sample of around 50 PMS Herbig Ae/Be stars, using the new spectropolarimeter ESPaDOnS at the CFHT, in order to study the magnetic field and the rotation velocity of these stars. This talk reviews the results of our survey, as well as their consequences for the origin of the magnetic fields and the evolution of the rotation of intermediate mass stars during the PMS phase.

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arXiv2007

Magnetism, rotation and accretion in Herbig Ae-Be stars

Studies of stellar magnetism at the pre-main sequence phase can provide important new insights into the detailed physics of the late stages of star formation, and into the observed properties of main sequence stars. This is especially true at intermediate stellar masses, where magnetic fields are strong and globally organised, and therefore most amenable to direct study. This talk reviews recent high-precision ESPaDOnS observations of pre-main sequence Herbig Ae-Be stars, which are yielding qualitatively new information about intermediate-mass stars: the origin and evolution of their magnetic fields, the role of magnetic fields in generating their spectroscopic activity and in mediating accretion in their late formative stages, and the factors influencing their rotational angular momentum.

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arXiv2007

Weak magnetic fields in Ap/Bp stars: Evidence for a dipole field lower limit and a tentative interpretation of the magnetic dichotomy

We have investigated a sample of 28 well-known spectroscopically-identified magnetic Ap/Bp stars, with weak, poorly-determined or previously undetected magnetic fields, with the aim of exploring the weak part of the magnetic field distribution of Ap/Bp stars. Using the MuSiCoS and NARVAL spectropolarimeters we have obtained 282 LSD Stokes V signatures of our 28 sample stars. All stars were detected, showing clearly that when observed with sufficient precision, all firmly classified Ap/Bp stars show detectable surface magnetic fields. To better characterise the surface magnetic field intensities and geometries of the sample, we have inferred the dipolar field intensity and the magnetic obliquity. The distribution of derived dipole strengths for these stars exhibits a plateau at about 1 kG, falling off to larger and smaller field strengths. Remarkably, in this sample of stars selected for their presumably weak magnetic fields, we find only 2 stars for which the derived dipole strength is weaker than 300 G. We interpret this "magnetic threshold" as a critical value necessary for the stability of large-scale magnetic fields, and develop a simple quantitative model that is able to approximately reproduce the observed threshold characteristics. This scenario leads to a natural explanation of the small fraction of intermediate-mass magnetic stars. It may also explain the near-absence of magnetic fields in more massive B and O-type stars.

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arXiv2007

Exploring the origin of neutron star magnetic field: magnetic properties of the progenitor OB stars

Ferrario & Wickramasinghe (2006) explored the hypothesis that the magnetic fields of neutron stars are of fossil origin. In this context, they predicted the field distribution of the progenitor OB stars, finding that 5 per cent of main sequence massive stars should have fields in excess of 1kG. We have carried out sensitive ESPaDOnS spectropolarimetric observations to search for direct evidence of such fields in all massive B- and O-type stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster star-forming region. We have detected unambiguous Stokes V Zeeman signatures in spectra of three out of the eight stars observed (38%). Using a new state-of-the-art Bayesian analysis, we infer the presence of strong (kG), organised magnetic fields in their photospheres. For the remaining five stars, we constrain any dipolar fields in the photosphere to be weaker than about 200G. Statistically, the chance of finding three ~kG fields in a sample of eight OB stars is quite low (less than 1%) if the predictions of Ferrario & Wickramasinghe are correct. This implies that either the magnetic fields of neutron stars are not of fossil origin, that the flux-evolution model of Ferrario & Wickramasinghe is incomplete, or that the ONC has unusual magnetic properties. We are undertaking a study of other young star clusters, in order to better explore these possibilities.

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arXiv2007

Searching for links between magnetic fields and stellar evolution. II. The evolution of magnetic fields as revealed by observations of Ap stars in open clusters and associations

The evolution of magnetic fields in Ap stars during the main sequence phase is presently mostly unconstrained by observation because of the difficulty of assigning accurate ages to known field Ap stars. We are carrying out a large survey of magnetic fields in cluster Ap stars with the goal of obtaining a sample of these stars with well-determined ages. In this paper we analyse the information available from the survey as it currently stands. We select from the available observational sample the stars that are probably (1) cluster or association members and (2) magnetic Ap stars. For the stars in this subsample we determine the fundamental parameters T_eff, log(L/L_o), and M/M_o. With these data and the cluster ages we assign both absolute age and fractional age (the fraction of the main sequence lifetime completed). For this purpose we have derived new bolometric corrections for Ap stars. Magnetic fields are present at the surfaces of Ap stars from the ZAMS to the TAMS. Statistically for the stars with M > 3 M_o the fields decline with advancing age approximately as expected from flux conservation together with increased stellar radius, or perhaps even faster than this rate, on a time scale of about 3 10^7 yr. In contrast, lower mass stars show no compelling evidence for field decrease even on a timescale of several times 10^8 yr. Study of magnetic cluster stars is now a powerful tool for obtaining constraints on evolution of Ap stars through the main sequence. Enlarging the sample of known cluster magnetic stars, and obtaining more precise RMS fields, will help to clarify the results obtained so far. Further field observations are in progress.

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arXiv2007

A high-precision search for magnetic field oscillations in the roAp star HD 24712

We have obtained a time series of 81 high-cadence circular polarization observations of the rapidly oscillating Ap star HD 24712 with the new ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter at CFHT. We used the high-S/N, high-resolution Stokes I and V spectra to investigate possible variation of the mean longitudinal field over the pulsation cycle in this roAp star. Our multiline magnetic field and radial velocity measurements utilized 143 spectral lines of rare-earth elements, attaining precision better than 13 G and 19 m/s, respectively. A multiperiodic radial velocity variation with an amplitude of 40-136 m/s is clearly detected at the known pulsation frequencies of HD 24712. At the same time, no evidence for pulsational changes of the magnetic field can be found. We derive a 3sigma upper limit of 10 G, or about 1% of the mean longitudinal field strength, for magnetic field oscillations in the upper atmosphere of HD 24712. The absence of detectable pulsational variability of the magnetic field provides a valuable constraint for the interaction between pulsations and magnetic field in roAp stars and is compatible with the recent predictions of detailed theoretical models of stellar magnetoacoustic oscillations.

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arXiv2007

Vertical abundance stratification in the blue horizontal branch star HD135485

It is commonly believed that the observed overabundances of many chemical species relative to the expected cluster metallicity in blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars appear as a result of atomic diffusion in the photosphere. The slow rotation of BHB stars (with T_eff > 11,500K), typically v sin{i} < 10 km/s, is consistent with this idea. In this work we search for observational evidence of vertical chemical stratification in the atmosphere of HD135485. If this evidence exists, it will demonstrate the importance of atomic diffusion processes in the atmospheres of BHB stars. We undertake an extensive abundance stratification analysis of the atmosphere of HD135485, based on recently acquired high resolution and S/N CFHT ESPaDOnS spectra and a McDonald-CE spectrum. Our numerical simulations show that nitrogen and sulfur reveal signatures of vertical abundance stratification in the stellar atmosphere. It appears that the abundances of these elements increase toward the upper atmosphere. This fact cannot be explained by the influence of microturbulent velocity, because oxygen, carbon, neon, argon, titanium and chromium do not show similar behavior and their abundances remain constant throughout the atmosphere. It seems that the iron abundance may increase marginally toward the lower atmosphere. This is the first demonstration of vertical abundance stratification of metals in a BHB star.

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arXiv2007

A search for strong, ordered magnetic fields in Herbig Ae/Be stars

The origin of magnetic fields in intermediate-mass and high-mass stars is fundamentally a mystery. Clues toward solving this basic astrophysical problem can likely be found at the pre-main sequence (PMS) evolutionary stage. With this work, we perform the largest and most sensitive search for magnetic fields in pre-main sequence Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars. Sixty-eight observations of 50 HAeBe stars have been obtained in circularly polarised light using the FORS1 spectropolarimeter at the ESO VLT. An analysis of both Balmer and metallic lines reveals the possible presence of weak longitudinal magnetic fields in photospheric lines of two HAeBe stars, HD 101412 and BF Ori. The intensity of the longitudinal fields detected in HD 101412 and BF Ori suggest that they correspond to globally-ordered magnetic fields with surface intensities of order 1 kG. Monte Carlo simulations of the longitudinal field measurements of the undetected stars allow us to place an upper limits of about 300 G on the general presence of aligned magnetic dipole magnetic fields, and of about 500 G on perpendicular dipole fields. We find that the observed bulk incidence of magnetic HAeBe stars in our sample is 8-12%, in good agreement with that of magnetic main sequence stars of similar masses. We also find that the rms longitudinal field intensity of magnetically-detected HAeBe stars is similar to that of Ap stars and consistent with magnetic flux conservation during stellar evolution. These results are all in agreement with the hypothesis that the magnetic fields of main sequence Ap/Bp stars are fossils, which already exist within the stars at the pre-main sequence stage. Finally, we explore the ability of our new magnetic data to constrain magnetospheric accretion in Herbig Ae/Be stars.

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arXiv2007

Magnetic fields in Herbig Ae/Be stars

Studies of stellar magnetism at the pre-main sequence phase can provide important new insights into the detailed physics of the late stages of star formation, and into the observed properties of main sequence stars. This is especially true at intermediate stellar masses, where magnetic fields are strong and globally organised, and therefore most amenable to direct study. This paper reviews recent high-precision spectropolarimetric observations of pre-main sequence Herbig Ae/Be stars, which are yielding qualitatively new information about intermediate-mass stars: the origin and evolution of their magnetic fields; the role of magnetic fields in generating their spectroscopic activity and in mediating accretion in their late formative stages; the factors influencing their rotational angular momentum; and the development and evolution of chemical peculiarity in their photospheres.

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arXiv2006

Properties of a volume-limited sample of magnetic Ap/Bp stars

This paper describes a study to deduce fundamental parameters and magnetic field characteristics for all magnetic Ap/Bp stars with in a 100 parsec heliocentric radius volume. This study has allowed for the first time the determination of an effectively unbiased magnetic field distribution of a sample of intermediate mass stars. From published catalogues and other literature sources, we have identified 57 bone fide magnetic A and B stars in the volume, corresponding to 1.7% of all intermediate mass stars within 100 parsec of the Sun. The masses of Ap stars range from 1.5 to 6 solar masses, with the peak of the mass incidence distribution between 3.3 and 3.6 solar masses. Observations of 30 of the Ap/Bp stars were obtained using the MuSiCoS spectropolarimeter at the Telescope Bernard Lyot at Pic du Midi Observatory. These observations will be used to refine periods, and determine magnetic field strength and geometry.

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arXiv2006

Abundances and chemical stratification in the atmosphere of the HgMn star HD 175640

We present the results of a study of the photospheric abundances of the HgMn star HD 175640, conducted using archival ESO-UVES spectra. A large number of unblended (titanium, chromium, manganese and iron) lines were studied to search for the presence of chemical stratification in the atmosphere of this star. The selected lines are located in the visible region of the spectrum, longward of the Balmer jump, in orders with S/N $\geq$ 300. We derived the abundance of each element by calculating independently the abundance associated each line. We then characterized the depth of formation of each line, and examined the dependence of abundance on optical depth. Titanium, chromium, manganese and iron show no variation of their abundance with optical depth. These four elements do not appear to be strongly stratified in the atmosphere of HD 175640. This indicates that if stratification occurs, it must be in atmospheric layers which are not diagnosed by the spectral lines studied, or that it is too weak to detect using these data. We also report evidence that HD 175640 is an SB1, and furthermore report anomalous shifts of some strong Fe {\sc II} lines, the origin of which is unclear.

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arXiv2006

Rotation and chemical abundances of Ap/Bp stars in the open cluster NGC 6475

The connection between age, rotation and chemical abundance of magnetic Ap stars is poorly understood. Using open clusters, we are able to study samples of stars that are both co-eval and co-environmental. By determining rotation and chemical abundance for Ap star members of clusters with various ages, the variations of these properties as a function of age and environment can be derived. All four probable Ap star members of the open cluster NGC 6475, as well as one normal late B star, were studied using detailed spectrum synthesis of high resolution UVES-POP spectra. Probable cluster membership was confirmed for all five stars, however chemical abundance anomalies only appear to be present in spectra of three. Projected rotational velocity and chemical abundances for 21 elements ranging from C to Eu are presented for the 5 stars. In the three peculiar stars we find overabundances of Si, Cr, Mn, Fe and rare earths such as Nd, characteristic of Ap stars. The set of chemically peculiar stars show fairly homogeneous abundance tables, however notable differences exist for a few elements. There also exist appreciable differences in the v sin i and main sequence evolutionary stage of the chemically peculiar stars. This may hint at the underlying processes giving rise to the observed abundance anomalies. With this first detailed study of chemical abundances of a complete sample of magnetic Ap/Bp stars in an open cluster, we have initiated an exploration of the environmental and evolutionary influence on chemical peculiarity.

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arXiv2006

X-ray emission and the incidence of magnetic fields in the massive stars of the Orion Nebula Cluster

Magnetic fields have been frequently invoked as a likely source of variability and confinement of the winds of massive stars. To date, the only magnetic field detected in O-type stars are those of theta 1 Ori C (HD 37022; Donati et al. 2002), the brightest and most massive member of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC), and HD 191612 (Donati et al. 2006). Notably, theta 1 Ori C is an intense X-ray emitter, and the source of these X-rays is thought to be strong shocks occurring in its magnetically-confined wind (Babel & Montmerle 1997a, Donati et al. 2002). Recently, Stelzer et al. (2005) found significant X-ray emission from all massive stars in the ONC. Periodic rotational modulation in X-rays and other indicators suggested that theta 1 Ori C may be but one of many magnetic B- and O-type stars in this star-forming region. In 2005B we carried out sensitive ESPaDOnS observations to search for direct evidence of such fields, detecting unambiguous Zeeman signatures in two objects.

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arXiv2006

Investigating the pre-main sequence magnetic chemically peculiar system HD 72106

The origin of the strong magnetic fields observed in chemically peculiar Ap and Bp stars stars has long been debated. The recent discovery of magnetic fields in the intermediate mass pre-main sequence Herbig Ae and Be stars links them to Ap and Bp stars, providing vital clues about Ap and Bp stars and the origin and evolution of magnetic fields in intermediate and high mass stars. A detailed study of one young magnetic B star, HD 72106A, is presented. This star appears to be in a binary system with an apparently normal Herbig Ae star. A maximum longitudinal magnetic field strength of +391 +/- 65 G is found in HD 72106A, as are strong chemical peculiarities, with photospheric abundances of some elements ranging up to 100x above solar.

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arXiv2006

Characterisation of the magnetic fields of the Herbig Be stars HD 200775 and V380 0ri

The origin of the magnetic fields of the chemically peculiar main sequence Ap/Bp stars is still matter of intense debate. The recent discoveries of magnetic fields in Herbig Ae/Be stars using high resolution data obtained with the spectropolarimeter ESPaDOnS at CFHT provide a strong argument in favour of the fossil field hypothesis. Using a simple oblique rotator model of a centered dipole, we fit the Stokes V LSD profiles of two of these magnetic HAeBe stars, HD 200775 and V380 Ori, as well as their variations on timescales from days to months. We find that in both cases the dipole hypothesis is acceptable and we determine the rotation period, the angle between rotation and magnetic axes and the intensity of the magnetic field at pole.

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arXiv2006

The magnetic field of the pre-main sequence Herbig Ae star HD 190073

The general context of this paper is the study of magnetic fields in the pre-main sequence intermediate mass Herbig Ae/Be stars. Magnetic fields are likely to play an important role in pre-main sequence evolution at these masses, in particular in controlling the gains and losses of stellar angular momentum. The particular aim of this paper is to announce the detection of a structured magnetic field in the Herbig Ae star HD 190073, and to discuss various scenarii for the geometry of the star, its environment and its magnetic field. We have used the ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter at CFHT in 2005 and 2006 to obtain high-resolution and signal-to-noise circular polarization spectra which demonstrate unambiguously the presence of a magnetic field in the photosphere of this star. Nine circular polarization spectra were obtained, each one showing a clear Zeeman signature. This signature is suggestive of a magnetic field structured on large scales. The signature, which corresponds to a longitudinal magnetic field of 74+- 10 G, does not vary detectably on a one-year timeframe, indicating either an azimuthally symmetric field, a zero inclination angle between the rotation axis and the line of sight, or a very long rotation period. The optical spectrum of HD 190073 exhibits a large number of emission lines. We discuss the formation of these emission lines in the framework of a model involving a turbulent heated region at the base of the stellar wind, possibly powered by magnetic accretion. This magnetic detection brings an important element for our understanding of stellar magnetism at intermediate masses.

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arXiv2006

The magnetic Bp star 36 Lyncis, I. Magnetic and photospheric properties

This paper reports the photospheric, magnetic and circumstellar gas characteristics of the magnetic B8p star 36 Lyncis (HD 79158). Using archival data and new polarised and unpolarised high-resolution spectra, we redetermine the basic physical properties, the rotational period and the geometry of the magnetic field, and the photospheric abundances of various elements.}{Based on magnetic and spectroscopic measurements, we infer an improved rotational period of $3.83475\pm 0.00002$ d. We determine a current epoch of the longitudinal magnetic field positive extremum (HJD 2452246.033), and provide constraints on the geometry of the dipole magnetic field ($i\geq 56\degr$, $3210 {\rm G}\leq B_{\rm d}\leq 3930$ G, $β$ unconstrained). We redetermine the effective temperature and surface gravity using the optical and UV energy distributions, optical photometry and Balmer line profiles ($T_{\rm eff}=13300\pm 300$ K, $\log g=3.7-4.2$), and based on the Hipparcos parallax we redetermine the luminosity, mass, radius and true rotational speed ($L=2.54\pm 0.16 L_\odot, M=4.0\pm 0.2 M_\odot, R=3.4\pm 0.7 R_\odot, v_{\rm eq}=45-61.5$ \kms). We measure photospheric abundances for 21 elements using optical and UV spectra, and constrain the presence of vertical stratification of these elements. We perform preliminary Doppler Imaging of the surface distribution of Fe, finding that Fe is distributed in a patchy belt near the rotational equator. Most remarkably, we confirm strong variations of the H$α$ line core which we interpret as due to occultations of the star by magnetically-confined circumstellar gas.

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