arXiv subjects

L. B. F. M. Waters

Publications and source records attributed to L. B. F. M. Waters.

228 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

arXiv1998

SCUBA sub-millimeter observations of gamma-ray bursters. I. GRB 970508, 971214, 980326, 980329, 980519, 980703

We discuss the first results of our ongoing program of Target of Opportunity observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) using the SCUBA instrument on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We present the results for GRB 970508, 971214, 980326, 980329, 980519, and 980703. Our most important result to date is the detection of a fading counterpart to GRB 980329 at 850 microns. Although it proved to be difficult to find the infrared counterpart to this burst, the sub-millimeter flux was relatively bright. This indicates that intrinsically the brightness of this counterpart was very similar to GRB 970508. The radio through sub-millimeter spectrum of GRB 980329 is well fit by a power law with index alpha = +0.9. However, we cannot exclude a nu^(1/3) power law attenuated by synchrotron self-absorption. An alpha = +1 VLA-SCUBA power law spectrum is definitely ruled out for GRB 980703, and possibly also for GRB 980519. We cannot rule out that part of the sub-millimeter flux from GRB 980329 comes from a dusty star-forming galaxy at high redshift, such as the ones recently discovered by SCUBA. Any quiescent dust contribution will be much larger at sub-millimeter than at radio wavelengths. Both a high redshift and large dust extinction would help explain the reddening of the counterpart to GRB 980329, and a redshift of z = 5 has been suggested. The large intensity of this burst might then indicate that beaming is important.

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arXiv1998

Discovery of extended radio emission in the young cluster Wd1

We present 10 micron, ISO-SWS and Australia Telescope Compact Array observations of the region in the cluster Wd1 in Ara centred on the B[e] star Ara C. An ISO-SWS spectrum reveals emission from highly ionised species in the vicinity of the star, suggesting a secondary source of excitation in the region. We find strong radio emission at both 3.5cm and 6.3cm, with a total spatial extent of over 20 arcsec. The emission is found to be concentrated in two discrete structures, separated by 14''. The westerly source is resolved, with a spectral index indicative of thermal emission. The easterly source is clearly extended and nonthermal (synchrotron) in nature. Positionally, the B[e] star is found to coincide with the more compact radio source, while the southerly lobe of the extended source is coincident with Ara A, an M2 I star. Observation of the region at 10micron reveals strong emission with an almost identical spatial distribution to the radio emission. Ara C is found to have an extreme radio luminosity in comparison to prior radio observations of hot stars such as O and B supergiants and Wolf-Rayet stars, given the estimated distance to the cluster. An origin in a detatched shell of material around the central star is therefore suggested; however given the spatial extent of the emission, such a shell must be relatively young (10^3 yrs). The extended non thermal emission associated with the M star Ara A is unexpected; to the best of our knowledge this is a unique phenomenon. SAX (2-10keV) observations show no evidence of X-ray emission, which might be expected if a compact companion were present.

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arXiv1998

Crystalline silicates in Planetary Nebulae with [WC] central stars

We present ISO-SWS spectroscopy of the cool dusty envelopes surrounding two Planetary Nebulae with [WC] central stars, BD+30~3639 and He~2-113. The lambda < 15micron region is dominated by a rising continuum with prominent emission from C-rich dust (PAHs), while the long wavelength part shows narrow solid state features from crystalline silicates. This demonstrates that the chemical composition of both stars changed very recently (less than 1000 years ago). The most likely explanation is a thermal pulse at the very end of the AGB or shortly after the AGB. The H-rich nature of the C-rich dust suggests that the change to C-rich chemistry did not remove all H. The present-day H-poor [WC] nature of the central star may be due to extensive mass loss and mixing following the late thermal pulse.

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arXiv1997

Obscured Asymptotic Giant Branch stars in the Magellanic Clouds IV. Carbon stars and OH/IR stars

We present N-band photometry for a sample of 21 dust- enshrouded AGB stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and three additional sources in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Together with near-IR photometry, this is used to give a tentative classification into carbon and oxygen-rich atmospheres. Bolometric luminosities are also estimated for these stars. In addition, we present the results of a survey for OH masers in the LMC, which resulted in the discovery of OH maser emission from IRAS04407-7000. Spectra between 600 and 1000 nm have been obtained for two heavily obscured AGB stars in the LMC, confirming them to be highly reddened very late M-type giants. Because the dust-enshrouded stars are clearly undergoing heavy mass loss they are assumed to be very near the termination of their respective Asymptotic Giant Branch phases. The fraction of mass-losing carbon stars decreases with increasing luminosity, as expected from Hot Bottom Burning. The best candidate carbon star, with M_bol = -6.8 mag, is the most luminous mass-losing carbon star in the Magellanic Clouds, and amongst the most luminous AGB stars. At lower luminosities (M_bol = -5 mag) both oxygen and carbon stars are found. This may be explained by a range in metallicity of the individual mass-losing AGB stars.

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arXiv1997

Obscured Asymptotic Giant Branch stars in the Magellanic Clouds III. New IRAS counterparts

We have searched for near-infrared stellar counterparts of IRAS point sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), in J and K-bands. This resulted in the detection of 21 counterparts, of which 19 are new discoveries. Using colour-magnitude and colour-colour diagrams, we identify 13 Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars with thick circumstellar dust envelopes, 7 possible early post-AGB stars or stars recovering from a thermal pulse, and 1 red supergiant or foreground star. For 10 of the IRAS targets we do not succeed in detecting and/or identifying a near-infrared counterpart. We serendipitously detect 14 other red sources, of which 2 are known Long Period Variables, and a few galaxies. The near-infrared and optical colours of the galaxies may indicate considerable interstellar extinction through the LMC, as much as A_V about 2-4 mag. The relative number of AGB carbon stars over oxygen stars is shown to decrease as the luminosity increases. Yet amongst the faintest mass-losing AGB stars oxygen-rich stars still exist, which puts constraints on current convection theories that predict the occurrence of third dredge-up and Hot Bottom Burning. We investigate the nature of some LMC stars that have infrared properties very similar to suspected Galactic post-AGB stars.

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arXiv1996

Circumstellar C2, CN, and CH+ in the optical spectra of post-AGB stars

We present optical high-resolution spectra of a sample of sixteen post-AGB stars and IRC +10216. Of the post-AGB stars, ten show C2 Phillips and Swan and CN Red System absorption, one CH+ emission, one CH+ absorption, and four without any molecules. We find typically Trot=43-399, 155-202, and 18-50 K, log N = 14.90-15.57, 14.35, and 15.03-16.47 cm-2 for C2, CH+, and CN respectively, and 0.6 20. The presence of C2 and CN absorption is correlated with cold dust (Tdust<300K) and the presence of CH+ with hot dust (Tdust>300K). All objects with the unidentified 21mum emission feature exhibit C2 and CN absorption, but not all objects with C2 and CN detections exhibit a 21mum feature. The derived expansion velocity, ranging from 5 to 44 km/s, is the same as that derived from CO millimeter line emission. This unambiguously proves that these lines are of circumstellar origin and are formed in the AGB ejecta (circumstellar shell expelled during the preceding AGB phase). Furthermore there seems to be a relation between the C2 molecular column density and the expansion velocity, which is attributed to the fact that a higher carbon abundance of the dust leads to a more efficient acceleration of the AGB wind. Using simple assumptions for the location of the molecular lines and molecular abundances, mass-loss rates have been derived from the molecular absorption lines and are comparable to those obtained from CO emission lines and the infrared excess.

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arXiv1996

Variability and nature of the binary in the Red Rectangle Nebula

We present new observations of the central binary inside the Red Rectangle nebula. The detection of zinc in the optical spectrum confirms that the peculiar photospheric abundances are due to accretion of circumstellar gas. Grey brightness variations with the orbital period are observed. They are interpreted as being due to the variation of the scattering angle with orbital phase. The small orbital separation of the system is not compatible with previous normal evolution of the primary on the AGB. We point out the similarity of the orbital history of this and other similar systems with those of some close Barium stars and suggest that the nonzero eccentricity of the orbit is the result of tidal interaction with the circumbinary disk.

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arXiv1995

The 218 day period of the peculiar late B-type star HD 101584

We have searched for periodicity in the photometric and spectroscopic variations of the enigmatic star HD 101584 and found a long-term variability on a typical time scale of 1700 days (4.7 years) and a highly significant period of 218+-0.7 day. This period is most prominently present in the photometric indices which are a measure for the Balmer jump (Geneva d and Stromgren c). The Doppler velocities of the high-excitation photospheric absorption lines (HeI and CII) seem to be variable with the photometric period. Our data favor the 218 day period for the Doppler velocities with a small probability that the true period is 436 days. We argue that HD 101584 is a close (highly) eccentric 218 day binary system with a low-mass unseen secondary. The photometric and Doppler variations are attributed to changes in the velocity law and mass-loss rate of the stellar wind which lead to asymmetric line profiles and a phase dependent Balmer discontinuity. Binary interaction is responsible for the changes in velocity law and mass-loss rate leading to the observed phenomena.

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arXiv1995

A study on the nature of the peculiar supergiant HD101584

We present a study of low- and high-resolution ultraviolet, high-resolution optical CAT/CES spectra and ultraviolet, optical and infrared photometry of the peculiar supergiant HD101584. From the photometry we learn that the ultraviolet and optical energy distribution cannot be fitted in a consistent way and we need a model in which the UV and optical energy distribution are formed by different gas. The Geneva photometry is best fitted to a B9II Kurucz model, Teff=12000+-1000K and log g=3.0 +-1.0, with an extinction of E(B-V)=0.49+-0.05. The observed spectral features in the spectrum of HD101584 are classified in eight different categories based on the velocity, shape of profile and the identification. The high-excitation HeI(chi=20.87eV), NII(chi=18.40eV), CII (chi=14.39eV) and NI (chi=10.29eV) optical absorption lines are formed in the photosphere of a late B-star (e.g. B8-9I-II). These absorption lines show radial velocity variations which are attributed to binary motion, with the secondary being a white dwarf or a low-mass main sequence object. The low-excitation P-Cygni lines in the optical and UV are formed in the wind. The number density of absorption lines in the UV is so large that the wind spectrum acts as an iron curtain in front of the B-star. The terminal velocity of the wind of $v_{\infty}=100\pm30$ km~s$^{-1}~$ is consistent with the star being a low-mass post-AGB star and the low effective gravity is attributed to the presence of a nearby, unseen, secondary. We estimate a mass-loss rate of M$\approx 10^{-8}$~M$_{\odot}$~yr$^{-1}$. Narrow absorption and emission lines are observed which are formed in a circumsystem disk with a typical radius of $10^{2} R_{\ast}$.

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arXiv1995

Detection of C2, CN, and NaID absorption in the AGB remnant of HD56126

We present the detection of molecular absorption lines in the optical spectrum of the post-AGB star HD56126. The C2 Phillips A^{1}Π_{u}-X^{1}Σ^{+}_{g} (1,0), (2,0), and (3,0); Swan d^{3}Π_{g}-a^{3}Π_{u} (0,0) and (1,0); and CN Red system A^{2}Π-X^{2}Σ^{+} (1,0), (2,0), (3,0), and (4,0) bands have been identified. From the identification of the molecular bands we find an expansion velocity of 8.5+-0.6 kms independent of excitation condition or molecular specie. On the basis of the expansion velocity, rotational temperatures, and molecular column densities we argue that the line-forming region is the AGB remnant. This is in agreement with the expansion velocity derived from the CO lines. We find column densities of log N_C2=15.3+-0.3 cm-2 and log N_CN=15.5+-0.3 cm-2, and rotational temperatures of T_rot=242+-20 K and T_rot=24+-5 K respectively for C2 and CN. By studying molecular line absorption in optical spectra of post-AGB stars we have found a new tracer of the AGB remnant. From comparison with the results of CO and IR observations it is possible to obtain information on non-spherical behavior of the AGB remnant. Using different molecules with different excitation conditions it should be possible to study the AGB remnant as a function of the distance to the star, and thus as a function of the evolutionary status of the star on the AGB.

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arXiv1995

Circumstellar molecular line absorption and emission in the optical spectra of post-AGB stars

We present a list of post-AGB stars showing molecular line absorption and emission in the optical spectrum. Two objects show CH+, one in emission and one in absorption, and ten stars show C2 and CN in absorption. The Doppler velocities of the C2 lines and the rotational temperatures indicate that the line forming region is the AGB remnant. An analysis of the post-AGB stars of which CO millimeter data is available suggests that the C2} expansion velocity is of the same order as the CO expansion velocity. HD56126 has been studied in detail and we find a mass-loss rate of Mdot=2.8e-4 Msol/yr, fC2=2.4e-8 and fCN=1.3e-8. The mass loss derived from C2 is significantly larger than Mdot=1.2e-5 Msol/yr derived from CO. We find that all objects with the 21mu feature in emission show C2 and CN absorption, but not all objects with C2 and CN detections show a 21mu feature.

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arXiv1995

Obscured AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds II. Near-infrared and mid-infrared counterparts

We have carried out an infrared search for obscured AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds. The survey uncovered a number of obscured AGB stars as well as some supergiants with infrared excess. We present photometry of the sources and discuss the colour diagrams and bolometric luminosities. Most of the AGB stars are luminous, often close to the classical limit of $M_{\rm bol}=-7.1$. To determine whether the stars are oxygen-rich or carbon-rich, we have acquired narrow-band mid-infrared photometry with the ESO TIMMI camera for several sources. All but one are found to show the silicate feature and therefore to have oxygen-rich dust: the colours of the remaining source are consistent with either an oxygen-rich or a carbon-rich nature. A method to distinguish carbon and oxygen stars based on H$-$K versus K$-$[12] colours is presented. We discuss several methods of calculating the mass-loss rate: for the AGB stars the mass-loss rates vary between approximately 5 times 10**-4 and 5 times 10**-6 solar masses per year, depending on assumed dust-to-gas mass ratio. We present a new way to calculate mass-loss rates from the OH-maser emission. We find no evidence for a correlation of the mass-loss rates with luminosity in these obscured stars. Neither do the mass-loss rates for the LMC and SMC stars differ in any clear systematic way from each other. Expansion velocities appear to be slightly lower in the LMC than in the Galaxy. Period determinations are discussed for two sources: the periods are comparable to those of the longer-period galactic OH/IR stars. All of the luminous stars for which periods are available, have significantly higher luminosities than predicted from the period--luminosity relations.

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