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Pierre Demarque

Publications and source records attributed to Pierre Demarque.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2021

Evidence for strong progenitor age dependence of type Ia supernova luminosity standardization process

Supernova (SN) cosmology is based on the assumption that the width-luminosity relation (WLR) and the color-luminosity relation (CLR) in the type Ia SN luminosity standardization would not show {absolute magnitude differences} with progenitor age. Unlike this expectation, recent age datings of stellar populations in host galaxies have shown significant correlations between progenitor age and Hubble residual (HR). Here we show that this correlation originates from a strong progenitor age dependence of the zero-points of the WLR and the CLR, in the sense that SNe from younger progenitors are fainter each at given light-curve parameters $x_1$ and $c$. This $4.6\sigma$ result is reminiscent of Baade's discovery of the zero-point variation of the Cepheid period-luminosity relation with age, and, as such, causes a serious systematic bias with redshift in SN cosmology. Other host properties show substantially smaller and insignificant offsets in the WLR and CLR for the same dataset. We illustrate that the differences between the high-$z$ and low-$z$ SNe in the WLR and CLR, and in HR after the standardization, are fully comparable to those between the correspondingly young and old SNe at intermediate redshift, indicating that the observed dimming of SNe with redshift may well be an artifact of over-correction in the luminosity standardization. When this systematic bias with redshift is properly taken into account, there is little evidence left for an accelerating universe, in discordance with other probes, urging the follow-up investigations with larger samples at different redshift bins.

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arXiv2021

Stellar evolution models with entropy-calibrated mixing-length parameter: application to red giants

We present evolutionary models for solar-like stars with an improved treatment of convection that results in a more accurate estimate of the radius and effective temperature. This is achieved by improving the calibration of the mixing-length parameter, which sets the length scale in the 1D convection model implemented in the stellar evolution code. Our calibration relies on the results of 2D and 3D radiation hydrodynamics simulations of convection to specify the value of the adiabatic specific entropy at the bottom of the convective envelope in stars as a function of their effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicity. For the first time, this calibration is fully integrated within the flow of a stellar evolution code, with the mixing-length parameter being continuously updated at run-time. This approach replaces the more common, but questionable, procedure of calibrating the length scale parameter on the Sun, and then applying the solar-calibrated value in modeling other stars, regardless of their mass, composition and evolutionary status. The internal consistency of our current implementation makes it suitable for application to evolved stars, in particular to red giants. We show that the entropy calibrated models yield a revised position of the red giant branch that is in better agreement with observational constraints than that of standard models.

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arXiv2017

The Sirius System and its Astrophysical Puzzles: Hubble Space Telescope and Ground-Based Astrometry

Sirius, the seventh-nearest stellar system, is a visual binary containing the metallic-line A1 V star Sirius A, brightest star in the sky, orbited in a 50.13-year period by Sirius B, the brightest and nearest white dwarf (WD). Using images obtained over nearly two decades with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), along with photographic observations covering almost 20 years, and nearly 2300 historical measurements dating back to the 19th century, we determine precise orbital elements for the visual binary. Combined with the parallax and the motion of the A component, these elements yield dynamical masses of 2.063+/-0.023 Msun and 1.018+/-0.011 Msun for Sirius A and B, respectively. Our precise HST astrometry rules out third bodies orbiting either star in the system, down to masses of ~15-25 Mjup. The location of Sirius B in the H-R diagram is in excellent agreement with theoretical cooling tracks for WDs of its dynamical mass, and implies a cooling age of ~126 Myr. The position of Sirius B in the mass-radius plane is also consistent with WD theory, assuming a carbon-oxygen core. Including the pre-WD evolutionary timescale of the assumed progenitor, the total age of Sirius B is about 228+/-10 Myr. We calculated evolutionary tracks for stars with the dynamical mass of Sirius A, using two independent codes. We find it necessary to assume a slightly sub-solar metallicity, of about 0.85 Zsun, to fit its location in the luminosity-radius plane. The age of Sirius A based on these models is about 237-247 Myr, with uncertainties of +/-15 Myr, consistent with that of the WD companion. We discuss astrophysical puzzles presented by the Sirius system, including the probability that the two stars must have interacted in the past, even though there is no direct evidence for this, and the orbital eccentricity remains high.

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arXiv2016

Entropy in adiabatic regions of convection simulations

One of the largest sources of uncertainty in stellar models is caused by the treatment of convection in stellar envelopes. One dimensional stellar models often make use of the mixing length or equivalent approximations to describe convection, all of which depend on various free parameters. There have been attempts to rectify this by using 3D radiative-hydrodynamic simulations of stellar convection, and in trying to extract an equivalent mixing length from the simulations. In this paper we show that the entropy of the deeper, adiabatic layers in these simulations can be expressed as a simple function of og g and log T_{eff} which holds potential for calibrating stellar models in a simple and more general manner.

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arXiv2015

Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry of the Procyon System

The nearby star Procyon is a visual binary containing the F5 IV-V subgiant Procyon A, orbited in a 40.84 yr period by the faint DQZ white dwarf Procyon B. Using images obtained over two decades with the Hubble Space Telescope, and historical measurements back to the 19th century, we have determined precise orbital elements. Combined with measurements of the parallax and the motion of the A component, these elements yield dynamical masses of 1.478 +/- 0.012 Msun and 0.592 +/- 0.006 Msun for A and B, respectively. The mass of Procyon A agrees well with theoretical predictions based on asteroseismology and its temperature and luminosity. Use of a standard core-overshoot model agrees best for a surprisingly high amount of core overshoot. Under these modeling assumptions, Procyon A's age is ~2.7 Gyr. Procyon B's location in the H-R diagram is in excellent agreement with theoretical cooling tracks for white dwarfs of its dynamical mass. Its position in the mass-radius plane is also consistent with theory, assuming a carbon-oxygen core and a helium-dominated atmosphere. Its progenitor's mass was 1.9-2.2 Msun, depending on its amount of core overshoot. Several astrophysical puzzles remain. In the progenitor system, the stars at periastron were separated by only ~5 AU, which might have led to tidal interactions and even mass transfer; yet there is no direct evidence that these have occurred. Moreover the orbital eccentricity has remained high (~0.40). The mass of Procyon B is somewhat lower than anticipated from the initial-to-final-mass relation seen in open clusters. The presence of heavy elements in its atmosphere requires ongoing accretion, but the place of origin is uncertain.

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arXiv2015

Observations of Binary Stars with the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument. V. Toward an Empirical Metal-Poor Mass-Luminosity Relation

In an effort to better understand the details of the stellar structure and evolution of metal poor stars, the Gemini North telescope was used on two occasions to take speckle imaging data of a sample of known spectroscopic binary stars and other nearby stars in order to search for and resolve close companions. The observations were obtained using the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument, which takes data in two filters simultaneously. The results presented here are of 90 observations of 23 systems in which one or more companions was detected, and 6 stars where no companion was detected to the limit of the camera capabilities at Gemini. In the case of the binary and multiple stars, these results are then further analyzed to make first orbit determinations in five cases, and orbit refinements in four other cases. Mass information is derived, and since the systems span a range in metallicity, a study is presented that compares our results with the expected trend in total mass as derived from the most recent Yale isochrones as a function of metal abundance. These data suggest that metal-poor main-sequence stars are less massive at a given color than their solar-metallicity analogues in a manner consistent with that predicted from the theory.

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arXiv2014

Stellar Diameters and Temperatures VI. High angular resolution measurements of the transiting exoplanet host stars HD 189733 and HD 209458 and implications for models of cool dwarfs

We present direct radii measurements of the well-known transiting exoplanet host stars HD 189733 and HD 209458 using the CHARA Array interferometer. We find the limb-darkened angular diameters to be theta_LD = 0.3848 +/- 0.0055 and 0.2254 +/- 0.0072 milliarcsec for HD 189733 and HD 209458, respectively. HD 189733 and HD 209458 are currently the only two transiting exoplanet systems where detection of the respective planetary companion's orbital motion from high resolution spectroscopy has revealed absolute masses for both star and planet. We use our new measurements together with the orbital information from radial velocity and photometric time series data, Hipparcos distances, and newly measured bolometric fluxes to determine the stellar effective temperatures (T_eff = 4875 +/- 43, 6093 +/- 103 K), stellar linear radii (R_* = 0.805 +/- 0.016, 1.203 +/- 0.061 R_sun), mean stellar densities (rho_* = 1.62 +/- 0.11, 0.58 +/- 0.14 rho_sun), planetary radii (R_p = 1.216 +/- 0.024, 1.451 +/- 0.074 R_Jup), and mean planetary densities (rho_p = 0.605 +/- 0.029, 0.196 +/- 0.033 rho_Jup) for HD 189733 b and HD 209458 b, respectively. The stellar parameters for HD 209458, a F9 dwarf, are consistent with indirect estimates derived from spectroscopic and evolutionary modeling. However, we find that models are unable to reproduce the observational results for the K2 dwarf, HD 189733. We show that, for stellar evolutionary models to match the observed stellar properties of HD 189733, adjustments lowering the solar-calibrated mixing length parameter from 1.83 to 1.34 need to be employed.

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arXiv2014

The Effect of Metallicity-Dependent T-tau Relations on Calibrated Stellar Models

Mixing length theory is the predominant treatment of convection in stellar models today. Usually described by a single free parameter, alpha, the common practice is to calibrate it using the properties of the Sun, and apply it to all other stellar models as well. Asteroseismic data from Kepler and CoRoT provide precise properties of other stars which can be used to determine alpha as well, and a recent study of stars in the Kepler field of view found alpha to vary with metallicity. Interpreting alpha obtained from calibrated stellar models, however, is complicated by the fact that the value for alpha depends on the surface boundary condition of the stellar model, or T-tau relation. Calibrated models that use typical T-tau relations, which are static and insensitive to chemical composition, do not include the complete effect of metallicity on alpha. We use 3D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations to extract metallicity-dependent T-tau relations and use them in calibrated stellar models. We find the previously reported alpha-metallicity trend to be robust, and not significantly affected by the surface boundary condition of the stellar models.

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arXiv2013

Helium-Abundance and Other Composition Effects on the Properties of Stellar Surface Convection in Solar-like Main-sequence Stars

We investigate the effect of helium abundance and $\alpha$-element enhancement on the properties of convection in envelopes of solar-like main-sequence stars stars using a grid of 3D radiation hydrodynamic simulations. Helium abundance increases the mean molecular weight of the gas, and alters opacity by displacing hydrogen. Since the scale of the effect of helium may depend on the metallicity, the grid consists of simulations with three helium abundances ($Y=0.1, 0.2, 0.3$), each with two metallicities ($Z=0.001, 0.020)$. We find that changing the helium mass fraction generally affects structure and convective dynamics in a way opposite to that of metallicity. Furthermore, the effect is considerably smaller than that of metallicity. The signature of helium differs from that of metallicity in the manner in which the photospheric velocity distribution is affected. \rev{We also find that helium abundance and surface gravity behave largely in similar ways, but differ in the way they affect the mean molecular weight}. A simple model for spectral line formation suggests that the bisectors and absolute Doppler shifts of spectral lines depends on the helium abundance. We look at the effect of $\alpha$-element enhancement and find that it has a considerably smaller effect on the convective dynamics in the SAL compared to that of helium abundance.

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arXiv2013

Variation of Stellar Envelope Convection and Overshoot with Metallicity

We examine how metallicity affects convection and overshoot in the superadiabatic layer of main sequence stars. We present results from a grid of 3D radiation hydrodynamic simulations with four metallicities ($Z=0.040$, 0.020, 0.010, 0.001), and spanning a range in effective temperature ($4950 < \rm T_{\rm eff} < 6230$). We show that changing the metallicity alters properties of the convective gas dynamics, and the structure of the superadiabatic layer and atmosphere. Our grid of simulations show that the amount of superadiabaticity, which tracks the transition from efficient to inefficient convection, \rev{is sensitive to changes in metallicity. We find that increasing the metallicity forces the location of the transition region to lower densities and pressures, and results in larger mean and turbulent velocities throughout the superadiabatic region.} We also quantify the degree of convective overshoot in the atmosphere, and show that it increases with metallicity as well.

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arXiv2012

Comparing the Effect of Radiative Transfer Schemes on Convection Simulations

We examine the effect of different radiative transfer schemes on the properties of 3D simulations of near-surface stellar convection in the superadiabatic layer, where energy transport transitions from fully convective to fully radiative. We employ two radiative transfer schemes that fundamentally differ in the way they cover the 3D domain. The first solver approximates domain coverage with moments, while the second solver samples the 3D domain with ray integrations. By comparing simulations that differ only in their respective radiative transfer methods, we are able to isolate the effect that radiative efficiency has on the structure of the superadiabatic layer. We find the simulations to be in good general agreement, but they show distinct differences in the thermal structure in the superadiabatic layer and atmosphere.

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arXiv2012

Modelling fully convective stars in eclipsing binaries: KOI-126 and CM Draconis

We present models of the components of the systems KOI-126 and CM Draconis, the two eclipsing binary systems known to date to contain stars with masses low enough to have fully convective interiors. We are able to model satisfactorily the system KOI-126, finding consistent solutions for the radii and surface temperatures of all three components, using a solar-like value of the mixing-length parameter \alpha in the convection zone, and PHOENIX NextGen 1D model atmospheres for the surface boundary conditions. Depending on the chemical composition, we estimate the age of the system to be in the range 3-5 Gyr. For CM Draconis, on the other hand, we cannot reconcile our models with the observed radii and T_eff using the current metal-poor composition estimate based on kinematics. Higher metallicities lessen but do not remove the discrepancy. We then explore the effect of varying the mixing length parameter \alpha. As previously noted in the literature, a reduced \alpha can be used as a simple measure of the lower convective efficiency due to rotation and induced magnetic fields. Our models show a sensitivity to \alpha (for \alpha < 1.0) sufficient to partially account for the radius discrepancies. It is, however, impossible to reconcile the models with the observations on the basis of the effect of the reduced \alpha alone. We therefore suggest that the combined effects of high metallicity and \alpha reduction could explain the observations of CM Draconis. For example, increasing the metallicity of the system towards super-solar values (i.e. Z = 2 Z_sun) yields an agreement within 2 \sigma with \alpha = 1.0.

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arXiv2011

Modeling Kepler Observations of Solar-like Oscillations in the Red-giant Star HD 186355

We have analysed oscillations of the red giant star HD 186355 observed by the NASA Kepler satellite. The data consist of the first five quarters of science operations of Kepler, which cover about 13 months. The high-precision time-series data allow us to accurately extract the oscillation frequencies from the power spectrum. We find the frequency of the maximum oscillation power, {\nu}_max, and the mean large frequency separation, {\Delta}{\nu}, are around 106 and 9.4 {\mu}Hz respectively. A regular pattern of radial and non-radial oscillation modes is identified by stacking the power spectra in an echelle diagram. We use the scaling relations of {\Delta}{\nu} and {\nu}_max to estimate the preliminary asteroseismic mass, which is confirmed with the modelling result (M = 1.45 \pm 0.05 M_sun) using the Yale Rotating stellar Evolution Code (YREC7). In addition, we constrain the effective temperature, luminosity and radius from comparisons between observational constraints and models. A number of mixed l = 1 modes are also detected and taken into account in our model comparisons. We find a mean observational period spacing for these mixed modes of about 58 s, suggesting that this red giant branch star is in the shell hydrogen-burning phase.

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arXiv2009

Detection of solar-like oscillations from Kepler photometry of the open cluster NGC 6819

Asteroseismology of stars in clusters has been a long-sought goal because the assumption of a common age, distance and initial chemical composition allows strong tests of the theory of stellar evolution. We report results from the first 34 days of science data from the Kepler Mission for the open cluster NGC 6819 -- one of four clusters in the field of view. We obtain the first clear detections of solar-like oscillations in the cluster red giants and are able to measure the large frequency separation and the frequency of maximum oscillation power. We find that the asteroseismic parameters allow us to test cluster-membership of the stars, and even with the limited seismic data in hand, we can already identify four possible non-members despite their having a better than 80% membership probability from radial velocity measurements. We are also able to determine the oscillation amplitudes for stars that span about two orders of magnitude in luminosity and find good agreement with the prediction that oscillation amplitudes scale as the luminosity to the power of 0.7. These early results demonstrate the unique potential of asteroseismology of the stellar clusters observed by Kepler.

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arXiv2008

Dissipation Efficiency in Turbulent Convective Zones in Low Mass Stars

We extend the analysis of Penev et al. (2007) to calculate effective viscosities for the surface convective zones of three main sequence stars of 0.775Msun, 0.85Msun and the present day Sun. In addition we also pay careful attention to all normalization factors and assumptions in order to derive actual numerical prescriptions for the effective viscosity as a function of the period and direction of the external shear. Our results are applicable for periods that are too long to correspond to eddies that fall within the inertial subrange of Kolmogorov scaling, but no larger than the convective turnover time, when the assumptions of the calculation break down. We find linear scaling of effective viscosity with period and magnitudes at least three times larger than the Zahn (1966, 1989) prescription.

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arXiv2008

Two-Dimensional Stellar Evolution Code Including Arbitrary Magnetic Fields. II. Precision Improvement and Inclusion of Turbulence and Rotation

In the second paper of this series we pursue two objectives. First, in order to make the code more sensitive to small effects, we remove many approximations made in Paper I. Second, we include turbulence and rotation in the two-dimensional framework. The stellar equilibrium is described by means of a set of five differential equations, with the introduction of a new dependent variable, namely the perturbation to the radial gravity, that is found when the non-radial effects are considered in the solution of the Poisson equation; following the scheme of the first paper, we write the equations in such a way that the two-dimensional effects can be easily disentangled. The key concept introduced in this series is the equipotential surface. We use the underlying cause-effect relation to develop a recurrence relation to calculate the equipotential surface functions for uniform rotation, differential rotation, rotation-like toroidal magnetic fields and turbulence. We also develop a more precise code to numerically solve the two-dimensional stellar structure and evolution equations based on the equipotential surface calculations. We have shown that with this formulation we can achieve the precision required by observations by appropriately selecting the convergence criterion. Several examples are presented to show that the method works well. Since we are interested in modeling the effects of a dynamo-type field on the detailed envelope structure and global properties of the Sun, the code has been optimized for short timescales phenomena (down to 1 yr). The time dependence of the code has so far been tested exclusively to address such problems.

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arXiv2008

The old open cluster NGC 2112: updated estimates of fundamental parameters based on a membership analysis

We report on a new, wide field ($20^{\prime} \times 20^{\prime}$), multicolor ($UBVI$), photometric campaign in the area of the nearby old open cluster NGC 2112. At the same time, we provide medium-resolution spectroscopy of 35 (and high-resolution of additional 5) Red Giant and Turn Off stars. This material is analyzed with the aim to update the fundamental parameters of this traditionally difficult cluster, which is very sparse and suffers from heavy field star contamination. Among the 40 stars with spectra, we identified 21 {\it bona fide} radial velocity members which allow us to put more solid constraints on the cluster's metal abundance, long suggested to be as low as the metallicity of globulars. As indicated earlier by us on a purely photometric basis (Carraro et al. 2002), the cluster [Fe/H] abundance is slightly super-solar ([Fe/H] =0.16$\pm$0.03) and close to the Hyades value, as inferred from a detailed abundance analysis of 3 of the 5 stars with higher resolution spectra. Abundance ratios are also marginally super solar. Based on this result, we revise the properties of NGC 2112 using stellar models from the Padova and Yale-Yonsei groups. For this metal abundance, we find the cluster's age, reddening, and distance values are 1.8 Gyr, 0.60 mag, and 940 pc, respectively. Both the Yale-Yonsei and Padova models predict the same values for the fundamental parameters within the errors. Overall, NGC 2112 is a typical solar neighborhood, thin disk star cluster, sharing the same chemical properties of F-G stars and open clusters close to the Sun. This investigation outlines the importance of a detailed membership analysis in the study of disk star clusters.

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