arXiv subjects

Robert G. Izzard

Publications and source records attributed to Robert G. Izzard.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

Population Synthesis of Binary Carbon-enhanced Metal-poor Stars

The carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars constitute approximately one fifth of the metal-poor ([Fe/H] ~< -2) population but their origin is not well understood. The most widely accepted formation scenario, invokes mass-transfer of carbon-rich material from a thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TPAGB) primary star to a less massive main-sequence companion which is seen today. Recent studies explore the possibility that an initial mass function biased toward intermediate-mass stars is required to reproduce the observed CEMP fraction in stars with metallicity [Fe/H] < -2.5. These models also implicitly predict a large number of nitrogen-enhanced metal-poor (NEMP) stars which is not seen. We investigate whether the observed CEMP and NEMP to extremely metal-poor (EMP) ratios can be explained without invoking a change in the initial mass function. We confirm earlier findings that with current detailed TPAGB models the large observed CEMP fraction cannot be accounted for. We find that efficient third dredge up in low-mass (less than 1.25Msun), low-metallicity stars may offer at least a partial explanation to the large observed CEMP fraction while remaining consistent with the small observed NEMP fraction.

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arXiv2009

Binary Populations of Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor Stars

We construct binary-star population nucleosynthesis models of carbon-enhanced metal poor (CEMP) stars. We compare the CEMP to EMP (extremely metal poor) ratio of our models to the observed ratio and find it is an order of magnitude too small. Through an increase in the efficiency of third dredge-up in low-mass, low-metallicity thermally-pulsing asymptotic-giant branch (TPAGB) stars our models better match the observations.

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arXiv2007

The effect of massive binaries on stellar populations and supernova progenitors

We compare our latest single and binary stellar model results from the Cambridge STARS code to several sets of observations. We examine four stellar population ratios, the number of blue to red supergiants, the number of Wolf-Rayet stars to O supergiants, the number of red supergiants to Wolf-Rayet stars and the relative number of Wolf-Rayet subtypes, WC to WN stars. These four ratios provide a quantitative measure of nuclear burning lifetimes and the importance of mass loss during various stages of the stars' lifetimes. In addition we compare our models to the relative rate of type Ib/c to type II supernovae to measure the amount of mass lost over the entire lives of all stars. We find reasonable agreement between the observationally inferred values and our predicted values by mixing single and binary star populations. However there is evidence that extra mass loss is required to improve the agreement further, to reduce the number of red supergiants and increase the number of Wolf-Rayet stars.

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arXiv2007

Origin of the early-type R stars: a binary-merger solution to a century-old problem?

The early-R stars are carbon-rich K-type giants. They are enhanced in C12, C13 and N14, have approximately solar oxygen, magnesium isotopes, s-process and iron abundances, have the luminosity of core-helium burning stars, are not rapid rotators, are members of the Galactic thick disk and, most peculiarly of all, are all single stars. Conventional single-star stellar evolutionary models cannot explain such stars, but mergers in binary systems have been proposed to explain their origin. We have synthesized binary star populations to calculate the number of merged stars with helium cores which could be early-R stars. We find many possible evolutionary channels. The most common of which is the merger of a helium white dwarf with a hydrogen-burning red giant branch star during a common envelope phase followed by a helium flash in a rotating core which mixes carbon to the surface. All the channels together give ten times more early-R stars than we require to match recent Hipparcos observations - we discuss which channels are likely to be the true early-R stars and which are not. For the first time we have constructed a viable model of the early-R stars with which we can test some of our ideas regarding common envelope evolution in giants, stellar mergers, rotation, the helium flash and the origin of the early-R stars.

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arXiv2007

Carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars and thermohaline mixing

One possible scenario for the formation of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars is the accretion of carbon-rich material from a binary companion which may no longer visible. It is generally assumed that the accreted material remains on the surface of the star and does not mix with the interior until first dredge-up. However, thermohaline mixing should mix the accreted material with the original stellar material as it has a higher mean molecular weight. We investigate the effect that this has on the surface abundances by modelling a binary system of metallicity Z=0.0001 with a 2 solar mass primary star and a 0.74 solar mass secondary star in an initial orbit of 4000 days. The accretion of material from the wind of the primary leads to the formation of a carbon-rich secondary. We find that the accreted material mixes fairly rapidly throughout 90% of the star, with important consequences for the surface composition. Models with thermohaline mixing predict very different surface abundances after first dredge-up compared to canonical models of stellar evolution.

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arXiv2006

Galactic Sodium from AGB Stars

Galactic chemical evolution models which include sodium from type II supernovae alone underestimate the abundance of sodium in the interstellar medium by a factor of two to three over about 3 dex in metallicity and predict a flat behaviour in the evolution of [Na/Fe] at super-solar metallicities. Conversely, recent observations of stars with [Fe/H]~+0.4 suggest that [Na/Fe] increases at high metallicity. We have combined stellar evolution models of asymptotic giant branch and Wolf-Rayet stars with the latest supernova yields in an attempt to resolve these problems ... and have created many more.

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arXiv2006

Window To The Stars

We present Window To The Stars, a graphical user interface to the popular TWIN single/binary stellar evolution code, for novices, students and professional astrophysicists. It removes the drudgery associated with the traditional approach to running the code, while maintaining the power, output quality and flexibility a modern stellar evolutionist requires. It is currently being used for cutting edge research and interactive teaching.

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arXiv2006

Synthetic Super AGB Stars

We describe our first attempt at modelling nucleosynthesis in massive AGB stars which have undergone core carbon burning, the super-AGB stars. We fit a synthetic model to detailed stellar evolution models in the mass range 9<=M/Msun<=11.5 (Z=0.02), and extrapolate these fits to the end of the AGB. We determine the number of thermal pulses and AGB lifetime as a function of mass and mass-loss prescription. Our preliminary nucleosynthesis calculations show that, for a reasonable mass-loss rate, the effect of hot-bottom burning in super-AGB stars on the integrated yield of a stellar population is not large. There are many uncertainties, such as mass-loss and convective overshooting, which prevent accurate yield calculations. However, as potential progenitors of electron-capture supernovae, these stars may contribute 7% of non-type-Ia supernovae.

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arXiv2004

Third Dredge-up in Low Mass Stars: Solving the LMC Carbon Star Mystery

A long standing problem with asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star models has been their inability to produce the low-luminosity carbon stars in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Dredge-up must begin earlier and extend deeper. We find this for the first time in our models of LMC metallicity. Such features are not found in our models of SMC metallicity. The fully implicit and simultaneous stellar evolution code STARS has been used to calculate the evolution of AGB stars with metallicities of Z=0.008 and Z=0.004, corresponding to the observed metallicities of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, respecitively. Third dredge-up occurs in stars of 1Msol and above and carbon stars were found for models between 1Msol and 3Msol. We use the detailed models as input physics for a population synthesis code and generate carbon star luminosity functions. We now find that we are able to reproduce the carbon star luminosity function of the LMC without any manipulation of our models. The SMC carbon star luminosity function still cannot be produced from our detailed models unless the minimum core mass for third dredge-up is reduced by 0.06Msol.

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arXiv2003

Formation rates of core collapse SNe and GRBs

We study the evolution of stars that may be the progenitors of long-soft gamma-ray burst (GRBs) -- rotating naked helium stars presumed to have lost their envelopes to winds or companions. Our aim is to investigate the formation and development of single and binary systems and from this population evaluate the rates of interesting individual species. Using a rapid binary evolution algorithm, that enables us to model the most complex binary systems and to explore the effect of metallicity on GRB production, we draw the following conclusions. First we find that, if we include an approximate treatment of angular momentum transport by mass loss, the resulting spin rates for single stars become too low to form a centrifugally supported disc that can drive a GRB engine. Second massive stars in binaries result in enough angular momentum -- due to spin-orbit tidal interactions -- to form a centrifugally supported disc and are thus capable of supplying a sufficient number of progenitors. This holds true even if only a small fraction of bursts are visible to a given observer and the GRB rate is several hundred times larger than the observed rate. Third low-metallicity stars aid the formation of a rapidly rotating, massive helium cores at collapse and so their evolution is likely to be affected by the local properties of the ISM. This effect could increase the GRB formation rate by a factor of 5-7 at Z=Z_solar/200. Finally we quantify the effects of mass loss, common-envelope evolution and black-hole formation and show that more stringent constraints to many of these evolution parameters are needed in order to draw quantitative conclusions from population synthesis work.

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