arXiv subjects

Sebastian Wolf

Publications and source records attributed to Sebastian Wolf.

161 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

VITRUV - Science Cases

VITRUV is a second generation spectro-imager for the PRIMA enabled Very Large Telescope Interferometer. By combining simultaneously up to 8 telescopes VITRUV makes the VLTI up to 6 times more efficient. This operational gain allows two novel scientific methodologies: 1) massive surveys of sizes; 2) routine interferometric imaging. The science cases presented concentrate on the qualitatively new routine interferometric imaging methodology. The science cases are not exhaustive but complementary to the PRIMA reference mission. The focus is on: a) the close environment of young stars probing for the initial conditions of planet formation and disk evolution; b) the surfaces of stars tackling dynamos, activity, pulsation, mass-loss and evolution; c) revealing the origin of the extraordinary morphologies of Planetary Nebulae and related stars; d) studying the accretion-ejection structures of stellar black-holes (microquasars) in our galaxy; e) unveiling the different interacting components (torus, jets, BLRs) of Active Galactic Nuclei; and f) probing the environment of nearby supermassive black-holes and relativistic effects in the Galactic Center black-hole.

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arXiv2005

Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Cold Outer Disks Associated with Sun-like stars

We present the discovery of debris systems around three solar mass stars based upon observations performed with the Spitzer Space Telescope as part of a Legacy Science Program, ``the Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems'' (FEPS). We also confirm the presence of debris around two other stars. All the stars exhibit infrared emission in excess of the expected photospheres in the 70 micron band, but are consistent with photospheric emission at <= 33 micron. This restricts the maximum temperature of debris in equilibrium with the stellar radiation to T < 70 K. We find that these sources are relatively old in the FEPS sample, in the age range 0.7 - 3 Gyr. Based on models of the spectral energy distributions, we suggest that these debris systems represent materials generated by collisions of planetesimal belts. We speculate on the nature of these systems through comparisons to our own Kuiper Belt, and on the likely planet(s) responsible for stirring the system and ultimately releasing dust through collisions. We further report observations of a nearby star HD 13974 (d =11 pc) that is indistinguishable from a bare photosphere at both 24 micron and 70 micron. The observations place strong upper limits on the presence of any cold dust in this nearby system (L_IR/L_* < 10^{-5.2}).

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arXiv2005

Towards a physical model of dust tori in Active Galactic Nuclei - Radiative transfer calculations for a hydrostatic torus model

We explore physically self-consistent models of dusty molecular tori in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) with the goal of interpreting VLTI observations and fitting high resolution mid-IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs). The input dust distribution is analytically calculated by assuming hydrostatic equilibrium between pressure forces - due to the turbulent motion of the gas clouds - and gravitational and centrifugal forces as a result of the contribution of the nuclear stellar distribution and the central black hole. For a fully three-dimensional treatment of the radiative transfer problem through the tori we employ the Monte Carlo code MC3D. We find that in homogeneous dust distributions the observed mid-infrared emission is dominated by the inner funnel of the torus, even when observing along the equatorial plane. Therefore, the stratification of the distribution of dust grains - both in terms of size and composition - cannot be neglected. In the current study we only include the effect of different sublimation radii which significantly alters the SED in comparison to models that assume an average dust grain property with a common sublimation radius, and suppresses the silicate emission feature at 9.7 micron. In this way we are able to fit the mean SED of both type I and type II AGN very well. Our fit of special objects for which high angular resolution observations (less than 0.3 arcseconds) are available indicates that the hottest dust in NGC 1068 reaches the sublimation temperature while the maximum dust temperature in the low-luminosity AGN Circinus falls short of 1000 K.

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arXiv2004

Adaptive Optics Imaging of the AU Microscopii Circumstellar Disk: Evidence for Dynamical Evolution

We present an H-band image of the light scattered from circumstellar dust around the nearby (10 pc) young M star AU Microscopii (AU Mic, GJ 803, HD 197481), obtained with the Keck adaptive optics system. We resolve the disk both vertically and radially, tracing it over 17-60 AU from the star. Our AU Mic observations thus offer the possibility to probe at high spatial resolution (0.04" or 0.4 AU per resolution element) for morphological signatures of the debris disk on Solar-System scales. Various sub-structures (dust clumps and gaps) in the AU Mic disk may point to the existence of orbiting planets. No planets are seen in our H-band image down to a limiting mass of 1 M_Jup at >20 AU, although the existence of smaller planets can not be excluded from the current data. Modeling of the disk surface brightness distribution at H-band and R-band, in conjunction with the optical to sub-millimeter spectral energy distribution, allows us to constrain the disk geometry and the dust grain properties. We confirm the nearly edge-on orientation of the disk inferred from previous observations, and deduce an inner clearing radius <=10 AU. We find evidence for a lack of small grains in the inner (<60 AU) disk, either as a result of primordial disk evolution, or because of destruction by Poynting-Robertson and/or corpuscular drag. A change in the power-law index of the surface brightness profile is observed near 33 AU, similar to a feature known in the profile of the beta Pic circumstellar debris disk. By comparing the time scales for inter-particle collisions and Poynting-Robertson drag between the two systems, we argue that the breaks are linked to one of these two processes.

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arXiv2004

Evolution of Cold Circumstellar Dust Around Solar-Type Stars

We present submillimeter (CSO 350um) and millimeter (SEST 1.2 mm, OVRO 3 mm) photometry for 125 solar-type stars from the FEPS Spitzer Legacy program that have masses between ~0.5 and 2.0 Msun and ages from 3 Myr to 3 Gyr. Continuum emission was detected toward four stars with a signal to noise ratio >= 3$: the classical T Tauri stars RX J1842.9-3532, RX J1852.3-3700, and PDS 66 with SEST, and the debris disk system HD 107146 with OVRO. RXJ1842.9-3532 and RXJ1852.3-3700 are located in projection nearby the R CrA molecular cloud with estimated ages of ~10 Myr, while PDS66 is a probable member of the 20 Myr old Lower Centaurus-Crux subgroup of the Sco-Cen OB association. The continuum emission toward these three sources is unresolved at the 24'' SEST resolution and likely originates from circumstellar accretion disks, each with estimated dust masses of ~5x10**-5 Msun. Analysis of the visibility data toward HD107146 (age 80-200 Myr) indicates that the 3 mm continuum emission is centered on the star within the astrometric uncertainties and resolved with a gaussian-fit FWHM size of (6.5'' +/- 1.4'') x (4.2''+/-1.3''), or 185 AUx120 AU. The results from our continuum survey are combined with published observations to quantify the evolution of dust mass with time by comparing the mass distributions for samples with different stellar ages. The frequency distribution of circumstellar dust masses around solar-type stars in the Taurus molecular cloud (age ~2 Myr) is distinguished from that around 3-10 Myr and 10-30 Myr old stars at a significance level of ~1,5sigma and 3sigma respectively. These results suggest a decrease in the mass of dust contained in small dust grains and/or changes in the grain properties by stellar ages of 10-30 Myr, consistent with previous conclusions. (abridged)

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arXiv2004

Submillimetre continuum emission from Class 0 sources: Theory, Observations, and Modelling

We report on a study of the thermal dust emission of the circumstellar envelopes of a sample of Class 0 sources. The physical structure (geometry, radial intensity profile, spatial temperature and spectral energy distribution) and properties (mass, size, bolometric luminosity (L_bol) and temperature (T_ bol), and age) of Class 0 sources are derived here in an evolutionary context. This is done by combining SCUBA imaging at 450 and 850 microm of the thermal dust emission of envelopes of Class 0 sources in the Perseus and Orion molecular cloud complexes with a model of the envelope, with the implementation of techniques like the blackbody fitting and radiative transfer calculations of dusty envelopes, and with the Smith evolutionary model for protostars. The modelling results obtained here confirm the validity of a simple spherical symmetric model envelope, and the assumptions about density and dust distributions following the standard envelope model. The spherically model reproduces reasonably well the observed SEDs and the radial profiles of the sources. The implications of the derived properties for protostellar evolution are illustrated by analysis of the L_bol, the T_bol, and the power-law index p of the density distribution for a sample of Class 0 sources.

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arXiv2004

On the Observability of Giant Protoplanets in Circumstellar Disks

We investigate the possibility to detect giant planets that are still embedded in young circumstellar disks. Based on models with different stellar, planetary, and disk masses, and different radial positions of the planet we analyze the resulting submillimeter appearance of these systems. We find that the influence of the planet on the spectral energy distribution could not be distinguished from that of other disk parameters. However, dust reemission images of the disks show that the hot region in the proximity of a young planet, along with the gap, could indeed be detected and mapped with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in the case of nearby circumstellar disks (d<100pc) in approximate face-on orientation.

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arXiv2003

Spectropolarimetry and Modeling of the Eclipsing T Tauri Star KH 15D

KH 15D is a strongly variable T Tauri star in the young star cluster NGC 2264 that shows a decrease in flux of 3.5 magnitudes lasting for 18 days and repeating every 48 days. The eclipsing material is likely due to orbiting dust or rocky bodies in a partial ring or warped disk that periodically occults the star. We measured the polarized spectrum in and out of eclipse at the Keck and Palomar observatories. Outside of the eclipse, the star exhibited low polarization consistent with zero. During eclipse, the polarization increased dramatically to ~2% across the optical spectrum, while the spectrum had the same continuum shape as outside of eclipse and exhibited emission lines of much larger equivalent width, as previously seen. From the data, we conclude that (a) the scattering region is uneclipsed; (b) the scattering is nearly achromatic; (c) the star is likely completely eclipsed so that the flux during eclipse is entirely due to scattered light, a conclusion also argued for by the shape of the ingress and egress. We argue that the scattering is not due to electrons, but may be due to large dust grains of size ~10 micron, similar to the interplanetary grains which scatter the zodiacal light. We construct a warped-disk model with an extended dusty atmosphere which reproduces the main features of the lightcurve, namely (a) a gradual decrease before ingress due to extinction in the atmosphere (similar for egress); (b) a sharper decrease within ingress due to the optically-thick base of the atmosphere; (c) a polarized flux during eclipse which is 0.1% of the total flux outside of eclipse, which requires no fine-tuning of the model. (abridged)

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arXiv2003

Hot Stars Mass-loss studied with Spectro-Polarimetric INterferometry (SPIN)

We present a prospective work undertaken on Spectro-Polarimetric INterferometry (SPIN). Our theoretical studies suggest that SPIN is a powerful tool for studying the mass loss from early type stars. Based on Monte Carlo simulations, we computed the expected SPIN signal for numerous hot star spectral types covering a broad range of geometries and optical depths. The SPIN technique is based on the detection and comparison of the fringe characteristics (complex visibility) between two perpendicular directions of polarization. In particular, we demonstrate that the SPIN technique is very sensitive to the beta parameter from the so-called 'beta velocity law' for optically thin winds. Moreover, the location where the bulk of polarization is generated can be defined accurately. The required sensitivity for studying main sequence OB star winds is still very demanding (inferior to 0.5%), but the signal expected from denser winds or extended atmospheres is well within the capabilities of existing interferometers. The visibility curves obtained in two perpendicular polarizations for LBVs or WR stars can differ by more than 15%, and their corresponding limb-darkened radii obtained by the fit of these curves by more than 35%. The signal expected from the extended circumstellar environment of Be stars and B[e] appears also to be easy to detect, relaxing the required instrumental accuracy to 1%. For these spectral types, the SPIN technique provide a good tool to extract the highly polarized and spatially confined envelope contribution from the bright star emission.

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arXiv2003

Evolution of Magnetic fields in Bok globules?

We study the influence and structure of the magnetic field in the early phases of low-mass star formation using polarization maps of Bok globules at a wavelength of 850micron, obtained with the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). We discuss observations of the following sources: CB26 - a small globule with a nearly dispersed dense core and a young and large circumstellar disk, CB54 - a large globule with a massive dense core and a deeply embedded young stellar cluster, and B335, CB230, and CB244 - three nearby, relatively isolated small globules with low-mass protostellar cores. We find strongly aligned polarization vectors in the case of CB26, B335, and CB230, while the vector orientations in the case of CB54 and CB244 are more or less randomly distributed. The degree of polarization, amounting to several percent, was found to decrease toward the center in each source. Assuming dichroic emission by aligned non-spherical grains as the polarization mechanism, where the magnetic field plays a role in the alignment process, we derive magnetic field strengths and structures from the observed polarization patterns. We compare the magnetic field topology with the morphology and outflow directions of the globules. In the Class 0 sources B335, CB230, and CB244, the magnetic field is oriented almost perpendicular to the ouflow direction. In contrast, the inclination between outflow axis and magnetic field direction is much more moderate (36deg) in the more evolved Class I source CB26.

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arXiv2003

Spectral Energy Distributions of Circumstellar Debris Disks I. Analytic Disk Density Distributions

We present results of a study aimed at deriving fundamental properties of circumstellar debris disks from observed infrared to submillimeter spectral energy distributions. This investigation is motivated by increasing telescope/detector sensitivity, in particular the expected availability of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) followed by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which will enable detailed studies with large source samples of late stage circumstellar disk and planetary system evolution. We base our study on an analytic model of the disk density distribution and geometry, taking into account existing constraints from observations and results of theoretical investigations of debris disks. We also outline the effects of the most profound characteristics of circumstellar dust including the grain size distribution and dust chemical composition.

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arXiv2003

Magnetic field evolution in Bok globules

Using the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), we obtained submillimeter polarization maps of the Bok globules B335, CB230, and CB244 at 850micron. We find strongly aligned polarization vectors in the case of B335 and CB230, indicating a strong coupling of the magnetic field to the dust grains. Based on the distribution of the orientation and strength of the linear polarization we derive the magnetic field strengths in the envelopes of the globules. In agreement with previous submillimeter polarization measurements of Bok globules we find polarization degrees of several percent decreasing towards the centers of the cores. Furthermore, we compare the magnetic field topology with the spatial structure of the globules, in particular with the orientation of the outflows and the orientation of the nonspherical globule cores. In case of the globules B335 and CB230, the outflows are oriented almost perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the globule cores. The magnetic field, however, is aligned with the symmetry axis of the prolate cores in the case of the Bok globules B335 and CB230, while it is slightly aligned with the outflow axis in the case of the Bok globules CB26 and CB54. We discuss the possibility that the different orientations of the magnetic field relative to the outflow directions reflect different evolutionary stages of the single globules. The complete version of this article (containing all figures) can be downloaded from http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/swolf/homepage/public/preprints/mfe.ps.gz

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arXiv2003

The Circumstellar Disk of the Butterfly Star in Taurus

We present a model of the circumstellar environment of the so-called ``Butterfly Star'' in Taurus (IRAS 04302+2247). The appearance of this young stellar object is dominated by a large circumstellar disk seen edge-on and the light scattering lobes above the disk. The model is based on multi-wavelength continuum observations: Millimeter maps and high-resolution near-infrared images obtained with HST/NICMOS. It was found that the disk and envelope parameters are comparable with those of the circumstellar environment of other young stellar objects. A main result is that the dust properties must be different in the circumstellar disk and in the envelope: While a grain size distribution with grain radii up to 100 micron is required to reproduce the millimeter observations of the disk, the envelope is dominated by smaller grains similar to those of the interstellar medium. Preprint with high figure quality available at: http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/swolf/homepage/public/preprints/i04302.ps

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arXiv2002

Large-scale Vortices in Protoplanetary Disks: On the observability of possible early stages of planet formation

We investigate the possibility of mapping large-scale anti-cyclonic vortices, resulting from a global baroclinic instability, as pre-cursors of planet formation in proto-planetary disks with the planned Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). On the basis of three-dimensional radiative transfer simulations, images of a hydrodynamically calculated disk are derived which provide the basis for the simulation of ALMA. We find that ALMA will be able to trace the theoretically predicted large-scale anti-cyclonic vortex and will therefore allow testing of existing models of this very early stage of planet formation in circumstellar disks.

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arXiv2002

MC3D - 3D Continuum Radiative Transfer, Version 2

A revised and greatly improved version of the 3D continuum radiative transfer code MC3D is presented. It is based on the Monte-Carlo method and solves the radiative transfer problem self-consistently. It is designed for the simulation of dust temperatures in arbitrary geometric configurations and the resulting observables: spectral energy distributions, wavelength-dependent images, and polarization maps. The main objective is the investigation of ``dust-dominated'' astrophysical systems such as young stellar objects surrounded by an optically thick circumstellar disk and an optically thin(ner) envelope, debris disks around more evolved stars, asymptotic giant branch stars, the dust component of the interstellar medium, and active galactic nuclei.

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arXiv2002

Infrared Imaging Polarimetry of Massive Star-forming Regions

Imaging polarimetry is a useful tool to reveal the 3D structure of dust distributions and to localize embedded young stellar objects. We present maps of the linear polarization at 2.2 micron for three ultra-compact HII regions (G192.16-3.82, G331.28-0.19, G339.88-1.26) and the methanol maser source G305.21+0.21. From the polarization maps, we draw conclusions on the morphology of these objects and the presence of luminous illuminating sources.

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arXiv2000

Pre-main sequence binaries with aligned disks ?

We present the results of a study performed with the goal to investigate whether low-mass pre-main sequence binary stars are formed by multiple fragmentation or via stellar capture. If binaries form preferentially by fragmentation, we expect their disks to be co-planar. On the other hand, the capture scenario will lead to a random distribution of disk orientations. We performed near-infrared polarization measurements of 49 young close binary stars in the K band with SOFI at the NTT. The near-infrared excess radiation of the targets mostly point to the presence of disks. For a major fraction of the sample, evidence for disks is also obvious from other features (outflows, jets, Herbig-Haro objects). We derived the disk orientation from the orientation of the polarization vector of both components of each binary. This statistical study allows to test which hypothesis (co-planarity, random orientation) is consistent with the observed distribution of polarimetric

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