Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)

Abstract: Blue Large-Amplitude Pulsators (BLAPs) form a mysterious class of variable stars with typical periods of tens of minutes and amplitudes above 0.1 mag. In this work, we present results of a variability search focused on timescales shorter than 1 h, conducted in OGLE-IV Galactic disk fields containing about 1.1 billion stellar sources down to I$\approx$20 mag. Twenty-five BLAPs have been detected, 20 of which are new discoveries. Their periods range from 8.4 min to 62.1 min. We have also found six new eclipsing binary systems with orbital periods from 38.3 min to 121.3 min and five short-period large-amplitude (> 0.17 mag in the I-band) variable stars of unknown type.

Abstract: Numerous candidate hybrid stars of type $\delta$ Scuti - $\gamma$ Doradus have been identified with the Kepler satellite. However, many of them lie outside the theoretically expected instability strip for hybrid pulsation, where $\delta$ Sct and $\gamma$ Dor pulsations can be simultaneously excited. We postulate that some of these pulsating stars may not be genuine hybrid pulsators but rather magnetic $\delta$ Sct stars, for which the rotational modulation from spots on the surface associated to the magnetic field produces frequencies in the same domain as $\gamma$ Dor pulsations. We search for the presence of a magnetic field in a small sample of selected hybrid $\delta$ Sct - $\gamma$ Dor stars using spectropolarimetry. At the time of observations, the only $\delta$ Sct star known to have a magnetic field was HD 188774 with a field strength of a few hundred Gauss. Our observations were thus tailored to detect fields of this typical strength. We find no magnetic field in the hybrid candidate stars we observed. However, two of the three other magnetic $\delta$ Sct stars discovered since these observations have much weaker fields than HD 188774, and are of dynamo origin rather than fossil fields. It is likely that our observations are not sensitive enough to detect such dynamo magnetic fields in the cooler stars of our sample if they are present. This work nevertheless provides reliable upper limits on possible fossil fields in the hotter stars, pointing towards typically weaker fields in $\delta$ Sct stars than in OBA stars in general.

Abstract: The large temperature gradients in the solar transition region present a significant challenge to large scale numerical modelling of the Sun's atmosphere. In response, a variety of techniques have been developed which modify the thermodynamics of the system. This sacrifices accuracy in the transition region in favour of accurately tracking the coronal response to heating events. Invariably, the modification leads to an artificial broadening of the transition region. Meanwhile, many contemporary models of the solar atmosphere rely on tracking energy flux from the lower atmosphere, through the transition region and into the corona. In this article, we quantify how the thermodynamic modifications affect the rate of energy injection into the corona. We consider a series of one-dimensional models of atmospheric loops with different numerical resolutions and treatments of the thermodynamics. Then, using Alfv\'en waves as a proxy, we consider how energy injection rates are modified in each case. We find that the thermodynamic treatment and the numerical resolution significantly modify Alfv\'en travel times, the eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes of the system, and the rate at which energy is injected into the corona. Alarmingly, we find that the modification of the energy flux is frequency dependent, meaning that it may be difficult to compare the effects of different velocity drivers on coronal heating if they are imposed below an under-resolved transition region, even if the sophisticated thermodynamic adaptations are implemented.

Abstract: Classical Be stars are fast rotating, near main sequence B-type stars. The rotation and the presence of circumstellar discs profoundly modify the observables of active Be stars. Our goal is to infer stellar and disc parameters, as well as distance and interstellar extinction, using the currently most favoured physical models for these objects. We present BeAtlas, a grid of 61.600 NLTE radiative transfer models for Be stars, calculated with the HDUST code. The grid was coupled with a Monte Carlo Markov chain code to sample the posterior distribution. We test our method on two well-studied Be stars, $\alpha$ Eri and $\beta$ CMi, using photometric, polarimetric and spectroscopic data as input to the code. We recover literature determinations for most of the parameters of the targets, in particular the mass and age of $\alpha$ Eri, the disc parameters of $\beta$ CMi, and their distances and inclinations. The main discrepancy is that we estimate lower rotational rates than previous works. We confirm previously detected signs of disc truncation in $\beta$ CMi and note that its inner disc seems to have a flatter density slope than its outer disc. The correlations between the parameters are complex, further indicating that exploring the entire parameter space simultaneously is a more robust approach, statistically. The combination of BeAtlas and Bayesian-MCMC techniques proves successful, and a powerful new tool for the field: the fundamental parameters of any Be star can now be estimated in a matter of hours or days.

Abstract: Alfv\'enic fluctuations of various scales are ubiquitous in the corona, with their non-linear interactions and eventual turbulent cascade resulting in an important heating mechanism that accelerates the solar wind. These fluctuations may be processed by large-scale, transient and coherent heliopsheric structures such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In this study we investigate the interactions between Alfv\'enic solar wind fluctuations and CMEs using MHD simulations. We study the transmission of upstream solar wind fluctuations into the CME leading to the formation of CME sheath fluctuations. Additionally, we investigate the influence of the fluctuation frequencies on the extent of the CME sheath. We use an ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model with an adiabatic equation of state. An Alfv\'en pump wave is injected into the quiet solar wind by perturbing the transverse magnetic field and velocity components, and a CME is injected by inserting a flux-rope modelled as a magnetic island into the quasi-steady solar wind. The upstream Alfv\'en waves experience a decrease in wavelength and change in the wave vector direction due to the non-radial topology of the CME shock front. The CME sheath inhibits the transmission of high wavelength fluctuations due to the presence of non-radial flows in this region. The frequency of the solar wind fluctuations also affects the steepening of MHD fast waves causing the CME shock propagation speed to vary with the solar wind fluctuation frequencies.

Abstract: Elemental abundances can be determined from stellar spectra, making it possible to study galactic formation and evolution. Accurate atomic data is essential for the reliable interpretation and modeling of astrophysical spectra. In this work, we perform laboratory studies on neutral aluminium. This element is found, for example, in young, massive stars and it is a key element for tracing ongoing nucleosynthesis throughout the Galaxy. The near-infrared (NIR) wavelength region is of particular importance, since extinction in this region is lower than for optical wavelengths. This makes the NIR wavelength region a better probe for highly obscured regions, such as those located close to the Galactic center. We investigate the spectrum of neutral aluminium with the aim to provide oscillator strengths (f-values) of improved accuracy for lines in the NIR and optical regions (670 - 4200 nm). Measurements of high-resolution spectra were performed using a Fourier transform spectrometer and a hollow cathode discharge lamp. The f-values were derived from experimental line intensities combined with published radiative lifetimes. We report oscillator strengths for 12 lines in the NIR and optical spectral regions, with an accuracy between 2 and 11%, as well as branching fractions for an additional 16 lines.

Abstract: We extend our previous work on the evolution of close binary systems with misaligned orbital and spin angular momenta resulting from non-dissipative tidal interaction to include all physical effects contributing to apsidal motion. In addition to tidal distortion of the primary by the compact secondary these include relativistic Einstein precession and the rotational distortion of the primary. The influence of the precession of the line of nodes is included. The dependence of the tidal torque on the apsidal angle $\hat\varpi$ couples the apsidal motion to the rate of evolution of the misalignment angle $\beta$ which is found to oscillate. We provide analytical estimates for the oscillation amplitude $\Delta\beta$ over a wide range of parameter space confirmed by numerical integrations. This is found to be more significant near critical curves on which $d{\hat \varpi } /dt=0$ for a specified $\beta$. We find that to obtain $0.1 < \Delta\beta < \sim 1,$ the mass ratio, $q > \sim1$ the initial eccentricity should be modest, $\cos \beta < 1/\sqrt{5},$ with $\cos\beta <0 $ corresponding to retrograde rotation, initially, and the primary rotation rate should be sufficiently large. The extended discussion of apsidal motion and its coupled evolution to the misalignment angle given here has potential applications to close binaries with anomalous apsidal motion as well as transiting exoplanets such as warm Jupiters.

Abstract: The center-to-limb variations (CLV) of Gaussian fit parameters of the transition region Si~{\sc iv} 1402.77~{\AA} spectral line in quiet Sun (QS) and coronal hole (CH) regions are presented. The results are derived from a full-disk mosaic scan obtained by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph on 24 September 2017. The CLV for a CH transition region line has not previously been reported, and the parameters are found to show variations consistent with the QS. The intensity increases towards the limb, consistent with an increasing plasma column depth due to line-of-sight effects. The Doppler velocity is normalized to be zero at the limb for both QS and CH and increases to $+4.8$~\kms\ (redshift) at disk center for CH and $+5.2$~\kms\ for QS. Non-thermal broadening in the CH decreases from a maximum of 24~\kms\ at the limb to 10~\kms\ at disk center. For QS the broadening decreases from 25~\kms\ at the limb to 14~\kms\ at disk center. Both Doppler velocities and non-thermal velocities vary linearly with $\cos\,\theta$, where $\theta$ is the heliocentric angle. The QS results for both parameters are consistent with earlier work.

Abstract: (Abbreviated) We extend the results of our 2021 paper concerning the problem of tidal evolution of a binary system with a rotating primary component with rotation axis arbitrarily inclined with respect to the orbital plane. Only the contribution of quasi-stationary tides is discussed. Unlike previous studies in this field we present evolution equations derived 'from first principles'. The governing equations contain two groups of terms. The first group of terms determines the evolution of orbital parameters and inclination angles a 'viscous' time scale. The second group of terms is due to stellar rotation. These terms are present even when dissipation in the star is neglected. Unlike in our 2021 paper we consider all potentially important sources of apsidal precession in an isolated binary, namely precession arising from the tidal distortion and rotation of the primary as well as Einstein precession. We solve these equations numerically for a sample of input parameters, leaving a complete analysis to an accompanying paper. Periodic changes to both the inclination of the rotational axis and its precession rate are found. For a particular binary parameters periodic flips between prograde and retrograde rotation are possible. Also, when the inclination angle is allowed to vary, libration of the apsidal angle becomes possible. Furthermore, when the spin angular momentum is larger than the orbital angular momentum there is a possibility of a significant periodic eccentricity changes. These phenomena could, in principle, be observed in systems with relatively large inclinations and eccentricities such as e.g. those containing a compact object. In such systems both large inclinations and eccentricities could be generated as a result of a kick applied to the compact object during a supernova explosion.

Abstract: We present orbital elements for twenty-two single-line binaries, nine of them studied for the first time, determined from a joint spectroscopic and astrometric solution. The astrometry is based on interferometric measurements obtained with the HRCam Speckle camera on the SOAR 4.1m telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile, supplemented with historical data. The spectroscopic observations were secured using Echelle spectrographs (FEROS, FIDEOS and HARPS) at La Silla, Chile. A comparison of our orbital elements and systemic velocities with previous studies, including Gaia radial velocities, show the robustness of our estimations. By adopting suitable priors of the trigonometric parallax and spectral type of the primary component, and using a Bayesian inference methodology developed by our group, we were able to estimate mass ratios for these binaries. Combining the present results with a previous study of other single-line from our team we present a pseudo mass-to-luminosity relationship based on twenty three systems (45 stars) in the mass range 0.6 <= M_Sun <= 2.5. We find a reasonable correspondence with a fiducial mass-to-luminosity relationship. We conclude that our methodology does allow to derive tentative mass ratios for this type of binaries.

Abstract: We present results of a quantitative analysis of structured plasma outflows above a polar coronal hole observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft. In a 6-hour interval of continuous high-cadence SDO/AIA images, we identified more than 2300 episodes of small-scale plasma flows in the polar corona. The mean upward flow speed measured by the surfing transform technique (Uritsky et al., 2013) is estimated to be 122 $\pm$ 34 \kms, which is comparable to the local sound speed. The typical recurrence period of the flow episodes is 10 to 30 minutes, and the mean duration and transverse size of each episode are about 3-5 min and 3-4 Mm, respectively. The largest identifiable episodes last for tens of minutes and reach widths up to $40$ Mm. For the first time, we demonstrate that the polar coronal-hole outflows obey a family of power-law probability distributions characteristic of impulsive interchange magnetic reconnection. Turbulent photospheric driving may play a crucial role in releasing magnetically confined plasma onto open field. The estimated occurrence rate of the detected self-similar coronal outflows is sufficient for them to make a dominant contribution to the fast-wind mass and energy fluxes and to account for the wind's small-scale structure.

Abstract: A current sheet (CS) is the central structure in the disrupting magnetic configuration during solar eruptions. More than 90\% of the free magnetic energy (the difference between the energy in the non-potential magnetic field and that in the potential one) stored in the coronal magnetic field beforehand is converted into heating and kinetic energy of the plasma, as well as accelerating charged particles, by magnetic reconnection occurring in the CS. However, the detailed physical properties and fine structures of the CS are still unknown since there is no relevant information obtained via in situ detections. The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) may provide us such information should it traverse a CS in the eruption. The perihelion of PSP's final orbit is located at about 10 solar radii from the center of the Sun, so it can observe the CS at a very close distance, or even traverses the CS, which provides us a unique opportunity to look into fine properties and structures of the CS, helping reveal the detailed physics of large-scale reconnection that was impossible before. We evaluate the probability that PSP can traverse a CS, and examine the orbit of a PSP-like spacecraft that has the highest probability to traverse a CS.