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Articles 31 - 60 of 139

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Circumbinary Discs Around Merging Stellar-Mass Black Holes, Rebecca G. Martin, Chris Nixon, Fu-Guo Xie, Andrew King Aug 2018

Circumbinary Discs Around Merging Stellar-Mass Black Holes, Rebecca G. Martin, Chris Nixon, Fu-Guo Xie, Andrew King

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

A circumbinary disc around a pair of merging stellar-mass black holes may be shocked and heated during the recoil of the merged hole, causing a near-simultaneous electromagnetic counterpart to the gravitational wave event. The shocks occur around the recoil radius, where the disc orbital velocity is equal to the recoil velocity. The amount of mass present near this radius at the time of the merger is critical in determining how much radiation is released. We explore the evolution of a circumbinary disc in two limits. First, we consider an accretion disc that feels no torque from the binary. The disc …


Rossby Vortices In Thin Magnetized Accretion Discs, L. Matilsky, Sergei Dyda, R. V. E. Lovelace, P. S. Lii Aug 2018

Rossby Vortices In Thin Magnetized Accretion Discs, L. Matilsky, Sergei Dyda, R. V. E. Lovelace, P. S. Lii

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

We study the Rossby wave instability (RWI) in a thin accretion disc threaded by an initially toroidal magnetic field using the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code PLUTO... See full text for full abstract.


What Powered The Optical Transient At2017gfo Associated With Gw170817?, Shao-Ze Li, Liang-Duan Liu, Yun-Wei Yu, Bing Zhang Jul 2018

What Powered The Optical Transient At2017gfo Associated With Gw170817?, Shao-Ze Li, Liang-Duan Liu, Yun-Wei Yu, Bing Zhang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

The groundbreaking discovery of the optical transient AT2017gfo associated with GW170817 opens a unique opportunity to study the physics of double neutron star (NS) mergers. We argue that the standard interpretation of AT2017gfo as being powered by radioactive decay of r-process elements faces the challenge of simultaneously accounting for the peak luminosity and peak time of the event, as it is not easy to achieve the required high mass, and especially the low opacity of the ejecta required to fit the data. A plausible solution would be to invoke an additional energy source, which is probably provided by the merger …


Correlation Between Emission Lines And Radio Luminosities Of Active Galactic Nuclei, Jessica Short-Long Jan 2018

Correlation Between Emission Lines And Radio Luminosities Of Active Galactic Nuclei, Jessica Short-Long

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

Radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) are one class of objects associated with accretion activity onto supermassive black holes in centers of massive galaxies. They are believed to be in a radiatively-inefficient accretion mode with low accretion rate. To understand this accretion mode, it is important to measure its radiative output at high energies (> 13.6eV), which can be traced through optical emission lines. However, little is known about their true radiative output. This is because no correlation between optical emission-line and radio luminosity has been found for the majority of low-luminosity radio AGN, which are often classified as low-excitation radio …


Upper Limits On Gravitational Waves From Scorpius X-1 From A Model-Based Cross-Correlation Search In Advanced Ligo Data, B. P. Abbott, K. Aultoneal, S. Gaudio, K. Gill, B. Hughey, J. W. W. Pratt, E. Schmidt, S. G. Schwalbe, M. J. Szczepańczyk, M. Zanolin, Et Al. Sep 2017

Upper Limits On Gravitational Waves From Scorpius X-1 From A Model-Based Cross-Correlation Search In Advanced Ligo Data, B. P. Abbott, K. Aultoneal, S. Gaudio, K. Gill, B. Hughey, J. W. W. Pratt, E. Schmidt, S. G. Schwalbe, M. J. Szczepańczyk, M. Zanolin, Et Al.

Publications

We present the results of a semicoherent search for continuous gravitational waves from the low-mass X-ray binary Scorpius X-1, using data from the first Advanced LIGO observing run. The search method uses details of the modeled, parametrized continuous signal to combine coherently data separated by less than a specified coherence time, which can be adjusted to trade off sensitivity against computational cost. A search was conducted over the frequency range 25–$2000\,\mathrm{Hz}$, spanning the current observationally constrained range of binary orbital parameters. No significant detection candidates were found, and frequency-dependent upper limits were set using a combination of sensitivity estimates and …


The Carbon And Nitrogen Abundance Ratio In The Broad Line Region Of Tidal Disruption Events, Chenwei Yang, Tinggui Wang, Gary J. Ferland, Liming Dou, Hongyan Zhou, Ning Jiang, Zhenfeng Sheng Sep 2017

The Carbon And Nitrogen Abundance Ratio In The Broad Line Region Of Tidal Disruption Events, Chenwei Yang, Tinggui Wang, Gary J. Ferland, Liming Dou, Hongyan Zhou, Ning Jiang, Zhenfeng Sheng

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The rest-frame UV spectra of three recent tidal disruption events (TDEs), ASASSN-14li, PTF15af, and iPTF16fnl, display strong nitrogen emission lines but weak or undetectable carbon lines. In these three objects, the upper limits of the C III] λ1908/N III] λ1750 ratio are about two orders of magnitude lower than those of quasars, suggesting a high abundance ratio of [N/C]. With detailed photoionization simulations, we demonstrate that C2+ and N2+ are formed in the same zone, so the CIII]/N III] ratio depends only moderately on the physical conditions in the gas and weakly on the shape of …


The Formation Of Fine-Grained Chondrule Rims In Unequilibrated Ordinary Chondrites, John Bigolski Sep 2017

The Formation Of Fine-Grained Chondrule Rims In Unequilibrated Ordinary Chondrites, John Bigolski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Fine-grained rims are ubiquitous, non-igneous, features that completely or partially envelope the majority of chondrules within the least equilibrated of the unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs). A detailed examination of such rims in 4 UOC samples less than petrologic type 3.2 was conducted in order to 1) characterize the relative distribution of rims within chondrite samples, 2) inspect differences between fine-grained rims and adjacent matrix material, 3) petrologically analyze the rims and their relationships with chondrule cores, 4) characterize an ungrouped UOC, Northwest Africa 5717, 5) conduct a microanalytical investigation of rim / matrix boundaries to discern relative chronologies of fine-grained …


Fermi-Lat Daily Monitoring Observations Of The Microquasar Cygnus X-1, Austin P. Waldron, Stephen R. Hood, Arash Bodaghee Apr 2017

Fermi-Lat Daily Monitoring Observations Of The Microquasar Cygnus X-1, Austin P. Waldron, Stephen R. Hood, Arash Bodaghee

Georgia College Student Research Events

Detection of gamma-ray emission from microquasars is important for understanding particle acceleration in the jet, and for constraining leptonic/hadronic emission models. We present a continuation of a 1-d likelihood analysis on gamma-ray observations by Fermi-LAT (0.1-10 GeV) of the accreting black hole candidate Cygnus X-1. Combining this gamma-ray data with available X-ray monitoring data from Swift and MAXI allowed us to reveal over a dozen days (in 2008-2016) during which Cyg X-1 displayed low-significance (3-4 sigma) excesses, many of which were contemporaneous with apparent transitions in the X-rays.


Tracing Slow Winds From T Tauri Stars Via Low-Velocity Forbidden Line Emission, M. N. Simon, I. Pascucci, Suzan Edwards, W. Feng, U. Gorti, D. Hollenbach, E. Rigliaco, J. T. Keane Nov 2016

Tracing Slow Winds From T Tauri Stars Via Low-Velocity Forbidden Line Emission, M. N. Simon, I. Pascucci, Suzan Edwards, W. Feng, U. Gorti, D. Hollenbach, E. Rigliaco, J. T. Keane

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

Using Keck/HIRES spectra (Δ v ∼ 7 km s−1) we analyze forbidden lines of [O I] 6300 Å, [O I] 5577 Å and [S II] 6731 Å from 33 T Tauri stars covering a range of disk evolutionary stages. After removing a high-velocity component (HVC) associated with microjets, we study the properties of the low-velocity component (LVC). The LVC can be attributed to slow disk winds that could be magnetically (magnetohydrodynamic) or thermally (photoevaporative) driven. Both of these winds play an important role in the evolution and dispersal of protoplanetary material. LVC emission is seen in all 30 stars with …


Discovery Of The Candidate Off-Nuclear Ultrasoft Hyper-Luminous X-Ray Source 3xmm J141711.1+522541, Dacheng Lin, Eleazar Carrasco, Natalie Webb, Jimmy Irwin, Renato Dupke, Aaron Romanowsky, Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, Jay Strader, Jeroen Homan, Didier Barret, Olivier Godet Jan 2016

Discovery Of The Candidate Off-Nuclear Ultrasoft Hyper-Luminous X-Ray Source 3xmm J141711.1+522541, Dacheng Lin, Eleazar Carrasco, Natalie Webb, Jimmy Irwin, Renato Dupke, Aaron Romanowsky, Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, Jay Strader, Jeroen Homan, Didier Barret, Olivier Godet

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


The Young Radio Lobe Of 3c 84: Inferred Gas Properties In The Central 10 Pc, Yutaka Fujita, Nozomu Kawakatu, Isaac Shlosman, Hirotaka Ito Nov 2015

The Young Radio Lobe Of 3c 84: Inferred Gas Properties In The Central 10 Pc, Yutaka Fujita, Nozomu Kawakatu, Isaac Shlosman, Hirotaka Ito

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We analyse the environment of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in the centre of a massive elliptical galaxy NGC 1275 in the Perseus cluster, hosting the radio source 3C 84. We focus on the young radio lobe observed inside the estimated Bondi accretion radius, and discusss the momentum balance between the jet associated with the lobe and the surrounding gas. The results are compared with the proper motion of the radio lobe obtained with the very long baseline interferometry. We find that under assumption of a high-density environment ( ≳ 100 cm−3), the jet power must be comparable …


On The Disk Wind Mass Loss Rates In Qsos, Nicolas A. Pereyra Nov 2015

On The Disk Wind Mass Loss Rates In Qsos, Nicolas A. Pereyra

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

We derive here a relatively simple expression for the total wind mass loss rates in QSOs within the accretion disk wind scenario. We show that the simple expression derived here for QSO disk wind mass loss rate is in a very good agreement with the more “exact” values obtained through significantly more complex and detailed numerically intensive 2.5D time-dependent simulations. Additionally we show that for typical QSO parameters, the disk itself will be emitting mostly in the UV/optical spectrum, in turn implying that the X-ray emission from QSOs likely is produced through some physical mechanism acting at radii smaller than …


The Emergence Of Negative Superhumps In Cataclysmic Variables: Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Simulations, David M. Thomas, Matt A. Wood Apr 2015

The Emergence Of Negative Superhumps In Cataclysmic Variables: Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Simulations, David M. Thomas, Matt A. Wood

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Negative superhumps are believed to arise in cataclysmic variable systems when the accretion disk is tilted with respect to the orbital plane. Slow retrograde precession of the line-of-nodes results in a signal—the negative superhump—with a period slightly less than the orbital period. Previous studies have shown that tilted disks exhibit negative superhumps, but a consensus on how a disk initially tilts has not been reached. Analytical work by Lai (1999, ApJ, 524, 1030) suggests that a magnetic field on the primary can lead to a tilt instability in a disk when the dipole moment is offset in angle from the …


Probing Stellar Accretion With Mid-Infrared Hydrogen Lines, Elisabetta Rigliaco, Ilaria Pascucci, Gaspard Duchene, Suzan Edwards, D. R. Ardila, C. Grady, Ignacio Mendigutía, Benjamín Montesinos, Gijs D. Mulders, Joan R. Najita, J. Carpenter, Elise Furlan, Uma Gorti, Rowin Meijerink, M. R. Meyer Feb 2015

Probing Stellar Accretion With Mid-Infrared Hydrogen Lines, Elisabetta Rigliaco, Ilaria Pascucci, Gaspard Duchene, Suzan Edwards, D. R. Ardila, C. Grady, Ignacio Mendigutía, Benjamín Montesinos, Gijs D. Mulders, Joan R. Najita, J. Carpenter, Elise Furlan, Uma Gorti, Rowin Meijerink, M. R. Meyer

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

In this paper we investigate the origin of the mid-infrared (IR) hydrogen recombination lines for a sample of 114 disks in different evolutionary stages (full, transitional, and debris disks) collected from the Spitzer archive. We focus on the two brighter H I lines observed in the Spitzer spectra, the H I (7-6) at 12.37 μm and the H I (9-7) at 11.32 μm. We detect the H I (7-6) line in 46 objects, and the H I (9-7) in 11. We compare these lines with the other most common gas line detected in Spitzer spectra, the [Ne II] at 12.81 …


The Li Overabundance Of J37: Diffusion Or Accretion?, J F. Ashwell, R D. Jeffries, C P. Deliyannis, A Steinhauer, Jeremy R. King Aug 2014

The Li Overabundance Of J37: Diffusion Or Accretion?, J F. Ashwell, R D. Jeffries, C P. Deliyannis, A Steinhauer, Jeremy R. King

Jeremy R King

In September 2002 the discovery of a super Li-rich F-dwarf (J37) in NGC 6633, an iron poor analogue of the better studied Hyades and Praecepe open clusters, was announced. This unique star was thought to be the smoking gun for the action of diffusion, models of which predict a narrow ”Li-peak” at approximately the correct temperature. However, with more detailed studies into J37s abundance pattern this star provides firm evidence for the accretion of planetesimals or other material from the circumstellar environment of new born stars. Thanks to the specific predictions made about the behaviour of Be abundances, (the most …


Beryllium Enhancement As Evidence For Accretion In A Lithium-Rich F Dwarf, Johanna F. Ashwell, R D. Jeffries, Barry Smalley, C P. Deliyannis, Aaron Steinhauer, Jeremy R. King Aug 2014

Beryllium Enhancement As Evidence For Accretion In A Lithium-Rich F Dwarf, Johanna F. Ashwell, R D. Jeffries, Barry Smalley, C P. Deliyannis, Aaron Steinhauer, Jeremy R. King

Jeremy R King

The early F dwarf star ``J37'' in the open cluster NGC6633 shows an unusual pattern of photospheric abundances, including an order of magnitude enhancement of lithium and iron-peak elements, but an under-abundance of carbon. As a consequence of its thin convection zone these anomalies have been attributed to either radiative diffusion or the accretion of hydrogen-depleted material. By comparing high resolution VLT/UVES spectra of J37 (and other F stars in NGC 6633) with syntheses of the Be ii doublet region at 3131 Ang, we establish that J37 also has a Be abundance (A(Be)=3.0+/-0.5) that is at least ten times the …


Post-Outburst Observations Of V1647 Orionis: Detection Of A Brief Warm Molecular Outflow, Sean D. Brittain, Terrence W. Rettig, Theodore Simon, Dinshaw S. Balsara, David Tilley, Erika Gibb, Kenneth H. Hinkle Aug 2014

Post-Outburst Observations Of V1647 Orionis: Detection Of A Brief Warm Molecular Outflow, Sean D. Brittain, Terrence W. Rettig, Theodore Simon, Dinshaw S. Balsara, David Tilley, Erika Gibb, Kenneth H. Hinkle

Sean D Brittain

We present new observations of the fundamental rovibrational CO spectrum of V1647 Ori, the young star whose recent outburst illuminated McNeil's Nebula. Previous spectra, acquired during outburst in 2004 February and July, had shown the CO emission lines to be broad and centrally peaked, similar to the CO spectrum of a typical classical T Tauri star. In this Letter, we present CO spectra acquired shortly after the luminosity of the source returned to its pre-outburst level (2006 February) and roughly 1 year later (2006 December and 2007 February). The spectrum taken in 2006 February revealed blueshifted CO absorption lines superimposed …


Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Study Of V1647 Ori, Sean D. Brittain, T W. Rettig, Theodore Simon, Erika L. Gibb, Joseph Liskowsky Aug 2014

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Study Of V1647 Ori, Sean D. Brittain, T W. Rettig, Theodore Simon, Erika L. Gibb, Joseph Liskowsky

Sean D Brittain

We present new high-resolution infrared echelle spectra of V1647 Ori, the young star that illuminates McNeil's nebula. From the start, V1647 Ori has been an enigmatic source that has defied classification, in some ways resembling eruptive stars of the FUor class and in other respects the EXor variables. V1647 Ori underwent an outburst in 2003 before fading back to its pre-outburst brightness in 2006. In 2008, it underwent a new outburst. In this paper we present high-resolution K-band and M-band spectra from the W. M. Keck Observatory that were acquired during the 2008 outburst. We compare the spectra to spectra …


A Spectro-Astrometric Measurement Of Brackett Gamma Emission In Herbig Ae/Be Stars, Thomas S. Rice, Sean D. Brittain Aug 2014

A Spectro-Astrometric Measurement Of Brackett Gamma Emission In Herbig Ae/Be Stars, Thomas S. Rice, Sean D. Brittain

Sean D Brittain

In T Tauri stars, the Brackett gamma line strength is a reliable indicator of accretion luminosity. Among intermediate mass young stars, Herbig Ae stars also show this correlation, but in Herbig Be stars the Brgamma line flux significantly overpredicts accretion luminosity. This Brgamma excess in Herbig Be stars is thought to arise from a spatially extended outflow. Using commissioning data from the LUCIFER spectrograph on the 8.4-meter Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), we present a spectro-astrometric study of two Herbig Ae/Be stars, the HAe star MWC480 and the HBe star HD 259431. In both stars, an extended Brgamma source can be …


Warm Gas In The Inner Disks Around Young Intermediate-Mass Stars, Sean D. Brittain, Theodore Simon, Joan R. Najita, Terrence W. Rettig Aug 2014

Warm Gas In The Inner Disks Around Young Intermediate-Mass Stars, Sean D. Brittain, Theodore Simon, Joan R. Najita, Terrence W. Rettig

Sean D Brittain

The characterization of gas in the inner disks around young stars is of particular interest because of its connection to planet formation. In order to study the gas in inner disks, we have obtained high-resolution K- and M-band spectroscopy of 14 intermediate-mass young stars. In sources that have optically thick inner disks, i.e., E(K-L)>1, our detection rate of the rovibrational CO transitions is 100%, and the gas is thermally excited. Of the five sources that do not have optically thick inner disks, we only detect the rovibrational CO transitions from HD 141569. In this case, we show that the …


Co Emission In The Inner Disk Around Young Intermediate-Mass Stars, Matt L. Stevans, Sean D. Brittain Aug 2014

Co Emission In The Inner Disk Around Young Intermediate-Mass Stars, Matt L. Stevans, Sean D. Brittain

Sean D Brittain

We present observations that indicate viscous heating contributes significantly to the surface heating of the inner disk region (0.1-5 AU) around young intermediate-mass stars, Herbig AeBe stars, when the inner disk is optically thick. Brgamma flux is known to scale with accretion rate around young stars. We find a trend between Brgamma and CO emissivity, a tracer 1, 500 K gas in the gaseous atmospheres of less evolved inner disk regions in a sample of 25 Herbig AeBe stars, the higher mass analog of T Tauri stars. Evolved Herbig circumstellar disks do not follow this trend as closely. A thermal …


Accretion Variability Of Herbig Ae/Be Stars Observed By X-Shooter Hd 31648 And Hd 163296, I Mendigutia, Sean D. Brittain, C Eiroa, G Meeus, B Montesinos, A Mora, J Muzerolle, R D. Oudmaijer, E Rigliaco Aug 2014

Accretion Variability Of Herbig Ae/Be Stars Observed By X-Shooter Hd 31648 And Hd 163296, I Mendigutia, Sean D. Brittain, C Eiroa, G Meeus, B Montesinos, A Mora, J Muzerolle, R D. Oudmaijer, E Rigliaco

Sean D Brittain

This work presents X-Shooter/Very Large Telescope spectra of the prototypical, isolated Herbig Ae stars HD 31648 (MWC 480) and HD 163296 over five epochs separated by timescales ranging from days to months. Each spectrum spans over a wide wavelength range covering from 310 to 2475 nm. We have monitored the continuum excess in the Balmer region of the spectra and the luminosity of 12 ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared spectral lines that are commonly used as accretion tracers for T Tauri stars. The observed strengths of the Balmer excesses have been reproduced from a magnetospheric accretion shock model, providing a mean …


Measuring The Stellar Accretion Rates Of Herbig Ae/Be Stars, Brian Donehew, Sean D. Brittain Aug 2014

Measuring The Stellar Accretion Rates Of Herbig Ae/Be Stars, Brian Donehew, Sean D. Brittain

Sean D Brittain

The accretion rate of young stars is a fundamental characteristic of these systems.While accretion onto T Tauri stars has been studied extensively, little work has been done on measuring the accretion rate of their intermediate-mass analogs, the Herbig Ae/Be stars. Measuring the stellar accretion rate of Herbig Ae/Bes is not straightforward both because of the dearth of metal absorption lines available for veiling measurements and the intrinsic brightness of Herbig Ae/Be stars at ultraviolet wavelengths where the brightness of the accretion shock peaks. Alternative approaches to measuring the accretion rate of young stars by measuring the luminosity of proxies such …


Characterizing The Quiescent X-Ray Variability Of The Black Hole Low-Mass X-Ray Binary V404 Cyg, F Bernardini, E. M. Cackett Apr 2014

Characterizing The Quiescent X-Ray Variability Of The Black Hole Low-Mass X-Ray Binary V404 Cyg, F Bernardini, E. M. Cackett

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

We conducted the first long-term (75 d) X-ray monitoring of the black hole low-mass X-ray binary V404 Cyg, with the goal of understanding and characterizing its variability during quiescence. The X-ray light curve of V404 Cyg shows several flares on time-scales of hours with a count rate change of a factor of about 5–8. The root-mean-square variability isFvar = 57.0 ± 3.2 per cent. The first-order structure function is consistent with both a power spectrum of index −1 (flicker noise), or with a power spectrum of index 0 (white noise), implying that the light curve is variable on …


Multi-Wavelength Coverage Of State Transitions In The New Black Hole X-Ray Binary Swift J1910.2-0546, N. Degenaar, D. Maitra, E. M. Cackett, M. T. Reynolds, J M. Miller, R. C. Reis, A L. King, K. Gültekin, C D. Bailyn, M M. Buxton, R K. D Macdonald, A. C. Fabian, D B. Fox, E. S. Rykoff Mar 2014

Multi-Wavelength Coverage Of State Transitions In The New Black Hole X-Ray Binary Swift J1910.2-0546, N. Degenaar, D. Maitra, E. M. Cackett, M. T. Reynolds, J M. Miller, R. C. Reis, A L. King, K. Gültekin, C D. Bailyn, M M. Buxton, R K. D Macdonald, A. C. Fabian, D B. Fox, E. S. Rykoff

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

Understanding howblack holes accrete and supply feedback to their environment is one of the outstanding challenges of modern astrophysics. Swift J1910.2–0546 is a candidate black hole low-mass X-ray binary that was discovered in 2012 when it entered an accretion outburst. To investigate the binary configuration and the accretion morphology, we monitored the evolution of the outburst for ≃3 months at X-ray, UV, optical (B,V,R,I), and near-infrared (J,H,K) wavelengths using Swift and SMARTS. The source evolved from a hard to a soft X-ray spectral state with a relatively cold accretion disk that peaked at ≃0.5 keV. A Chandra/HETG spectrum obtained during …


Ysovar: Mid-Ir Variability In The Star Forming Region Lynds 1688, H. M. Gunther, A. M. Cody, K. R. Covey, L. A. Hillenbrand, P. Plavchan, K. Poppenhaeger, L. M. Rebull, J. R. Stauffer, S. J. Wolk, L. Allen, A. Bayo, R. A. Gutermuth, J. L. Hora, H.Y.A. Meng, M. Morales-Calderon, J. R. Parks, Inseok Song Jan 2014

Ysovar: Mid-Ir Variability In The Star Forming Region Lynds 1688, H. M. Gunther, A. M. Cody, K. R. Covey, L. A. Hillenbrand, P. Plavchan, K. Poppenhaeger, L. M. Rebull, J. R. Stauffer, S. J. Wolk, L. Allen, A. Bayo, R. A. Gutermuth, J. L. Hora, H.Y.A. Meng, M. Morales-Calderon, J. R. Parks, Inseok Song

Robert A. Gutermuth

The emission from young stellar objects (YSOs) in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) is dominated by the inner rim of their circumstellar disks. We present IR data from the Young Stellar Object VARiability (YSOVAR) survey of ~800 objects in the direction of the Lynds 1688 (L1688) star-forming region over four visibility windows spanning 1.6 yr using the Spitzer Space Telescope in its warm mission phase. Among all light curves, 57 sources are cluster members identified based on their spectral energy distribution and X-ray emission. Almost all cluster members show significant variability. The amplitude of the variability is larger in more embedded YSOs. …


Interpreting Near Infrared Hydrogen Line Ratios In T Tauri Stars, Suzan Edwards Dec 2013

Interpreting Near Infrared Hydrogen Line Ratios In T Tauri Stars, Suzan Edwards

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

In accreting young stars, one of the prominent spectral features in the near-infrared is the Paschen and Brackett series in emission. We examine hydrogen line ratios for 16 classical T Tauri stars from SpeX spectra and assess the trends with veiling and accretion. The observed line ratios are compared with two theoretical models for line formation: (1) Baker & Menzel’s Case B for radiative ionization and recombination and (2) a set of local line excitation calculations designed to replicate the conditions in T Tauri winds and magnetic accretion columns (KF). While the comparison between Case B and observed line ratios …


Broad Iron Lines In Neutrons Stars: Dynamical Broadening Or Wind Scattering?, E. M. Cackett, Jon M. Miller Nov 2013

Broad Iron Lines In Neutrons Stars: Dynamical Broadening Or Wind Scattering?, E. M. Cackett, Jon M. Miller

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

Broad iron emission lines are observed in many accreting systems from black holes in active galactic nuclei and X-ray binaries to neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries. The origin of the line broadening is often interpreted as due to dynamical broadening and relativistic effects. However, alternative interpretations have been proposed, included broadening due to Compton scattering in a wind or accretion disk atmosphere. Here we explore the observational signatures expected from broadening in a wind, in particular that the iron line width should increase with an increase in the column density of the absorber (due to an increase in the number …


Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Study Of V1647 Ori, Sean D. Brittain, T W. Rettig, Theodore Simon, Erika L. Gibb, Joseph Liskowsky Sep 2013

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Study Of V1647 Ori, Sean D. Brittain, T W. Rettig, Theodore Simon, Erika L. Gibb, Joseph Liskowsky

Publications

We present new high-resolution infrared echelle spectra of V1647 Ori, the young star that illuminates McNeil's nebula. From the start, V1647 Ori has been an enigmatic source that has defied classification, in some ways resembling eruptive stars of the FUor class and in other respects the EXor variables. V1647 Ori underwent an outburst in 2003 before fading back to its pre-outburst brightness in 2006. In 2008, it underwent a new outburst. In this paper we present high-resolution K-band and M-band spectra from the W. M. Keck Observatory that were acquired during the 2008 outburst. We compare the spectra to spectra …


Accretion Variability Of Herbig Ae/Be Stars Observed By X-Shooter Hd 31648 And Hd 163296, I Mendigutia, Sean D. Brittain, C Eiroa, G Meeus, B Montesinos, A Mora, J Muzerolle, R D. Oudmaijer, E Rigliaco Aug 2013

Accretion Variability Of Herbig Ae/Be Stars Observed By X-Shooter Hd 31648 And Hd 163296, I Mendigutia, Sean D. Brittain, C Eiroa, G Meeus, B Montesinos, A Mora, J Muzerolle, R D. Oudmaijer, E Rigliaco

Publications

This work presents X-Shooter/Very Large Telescope spectra of the prototypical, isolated Herbig Ae stars HD 31648 (MWC 480) and HD 163296 over five epochs separated by timescales ranging from days to months. Each spectrum spans over a wide wavelength range covering from 310 to 2475 nm. We have monitored the continuum excess in the Balmer region of the spectra and the luminosity of 12 ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared spectral lines that are commonly used as accretion tracers for T Tauri stars. The observed strengths of the Balmer excesses have been reproduced from a magnetospheric accretion shock model, providing a mean …