Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy Commons^™

Discovery Of A Bright, Extremely Low Mass White Dwarf In A Close Double Degenerate System, S. Vennes, J. R. Thorstensen, A. Kawka, P. Németh, J. N. Skinner

Dartmouth Scholarship

We report the discovery of a bright (V ~ 13.7), extremely low-mass white dwarf in a close double degenerate system. We originally selected GALEX J171708.5+675712 for spectroscopic follow-up among a group of white dwarf candidates in an ultraviolet-optical reduced proper-motion diagram. The new white dwarf has a mass of 0.18 M_solar and is the primary component of a close double degenerate system (P=0.246137 d, K_1 = 288 km/s) comprising a fainter white dwarf secondary with M_2 ~ 0.9 M_solar. Light curves phased with the orbital ephemeris show evidence of relativistic beaming and weaker ellipsoidal variations. The light curves also reveal …

Ejecta Knot Flickering, Mass Ablation, And Fragmentation In Cassiopeia A, Robert A. Fesen, Jordan A. Zastrow, Molly C. Hammell, J. Michael Shull, Devin W. Silvia

Dartmouth Scholarship

Ejecta knot flickering, ablation tails, and fragmentation are expected signatures associated with the gradual dissolution of high-velocity supernova (SN) ejecta caused by their passage through an inhomogeneous circumstellar medium or interstellar medium (ISM). Such phenomena mark the initial stages of the gradual merger of SN ejecta with and the enrichment of the surrounding ISM. Here we report on an investigation of this process through changes in the optical flux and morphology of several high-velocity ejecta knots located in the outskirts of the young core-collapse SN remnant Cassiopeia A using Hubble Space Telescope images. Examination of WFPC2 F675W and combined ACS …

The Cataclysmic Variable Sdss J1507+52: An Eclipsing Period Bouncer In The Galactic Halo, Helena Uthas, Christian Knigge, Knox S. Long, Joseph Patterson, John Thorstensen

Dartmouth Scholarship

SDSS J1507+52 is an eclipsing cataclysmic variable (CV) consisting of a cool, non-radially pulsating white dwarf and an unusually small substellar secondary. The system has a high space velocity and a very short orbital period of about 67 min, well below the usual minimum period for CVs. To explain the existence of this peculiar system, two theories have been proposed. One suggests that SDSS J1507+52 was formed from a detached white dwarf-brown dwarf binary. The other theory proposes that the system is a member of the Galactic halo population.

Here, we present the ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy of SDSS J1507+52 obtained …

Sdss J162520.29+120308.7 – A New Su Ursae Majoris Star In The Period Gap, A. Olech, E. De Miguel, M. Otulakowska, J. R. Thorstensen

Dartmouth Scholarship

We report results of an extensive world-wide observing campaign devoted to the recently discovered dwarf nova SDSS J162520.29+120308.7 (SDSS J1625). The data were obtained during the July 2010 eruption of the star and in August and September 2010 when the object was in quiescence.

Polarization Of The Charge-Exchange X-Rays Induced In The Heliosphere, M. Gacesa, H.-R. Müller, R. Côté, V. Kharchenko

Dartmouth Scholarship

We report results of a theoretical investigation of polarization of the X-ray emissions induced in charge-exchange collisions of fully stripped solar wind ions C6+and O8+ with the heliospheric hydrogen atoms. The polarization of X-ray emissions has been computed for line-of-sight observations within the ecliptic plane as a function of solar wind ion velocities, including a range of velocities corresponding to the slow and fast solar wind, and Coronal Mass Ejections. To determine the variability of polarization of heliospheric X-ray emissions, the polarization has been computed for solar minimum conditions with self-consistent parameters of the solar wind plasma and heliospheric gas …

A Study Of Carbon Features In Type Ia Supernova Spectra, Jerod T. Parrent, R. C. Thomas, Robert A. Fesen, G. H. Marion

Dartmouth Scholarship

One of the major differences between various explosion scenarios of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) is the remaining amount of unburned (C+O) material and its velocity distribution within the expanding ejecta. While oxygen absorption features are not uncommon in the spectra of SNe Ia before maximum light, the presence of strong carbon absorption has been reported only in a minority of objects, typically during the pre-maximum phase. The reported low frequency of carbon detections may be due to low signal-to-noise data, low abundance of unburned material, line blending between C II 6580 and Si II 6355, ejecta temperature differences, asymmetrical …

Dust And The Type Ii-Plateau Supernova 2004dj, W. P. S. Meikle, R. Kotak, D. Farrah, S. Mattila, S. D. Van Dyk, A. C. Andersen, R. Fesen

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy of a Type II-plateau supernova, SN 2004dj, obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope, spanning 106-1393 days after explosion. MIR photometry plus optical/near-IR observations are also reported. An early-time MIR excess is attributed to emission from non-silicate dust formed within a cool dense shell (CDS). Most of the CDS dust condensed between 50 days and 165 days, reaching a mass of 0.3 × 10^–5 M _☉. Throughout the observations, much of the longer wavelength (>10 μm) part of the continuum is explained as an IR echo from interstellar dust. The MIR excess …

Evidence For Particle Acceleration To The Knee Of The Cosmic Ray Spectrum In Tycho’S Supernova Remnant, Kristoffer A. Eriksen, John P. Hughes, Carles Badenes, Robert Fesen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been assumed to be the source of cosmic rays (CRs) up to the "knee" of the CR spectrum at 10^15 eV, accelerating particles to relativistic energies in their blast waves by the process of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). Since cosmic ray nuclei do not radiate efficiently, their presence must be inferred indirectly. Previous theoretical calculations and X-ray observations show that CR acceleration modifies significantly the structure of the SNR and greatly amplifies the interstellar magnetic field. We present new, deep X-ray observations of the remnant of Tycho's supernova (SN 1572, henceforth Tycho), which reveal a …

Optical Discovery Of An Apparent Galactic Supernova Remnant G159.6+7.3, Robert A. Fesen, Dan Milisavljevic

Dartmouth Scholarship

Deep Hα images of portions of a faint 3° × 4° Hα shell centered at l = 1596, b = 73 seen on the Virginia Tech Spectral Line Survey images revealed the presence of several thin emission filaments along its eastern limb. Low-dispersion optical spectra of two of these filaments covering the wavelength range of 4500-7500 Å show narrow Hα line emissions with velocities around –170 ± 30 km s^–1. Both the morphology and spectra of these filaments are consistent with a Balmer-dominated shock interpretation and we propose that these optical filaments indicate that the large Hα emission …

The First Vlbi Image Of The Young, Oxygen-Rich Supernova Remnant In Ngc 4449, M. F. Bietenholz, N. Bartel, D. Milisavljevic, R. A. Fesen

Dartmouth Scholarship

We report on sensitive 1.4-GHz VLBI radio observations of the unusually luminous supernova remnant SNR 4449-1 in the galaxy NGC 4449, which gave us the first well-resolved image of this object. The remnant's radio morphology consists of two approximately parallel bright ridges, suggesting similarities to the barrel shape seen for many older Galactic supernova remnants or possibly to SN 1987A. The angular extent of the remnant is 65 × 40 mas, corresponding to (3.7 × 2.3) × 10¹⁸ (D/3.8 Mpc) cm. We also present a new, high signal-to-noise ratio optical spectrum. By comparing the remnant's linear size …

Studying The Small Scale Ism Structure With Supernovae, F. Patat, N. L. J. Cox, J. Parrent, D. Branch

Dartmouth Scholarship

In this work we explore the possibility of using the fast expansion of a Type Ia supernova photosphere to detect extra-galactic ISM column density variations on spatial scales of ∼100 AU on time scales of a few months. We constructed a simple model which describes the expansion of the photodisk and the effects of a patchy interstellar cloud on the observed equivalent width of Nai D lines. Using this model we derived the behavior of the equivalent width as a function of time, spatial scale and amplitude of the column density fluctuation

Core Gas Sloshing In Abell 1644, Ryan E. Johnson, Maxim Markevitch, Gary A. Wegner, Christine Jones, William R. Forman

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present an analysis of a 72 ks Chandra observation of the double cluster Abell 1644 (z = 0.047). The X-ray temperatures indicate that the masses are M ₅₀₀ = (2.6 ± 0.4) × 10¹⁴ h ^–1 M _☉ for the northern sub-cluster and M ₅₀₀ = (3.1 ± 0.4) × 10¹⁴ h ^–1 M _☉ for the southern, main cluster. We identify a sharp edge in the radial X-ray surface brightness of the main cluster, which we find to be a cold front, with a jump in temperature of a factor of ~3. This edge possesses …

The Acs Survey Of Galactic Globular Clusters. Viii. Effects Of Environment On Globular Cluster Global Mass Functions, Nathaniel E. Q. Paust, I. Neill Reid, Giampaolo Piotto, Antonio Aparicio, Jay Anderson, Ata Sarajedini, Luigi R. Bedin, Brian Chaboyer

Dartmouth Scholarship

We have used observations obtained as part of the Hubble Space Telescope/ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters to construct global present-day mass functions for 17 globular clusters utilizing multi-mass King models to extrapolate from our observations to the global cluster behavior. The global present-day mass functions for these clusters are well matched by power laws from the turnoff, ≈0.8 M _☉, to 0.2-0.3 M _☉ on the lower main sequence. The slopes of those power-law fits, α, have been correlated with an extensive set of intrinsic and extrinsic cluster properties to investigate which parameters may influence the form …

The Determination Of Reddening From Intrinsic Vr Colors Of Rr Lyrae Stars, Andrea Kunder, Brian Chaboyer, Andrew Layden

Dartmouth Scholarship

New R-band observations of 21 local field RR Lyrae variable stars are used to explore the reliability of minimum light (V – R) colors as a tool for measuring interstellar reddening. For each star, R-band intensity mean magnitudes and light amplitudes are presented. Corresponding V-band light curves from the literature are supplemented with the new photometry, and (V – R) colors at minimum light are determined for a subset of these stars as well as for other stars in the literature. Two different definitions of minimum light color are examined, one which uses …

Deriving An X-Ray Luminosity Function Of Dwarf Novae Based On Parallax Measurements, K. Byckling, K. Mukai, J. R. Thorstensen, J. P. Osborne

Dartmouth Scholarship

We have derived an X-ray luminosity function using parallax-based distance measurements of a set of 12 dwarf novae, consisting of Suzaku, XMM-Newton and ASCA observations. The shape of the X-ray luminosity function obtained is the most accurate to date, and the luminosities of our sample are concentrated between ~10^{30}-10^{31} erg s^{-1}, lower than previous measurements of X-ray luminosity functions of dwarf novae. Based on the integrated X-ray luminosity function, the sample becomes more incomplete below ~3 x 10^{30} erg s^{-1} than it is above this luminosity limit, and the sample is dominated by X-ray bright dwarf novae. The total integrated …

Dust And The Type Ii-Plateau Supernova 2004et, R. Kotak, W. P. S. Meikle, D. Farrah, C. L. Gerardy, R. J. Foley, S. D. Van Dyk, C. Fransson, P. Lundqvist, J. Sollerman, R. Fesen

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present mid-infrared (MIR) observations of the Type II-plateau supernova (SN) 2004et, obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope between 64 and 1406 days past explosion. Late-time optical spectra are also presented. For the period 300-795 days past explosion, we argue that the spectral energy distribution (SED) of SN 2004et comprises (1) a hot component due to emission from optically thick gas, as well as free-bound radiation; (2) a warm component due to newly formed, radioactively heated dust in the ejecta; and (3) a cold component due to an IR echo from the interstellar-medium dust of the host galaxy, NGC 6946. …

Sdss J102347.6+003841: A Millisecond Radio Pulsar Binary That Had A Hot Disk During 2000-2001, Zhongxiang Wang, Anne M. Archibald, John R. Thorstensen, Victoria M. Kaspi

Dartmouth Scholarship

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) source J102347.6+003841 was recently revealed to be a binary 1.69 ms radio pulsar with a 4.75 hr orbital period and a ~0.2 M _☉ companion. Here, we analyze the SDSS spectrum of the source in detail. The spectrum was taken on 2001 February 1, when the source was in a bright state and showed broad, double-peaked hydrogen and helium lines—dramatically different from the G-type absorption spectrum seen from 2002 May onward. The lines are consistent with emission from a disk around the compact primary. We derive properties of the disk by fitting the SDSS …

An Oosterhoff Analysis Of The Galactic Bulge Field Rr Lyrae Stars: Implications On Their Absolute Magnitudes, Andrea Kunder, Brian Chaboyer

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present an analysis of the period-V-amplitude plane for RR0 Lyrae stars (fundamental mode pulsators) with "normal" light curves in the bulge using the MACHO bulge fields. Although bulge globular clusters (GCs) have RR Lyraes that divide into two reasonable distinct groups according to the average period of the RR0 Lyraes, there is no evidence of a gap between Oosterhoff I (OoI) and II (OoII) stars in the bulge field star sample. The majority of the bulge RR0 Lyrae field star population have a difference in period compared to the OoI cluster M3 (Δlog P) that is …

Subaru High-Resolution Spectroscopy Of Star G In The Tycho Supernova Remnant, Wolfgang E. Kerzendorf, Brian P. Schmidt, M. Asplund, Ken'ichi Nomoto, Ph. Podsiadlowski, Anna Frebel, Robert A. Fesen, David Yong

Dartmouth Scholarship

It is widely believed that Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) originate in binary systems where a white dwarf accretes material from a companion star until its mass approaches the Chandrasekhar mass and carbon is ignited in the white dwarf's core. This scenario predicts that the donor star should survive the supernova (SNe) explosion, providing an opportunity to understand the progenitors of SNe Ia. In this paper, we argue that rotation is a generic signature expected of most nongiant donor stars that is easily measurable. Ruiz-Lapuente et al. examined stars in the center of the remnant of SN 1572 (Tycho SN) …

Proper Motions And Brightness Variations Of Nonthermal X-Ray Filaments In The Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant, Daniel J. Patnaude, Robert A. Fesen

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present Chandra ACIS X-ray observations of the Galactic supernova remnant Cassiopeia A taken in 2007 December. Combining these data with previous archival Chandra observations taken in 2000, 2002, and 2004, we estimate the remnant's forward shock velocity at various points around the outermost shell to range between 4200 and 5200 ± 500 km s^–1. Using these results together with previous analyses of Cas A's X-ray emission, we present a model for the evolution of Cas A and find that it's expansion is well fit by a ρ_ej ∝ r ^–(7–9) ejecta profile running into a circumstellar …

Sdss Unveils A Population Of Intrinsically Faint Cataclysmic Variables At The Minimum Orbital Period, B. T. Gänsicke, M. Dillon, J. Southworth, J. R. Thorstensen

Dartmouth Scholarship

We discuss the properties of 137 cataclysmic variables (CVs) which are included in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopic data base, and for which accurate orbital periods have been measured. 92 of these systems are new discoveries from SDSS and were followed-up in more detail over the past few years. 45 systems were previously identified as CVs because of the detection of optical outbursts and/or X-ray emission, and subsequently re-identified from the SDSS spectroscopy. The period distribution of the SDSS CVs differs dramatically from that of all the previously known CVs, in particular it contains a significant accumulation of …

Stellar Population Models And Individual Element Abundances. Ii. Stellar Spectra And Integrated Light Models, Hyun-Chul Lee, Guy Worthey, Aaron Dotter, Brian Chaboyer

Dartmouth Scholarship

The first paper in this series explored the effects of altering the chemical mixture of the stellar population on an element-by-element basis on stellar evolutionary tracks and isochrones to the end of the red giant branch. This paper extends the discussion by incorporating the fully consistent synthetic stellar spectra with those isochrone models in predicting integrated colors, Lick indices, and synthetic spectra. Older populations display element ratio effects in their spectra at higher amplitude than younger populations. In addition, spectral effects in the photospheres of stars tend to dominate over effects from isochrone temperatures and lifetimes, but, further, the isochrone-based …

The Acs Survey Of Galactic Globular Clusters. Vii. Relative Ages, Antonio Marín-Franch, Antonio Aparicio, Giampaolo Piotto, Alfred Rosenberg, Brian Chaboyer

Dartmouth Scholarship

The ACS Survey of Galactic globular clusters is a Hubble Space Telescope Treasury program designed to provide a new large, deep, and homogeneous photometric database. Based on observations from this program, we have measured precise relative ages for a sample of 64 Galactic globular clusters by comparing the relative position of the clusters' main-sequence (MS) turnoffs, using MS fitting to cross-compare clusters within the sample. This method provides relative ages to a formal precision of 2%-7%. We demonstrate that the calculated relative ages are independent of the choice of theoretical model. We find that the Galactic globular cluster sample can …

New Neighbors: Parallaxes Of 18 Nearby Stars Selected From The Lspm-North Catalog, Sébastien Lépine, John R. Thorstensen, Michael M. Shara, R. Michael Rich

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present astrometric parallaxes for 18 suspected nearby stars selected from the LSPM-north proper motion catalog. 16 objects are confirmed to be main-sequence M dwarfs within 16 pc of the Sun, including three stars (LSPM J0011+5908, LSPM J0330+5413, and LSPM J0510+2714) which lie just within the 10 pc horizon. Two other targets (LSPM J1817+1328, LSPM J2325+1403) are confirmed to be nearby white dwarfs at distances of 14 and 22 pc, respectively. One of our targets, the common proper motion pair LSPM J0405+7116E + LSPM J0405+7116W, is revealed to be a triple system, with the western component resolved into a pair …

The Evolution Of Late-Time Optical Emission From Sn 1979c, Dan Milisavljevic, Robert A. Fesen, Robert P. Kirshner, Peter Challis

Dartmouth Scholarship

Optical spectra of the bright Type II-L supernova SN 1979C obtained in April 2008 with the 6.5 m Multiple Mirror Telescope are compared with archival late-time spectra to follow the evolution of its optical emission over the age range of 11-29 years. We estimate an Hα flux decrease of around 35% from 1993 to 2008 but noticeable increases in the strength of blueshifted emission of forbidden oxygen lines. While the maximum expansion of the broad ~6700 km s^–1 Hα emission appears largely unchanged from 1993, we find a significant narrowing of the double-peaked emission profiles in the [O I] …

Direct Distance Measurement To The Dusty White Dwarf Gd 362, Mukremin Kilic, John R. Thorstensen, D. Koester

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present trigonometric parallax observations of GD 362 obtained over seven epochs using the MDM 2.4m Hiltner Telescope. The existence of a dust disk around this possibly massive white dwarf makes it an interesting target for parallax observations. The measured parallax for GD 362 places it at a distance of 50.6 pc, which implies that its radius and mass are ~ 0.0106 Rsun and 0.71 Msun, respectively. GD 362 is not as massive as initially thought (1.2Msun). Our results are entirely consistent with the distance and mass estimates (52.2 pc and 0.73 Msun) by Zuckerman et al., who demonstrated that …

A Catalog Of Outer Ejecta Knots In The Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant, Molly C. Hammell, Robert A. Fesen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Hubble Space Telescope images of the core-collapse supernova remnant Cassiopeia A are used to identify high-velocity knots of ejecta located outside the remnant's main emission shell of expanding debris. These ejecta fragments are found near or ahead of the remnant's forward shock front and mostly lie from 120^'' to 300^'' in radial distance from the remnant's center of expansion. Filter flux ratios when correlated with published spectra show that these knots can be divided into three emission classes: (1) knots dominated by [N II] λλ6548, 6583 emissions, (2) knots dominated by [O II] λλ7319, 7330 emissions, and (3) …

Parallax And Distance Estimates For Twelve Cataclysmic Variable Stars, John R. Thorstensen, Sébastien Lépine, Michael Shara

Dartmouth Scholarship

We report parallax and distance estimates for 12 more cataclysmic binaries and related objects observed with the 2.4 m Hiltner telescope at MDM Observatory. The final parallax accuracy is typically ~1 mas. Notable results include distances for V396 Hya (CE 315), a helium double degenerate with a relatively long orbital period, and for MQ Dra (SDSSJ155331+551615), a magnetic system with a very low accretion rate. We find that the Z Cam star KT Persei is physically paired with a K main-sequence star lying 15 arcsec away. Several of the targets have distance estimates in the literature that are based on …

The Evolution Of Late‐Time Optical Emission From Sn 1986j, Dan Milisavljevic, Robert A. Fesen, Bruno Leibundgut, Robert P. Kirshner

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present late-time optical images and spectra of the Type IIn supernova SN 1986J. HST ACS/WFC images obtained in 2003 February show it to be still relatively bright, with m_F606W = 21.4 and m_F814W = 20.0 mag. Compared to 1994 December HST WFPC2 images, SN 1986J shows a decline of only <1 mag in brightness over 8 years. Ground-based spectra taken in 1989, 1991, and 2007 show a 50% decline in Hα emission between 1989 and 1991, and an order of magnitude drop between 1991 and 2007, along with the disappearance of He I line emissions during the period 1991-2007. The object's [O I] λλ6300, 6364, [O II] λλ7319, 7330 and [O III] λλ4959, 5007 emission lines show two prominent peaks near –1000 and –3500 km s⁻¹, with the more blueshifted component declining significantly in strength between 1991 and 2007. The observed spectral evolution suggests two different origins for SN 1986J's late-time optical emission: dense, shock-heated circumstellar material, which gave rise to the initially bright Hα, He I, and [N II] λ5755 …

The Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Database, Aaron Dotter, Brian Chaboyer, Darko Jevremović, Veselin Kostov

Dartmouth Scholarship

The ever-expanding depth and quality of photometric and spectroscopic observations of stellar populations increase the need for theoretical models in regions of age-composition parameter space that are largely unexplored at present. Stellar evolution models that employ the most advanced physics and cover a wide range of compositions are needed to extract the most information from current observations of both resolved and unresolved stellar populations. The Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Database is a collection of stellar evolution tracks and isochrones that spans a range of [Fe/H] from –2.5 to +0.5, [α/Fe] from –0.2 to +0.8 (for [Fe/H] ≤ 0) or +0.2 (for …