No Arabic abstract
We discuss most recent spectroscopic and spectropolarimetric observations of the star HD 19400 representative of the group of PGa stars. Our high-spectral-resolution study of abundances, line profile variability, and the longitudinal magnetic field of HD 19400 discloses a remarkable similarity between this group and the group of HgMn stars.
While monitoring a sample of apparently slowly rotating superficially normal early A stars, we have discovered that HR 8844 (A0 V), is actually a new Chemically Peculiar star. We have first compared the high resolution spectrum of HR 8844 to that of four slow rotators near A0V ($ u$ Cap, $ u$ Cnc , Sirius A and HD 72660) to highlight similarities and differences. The lines of Ti II, Cr II, Sr II and Ba II are conspicuous features in the high resolution high signal-to-noise SOPHIE spectra of HR 8844 and much stronger than in the spectra of the normal star $ u$ Cap. The Hg II line at 3983.93 AA is also present in a 3.5 % blend. Selected unblended lines of 31 chemical elements from He up to Hg have been synthesized using model atmospheres computed with ATLAS9 and the spectrum synthesis code SYNSPEC48 including hyperfine structure of various isotopes when relevant. These synthetic spectra have been adjusted to the mean SOPHIE spectrum of HR 8844, and high resolution spectra of the comparison stars. Chisquares were minimized in order to derive abundances or upper limits to the abundances of these elements for HR 8844 and the comparison stars. HR 8844 is found to have underabundances of He, C, O, Mg, Ca and Sc, mild enhancements of Ti, V, Cr, Mn and distinct enhancements of the heavy elements Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Pr, Sm, Eu and Hg, the overabundances increasing steadily with atomic number. This chemical pattern suggests that HR 8844 may actually be a new transition object between the coolest HgMn stars and the Am stars.
A fraction of late B-type stars, the so-called HgMn stars, exhibit enhanced absorption lines of certain chemical elements, notably Hg and Mn, combined with an underabundance of He. For about a decade now the elements with anomalously high abundances in HgMn stars are known to be distributed inhomogeneously over the stellar surface. Temporal evolution of these elemental spots have been reported in a few HgMn stars, first secular evolution of the mercury spots in alpha And, and recently also a fast evolution of yttrium and strontium spots in HD 11753. The fast evolution of spots in HD 11753 is combined with a slower change in the overall abundance of the affected elements. In this paper I review what is known of elemental spots in HgMn stars and their secular and fast temporal evolution.
Young stars and planets both grow by accreting material from the proto-stellar disks. Planetary structure and formation models assume a common origin of the building blocks, yet, thus far, there is no direct conclusive observational evidence correlating the composition of rocky planets to their host stars. Here we present evidence of a chemical link between rocky planets and their host stars. The iron-mass fraction of the most precisely characterized rocky planets is compared to that of their building blocks, as inferred from the atmospheric composition of their host stars. We find a clear and statistically significant correlation between the two. We also find that this correlation is not one-to-one, owing to the disk-chemistry and planet formation processes. Therefore rocky planet composition depends on the chemical composition of the proto-planetary disk and contains signatures about planet formation processes.
We investigate the magnetic dichotomy between Ap/Bp and other A-type stars by carrying out a deep spectropolarimetric study of Am and HgMn stars. Using the NARVAL spectropolarimeter at the Telescope Bernard Lyot (Observatoire du Pic du Midi, France), we obtained high-resolution circular polarisation spectroscopy of 12 Am stars and 3 HgMn stars. Using Least Squares Deconvolution (LSD), no magnetic field is detected in any of the 15 observed stars. Uncertaintiies as low as 0.3 G (respectively 1 G) have been reached for surface-averaged longitudinal magnetic field measurements for Am (respectively HgMn) stars. Associated with the results obtained previously for Ap/Bp stars, our study confirms the existence of a magnetic dichotomy among A-type stars. Our data demonstrate that there is at least one order of magnitude difference in field strength between Zeeman detected stars (Ap/Bp stars) and non Zeeman detected stars (Am and HgMn stars). This result confirms that the spectroscopically-defined Ap/Bp stars are the only A-type stars harbouring detectable large-scale surface magnetic fields.
Among the 21 Herbig Ae/Be stars studied, new detections of a magnetic field were achieved in six stars. For three Herbig Ae/Be stars, we confirm previous magnetic field detections. The largest longitudinal magnetic field, <B_z> = -454+-42G, was detected in the Herbig Ae/Be star HD101412 using hydrogen lines. No field detection at a significance level of 3sigma was achieved in stars with debris disks. Our study does not indicate any correlation of the strength of the longitudinal magnetic field with disk orientation, disk geometry, or the presence of a companion. We also do not see any simple dependence on the mass-accretion rate. However, it is likely that the range of observed field values qualitatively supports the expectations from magnetospheric accretion models giving support for dipole-like field geometries. Both the magnetic field strength and the X-ray emission show hints for a decline with age in the range of ~2-14Myrs probed by our sample supporting a dynamo mechanism that decays with age. However, our study of rotation does not show any obvious trend of the strength of the longitudinal magnetic field with rotation period. Furthermore, the stars seem to obey the universal power-law relation between magnetic flux and X-ray luminosity established for the Sun and main-sequence active dwarf stars.