No Arabic abstract
From near-infrared, narrow-band photometry of 256 oxygen-rich Mira variables we obtain evidence about the loops that these stars follow in colour-colour diagrams. We also find a phase lag between indices related to molecular band-strength of titanium oxide and vanadium oxide. We compute colours for normal M-giants and Miras using hydrostatic and hydrodynamic model atmospheres and very extensive up-to-date line lists. Normal M-giants colours are well reproduced, reaching a high quantitative agreement with observations for spectral types earlier than M7. The out-of-phase variations of the various spectral features of Miras are also acceptably reproduced, despite limitations in the modelling. This enables us to confirm that the phase lag phenomenon results from the propagation of perturbations in the extended atmosphere. It opens new perspectives in the spectral modelling of Miras.
We present wide field near-infrared photometry of 12 Galactic globular clusters, typically extending from the tip of the cluster red giant branch (RGB) to the main sequence turnoff. Using recent homogenous values of cluster distance, reddening and metallicity, the resulting photometry is directly compared to the predictions of several recent libraries of stellar evolutionary models. Of the sets of models investigated, Dartmouth and Victoria-Regina models best reproduce the observed RGB morphology, albeit with offsets in J-Ks color which vary in their significance in light of all sources of observational uncertainty. Therefore, we also present newly recalibrated relations between near-IR photometric indices describing the upper RGB versus cluster iron abundance as well as global metallicity. The influence of enhancements in alpha elements and helium are analyzed, finding that the former affect the morphology of the upper RGB in accord with model predictions. Meanwhile, the empirical relations we derive are in good agreement with previous results, and minor discrepancies can likely be attributed to differences in the assumed cluster distances and reddenings. In addition, we present measurements of the horizontal branch (HB) and RGB bump magnitudes, finding a non-negligible dependence of the near-IR HB magnitude on cluster metallicity. Lastly, we discuss the influence of assumed cluster distances, reddenings and metallicities on our results, finding that our empirical relations are generally insensitive to these factors to within their uncertainties.
We present K-band observations of five Mira stars with the IOTA interferometer. The interferograms were obtained with the FLUOR fiber optics beam combiner which provides high-accuracy visibility measurements in spite of time-variable atmospheric conditions. For the Mira stars X Oph, R Aql, RU Her, R Ser, and V CrB we derived the uniform-disk diameters 11.7 mas, 10.9 mas, 8.4 mas, 8.1 mas, and 7.9 mas (+/-0.3 mas), respectively. Simultaneous photometric observations yielded the bolometric fluxes. The derived angular Rosseland radii and the bolometric fluxes allowed the determination of effective temperatures. For instance, the effective temperature of R Aql was determined to be 3072 K +/- 161 K. A Rosseland radius for R Aql of 250 Rsun +/- 63 Rsun was derived from the angular Rosseland radius of 5.5 mas +/- 0.2 mas and the HIPPARCOS parallax of 4.73 mas +/- 1.19 mas. The observations were compared with theoretical Mira star models of Bessel, Scholz and Wood (1996) and Hofmann, Scholz and Wood (1998).
We present K-band observations of five Mira stars with the IOTA interferometer. The interferograms were obtained with the FLUOR fiber optics beam combiner, which provides high-accuracy visibility measurements in spite of time-variable atmospheric conditions. For the M-type Miras X Oph, R Aql, RU Her, R Ser, and the C-type Mira V CrB we derived the uniform-disk diameters 11.7mas, 10.9mas, 8.4mas, 8.1mas, and 7.9mas (+/- 0.3mas), respectively. Simultaneous photometric observations yielded the bolometric fluxes. The derived angular Rosseland radii and the bolometric fluxes allowed the determination of effective temperatures. For instance, the effective temperature of R Aql was determined to be 2970 +/- 110 K. A linear Rosseland radius for R Aql of (250 +100/-60) Rsun was derived from the angular Rosseland radius of 5.5mas +/- 0.2mas and the HIPPARCOS parallax of 4.73mas +/- 1.19mas. The observations were compared with theoretical Mira star models of Bessel et al. (1996) and Hofmann et al. (1998). The effective temperatures of the M-type Miras and the linear radius of R Aql indicate fundamental mode pulsation.
M giants are among the longest-period pulsating stars which is why their studies were traditionally restricted to analyses of low-precision visual observations, and more recently, accurate ground-based data. Here we present an overview of M giant variability on a wide range of time-scales (hours to years), based on analysis of thirteen quarters of Kepler long-cadence observations (one point per every 29.4 minutes), with a total time-span of over 1000 days. About two-thirds of the sample stars have been selected from the ASAS-North survey of the Kepler field, with the rest supplemented from a randomly chosen M giant control sample. We first describe the correction of the light curves from different quarters, which was found to be essential. We use Fourier analysis to calculate multiple frequencies for all stars in the sample. Over 50 stars show a relatively strong signal with a period equal to the Kepler-year and a characteristic phase dependence across the whole field-of-view. We interpret this as a so far unidentified systematic effect in the Kepler data. We discuss the presence of regular patterns in the distribution of multiple periodicities and amplitudes. In the period-amplitude plane we find that it is possible to distinguish between solar-like oscillations and larger amplitude pulsations which are characteristic for Mira/SR stars. This may indicate the region of the transition between two types of oscillations as we move upward along the giant branch.
Small amounts of pre-solar grains have survived in the matrices of primitive meteorites and interplanetary dust particles. Their detailed study in the laboratory with modern analytical tools provides highly accurate and detailed information with regard to stellar nucleosynthesis and evolution, grain formation in stellar atmospheres, and Galactic Chemical Evolution. Their survival puts constraints on conditions they were exposed to in the interstellar medium and in the Early Solar System.