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Atmospheric escape is a fundamental phenomenon shaping the structure and evolution of planetary atmospheres. Physics of planetary winds range from global processes such as tidal interactions with the host star, through large-scale hydrodynamic outflow, to essentially microphysical kinetic effects, including Jeans-like escape and the interaction of planetary atmospheres with stellar winds and the own magnetic fields of planets. Each of these processes is expected to be most relevant for planets of different properties and at different stages in planetary and stellar evolution. Thus, it is expected that the hydrodynamic outflow guides the evolution of hydrogen-dominated atmospheres of planets having low masses (below that of Neptune) and/or close-in orbits, while the kinetic effects are most important for the long-term evolution of planets with secondary atmospheres, similar to the inner planets in the Solar System. Finally, each of these processes is affected by the interaction with stellar winds.
The VISTA Magellanic Clouds Survey (VMC) is a near-infrared survey of the Magellanic system. The VMC data has been exploited to detect and study statistically correlated young groups of stars — also known as “young stellar structures” — in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC). We showcase the ∼ 3000 recently detected young stellar structures in the LMC and their similarity to the fractal interstellar medium. We discuss how their properties indicate their formation mechanisms and that there are no preferred scales of star formation in the LMC.
Planets open deep gaps in protoplanetary discs when their mass exceeds a gap opening mass, Mgap. We use one- and two-dimensional simulations to study planet gap opening in discs with angular momentum transport powered by MHD disc winds. We parameterise the efficiency of the MHD disc wind angular momentum transport through a dimensionless parameter αdw, which is an analogue to the turbulent viscosity αv. We find that magnetised winds are much less efficient in counteracting planet tidal torques than turbulence is. For discs with astrophysically realistic values of αdw, Mgap is always determined by the residual disc turbulence, and is a factor of a few to ten smaller than usually obtained for viscous discs. We introduce a gap opening criterion applicable for any values of αv and αdw that may be useful for planet formation population synthesis.
We present spatially resolved molecular filaments and clumps in the high-mass star-forming regions N159E-Papillon, W-South, and W-North in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Our ALMA observations in CO isotopes and millimeter continuum revealed remarkable hub-filament systems with a typical width of 0.1 pc. The most massive clump in the observed regions, N159W-North MMS-2, shows an especially massive/dense nature whose total H2 mass and peak column density are ∼104M⊙ and ∼1024 cm−2, respectively, and harbors massive (∼100 M⊙) starless core candidates. The hub-filamentary clouds in the three regions share a common orientation and have 10–30 pc scale head-tail structures with active star formation at the tips. Their striking similarity proposes a “teardrops-inflow” model, i.e., substructured conversing H i flow, that explains the synchronized, extreme star formation across ∼50 pc, including one of the most massive protocluster clumps in the Local Group.
We characterize the star formation going on in the inner kiloparsec region of the galaxy NGC 1386 as derived from the analysis of a multiwavelength dataset covering the optical, near-IR and mid-IR at subarsec resolution. We detect 61 point sources, distributed in a ring of 960 pc radius around the center of the galaxy. From SED fitting we conclude that these are low mass () young clusters, with age distributed from 1 to 10 Myr, with median at 3.6 Myr. Comparison of the Hα luminosity of the clusters derived from the Hα+[N ii] narrow band image with that expected from the fitted ionizing continuum shows that a large fraction of the ionizing photons escapes from the clusters. Moreover, a large fraction of these photons escapes from the regions around the star forming ring.
We use the AREPO numerical code to model the structure of a Milky Way like galaxy (MW) via a suite of simulations composed of a stellar disc and bulge, a dark matter halo, and a gaseous disc under isothermal conditions. For each model, we produce longitude velocity (l-v) maps of the gas surface densities to extract the skeletons of the main features (arms, bar), and the contours defining the terminal velocities of the gas. We compare these with observations via a number of diagnostic tools, and select the model that best reproduces the main observed features of the Milky Way.
Green valley galaxies (by selection) exhibit lower specific star formation rates and are thought to be in the transition from the active star-forming phase to the quiescent state. Physical mechanisms responsible for the depleted star formation in green valley galaxies, however, are still under debate. Using the ALMA-MaNGA Quenching and STar formation (ALMaQUEST) CO observations, we study the so-called ‘resolved star formation scaling relations’, which describe relationships among surface densities of star formation rate, stellar mass, and molecular gas mass. By comparing the kpc-scale scaling relations between the main sequence and green valley galaxies, we are able to quantify if the deficit of star formation in green valley galaxies is driven by depleted molecular gas or inefficient star formation. And finally, we present our recent ALMA dense gas (HCN and HCO+) observations for a set of selected ALMaQUEST galaxies to discuss whether the green valley galaxies lack dense molecular gas or not.
We processed the catalogue data for all snapshots of the Illustris TNG100 cosmological simulation and collected every calculated property of the galaxies formed at different redshifts. With this dataset we can statistically analyze parameters for galaxy samples at given redshifts, as well as trace sample parameters over the entire time range of the simulation. Focusing first on star formation rate (SFR) and metallicity, we see the cosmic star formation history with the mean maximum at around z ≈ 1.6 and the reionization bump at around z ≈ 5, while metallicity increases. For a sample of strongly star-forming galaxies with SFR > 10 M⊙ yr−1 we found different characteristics compared to the whole sample. The mean metallicity of highly star-forming galaxies is higher and changes less, and the mean SFR has its maximum at around the reionization bump.
Following from our recent work, we present results of a detailed analysis of a representative sample of nearby galaxies. The photometric parameters of the morphological components are obtained from bulge-disk decompositions, using GALFIT software. The previously obtained method and library of numerical corrections for dust, decomposition and projection effects, are used to correct the measured (observed) parameters to intrinsic values. Observed and intrinsic galaxy dust and star-formation related scaling relations are presented, to emphasize the scale of the biases introduced by these effects. To understand the extent to which star-formation is distributed in the young stellar disks of galaxies, star-formation connected relations which rely on measurements of scale-lengths and fluxes/luminosities of Hα images, are shown. The mean dust opacity, dust-to-stellar mass and dust-to-gas ratios of the sample, together with the main characteristics of the intrinsic relations are found to be consistent with values found in the literature.
V530 Per is a solar-like member of the young open cluster α Persei, with an ultra-short rotation period (P∼0.32d). We report on two spectropolarimetric campaigns using ESPaDOnS, aimed at characterizing the short-term variability of its magnetic activity and large-scale magnetic field. We used time-resolved spectropolarimetric observations obtained in 2006 and 2018 and reconstructed the brightness distribution and large-scale magnetic field geometry of V530 Per through Zeeman-Doppler imaging. Using the same data sets, we also mapped the spatial distribution of prominences through tomography of Hα emission. We reconstruct, at both epochs, a large, dark spot occupying the polar region of V530 Per while smaller (dark and bright) spots were reconstructed at lower latitudes. The maximal field strength reached ∼1 kG. The prominence pattern displayed a stable component that was confined close to the corotation radius. In 2018, we also observed rapidly evolving Hα emitting structures, over timescales ranging from minutes to days. The fast Hα evolution was not linked to any detected photospheric changes in the spot or magnetic coverage.
The rate of star formation (SFR) is one of the important quantities that helps to study galaxies’ evolutionary path. In fact, measuring the SFR during the life of the Universe shows us how galaxies have acquired their metallicity and star mass. In this regard, the galaxies of the Local Group give us a great opportunity to study the connection between different stellar populations and galaxy evolution. In this paper, we use the Long-Period variable stars to estimate the radial star formation in the disc of the M31 galaxy. These stars are powerful instruments to achieve this goal. They reach their peak luminosity and coldest state at the final point of their evolution. Also, there is a directly related between their mass and luminosity, so using stellar evolution theoretical models, we construct the mass function and hence the star formation history (SFH). In the disc of M31, we see an increase in the rate of star formation and a decrease in the age of stars in the outer parts. These results predict the inside-out growth well.
Spectral observations in the Ly-α line have shown that atmospheric escape is variable and for the exoplanet HD189733b, the atmospheric evaporation goes from undetected to enhanced evaporation in a 1.5 years interval. To understand the temporal variation in the atmospheric escape, we investigate the effect of flares, winds, and CMEs on the atmosphere of hot Jupiter HD189733b using 3D self-consistent radiation hydrodynamic simulations. We consider four cases: first, the quiescent phase including stellar wind; secondly, a flare; thirdly, a CME; and fourthly, a flare followed by a CME. We find that the flare alone increases the atmospheric escape rate by only 25%, while the CME leads to a factor of 4 increments, in comparison to the quiescent case. We also find that the flare alone cannot explain the observed high blue-shifted velocities seen in the Ly-α. The CME, however, leads to an increase in the velocity of escaping atmospheres, enhancing the blue-shifted transit depth.
This contribution is based on the work published by (Pinzón et al. 2021) in which we computed rotation rates for a sample of 79 young stars (∼3 Myr) in a wide range of stellar masses (from T Tauri Stars to Herbig Ae/Be stars) in in the Orion Star Formation Complex (OSFC). We study whether the magnetospheric accretion scenario (MA), valid for young low mass stars, may be applied over a wide range of stellar masses of not. Under the assumption that stellar winds powered by stellar accretion are the main source for the stellar spin down, the hypothesis of an extension of MA toward higher masses seems plausible. A comparison with Ap/Bp stars suggest that HAeBes should suffer a loss of angular momentum by a factor between 12 and 80 during the first 10 Myr in order to match the magnetic Ap/Bp zone in HR diagram.
Magnetic confinement of material is observed on both high and low mass stars. On low mass stars, this confinement can be seen as slingshot prominences, in which condensations are supported several stellar radii above the surface by strong magnetic fields. We present a model for generating cooled field lines in equilibrium with the background corona, which we use to populate a model corona. We find prominence masses on the order of observationally derived values. We find two types of solutions: footpoint heavy “solar-like prominences” and summit heavy “slingshot prominences” which are centrifugally supported. These can form within the open field region i.e. embedded in the wind. We generate Hα spectra from different field structures and show that all display behaviour that is consistent with observations. This implies that the features seen in observations could be supported by a range of conditions, suggesting they would be common across rapidly rotating stars.
. In this work, we implemented a hydrodynamical solution for fast rotating stars, which leaves high values of mass-loss rates and low terminal velocities of the wind. This 1D density distribution adopts a viscosity mimicking parameter which simulates a quasi-Keplerian motion. Then, it is converted to a volumetric density considering vertical hydrostatic equilibrium using a power-law scale height, as usual in viscous decretion disk models. We calculate the theoretical hydrogen emission lines and the spectral energy distribution utilizing the radiative transfer code HDUST. Our disk-wind structures are in agreement with viscous decretions disk models.
The depletion of CO molecules is observed in infrared dark clouds. However, only few exsamples are found in pc-scale. An NH3 emission is one of good counter parts of C18O because of similar effective critical density. Our NH3 observations of a molecular filament associated with CMa OB1 or KAG 71, which is a target of Kagoshima Galactic Object survey with Nobeyama 45-m telescope by Mapping in Ammonia lines (KAGONMA) project. Although NH3 data shows similarity in morphology with infrared data suggesting no depletion, C18O in the clumps 4 and 6 are weaker than expected based on NH3 data. After examining the dissipation of the high-density gas, photodissociation, and depletion, we concluded that CO is depleted at least in the clump 4. It is a new example of depletion in pc-scale.
Radiation-driven mass-loss is an important, but still highly debated, driver for the evolution of massive stars. Current massive star evolution models rely on the theoretical prediction that low luminosity massive stars experience a sudden increase in mass loss below a stellar effective temperature of about 20 000 K. However, novel radiation-driven mass-loss rate predictions show no such bi-stability jump, which effects the post main-sequence evolution of massive stars. The ULLYSES data set provides a unique opportunity to investigate the theoretical bi-stability jump dichotomy and may help to assess the existence of the bi-stability jump in massive star winds. By utilising UV spectra from ULLYSES combined with X-shooter optical data we obtain empirical mass-loss rate constraints, that are no longer degenerate to the effects of wind clumping, and derive novel empirical constraints on the mass-loss behavior across the temperature range of the bi-stability jump. Current preliminary results do not show a clear presence of a bi-stability jump.
We use archival WISE and Spitzer photometry to derive optical emission line fluxes for a sample of distant quasars at z∼6. We find evidence for exceptionally high equivalent width [OIII] emission (rest-frame EW∼400Å) similar to that inferred for star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. The median Hα and Hβ equivalent widths are derived to be ∼400Å and ∼100Å respectively, and are consistent with values seen among quasars in the local Universe, and at z ∼ 2. After accounting for the contribution of photoionization in the broad line regions of quasars, we suggest that the narrow [OIII] emission likely arises from feedback due to massive star-formation in the quasar host. Forthcoming mid-infrared spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope will help constrain the physical conditions in quasar hosts further.
NGC 7293, the Helix nebula, represents one of the rare instances in which theoretical predictions of stellar evolution can be accurately tested against observations since the precise parallax distance and the velocity and proper motion of the star are well known. We present numerical simulations of the formation of the Helix PN that are fully constrained by the progenitor stellar mass, stellar evolution history, and star-interstellar medium (ISM) interaction. In the simulations, multiple bow-shock structures are formed by fragmentation of the shock front where the direct interaction of the stellar wind with the ISM takes place.