Engineering topics

Boesgaard, A. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Boesgaard, A. M..

9 records

NASA NTRS1986

Short-term spectral variability in AB Aurigae - Clues for activity in Herbig Ae stars. I - The ultraviolet lines of Mg II and Fe II

IUE satellite monitoring of the Herbig Ae star AB Aur in 1982 and 1984, with attention to the variability of both the Mg II 2795 A wind profile and a number of Fe II UV lines, has indicated temporal variations in the Mg II blue wing velocity by 30-50 percent at both epochs. By contrast, the Fe II spectrum was constant in 1982, but variable in 1984. There is no evidence of photometric variability in AB Aur during either period. An analysis of the Mg II blue wing velocity vs time shows that the variability can be fitted with a sine curve of period 45 + or - 6 yr, which is interpreted to be the stellar rotation period. The observed rotational modulation of the blue wing velocity of Mg II 2795 A in AB Aur's wind is the first direct evidence of a nonaxisymmetric wind in an A-type premain sequence object.

Praderie, F.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The evolution of chromospheric activity and the spin-down of solar-type stars

IUE data for 31 solar-type stars are compared with observations of T Tauri stars in order to determine whether the pattern of main sequence chromospheric decay shown by stars older than about 100 million yr extends back to ages of 100 million yr appropriate for T Tauri stars. An analysis of the time decay of stellar ultraviolet and X-ray emission establishes a relationship between emission level and axial rotation, which is expressed in terms of the Rossby parameter. It is shown that the intensity of ultraviolet chromospheric and transition region lines of solar-type stars declines with age. The activity-age relation for main sequence stars older than about 100 million yr is fitted best by an exponential law whose rate of falloff with age depends on temperature.

Simon, T.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Active Phenomena in the Pre-main Sequence Star AB AUR

The Herbig Ae star AB Aur presents short time scale variability in the Mg II and Ca II resonance lines. A qualitative model of the expanding envelope, involving fast and slow streams in a co-rotating structure, is proposed to explain the Mg II spectral variability.

Praderie, F.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Rotational modulation of the chromospheric activity in Chi(1) Orionis (G0 V)

The age and rotation period of the solar type star Chi(1) Ori recommend it for a rotational modulation study of its strong UV emission lines. IUE observations have accordingly been made at four different phases during each of three separate rotation cycles, over a time span of 325 days. C IV, He II, and Mg II observations are consistent with a uniform spatial distribution and brightness for the Mg II emission network, and a more complex distribution of the regions producing the UV transmission region emission. Alternatively, if the area coverage of the chromospheric and transition region emission is nearly identical, the surface brightness contrast between stellar active regions and normal ones must increase by almost an order of magnitude in the higher temperature lines.

Simon, T.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Rotational modulation of the chromospheric activity in the young solar-type star, X-1 Orionis

The IUE satellite was used to observe one of the youngest G stars (GO V) for which Duncan (1981) derives an age of 6 x 10 to the 8th power years from the Li abundance. Rotational modulation was looked for in the emission flux in the chromospheric and transition region lines of this star. Variations in the Ca 11 K-lines profile were studied with the CHF telescope at Mauna Kea. Results show that the same modulation of the emission flux of Ca 11 due to stellar rotation is present in the transition region feature of C IV and probably of He II. For other UV lines the modulation is not apparent, due to a more complex surface distribution of the active areas or supergranulation network, or a shorter lifetime of the conditions which give rise to these features, or to the uncertainities in the measured line strengths. The Mg II emission flux is constant to within + or - 3.4% implying a rather uniform distribution of Mg II emission areas. The Ca II emission not only shows a measurable variation in intensity but also variations in detailed line profile shape when observed at high resolution.

Boesgaard, A. M.↗

NASA NTRS1982

IUE observations of the chromospheric activity-age relation in young solar-type stars

Ultraviolet data obtained with the IUE spacecraft are presented for a dozen solar-type stars in the field. The stars are of spectral type F6 V - G1 V; on the basis of their high Li content, they range in age from 0.1 to 2.8 Gyr. The evolution of transition regions and chromospheric emission with stellar age is studied along with the surface distribution of magnetically active regions as revealed by rotational modulation of UV emission line fluxes.

Simon, T.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Boron and beryllium in Gamma Geminorum

Observations have been made of the B II resonance line at 1362 A in the A0 IV star Gamma Gem with the Princeton spectrometer on the Copernicus satellite at a spectral resolution of 0.05 A. Complementary ground-based observations of the Be II resonance lines at 3130 and 3131 A have been made at Mauna Kea Observatory with a comparable resolution. A model-atmosphere abundance analysis has been done which includes the effects of the lines that blend with the B II and Be II lines. Previous data on Alpha Lyr and Alpha CMa for B II (which blends with a V III feature) have been reanalyzed with the help of new photographic and Reticon data from Mauna Kea which enable the determination of the V abundance. The results show that Gamma Gem is depleted in B by a factor of 5-10 relative to Alpha Lyr and other normal B stars and depleted in Be by at least a factor of four. By comparison, the hot Am star Alpha CMa is B-deficient by about three orders of magnitude and Be-deficient by at least fifteen times. It is suggested that the abundance deficiencies are due to diffusion, and that Alpha CMa is intrinsically a slow rotator, and Gamma Gem is a slightly evolved slow rotator where some, but not all, of the B and Be has resurfaced.

Boesgaard, A. M.↗

NASA NTRS1978

The abundance of boron in B- and A-type stars

Results are reported for Copernicus observations of the 1362.46-A resonance line of B II in 16 normal B and A stars. An average for the stars in which a boron abundance has been determined yields a B/H abundance ratio of 2 x 10 to the -10th; this value is taken to be the cosmic abundance of boron. The observed abundances are compared with those predicted by the galactic-cosmic-ray (GCR) spallation theory for the 'best fit' GCR flux, and remarkably good agreement is obtained. The value derived for the cosmic boron abundance is shown to support the theory that spallation reactions by high-energy GCRs on atoms of C, N, and O in the interstellar gas are responsible for the origin of B and Be as well as at least some Li. It is noted that the meteorite boron abundance is an order of magnitude greater than the cosmic abundance derived from stars, which implies an anomalous local enrichment in boron and possibly in the B-11/B-10 ratio during the formation of carbonaceous chondrites.

Boesgaard, A. M.↗

NASA NTRS1977

The abundance of boron in Vega and Sirius

High-resolution (0.05 A) Copernicus observations of the 1362.46-A B II resonance line in Sirius and Vega are analyzed. In Vega, this line is found to be strong, broad, asymmetric, and blended with another line; it is not observed in Sirius. Angular velocities of 18-20 km/s for Vega and 10 km/s for Sirius are determined. A search for subordinate lines of B II reveals no such features in the Sirius spectrum and the possible weak presence of two unblended lines in that of Vega. The cause of the asymmetry of the B II blend in Vega is investigated, line-profile calculations are performed for Sirius, and the B content of Vega is obtained by means of an LTE synthesis of the B II blend as well as a non-LTE computation of the B II line alone. It is concluded that Sirius is deficient in B relative to Vega by a factor of at least 20. The Be abundances of both stars are also examined in relation to the galactic-cosmic-ray spallation theory for the origin of light elements.

Praderie, F.↗