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Results for “STELLAR RADIATION”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

On large-scale dynamos with stable stratification and the application to stellar radiative zones

Our understanding of large-scale magnetic fields in stellar radiative zones remains fragmented and incomplete. Such magnetic fields, which must be produced by some form of dynamo mechanism, are thought to dominate angular-momentum transport, making them crucial to stellar evolution. A major difficulty is the effect of stable stratification, which generally suppresses dynamo action. We explore the effects of stable stratification on mean-field dynamo theory with a particular focus on a non-helical large-scale dynamo (LSD) mechanism known as the magnetic shear-current effect. We find that the mechanism is robust to increasing stable stratification as long as the original requirements for its operation are met: a source of shear and non-helical magnetic fluctuations (e.g. from a small-scale dynamo). Both are plausibly sourced in the presence of differential rotation. Our idealized direct numerical simulations, supported by mean-field theory, demonstrate the generation of near equipartition large-scale toroidal fields. Additionally, a scan over magnetic Reynolds number shows no change in the growth or saturation of the LSD, providing good numerical evidence of a dynamo mechanism resilient to catastrophic quenching, which has been an issue for helical dynamos. These properties – the absence of catastrophic quenching and robustness to stable stratification – make the mechanism a plausible candidate for generating in situ large-scale magnetic fields in stellar radiative zones.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

OUTWARD MOTION OF POROUS DUST AGGREGATES BY STELLAR RADIATION PRESSURE IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

We study the dust motion at the surface layer of protoplanetary disks. Dust grains in the surface layer migrate outward owing to angular momentum transport via gas-drag force induced by the stellar radiation pressure. In this study we calculate the mass flux of the outward motion of compact grains and porous dust aggregates by the radiation pressure. The radiation pressure force for porous dust aggregates is calculated using the T-Matrix Method for the Clusters of Spheres. First, we confirm that porous dust aggregates are forced by strong radiation pressure even if they grow to be larger aggregates, in contrast to homogeneous and spherical compact grains, for which radiation pressure efficiency becomes lower when their sizes increase. In addition, we find that the outward mass flux of porous dust aggregates with monomer size of 0.1 μm is larger than that of compact grains by an order of magnitude at the disk radius of 1 AU, when their sizes are several microns. This implies that large compact grains like calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions are hardly transported to the outer region by stellar radiation pressure, whereas porous dust aggregates like chondritic-porous interplanetary dust particles are efficiently transported to the comet formation region. Crystalline silicates are possibly transported in porous dust aggregates by stellar radiation pressure from the inner hot region to the outer cold cometary region in the protosolar nebula.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

An iterative phase-space explicit discontinuous Galerkin method for stellar radiative transfer in extended atmospheres

In this work, a phase-space discontinuous Galerkin (PSDG) method is presented for the solution of stellar radiative transfer problems. It allows for greater adaptivity than competing methods without sacrificing generality. The method is extensively tested on a spherically symmetric, static, inverse-power-law scattering atmosphere. Results for different sizes of atmospheres and intensities of scattering agreed with asymptotic values. The exponentially decaying behavior of the radiative field in the diffusive-transparent transition region, and the forward peaking behavior at the surface of extended atmospheres were accurately captured. The integrodifferential equation of radiation transfer is solved iteratively by alternating between the radiative pressure equation and the original equation with the integral term treated as an energy density source term. In each iteration, the equations are solved via an explicit, flux-conserving, discontinuous Galerkin method. Finite elements are ordered in wave fronts perpendicular to the characteristic curves so that elemental linear algebraic systems are solved quickly by sweeping the phase space element by element. Two implementations of a diffusive boundary condition at the origin are demonstrated wherein the finite discontinuity in the radiation intensity is accurately captured by the proposed method. This allows for a consistent mechanism to preserve photon luminosity. The method was proved to be robust and fast, and a case is made for the adequacy of parallel processing. In addition to classical two-dimensional plots, results of normalized radiation intensity were mapped onto a log-polar surface exhibiting all distinguishing features of the problem studied.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reionization with galaxies and active galactic nuclei

In this work we investigate the properties of the sources that reionized the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the high-redshift Universe. Using a semi-analytical model aimed at reproducing galaxies and black holes in the first ~1.5 Gyr of the Universe, we revisit the relative role of star formation and black hole accretion in producing ionizing photons that can escape into the IGM. Both star formation and black hole accretion are regulated by supernova feedback, resulting in black hole accretion being stunted in low-mass haloes. We explore a wide range of combinations for the escape fraction of ionizing photons (redshift-dependent, constant, and scaling with stellar mass) from both star formation ( |$\langle f_{\rm esc}^{\rm sf} \rangle$| ) and AGN ( |$f_{\rm esc}^{\rm bh}$| ) to find: (i) the ionizing budget is dominated by stellar radiation from low stellar mass ( |$M_*\lt 10^9 \, {\rm \rm M_\odot }$| ) galaxies at z > 6 with the AGN contribution (driven by |$M_{bh}\gt 10^6 \, {\rm \rm M_\odot }$| black holes in |$M_* \gtrsim 10^9\, {\rm \rm M_\odot}$| galaxies) dominating at lower redshifts; (ii) AGN only contribute |$10-25{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| to the cumulative ionizing emissivity by z = 4 for the models that match the observed reionization constraints; (iii) if the stellar mass dependence of |$\langle f_{\rm esc}^{\rm sf} \rangle$| is shallower than |$f_{\rm esc}^{\rm bh}$| , at z < 7 a transition stellar mass exists above which AGN dominate the escaping ionizing photon production rate; (iv) the transition stellar mass decreases with decreasing redshift. While AGN dominate the escaping emissivity above the knee of the stellar mass function at z ~ 6.8, they take-over at stellar masses that are a tenth of the knee mass by z = 4.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Survey of Lines in M31 (SLIM): The Drivers of the [C ii]/TIR Variation

The ratio of the [C ii] 158 μm emission line over the total infrared emission (TIR) is often used as a proxy for the photoelectric (PE) heating efficiency (ϵ{sub PE}) of the far-ultraviolet (FUV) photons absorbed by dust in the interstellar medium. In the nearby galaxy M31, we measure a strong radial variation of [C ii]/TIR that we rule out as being due to an intrinsic variation in ϵ{sub PE}. [C ii]/TIR fails as a proxy for ϵ{sub PE}, because the TIR measures all dust heating, not just the contribution from FUV photons capable of ejecting electrons from dust grains. Using extensive multi-wavelength coverage from the FUV to far-infrared, we infer the attenuated FUV emission (UV{sub att}), and the total attenuated flux (TOT{sub att}). We find [C ii]/TIR to be strongly correlated with UV{sub att}/TOT{sub att}, indicating that, in M31 at least, one of the dominant drivers for [C ii]/TIR variation is the relative hardness of the absorbed stellar radiation field. We define ϵ{sub PE}{sup UV}, [C ii]/UV{sub att} which should be more closely related to the actual PE efficiency, which we find to be essentially constant (1.85±0.8%) in all explored fields in M31. This suggests that part of the observed variation of [C ii]/TIR in other galaxies is likely due to a change in the relative hardness of the absorbed stellar radiation field, caused by a combination of variations in the stellar population, dust opacity, and galaxy metallicity, though PE efficiency may also vary across a wider range of environments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

CO and [C ii] line emission of molecular clouds: the impact of stellar feedback and non-equilibrium chemistry

We analyse synthetic 12 CO, 13 CO, and [C ii] emission maps of molecular cloud (MC) simulations from the SILCC-Zoom project. We present radiation, magnetohydrodynamic zoom-in simulations of individual clouds, both with and without radiative stellar feedback, forming in a turbulent multiphase interstellar medium following on-the-fly the evolution of e.g. H 2 , CO, and C + . We introduce a novel post-processing routine based on cloudy which accounts for higher ionization states of carbon due to stellar radiation in H ii regions. Synthetic emission maps of [C ii] in and around feedback bubbles show that the bubbles are largely devoid of [C ii], as recently found in observations, which we attribute to the further ionization of C+ into C 2+ . For both 12 CO and 13 CO, the cloud-averaged luminosity ratio, $L_\rm {CO}/L_\rm {[C\, \small {II}]}$, can neither be used as a reliable measure of the H 2 mass fraction nor of the evolutionary stage of the clouds. We note a relation between the $I_\rm {CO}/I_\rm {[C\, \small {II}]}$ intensity ratio and the H 2 mass fraction for individual pixels of our synthetic maps. The scatter, however, is too large to reliably infer the H 2 mass fraction. Finally, the assumption of chemical equilibrium overestimates H2 and CO masses by up to 150 and 50 per cent, respectively, and $L_\rm {CO}$ by up to 60 per cent. The masses of H and C + would be underestimated by 65 and 30 per cent, respectively, and $L_\rm {[C\, \small {II}]}$ by up to 35 per cent. Hence, the assumption of chemical equilibrium in MC simulations introduces intrinsic errors of a factor of 2 in chemical abundances, luminosities, and luminosity ratios.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Detailed opacity comparison for an improved stellar modeling of the envelopes of massive stars

Seismic observations have led to doubts or ambiguities concerning the opacity calculations used in stellar physics. Here, we concentrate on the iron-group opacity peak, due to iron, nickel, and chromium, located around T = 200,000 K for densities from 10{sup −8} to 10{sup −4} g cm{sup −3}, which creates some convective layers in stellar radiative envelopes for masses between 3 and 18 M{sub ⊙}. These conditions were extensively studied in the 1980s. More recently, inconsistencies between OP and OPAL opacity calculations have complicated the interpretation of seismic observations as the iron-group opacity peak excites acoustic and gravity modes in SPB, β Cephei, and sdB stars. We investigate the reliability of the theoretical opacity calculations using the modern opacity codes ATOMIC and SCO-RCG. We show their temperature and density dependence for conditions that are achievable in the laboratory and equivalent to astrophysical conditions. We also compare new theoretical opacity spectra with OP spectra and quantify how different approximations impact the Rosseland mean calculations.This detailed study estimates new ATOMIC and SCO-RCG Rosseland mean values for astrophysical conditions which we compare to OP values. Some puzzling questions are still under investigation for iron, but we find a strong increase in the Rosseland mean nickel opacity of a factor between 2 and 6 compared to OP. This appears to be due to the use of extrapolated atomic data for the Ni opacity within the OP calculations. A study on chromium is also shown.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE ORION FINGERS: NEAR-IR SPECTRAL IMAGING OF AN EXPLOSIVE OUTFLOW

We present near-IR (1.1–2.4 μ m) position–position–velocity cubes of the 500 year old Orion BN/KL explosive outflow with spatial resolution 1″ and spectral resolution 86 km s{sup −1}. We construct integrated intensity maps free of continuum sources of 15 H{sub 2} and [Fe ii] lines while preserving kinematic information of individual outflow features. Included in the detected H{sub 2} lines are the 1-0 S(1) and 1-0 Q(3) transitions, allowing extinction measurements across the outflow. Additionally, we present dereddened flux ratios for over two dozen outflow features to allow for the characterization of the true excitation conditions of the BN/KL outflow. All of the ratios show the dominance of the shock excitation of the H{sub 2} emission, although some features exhibit signs of fluorescent excitation from stellar radiation or J-type shocks. We also detect tracers of the PDR/ionization front north of the Trapezium stars in [O i] and [Fe ii] and analyze other observed outflows not associated with the BN/KL outflow.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

X-Ray-induced Deuterium Enrichment of N-rich Organics in Protoplanetary Disks: An Experimental Investigation Using Synchrotron Light

The deuterium enrichment of organics in the interstellar medium, protoplanetary disks, and meteorites has been proposed to be the result of ionizing radiation. The goal of this study is to simulate and quantify the effects of soft X-rays (0.1–2 keV), an important component of stellar radiation fields illuminating protoplanetary disks, on the refractory organics present in the disks. We prepared tholins, nitrogen-rich organic analogs to solids found in several astrophysical environments, e.g., Titan’s atmosphere, cometary surfaces, and protoplanetary disks, via plasma deposition. Controlled irradiation experiments with soft X-rays at 0.5 and 1.3 keV were performed at the SEXTANTS beamline of the SOLEIL synchrotron, and were immediately followed by ex-situ infrared, Raman, and isotopic diagnostics. Infrared spectroscopy revealed the preferential loss of singly bonded groups (N–H, C–H, and R–N≡C) and the formation of sp{sup 3} carbon defects with signatures at ∼1250–1300 cm{sup −1}. Raman analysis revealed that, while the length of polyaromatic units is only slightly modified, the introduction of defects leads to structural amorphization. Finally, tholins were measured via secondary ion mass spectrometry to quantify the D, H, and C elemental abundances in the irradiated versus non-irradiated areas. Isotopic analysis revealed that significant D-enrichment is induced by X-ray irradiation. Our results are compared to previous experimental studies involving the thermal degradation and electron irradiation of organics. The penetration depth of soft X-rays in μ m-sized tholins leads to volume rather than surface modifications: lower-energy X-rays (0.5 keV) induce a larger D-enrichment than 1.3 keV X-rays, reaching a plateau for doses larger than 5 × 10{sup 27} eV cm{sup −3}. Synchrotron fluences fall within the expected soft X-ray fluences in protoplanetary disks, and thus provide evidence of a new non-thermal pathway to deuterium fractionation of organic matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A PRIMER ON UNIFYING DEBRIS DISK MORPHOLOGIES

A “minimum model” for debris disks consists of a narrow ring of parent bodies, secularly forced by a single planet on a possibly eccentric orbit, colliding to produce dust grains that are perturbed by stellar radiation pressure. We demonstrate how this minimum model can reproduce a wide variety of disk morphologies imaged in scattered starlight. Five broad categories of disk shape can be captured: “rings,” “needles,” “ships-and-wakes,” “bars,” and “moths (a.k.a. fans),” depending on the viewing geometry. Moths can also sport “double wings.” We explain the origin of morphological features from first principles, exploring the dependence on planet eccentricity, disk inclination dispersion, and the parent body orbital phases at which dust grains are born. A key determinant in disk appearance is the degree to which dust grain orbits are apsidally aligned. Our study of a simple steady-state (secularly relaxed) disk should serve as a reference for more detailed models tailored to individual systems. We use the intuition gained from our guidebook of disk morphologies to interpret, informally, the images of a number of real-world debris disks. These interpretations suggest that the farthest reaches of planetary systems are perturbed by eccentric planets, possibly just a few Earth masses each.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Examining astrophysical gas cloud collapse using an optical depth-scaled, x-ray-irradiated, carbon-foam sphere

When stellar radiation interacts with a molecular cloud, the cloud's fate depends on the strength of the incident radiation and the radiation's mean-free-path within the cloud [F. Bertoldi, Astrophys. J. 346, 735–755 (1989)]. Under the right conditions, the radiation compresses the cloud and a star formation may occur. Where and when the stellar formation occurs in the cloud's collapse are open questions. Direct observation of the complete star–cloud lifecycle is nearly impossible due to the immense timescales and distances over which the interaction occurs. Laboratory astrophysics offers a way to investigate such a system by scaling the important astrophysical parameters to the laboratory. This work describes laboratory experiments to study the radiation-driven implosion of clouds, using x rays from a laser-irradiated, thin, gold foil as a surrogate star and a carbon-foam sphere as a surrogate cloud. An optically thick system, theoretically corresponding to a star-forming regime, was selected by choice of the foam density. Gold foil and sphere motions were imaged by x-ray radiography. Radiographic images show the formation of an interface between rarefied gold and carbon plasmas, a shock moving into the sphere, and a blunting of the initial sphere's shape. Measurements show that the shock moved linearly around 64 μm/ns into the sphere, and the gold–carbon interface formed by 2 ns at the sphere edge remained stationary. The deformation of the sphere was driven by the incident radiation and not by mechanical pressures applied by gold plasma. The blunting of the sphere was likely due to the geometric reduction of flux near the sphere's poles. Higher x-ray flux near the sphere's equator caused high compression and a faster shock, which flattened the sphere. We will discuss the results and implications of our observations.

VanDervort, R. W. [University of Michigan 1 , Ann ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Atmospheric Dynamics and the Variable Transit of KELT-9 b

We present a spectrally and temporally resolved detection of the optical Mg i triplet at 7.8σ in the extended atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter KELT-9 b, adding to the list of detected metal species in the hottest gas giant currently known. Constraints are placed on the density and radial extent of the excited hydrogen envelope using simultaneous observations of Hα and Hβ under the assumption of a spherically symmetric atmosphere. We find that planetary rotational broadening of v{sub rot}=8.2{sub −0.7}{sup +0.6} km s{sup −1} is necessary to reproduce the Balmer line transmission profile shapes, where the model including rotation is strongly preferred over the non-rotating model using a Bayesian information criterion comparison. The time series of both metal line and hydrogen absorption show remarkable structure, suggesting that the atmosphere observed during this transit is dynamic rather than static. We detect a relative emission feature near the end of the transit which exhibits a P-Cygni-like shape, evidence of material moving at ≈50–100 km s{sup −1} away from the planet. We hypothesize that the in-transit variability and subsequent P-Cygni-like profiles are due to a flaring event that caused the atmosphere to expand, resulting in unbound material being accelerated to high speeds by stellar radiation pressure. Further spectroscopic transit observations will help establish the frequency of such events.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in the HD 34700 debris disk

The debris disk around the Vega-type star HD 34700 is detected in dust thermal emission from the near-infrared (IR) to millimeter (mm) and submm wavelength range. Also detected is a distinct set of emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 μm, which are commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. We model the observed dust IR spectral energy distribution (SED) and PAH emission features of the HD 34700 disk in terms of porous dust and astronomical-PAHs. Porous dust together with a mixture of neutral and ionized PAHs closely explains the dust IR SED and PAH emission features observed in the HD 34700 disk. Due to the stellar radiation pressure and Poynting–Robertson drag together with the photodissociation of PAHs, substantial removal of dust and PAHs has occurred in the disk, and continuous replenishment of these materials is required to maintain their current abundances. This implies that these materials are not primitive but secondary products probably originating from mutual collisions among planetesimals, asteroids, and comets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

SEMI-EMPIRICAL MODELING OF THE PHOTOSPHERE, CHROMOPSHERE, TRANSITION REGION, AND CORONA OF THE M-DWARF HOST STAR GJ 832

Stellar radiation from X-rays to the visible provides the energy that controls the photochemistry and mass loss from exoplanet atmospheres. The important extreme ultraviolet (EUV) region (10–91.2 nm) is inaccessible and should be computed from a reliable stellar model. It is essential to understand the formation regions and physical processes responsible for the various stellar emission features to predict how the spectral energy distribution varies with age and activity levels. We compute a state-of-the-art semi-empirical atmospheric model and the emergent high-resolution synthetic spectrum of the moderately active M2 V star GJ 832 as the first of a series of models for stars with different activity levels. We construct a one-dimensional simple model for the physical structure of the star’s chromosphere, chromosphere-corona transition region, and corona using non-LTE radiative transfer techniques and many molecular lines. The synthesized spectrum for this model fits the continuum and lines across the UV-to-optical spectrum. Particular emphasis is given to the emission lines at wavelengths that are shorter than 300 nm observed with the Hubble Space Telescope , which have important effects on the photochemistry of the exoplanet atmospheres. The FUV line ratios indicate that the transition region of GJ 832 is more biased to hotter material than that of the quiet Sun. The excellent agreement of our computed EUV luminosity with that obtained by two other techniques indicates that our model predicts reliable EUV emission from GJ 832. We find that the unobserved EUV flux of GJ 832, which heats the outer atmospheres of exoplanets and drives their mass loss, is comparable to the active Sun.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping project: Post-starburst signatures in quasar host galaxies at z < 1

Quasar host galaxies are key for understanding the relation between galaxies and the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at their centers. We present a study of 191 broad-line quasars and their host galaxies at z<1, using high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) spectra produced by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping project. Clear detection of stellar absorption lines allows a reliable decomposition of the observed spectra into nuclear and host components, using spectral models of quasar and stellar radiations as well as emission lines from the interstellar medium. We estimate age, mass M{sub ∗}, and velocity dispersion σ{sub ∗} of the host stars, the star formation rate (SFR), quasar luminosity, and SMBH mass M{sub ∙}, for each object. The quasars are preferentially hosted by massive galaxies with M{sub ∗}∼10{sup 11} M{sub ⊙} characterized by stellar ages around 1 billion yr, which coincides with the transition phase of normal galaxies from the blue cloud to the red sequence. The host galaxies have relatively low SFRs and fall below the main sequence of star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. These facts suggest that the hosts have experienced an episode of major star formation sometime in the past 1 billion yr, which was subsequently quenched or suppressed. The derived M{sub ∙}−σ{sub ∗} and M{sub ∙}−M{sub ∗} relations agree with our past measurements and are consistent with no evolution from the local universe. The present analysis demonstrates that reliable measurements of stellar properties of quasar host galaxies are possible with high-S/N fiber spectra, which will be acquired in large numbers with future powerful instruments such as the Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

STRATOSPHERIC TEMPERATURES AND WATER LOSS FROM MOIST GREENHOUSE ATMOSPHERES OF EARTH-LIKE PLANETS

A radiative-convective climate model is used to calculate stratospheric temperatures and water vapor concentrations for ozone-free atmospheres warmer than that of modern Earth. Cold, dry stratospheres are predicted at low surface temperatures, in agreement with recent 3D calculations. However, at surface temperatures above 350 K, the stratosphere warms and water vapor becomes a major upper atmospheric constituent, allowing water to be lost by photodissociation and hydrogen escape. Hence, a moist greenhouse explanation for loss of water from Venus, or some exoplanet receiving a comparable amount of stellar radiation, remains a viable hypothesis. Temperatures in the upper parts of such atmospheres are well below those estimated for a gray atmosphere, and this factor should be taken into account when performing inverse climate calculations to determine habitable zone boundaries using 1D models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Variable H{sup 13}CO{sup +} Emission in the IM Lup Disk: X-Ray Driven Time-dependent Chemistry?

We report the first detection of a substantial brightening event in an isotopologue of a key molecular ion, HCO{sup +}, within a protoplanetary disk of a T Tauri star. The H{sup 13}CO{sup +} J=3−2 rotational transition was observed three times toward IM Lup between 2014 July and 2015 May with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The first two observations show similar spectrally integrated line and continuum fluxes, while the third observation shows a doubling in the disk-integrated J=3−2 line flux compared to the continuum, which does not change between the three epochs. We explore models of an X-ray active star irradiating the disk via stellar flares, and find that the optically thin H{sup 13}CO{sup +} emission variation can potentially be explained via X-ray-driven chemistry temporarily enhancing the HCO{sup +} abundance in the upper layers of the disk atmosphere during large or prolonged flaring events. If the HCO{sup +} enhancement is indeed caused by an X-ray flare, future observations should be able to spatially resolve these events and potentially enable us to watch the chemical aftermath of the high-energy stellar radiation propagating across the face of protoplanetary disks, providing a new pathway to explore ionization physics and chemistry, including electron density, in disks.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

K2-97b: A (RE-?)INFLATED PLANET ORBITING A RED GIANT STAR

Strongly irradiated giant planets are observed to have radii larger than thermal evolution models predict. Although these inflated planets have been known for over 15 years, it is unclear whether their inflation is caused by the deposition of energy from the host star or the inhibited cooling of the planet. These processes can be distinguished if the planet becomes highly irradiated only when the host star evolves onto the red giant branch. We report the discovery of K2-97b, a 1.31 ± 0.11 R {sub J}, 1.10 ± 0.11 M {sub J} planet orbiting a 4.20 ± 0.14 R {sub ⊙}, 1.16 ± 0.12 M {sub ⊙} red giant star with an orbital period of 8.4 days. We precisely constrained stellar and planetary parameters by combining asteroseismology, spectroscopy, and granulation noise modeling along with transit and radial velocity measurements. The uncertainty in planet radius is dominated by systematic differences in transit depth, which we measure to be up to 30% between different light-curve reduction methods. Our calculations indicate the incident flux on this planet was 170{sub −60}{sup +140} times the incident flux on Earth, while the star was on the main sequence. Previous studies suggest that this incident flux is insufficient to delay planetary cooling enough to explain the present planet radius. This system thus provides the first evidence that planets may be inflated directly by incident stellar radiation rather than by delayed loss of heat from formation. Further studies of planets around red giant branch stars will confirm or contradict this hypothesis and may reveal a new class of re-inflated planets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗