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Results for “stars: winds, outflows”

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
NASA NTRS2014

V444 Cygni X-Ray and Polarimetric Variability: Radiative and Coriolis Forces Shape the Wind Collision Region

We present results from a study of the eclipsing, colliding-wind binary V444 Cyg that uses a combination of X-ray and optical spectropolarimetric methods to describe the 3D nature of the shock and wind structure within the system. We have created the most complete X-ray light curve of V444 Cyg to date using 40 kiloseconds of new data from Swift, and 200 kiloseconds of new and archived XMM-Newton observations. In addition, we have characterized the intrinsic, polarimetric phase-dependent behavior of the strongest optical emission lines using data obtained with the University of Wisconsin's Half-Wave Spectropolarimeter. We have detected evidence of the Coriolis distortion of the wind-wind collision in the X-ray regime, which manifests itself through asymmetric behavior around the eclipses in the system's X-ray light curves. The large opening angle of the X-ray emitting region, as well as its location (i.e. the WN wind does not collide with the O star, but rather its wind) are evidence of radiative braking/inhibition occurring within the system. Additionally, the polarimetric results show evidence of the cavity the wind-wind collision region carves out of the Wolf-Rayet star's wind.

binaries: eclipsing aEuro" stars:Wolf-Rayet aEuro"↗
NASA NTRS1993

Energetic mass outflows from young stars

Winds from low-mass optically visible T Tauri stars are investigated. It is shown that the presence of energetic T Tauri winds is coupled with the presence of solar-system-sized circumstellar disks which are optically thick in their inner regions. It is likely that these disks are in a state of mass accretion, and the source for the T Tauri winds probably derives from the innermost region of the accretion disk. It is suggested that energetic T Tauri winds are unlikely to be the primary agents in the final clearing of gas and other debris in forming planetary systems, as the cessation of energetic winds apparently coincides with the cessation of inner disk accretion. It is argued that energetic winds from both embedded IR sources and T Tauri stars share a common origin.

Edwards, Suzan↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observing the onset of the accretion wake in Vela X-1

High-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) offer a unique opportunity to investigate accretion onto compact objects and the wind structure in massive stars. A key source for such studies is the bright neutron star HMXB Vela X-1 whose convenient physical and orbital parameters facilitate analyses and in particular enable studies of the wind structure in HMXBs. Here, we analyse simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations at $\phi_{orb}$ ≈ 0.36–0.52 and perform time-resolved spectral analysis down to the pulse period of the neutron star based on our previous NuSTAR-only results. For the first time, we are able to trace the onset of the wakes in a broad 0.5–78 keV range with a high-time resolution of ~283 s and compare our results with theoretical predictions. Here we observed a clear rise in the absorption column density of the stellar wind N H,1 starting at orbital phase ~0.44, corresponding to the wake structure entering our line of sight towards the neutron star, together with local extrema throughout the observation, which are possibly associated with clumps or other structures in the wind. Periods of high absorption reveal the presence of multiple fluorescent emission lines of highly ionised species, mainly in the soft-X-ray band between 0.5 and 4 keV, indicating photoionisation of the wind.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2020

Radiography in High Mass X-Ray Binaries: Micro-Structure of the Stellar Wind Through Variability of the Column Density

Context. In high mass X-ray binaries, an accreting compact object orbits a high mass star, which loses mass through a dense and in homogeneous wind. Aims. Using the compact object as an X-ray backlight, the time variability of the absorbing column density in the wind can be exploited in order to shed light on the micro-structure of the wind and obtain unbiased stellar mass-loss rates for high mass stars. Methods. We developed a simplified representation of the stellar wind where all the matter is gathered in spherical “clumps” that are radially advected away from the star. This model enables us to explore the connections between the stochastic properties of the wind and the variability of the column density for a comprehensive set of parameters related to the orbit and to the wind micro-structure, such as the size of the clumps and their individual mass. In particular, we focus on the evolution with the orbital phase of the standard deviation of the column density and of the characteristic duration of enhanced absorption episodes. Using the porosity length, we derive analytical predictions and compare them to the standard deviations and coherence time scales that were obtained. Results. We identified the favorable systems and orbital phases to determine the wind micro-structure. The coherence time scale of the column density is shown to be the self-crossing time of a single clump in front of the compact object. We thus provide a procedure to get accurate measurements of the size and of the mass of the clumps, purely based on the observable time variability of the column density. Conclusions. The coherence time scale grants direct access to the size of the clumps, while their mass can be deduced separately from the amplitude of the variability. We further show how monitoring the variability at superior conjunctions can probe the onset of the clump-forming region above the stellar photosphere. If the high column density variations in some high mass X-ray binaries are due to unaccreted clumps which are passing by the line-of-sight, this would require high mass clumps to reproduce the observed peak-to-peak amplitude and coherence time scales. These clump properties are marginally compatible with the ones derived from radiative-hydrodynamics simulations. Alternatively, the following components could contribute to the variability of the column density: larger orbital scale structures produced by a mechanism that has yet to be identified or a dense environment in the immediate vicinity of the accretor, such as an accretion disk, an outflow, or a spherical shell surrounding the magnetosphere of the accreting neutron star.

stars: mass loss↗
DOE OSTI2020

Color–color diagrams as tools for assessment of the variable absorption in high mass X-ray binaries

High mass X-ray binaries hold the promise of allowing us to understand the structure of the winds of their supermassive companion stars by using the emission from the compact object as a backlight to evaluate the variable absorption in the structured stellar wind. The wind along the line of sight can change on timescales as short as minutes and below. However, such short timescales are not available for the direct measurement of absorption through X-ray spectroscopy with the current generation of X-ray telescopes. In this paper, we demonstrate the usability of color–color diagrams for assessing the variable absorption in wind accreting high mass X-ray binary systems. Furthermore, we employ partial covering models to describe the spectral shape of high mass X-ray binaries and assess the implication of different absorbers and their variability on the shape of color–color tracks. We show that in taking into account, the ionization of the absorber, and in particular accounting for the variation of ionization with absorption depth, is crucial to describe the observed behavior well.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Nuclear-dominated accretion flows in two dimensions – II. Ejecta dynamics and nucleosynthesis for CO and ONe white dwarfs

We study mass ejection from accretion discs formed in the merger of a white dwarf with a neutron star or black hole. These discs are mostly radiatively inefficient and support nuclear fusion reactions, with ensuing outflows and electromagnetic transients. Here we perform time-dependent, axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of these discs including a physical equation of state, viscous angular momentum transport, a coupled 19-isotope nuclear network, and self-gravity. We find no detonations in any of the configurations studied. Our global models extend from the central object to radii much larger than the disc. We evolve these global models for several orbits, as well as alternate versions with an excised inner boundary to much longer times. We obtain robust outflows, with a broad velocity distribution in the range 10 2 –10 4 km s -1 . The outflow composition is mostly that of the initial white dwarf, with burning products mixed in at the |${\lesssim } 10\rm {-}30{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| level by mass, including up to ~10 -2 M ⊙ of 56 Ni. These heavier elements (plus 4 He) are ejected within ≲ 40° of the rotation axis, and should have higher average velocities than the lighter elements that make up the white dwarf. These results are in broad agreement with previous one- and two-dimensional studies, and point to these systems as progenitors of rapidly rising (~ few day) transients. If accretion on to the central BH/NS powers a relativistic jet, these events could be accompanied by high-energy transients with peak luminosities ~10 47 –10 50 erg s -1 and peak durations of up to several minutes, possibly accounting for events like CDF-S XT2.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the stellar wind in Vela X-1 during a flare

In this work, we present a ~130 ks observation of the prototypical wind-accreting, high-mass X-ray binary Vela X-1 collected with XMM-Newton at orbital phases between 0.12 and 0.28. A strong flare took place during the observation that allows us to investigate the reaction of the clumpy stellar wind to the increased X-ray irradiation. To examine the wind’s reaction to the flare, we performed both time-averaged and time-resolved analyses of the RGS spectrum and examined potential spectral changes. We focused on the high-resolution XMM-Newton RGS spectra and divided the observation into pre-flare, flare, and post-flare phases. We modeled the time-averaged and time-resolved spectra with phenomenological components and with the self-consistent photoionization models calculated via CLOUDY and XSTAR in the pre-flare phase, where strong emission lines due to resonant transitions of highly ionized ions are seen. In the spectra, we find emission lines corresponding to K-shell transitions in highly charged ions of oxygen, neon, magnesium, and silicon as well as radiative recombination continua (RRC) of oxygen. Additionally, we observe potential absorption lines of magnesium at a lower ionization stage and features identified as iron L lines. The, CLOUDY and XSTAR photoionization models provide contradictory results, either pointing towards uncertainties in theory or possibly a more complex multi-phase plasma, or both. We are able to demonstrate the existence of a plethora of variable narrow features, including the firm detection of oxygen lines and RRC that RGS enables to observe in this source for the first time. We show that Vela X-1 is an ideal source for future high-resolution missions, such as XRISM and Athena.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

XRISM spectroscopy on orbital modulation of Fe Ly α lines in Cygnus X-3

To understand physical processes such as mass transfer and binary evolution in X-ray binaries, the orbital parameters of the system are fundamental and crucial information. Cygnus X-3 is a high-mass X-ray binary composed of a compact object of unknown nature and a Wolf–Rayet star, which is of great interest in the context of wind-fed mass accretion and binary evolution. Here we present XRISM/Resolve high-resolution spectroscopy, focusing on the Fe Ly$\alpha$ lines when the source was in its hypersoft state. We perform an orbital phase-resolved spectral analysis of the lines to study the orbital modulation of the emission and absorption lines. It is found that the emission lines reflect the orbital motion of the compact object whose estimated velocity amplitude is $430^{+150}_{-140}$ km s$^{-1}$, while the absorption lines show a variation that can be interpreted as originating from the stellar wind. We discuss possible mass ranges for the binary components using the mass function with the estimated value of the velocity amplitude in this work, combined with the relation between the mass-loss rate and the orbital period derivative and the empirical mass and mass-loss rate relation for Galactic Wolf–Rayet stars. They are constrained to be (1.3–5.1) and (9.3–12) M$_\odot$, respectively, for the assumed inclination angle of $i =25^\circ$, and become more relaxed, (1.3–24) and (9.3–16) M$_\odot$, for $i = 35^\circ$. Thus, it remains unclear whether the system harbors a black hole or a neutron star.

X-rays: binaries↗
DOE OSTI2019

Photoionization Emission Models for the Cyg X-3 X-Ray Spectrum

We present model fits to the X-ray line spectrum of the well-known high-mass X-ray binary Cyg X-3. The primary observational data set is a spectrum taken with the Chandra X-ray Observatory High Energy Transmission Grating in 2006, though we compare it to all the other observations of this source taken so far by this instrument. We show that the density must be ≥10 12 cm –3 in the region responsible for most of the emission. We discuss the influence of the dust scattering halo on the broadband spectrum, and we argue that dust scattering and extinction is not the most likely origin for the narrow feature seen near the Si K edge. We identify the features of a wind in the profiles of the strong resonance lines and show that the wind is more apparent in the lines from the lighter elements. We argue that this wind is most likely associated with the companion star. We show that the intensities of most lines can be fitted, crudely, by a single-component photoionized model. Yet, the iron K lines do not fit with this model. We show that the iron K line variability as a function of orbital phase is different from the lower-energy lines, which indicates that the lines arise in physically distinct regions. We discuss the interpretation of these results in the context of what is known about the system and similar systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Magnetohydrodynamic models of bipolar knotty jet in henize 2-90

A remarkably linear, bipolar, knotty jet was recently discovered in Hen 2-90, an object classified as a young planetary nebula. Using two-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we investigate periodic variations in jet density and velocity as the mechanism for producing the jet and its knotty structures.

bipolar stars winds outflows jet density↗
NASA NTRS1994

The role of radiative acceleration in outflows from broad absorption line QSOs. 1: Comparison with O star winds

We investigate the role of radiation pressure in accelerating the broad absorption line (BAL) outflows in QSOs by comparing their properties with those of radiatively driven O star winds. We find that, owing to their lower column densities and higher velocity spreads, BAL outflows have only a few tens of strong resonance lines that are dynamically important, as compared with 10(exp 3) - 10(exp 4) lines in O star winds. We show that the combined radiative force (the 'force multiplier') declines more rapidly as a function of column density for BAL outflows than for O star winds. This is mainly attributed to the absence of lines from excited states in the BAL region. The absorbing gas in BAL outflows must have a small filling factor in order for radiative acceleration to be important dynamically. This allows the absorbing material to remain at a high enough density to maintain the ion species necessary for efficient radiative acceleration as well (as those responsible for the observed absorption), without the average flow density becoming so large that the absorbing matter cannot be accelerated by an increment larger than its own sound speed. The latter condition is necessary if the outflow is to tap a large portion of the incident photon momentum. Once a small filling factor is assumed, radiative acceleration can be more efficient in BAL outflows than in O stars. We show that terminal velocities of a few times 10(exp 4) km/sec can be expected, provided that the absorbing matter does not have to drag with it a much heavier substrate.

Arav, Nahum↗
NASA NTRS1981

Winds in late-type stars - Mechanisms of mass outflow

The four basic mechanisms that have been proposed for explaining the acceleration of winds in late-type stars are thermal pressure gradients, radiation pressure on circumstellar dust grains, momentum addition by Alfven waves, and momentum addition by periodic shock waves. Recent work in applying these mechanisms to stars is reviewed, with consideration given to whether these mechanisms can work, even in principle, and whether they are consistent with recent ultraviolet and X-ray data from the IUE and Einstein spacecraft. It is noted that thermally driven winds are likely important for late-type dwarfs, where the mass loss rates are small, and perhaps also in G giants and supergiants, but they cannot operate alone in the K and M giants and supergiants. It is thought that radiatively driven winds are probably unimportant for all cool stars, even the M supergiants with dusty circumstellar envelopes. In principle, Alfven waves can accelerate winds to high speeds so long as the field lines are initially open or forced open by some mechanism, but detailed calculations are needed. It is noted that, for the Miras and semiregular variable supergiants, periodic shock waves provide a simple way of producing rapid mass loss.

Linsky, J. L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Outflows in star-forming galaxies: Stacking analyses of resolved winds and the relation to their hosts’ properties

ABSTRACT Outflows form an integral component in regulating the gas cycling in and out of galaxies, although their impact on the galaxy hosts is still poorly understood. Here we present an analysis of 405 high mass (log M*/M⊙ ≥ 10), star-forming galaxies (excluding AGN) with low inclinations at z ∼ 0, using stacking techniques of the Na D λλ5889, 5895 Å neutral gas tracer in IFU observations from the MaNGA DR15 survey. We detect outflows in the central regions of 78/405 galaxies and determine their extent and power through the construction of stacked annuli. We find outflows are most powerful in central regions and extend out to ∼1Re, with declining mass outflow rates and loading factors as a function of radius. The stacking of spaxels over key galaxy quantities reveals outflow detections in regions of high ΣSFR (≳0.01 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2) and $\Sigma _{M_{*}}$ (≳107 M⊙ kpc−2) along the resolved main sequence. Clear correlations with ΣSFR suggest it is the main regulator of outflows, with a critical threshold of ∼0.01 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2 needed to escape the weight of the disc and launch them. Furthermore, measurements of the Hδ and Dn4000 indices reveal virtually identical star formation histories between galaxies with outflows and those without. Finally, through stacking of H i 21 cm observations for a subset of our sample, we find outflow galaxies show reduced H i gas fractions at central velocities compared to their non-detection control counterparts, suggestive of some removal of H i gas, likely in the central regions of the galaxies, but not enough to completely quench the host.

Roberts-Borsani, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A compact density condensation around L1551-IRS 5: 2.7mm continuum observations with 4" resolution

The dark cloud L1551 contains the best known examples of bipolar molecular outflow. Such outflows are assumed to be driven by winds from young stars embedded in a cloud but the mechanism for collimation of the outflows is still in doubt, though it has been much debated. Among the possibilities put forth to date are intrinsically anisotropic stellar winds, isotropic stellar winds collimated by interstellar toroidal shaped clouds on the order of 10(17) cm in size, or circumstellar disks of order 10(15) cm in size. Because the outflow in L1551 as revealed by the Very Large Array (VLA) cm continuum observations is collimated even at the arc second level it seems as though the stellar wind powering the outflow must either be initially anisotropic or be collimated by something very close to the star, such as a circumstellar disk. We have observed L1551 in the continuum at 2.7 mm with the OVRO millimeter-wave interferometer in the winter of 1983-4 and again, more extensively, in 1985-6. The resulting map shows for the first time direct evidence for a density condensation capable of collimating an initially isotropic flow from IRS 5. This map made from data taken in 1985-6 with projected baselines up to 100 m in length (37k lambda). It has been cleaned and reconstructed with a 4'' gaussian beam. It shows a nearly unresolved source with a suggestion of extension at the 3'' level (assuming a gaussian source shape). The integrated flux density in this map is 170 mJy. A composite spectrum of L1551 is presented which shows that the flux at 2.7 mm is due to the thermal radiation from dust that is also seen at shorter wavelengths. Very little of it can be due to the continuation of the nearly flat cm wavelength spectrum which is assumed to be from thermal bremsstrahlung radiation. The map and spectrum provide strong constraints on the size, temperature, and optical depth of the density condensation surrounding IRS 5.

Keene, J.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Systematic exploration of heavy element nucleosynthesis in protomagnetar outflows

ABSTRACT We study the nucleosynthesis products in neutrino-driven winds from rapidly rotating, highly magnetized and misaligned protomagnetars using the nuclear reaction network SkyNet. We adopt a semi-analytic parametrized model for the protomagnetar and systematically study the capabilities of its neutrino-driven wind for synthesizing nuclei and eventually producing ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). We find that for neutron-rich outflows (Ye < 0.5), synthesis of heavy elements ($\overline{A}\sim 20-65$) is possible during the first $\sim 10\, {\rm s}$ of the outflow, but these nuclei are subjected to composition-altering photodisintegration during the epoch of particle acceleration at the dissipation radii. However, after the first $\sim 10\, {\rm s}$ of the outflow, nucleosynthesis reaches lighter elements ($\overline{A}\sim 10-50$) that are not subjected to subsequent photodisintegration. For proton-rich (Ye ≥ 0.5) outflows, synthesis is more limited ($\overline{A}\sim 4-15$). These suggest that while protomagnetars typically do not synthesize nuclei heavier than second r-process peak elements, they are intriguing sources of intermediate/heavy mass UHECRs. For all configurations, the most rapidly rotating protomagnetars are more conducive for nucleosynthesis with a weaker dependence on the magnetic field strength.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2016

Spatially Resolved Galactic Wind in Lensed Galaxy RCSGA 032727-132609

We probe the spatial distribution of outflowing gas along four lines of sight separated by up to 6 kpc in a gravitationally lensed star-forming galaxy at z = 1.70. Using Mg II and Fe II emission and absorption as tracers, we find that the clumps of star formation are driving galactic outflows with velocities of − 170 to − 250 km/s. The velocities of Mg II emission are redshifted with respect to the systemic velocities of the galaxy, consistent with being backscattered. By contrast, the Fe II fluorescent emission lines are either slightly blueshifted or at the systemic velocity of the galaxy. Taken together, the velocity structure of the Mg II and Fe II emission is consistent with arising through scattering in galactic winds. Assuming a thin shell geometry for the outflowing gas, the estimated masses carried out by these outflows are large (approx 30-50 M/yr), with mass loading factors several times the star formation rate. Almost 20 per cent to 50 per cent of the blueshifted absorption probably escapes the gravitational potential of the galaxy. In this galaxy, the outflow is 'locally sourced', that is, the properties of the outflow in each line of sight are dominated by the properties of the nearest clump of star formation; the wind is not global to the galaxy. The mass outflow rates and the momentum flux carried out by outflows in individual star-forming knots of this object are comparable to that of starburst galaxies in the local Universe.

Bordoloi, Rongmon↗
NASA NTRS1976

Magnetic acceleration of winds from solar-type stars

The spin-down of solar type stars (F5 V to G3 V) is generally ascribed to the outflow of magnetized plasma in the form of a wind. Magnetically coupled stellar winds are thought to provide the dominant mechanism for angular momentum loss over the entire main-sequence lifetime of stars possessing hydrogen convective zones. The associated loss in rotational kinetic energy can strongly affect the energetics of winds emanating from such stars, for sufficiently high rotation rates and magnetic field strengths. In the present paper, an attempt is made to describe qualitatively how MHD plasma outflow from a rotating star adjusts itself to a broad range of stellar conditions, including fast, intermediate, and slow magnetic rotator configurations. Using the Weber and Davis (1967) model of MHD winds, it is shown that the magnetic deceleration of an MHD wind is of importance when the loss of rotational kinetic energy due to magnetic braking exceeds the energy flux due to thermal processes alone.

Belcher, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Stellar winds, fast rotators, and magnetic acceleration

The assumption that observed mass outflow from a star is due to a magnetically driven wind implies an upper bound on the surface magnetic field strength from regions where the wind originates. Evidence is reported that corroborates Rosendhal's observation of an abrupt change in the velocity-gradient-luminosity relationship for B8 and later supergiants. The smallest upper bounds correspond to later spectral types, for which radiation would be a relatively inefficient mechanism for driving wind; these winds may in fact be magnetically driven. Be stars are prime candidates for magnetically accelerated winds due to large rotation rates and small mass loss rates. Observed flows can be driven by 0.1-10 gauss surface fields. Intense field in fast rotators can lead to dramatic mass loss rates and large terminal velocities; sigma Ori E may be such an object. Finally, the effect of magnetic acceleration on the dispersal of solar nebula is considered. The increased velocities allow the wind to disperse a mass of 90 times the initial outflowing mass in the wind.

Nerney, S.↗