Intrinsic properties of carbon stars. II. Spectra,colours, and HR diagram of cool carbon stars

On the basis of the effective temperature scale proposed previously for cool carbon stars (Paper I), other intrinsic properties of them are examined in detail. It is shown that the major spectroscopic properties of cool carbon stars, including those of molecular bands due to polyatomic species (SiC₂, HCN, C₂H₂ etc.), can most consistently be understood on the basis of our new effective temperature scale and the theoretical prediction of chemical equilibrium. Various photometric indices of cool carbon stars also appear to be well correlated with the new effective temperatures. Furthermore, as effective temperatures of some 30 carbon stars are now obtained, the calibration of any photometric index is straightforward, and some examples of such a calibration are given. In general, colour index-effective temperature calibrations for carbon stars are quite different from those for K-M giant stars. It is found that the intrinsic (R —I)₀ colour is nearly the same for N-irregular variables in spite of a considerable spread in effective temperatures, and this fact is used to estimate the interstellar reddening of carbon stars. An observational HR diagram of red giant stars, including carbon stars as well as K-M giant stars, is obtained on the basis of our colour index-effective temperature calibrations and the best estimations of luminosities. It is shown that carbon stars and M giant stars are sharply divided in the HR diagram by a nearly vertical line at aboutT _eff = 3200 K (logT _eff = 3.50) and the carbon stars occupy the upper right region of M giant stars (except for some high luminosity, high temperature J-type stars in the Magellanic Clouds; also Mira variables are not considered). Such an observational HR diagram of red giant stars shows rather a poor agreement with the current stellar evolution models. Especially, a more efficient mixing process in red giant stars, as compared with those ever proposed, is required to explain the formation of carbon stars.     

Coronae of cool stars

With the hypothesis generally adopted as responsible for the heating of the solar corona an attempt was made to predict the coronal temperature for a few cool stars.Stars with effective temperatures between 2500K and 3700K, with logg-values of 3 or 4, appear to have coronal temperatures only 600 to 25000K higher thanT _eff.In order to determine the possibility of coronal heating caused by sound waves we made a comparison between the frequency of the sound waves and the cut-off frequencies.     

A tentative evolutionary sequence for carbon stars derived from circumstellar shell parameters

Optically bright and very cool AFGL carbon stars have been analyzed in order to find a common evolutionary sequence according to indications in this sense derived from papers which have treated only the first or the second group of stars separately.An apparent discrepancy existing between the stellar parameters has been overcome following an inverse procedure which provides these values by means of the shell parameters.The results seem to indicate that AFGL stars, whose variability nature is still unknown, should be Mira or Mira-like according to the values of their dust shell temperatures.Dust shell masses have been estimated for both samples of stars finding an inverse dependence with the effective temperature,M _d T _* ^–9.1 .This may be interpreted in terms of evolutionary sequence in the sense that the cooler the stars the larger their shell masses.     

A search for magnetic fields in cool sdB stars

Hot cluster horizontal branch (HB) stars and field subdwarf B (sdB) stars are core helium burning stars that exhibit abundance anomalies that are believed to be due to atomic diffusion. Diffusion can be effective in these stars because they are slowly rotating. In particular, the slow rotation of the hot HB stars (T_eff > 11000 K), which show abundance anomalies, contrasts with the fast rotation of the cool HB stars, where the observed abundances are consistent with those of red giants belonging to the same cluster. The reason why sdB stars and hot HB stars are rotating slowly is unknown. In order to assess the possible role of magnetic fields on abundances and rotation, we investigated the occurrence of such fields in sdB stars with T_eff < 30 000 K, whose temperatures overlap with those of the hot HB stars. We conclude that large‐scale organised magnetic fields of kG order are not generally present in these stars but at the achieved accuracy, the possibility that they have fields of a few hundred Gauss remains open. We report the marginal detection of such a field in SB 290; further observations are needed to confirm it (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">JHKLM</Emphasis> photometry for carbon stars

We discuss our JHKLM photometry for nine carbon Mira stars, eighteen carbon semiregular variables, and two oxygen Mira stars. For fourteen carbon stars, we present and analyze their infrared light and color curves. For all of the observed objects, we have estimated the optical depths of the circumstellar dust envelopes, the angular diameters of the stars, and their temperatures.     

Convection regions and coronas of sun and stars

Photospheric models were calculated for 90 stars with effective temperatures between 2500 K and 41600 K for five logg-values ranging from 1 to 5. Molecule formation was taken into account. In order to have an idea about possible instabilities in the different stellar layers some quantities, characteristic for convection and turbulence were calculated, such as the Rayleigh-, Reynolds-, Prandtl- and Péclet-numbers. It turned out that all the investigated stars contain unstable layers, including the hottest. Nevertheless, only stars with effective temperatures of 8300 K or less contain layers where the convective energy transport is important. For all stars the convective velocities were calculated and also the generated mechanical fluxes in the convection zones were tabulated.Under the hypothesis that this mechanical energy flux is responsible for the heating of the corona, coronal models were constructed for the Sun and for some stars with effective temperatures between 5000 K and 8320 K for logg-values of 4 or 5.For Main Sequence stars the largest fluxes are generated in F-stars; stars withT _eff=7130 K and logg=4 possess also the hottest and most dense coronas with a computed temperature of 3.7·10⁶ K and logN _e =10.5.The solar corona computed in this way, on the basis of a photospheric mechanical flux of 0.14·10⁸ erg cm^–2 sec^–1, has a temperature of 1.3·10⁶ K and logN _e =9.8. This density is apparently too high, but even when including in the computations all theoretical refinements proposed in the last few years by various authors it does not appear possible to obtain a solar coronal model with a smaller density.However, when taking into account the inhomogeneous structure of the chromosphere and by associating the calculated mechanical fluxes to the coarse mottles, and lower fluxes to the undisturbed regions we find a mean coronal temperature of 1.1·10⁶ K and a mean logN _e -values of 9. The computed velocity of the solar wind at a distance of 10⁴ km above the photosphere has a value between 7 and 11 km sec^–1. These latter values are in fair agreement with the observations.     

Oxygen and carbon rich cool stars in the Cepheus region: classification of selected objects from KP2001 catalogue. I

We present moderate resolution CCD spectra and R photometry for seven KP2001 stars. We revised the spectral classification of the stars in the range λλ4000−8700? . Our photometric data confirmed the behavior of the light curves downloaded from the NSVS (Northern Sky Variability Survey) database. For KP2001-32, presented as a Mira-type variable in NSVS, we estimated absolute bolometric M _b and K-band M _K magnitudes as well as the distance using the period-luminosity relations. We also estimated the mass loss rate using the calibration relations between mass loss rate and K - [12] index. From the position in infrared color-color diagrams, we confirmed the photometric classification of KP2001-221 as a semiregular variable, based on the light curve of the NSVS database. For the N-type carbon star KP2001-77 we estimated distance and absolute magnitude M _K using different calibration methods. For the remaining four objects we derived the absolute magnitudes and distances using our CCD spectra and published JHK _S magnitudes. We discuss the nature of these objects on the basis of the obtained results.     

Unsteady mass outflow from Wolf-Rayet stars

We show that hydrostatically equilibrium models for the thin photospheres of helium stars based on new opacities κ_R (OPAL and OP) can be constructed only for masses M<5M _⊙. The parameter Г=κL/4πGMc, defined as the ratio of light pressure to gravity, exceeds a critical value of 1.0 for larger masses, which must result in mass outflow under light pressure. This mass limit matches the observed lower limit for the masses of Wolf-Rayet stars (M _WR>5M _⊙)), which is an additional argument that the Wolf-Rayet stellar cores are actually helium stars. By solving the equation of radiative transfer in extended atmospheres, we construct a semiempirical model for a WN5 star (M _WN5=10M _⊙)) with a helium core and an expanding envelope, whose physical and geometric parameters are known mainly from light-curve solution for the eclipsing binary V444 Cyg (WN5+06): outflow rate $\dot M \approx 1.0 \times 10^{ - 5} M_ \odot yr^{ - 1} $ , terminal velocity V _∞≈2000 km s^?1, and expanding-envelope optical depth τ_env≈25. The temperature at the outer boundary of the photosphere of a helium star surrounded by such an envelope is approximately 130 kK higher than that in the absence of an envelope, being T _ph≈240 kK. Because of the high temperatures, the absorption coefficients at the corresponding photospheric levels are smaller than those in models with no envelope; therefore, the photosphere turns out to be in hydrostatic equilibrium and stable against light pressure (Г_max≈0.9). As a way out of this conflicting situation (an expanding envelope together with a hydrostatically equilibrium photosphere), we propose a model of discrete mass outflow, which is also supported by the observed cloudy structure of the envelopes in this type of stars. To quantitatively estimate parameters of the nonuniform outflow model requires detailed gas-dynamical calculations.     

Mass-luminosity relation for massive stars

A catalog of massive (⩾10 M _⊙) stars in binary and multiple systems with well-known masses and luminosities has been compiled. The catalog is analyzed using a theoretical mass-luminosity relation. This relation allows both normal main-sequence stars and stars with peculiarities: with clear manifestations of mass transfer, mass accretion, and axial rotation, to be identified. Least-squares fitting of the observational data in the range of stellar masses 10M _⊙ ⩽ M ≲ 50 M _⊙ yields the relation L ∼ M ^2.76. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Spectrophotometry of carbon stars

The results of a spectrophotometric study of 13 carbon stars in the wavelength range from 4000 Å to 6800 Å with 2.75 Å resolution are given. The observed energy distributions for these stars relative to the flux at λ₀ = 5556 Å, represented in graphic form, were determined. Their color temperatures were determined from the [5710] ? [6680] color index. A dust shell is assumed to exist around U Cyg. The indices of the C_2’ MS, and CaCl molecular bands and the D_2,1 line were also determined.     

Galactic distribution of WR stars

The recent VIIth Catalogue of Galactic Wolf-Rayet Stars lists 227 Population I WR stars, comprising 127 WN, 87 WC, 10 WN/WC and 3 WO stars. Additional discoveries bring the census to 234 WR stars. A re-determination of the optical photometric distances and the galactic distribution of WR stars shows in the solar neighbourhood a projected surface density of 2.7 WR stars per kpc², a N _WC/N _WN number ratio of 1.3, and a WR binary frequency of 40 %.The galactocentric distance (R _WR) distribution per subtype showsR _WN and R _WC decreasing with WN and WC subtypes. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rotation,activity, and lithium abundance in cool binary stars

We have used two robotic telescopes to obtain time‐series high‐resolution optical echelle spectroscopy and VI and/or by photometry for a sample of 60 active stars, mostly binaries. Orbital solutions are presented for 26 double‐lined systems and for 19 single‐lined systems, seven of them for the first time but all of them with unprecedented phase coverage and accuracy. Eighteen systems turned out to be single stars. The total of 6609 R = 55000 échelle spectra are also used to systematically determine effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, rotational velocities, lithium abundances and absolute Hα‐core fluxes as a function of time. The photometry is used to infer unspotted brightness, V – I and/or b – y colors, spot‐induced brightness amplitudes and precise rotation periods. An extra 22 radial‐velocity standard stars were monitored throughout the science observations and yield a new barycentric zero point for our STELLA/SES robotic system. Our data are complemented by literature data and are used to determine rotation‐temperature‐activity relations for active binary components. We also relate lithium abundance to rotation and surface temperature. We find that 74% of all known rapidly‐rotating active binary stars are synchronized and in circular orbits but 26% (61 systems) are rotating asynchronously of which half have P_rot > P_orb and e > 0. Because rotational synchronization is predicted to occur before orbital circularization active binaries should undergo an extra spin‐down besides tidal dissipation. We suspect this to be due to a magnetically channeled wind with its subsequent braking torque. We find a steep increase of rotation period with decreasing effective temperature for active stars, P_rot α T^–7_eff, for both single and binaries, main sequence and evolved. For inactive, single giants with P_rot > 100 d, the relation is much weaker, P_rot α T^‐1.12_eff. Our data also indicate a period‐activity relation for Hα of the form R_Hα α P_0.24^rot for binaries and R_Hα α P_‐0.14^rot for singles. Its power‐law difference is possibly significant. Lithium abundances in our (field‐star) sample generally increase with effective temperature and are paralleled with an increase of the dispersion. The dispersion for binaries can be 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than for singles, peaking at an absolute spread of 3 orders of magnitude near T_eff ≈ 5000 K. On average, binaries of comparable effective temperature appear to exhibit 0.25 dex less surface lithium than singles, as expected if the depletion mechanism is rotation dependent. We also find a trend of increased Li abundance with rotational period of form log n (Li) α –0.6 log P_rot but again with a dispersion of as large as 3‐4 orders of magnitude (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Infrared photometry of the symbiotic novae V1016 Cyg and HM Sge in 1978–1999

The photometric JHKLM observations of the symbiotic novae V1016 Cyg and HM Sge in 1978–1999 are presented. Parameters of the cool stars themselves and the dust envelopes are estimated. The periods of 470±5 days (for V1016 Cyg) and 535±5 days (for HM Sge) are reliably determined from the entire set of our photometric J data for V1016 Cyg and HM Sge. In addition, monotonic light and color variations are observed on a time scale of several thousand days, with the increase in infrared brightness occurring with the simultaneous decrease in infrared color indices; i.e., the dust envelopes in which both components of the systems were embedded before the outburst of their hot sources in 1964 and 1975, respectively, had continued to disperse until late 1999. The amplitudes of these variations for HM Sge are almost twice those for V1016 Cyg. For HM Sge, the dust envelope reached a maximum density near JD 2447500 and then began to disperse. In the case of V1016 Cyg, a maximum density of the dust envelope was probably reached near JD 2444800, and its dispersal has been continuing for about 20 years. Thus, in both symbiotic novae, their dust envelopes reached a maximum density approximately eight years after the outburst of the hot component and then began to disperse. An analysis of the color-magnitude (J–K, J) diagram reveals that grains in the dust envelopes of V1016 Cyg and HM Sge are similar in their optical properties to impure silicates. The observed [J–K, K–L] color variations for the symbiotic novae under study can be explained in terms of the simple model we chose by variations in the Mira's photospheric temperature from 2400 to 3000 K and in the dust-envelope optical depth from 1 to 3 at a wavelength of 1.25 µm for a constant grain temperature. The observed J–K and K–L color indices for both symbiotic novae, while decreasing, tend to the values typical of Miras. The dust envelopes of both symbiotic novae are optically thick. The dust envelope around HM Sge is, on the average, twice as dense as that around V1016 Cyg; the Mira in V1016 Cyg is slightly cooler (~2800–2900 K) than that in HM Sge (~2600–2700 K). The dust-envelope density decreases as the Mira's temperature increases. The absolute bolometric magnitudes are $ - 5\mathop .\limits^m 1 \pm 0\mathop .\limits^m 15$ for V 1016 Cyg and $5\mathop .\limits^m 27 \pm 0\mathop .\limits^m 17$ for HM Sge. Their distances are 2.8±0.6 and 1.8±0.4 kpc, respectively; the luminosities and radii of their cool components (Miras) are 8.6×10³ L _⊙, 1×10⁴ L _⊙, 500R _⊙, and 540R _⊙. The radii of their dust envelopes are 1400R _⊙ and 1500R _⊙; the masses are (3?3.3) × 10^?5M_⊙ and (4?8) × 10^?5M_⊙ The dust envelope of V1016 Cyg disperses slower than that of HM Sge by almost a factor of 25.     

Mid-ultraviolet and optical photometry of helium stars

Mid-ultraviolet and optical photometric analysis of helium stars are presented. A linear relation exists between the effective temperature derived from model atmospheres and (1965-V)₀ index. The effective temperatures derived from (1965-V)₀ index are somewhat higher than that of MK spectral type estimates especially for late B-type helium objects.     

Infrared photometry of Sakurai’s object (V4334 Sgr) in 1996–1999

The infrared photometric observations of V4334 Sgr in 1996–1999 are presented. Together with optical data, they have allowed us to accurately estimate the bolometric flux from this star and to investigate the structure of its dust envelope over the above period. The star is shown to have passed through four well-defined stages in these four years as it moved backward along the post-AGB track, and it now appears to have started moving forward after a halt. At the first stage (1996), there was no dust in the star’s envelope. Its visual brightness slightly increased, and it reddened in the entire observed spectral range. The bolometric flux also gradually rose. At the second stage (1997), an optically thick dust envelope condensed around the star, which, however, essentially did not manifest itself at optical wavelengths. The bolometric flux continued to rise through an increase in the star’s infrared brightness alone; the rate of its rise also increased. At the third stage (1998–March 1999), V4334 Sgr entered the R CrB phase. First two shallow minima and then two deep minima were observed at optical wavelengths. The star appreciably reddened during the deep minima. The bolometric flux ceased to rise and began to gradually fall in the second half of 1998. At the fourth stage (since March 1999 up until now), V4334 Sgr has been at a protracted deep minimum, which is atypical of the R CrB stars. The bolometric flux between March and October underwent no significant variations. We describe the structure of the dust envelope around V4334 Sgr since its formation. From June 1997 until July 1998, the optical depth of the dust shell, its inner and outer radii, and its mass increased by factors of ～2.2, ～2.0, 2.3, and ～10, respectively. In July 1998, τ(V)≈2.3, R _{d, in}≈7.4×10¹⁴ cm, R _{d, in}/R _{d, out}≈0.7(R _{d, in}/R _*≈47), and M _dust≈1.6×10^?7 M _⊙.     

Photometrically determined mean surface magnetic fields of Ap stars

The photometrically determined mean surface magnetic fields B_S need a revision. None of the stars for which B_S can be measured directly by Zeeman line splitting fulfils the relation between the photometric parameter Δ(V₁ – G) and the mean surface field B_S, which is used by NORTH , CRAMER and MAEDER to determine B_S for other B2 – A3 stars. The ratio B_eff^Max/B_S for stars, which define North's relation, shows unreasonable large values.     

Radial pulsations of helium stars with masses from 10 to 50<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript>⊙</Subscript>

We have performed hydrodynamic calculations of the radial pulsations of helium stars with masses 10M_⊙ ≤ M ≤ 50M_⊙, luminosity-to-mass ratios 5 × 10³L_⊙/M_⊙ ≤ L/M ≤ 2.5 × 10⁴L_⊙/M_⊙, and effective temperatures 2 × 10⁴ K ≤ T_eff ≤ 10⁵ K for helium and heavy-element mass fractions of Y=0.98 and Z=0.02, respectively. We show that the high-temperature boundary of the instability region for radial pulsations at L/M ? 10⁴L_⊙/M_⊙ extends to T_eff≈10⁵ K. The amplitude of the velocity variations for outer layers is several hundred km s^?1, while the brightness variations in the B band of the UBV photometric system are within the range from several hundredths to half a magnitude. At constant luminosity-to-mass ratio, the radial pulsation period is determined only by the effective temperature of the star. In the ranges of luminosity-to-mass ratios 10⁴L_⊙/M_⊙ ≤ L/M ≤ 2 × 10⁴L_⊙/M_⊙ and effective temperatures 5 × 10⁴ K ≤ T_eff ≤ 9 × 10⁴ K, the periods of the radial modes are within 6 min ?Π?10³ min.     

Infrared spectral evolution of carbon stars

We collected almost all Highly Processed Data Products(HPDP)of ISO SWS01 spectra for the Galactic visual carbon stars,infrared carbon stars,extreme carbon stars and carbon-rich proto-planetary nebulae(PPNs).Those infrared spectra are primarily analyzed and discussed.It is shown that either spectral shapes/peaks,or main molecular/dust features are evidenced to change in the sequence of visual carbon stars,infrared carbon stars,extreme carbon stars and carbon-rich PPNs.Statistically,in this sequence,continua are gradually changed from blue to red and locations of spectral peaks of continua are also gradually changed from short wavelengths to long wavelengths.In addition,in this sequence,intensifies of main molecular/dust features are also gradually changed from prominent in the short wavelengths to prominent in the long wavelengths.Furthermore,from 2MASS and IRAS photometric data,the sequence is also proved.Results in this paper strongly support the previous suggestion for the evolution sequence of carbon-rich objects in our Galaxy,that is the sequence of visual carbon stars→infrared carbon stars→extreme carbon stars→carbon-rich PPNs.     

Spectrophotometric studies of Am stars

The relationships among the various physical parameters-namely, the effective temperatures, radii and bolometric magnitudes, determined on the basis of the energy distribution curves of 25 Am stars — have been studied. Their effective temperatures are in the range of 7200 K to 9700 K; the radii, 1.5R to 2.5R ; the bolometric magnitudes, 0.75 mag. to 2.25 mag.; and the masses, 1.5M to 2.25M . The Am stars in general, appear redder than their normal counterparts, the blanketing in the blue andUV regions being the major cause. For the relatively cooler stars, the (B-V) colours are found to be less affected by blanketing. They are located in the neighbourhood of the upper edge of the zero-age Main Sequence band and show a fairly wide range in the evolutionary status among themselves. The bolometric corrections which are independent of the uncertainties in the parallax measurements, follow the same trend as that of the Ap stars, with reference to the temperature.