Related papers: Atomic diffusion in the atmosphere of Feige 86
We have performed a non-LTE spectroscopic analysis using far-UV and UV data of the central star of the planetary nebula K1-26 (Longmore 1), and found Teff = 120+/-10 kK, logg = 6.7 +0.3/-0.7, and y = 0.10. The temperature is significantly…
We discuss and illustrate contributions that optical interferometry has made on our current understanding of cool evolved stars. We include red giant branch (RGB) stars, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, and red supergiants (RSGs).…
We present FUSE spectra of 3 He-rich sdB stars. Two of these stars, PG1544+488 and JL87, reveal extremely strong C III lines at 977 and 1176A, while the carbon lines are quite weak in the third star, LB1766. We have analyzed the FUSE data…
The determination of effective temperatures of very hot central stars (Teff>70000K) by model atmosphere analyses of optical H and He line profiles is afflicted with considerable uncertainty, primarily due to the lack of neutral helium…
Heavy metal subdwarfs are a class of hot subdwarfs with very high abundances of heavy elements, typically around 10 000 times solar. They include stars which are strongly enhanced in either lead or zirconium, as well as other elements.…
Blue horizontal-branch (BHB) stars with $T_{\rm eff}$ approximately larger than 11500 K show several observational anomalies. In globular clusters, they exhibit low rotational velocities, abundance anomalies (as compared to cluster…
We have computed a grid of up-to-date stellar evolutionary models including atomic diffusion, in order to study the evolution with time of the surface Li abundance in low-mass metal-poor stars. We discuss in detail the dependence of the…
We present the initial results of an abundance analysis of echelle UV spectra of 5 hot subdwarf B (sdB) stars. These stars have been identified as core helium burning objects on the extreme Horizontal Branch. Around 5% of sdBs show…
The chemical enrichment of X-ray-emitting hot halos has primarily been studied in closed-box galaxy clusters. Investigating the metal content of lower-mass, open systems can serve as a valuable tracer for understanding their dynamical…
We present an interferometric study of the continuum surface of the red supergiant star Betelgeuse at 11.15 microns wavelength, using data obtained with the Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer each year between 2006 and 2010. These…
One of the keys to interpreting the character and evolution of interstellar matter in the galaxy is understanding the distribution of the low density hot (10^5 K -10^6 K) phase of the interstellar medium (ISM). This phase is much more…
We present the first mid-infrared spectra of two cool white dwarfs obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope. We also present 3.5-8 micron photometry for 19 cool white dwarfs with 5000K < Teff < 9000K. We perform a detailed model atmosphere…
The helium-atmosphere (DB) white dwarfs are commonly thought to be the descendants of the hotter PG1159 stars, which initially have uniform He/C/O atmospheres. In this evolutionary scenario, diffusion builds a pure He surface layer which…
Spectral analysis by means of Non-LTE model-atmosphere techniques has arrived at a high level of sophistication: fully line-blanketed model atmospheres which consider opacities of all elements from H to Ni allow the reliable determination…
Current searches for extrasolar planets have concentrated on observing the reflex Doppler shift of solar-type stars. Little is known, however, about planetary systems around non-solar-type stars. We suggest a new method to extend planetary…
The helium-atmosphere (DB) white dwarfs are commonly thought to be the descendants of the hotter PG 1159 stars, which initially have uniform He/C/O atmospheres. In this evolutionary scenario, diffusion builds a pure He surface layer which…
Cool white dwarfs with Teff < 6000 K are the remnants of the oldest stars that existed in our Galaxy. Their atmospheres, when properly characterized, can provide valuable information on white dwarf evolution and ultimately star formation…
The rapid rotation of Be stars may be caused in some cases by past mass and angular momentum accretion in an interacting binary in which the mass donor is currently viewed as a small, hot subdwarf stripped of its outer envelope. Here we…
We have analyzed FUSE observations of six hot white dwarf stars: four DA white dwarfs with T_eff >= 45000K, the DAO Feige55 (T_eff = 55000K), and the DA CD -38 10980 (T_eff = 24000K). Photospheric lines from SiIV, PV, and SVI can be…
The late evolutionary stages of stellar evolution are a key ingredient for our understanding in many fields of astrophysics, including stellar evolution and the enrichment of the interstellar medium (ISM) via stellar yields. Already the…