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We introduce a new survey of massive stars in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds using the Fibre Large Array Multi- Element Spectrograph ( FLAMES) instrument at the Very Large Telescope ( VLT). Here we present observations of 269 Galactic stars with the FLAMES- Giraffe Spectrograph ( R similar or equal to 25 000), in fields centered on the open clusters NGC3293, NGC4755 and NGC6611. These data are supplemented by a further 50 targets observed with the Fibre- Fed Extended Range Optical Spectrograph ( FEROS, R = 48 000). Following a description of our scientific motivations and target selection criteria, the data reduction methods are described; of critical importance the FLAMES reduction pipeline is found to yield spectra that are in excellent agreement with less automated methods. Spectral classifications and radial velocity measurements are presented for each star, with particular attention paid to morphological peculiarities and evidence of binarity. These observations represent a significant increase in the known spectral content of NGC3293 and NGC4755, and will serve as standards against which our subsequent FLAMES observations in the Magellanic Clouds will be compared
GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). GrassPlot collects plot records (releves) from grasslands and other open habitats of the Palaearctic biogeographic realm. It focuses on precisely delimited plots of eight standard grain sizes (0.0001; 0.001;... 1,000 m(2)) and on nested-plot series with at least four different grain sizes. The usage of GrassPlot is regulated through Bylaws that intend to balance the interests of data contributors and data users. The current version (v. 1.00) contains data for approximately 170,000 plots of different sizes and 2,800 nested-plot series. The key components are richness data and metadata. However, most included datasets also encompass compositional data. About 14,000 plots have near-complete records of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in addition to vascular plants. At present, GrassPlot contains data from 36 countries throughout the Palaearctic, spread across elevational gradients and major grassland types. GrassPlot with its multi-scale and multi-taxon focus complements the larger international vegetationplot databases, such as the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and the global database " sPlot". Its main aim is to facilitate studies on the scale-and taxon-dependency of biodiversity patterns and drivers along macroecological gradients. GrassPlot is a dynamic database and will expand through new data collection coordinated by the elected Governing Board. We invite researchers with suitable data to join GrassPlot. Researchers with project ideas addressable with GrassPlot data are welcome to submit proposals to the Governing Board.
We report the discovery of two new Galactic candidate luminous blue variable (LBV) stars via detection of circular shells (typical of confirmed and candidate LBVs) and follow-up spectroscopy of their central stars. The shells were detected at 22 mu m in the archival data of the Mid-Infrared All Sky Survey carried out with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Follow-up optical spectroscopy of the central stars of the shells conducted with the renewed Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) showed that their spectra are very similar to those of the well-known LBVs P Cygni and AG Car, and the recently discovered candidate LBV MN112, which implies the LBV classification for these stars as well. The LBV classification of both stars is supported by detection of their significant photometric variability: one of them brightened in the R and I bands by 0.68 +/- 0.10 and 0.61 +/- 0.04 mag, respectively, during the last 1318 years, while the second one (known as Hen 3-1383) varies its B, V, R, I and Ks brightnesses by similar or equal to 0.50.9 mag on time-scales from 10 d to decades. We also found significant changes in the spectrum of Hen 3-1383 on a time-scale of similar or equal to 3 months, which provides additional support for the LBV classification of this star. Further spectrophotometric monitoring of both stars is required to firmly prove their LBV status. We discuss a connection between the location of massive stars in the field and their fast rotation, and suggest that the LBV activity of the newly discovered candidate LBVs might be directly related to their possible runaway status.
Aims. Recent magnetic field surveys in O- and B-type stars revealed that about 10% of the core-hydrogen-burning massive stars host large-scale magnetic fields. The physical origin of these fields is highly debated. To identify and model the physical processes responsible for the generation of magnetic fields in massive stars, it is important to establish whether magnetic massive stars are found in very young star-forming regions or whether they are formed in close interacting binary systems.
Methods. In the framework of our ESO Large Program, we carried out low-resolution spectropolarimetric observations with FORS 2 in 2013 April of the three most massive central stars in the Trifid nebula, HD 164492A, HD 164492C, and HD 164492D. These observations indicated a strong longitudinal magnetic field of about 500-600 G in the poorly studied component HD 164492C. To confirm this detection, we used HARPS in spectropolarimetric mode on two consecutive nights in 2013 June.
Results. Our HARPS observations confirmed the longitudinal magnetic field in HD 164492C. Furthermore, the HARPS observations revealed that HD 164492C cannot be considered as a single star as it possesses one or two companions. The spectral appearance indicates that the primary is most likely of spectral type B1-B1.5 V. Since in both observing nights most spectral lines appear blended, it is currently unclear which components are magnetic. Long-term monitoring using high-resolution spectropolarimetry is necessary to separate the contribution of each component to the magnetic signal. Given the location of the system HD 164492C in one of the youngest star formation regions, this system can be considered as a Rosetta Stone for our understanding of the origin of magnetic fields in massive stars.
B fields in OB stars (BOB): Detection of a magnetic field in the He-strong star CPD-57 degrees 3509
(2016)
Methods. Spectropolarimetric observations with FORS2 and HARPSpol are analysed using two independent approaches to quantify the magnetic field strength. A high-S/N FLAMES/GIRAFFE spectrum is analysed using a hybrid non-LTE model atmosphere technique. Comparison with stellar evolution models constrains the fundamental parameters of the star. Results. We obtain a firm detection of a surface averaged longitudinal magnetic field with a maximum amplitude of about 1 kG. Assuming a dipolar configuration of the magnetic field, this implies a dipolar field strength larger than 3.3 kG. Moreover, the large amplitude and fast variation (within about 1 day) of the longitudinal magnetic field implies that CPD-57 degrees 3509 is spinning very fast despite its apparently slow projected rotational velocity. The star should be able to support a centrifugal magnetosphere, yet the spectrum shows no sign of magnetically confined material; in particular, emission in H alpha is not observed. Apparently, the wind is either not strong enough for enough material to accumulate in the magnetosphere to become observable or, alternatively, some leakage process leads to loss of material from the magnetosphere. The quantitative spectroscopic analysis of the star yields an effective temperature and a logarithmic surface gravity of 23 750 +/- 250 K and 4.05 +/- 0.10, respectively, and a surface helium fraction of 0.28 +/- 0.02 by number. The surface abundances of C, N, O, Ne, S, and Ar are compatible with the cosmic abundance standard, whereas Mg, Al, Si, and Fe are depleted by about a factor of 2. This abundance pattern can be understood as the consequence of a fractionated stellar wind. CPD-57 degrees 3509 is one of the most evolved He-strong stars known with an independent age constraint due to its cluster membership.
Mitochondriopathies often present clinically as multisystemic disorders of primarily high-energy consuming organs. Assembly, turnover, and surveillance of mitochondrial proteins are essential for mitochondrial function and a key task of AAA family members of metalloproteases. We identified a homozygous mutation in the nuclear encoded mitochondrial escape 1-like 1 gene YME1L1, member of the AAA protease family, as a cause of a novel mitochondriopathy in a consanguineous pedigree of Saudi Arabian descent. The homozygous missense mutation, located in a highly conserved region in the mitochondrial pre-sequence, inhibits cleavage of YME1L1 by the mitochondrial processing peptidase, which culminates in the rapid degradation of YME1L1 precursor protein. Impaired YME1L1 function causes a proliferation defect and mitochondrial network fragmentation due to abnormal processing of OPA1. Our results identify mutations in YME1L1 as a cause of a mitochondriopathy with optic nerve atrophy highlighting the importance of YME1L1 for mitochondrial functionality in humans.
Arctic lowlands are characterized by large numbers of small waterbodies, which are known to affect surface energy budgets and the global carbon cycle. Statistical analysis of their size distributions has been hindered by the shortage of observations at sufficiently high spatial resolutions. This situation has now changed with the high-resolution (<5 m) circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake (PeRL) database recently becoming available. We have used this database to make the first consistent, high-resolution estimation of Arctic waterbody size distributions, with surface areas ranging from 0.0001 km(2) (100 m(2)) to 1 km(2). We found that the size distributions varied greatly across the thirty study regions investigated and that there was no single universal size distribution function (including power-law distribution functions) appropriate across all of the study regions. We did, however, find close relationships between the statistical moments (mean, variance, and skewness) of the waterbody size distributions from different study regions. Specifically, we found that the spatial variance increased linearly with mean waterbody size (R-2 = 0.97, p < 2.2e-16) and that the skewness decreased approximately hyperbolically. We have demonstrated that these relationships (1) hold across the 30 Arctic study regions covering a variety of (bio)climatic and permafrost zones, (2) hold over time in two of these study regions for which multi-decadal satellite imagery is available, and (3) can be reproduced by simulating rising water levels in a high-resolution digital elevation model. The consistent spatial and temporal relationships between the statistical moments of the waterbody size distributions underscore the dominance of topographic controls in lowland permafrost areas. These results provide motivation for further analyses of the factors involved in waterbody development and spatial distribution and for investigations into the possibility of using statistical moments to predict future hydrologic dynamics in the Arctic.
The Pistol star
(1998)
The effects of rotation and stellar magnetic fields on the nebular shapes : LBV nebulae and PNe
(1998)
Waterbodies such as lakes and ponds are abundant in vast Arctic landscapes and strongly affect the thermal state of the surrounding permafrost. In order to gain a better understanding of the impact of small-and medium-sized waterbodies on permafrost and the formation of thermokarst, a land surface model was developed that can represent the vertical and lateral thermal interactions between waterbodies and permafrost. The model was validated using temperature measurements from two typical waterbodies located within the Lena River delta in northern Siberia. Impact simulations were performed under current climate conditions as well as under a moderate and a strong climate-warming scenario. The performed simulations demonstrate that small waterbodies can rise the sediment surface temperature by more than 10 degrees C and accelerate permafrost thaw by a factor of between 4 and 5. Up to 70% of this additional heat flux into the ground was found to be dissipated into the surrounding permafrost by lateral ground heat flux in the case of small, shallow, and isolated waterbodies. Under moderate climate warming, the lateral heat flux was found to reduce permafrost degradation underneath waterbodies by a factor of 2. Under stronger climatic warming, however, the lateral heat flux was too small to prevent rapid permafrost degradation. The lateral heat flux was also found to strongly impede the formation of thermokarst. Despite this stabilizing effect, our simulations have demonstrated that underneath shallow waterbodies (<1 m), thermokarst initiation happens 30 to 40 years earlier than in simulations without preexisting waterbody.
Wolf-Rayet stars are very hot stars close to the Eddington limit. In the conditions encountered in their radiation pressure dominated outer layers several instabilities are expected to arise. These instabilities could influence both the dynamic of their optically thick winds and the observed spectral lines introducing small and large scale variability. We investigate the conditions in the convective envelopes of our helium star models and relate them to the appearance of a high number of stochastic density inhomogeneities, i.e. clumping in the optically thick wind. We also investigate the pulsational stability of these envelope, considering the effect of the high stellar wind mass loss rates.
The enigmatic oxygen-sequence Wolf-Rayet stars represent a rare stage in the evolution of massive stars. Their properties can provide unique constraints on the pre-supernova evolution of massive stars. This work presents the results of a quantitative spectroscopic analysis of the known single WO stars, with the aim to obtain the key stellar parameters and deduce their evolutionary state.X-Shooter spectra of the WO stars are modeled using the line-blanketed non-local thermal equilibrium atmosphere code cmfgen. The obtained stellar parameters show that the WO stars are very hot, with temperatures ranging from 150 kK to 210 kK. Their chemical composition is dominated by carbon (>50%), while the helium mass fraction is very low (down to 14%). Oxygen mass fractions reach as high as 25%. These properties can be reproduced with dedicated evolutionary models for helium stars, which show that the stars are post core-helium burning and very close to their eventual supernova explosion. The helium-star masses indicate initial masses or approximately 40 - 60M⊙.Thus, WO stars represent the final evolutionary stage of stars with estimated initial masses of 40 - 60M⊙. They are post core-helium burning and may explode as type Ic supernovae within a few thousand years.
The evolution of massive stars is strongly influenced by their initial chemical composition. We have computed rapidly-rotating massive star models with low metallicity (∼1/50 Z⊙) that evolve chemically homogeneously and have optically-thin winds during the main sequence evolution. These luminous and hot stars are predicted to emit intense mid- and far-UV radiation, but without the broad emission lines that characterize WR stars with optically-thick winds. We show that such Transparent Wind UV-Intense (TWUIN) stars may be responsible for the high number of He ii ionizing photons observed in metal-poor dwarf galaxies, such as IZw 18. We find that these TWUIN stars are possible long-duration gamma-ray burst progenitors.
Context. Theories on the origin of magnetic fields in massive stars remain poorly developed, because the properties of their magnetic field as function of stellar parameters could not yet be investigated. Additional observations are of utmost importance to constrain the conditions that are conducive to magnetic fields and to determine first trends about their occurrence rate and field strength distribution.
Aims. To investigate whether magnetic fields in massive stars are ubiquitous or appear only in stars with a specific spectral classification, certain ages, or in a special environment, we acquired 67 new spectropolarimetric observations for 30 massive stars. Among the observed sample, roughly one third of the stars are probable members of clusters at different ages, whereas the remaining stars are field stars not known to belong to any cluster or association.
Methods. Spectropolarimetric observations were obtained during four different nights using the low-resolution spectropolarimetric mode of FOcal Reducer low dispersion Spectrograph (FORS 2) mounted on the 8-m Antu telescope of the VLT. Furthermore, we present a number of follow-up observations carried out with the high-resolution spectropolarimeters SOFIN mounted at the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) and HARPS mounted at the ESO 3.6 m between 2008 and 2011. To assess the membership in open clusters and associations, we used astrometric catalogues with the highest quality kinematic and photometric data currently available.
Results. The presence of a magnetic field is confirmed in nine stars previously observed with FORS 1/2: HD36879, HD47839, CPD-28 2561, CPD-47 2963, HD93843, HD148937, HD149757, HD328856, and HD164794. New magnetic field detections at a significance level of at least 3 sigma were achieved in five stars: HD92206c, HD93521, HD93632, CPD-46 8221, and HD157857. Among the stars with a detected magnetic field, five stars belong to open clusters with high membership probability. According to previous kinematic studies, five magnetic O-type stars in our sample are candidate runaway stars.
We report on the status of our spectropolarimetric observations of massive stars. During the last years, we have discovered magnetic fields in many objects of the upper main sequence, including Be stars, beta Cephei and Slowly Pulsating B stars, and a dozen O stars. Since the effects of those magnetic fields have been found to be substantial by recent models, we are looking into their impact on stellar rotation, pulsation, stellar winds, and chemical abundances. Accurate studies of the age, environment, and kinematic characteristics of the magnetic stars are also promising to give us new insight into the origin of the magnetic fields. Furthermore, longer time series of magnetic field measurements allow us to observe the temporal variability of the magnetic field and to deduce the stellar rotation period and the magnetic field geometry. Studies of the magnetic field in massive stars are indispensable to understand the conditions controlling the presence of those fields and their implications on the stellar physical parameters and evolution.
B fields in OB stars (BOB)
(2017)
Aims. The B fields in OB stars (BOB) Collaboration is based on an ESO Large Programme to study the occurrence rate, properties, and ultimately the origin of magnetic fields in massive stars. Methods. In the framework of this program, we carried out low-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of a large sample of massive stars using FORS2 installed at the ESO VLT 8m telescope. Results. We determined the magnetic field values with two completely independent reduction and analysis pipelines. Our in-depth study of the magnetic field measurements shows that differences between our two pipelines are usually well within 3 sigma errors. From the 32 observations of 28 OB stars, we were able to monitor the magnetic fields in CPD -57 degrees 3509 and HD164492C, confirm the magnetic field in HD54879, and detect a magnetic field in CPD -62 degrees 2124. We obtain a magnetic field detection rate of 6 +/- 3% for the full sample of 69 OB stars observed with FORS 2 within the BOB program. For the preselected objects with a nu sin i below 60 km s(-1), we obtain a magnetic field detection rate of 5 +/- 5%. We also discuss X-ray properties and multiplicity of the objects in our FORS2 sample with respect to the magnetic field detections.
PaRDeS. Zeitschrift der Vereinigung für Jüdische Studien e.V., möchte die fruchtbare und facettenreiche Kultur des Judentums sowie seine Berührungspunkte zur Umwelt in den unterschiedlichen Bereichen dokumentieren. Daneben dient die Zeitschrift als Forum zur Positionierung der Fächer Jüdische Studien und Judaistik innerhalb des wissenschaftlichen Diskurses sowie zur Diskussion ihrer historischen und gesellschaftlichen Verantwortung.
The B fields in OB stars (BOB) survey is an ESO large programme collecting spectropolarimetric observations for a large number of early-type stars in order to study the occurrence rate, properties, and ultimately the origin of magnetic fields in massive stars. As of July 2014, a total of 98 objects were observed over 20 nights with FORS2 and HARPSpol. Our preliminary results indicate that the fraction of magnetic OB stars with an organised, detectable field is low. This conclusion, now independently reached by two different surveys, has profound implications for any theoretical model attempting to explain the field formation in these objects. We discuss in this contribution some important issues addressed by our observations (e.g., the lower bound of the field strength) and the discovery of some remarkable objects.