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arXiv 0708.2445astro-ph
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水平分支星与紫外宇宙

Horizontal Branch Stars and the Ultraviolet Universe

M. Catelan

摘要:

极热的水平分支星(HB)和它们的后代被广泛认为是造成椭圆星系中的“紫外线上转”(或UVX)现象和螺旋星系凸起的原因。然而,导致这些恒星产生的精确进化途径仍然是许多争论的来源。在这篇综述中,我们讨论了两个关键的物理成分,需要为了可靠的定量模型的紫外输出的恒星星族计算,即红巨星分支恒星的质量损失率和氦富集“法律”在高金属丰度。特别是,最近的证据表明,在银河系隆起的α元素丰度强烈增强,(与圆盘相比),以及(大质量)椭圆星系中类似过剩的可用迹象,这强烈地表明,在[Fe/H] ~ +时,椭圆星系和凸起星系中的氦丰度Y可能比螺旋星系中的高,可达0.15 0.5.如果是这样的话,这将非常有利于在银河系球状体中产生高金属丰度的热HB星。我们还讨论了普遍采用的赖默斯“定律”之外的质量损失配方的存在,不仅更符合现有的经验数据,但也更有利于生产扩展HB星在高金属丰度。最后,我们讨论了新的经验证据表明,不同的进化渠道可能是负责生产的EHB明星在外地和集群。

英文摘要:

Extremely hot horizontal branch (HB) stars and their progeny are widely considered to be responsible for the "ultraviolet upturn" (or UVX) phenomenon observed in elliptical galaxies and the bulges of spirals. Yet, the precise evolutionary channels that lead to the production of these stars remain the source of much debate. In this review, we discuss two key physical ingredients that are required in order for reliable quantitative models of the UV output of stellar populations to be computed, namely, the mass loss rates of red giant branch stars and the helium enrichment "law" at high metallicities. In particular, the recent evidence pointing towards a strong enhancement in the abundances of the alpha-elements in the Galactic bulge (compared to the disk), and also the available indications of a similar overabundance in (massive) elliptical galaxies, strongly suggest that the helium abundance Y may be higher in ellipticals and bulges than it is in spiral disks by an amount that may reach up to 0.15 at [Fe/H] ~ +0.5. If so, this would strongly favor the production of hot HB stars at high metallicity in galactic spheroids. We also discuss the existence of mass loss recipes beyond the commonly adopted Reimers "law" that are not only more consistent with the available empirical data, but also much more favorable to the production of extended HB stars at high metallicity. Finally, we discuss new empirical evidence that suggests that different evolutionary channels may be responsible for the production of EHB stars in the field and in clusters.

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