Hot subdwarfs represent a poorly understood late phase of stellar evolution. While binary evolution plays an important role for B-subdwarfs (sdB), the origin of the He dominated O-subdwarfs (He-sdO) is unknown. We search for chemical signatures of their genesis by means of quantitative analyses of visual and FUV spectra. Using Tlusty/Synspec to compute line blanketed NLTE model atmospheres, Teff/log g and abundances have been derived for 4 prototypical He-sdO stars. Final models included H,He,C,N,O,Ne,Mg,Al,Si,P,S,Fe&Ni. Because of the enrichment of either N or C, models including these elements at the appropriate high abundance provide sufficiently accurate approximations to the temperature stratification of full models. No indications for binarity were found, neither radial velocity variations nor photometric evidence. All stars have atmospheres almost free of H and Teff =42000K to 47000K, and log g= 5.4 to 5.7. CD-31 4800 displays the signatures of CNO burning, while heavier elements are subsolar by ~0.4 dex, except Ne & Si being ~solar. The C-rich He-sdOs show a slightly subsolar metallicity accompanied by N-enrichment and O-deficiency. Ne is enriched up to a factor of ten with respect to the sun in LS IV+10 9. Stellar masses scatter around the canonical helium core flash mass. The abundance pattern of CD-31 4800 is consistent with predictions of models for cold mergers of He-WDs except for the low O abundance observed. Models for composite mergers predict abundance pattern dissimilar to those determined for the C-rich stars. [CW83]0904-02, though, may be a candidate for a composite He-WD merger, as it rotates and is more massive than the other stars. New evolutionary models for the hot flasher scenario predict abundance patterns similar to those determined for the C-rich stars. Hence, C-rich He-sdO may result from late He flashes with deep-mixing episodes. (abbreviated)
We calculate NLTE models of stellar winds of hot compact stars (central stars of planetary nebulae and subdwarf stars). The studied range of subdwarf parameters is selected to cover a large part of these stars. The models predict the wind hydrodynamical structure and provide mass-loss rates for different abundances. Our models show that CNO elements are important drivers of subdwarf winds, especially for low-luminosity stars. We study the effect of X-rays and instabilities on these winds. Due to the line-driven wind instability, a significant part of the wind could be very hot.
Subdwarf B (sdB) stars are core helium-burning stars with stratified atmospheres. Their atmospheres are dominated by hydrogen (H) while the helium (He) and metal abundances are shaped by an interplay of gravitational settling and radiative levitation. However, a small fraction of these show spectra dominated by He I absorption lines. In between these groups of He-deficient and extreme He-rich sdBs, some are found to have intermediate surface He abundances. These objects are proposed to be young "normal" (He-deficient) sdBs for which the dynamical stratification of the atmosphere is still ongoi…
SALT spectra of the helium-rich hot subdwarf EC22536-5304 show strong absorption lines of triply-ionized lead. Analysis of the HRS spectrum and a follow-up SALT/RSS spectrum show EC22536-5304 to have surface properties (temperature, gravity, helium/hydrogen ratio) similar to other heavy-metal subdwarfs. With a lead overabundance of 4.8 dex relative to solar, EC22536-5304 is the most lead-rich intermediate helium subdwarf discovered so far.
The mergers of double helium white dwarfs are believed to form isolated helium-rich hot subdwarfs. Observation shows that the helium-rich hot subdwarfs can be divided into two subgroups based on whether the surface is carbon-rich or carbon-normal. But it is not clear whether this distribution directly comes from binary evolution. We adopt the binary population synthesis (BPS) to obtain the population of single helium-rich hot subdwarfs according to the channel of double helium white dwarfs merger. We find that the merger channel can represent the two subgroups in the $T_{\rm{eff}}-\log g$ plan…
We present a detailed analysis of the UV spectrum of the calibration star Bd+28 4211 using high-quality spectra obtained with the HST and FUSE satellites. To this aim, we compare quantitatively the observed data with model spectra obtained from state-of-the-art NLTE metal line-blanketed model atmospheres and synthetic spectra calculated with TLUSTY and SYNSPEC. We thus determine in a self-consistent way the abundances of eleven elements with well-defined lines in the UV, namely those of C, N, O, F, Mg, Si, P, S, Ar, Fe, and Ni. The derived abundances range from about solar to 1/10 solar. We fi…
A medium- and high-resolution spectroscopic survey of helium-rich hot subdwarfs is being carried out using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). Objectives include the discovery of exotic hot subdwarfs and of sequences connecting chemically-peculiar subdwarfs of different types. The first phase consists of medium-resolution spectroscopy of over 100 stars selected from low-resolution surveys. This paper describes the selection criteria, and the observing, classification and analysis methods. It presents 107 spectral classifications on the MK-like Drilling system and 106 coarse analyses (…
We present results of our calculations of NLTE model stellar atmospheres for hot Population III stars composed of hydrogen and helium. We use our own computer code for calculation of spherically symmetric NLTE model atmospheres in hydrostatic and radiative equilibrium. The model atmospheres are then used for calculation of emergent fluxes. These fluxes serve for the evaluation of the flow of high-energy photons for energies higher than ionization energies of hydrogen and helium, the so-called ionizing photon fluxes. We also present the time evolution of the ionizing photon fluxes.
In the framework of the Virtual Observatory (VO), the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (GAVO) developed the registered service TheoSSA (Theoretical Stellar Spectra Access). It provides easy access to stellar spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and is intended to ingest SEDs calculated by any model-atmosphere code, generally for all effective temperature, surface gravities, and elemental compositions. We will establish a database of SEDs of flux standards that are easily accessible via TheoSSA's web interface. The OB-type subdwarf Feige 110 is a standard star for flux calibration. Stat…
Atmospheric parameters and helium abundances of 44 bright subdwarf B stars have been determined. More than half of our sample consists of newly discovered stars from the Edinburgh Cape survey. We showed that effective temperatures and surface gravities can be derived from high resolution echelle spectra with sufficient accuracy. Systematic uncertainties have been determined by comparing the parameters derived from the high resolution data with the ones derived from medium resolution spectra. Helium abundances have been measured with high accuracy. Besides the known correlation of helium abunda…
Hot subdwarfs represent a group of low-mass helium-burning stars formed through binary-star interactions and include some of the most chemically-peculiar stars in the Galaxy. Stellar evolution theory suggests that they should have helium-rich atmospheres but, because radiation causes hydrogen to diffuse upwards, a majority are extremely helium poor. Questions posed include: when does the atmosphere become chemically stratified and at what rate? The existence of several helium-rich subdwarfs suggests further questions; are there distinct subgroups of hot subdwarf, or do hot subdwarfs change the…
We have performed a detailed spectral analysis of the helium-rich hot subdwarf EC 20187-4939 using data obtained in the SALT survey of helium-rich hot subdwarfs. We have measured its effective temperature, surface gravity and chemical abundances from the spectrum. Its radius has also been determined by fitting the spectral energy distribution using photometric data, from which a mass of 0.44 Msun has been inferred using the measurement of surface gravity. This star is particularly abundant in helium and nitrogen, whilst being both carbon and oxygen-weak. The surface abundances and mass have be…
Isolated hot subdwarfs might be formed by the merging of two helium-core white dwarfs. Before merging, helium-core white dwarfs have hydrogen-rich envelopes and some of this hydrogen may survive the merger. We calculate the mass of hydrogen that is present at the start of such mergers and, with the assumption that hydrogen is mixed throughout the disrupted white dwarf in the merger process, estimate how much can survive. We find a hydrogen mass of up to about $2 \times 10^{-3}\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ in merger remnants. We make model merger remnants that include the hydrogen mass appropriate to t…
Optical spectroscopy of the blue star KIC 10449976 shows that it is an extremely helium-rich subdwarf with effective temperature T=40000+/-300 K and surface gravity log g=5.3+/-0.1. Radial-velocity measurements over a five-day timescale show an upper variability limit of ~50+/-20 km/s. Kepler photometry of KIC 10449976 in both long and short cadence modes shows evidence for a periodic modulation on a timescale of ~3.9 days. We have examined the possibility that this modulation is not astrophysical but conclude it is most likely real. We discuss whether the modulation could be caused by a low-m…
We present the second part of our detailed analysis of the hot sdO and spectroscopic standard star BD+28 4211, in which we focus on the optical spectrum. In the first part of our study, we determined the abundances of some 11 metals detected in the atmosphere of BD+28 4211 using UV spectra of the star and corroborated the fundamental parameters estimated in past studies (Teff $\sim$ 82,000 K, log g $\sim$ 6.2, and solar N(He)/N(H)). In this work, we aim at rederiving these secured parameters on the sole basis of high-quality optical spectra. A first grid of non-LTE line-blanketed model atmosph…
TESS photometry of the extremely helium-rich hot subdwarfs BD+37 442 and BD+37 1977 demonstrates multi-periodic low-amplitude variability with principal periods of 0.56 and 1.14 d, respectively, and with both first and second harmonics present. The lightcurves are not perfectly regular, implying additional periodic and/or non-periodic content. Possible causes are examined, including the binary hypothesis originally introduced to explain X-ray observations, differentially rotating surface inhomogeneities, and pulsations. If the principal photometric periods correspond to the rotation periods, t…
A non-LTE (NLTE) abundance analysis was carried out for three extreme helium stars (EHes): BD+10 2179, BD-9 4395, and LS IV+6 002, from their optical spectra with NLTE model atmospheres. NLTE TLUSTY model atmospheres were computed with H, He, C, N, O, and Ne treated in NLTE. Model atmosphere parameters were chosen from consideration of fits to observed He I line profiles and ionization equilibria of C and N ions. The program SYNSPEC was then used to determine the NLTE abundances for Ne as well as H, He, C, N, and O. LTE neon abundances from Ne I lines in the EHes: LSE 78, V1920 Cyg, HD 124448,…
The discovery of extremely zirconium- and lead-rich surfaces amongst a small subgroup of hot subdwarfs has provoked questions pertaining to chemical peculiarity in hot star atmospheres and about their evolutionary origin. With only three known in 2014, a limited search for additional `heavy-metal' subdwarfs was initiated with the Subaru telescope. Five hot subdwarfs having intermediate to high surface enrichment of helium were observed at high-resolution and analyzed for surface properties and abundances. This paper reports the analyses of four of these stars. PG1559+048 and FBS 1749+373, havi…
Realistic stellar models are essential to the forward modelling approach in asteroseismology. For practicality however, certain model assumptions are also required. For example, in the case of subdwarf B stars, one usually starts with zero-age horizontal branch structures without following the progenitor evolution. We analyse the effects of common assumptions in subdwarf B models on the g-mode pulsational properties. We investigate if and how the pulsation periods are affected by the H-profile in the core-envelope transition zone. Furthermore, the effects of C-production and convective mixing …
The majority of hot subdwarf stars are low-mass core-helium-burning stars. Their atmospheres are generally helium deficient; however a minority have extremely helium-rich surfaces. An additional fraction have an intermediate surface-helium abundance, occasionally accompanied by peculiar abundances of other elements. We have identified a sample of 88 hot subdwarfs including 38 helium-deficient, 27 intermediate-helium and 23 extreme-helium stars for which radial-velocity and proper-motion measurements, together with distances, allow a calculation of Galactic space velocities. We have investigate…
I briefly review the method of population synthesis of binary stars and discuss the preliminary results of a study of the Galactic population of subdwarf B stars. In particular I focus on the formation of (apparently) single sdB stars and their relation to (apparently) single helium-core white dwarfs. I discuss the merits of mergers of two helium white dwarfs and interactions with sub-stellar companions for explaining these single objects. A preliminary conclusion is that the current observations suggest both mechanisms may contribute, but that the helium white dwarfs are likely formed in majo…
We present a grid of optical (3200--7200 Å) synthetic spectra calculated with Tlusty/Synspec. The new NLTE model atmospheres include the most recent hydrogen Stark broadening profiles; were calculated in opacity sampling and limited to pure H/He composition. The grid covers the observed parameter space of (He-)sdB and (He-)sdO stars, therefore it is suitable for the homogeneous spectral analyses of such evolved stars.
Diffusion of elements in the atmosphere and envelope of a star can drastically alter its surface composition, leading to extreme chemical peculiarities. We consider the case of hot subdwarfs, where surface helium abundances range from practically zero to almost 100 percent. Since hot subdwarfs can form via a number of different evolution channels, a key question concerns how the formation mechanism is connected to the present surface chemistry. A sequence of extreme horizontal branch star models was generated by producing post-common envelope stars from red giants. Evolution was computed with …
Combing Gaia DR2 with LAMOST DR5, we spectroscopically identified 924 hot subdwarf stars, among which 32 stars exhibit strong double-lined composite spectra. We measured the effective temperature $T_{\rm eff}$, surface gravity $\log\,g$, helium abundance $y=n{\rm He}/n{\rm H}$, and radial velocities of 892 non-composite spectra hot subdwarf stars by fitting LAMOST observations with Tlusty/Synspec non-LTE synthetic spectra. We outlined four different groups in the $T_{\rm eff}-\log\,g$ diagram with our helium abundance classification scheme and two nearly parallel sequences in the $T_{\rm eff}-…
PG1544+488 is an exceptional short-period spectroscopic binary containing two subdwarf B stars. It is also exceptional because the surfaces of both components are extremely helium-rich. We present a new analysis of spectroscopy of PG1544+488 obtained with the William Herschel Telescope. We obtain improved orbital parameters and atmospheric parameters for each component. The orbital period $P=0.496\pm0.002$\,d, dynamical mass ratio $M_{\rm B}/M_{\rm A}=0.911\pm0.015$, and spectroscopic radius ratio $R_{\rm B}/R_{\rm A}=0.939\pm0.004$ indicate a binary consisting of nearly identical twins. The d…
Stars on the ascending helium giant branch I. From white dwarf merger to helium giant: the evolutionary state of the rapidly rotating hot subdwarf HE 1518-0948
Universität Potsdam（波茨坦大学）；Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas（拉普拉塔天体物理研究所，国家科学研究委员会）；Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata（拉普拉塔国立大学天文与地球科学学院）；Hamburger Sternwarte, University of Hamburg（汉堡大学汉堡天文台）
通过光谱分析研究极端富氦热亚矮星 HE 1518-0948，发现其是双氦白矮星并合产物，目前处于氦壳燃烧并沿氦巨星分支上升阶段，为理解大质量热亚矮星在核心氦燃烧后的演化提供了重要实验室。
We report the discovery of 6576 new spectroscopically confirmed white dwarf and subdwarf stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12. We obtain Teff, log g and mass for hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf stars (DAs) and helium atmosphere white dwarf stars (DBs), estimate the calcium/helium abundances for the white dwarf stars with metallic lines (DZs) and carbon/helium for carbon dominated spectra DQs. We found one central star of a planetary nebula, one ultra-compact helium binary (AM CVn), one oxygen line dominated white dwarf, 15 hot DO/PG1159s, 12 new cataclysmic variables, 36 magne…
We propose that the unstable 3.9days photometric periodicity of the hot subdwarf (sdO) KIC10449976 results from a tidally locked planet that is heated to 5000K by the UV radiation from the hot sdO star. Although the bolometric radiation from the planet is very small relative to that of the star, in the visible band the planet contributes 0.07% of the light, sufficient to explain the observed periodic behavior. In our proposed scenario the stochastic variations in period and light amplitude are attributed to weather on the planet. Namely, streams on the surface and thermal variations in the pla…
Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are evolved core helium-burning stars with very thin hydrogen envelopes. In order to form an sdB, the progenitor has to lose almost all of its hydrogen envelope right at the tip of the red giant branch. In close binary systems, mass transfer to the companion provides the extraordinary mass loss required for their formation. However, apparently single sdBs exist as well and their formation is unclear since decades. The merger of helium white dwarfs leading to an ignition of core helium-burning or the merger of a helium core and a low mass star during the common envel…
We propose a formation channel for the previously unexplained helium-rich subdwarf O (He-rich sdO) stars in which post-subdwarf B (sdB) stars (i.e. hybrid COHe white dwarfs) reignite helium burning in a shell after gaining matter from their helium white-dwarf (WD) companions. Such short-period binaries containing post-sdB WDs and helium WDs are predicted by one of the major binary formation channels for sdB stars. In the majority of cases, mass transfer is expected to lead to a dynamically unstable merger event, leaving a single-star remnant. Calculations of the evolution of these stars show t…
Subluminous B stars come in a variety of flavours including single stars, close and wide binaries, and pulsating and non-pulsating variables. A majority have helium-poor surfaces (helium by number nHe<1%), whilst a minority have extremely helium-rich surfaces (nHe>90%). A small number have an intermediate surface helium abundance (~ 10 - 30%), accompanied by peculiar abundances of other elements. The questions posed are i) whether these abundance peculiarities are associated with radiatively-driven and time-dependent stratification of elements within the photosphere as the star evolves from an…
Hot subdwarfs are evolved low--mass stars that have survived core helium ignition and are now in (or recently finished with) the core helium burning stage. At the hot end of the Horizontal Branch (HB), many of these stars are multiperiodic pulsators. These pulsations have revealed details of their global and internal structure, and provide important constraints on the origin of hot HB stars. While many features of their structure deduced from seismic fits have confirmed what we expected from evolutionary considerations, there have been some surprises as well.
A new grid of detailed atmosphere model spectra for hot and moderately cool subdwarf stars is presented. High-resolution spectra and synthetic photometry are calculated in the range from 1000Å to 10,000Å using Non-LTE fully line-blanketed atmosphere structures. Our grid covers eight temperatures within 10,000<Teff [K]<65,000, three surface gravities in the range 4.5<logg [cgs]<6.5, two helium abundances matching two extreme helium-rich and helium-poor scenarios, and two limiting metallicity boundaries regarding both solar ([Fe/H] = 0) and Galactic halo ([Fe/H] = -1.5 and [α/Fe] = +0.4). Beside…
Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are evolved core helium-burning stars with very thin hydrogen envelopes. In order to form an sdB, the progenitor has to lose almost all of its hydrogen envelope right at the tip of the red giant branch. In binary systems, mass transfer to the companion provides the extraordinary mass loss required for their formation. However, apparently single sdBs exist as well and their formation is unclear since decades. The merger of helium white dwarfs leading to an ignition of core helium-burning or the merger of a helium core and a low mass star during the common envelope ph…
Diffusion of atoms can be important during quiescent phases of stellar evolution. Particularly in the very thin inert envelopes of subdwarf B stars, diffusive movements will considerably change the envelope structure and the surface abundances on a short timescale. Also, the subdwarfs will inherit the effects of diffusion in their direct progenitors, namely giants near the tip of the red giant branch. This will influence the global evolution and the pulsational properties of subdwarf B stars. We investigate the impact of gravitational settling, thermal diffusion and concentration diffusion on …
Asteroseismology of non-radial pulsations in Hot B Subdwarfs (sdB stars) offers a unique view into the interior of core-helium-burning stars. Ground-based and space-borne high precision light curves allow for the analysis of pressure and gravity mode pulsations to probe the structure of sdB stars deep into the convective core. As such asteroseismological analysis provides an excellent opportunity to test our understanding of stellar evolution. In light of the newest constraints from asteroseismology of sdB and red clump stars, standard approaches of convective mixing in 1D stellar evolution mo…
It is predicted that orbital decay by gravitational-wave radiation and tidal interaction will cause some close-binary stars to merge within a Hubble time. The merger of a helium-core white dwarf with a main-sequence star can produce a red giant branch star that has a low-mass hydrogen envelope when helium is ignited and thus become a hot subdwarf. Because detailed calculations have not been made, we compute post-merger models with a stellar evolution code. We find the evolutionary paths available to merger remnants and find the pre-merger conditions that lead to the formation of hot subdwarfs.…
Employing a new machine learning method, named hierarchical extreme learning machine (HELM) algorithm, we identified 56 hot subdwarf stars in the first data release (DR1) of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) survey. The atmospheric parameters of the stars are obtained by fitting the profiles of hydrogen (H) Balmer lines and helium (He) lines with synthetic spectra calculated from non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) model atmospheres. Five He-rich hot subdwarf stars were found in our sample with their log(nHe/nH) > -1 , while 51 stars are He-poor sdB,…
Helium rich subdwarf O stars (sdOs) are hot compact stars in a pre-white dwarf evolutionary state. Most of them have effective temperatures and surface gravities in the range Teff = 40,000-50,000 K and log g = 5.5-6.0. Their atmospheres are helium dominated. If present at all, C, N, and O are trace elements. The abundance patterns are explained in terms of nucleosynthesis during single star evolution (late helium core flash) or a binary He-core white dwarf merger. Here we announce the discovery of two hot hydrogen-deficient sdOs (PG1654+322 and PG1528+025) that exhibit unusually strong carbon …
We started a program to construct several grids of suitable model atmospheres and synthetic spectra for hot subdwarf O stars computed, for comparative purposes, in LTE, NLTE, with and without metals. For the moment, we use our grids to perform fits on our spectrum of SDSS J160043.6+074802.9 (J1600+0748 for short), this unique pulsating sdO star. Our best fit is currently obtained with NLTE model atmospheres including carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in solar abundances, which leads to the following parameters for SDSS J1600+0748 : Teff = 69 060 +/- 2080 K, log g = 6.00 +/- 0.09 and log N(He)/N(H) =…
We investigate statistical equilibrium of Cr in the atmospheres of late-type stars. The main goal is to ascertain the reason for a systematic abundance discrepancy between Cr I and Cr II lines, which is often encountered in spectroscopic analyses of metal-poor stars. Up to now, all these studies relied on the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) in the spectrum modelling. For the first time, we perform NLTE calculations in subdwarfs and subgiants of different metallicities. We show that the LTE assumption is inadequate to describe excitation-ionization equilibrium of Cr I/Cr II …
Blue large-amplitude pulsators (BLAPs) are a newly discovered type of variable star. Their typical pulsation periods are on the order of a few tens of minutes, with relatively large amplitudes of 0.2-0.4 mag in optical bands, and their rates of period changes are on the order of $10^{-7} yr^{-1}$ (both positive and negative). They are extremely rare objects and attempts to explain their origins and internal structures have attracted a great deal of attention. Previous studies have proposed that BLAPs may be pre-white dwarfs, with masses around $0.3M_\odot$, or core-helium-burning stars in the …
EC 11481-2303 is a peculiar, hot, high-gravity pre-white dwarf. Previous optical spectroscopy revealed that it is a sdOB star with an effective temperature (Teff) of 41790 K, a surface gravity log(g)= 5.84, and He/H = 0.014 by number. We present an on-going spectral analysis by means of non-LTE model-atmosphere techniques based on high-resolution, high-S/N optical (VLT-UVES) and ultraviolet (FUSE, IUE) observations. We are able to reproduce the optical and UV observations simultaneously with a chemically homogeneous NLTE model atmosphere with a significantly higher effective temperature and lo…
Several B-type main-sequence stars show chemical peculiarities. A particularly striking class are the $^3$He stars, which exhibit a remarkable enrichment of $^3$He with respect to $^4$He. This isotopic anomaly has also been found in blue horizontal branch (BHB) and subdwarf B (sdB) stars, which are helium-core burning stars of the extreme horizontal branch. Using a hybrid local/non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE/NLTE) approach for B-type stars, we analyzed high-quality spectra of two known $^3$He BHBs and nine known $^3$He sdBs to determine their isotopic helium abundances and $^4$He/$^3…
We present a pilot study on non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) line-formation computations for the isotopes 3He and 4He in the mercury-manganese star kappa Cancri. The impact of NLTE effects on the determination of isotopic abundances and the vertical stratification of helium in the atmosphere is investigated. Modern NLTE line-formation computations were employed to analyse a high-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio ESO-VLT/UVES spectrum of kap Cnc. The atmospheric parameters were determined from fitting the hydrogen Balmer lines and the spectral energy distribution. Multiple HeI…
On the origin of carbon- and oxygen-rich hot subdwarfs: an sdB merger scenario
Institute for Frontier in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Beijing Normal University（前沿天文学与天体物理研究所，北京师范大学）；School of Physics and Astronomy, Beijing Normal University（物理与天文学院，北京师范大学）
We report the discovery of the ultracompact hot subdwarf (sdOB) binary OW J074106.0-294811.0 with an orbital period of P$_{\rm orb}=44.66279\pm1.16\times10^{-4}$ min, making it the most compact hot subdwarf binary known. Spectroscopic observations using the VLT, Gemini and Keck telescopes revealed a He-sdOB primary with an intermediate helium abundance, T$_{\rm eff}=39 400\pm500$ K and log(g)=$5.74\pm0.09$. High signal-to-noise ratio lightcurves show strong ellipsoidal modulation resulting in a derived sdOB mass $M_{\rm sdOB}=0.23\pm0.12$ M$_\odot$ with a WD companion ($M_{\rm WD}=0.72\pm0.17$…
Dr. Karl Remeis-Observatory & ECAP, Astronomical Institute, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg（弗里德里希·亚历山大埃尔朗根-纽伦堡大学）；Institut für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Potsdam（波茨坦大学）；Institut für Astrophysik und Geophysik, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen（哥廷根大学）
Hot subdwarfs (sdBs) are core helium-burning stars, which lost almost their entire hydrogen envelope in the red-giant phase. Since a high fraction of those stars are in close binary systems, common envelope ejection is an important formation channel. We identified a total population of 51 close sdB+WD binaries based on time-resolved spectroscopy and multi-band photometry, derive the WD mass distribution and constrain the future evolution of these systems. Most WDs in those binaries have masses significantly below the average mass of single WDs and a high fraction of them might therefore have h…
Spectral lines of helium are commonly observed on the Sun. These observations contain important informations about physical conditions and He/H abundance variations within solar outer structures. The modeling of chromospheric and coronal loop-like structures visible in hydrogen and helium lines requires the use of appropriate diagnostic tools based on NLTE radiative tranfer in cylindrical geometry. We use iterative numerical methods to solve the equations of NLTE radiative transfer and statistical equilibrium of atomic level populations. These equations are solved alternatively for the hydroge…
Context: Hot subdwarf B stars (sdBs) are considered to be core helium-burning stars with very thin hydrogen envelopes situated on or near the extreme horizontal branch (EHB). The formation of sdBs is still unclear as well as the chemical composition of their atmospheres. The observed helium depletion is attributed to atmospheric diffusion. Metal abundances have been determined for about a dozen sdBs only resulting in puzzling patterns with enrichment of heavy metals and depletion of lighter ones. Aims: In this paper we present a detailed metal abundance analysis of 106 sdBs. Methods: From high…
We have analyzed a sample of hot subdwarfs (sdB, sdO) selected from the GALEX ultraviolet sky survey. Applying a model atmosphere analysis we determined the temperature, surface gravity, and helium-to-hydrogen abundance ratio, and obtained preliminary constraints on the CNO abundance for a sample of 181 stars. Adopting colourimetric (ultraviolet-infrared) and quantitative spectral decomposition we also investigated the incidence of solar type or earlier (A, F, G) companions.
Hot subluminous stars can be spectroscopically classified as subdwarf B (sdB) and O (sdO) stars. While the latter are predominantly hydrogen deficient, the former are mostly helium deficient. The atmospheres of most sdOs are almost devoid of hydrogen, whereas a small group of hot subdwarf stars of mixed H/He composition exists, showing extreme metal abundance anomalies. Whether such intermediate helium-rich (iHe) subdwarf stars provide an evolutionary link between the dominant classes is an open question. The presence of strong Ge, Sn, and Pb lines in the UV spectrum of HZ$\,$44 suggests a str…
