The Circumstellar Environment of Evolved Stars as Revealed by Studies of Circumstellar Water Masers

The Circumstellar Environment of Evolved Stars as Revealed by Studies of Circumstellar Water Masers
Author: Kevin Marvel
Publisher: Universal-Publishers
Total Pages: 526
Release: 1996-12
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1581120613

The dissertation presents the results of a multi-epoch very long baseline interferometric study of water masers located in the extended atmospheres of evolved stars. The research was performed using the Very Long Baseline Array and Very Large Array of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Optical monitoring of the stars was provided by the American Association of Variable Star Observers, the Variable Star Network and Dr. Bill Neely of the NF/Observatory. Water masers of found to exist in a region where a population inversion of the rotation transition of 22 GHz can be maintained by collisional pumping. The masers are identified as individual pockets of gas, which have the good velocity coherence and may be imaged using radio interferometry. Stellar winds are initiated in these sources by dust formation and acceleration of the gas through momentum coupling. The typical wind speeds in the region of the water masers are 10 to 20 km/s The water masers are followed through several epochs of observation and exhibit proper motions consistent with the assumed source distance and the measured outflow of velocity in the water maser region. Estimates of the distance to the sources using statistical approximation are in agreement with the currently accepted distances to the stars. A detailed kinematic model is used to describe the flow motions of the gas in the maser region. The regions are found to be complex and not well modeled by uniform radial outflow, radial outflow with rotation, or radial with acceleration. The reasons for this are explored and include anisotropic velocity fields induced through non-uniform dust formations near the star and incomplete sampling of the outflow due to a lack of detected masers. Possibilities for future work in the subject are described and include more sophisticated modeling, more sensitive observations, and analysis of other maser species.

Literature 1997, Part 1

Literature 1997, Part 1
Author: Astronomisches Rechen-InstitutARI
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 1746
Release: 2013-11-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642517587

Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts is devoted to the recording, summarizing and indexing of astronomical publications throughout the world. Two volumes are scheduled to appear per year. Volume 67 records 10,903 papers covering besides the classical fields of astronomy and astrophysics such matters as space flights related to astronomy, lunar and planetary probes and satellites, meteorites and interplanetary matter, X rays and cosmic rays, quasars and pulsars. The abstracts are classified under more than one hundred subject categories thus permitting quick surveying of the bulk of material published on the same topic within six months. For instance, this volume records 119 papers on minor planets, 155 papers on supernovae, and 554 papers on cosmology.

Literature 1989, Part 1

Literature 1989, Part 1
Author: Astronomisches Rechen-Institut
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 1433
Release: 2013-11-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3662123703

From the reviews: "Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts has appeared in semi-annual volumes since 1969 and it has already become one of the fundemental publications in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics and neighbouring sciences. It is the most important English-language abstracting journal in the mentioned branches. ...The abstracts are classified under more than a hundred subject categories, thus permitting a quick survey of the whole extended material. The AAA is a valuable and important publication for all students and scientists working in the fields of astronomy and related sciences. As such it represents a necessary ingredient of any astronomical library all over the world." Space Science Review# "Dividing the whole field plus related subjects into 108 categories, each work is numbered and most are accompanied by brief abstracts. Fairly comprehensive cross-referencing links relevant papers to more than one category, and exhaustive author and subject indices are to be found at the back, making the catalogues easy to use. The series appears to be so complete in its coverage and always less than a year out of date that I shall certainly have to make a little more space on those shelves for future volumes." The Observatory Magazine#

Luminous Stars in Nearby Galaxies

Luminous Stars in Nearby Galaxies
Author: Roberta M. Humphreys
Publisher: MDPI
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2020-12-10
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 3039362801

Studies on the populations of luminous stars in nearby resolved galaxies have revealed a complex distribution in the luminosity–temperature plane (the HR diagram). The fundamentals of massive star evolution are mostly understood, but the roles of mass loss, episodic mass loss, rotation, and binarity are still in question. Moreover, the final stages of these stars of different masses and their possible relation to each other are not understood. The purpose of this volume is to provide a current review of the different populations of evolved massive stars. The emphasis is on massive stars in the Local Group, the Magellanic Clouds, and the nearby spirals M31 and M33.

Interstellar Molecules

Interstellar Molecules
Author: Koichi M. T. Yamada
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2011-04-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642162673

This book deals with the astrophysics and spectroscopy of the interstellar molecules. In the introduction, overview and history of interstellar observations are described in order to help understanding how the modern astrophysics and molecular spectroscopy have been developed interactively. The recent progress in the study of this field is briefly summarized. Furthermore, the basic knowledge of molecular spectroscopy, which is essential to correctly comprehend the astrophysical observations, is presented in a compact form.