The influences of convective overshooting and semiconvection on the chemical evolution of massive stars

In massive stars, convection in the interior is different from that of inter- mediate and small mass stars. In the main-sequence phase of small mass stars, there is a convective core and a radiative envelope, between which are the radiative inter- mediate layers with uneven chemical abundances. Semiconvection would occur in the intermediate layers between the convective core and the homogeneous envelope in massive stars. We treat core convective overshooting and semiconvection together as a process. We found that when decreasing overshooting, the semiconvection is more pronounced. In these two processes, we introduce one diffusive parameter D, which is different from other authors who have introduced different parameters for these two zones. The influences of the turbulent diffusion process on chemical evolution and other quantities of the stellar structure are shown in the present paper.

Radioactive Ages of Metal-Poor Halo Stars

The abundances of long-lived radioactive elements Th and U observed in metal-poor halo stars can be used as chronometers to determine the age of individual stars, and hence set a lower limit on the age of the Galaxy and hence of the universe. This radioactive dating requires the zero-decay productions of Th and U, which involves complicated r-process nucleosynthesis calculations. Several parametric r-process models have been used to calculate the initial abundance ratios of Th/Eu and U/Th, but, due to the sharp sensitivity of these models to nuclear physics inputs, the calculations have relatively large uncertainties which lead to large uncertainties in the age determinations. In order to reduce these uncertainties, we present a simple method to estimate the initial productions of Th and U, which only depends on the solar system abundances and the stellar abundances of stable r-process elements. From our calculations of the initial abundance ratios of Th/Eu and U/Th, we re-estimate the ages of those very metal-poor halo stars with published abundances of Th and U. Our age estimates are consistent, within the errors, with the other age determinations derived from r-process models, and offer useful constrains for r-process theoretical calculations. The advantages and limitations of our simple method of radioactive dating are discussed.

Distributions of Neutron Exposures in AGB Stars and the Galaxy

Based on the s-process nucleosynthesis model with the 13C（α, n）16O reaction occurring under radiative conditions in the interpulse phases, we investigate the characteristics of the distribution of neutron exposure in low-mass Asymptotic Giant Branch （AGB） stars. We introduce a new concept, the distribution of neutron exposures of the Galaxy （NEG）, to study the chemical evolution characteristics of the Galaxy for s-process elements. Using a chemical evolution model of the Galaxy, we develop a model for the NEG and obtain the evolution results of the NEG in different epochs. The present results appear to reasonably reproduce the distribution of neutron exposures of the solar system （hereafter NES）. The main component and the strong component in the NES are built up in different epochs. The strong component of the s-process is mainly synthesised in the low-mass and metal-poor AGB stars, and the main component is produced by the s-process in the low-mass AGB stars with higher metallicities.

Precise determination of fundamental parameters of six exoplanet host stars and their planets

The aim of this paper is to determinate the fundamental parameters of six exoplanet host （EH） stars and their planets. Because techniques for detecting exo- planets yield properties of the planet only as a function of the properties of the host star, we must accurately determine the parameters of the EH stars first. For this rea- son, we constructed a grid of stellar models including diffusion and rotation-induced extra-mixing with given ranges of input parameters （i.e. mass, metallicity and initial rotation rate）. In addition to the commonly used observational constraints such as the effective temperature Tell, luminosity L and metallicity [Fe/H], we added two obser- vational constraints, the lithium abundance log N （Li） and the rotational period Prot. These two additional observed parameters can set further constraints on the model due to their correlations with mass, age and other stellar properties. Hence, our estimations of the fundamental parameters for these EH stars and their planets have a higher preci- sion than previous works. Therefore, the combination of rotational period and lithium helps us to obtain more accurate parameters for stars, leading to an improvement in knowledge about the physical state of EH stars and their planets.

Neutrino luminosity of stars with different masses

Neutrinos play an important role in stellar evolution.They are produced by nuclear reactions or thermal processes.Using the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics(MESA),we study stellar neutrino luminosity with different masses.The neutrino luminosities of stars with different initial masses at different evolutionary stages are simulated.We find that the neutrino flux of a star with 1 M⊙ mass at an evolutionary age of 4.61×10^9 yr is consistent with that of the Sun.In general,neutrinos are produced by nuclear reactions,and the neutrino luminosity of stars is about one or two magnitudes lower than the photo luminosity.However,neutrino luminosity can exceed photo luminosity during the helium flash which can occur for stars with a mass lower than 8 M⊙.Although the helium flash does not produce neutrinos,plasma decay,one of the thermal processes,can efficiently make neutrinos during this stage.Due to the high mass-loss rate,a star with a mass of 9 M⊙ does not undergo the helium flash.Its neutrinos mainly originate from nuclear reactions until the end of the AGB stage.At the end of the AGB stage,its neutrino luminosity results from plasma decay which is triggered by the gravitational energy release because of the stellar core contracting.

Lithium Abundance of Metal-poor Stars

High-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra have been obtained for 32 metal-poor stars. The equivalent widths of Li γ6708 ? were measured and the lithium abundances were derived. The average lithium abundance of 21 stars on the lithium plateau is 2.33±0.02 dex. The Lithium plateau exhibits a marginal trend along metallicity, dA(Li)/d[Fe/H] = 0.12±0.06, and no clear trend with the effective temperature. The trend indicates that the abundance of lithium plateau may not be primordial and that a part of the lithium was produced in Galactic Chemical Evolution (GCE).

High-α-Metal-Rich stars in the LAMOST-MRS survey and its connection with the galactic bulge

We report the detection of a large sample of high-α-metal-rich stars on the low giant branch with 2.6<log g<3.3 dex in the LAMOST-MRS survey.This special group corresponds to an intermediate-age population of 5-9 Gyr based on the[Fe/H]-[C/N]diagram and age-[C/N]calibration.A comparison group is selected to have a solarαratio at super metallicity,which is young and has a narrow age range around 3 Gyr.Both groups have thin-disk like kinematics but the former shows slightly large velocity dispersions.The special group shows a larger extension in a vertical distance toward 1.2 kpc,a second peak at smaller Galactic radius and a larger fraction of super metal rich stars with[Fe/H]>0.2 than the comparison group.These properties strongly indicate its connection with the outer bar/bulge region at R=3-5 kpc.A tentative interpretation of this special group is that its stars were formed in the X-shaped bar/bulge region,close to its corotation radius,where radial migration is the most intense,and brings them to present locations at 9 kpc and beyond.Low eccentricities and slightly outward radial excursions of its stars are consistent with this scenario.Its kinematics(cold)and chemistry([α/Fe]~0.1)further support the formation of the instability-driven X-shaped bar/bulge from the thin disk.

Abundance analysis of Barium stars

We obtain the chemical abundances of six barium stars and two CH subgiant stars based on the high signal-to-noise ratio and high resolution EcheUe spectra. The neu-Iron capture process elements Y, Zr, Ba, La and Eu show obvious overabundances relative to the Sun, for example, their [Ba/Fe] values are from 0.45 to 1.27. Other elements, including Na, Mg, A1, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn and Ni, show comparable abundances to the Solar ones, and their [Fe/H] covers a range from -0.40 to 0.21, which means they belong to the Galactic disk. The predictions of the theoretical model of wind accretion for binary systems can explain the observed abundance patterns of the neutron capture process elements in these stars, which means that their overabundant heavy-elements could be caused by accreting the ejecta of AGB stars, the progenitors of present-day white dwarf companions in binary systems.

Optical/IR studies of Be stars in NGC 6834 with emphasis on two specific stars

We present optical and infrared photometric and spectroscopic studies of two Be stars in the 70-80-Myr-old open cluster NGC 6834. NGC 6834（1） has been reported as a binary from speckle interferometric studies whereas NGC 6834（2） may possibly be a γ Cas-like variable. Infrared photometry and spectroscopy from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope （UKIRT）, and optical data from various facilities are combined with archival data to understand the nature of these candidates. High signal-to-noise near-IR spectra obtained from UKIRT have enabled us to study the optical depth effects in the hydrogen emission lines of these stars. We have explored the spectral classification scheme based on the intensity of emission lines in the H and K bands and contrasted it with the conventional classification based on the intensity of hydrogen and helium absorption lines. This work also presents hitherto unavailable UBV CCD photometry of NGC 6834, from which the evolutionary state of the Be stars is identified.

A Statistical Model for Predicting the Average Abundance Patterns of Heavier Elements in Metal-Poor Stars

We have collected nearly all the available observed data of the elements from Ba to Dy in halo and disk stars in the metallicity range -4.0 <[Fe/H]< 0.5. Based on the observed data of Ba and Eu, we evaluated the least-squares regressions of [Ba/Fe] on [Fe/H], and [Eu/H] on [Ba/H]. Assuming that the heavy elements (heavier than Ba) are produced by a combination of the main components of s- and r-processes in metal-poor stars, and choosing Ba and Eu as respective representative elements of the main s- and the main r-processes, a statistical model for predicting the Galactic chemical evolution of the heavy elements is presented. With this model, we calculate the mean abundance trends of the heavy elements La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Dy with the metallicity. We compare our results with the observed data at various metallicities, showing that the predicted trends are in good agreement with the observed trends, at least for the metallicity range [Fe/H]≥ -2.5. Finally, we discuss our results and deduce some important information about the Galactic chemical evolution.

Non-LTE Analysis of the Sodium Abundance of Metal- Poor Stars in the Galactic Disk and Halo

We performed an extensive non-LTE analysis of the neutral sodium lines of Na I 5683/5688, 5890/5896, 6154/6161, and 8183/8195 in disk/halo stars of types F-K covering a wide metallicity range (-4 (?) [Fe/H] (?) +0.4), using our own data as well as data collected from the literature. For comparatively metal-rich disk stars (-1(?) [Fe/H] (?) +0.4) where the weaker 6154/6161 lines are the best abundance indicators, we confirmed [Na/Fe]- 0 with an 'upturn' (i.e., a shallow/broad dip around -0.5 (?) [Fe/H](?) 0) as already reported in previous studies. For the metal-deficient halo stars, where the much stronger 5890/5896 or 8183/8195 lines subject to considerable (negative) non-LTE corrections amounting to 0.5 dex have to be used, our analysis suggests mildly 'subsolar' [Na/Fe] values down to--0.4 (with a somewhat large scatter of-±0.2 dex) on the average at the typical halo metallicity of [Fe/H] --2, followed by a rise again to a near-solar ratio of [Na/Fe] - 0 at the very metal-poor regime [Fe/H]--3 to -4. These results are discussed in comparison with the previous observational studies along with the theoretical predictions from the available chemical evolution models.

An Analysis of Average Pulsar Profiles and A Study of the ρ-P relation of Pulsars

Using the method of Gaussian Fit Separation of Average Profile (GF-SAP), we re-examine the average profiles of nine pulsars at several frequencies, ranging from 408-1642 MHz. This method enables us to obtain the number of components for each pulsar, and the parameters for each component, the width, position and amplitude. The ρ-P relation for the inner cone and outer cone are studied separately, and the results are, respectively, ρ = p-0.51±0.05 and ρ= p-0.42±0.06 The results can be interpreted as a confirmation of the double-cone structure of pulsar emission beams. The altitudes of emission region, and the radius-to-frequency-map (RFM) are also examined; for the outer cone, we obtained γ(v) ∝v-0.19±0.09.

Stellar Abundance and Galactic Chemical Evolution through LAMOST Spectroscopic Survey

A project of a spectroscopic survey of Galactic structure and evolution with a Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope （LAMOST） is presented. The spectroscopic survey consists of two observational modes for various targets in our Galaxy. One is a major survey of the Milky Way aimed at a systematic study of the stellar abundance and Galactic chemical evolution through low resolution （R = 1000 2000） spectroscopy. Another is a follow-up observation with medium resolution （R = 10000） spectrographs aimed at detailed studies of the selected stars with different chemical composition, kinematics and dynamics.

Observational evidence for the evolution of nuclear metallicity and star formation rate with the merger stage

We investigate the evolution of nuclear gas-phase oxygen abundance and star formation rate（SFR） of local far-infrared selected star-forming galaxies along the merger sequence, as traced by their optical morphologies. The sample was drawn from a cross-correlation analysis of the IRAS Point Source Catalog Redshift Survey and 1 Jy ultraluminous infrared galaxy sample with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 database. The investigation is done by comparing our sample to a control sample matched in the normalized redshift distribution in two diagnostics, which are the nuclear gas-phase metallicity vs.stellar mass and the nuclear SFR vs. stellar mass diagrams. Galaxies with different morphological types show different mass-metallicity relations（MZRs）. Compared to the MZR defined by the control sample,isolated spirals have comparable metallicities with the control sample at a given stellar mass. Spirals in pairs and interacting galaxies with projected separations of rp 〉 20 kpc show a mild metallicity dilution of0.02–0.03 dex. Interacting galaxies with rp 〈 20 kpc, pre-mergers and advanced mergers are underabundant by～0.06,～0.05 and～0.04 dex, respectively. This shows an evolutionary trend that the metallicity is increasingly depressed as the merging proceeds and it is diluted most dramatically when two galaxies are closely interacting. Afterwards, the interstellar medium（ISM） is enriched when the galaxies coalesce.This is the first time that such ISM enrichment at the final coalescence stage has been observed, which demonstrates the importance of supernova explosions in affecting the nuclear metallicity. Moreover, the central SFR enhancement relative to the control sample evolves simultaneously with the nuclear gas-phase oxygen abundance. Our results support the predictions from numerical simulations.

SMA molecular line survey towards the massive star-forming region G10.6-0.4in W31complex

Line surveys of complex molecules with millimeter and sub-millimeter telescopes are important for probing the physical and chemical environments of massive star forming regions(MSFRs).We present a molecular line survey with the Submillimeter Array(SMA) in the frequency ranges of 220.3–222.3 GHz and 230.3–232.3 GHz toward G10.6-0.4, the brightest star forming core in the W31 complex. Ninety-nine transitions from 22 molecular species and their isotopologues are identified. The moment 0 images of typical molecules show a compact core which is concentrated at the continuum peak position. Based on the local thermodynamic equilibrium assumption, the molecular line data are modeled. The rotational temperatures of those molecular species range from 96 to 178 K and their column densities range from 2.0×1014to 3.7×1017cm-2. The observational data suggest that all complex molecules are located in a warm environment. Chemical environments of the molecules are discussed. We compared molecular abundances and gas temperatures in G10.6-0.4 with those in other MSFRs, and found that gas temperatures and fractional abundances of specific molecules in G10.6-0.4 are similar to the typical MSFR W51 North, suggesting that there are similar physical and chemical environments in these two MSFRs.

Chemical Evolution of Blue Compact Galaxies

Based on a sample of 72 Blue Compact Galaxies （BCGs） observed with the 2.16 m telescope of the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences （NAOC） and about 4000 strong emission line galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we analyzed their chemical evolution history using the revised chemical evolution model of Larsen et al. Our sample covers a much larger metallicity range （7.2 〈 12 ＋ log（O/H） 〈 9.0）. We found that, in order to reproduce the observed abundance pattern and gas fraction over the whole metallicity range, a relatively continuous star formation history is needed for high metallicity galaxies, while assuming a series of instantaneous bursts with long quiescent periods （some Gyrs） for low metallicity galaxies. Model calculations also show that only the closed-box model is capable of reproducing the observational data over the whole metallicity range. Models that consider the ordinary winds and/or inflow can only fit the observations in the low metallicity range, and a model with enriched wind cannot fit the data in the whole metallicity range. This implies that the current adopted simple wind and inflow models are not applicable to massive galaxies, where the underlying physics of galactic winds or inflow could be more complicated.

Influence of the convective mixing-length parameterαon the chemical abundances in the case of metal-poor giant HD 122563

One-dimensional(1 D)model atmospheres are still the most commonly used tool for the determination of stellar chemical composition.Convection in the model is usually treated by mixing-length theory(MLT).The mixing-length parameterαis generally calibrated from the Sun and applied to all other stars.The metal-poor giant,HD 122563,is an important benchmark star to test stellar atmosphere and interior physics.We investigate the influence of the convection mixing-length parameterαon the determination of chemical abundances of Na,Mg,Al,Si,Ca,Sc,Ti,Cr,Mn,Co,Ni,Sr,Y,Zr and Ba in the case of HD 122563,taking advantage of a high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio HARPS spectrum.The abundance discrepanciesΔ[X/H]that occur due toαvariation rarely exceed 0.05 dex and most are less than 0.03 dex.We calculate the discrepancyΔ[X/H]using a line-by-line differential analysis.The abundance discrepancies do not have direct relation with either line strength or the excitation potential.For 1 D stellar atmospheric analysis of HD 122563,the accuracy of abundance determination does not strongly depend on the choice of mixing-length parameterα(causing average discrepancies of<0.03 dex),while the uncertainties in the effective temperature and surface gravity play a more important role.

Evolutions of CHCN abundance in molecular clumps

To investigate the effects of massive star evolution on surrounding molecules,we select nine massive clumps previously observed with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment(APEX) telescope and the Submillimeter Array(SMA) telescope.Based on the observations of APEX,we obtain luminosity to mass ratios Lclump/Mclump that range from 10 to 154 L_(⊙)/M_(⊙),where some of them embedded ultra compact(UC) H Ⅱ region.Using the SMA,CH3CN(12K-11K) transitions were observed toward nine massive starforming regions.We derive the CH3CN rotational temperature and column density using the XCLASS program,and calculate its fractional abundance.We find that CH3CN temperature seems to increase with the increase of Lclump/Mclump when the ratio is between 10 to 40 L_(⊙)/M_(⊙),then decrease when L_(clump)/M_(clump)≥ 40 L_(⊙)/M_(⊙).Assuming that the CH3CN gas is heated by radiation from the central star,the effective distance of CH3CN relative to the central star is estimated.The distance ranges from - 0.003 to - 0.083 pc,which accounts for - 1/100 to - 1/1000 of clump size.The effective distance increases slightly as Lclump/Mclump increases(Reff-(L_(clump)/M_(clump))0.5±0.2).Overall,the CH3 CN abundance is found to decrease as the clumps evolve,e.g.,XCH3CN -(L_(clump)/M_(clump))-1.0±0.7.The steady decline of CH3CN abundance as the clumps evolution can be interpreted as a result of photodissociation.

Effects of α-Enhancement on Stellar Evolution

Using Eggleton＇s code, we systematically show the differences in stellar evolution between the results based on the scaled-solar mixture and the a-enhanced metal mixture. As input, the OPAL high temperature opacities are used for log（T/K） 〉 4.00, and the new Wichita State low temperature opacities, for log（T/K） ≤ 4.00, Our calculations cover star masses ranging from 0.25 to 80.0M⊙, spaced at ΔlogM = 0.10 or 0.05. The values of metallicities Z are 0.0001, 0.0003, 0.001, 0.004, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10. For a given Z, the initial hydrogen mass fraction is given by X = 0.76 - 3.0Z. We show that a-enhancement can raise the stellar effective temperature and luminosity, and reduce the evolutionary age. Compared with some previous work, the effects of α-enhancement are more obviously demonstrated in our calculations.

Estimation of ages and masses via carbon and nitrogen abundances for 556 007 giants from LAMOST

Estimating ages for a large number of giants is of great importance for studying Galactic evolution.In this work,we determine stellar ages and masses for 556007 giants from LAMOST Data Release 5(DR5)with empirical relations estimated from chemical[C/N]abundance ratios.Our sample reveals the two wellknown sequences in the age-[α/M]relation.The high-αsequence is composed of stars older than 8 Gyr and low-αsequence is composed of stars with age ranging from 0 Gyr to 13.8 Gyr.Our sample also shows a flat age-[M/H]relation up until 12 Gyr.We compare these distributions with Galactic Chemical Evolution models for reference.When looking at the spatial distribution of stars in 2 Gyr age bins,we find that young stars are concentrated towards the Galactic plane and older stars extend to higher height above and below the disk.We find a smooth transition of median Galactic height for different age bins,which suggests a strong age-dependence on Galactic scale height.