Helium Emission Lines Research Articles

First high-resolution optical spectra of the distant emission-line star VES 723 (IRAS 02110+6212)

ABSTRACT The first high-resolution spectra (resolving powers of R ≥ 60 000) of the emission-line star VES 723, which has an unknown evolutionary status, were taken at the 6-m Big Telescope Alt-Azimuthal and the 3.6-m Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. The spectrum is dominated with powerful emission lines of neutral hydrogen and helium, and forbidden singly ionized nitrogen. The Hα and He i lines were found to exhibit broad foundations of the emission profiles at least 250 km s−1 wide. The strongest emission lines exhibit no noticeable variations during the observing period (2011–2017) except for the He i lines. The spectra contain multicomponent interstellar absorptions of Na i and K i (mult. 1) and several strongest diffuse interstellar bands, while photospheric absorptions have not been detected. The average radial velocity of the forbidden [N ii] emission line centres was adopted as the systemic velocity (Vsys ≈ −52 km s−1), which indicates a large distance of ≈6 kpc. Our luminosity estimates of log L/L⊙ = 3.7−4.0 for two different Gaia distance measurements, along with an effective temperature of Teff = 25 000 ± 2000 K and a fast decrease of the infrared flux longward of $\lambda \sim 10\, \mu{\rm m}$, allow us to suggest that VES 723 is neither a pre-main-sequence Herbig B[e] star nor a B[e] supergiant but rather a member of the FS CMa group of objects with the B[e] phenomenon.

Estimation and control of low (

We propose a method for estimation of the relatively low values (less than 100 V) of the steady-state negative potential built-up on a dielectric target irradiated by an electron beam at fore-vacuum pressure. The method is based on comparing the intensity of the emission lines of excited helium to similar emission lines for the known potential of a metal target. At low values of potential, we measured the plasma parameters in the region of the target and determined the contribution to ionization processes from each of the electron components: fast beam electrons, secondary electrons from the target, and plasma electrons.

Study of vacuum ultraviolet emission in helium and helium/nitrogen mixtures

Helium is frequently used as a working medium for the generation of plasmas and is capable of energetic photon emissions. These energetic photon emissions are often attributed to the formation of helium excimer and subsequent photon emission. When the plasma device is exposed to another gas, such as nitrogen, this energetic photon emission can cause photoionization and further ionization wave penetration into the additional gas. Often ignored are the helium resonance emissions that are assumed to be radiation trapped and therefore not pertinent to photoionization. Here, experimental evidence for the presence of helium atomic emission in a pulsed discharge at ten’s of Torr is shown. Simulations of a discharge in similar conditions agree with the experimental measurements. In this context, the role of atomic and molecular helium light emission on photoionization of molecular nitrogen in an ionization wave is studied using a kinetic modeling approach that accounts for radiation dynamics in a developing low-temperature plasma. Three different mixtures of helium at a total pressure of 250 Torr are studied in simulation. Photoionization of the nitrogen molecule by vacuum ultraviolet helium emission is used as the only seed source ahead of the ionization front. It is found that even though radiation trapped, the atomic helium emission lines are the significant source of photoionization of nitrogen. The significant effect of radiation trapped photon emission on ionization wave dynamics demonstrates the need to consider these radiation dynamics in plasma reactors where self-absorbed radiation is ignored.

Development of a multi-color gas puff imaging diagnostic on HL-2A tokamak.

A Multi-Color (MC) gas puff imaging diagnostic has been developed on HL-2A tokamak. This diagnostic can simultaneously measure two-dimensional (2D, radial, and poloidal) electron density and temperature distributions with a good spatial resolution of 2.5 × 2.5 mm2 and a temporal resolution of about 100 µs at best in edge plasmas. The 2D electron density and temperature distributions are inferred from the ratios of intensities of three different neutral helium emission lines; therefore, it is also referred to as helium beam probe or beam emission spectroscopy on thermal helium. A compact light splitter is used to split the inlet visible emission beam into four channels, and the specific neutral helium lines of the wavelengths λ1 = 587.6 nm, λ2 = 667.8 nm, λ3 = 706.5 nm, and λ4 = 728.1 nm are measured, respectively. This MC diagnostic has been experimentally tested and calibrated on a linear magnetic confinement device Peking University Plasma Test device, and the measured 2D electron density and temperature distributions are compared with the Langmuir probe measurements.

Discovery and Rapid Follow-up Observations of the Unusual Type II SN 2018ivc in NGC 1068

Abstract We present the discovery and high-cadence follow-up observations of SN 2018ivc, an unusual SNe II that exploded in NGC 1068 (D = 10.1 Mpc). The light curve of SN 2018ivc declines piecewise-linearly, changing slope frequently, with four clear slope changes in the first 30 days of evolution. This rapidly changing light curve indicates that interaction between the circumstellar material and ejecta plays a significant role in the evolution. Circumstellar interaction is further supported by a strong X-ray detection. The spectra are rapidly evolving and dominated by hydrogen, helium, and calcium emission lines. We identify a rare high-velocity emission-line feature blueshifted at ∼7800 (in Hα, Hβ, Pβ, Pγ, He i, and Ca ii), which is visible from day 18 until at least day 78 and could be evidence of an asymmetric progenitor or explosion. From the overall similarity between SN 2018ivc and SN 1996al, the Hα equivalent width of its parent H ii region, and constraints from pre-explosion archival Hubble Space Telescope images, we find that the progenitor of SN 2018ivc could be as massive as 52 but is more likely <12 . SN 2018ivc demonstrates the importance of the early discovery and rapid follow-up observations of nearby supernovae to study the physics and progenitors of these cosmic explosions.

Optical Counterpart to the Ultraluminous X-Ray Source in the UGC 6456 Galaxy

Abstract We report the identification of the optical counterpart to the transient ultraluminous X-ray source in the blue dwarf galaxy UGC 6456 (VII Zw 403). The source is highly variable in both the X-ray (by a factor of at least 100, 0.3–10 keV) and optical (by a factor of three, V-band) ranges. The peak X-ray luminosity of UGC 6456 ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) exceeds 1040 erg s−1; the absolute magnitude when the source is optically bright is M V = −8.24 ± 0.11, which makes this source one of the brightest ULXs in the optical range. We found a correlation between the optical and X-ray fluxes (with a coefficient of 0.9 ± 0.3), which may indicate that the optical emission is produced by re-processing of the X-rays in outer parts of the optically thick wind coming from the supercritical accretion disk. Optical spectra of UGC 6456 ULX show broad and variable hydrogen and helium emission lines, which also confirms the presence of the strong wind.

A compact X-ray emitting binary in likely association with 4FGL J0935.3+0901

ABSTRACT 4FGL J0935.3+0901 is a γ-ray source detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. We have conducted detailed analysis of the LAT data for this source and multiwavelength studies of the source field. Its γ-ray emission can be described with a power law (Γ = 2.0 ± 0.2) with an exponential cut-off (Ec = 2.9 ± 1.6 GeV), while the flux shows significant long-term variations. From analysis of archival Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory X-Ray Telescope data, we find only one X-ray source in the LAT’s 2σ error region. Within a $3.7\,{\rm arcsec}$ radius error circle of the X-ray source, there is only one optical object down to r′ ∼ 23 mag. Time-resolved photometry of the optical object indicates a likely 2.5 h periodic modulation, while its spectrum shows double-peaked hydrogen and helium emission lines (similar to those seen in accretion discs in low-mass X-ray binaries). Combining these results, we conclude that we have discovered a compact X-ray emitting binary in likely association with 4FGL J0935.3+0901, i.e. a millisecond pulsar (MSP) binary. We discuss the implication of the optical spectral features: this binary could be a transitional MSP system at a subluminous disc state, although the other possibility, the binary in a rotation-powered state showing the optical emission lines due to intrabinary interaction processes, cannot be excluded. Further observational studies will help to determine detailed properties of this candidate MSP binary and thus clarify its current state.

Investigating the nature of the extended structure around the Herbig star RCrA using integral field and high-resolution spectroscopy

Context. We present a detailed analysis of the extended structure detected around the young and close-by Herbig Ae/Be star R CrA. This is a young triple system with an intermediate mass central binary whose separation is of the order of a few tens of the radii of the individual components, and an M-star companion at about 30 au. Aims. Our aim is to understand the nature of the extended structure by means of combining integral-field and high-resolution spectroscopy. Methods. We conducted the analysis based on FEROS archival optical spectroscopy data and adaptive optics images and integral-field spectra obtained with SINFONI and SPHERE at the VLT. Results. The observations reveal a complex extended structure that is composed of at least two components: a non-uniform wide cavity whose walls are detected in continuum emission up to 400 au, and a collimated wiggling-jet detected in the emission lines of helium and hydrogen. Moreover, the presence of [Fe II] emission projected close to the cavity walls suggests the presence of a slower moving wind, most likely a disk wind. The multiple components of the optical forbidden lines also indicate the presence of a high-velocity jet co-existing with a slow wind. We constructed a geometrical model of the collimated jet flowing within the cavity using intensity and velocity maps, finding that its wiggling is consistent with the orbital period of the central binary. The cavity and the jet do not share the same position angle, suggesting that the jet is itself experiencing a precession motion possibly due to the wide M-dwarf companion. Conclusions. We propose a scenario that closely agrees with the general expectation of a magneto-centrifugal-launched jet. These results build upon the extensive studies already conducted on R CrA.

Spectroscopic and Photometric Study of the Polar 1RXS J152506.9-032647

We present the photometric and spectroscopic observations of the polar 1RXSJ152506.9-032647. The observations were carried out at the 6-m and Zeiss-1000 telescopes of the SAO RAS, and at the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish telescope RTT150. The determined orbital period of the system is $$0\mathop .\limits^{\rm{d}} 06462793$$ . The object was observed in the intermediate $$\langle{R_c}\rangle=17\mathop .\limits^{\rm{m}}8$$ in 2013 and 2017 and high states $$\langle{R_c}\rangle=16\mathop .\limits^{\rm{m}}8$$ in 2016. The light curve analysis showed that the accretion in the system occurs towards two magnetic poles of the white dwarf. The spectra of the object was typical of polars with strong hydrogen emissions of the Balmer series (HI), of neutral (He I), and ionized (He II) helium, and weaker lines of heavier elements (Fe II, CII, CIII, and Mg II). Hydrogen and helium emission lines showed a two-component structure. We determined the parameters of the system: M1 = 0.56 ± 0.04M⊙, M2 = 0.133 ± 0.008M⊙, q = 0.24 ± 0.001, i = 79° ± 1°, RL2 = 0.16 ± 0.01R⊙, RL2/R2 = 1.04, and A = 0.6 ± 0.02R⊙.

Collimated radiation in SS 433

Context. The microquasar SS 433 is well known for its precessing, relativistic, and highly collimated baryonic jets, which manifest in its optical spectrum as pairs of hydrogen and helium emission lines moving with large Doppler shifts. Depending on their heating mechanism, the optical jet bullets may serve as a probe of the collimated radiation coming from the inner region close to the compact object, and which is not directly visible to observers on Earth. Aims. We aim to better understand the baryonic jet phenomenon in SS 433, in particular the properties of the optical bullets and their interaction with the ionizing collimated radiation. Methods. The optical interferometer VLTI/GRAVITY has allowed us to spatially resolve the optical jets in SS 433 for the first time. We present here the second such observation taken over three nights in July 2017. In addition, we used the X-shooter spectrograph at VLT to study the optical bullets in SS 433 in detail. Over the full wavelength range 0.3−2.5 μm, we identified up to twenty pairs of jet lines observed simultaneously, which we modeled with the spectral synthesis code Cloudy. Results. GRAVITY reveals elongated exponential-like radial spatial profiles for the optical jets on scales ≲1−10 mas, suggestive of a heating mechanism acting throughout a long portion of the jet and naturally explained by photoionization by the collimated radiation. We also spatially resolve the movement of the optical bullets for the first time, detecting more extended jet components corresponding to previous ejections. Cloudy photoionization models can explain the spatial intensity profiles measured with GRAVITY and the emission line ratios from X-shooter, and constrain the properties of the optical bullets and the ionizing radiation. We find that the latter must peak in the UV with an isotropic luminosity (as inferred by a face-on observer) ∼1041 erg s−1. Provided that the X-ray spectral energy distribution is sufficiently hard, the collimated X-ray luminosity could still be high enough so that the face-on observer would see SS 433 as ultraluminous X-ray source and it would still be compatible with the H/He/He+ ionization balance of the optical bullets. The kinetic power in the optical jets is constrained to 2−20 × 1038 erg s−1, and the extinction in the optical jets to AV = 6.7 ± 0.1. We suggest there may be substantial AV ≳ 1 and structured circumstellar extinction in SS 433, likely arising from dust formed in equatorial outflows.

A photoionization model grid for novae: estimation of physical parameters

We present here a method to estimate physical parameters of novae systems using an extensive grid of photoionization models for novae. We use the photoionization code CLOUDY to construct grid of models covering a wide range of different parameters, e.g. total hydrogen density ($n_H$), source temperature ($T_{BB}$) and luminosity ($L$), inner radius ($R_{in}$) and thickness of ejecta ($\Delta R$), keeping other elements at solar metallicity. In this way, a total of 1792 models have been generated. From the model generated spectra which cover a wide wavelength region from ultra-violet to infrared, we calculate ratios of hydrogen and helium emission lines fluxes which are generally strong in novae spectra. We show that physical parameters associated with novae system could be estimated by comparing these line ratios with those obtained from observed spectra. We elaborate the idea with examples and estimate the parameter values in case of few other novae. The results of the grid model are available online.

Near-infrared Zeeman spectroscopy for the spatially resolved measurement of helium emission spectra in Heliotron J

A passive spectroscopic method that can measure spatially resolved emission spectra only by observing from a single diagnostic port without assuming plasma symmetry was applied to the stellarator-heliotron device Heliotron J. The emission spectra from the inboard and outboard sides were separated using the difference in their Zeeman effects. On the basis of the fact that in a spectrum as a function of the wavelength, the magnitude of the wavelength splitting by the Zeeman effect relative to the Doppler broadening increases with the wavelength, the method was applied to a near-infrared helium emission line (He I 1s2s 3S−1s2p 3P, 1083 nm), and it was confirmed that the uncertainty in the separated spectra was reduced compared with that in the application to visible emission lines. From the emissivity of the separated spectra, the local recycling flux was evaluated using the inverse photon efficiency method.

Type IIn SN 2010jl: probing dusty line-emitting shell

I explore signatures of a possible dust formation in the late SN~2010jl that could be imprinted in the line blueshift and the radius evolution of the dusty infrared-emitting shell. I propose a simple model that permits one to reproduce emission lines of blueshifted hydrogen and helium emission lines. The model suggests that the hydrogen emission originates primarily from shocked fragmented circumstellar clumps partially obscured by the absorbing cool dense shell and by unshocked ejecta. In the He I 1.083 $\mu$m line on day 178 this component is significantly weaker compared to broad component from unshocked ejecta that is obscured by the absorprion produced by ejecta itself. Simulations of late time ($t > 400$ d) H$\alpha$ suggest that, apart from the dust in the cool dense shell, a significant amount of dust must form in the unshocked supernova ejecta. The supernova radius predicted by the interaction model coincides with the radius of the dusty shell recovered from late time (> 460 days) infrared data, which strongly support that infrared radiation indeed originates from supernova. The ejecta dust is presumably locked in opaque blobs.

Effect of plasma on gas flow and air concentration in the effluent of a pulsed cold atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet

In this work, we report on the flow effects induced by a nanosecond pulsed helium cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet impinging on a glass substrate. Gas temperature measurements have been performed using optical emission spectroscopy including rotational spectra of OH(A-X) (0,0) and N2(C-B) (0,0) and resonance broadening of a helium emission line at 667.8 nm. The measured increase in gas temperature was less than 15 K. We have measured the air concentration distribution in the jet effluent by means of Rayleigh scattering exploiting the large difference in Rayleigh cross-section of air and helium. The obtained results show that the plasma causes a broadening of the helium channel suggesting an enhanced gas velocity and mixing with the ambient air. The impact of the plasma on the jet effluent is polarity dependent and is larger in the case of positive applied voltage pulses. Using an estimation of the increased gas velocity required to obtain the observed air concentrations, we have shown that both gas heating and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) forces related to the propagation of an ionization front are not causing the observed phenomena. The surface charge which can exist for a much longer time than the duration of the applied voltage pulse is the primary cause of the EHD forces on the bulk charges which lead to significant different air concentration profiles in the jet effluent for plasma on and off.

The Spectrum of SS 433 in the H and K Bands

Abstract SS 433 is an X-ray binary and the source of sub-relativistic, precessing, baryonic jets. We present high-resolution spectrograms of SS 433 in the infrared H and K bands. The spectrum is dominated by hydrogen and helium emission lines. The precession phase of the emission lines from the jet continues to be described by a constant period, . The limit on any secularly changing period is . The He i line has complex and variable P-Cygni absorption features produced by an inhomogeneous wind with a maximum outflow velocity near 900 km s−1. The He ii emission lines in the spectrum also arise in this wind. The higher members of the hydrogen Brackett lines show a double-peaked profile with symmetric wings extending more than ±1500 km s−1 from the line center. The lines display radial velocity variations in phase with the radial velocity variation expected of the compact star, and they show a distortion during disk eclipse that we interpret as a rotational distortion. We fit the line profiles with a model in which the emission comes from the surface of a symmetric, Keplerian accretion disk around the compact object. The outer edge of the disk has velocities that vary from 110 to 190 km s−1. These comparatively low velocities place an important constraint on the mass of the compact star: its mass must be less than and is probably less than .

A tidal disruption event in the nearby ultra-luminous infrared galaxy F01004-2237

Tidal disruption events (TDEs), in which stars are gravitationally disrupted as they pass close to the supermassive black holes in the centres of galaxies1, are potentially important probes of strong gravity and accretion physics. Most TDEs have been discovered in large-area monitoring surveys of many thousands of galaxies, and a relatively low rate of one event every 104–105 years per galaxy has been deduced2–4. However, given the selection effects inherent in such surveys, considerable uncertainties remain about the conditions that favour TDEs. Here we report the detection of unusually strong and broad helium emission lines following a luminous optical flare in the nucleus of the nearby ultra-luminous infrared galaxy F01004-2237. This particular combination of variabi­lity and post-flare emission line spectrum is unlike any known supernova or active galactic nucleus. The most plausible explanation is a TDE — the first detected in a galaxy with an ongoing massive starburst. The fact that this event has been detected in repeat spectroscopic observations of a sample of 15 ultra-luminous infrared galaxies over a period of just 10 years suggests a much higher rate of TDEs in starburst galaxies than in the general galaxy population. Environments where stars are abundantly formed are more conducive to stellar tidal disruption events, as evidenced by the detection of the remains of a star being accreted by a supermassive black hole within a starburst galaxy.

Type Ibn Supernovae Show Photometric Homogeneity and Spectral Diversity at Maximum Light

Abstract Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) are a small yet intriguing class of explosions whose spectra are characterized by low-velocity helium emission lines with little to no evidence for hydrogen. The prevailing theory has been that these are the core-collapse explosions of very massive stars embedded in helium-rich circumstellar material (CSM). We report optical observations of six new SNe Ibn: PTF11rfh, PTF12ldy, iPTF14aki, iPTF15ul, SN 2015G, and iPTF15akq. This brings the sample size of such objects in the literature to 22. We also report new data, including a near-infrared spectrum, on the Type Ibn SN 2015U. In order to characterize the class as a whole, we analyze the photometric and spectroscopic properties of the full Type Ibn sample. We find that, despite the expectation that CSM interaction would generate a heterogeneous set of light curves, as seen in SNe IIn, most Type Ibn light curves are quite similar in shape, declining at rates around 0.1 mag day−1 during the first month after maximum light, with a few significant exceptions. Early spectra of SNe Ibn come in at least two varieties, one that shows narrow P Cygni lines and another dominated by broader emission lines, both around maximum light, which may be an indication of differences in the state of the progenitor system at the time of explosion. Alternatively, the spectral diversity could arise from viewing-angle effects or merely from a lack of early spectroscopic coverage. Together, the relative light curve homogeneity and narrow spectral features suggest that the CSM consists of a spatially confined shell of helium surrounded by a less dense extended wind.

WN] central stars of planetary nebulae

AbstractWhile most of the low-mass stars stay hydrogen-rich on their surface throughout their evolution, a considerable fraction of white dwarfs as well as central stars of planetary nebulae have a hydrogen-deficient surface composition. The majority of these H-deficient central stars exhibit spectra very similar to massive Wolf-Rayet stars of the carbon sequence, i.e. with broad emission lines of carbon, helium, and oxygen. In analogy to the massive Wolf-Rayet stars, they are classified as [WC] stars. Their formation, which is relatively well understood, is thought to be the result of a (very) late thermal pulse of the helium burning shell. It is therefore surprising that some H-deficient central stars which have been found recently, e.g. IC 4663 and Abell 48, exhibit spectra that resemble those of the massive Wolf-Rayet stars of the nitrogen sequence, i.e. with strong emission lines of nitrogen instead of carbon. This new type of central stars is therefore labelled [WN]. We present spectral analyses of these objects and discuss the status of further candidates as well as the evolutionary status and origin of the [WN] stars.

ASASSN-15oi: a rapidly evolving, luminous tidal disruption event at 216 Mpc

We present ground-based and Swift photometric and spectroscopic observations of the tidal disruption event (TDE) ASASSN-15oi, discovered at the center of 2MASX J20390918-3045201 ($d\simeq216$ Mpc) by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN). The source peaked at a bolometric luminosity of $L\simeq1.3\times10^{44}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ and radiated a total energy of $E\simeq6.6\times10^{50}$ ergs over the first $\sim3.5$ months of observations. The early optical/UV emission of the source can be fit by a blackbody with temperature increasing from $T\sim2\times10^4$ K to $T\sim4\times10^4$ K while the luminosity declines from $L\simeq1.3\times10^{44}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ to $L\simeq2.3\times10^{43}$ ergs s$^{-1}$, requiring the photosphere to be shrinking rapidly. The optical/UV luminosity decline during this period is most consistent with an exponential decline, $L\propto e^{-(t-t_0)/\tau}$, with $\tau \simeq46.5$ days for $t_0\simeq57241.6$ (MJD), while a power-law decline of $L\propto (t-t_0)^{-\alpha}$ with $t_0\simeq57212.3$ and $\alpha=1.62$ provides a moderately worse fit. ASASSN-15oi also exhibits roughly constant soft X-ray emission that is significantly weaker than the optical/UV emission. Spectra of the source show broad helium emission lines and strong blue continuum emission in early epochs, although these features fade rapidly and are not present $\sim3$ months after discovery. The early spectroscopic features and color evolution of ASASSN-15oi are consistent with a TDE, but the rapid spectral evolution is unique among optically-selected TDEs.

Investigation of a scalable barrel atmospheric plasma reactor for the treatment of polymer particles

This study reports on the performance of a scalable barrel atmospheric plasma system for the treatment of polymer particles. A novel feature of the barrel system design is the use of a biased electrode, which also acts as the roller for the glass barrel. The plasma is generated using either helium or helium/oxygen gas mixtures. The reactor was used to activate 20g batches of silicone, polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles, each with diameters in the range 3 to 5mm. The effect of plasma treatment time and gas flow rate on the water contact angle of the treated polymer particles was examined. The polymer water contact angles decreased from up to 140° to <10° after the barrel plasma treatment (polymer dependent). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis is used to monitor the effect of the plasma treatment on both PET and silicone polymer particles. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was used as a diagnostic tool to monitor changes in atomic and molecular species intensity with experimental conditions. Emission lines of helium, oxygen and molecular bands of OH, N2 and N2+ were monitored and correlated with their spatial distribution within the plasma chamber. Electrical characterisation studies demonstrated an increase in plasma power with increasing input voltage and helium flow rate. The heating effect of the plasma was monitored using an infrared thermographic camera, the maximum barrel temperature after 30min treatment found to be 29°C. While the current barrel plasma system design can treat 20g of polymer the system design has the potential to be readily scalable for the activation of larger batches of particles.