Interstellar Medium Absorption Research Articles

Correlating Intrinsic Stellar Parameters with Mg ii Self-reversal Depths

The Mg ii h&k emission lines (2803, 2796 Å) are a useful tool for understanding stellar chromospheres and transition regions due to their intrinsic brightness, relatively low interstellar medium (ISM) absorption interference, and abundance of archival spectra available. Similar to other optically thick chromospheric emission lines such as H i Lyα, Mg ii emissions commonly present with a self-reversed line core, the depth and shape of which vary from star to star. We explore the relationship between self-reversal and the stellar atmosphere by investigating the extent to which fundamental stellar parameters affect self-reversal. We present a search for correlations between photospheric parameters such as effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity with the Mg ii k self-reversal depth for a group of 135 FGKM main-sequence stars with high-resolution near-ultraviolet spectra from the Hubble Space Telescope. We modeled the observed Mg ii k line profiles to correct for ISM attenuation and recover the depth of the emission line’s self-reversal in relation to the intensity of the line. We used the PHOENIX atmosphere code to homogeneously determine the stellar parameters by computing a suite of stellar atmosphere models that include a chromosphere and transition region, and using archival photometry to guide the models of each star. We quantify the sensitivity of the visible and near-infrared photometry to chromospheric and photospheric parameters. We find weak trends between Mg ii k self-reversal depth and age, rotation period, Mg ii luminosity, temperature, and mass. All stars in our sample older than ∼2 Gyr or rotating slower than ∼10 days exhibit self-reversal.

Evolution of gas flows along the starburst to post-starburst to quiescent galaxy sequence

ABSTRACT We measure velocity offsets in the $\rm{Na {}\rm {\small I}}$ λλ5890, 5896 ($\rm{Na {}\rm {\small D}}$) interstellar medium absorption lines to track how neutral galactic winds change as their host galaxies evolve. Our sample of ∼80 000 SDSS spectra at 0.010 < z < 0.325 includes starburst, post-starburst, and quiescent galaxies, forming an evolutionary sequence of declining star formation rate (SFR). We detect bulk flows across this sequence, mostly at higher host stellar masses (log(M*/M⊙)) > 10). Along this sequence, the fraction of outflows decreases (76 ± 2 per cent to 65 ± 4 per cent to a 3σ upper limit of 34 per cent), and the mean velocity offset changes from outflowing to inflowing (−84.6 ± 5.9 to −71.6 ± 11.4 to $76.6\pm 2.3\, \rm km s^{-1}$). Even within the post-starburst sample, wind speed decreases with time elapsed since the starburst ended. These results reveal that outflows diminish as galaxies age. For post-starbursts, there is evidence for an AGN contribution, especially to the speediest outflows: (1) SFR declines faster in time than outflow velocity, a decoupling arguing against massive stellar feedback; (2) of the few outflows strong enough to escape the interstellar medium (9/105), three of the four hosts with measured emission lines are Seyfert galaxies. For discy starburst galaxies, however, the trends suggest flows out of the stellar disc plane (with outflow 1/2-opening angle > 45°) instead of from the nucleus: the wind velocity decreases as the disc becomes more edge-on, and the outflow fraction, constant at $\sim 90~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ for disc inclinations i < 45°, steadily decreases from $\sim 90~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ to 20 per cent for i > 45°.

Resolved Velocity Profiles of Galactic Winds at Cosmic Noon

We study the kinematics of the interstellar medium (ISM) viewed “down the barrel” in 20 gravitationally lensed galaxies during cosmic noon (z = 1.5–3.5). We use moderate-resolution spectra (R ∼ 4000) from Keck’s Echellette Spectrograph and Imager and Magellan/MagE to spectrally resolve the ISM absorption in these galaxies into ∼10 independent elements and use double Gaussian fits to quantify the velocity structure of the gas. We find that the bulk motion of gas in this galaxy sample is outflowing, with average velocity centroid km s−1 (±111 km s−1 scatter) measured with respect to the systemic redshift. A total of 16 out of the 20 galaxies exhibit a clear positive skewness, with a blueshifted tail extending to ∼ −500 km s−1. We examine scaling relations in outflow velocities with galaxy stellar mass and star formation rate, finding correlations consistent with a momentum-driven wind scenario. Our measured outflow velocities are also comparable to those reported for FIRE-2 and TNG50 cosmological simulations at similar redshift and galaxy properties. We also consider implications for interpreting results from lower-resolution spectra. We demonstrate that while velocity centroids are accurately recovered, the skewness, velocity width, and probes of high-velocity gas (e.g., v 95) are subject to large scatter and biases at lower resolution. We find that R ≳ 1700 is required for accurate results for the gas kinematics of our sample. This work represents the largest available sample of well-resolved outflow velocity structure at z > 2 and highlights the need for good spectral resolution to recover accurate properties.

DREAM

Context. The population of close-in exoplanets features a desert of hot Neptunes whose origin remains uncertain. These planets may have lost their atmosphere, eroding into mini-Neptunes and rocky super-Earths below the desert. Direct observations of evaporating atmospheres are essential to derive mass-loss estimates and constrain this scenario. The metastable He I triplet at 1083.3 nm represents a powerful diagnostic of atmospheric evaporation because it traces the hot gas in extended exoplanet atmospheres while being observed from the ground. In addition, it is located at the bright near-infrared stellar continuum and is very weakly affected by interstellar medium (ISM) absorption. Aims. We carried out a homogeneous He I transmission spectroscopy survey, targeting a selected sample of nine planets along the different edges of the desert, to interpret the absorption line profile with evaporation models and to better understand the role of photoevaporation in the desert formation. Methods. We observed one transit per planet using the high-resolution, near-infrared spectrograph GIANO-B mounted on the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo telescope. We focused our analysis on the He I triplet, based on a comparison of the in-transit and out-of-transit observations, and we computed high-resolution transmission spectra. We then employed the 1D p-winds model to calculate the planetary thermospheric structures and to interpret the observed transmission spectra. Results. We found no signatures of planetary absorption in the He I triplet in any of the investigated targets. We thus provided 3 σ upper-limit estimations on the thermosphere absorption, temperature and mass loss, and combined them with past measurements to search for correlations with parameters such as the stellar mass and XUV flux, which are thought to be key drivers in the formation of the He I triplet. Conclusions. These results strengthen the importance of performing homogeneous surveys and analyses in bringing clarity to He I detections and (thereby) to plausible Neptunian desert origins. Our findings corroborate literature expectations that state the He I absorption signal is correlated with the stellar mass and the received XUV flux. However, when translated in terms of mass-loss rates, these trends seem to disappear. Thus, further studies are essential to shed light on this aspect and to better understand the photoevaporation process.

The GALAH survey: new diffuse interstellar bands found in residuals of 872 000 stellar spectra

ABSTRACTWe use more than 872 000 mid- to high-resolution (R ∼ 20 000) spectra of stars from the GALactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) survey to discern the spectra of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). We use four windows with the wavelength ranges 4718–4903, 5649–5873, 6481–6739, and 7590–7890 Å, giving a total coverage of 967 Å. We produce ∼400 000 spectra of interstellar medium (ISM) absorption features and correct them for radial velocities of the DIB clouds. Ultimately, we combine the 33 115 best ISM spectra into six reddening bins with a range of 0.1 < E(B − V) < 0.7 mag. A total of 183 absorption features in these spectra qualify as DIBs, and their fitted model parameters are summarized in a detailed catalogue. From these, 64 are not reported in the literature, of which 17 are certain, 14 are probable and 33 are possible. We find that the broad DIBs can be fitted with a multitude of narrower DIBs. Finally, we create a synthetic DIB spectrum at unit reddening. This should allow us to narrow down the possible carriers of DIBs, to explore the composition of the ISM, and ultimately to model dust and star formation better as well as to correct Galactic and extragalactic observations. The majority of certain DIBs show a significant excess of equivalent width when compared with reddening. We explain this with observed lines of sight penetrating more uniform DIB clouds compared with clumpy dust clouds.

Searching for the warm-hot intergalactic medium usingXMM–Newtonhigh-resolution X-ray spectra

ABSTRACTThe problem of missing baryons in the local universe remains an open question. One proposed alternative is that at low redshifts missing baryons are in the form of the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM). In order to test this idea, we present a detailed analysis of X-ray high-resolution spectra of six extragalactic sources, Mrk 421, 1ES 1028+511, 1ES 1553+113, H2356−309, PKS 0558−504, and PG 1116+215, obtained with the XMM–Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer to search for signals of WHIM and/or circumgalactic medium X-ray-absorbing gas. We fit the X-ray absorption with the IONeq model, allowing us to take into account the presence of X-ray spectral features due to the multiphase component of the local interstellar medium (ISM). An additional IONeq component is included to model the WHIM absorption, instead of the traditional Gaussian absorption line modelling. We found no statistical improvement in the fits when including such component in any of the sources, concluding that we can safely reject a successful detection of WHIM absorbers towards these lines of sights. Our simulation shows that the presence of the multiphase ISM absorption features prevents the detection of low-redshift WHIM absorption features in the >17 Å spectral region for moderate exposures using high-resolution spectra.

Reconstructing the XUV Spectra of Active Sun-like Stars Using Solar Scaling Relations with Magnetic Flux

The Kepler space telescope and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite unveiled that Sun-like stars frequently host exoplanets. These exoplanets are subject to fluxes of ionizing radiation in the form of X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) radiation that may cause changes in their atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. While X-ray fluxes can be observed directly, EUV fluxes cannot be observed because of severe interstellar medium absorption. Here we present a new empirical method to estimate the whole stellar X-ray plus EUV (XUV) and far-UV (FUV) spectra as a function of total unsigned magnetic fluxes of stars. The response of the solar XUV and FUV spectrum (0.1–180 nm) to the solar total unsigned magnetic flux is investigated by using the long-term Sun-as-a-star data set over 10 yr, and the power-law relation is obtained for each wavelength with a spectral resolution of 0.1–1 nm. We applied the scaling relations to active young Sun-like stars (G dwarfs), EK Dra (G1.5V), π 1 Uma (G1.5V), and κ 1 Ceti (G5V) and found that the observed spectra (except for the unobservable longward EUV wavelength) are roughly consistent with the extension of the derived power-law relations with errors of an order of magnitude. This suggests that our model is a valuable method to derive the XUV/FUV fluxes of Sun-like stars, including the EUV band mostly absorbed at wavelengths longward of 36 nm. We also discuss differences between the solar extensions and stellar observations at wavelengths in the 2–30 nm band and conclude that simultaneous observations of magnetic and XUV/FUV fluxes are necessary for further validations.

Impact of Mg ii interstellar medium absorption on near-ultraviolet exoplanet transit measurements

ABSTRACT Ultraviolet (UV) transmission spectroscopy probes atmospheric escape, which has a significant impact on planetary atmospheric evolution. If unaccounted for, interstellar medium absorption (ISM) at the position of specific UV lines might bias transit depth measurements, and thus potentially affect the (non-)detection of features in transmission spectra. Ultimately, this is connected to the so called ‘resolution-linked bias’ effect. We present a parametric study quantifying the impact of unresolved or unconsidered ISM absorption in transit depth measurements at the position of the Mg ii h&k resonance lines (i.e. 2802.705 Å and 2795.528 Å, respectively) in the near-ultraviolet spectral range. We consider main-sequence stars of different spectral types and vary the shape and amount of chromospheric emission, ISM absorption, and planetary absorption, as well as their relative velocities. We also evaluate the role played by integration bin and spectral resolution. We present an open-source tool enabling one to quantify the impact of unresolved or unconsidered Mg ii ISM absorption in transit depth measurements. We further apply this tool to a few already or soon to be observed systems. On average, we find that ignoring ISM absorption leads to biases in the Mg ii transit depth measurements comparable to the uncertainties obtained from the observations published to date. However, considering the bias induced by ISM absorption might become necessary when analysing observations obtained with the next generation space telescopes with UV coverage (e.g. LUVOIR, HABEX), which will provide transmission spectra with significantly smaller uncertainties compared to what obtained with current facilities (e.g. HST).

Properties of the interstellar medium in star-forming galaxies at redshifts 2 ≤ z ≤ 5 from the VANDELS survey

Gaseous flows inside and outside galaxies are key to understanding galaxy evolution, as they regulate their star formation activity and chemical enrichment across cosmic time. We study the interstellar medium (ISM) kinematics of a sample of 330 galaxies with C III] or He II emission using far-ultraviolet (far-UV) ISM absorption lines detected in the ultra deep spectra of the VANDELS survey. These galaxies span a broad range of stellar masses from 108 to 1011 M⊙, and star formation rates (SFRs) from 1 to 500 M⊙ yr−1 in the redshift range between 2 and 5. We find that the bulk ISM velocity along the line of sight (vIS) is globally in outflow, with a vIS of −60 ± 10 km s−1 for low-ionisation gas traced by Si IIλ1260 Å, C IIλ1334 Å, Si IIλ1526 Å, and Al IIλ1670 Å absorption lines, and a vIS of −160 ± 30 and −170 ± 30 km s−1 for higher ionisation gas traced respectively by Al IIIλλ1854-1862 Å and Si IVλλ1393-1402 Å. Interestingly, we notice that BPASS models are able to better reproduce the stellar continuum around the Si IV doublet than other stellar population templates. For individual galaxies, 34% of the sample has a positive ISM velocity shift, almost double the fraction reported at lower redshifts. We additionally derive a maximum outflow velocity vmax for the average population, which is of the order of ∼ − 500 and ∼ − 600 km s−1 for the lower and higher ionisation lines, respectively. Comparing vIS to the host galaxies properties, we find no significant correlations with stellar mass M⋆ or SFR, and only a marginally significant dependence (at ∼2σ) on morphology-related parameters, with slightly higher velocities found in galaxies of smaller size (probed by the equivalent radius rT50), higher concentration (CT), and higher SFR surface density ΣSFR. From the spectral stacks, vmax shows a similarly weak dependence on physical properties (at ≃2σ). Moreover, we do not find evidence of enhanced outflow velocities in visually identified mergers compared to isolated galaxies. From a physical point of view, the outflow properties are consistent with accelerating momentum-driven winds, with densities decreasing towards the outskirts. Our moderately lower ISM velocities compared to those found in similar studies at lower redshifts suggest that inflows and internal turbulence might play an increased role at z > 2 and weaken the outflow signatures. Finally, we estimate mass-outflow rates Ṁout that are comparable to the SFRs of the galaxies (hence a mass-loading factor η of the order of unity), and an average escape velocity of 625 km s−1, suggesting that most of the ISM will remain bound to the galaxy halo.

An extreme blue nugget, UV-bright starburst at z = 3.613 with 90 per cent of Lyman continuum photon escape

ABSTRACT We present the discovery and analysis of J1316+2614 at z = 3.6130, a UV-bright star-forming galaxy (MUV ≃ −24.7) with large escape of Lyman continuum (LyC) radiation. J1316+2614 is a young (≃10 Myr) star-forming galaxy with SFR ≃ 500 M⊙ yr−1 and a starburst mass of log(M⋆/M⊙) ≃ 9.7. It shows a very steep UV continuum, βUV = −2.59 ± 0.05, consistent with residual dust obscuration, E(B − V) ≃ 0. LyC emission is detected with high significance (≃17σ) down to 830 Å, for which a very high relative (absolute) LyC escape fraction $f_{\rm esc} \rm (LyC) \simeq 0.92$ (≃0.87) is inferred. The contribution of a foreground or active galactic nucleus contamination to the LyC signal is discussed, but is unlikely. J1316+2614 is the most powerful ionizing source known among the star-forming galaxy population, both in terms of production (QH ≈ 1056 s−1) and escape of ionizing photons ($f_{\rm esc} \rm (LyC) \approx 0.9$). Nebular emission in Ly α, H β, and other rest-frame optical lines are detected, but these are weak ($EW_{0} \rm [H\beta ] \simeq 35$ Å), with their strengths reduced roughly by $\simeq 90{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. J1316+2614 is the first case known where the effect of large escape of ionizing photons on the strength of nebular lines and continuum emission is clearly observed. Gas inflows are detected in J1316+2614 from the blue-dominated peak Ly α emission (with a blue-to-red peak line ratio Iblue/Ired ≃ 3.7) and redshifted interstellar medium absorption (≃100 km s−1). Our results suggest that J1316+2614 is undergoing a gas compaction event, possibly representing a short-lived phase in the evolution of massive and compact galaxies, where strong gas inflows have triggered an extreme star formation episode and nearly 100 per cent LyC photons are escaping.

Solid confirmation of the broad DIB around 864.8 nm using stacked Gaia–RVS spectra

Context. Studies of the correlation between different diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are important for exploring their origins. However, the Gaia–RVS spectral window between 846 and 870 nm contains few DIBs, the strong DIB at 862 nm being the only convincingly confirmed one. Aims. Here we attempt to confirm the existence of a broad DIB around 864.8 nm and estimate its characteristics using the stacked Gaia–RVS spectra of a large number of stars. We study the correlations between the two DIBs at 862 nm (λ862) and 864.8 nm (λ864.8), as well as the interstellar extinction. Methods. We obtained spectra of the interstellar medium (ISM) absorption by subtracting the stellar components using templates constructed from real spectra at high Galactic latitudes with low extinctions. We then stacked the ISM spectra in Galactic coordinates (ℓ, b) – pixelized by the HEALPix scheme – to measure the DIBs. The stacked spectrum is modeled by the profiles of the two DIBs, Gaussian for λ862 and Lorentzian for λ864.8, and a linear continuum. We report the fitted central depth (CD), central wavelength, equivalent width (EW), and their uncertainties for the two DIBs. Results. We obtain 8458 stacked spectra in total, of which 1103 (13%) have reliable fitting results after applying numerous conservative filters. This work is the first of its kind to fit and measure λ862 and λ864.8 simultaneously in cool-star spectra. Based on these measurements, we find that the EWs and CDs of λ862 and λ864.8 are well correlated with each other, with Pearson coefficients (rp) of 0.78 and 0.87, respectively. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of λ864.8 is estimated as 1.62 ± 0.33 nm which compares to 0.55 ± 0.06 nm for λ862. We also measure the vacuum rest-frame wavelength of λ864.8 to be λ0 = 864.53 ± 0.14 nm, smaller than previous estimates. Conclusions. We find solid confirmation of the existence of the DIB around 864.8 nm based on an exploration of its correlation with λ862 and estimation of its FWHM. The DIB λ864.8 is very broad and shallow. That at λ862 correlates better with E(BP − RP) than λ864.8. The profiles of the two DIBs could strongly overlap with each other, which contributes to the skew of the λ862 profile.

Accurate Modeling of Lyα Profiles and Their Impact on Photolysis of Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres

Accurately measuring and modeling the Lyα (Lyα; λ1215.67 Å) emission line from low-mass stars is vital for our ability to build predictive high energy stellar spectra, yet interstellar medium (ISM) absorption of this line typically prevents model-measurement comparisons. Lyα also controls the photodissociation of important molecules, like water and methane, in exoplanet atmospheres such that any photochemical models assessing potential biosignatures or atmospheric abundances require accurate Lyα host star flux estimates. Recent observations of three early M and K stars (K3, M0, M1) with exceptionally high radial velocities (>100 km s−1) reveal the intrinsic profiles of these types of stars as most of their Lyα flux is shifted away from the geocoronal line core and contamination from the ISM. These observations indicate that previous stellar spectra computed with the PHOENIX atmosphere code have underpredicted the core of Lyα in these types of stars. With these observations, we have been able to better understand the microphysics in the upper atmosphere and improve the predictive capabilities of the PHOENIX atmosphere code. Since these wavelengths drive the photolysis of key molecular species, we also present results analyzing the impact of the resulting changes to the synthetic stellar spectra on observable chemistry in terrestrial planet atmospheres.

Disnht: Modeling X-ray absorption from distributed column densities

Collecting and analyzing X-ray photons over either spatial or temporal scales encompassing varying optical depth values requires knowledge about the optical depth distribution. For a sufficiently broad optical depth distribution, assuming a single column density value leads to a misleading interpretation of the source emission properties, nominally its spectral model. We present a model description for the interstellar medium absorption in X-ray spectra at moderate energy resolution, extracted over spatial or temporal regions encompassing a set of independent column densities. The absorption model (called disnht) approximates the distribution with a lognormal distribution and is presented in table format. The solution table and source code are made available and can be further generalized or tailored for arbitrary optical depth distributions encompassed by the extraction region. The disnht absorption model and its generalized solution are expected to be relevant for current and upcoming large angular scale analyses of diffuse X-ray emission, such as those from the extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) and the future Athena missions.

Spectral Signatures of Population iii and Envelope-stripped Stars in Galaxies at the Epoch of Reionization

Abstract While most simulations of the epoch of reionization have focused on single-stellar populations in star-forming dwarf galaxies, products of binary evolution are expected to significantly contribute to emissions of hydrogen-ionizing photons. Among these products are stripped stars (or helium stars), which have their envelopes stripped from interactions with binary companions, leaving an exposed helium core. Previous work has suggested these stripped stars can dominate the Lyman Continuum (LyC) photon output of high-redshift, low-luminosity galaxies post-starburst. Other sources of hard radiation in the early universe include zero-metallicity Population iii stars, which may have similar spectral energy distribution (SED) properties to galaxies with radiation dominated by stripped-star emissions. Here, we use four metrics (the power-law exponent over wavelength intervals 240–500 Å, 600–900 Å, and 1200–2000 Å, and the ratio of total luminosity in FUV wavelengths to LyC wavelengths) to compare the SEDs of simulated galaxies with only single-stellar evolution, galaxies containing stripped stars, and galaxies containing Population iii stars, with four different initial mass functions (IMFs). We find that stripped stars significantly alter SEDs in the LyC range of galaxies at the epoch of reionization. SEDs in galaxies with stripped stars have lower power-law indices in the LyC range and lower FUV to LyC luminosity ratios. These differences in SEDs are present at all considered luminosities ( M UV > − 15 , AB system), and are most pronounced for lower-luminosity galaxies. Intrinsic SEDs as well as those with interstellar medium absorption of galaxies with stripped stars and Population iii stars are found to be distinct for all tested Population iii IMFs.

TOI-1231 b: A Temperate, Neptune-sized Planet Transiting the Nearby M3 Dwarf NLTT 24399

Abstract We report the discovery of a transiting, temperate, Neptune-sized exoplanet orbiting the nearby (d = 27.5 pc), M3V star TOI-1231 (NLTT 24399, L 248-27, 2MASS J10265947-5228099). The planet was detected using photometric data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and followed up with observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory and the Antarctica Search for Transiting ExoPlanets program. Combining the photometric data sets, we find that the newly discovered planet has a radius of 3.65 − 0.15 + 0.16 R ⊕ and an orbital period of 24.246 days. Radial velocity measurements obtained with the Planet Finder Spectrograph on the Magellan Clay telescope confirm the existence of the planet and lead to a mass measurement of 15.5 ± 3.3 M ⊕. With an equilibrium temperature of just 330 K, TOI-1231 b is one of the coolest small planets accessible for atmospheric studies thus far, and its host star’s bright near-infrared brightness (J = 8.88, K s = 8.07) makes it an exciting target for the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. Future atmospheric observations would enable the first comparative planetology efforts in the 250–350 K temperature regime via comparisons with K2-18 b. Furthermore, TOI-1231's high systemic radial velocity (70.5 km s−1) may allow for the detection of low-velocity hydrogen atoms escaping the planet by Doppler, shifting the H i Lyα stellar emission away from the geocoronal and interstellar medium absorption features.

The UV-brightest Lyman continuum emitting star-forming galaxy

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of J0121+0025, an extremely luminous and young star-forming galaxy (MUV = −24.11, log[$L_{\rm Ly \alpha } / \rm erg~s^{-1}] = 43.8$) at z = 3.244 showing copious Lyman continuum (LyC) leakage ($f_{\rm esc, abs} \approx 40{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$). High signal-to-noise ratio rest-frame UV spectroscopy with the Gran Telescopio Canarias reveals a high significance (7.9σ) emission below the Lyman limit (<912 Å), with a flux density level f900 = 0.78 ± 0.10μJy, and strong P-Cygni in wind lines of O vi 1033 Å, N v 1240 Å, and C iv 1550 Å that are indicative of a young age of the starburst (<10 Myr). The spectrum is rich in stellar photospheric features, for which a significant contribution of an AGN at these wavelengths is ruled out. Low-ionization interstellar medium (ISM) absorption lines are also detected, but are weak ($EW_{0} \rm \simeq 1$ Å) and show large residual intensities, suggesting a clumpy geometry of the gas with a non-unity covering fraction or a highly ionized ISM. The contribution of a foreground and AGN contamination to the LyC signal is unlikely. Deep optical to Spitzer/IRAC 4.5 μm imaging show that the spectral energy distribution of J0121+0025 is dominated by the emission of the young starburst, with log($M_{\star }^{\rm burst}/M_{\odot }) = 9.9\pm 0.1$ and $\rm SFR = 981\pm 232$ M⊙ yr−1. J0121+0025 is the most powerful LyC emitter known among the star-forming galaxy population. The discovery of such luminous and young starburst leaking LyC radiation suggests that a significant fraction of LyC photons can escape in sources with a wide range of UV luminosities and are not restricted to the faintest ones as previously thought. These findings might shed further light on the role of luminous starbursts to the cosmic reionization.

HST PanCET program: non-detection of atmospheric escape in the warm Saturn-sized planet WASP-29 b

Short-period gas giant exoplanets are susceptible to intense atmospheric escape due to their large scale heights and strong high-energy irradiation. This process is thought to occur ubiquitously, but to date we have only detected direct evidence of atmospheric escape in hot Jupiters and warm Neptunes. The latter planets are particularly more sensitive to escape-driven evolution as a result of their lower gravities with respect to Jupiter-sized planets. But the paucity of cases for intermediate, Saturn-sized exoplanets at varying levels of irradiation precludes a detailed understanding of the underlying physics in atmospheric escape of hot gas giants. Aiming to address this issue, our objectives here are to assess the high-energy environment of the warm (Teq = 970 K) Saturn WASP-29 b and search for signatures of atmospheric escape. We used far-ultraviolet observations from the Hubble Space Telescope to analyze the flux time series of H I, C II, Si III, Si IV, and N V during the transit of WASP-29 b. At 88 pc, a large portion of the Lyman-α core of the K4V-type host WASP-29 is attenuated by interstellar medium absorption, limiting our ability to probe the escape of H at velocities between −84 and +35 km s−1. At 3σ confidence, we rule out any in-transit absorption of H I larger than 92% in the Lyman-α blue wing and 19% in the red wing. We found an in-transit flux decrease of 39%−11%+12% in the ground-state C II emission line at 1334.5 Å. But due to this signal being significantly present in only one visit, it is difficult to attribute a planetary or stellar origin to the ground-state C II signal. We place 3σ absorption upper limits of 40, 49, and 24% on Si III, Si IV, and for excited-state C II at 1335.7 Å, respectively. Low activity levels and the faint X-ray luminosity suggest that WASP-29 is an old, inactive star. Nonetheless, an energy-limited approximation combined with the reconstructed EUV spectrum of the host suggests that the planet is losing its atmosphere at a relatively large rate of 4 × 109 g s−1. The non-detection at Lyman-α could be partly explained by a low fraction of escaping neutral hydrogen, or by the state of fast radiative blow-out we infer from the reconstructed Lyman-α line.

Ca II H&K stellar activity parameter: a proxy for extreme ultraviolet stellar fluxes

Atmospheric escape is an important factor shaping the exoplanet population and hence drives our understanding of planet formation. Atmospheric escape from giant planets is driven primarily by the stellar X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. Furthermore, EUV and longer wavelength UV radiation power disequilibrium chemistry in the middle and upper atmospheres. Our understanding of atmospheric escape and chemistry, therefore, depends on our knowledge of the stellar UV fluxes. While the far-ultraviolet (FUV) fluxes can be observed for some stars, most of the EUV range is unobservable due to the lack of a space telescope with EUV capabilities and, for the more distant stars, due to interstellar medium absorption. Therefore, it becomes essential to have an indirect means for inferring EUV fluxes from features observable at other wavelengths. We present here analytic functions for predicting the EUV emission of F-, G-, K-, and M-type stars from the log R′HK activity parameter that is commonly obtained from ground-based optical observations of the Ca II H&K lines. The scaling relations are based on a collection of about 100 nearby stars with published log R′HK and EUV flux values, the latter of which are either direct measurements or inferences from high-quality FUV spectra. The scaling relations presented here return EUV flux values with an accuracy of about a factor of three, which is slightly lower than that of other similar methods based on FUV or X-ray measurements.

Time series of optical spectra of Nova V659 Sct

AbstractWith our robotic 1.2 m TIGRE telescope, we were able to obtain eight optical spectra with intermediate resolution (R ≈ 20,000) of the Nova V659 Sct during different phases of its outburst. We present a list of the lines found in the Nova spectra. The most common features are H I, O I, Na I, Fe II, and Ca II. Studying the spectral evolution of the strong features, we found that the absorption features move to higher expansion velocities before disappearing, and the emission features show (different) asymmetries. Because of the intermediate spectral resolution, we identified and analyzed the interstellar medium absorption features present in the spectra. We detected atomic absorption features of Na I and Ca II. The sodium D lines show more complex substructures with three main absorption features at a velocity of around −10, 30, and 85 km s−1. We identified several diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) in the Nova V659 Sct spectra and determined their velocities and equivalent widths.

A thin shell of ionized gas as the explanation for infrared excess among classical Cepheids

Context. The infrared (IR) excess of classical Cepheids is seldom studied and poorly understood despite observational evidence and the potential for its contribution to induce systematics on the period-luminosity (PL) relation used in the calibration of the extragalactic distance scale. Aims. This study aims to understand the physical origin of the IR excess found in the spectral energy distribution (SED) of 5 Cepheids: RS Pup (P = 41.46d), ζ Gem (P = 10.15d), η Aql (P = 7.18d), V Cen (P = 5.49d) and SU Cyg (P = 3.85d). Methods. A time series of atmospheric models along the pulsation cycle were fitted to a compilation of data, including optical and near-IR photometry, Spitzer spectra (secured at a specific phase), interferometric angular diameters, effective temperature estimates, and radial velocity measurements. Herschel images in two bands were also analyzed qualitatively. In this fitting process, based on the SPIPS algorithm, a residual was found in the SED, whatever the pulsation phase, and for wavelengths larger than about 1.2 μm, which corresponds to the so-determined infrared excess of Cepheids. This IR excess was then corrected from interstellar medium absorption in order to infer the presence (or absence) of dust shells and was, ultimately, used in order to fit a model for a shell of ionized gas. Results. For all Cepheids, we find a continuum IR excess increasing up to approximately −0.1 magnitudes at 30 μm, which cannot be explained by a hot or cold dust model of CircumStellar Environment (CSE). However, a weak but significant dust emission at 9.7 μm is found for ζ Gem, η Aql and RS Pup, while clear interstellar clouds are seen in the Herschel images for V Cen and RS Pup. We show, for the first time, that the IR excess of Cepheids can be explained by free–free emission from a thin shell of ionized gas, with a thickness of ≃15% of the star radius, a mass of 10−9−10−7M⊙ and a temperature ranging between 3500 and 4500 K. Conclusions. The presence of a thin shell of ionized gas around Cepheids must be tested with interferometers operating in the visible or mid-IR, or using radio telescopes. The impact of such CSEs of ionized gas on the PL relation of Cepheids also calls for further investigation.