Main Sequence Research Articles

Probability distributions of initial rotation velocities and core-boundary mixing efficiencies of γ Doradus stars

Context. The theory of rotational and chemical evolution is incomplete, thereby limiting the accuracy of model-dependent stellar mass and age determinations. The γ Doradus (γ Dor) pulsators are excellent points of calibration for the current state-of-the-art stellar evolution models, as their gravity modes probe the physical conditions in the deep stellar interior. Yet, individual asteroseismic modelling of these stars is not always possible because of insufficient observed oscillation modes. Aims. This paper presents a novel method to derive distributions of the stellar mass, age, core-boundary mixing efficiency, and initial rotation rates for γ Dor stars. Methods. We computed a grid of rotating stellar evolution models covering the entire γ Dor instability strip. We then used the observed distributions of the luminosity, effective temperature, buoyancy travel time, and near-core rotation frequency of a sample of 539 stars to assign a statistical weight to each of our models. This weight is a measure of how likely the combination of a specific model is. We then computed weighted histograms to derive the most likely distributions of the fundamental stellar properties. Results. We find that the rotation frequency at zero-age main sequence follows a normal distribution, peaking at around 25% of the critical Keplerian rotation frequency. The probability-density function for extent of the core-boundary mixing zone, given by a factor of fCBM times the local pressure scale height (assuming an exponentially decaying parameterisation), decreases linearly with increasing fCBM. Conclusions. Converting the distribution of fractions of critical rotation at the zero-age main sequence to units of d−1, we find most F-type stars start the main sequence with a rotation frequency between 0.5 d−1 and 2 d−1. Regarding the core-boundary mixing efficiency, we find that it is generally weak in this mass regime.

The GALAH survey: tracing the Milky Way’s formation and evolution through RR Lyrae stars

ABSTRACT Stellar mergers and accretion events have been crucial in shaping the evolution of the Milky Way (MW). These events have been dynamically identified and chemically characterized using red giants and main-sequence stars. RR Lyrae (RRL) variables can play a crucial role in tracing the early formation of the MW since they are ubiquitous, old (t ≥ 10 Gyr) low-mass stars and accurate distance indicators. We exploited Data Release 3 of the GALAH survey to identify 78 field RRLs suitable for chemical analysis. Using synthetic spectra calculations, we determined atmospheric parameters and abundances of Fe, Mg, Ca, Y, and Ba. Most of our stars exhibit halo-like chemical compositions, with an iron peak around [Fe/H] ≈ −1.40, and enhanced Ca and Mg content. Notably, we discovered a metal-rich tail, with [Fe/H] values ranging from −1 to approximately solar metallicity. This sub-group includes almost 1/4 of the sample, it is characterized by thin disc kinematics and displays sub-solar α-element abundances, marginally consistent with the majority of the MW stars. Surprisingly, they differ distinctly from typical MW disc stars in terms of the s-process elements Y and Ba. We took advantage of similar data available in the literature and built a total sample of 535 field RRLs for which we estimated kinematical and dynamical properties. We found that metal-rich RRLs (1/3 of the sample) likely represent an old component of the MW thin disc. We also detected RRLs with retrograde orbits and provided preliminary associations with the Gaia–Sausage–Enceladus, Helmi, Sequoia, Sagittarius, and Thamnos stellar streams.

Massive Debris Disks May Hinder Secular Stirring by Planetary Companions: An Analytic Proof of Concept

Debris disks or exo-Kuiper belts, detected through their thermal or scattered emission from their dusty components, are ubiquitous around main-sequence stars. Since dust grains are short-lived, their sustained presence is thought to require dynamical excitation, i.e., “stirring,” of a massive reservoir of large planetesimals, such that mutual collisions are violent enough to continually supply fresh dust. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain debris disk stirring, with the commonly accepted being long-term, secular planet–debris disk interactions. However, while effective, existing planet-stirring models are rudimentary; namely, they ignore the (self-)gravity of the disk, treating it as a massless reservoir of planetesimals. Here, using a simple analytical model, we investigate the secular interactions between eccentric planets and massive, external debris disks. We demonstrate that the disk gravity drives fast apsidal precession of both planetesimal and planetary orbits, which, depending on the system parameters, may well exceed the planet-induced precession rate of planetesimals. This results in strong suppression of planetesimal eccentricities and thus relative collisional velocities throughout the disk, often by more than an order of magnitude when compared to massless disk models. We thus show that massive debris disks may hinder secular stirring by eccentric planets orbiting near, e.g., the disk’s inner edge, provided the disk is more massive than the planet. We provide simple analytic formulae to describe these effects. Finally, we show that these findings have important implications for planet inferences in debris-bearing systems, as well as for constraining the total masses of debris disks (as done for β Pic).

The MAGPI survey: evolution of radial trends in star formation activity across cosmic time

ABSTRACT Using adaptive optics with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer on the Very Large Telescope, the Middle Ages Galaxy Properties with Integral Field Spectroscopy survey allows us to study the spatially resolved Universe at a crucial time of ∼4 Gyr ago (z ∼ 0.3) when simulations predict the greatest diversity in evolutionary pathways for galaxies. We investigate the radial trends in the star formation (SF) activity and luminosity-weighted stellar ages as a function of offset from the star-forming main sequence (SFMS) for a total of 294 galaxies. Using both Hα emission and the 4000 Å break (i.e. D4000) as star formation rate (SFR) tracers, we find overall flat radial profiles for galaxies lying on and above the SFMS, suggestive of physical processes that enhance/regulate SF throughout the entire galaxy disc. However, for galaxies lying below the SFMS, we find positive gradients in SF suggestive of inside–out quenching. Placing our results in context with results from other redshift regimes suggests an evolution in radial trends at z ∼ 0.3 for SF galaxies above the SFMS, from uniformly enhanced SF at z ∼ 1 and ∼ 0.3 to centrally enhanced SF at z ∼ 0 (when averaged over a wide range of mass). We also capture higher local SFRs for galaxies below the SFMS compared to that of z ∼ 0, which can be explained by a larger population of quenched satellites in the local Universe and/or different treatments of limitations set by the D4000–sSFR relation.

The impact of stellar bars on star-formation quenching: Insights from a spatially resolved analysis in the local Universe

Stellar bars are common morphological structures in the local Universe; according to optical and NIR surveys, they are present in about two-thirds of disc galaxies. These elongated structures are also believed to play a crucial role in secular evolutionary processes, because they are able to efficiently redistribute gas, stars, and angular momentum within their hosts, although it remains unclear as to whether they enhance or suppress star formation. A useful tool to investigate this ambiguity is the main sequence (MS) relation, which tightly links stellar mass ($M_ star $) and star formation rate (SFR). The main goal of this work is to explore star-formation processes in barred galaxies in order to assess the relevance of bars in star-formation quenching and whether or not they affect the typical log-linear trend of the resolved MS. To this purpose, we carried out a spatially resolved analysis on subkiloparsec (subkpc) scales for a sample of six nearby barred galaxies. We collected multi-wavelength photometric data from far-ultraviolet (FUV) to far-infrared (FIR) from the DustPedia database and applied a panchromatic spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting procedure on square apertures of fixed angular size ( arcsec times arcsec ) using the magphys code. For each galaxy, we obtain the distributions of stellar mass and SFR surface density and relate them in the $ star SFR $ plane, deriving the spatially resolved MS relation. Although significant galaxy-to-galaxy variations are in place, we infer the presence of a common anti-correlation track in correspondence with the bar-hosting region, which shows systematically lower SFRs. This central quiescent signature can be interpreted as the result of a bar-driven depletion of gas reservoirs and a consequent halting of star formation. Our findings appear to support an inside-out quenching scenario.

Changing-look Active Galactic Nuclei. I. Tracking the Transition on the Main Sequence of Quasars

This paper is the first in a series of papers that prepare and analyze spectral and other properties for a database of already-discovered changing-look active galactic nuclei (CL AGNs). Here we focus on the spectral fitting and analysis of broad emission lines in a sample of 93 CL AGNs collected from the literature with existing Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)/Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS)/extended-BOSS spectroscopy where the Hβ emission-line profile does not completely disappear in any epochs. Additionally, we have gathered older/newer spectral epochs from all the available SDSS data releases to make the database more complete. We use PyQSOFit and perform a homogeneous spectral decomposition of all of our SDSS spectra and tabulate the AGN continuum and emission-line properties per epoch per source, chronologically. This further allows us to categorize the sources in our sample as Turn-On or Turn-Off and subsequently check for repeated occurrences of such phases. We then estimate the black hole mass (M BH) and the Eddington ratio (λ Edd) per epoch per source where the required parameters are available and well estimated. We demonstrate the movement of the source in the M BH–λ Edd plane, allowing us to check for systematic changes in the source’s fundamental properties. We then track their transition along the optical plane of the Eigenvector 1 schema and categorize sources that either stay within the same population (A or B) or make an interpopulation movement as a function of spectral epoch. We also test the Balmer decrement (Hα/Hβ) of a subset of our sample of CL AGNs as a function of time and AGN luminosity.

The Lockman-SpReSO project. Main properties of infrared-selected star-forming galaxies

In this work, we carry out a comprehensive study using galaxy data from the Lockman Spectroscopic Redshift Survey using Osiris (Lockman--SpReSO) project, a far-infrared (FIR) selected sample of galaxies observed using optical spectroscopy. We analyse a sub-sample of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) with secure spectroscopic redshifts, mostly in the luminous infrared (IR) galaxy domain. From these galaxies, parameters such as the extinction, star formation rate (SFR), and metallicity have been derived. The present paper examines how these properties evolve in relation to each other and in comparison with low-redshift FIR and non-FIR-selected samples of galaxies. We applied distinct selection criteria to attain an SFG sample with minimal AGN contamination. Multiple approaches were used to estimate the intrinsic extinction, SFR, and gas-phase metallicity for the SFGs. In conjunction with findings in the literature, we examined the correlation between SFRs and stellar masses ($M_*$), as well as the metallicity evolution depending on $M_*$. Finally, we also studied the 3D relationship between $M_*$, SFR, and metallicity. From the initial spectroscopic sample of 409 FIR-selected objects from the Lockman--SpReSO catalogue, 69 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) were identified and excluded (17<!PCT!>), which is nearly double the percentage found in local studies, leaving us with a sample of 340 SFGs. The analysis of the $M_*$--SFR relationship revealed that Lockman-SpReSO IR-selected SFGs show signs of evolution at redshifts $z>0.4$, shifting above the main sequence (MS), with a mean value of $ dex. They are located within the starburst galaxy region since 78<!PCT!> of the galaxies fall into this category. In addition, no evident flattening was found in the relation to specific SFR with redshift for $ M_* (M_ 10.5$. In line with the $M_*$--metallicity relation (MZR) outcomes published in previous studies for optically selected SFGs; however, during the analysis of the MZR, it was found that IR-selected SFGs exhibit lower metallicities than the values anticipated on the basis of their $M_*$ and redshift. During the investigation of the 3D $M_*$-SFR-metallicity relation (FP), it was established that the research sample is consistent with relations published in the existing literature, with an average scatter of $ dex. However, a re-calibration of the FP when using the SFR obtained from the IR luminosity is required and, in this case, no attenuation in the correlation for $ M_* (M_ 10.5$ was observed. This result points to a possible evolution of the more massive fraction of the sample in the sense that the present-day star formation rate is lower with respect to the average rate of star formation in the past.

Neutron stars in accreting systems -- Signatures of the QCD phase transition

Neutron stars (NS) that are born in binary systems with a main-sequence star companion can experience mass transfer, resulting in the accumulation of material at the surface of the NS. This, in turn, leads to the continuous growth of the NS mass and the associated steepening of the gravitational potential. Supposing the central density surpasses the onset for the phase transition from nuclear, generally hadronic matter to deconfined quark-gluon plasma, which is a quantity currently constrained solely from an upper limit by asymptotic freedom in quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the system may experience a dynamic response due to the appearance of additional degrees of freedom in the equation of state (EOS). This dynamical response might give rise to a rapid softening of the EOS during the transition in the hadron-quark matter co-existence region. While this phenomenon has long been studied in the context of hydrostatic configurations, the dynamical implications of this problem are still incompletely understood. It is the purpose of the present paper to simulate the dynamics of NSs with previously accreted envelopes caused by the presence of a first-order QCD phase transition. Therefore, we employed the neutrino radiation hydrodynamics treatment based on the fully general relativistic approach in spherical symmetry, implementing a three-flavor Boltzmann neutrino transport and a microscopic model EOS that contains a first-order hadron-quark phase transition. The associated neutrino signal shows a sudden rise in the neutrino fluxes and average energies, becoming observable for the present generation of neutrino detectors for a galactic event, and a gravitational wave mode analysis revealed the behaviors of the dominant $f$ mode and the first and the second gravity $g$ modes that are excited during the NS evolution across the QCD phase transition.

SPICE: the connection between cosmic reionisation and stellar feedback in the first galaxies

Abstract We present SPICE, a new suite of radiation-hydrodynamic, cosmological simulations targeting the epoch of reionisation. The goal of these simulations is to systematically probe a variety of stellar feedback models, including ”bursty” and ”smooth” forms of supernova energy injection, as well as poorly-explored physical scenarios such as hypernova explosions and radiation pressure on dust. We show that even subtle differences in the behaviour of supernova feedback drive profound differences in reionisation histories, with burstier forms of feedback causing earlier reionisation. However, we also find that some global galaxy properties, such as the dust-attenuated luminosity functions and star formation main sequence, remain degenerate between models. In particular, we show that stellar feedback and its strength determine the morphological mix of galaxies emerging by z = 5 and that the reionisation history is inextricably connected to intrinsic properties such as galaxy kinematics and morphology. While star-forming, massive disks are prevalent if supernova feedback is ”smooth”, ”bursty” feedback preferentially generates dispersion-dominated systems. Different modes of feedback produce different strengths of outflows, altering the interstellar/circumgalactic medium in different ways, and in turn strongly affecting the escape of Lyman continuum (LyC) photons. We establish a correlation between galaxy morphology and LyC escape fraction, revealing that dispersion-dominated systems have escape fractions 10-50 times higher than their rotation-dominated counterparts at all redshifts. At the same intrinsic luminosity, dispersion-dominated systems should thus preferentially generate large HII regions as compared to their rotation-dominated counterparts. Since dispersion-dominated systems are more prevalent if stellar feedback is more explosive, reionisation occurs earlier in our simulation with burstier feedback. We argue that statistical samples of post-reionisation galaxy morphologies (using both stellar and gaseous components) probed with telescopes such as JWST, ALMA and MUSE can constrain stellar feedback at z > 5 and models of cosmic reionisation.

On the Rigidly Precessing, Eccentric Gas Disk Orbiting the White Dwarf SDSS J1228+1040

Metal pollution onto white dwarfs is a widespread phenomenon that remains puzzling. Some of these white dwarfs also harbor gaseous debris disks. Emission lines from these disks open a unique window to the physical properties of the polluting material, lending insights into their origin. We model the emission line kinematics for the gas disk around SDSS J1228+1040, a system that has been monitored for over two decades. We show that the disk mass is strongly peaked at 1 R ⊙ (modulo the unknown inclination), and the disk eccentricity decreases from a value of 0.44 at the inner edge, to nearly zero at the outer edge. This eccentricity profile is exactly what one expects if the disk is in a global eccentric mode, precessing rigidly under general relativity and gas pressure. The precession period is about two decades. We infer that the mass of the gas disk is roughly equivalent to that of a 50 km rocky body, while the mass of the accompanying dust disk is likely insignificant. The disk eccentricity confirms an origin in tidal disruption, while the short disk diffusion time suggests that the disruption event happened a few centuries ago. Moreover, we argue that the initial orbit for the disrupted body, and that of its putative planetary perturber, fall within an astronomical unit around the white dwarf. The total mass of the source population is likely orders of magnitude more massive than our own Asteroid belt and does not seem to exist around main-sequence stars.

Expansion of Accreting Main-sequence Stars during Rapid Mass Transfer

Accreting main-sequence stars expand significantly when the mass accretion timescale is much shorter than their thermal timescales. This occurs during mass transfer from an evolved giant star onto a main-sequence companion in a binary system and is an important phase in the formation of compact binaries including X-ray binaries, cataclysmic variables, and gravitational-wave sources. In this study, we compute 1D stellar models of main-sequence accretors with different initial masses and accretion rates. The calculations are used to derive semianalytical approximations to the maximum expansion radius. We assume that mass transfer remains fully conservative as long as the inflated accretor fits within its Roche lobe, leading stars to behave like hamsters, stuffing excess material behind their expanding cheeks. We suggest a physically motivated prescription for the mass growth of such “hamstars,” which can be used to determine mass-transfer efficiency in rapid binary population synthesis models. With this prescription, we estimate that progenitors of high-mass X-ray binaries and gravitational-wave sources may have experienced highly nonconservative mass transfer. In contrast, for low-mass accretors, the accretion timescale can exceed the thermal timescale by a larger factor without causing significant radial expansion.

VLBI with SKA: Possible Arrays and Astrometric Science

Abstract The next generation of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) is stepping into the era of microarcsecond ($\mu$as) astronomy, and pushing astronomy, especially astrometry, to new heights. VLBI with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), SKA-VLBI, will increase current sensitivity by an order of magnitude, and reach astrometric precision routinely below 10 $\mu$as, even challenging 1 $\mu$as. This advancement allows precise parallax and proper motion measurements of various celestial objects. Such improvements can be used to study objects (including isolated objects, and binary or multiple systems) in different stellar stages (such as star formation, main-sequence stars, asymptotic giant branch stars, pulsars, black holes, white dwarfs, etc.), unveil the structure and evolution of complex systems (such as the Milky Way), benchmark the international celestial reference frame, and reveal cosmic expansion. Furthermore, the theory of general relativity can also be tested with SKA-VLBI using precise measurements of light deflection under the gravitational fields of different solar system objects and the perihelion precession of solar system objects.

Hidden Companions to Intermediate-mass Stars. XVIII. Discovery of a 0.88M ⊙, 26 au Companion to n Centauri* *Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, Program ID 111.24UP.001.

n Centauri is a nearby A-type star. Here we report the discovery of a companion with an H band flux ratio fBfA=3.9%±0.4% at a projected separation ρ = 570 mas ↔ 26 au based on the acquisition camera image of a VLTI/GRAVITY observation. Isochrone fitting yields masses M A = 2.07M ⊙ and M B = 0.88M ⊙ and an age of 900 Myr. The newly discovered companion explains the Δv = 2.3 ± 0.1 km s−1 Gaia-Hipparcos proper motion change of n Cen in both direction and magnitude as well as its X-ray emission. The interferometric data excludes the presence of any additional companion to the primary with a K band flux ratio higher than 0.9% (M ≳ 0.52M ⊙ for a main sequence star) within ρ > 5 mas ↔ 0.23 au.

Modelling stochastic and quasi-periodic behaviour in stellar time-series: Gaussian process regression versus power-spectrum fitting

Abstract As the hunt for an Earth-like exoplanets has intensified in recent years, so has the effort to characterise and model the stellar signals that can hide or mimic small planetary signals. Stellar variability arises from a number of sources, including granulation, supergranulation, oscillations and activity, all of which result in quasi-periodic or stochastic behaviour in photometric and/or radial velocity observations. Traditionally, the characterisation of these signals has mostly been done in the frequency domain. However, the recent development of scalable Gaussian process regression methods makes direct time-domain modelling of stochastic processes a feasible and arguably preferable alternative, obviating the need to estimate the power spectral density of the data before modelling it. In this paper, we compare the two approaches using a series of experiments on simulated data. We show that frequency domain modelling can lead to inaccurate results, especially when the time sampling is irregular. By contrast, Gaussian process regression results are often more precise, and systematically more accurate, in both the regular and irregular time sampling regimes. While this work was motivated by the analysis of radial velocity and photometry observations of main sequence stars in the context of planet searches, we note that our results may also have applications for the study of other types of astrophysical variability such as quasi-periodic oscillations in X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei variability.

Evaporation of Close-in Sub-Neptunes by Cooling White Dwarfs

Motivated by the recent surge in interest concerning white dwarf (WD) planets, this work presents the first numerical exploration of WD-driven atmospheric escape, whereby the high-energy radiation from a hot/young WD can trigger the outflow of the hydrogen–helium envelope for close-in planets. As a pilot investigation, we focus on two specific cases: a gas giant and a sub-Neptune-sized planet, both orbiting a rapidly cooling WD with mass M * = 0.6 M ⊙ and separation a = 0.02 au. In both cases, the ensuing mass outflow rates exceed 1014 g s−1 for WD temperatures greater than T WD ≳ 50,000 K. At T WD ≃ 18,000 K (22,000 K), the sub-Neptune (gas giant) mass outflow rate approaches 1012 g s−1, i.e., comparable to the strongest outflows expected from close-in planets around late main-sequence stars. Whereas the gas giant remains virtually unaffected from an evolutionary standpoint, atmospheric escape may have sizable effects for the sub-Neptune, depending on its dynamical history, e.g., assuming that the hydrogen–helium envelope makes up 1% (4%) of the planet mass, the entire envelope would be evaporated away so long as the planet reaches 0.02 au within the first 230 Myr (130 Myr) of the WD formation. We discuss how these results can be generalized to eccentric orbits with effective semimajor axis a′=a/(1−e2)1/4 , which receive the same orbit-averaged irradiation. Extended to a much broader parameter space, this approach can be exploited to model the expected demographics of WD planets as a function of their initial mass, composition, and migration history, as well as their potential for habitability.

Radical Homopolymerization of Linear α‐Olefins Enabled by 1,4‐Cyano Group Migration

α‐Olefins are valued and abundant building blocks from fossil resources. They are widely used to provide small‐molecule or polymeric products. Despite numerous advantages of radical polymerization, it has been well‐documented as textbook knowledge that α‐olefins and their functionalized derivatives cannot be radically homopolymerized because of the degradative chain transfer side reactions. Herein, we report our studies on the homopolymerization of thiocyanate functionalized α‐olefins enabled by 1,4‐cyano group migration under radical conditions. By this approach, a library of ABC sequence‐controlled polymers with high molecular weights can be prepared. We can also extend this strategy to the homopolymerization of α‐substituted styrenic and acylate monomers which are known to be challenging to achieve. Overall, the demonstrated functional group migration radical polymerization could provide new possibilities to synthesize polymers with unprecedented main chain sequences and structures. These polymers are promising candidates for novel polymeric materials.

Radical Homopolymerization of Linear α-Olefins Enabled by 1,4-Cyano Group Migration.

α-Olefins are valued and abundant building blocks from fossil resources. They are widely used to provide small-molecule or polymeric products. Despite numerous advantages of radical polymerization, it has been well-documented as textbook knowledge that α-olefins and their functionalized derivatives cannot be radically homopolymerized because of the degradative chain transfer side reactions. Herein, we report our studies on the homopolymerization of thiocyanate functionalized α-olefins enabled by 1,4-cyano group migration under radical conditions. By this approach, a library of ABC sequence-controlled polymers with high molecular weights can be prepared. We can also extend this strategy to the homopolymerization of α-substituted styrenic and acylate monomers which are known to be challenging to achieve. Overall, the demonstrated functional group migration radical polymerization could provide new possibilities to synthesize polymers with unprecedented main chain sequences and structures. These polymers are promising candidates for novel polymeric materials.

Probing the shape of the brown dwarf desert around main-sequence A-F-G-type stars using post-common-envelope WD-BD binaries

Brown dwarfs (BDs) with masses in the range 40$-$60 $M_ Jup $ are rare around solar-type main-sequence (MS) stars, which gives rise to the brown dwarf desert (BDD). One caveat associated with previous studies of BDD is the relatively limited sample size of MS$-$BD binaries with accurately determined BD masses. We aim to produce a large sample of BD companions with precisely determined masses around MS A-F-G-type stars using observations of post-common-envelope white dwarf (WD)$-$BD binaries. We employed the rapid binary evolution code COMPAS to deduce the properties of MS$-$BD binary progenitors from post-common-envelope WD$-$BD binaries. With this method, we increase the sample of directly observed MS$-$BD binaries, enriching the data available for analyzing the BDD around MS A-F-G-type stars. Our study opens a new window for studying the shape of the BDD around A-F-G-type MS stars in the short-period regime. We find tentative evidence, albeit with a small sample size, that the ``driest'' part of the BDD around A-F-G-type stars may extend into an orbital period of several hundred days. More post-common-envelope WD$-$BD binaries detected in the future will advance our understanding of the BDD around A-F-G-type stars.

The AstraLux-TESS high spatial resolution imaging survey. Search for stellar companions of 215 planet candidates from TESS

Chance-aligned sources or blended companions can cause false positives in planetary transit detections or simply bias the determination of the candidate properties. In the era of high-precision space-based photometers, the need for high spatial resolution images has been demonstrated to be critical for validating and confirming transit signals. This already applied to the Kepler mission, is now applicable to the TESS survey, and will be critical for the PLATO mission. In this paper we present the results of the AstraLux-TESS survey, a catalog of high spatial resolution images obtained with the AstraLux instrument at the Calar Alto observatory (Almer\'ia, Spain) in the context of the TESS Follow-up Observing Program. We used the lucky imaging technique to obtain high spatial resolution images from planet candidate hosts included mostly in two relevant regimes: exoplanet candidates belonging to the level one requirement of the TESS mission (planets with radii $R<4 R_ oplus $) and TESS planet candidates around intermediate-mass main-sequence stars. Among the 185 planet host candidate stars observed, we found 13 (7<!PCT!>) to be accompanied by additional sources within a separation of 2.2 arcsec . Among them, six are not associated with sources in the DR3 catalog, thus contaminating the TESS light curve. Even if no contaminants have been detected, we can provide upper limits and probabilities to the possible existence of field contaminants through the sensitivity limits of our images. Among the isolated hosts, we can discard hazardous companions (bright enough to mimic a planetary transit signals) with an accuracy below 1<!PCT!> for all their planets. The results from this catalog are key to the statistical validation of small planets (prime targets of the TESS mission) and planets around intermediate-mass stars in the main sequence. These two populations of planets are difficult to confirm with the radial velocity technique because of the shallow amplitude of small planets and the high rotational velocities and low number of available spectral lines in the intermediate stellar mass regime. Our results also demonstrate the importance of this type of follow-up observation for future transit missions such as PLATO, even in the era.

Equilibrium tides and magnetic activity in stars with close-by massive planets. The intriguing case of WASP-18

WASP-18 is an F6V star that hosts a planet with a mass of $ 10$ Jupiter masses and an orbital period of $ 0.94$ days. In spite of its relatively fast rotation and young age, the star remains undetected in X-rays, thus implying a very low level of magnetic activity. To account for such unexpected properties, we propose a mechanism that modifies the internal stratification and the photospheric magnetic activity of a late-type main sequence star with a close-by massive planet based on the action of the equilibrium tide. We speculate that the horizontal flow produced by the equilibrium tide may interact with the convective plumes in the overshoot layer below the stellar outer convective envelope. The interaction is characterised by a very high Reynolds number ($Re $), leading to the development of turbulent boundary layers at the surface of such structures, whereas turbulent wakes extend over most of the overshoot layer that they straddle. We propose that such a tidally induced turbulence can lead to a reduction of the filling factor of the downdrafts in the overshoot layer. As a consequence, the absolute value of the sub-adiabatic gradient increases in that layer hindering the emergence of magnetic flux tubes responsible for the formation of photospheric starspots. We conjecture that this process is occurring in WASP-18, thus providing a possible mechanism to account for the very low level of magnetic activity observed for such a planet host.