Stellar Spectra Research Articles

The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs

Context. Radial velocities (RVs) measured from high-resolution stellar spectra are routinely used to detect and characterise orbiting exoplanet companions. The different lines present in stellar spectra are created by several species, which are non-uniformly affected by stellar variability features such as spots or faculae. Stellar variability distorts the shape of the spectral absorption lines from which precise RVs are measured, posing one of the main problems in the study of exoplanets. Aims. In this work we aim to study how the spectral lines present in M dwarfs are independently impacted by stellar activity. Methods. We used CARMENES optical spectra of six active early- and mid-type M dwarfs to compute line-by-line RVs and study their correlation with several well-studied proxies of stellar activity. Results. We are able to classify spectral lines based on their sensitivity to activity in five M dwarfs displaying high levels of stellar activity. We further used this line classification to compute RVs with activity-sensitive lines and less sensitive lines, enhancing or mitigating stellar activity effects in the RV time series. For specific sets of the least activity-sensitive lines, the RV scatter decreases by ~2 to 5 times the initial one, depending on the star. Finally, we compare these lines in the different stars analysed, finding the sensitivity to activity to vary from star to star. Conclusions. Despite the high density of lines and blends present in M dwarf stellar spectra, we find that a line-by-line approach is able to deliver precise RVs. Line-by-line RVs are also sensitive to stellar activity effects, and they allow for an accurate selection of activity-insensitive lines to mitigate activity effects in RV. However, we find stellar activity effects to vary in the same insensitive lines from star to star.

Combined analysis of stellar and planetary absorption lines via global forward-transit simulations

Context. Transit spectroscopy of exoplanets has led to the detection of many species whose absorption signatures trace their atmospheric structure and dynamics. Improvements in resolution and sensitivity have, however, revealed biases induced by stellar lines occulted by the transiting planet. Aims. We characterise the planet-occulted line distortions (POLDs) in absorption spectra that arise from proxies used for the occulted stellar lines and investigate the impact of stellar rotation, centre-to-limb variations, and broadband limb-darkening. Methods. We used the EVaporating Exoplanets (EVE) code to generate realistic stellar spectra during the transit of exoplanets, accounting for the 3D geometry of the system’s architecture and atmospheric transit, as well as for spectral variations over the stellar disc. The absorption spectra were calculated using approaches drawn from the literature and compared to the expected signal. Results. The POLDs from stellar rotation are dominant for moderate to fast rotating stars, reaching amplitudes comparable to atmospheric signals, but they can be mitigated by shifting the stellar line proxies to the radial velocity of the planet-occulted region. Centre-to-limb variations become dominant for slow rotators and are more easily mitigated at the stellar limb. We re-interpret the ESPRESSO data of two iconic systems and confirm that the sodium signature from HD 209458 b mainly arises from POLDs. However, we unveil a possible contribution from the planetary atmosphere that warrants further observations. For MASCARA-1 b, we did not find evidence for atmospheric sodium absorption and we can fully explain the observed signature by a POLD for super-solar stellar sodium abundance. Conclusions. We studied POLDs dependency on star and planet properties, and on the proxy used for planet-occulted lines. Distinguishing planetary absorption signatures from POLDs is challenging without access to accurate estimates of the local stellar spectrum and system orbital parameters. We propose a way to mitigate POLDs and improve atmospheric characterisation, by using simultaneous forward modelling of both the star and the planet to simulate the global observed signatures.

HST Low-resolution Stellar Library

In order to provide fundamental stellar spectra that extend into the UV, Hubble Space Telescope’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph targeted 556 stars via proposals GO9088, GO9786, GO10222, and GO13776. Exposures through three low-resolution gratings provide wavelength coverage from 0.2 < λ < 1 μm at λ/Δλ ∼ 1000. The UV grating (G230LB) scatters red light that results in unwanted signal, especially in cool stars. We applied scattered-light corrections and flux corrections arising from pointing errors relative to the center of the 0.″2 slit based on Worthey et al. We present 513 fully reduced stellar spectra, fluxed, dereddened, and cross correlated to zero velocity. Because of the broad spectral range, we can simultaneously study Hα and Mg ii λ2800, indicators of chromospheric activity. Their behaviors are decoupled. Besides three cool dwarfs and one giant with mild flares in Hα, only Be stars show strong Hα emission. Mg2800 emission, however, strongly anticorrelates with temperature such that warm stars show absorption and stars cooler than 5000 K universally show chromospheric emission regardless of dwarf/giant status or metallicity. Transformed to Mg2800 flux emerging from the stellar surface, we find a correlation with temperature with approximately symmetric astrophysical scatter. Previous work had indicated a basal level with asymmetric scatter to strong values. The discrepancy is primarily due to our improved treatment of extinction. We confirm statistically significant time variability in Mg2800 strength for one star.

Stellar Parameters and Chemical Abundances Estimated from LAMOST-II DR8 MRS Based on Cycle-StarNet

Deriving stellar atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances from stellar spectra is crucial for understanding the evolution of the Milky Way. By performing a fitting with MARCS model atmospheric theoretical synthetic spectra combined with a domain-adaptation method, we estimate the fundamental stellar parameters (T eff, log g, [Fe/H], v mic, and v mac) and 11 chemical abundances for 1.38 million FGKM-type stars of the Medium-Resolution Spectroscopic Survey (MRS) from LAMOST-II DR8. The domain-adaptation method, cycle-starnet, is employed to reduce the gap between observed and synthetic spectra, and the L-BFGS algorithm is used to search the best-fit synthetic spectra. By combining the Two Micron All Sky Survey photometric survey data, Gaia EDR3 parallax, and MIST isochrones, the surface gravities of the stars are constrained after estimating their bolometric luminosities. The accuracy of T eff, log g, and [Fe/H] can reach 150 K, 0.11 dex, and 0.15 dex, evaluated by the PASTEL catalog, asteroseismic samples, and other spectroscopic surveys. The precision of these parameters and elemental abundances ([C/Fe], [Na/Fe], [Mg/Fe], [Si/Fe], [Ca/Fe], [Ti/Fe], [Cr/Fe], [Mn/Fe], [Co/Fe], [Ni/Fe], and [Cu/Fe]) is assessed by repeated observations and validated by cluster members. For spectra with signal-to-noise ratios (S/Ns) greater than 10, the precision of the three stellar parameters and elemental abundances can achieve 76 K, 0.014 dex, 0.096 dex, and 0.04–0.15 dex. For spectra with S/Ns higher than 100, the precision stabilizes at 22 K, 0.006 dex, 0.043 dex, and 0.01–0.06 dex. The full LAMOST MRS stellar properties catalog is available at doi: 10.12149/101242.

Automatic line selection for abundance determinations in large stellar spectroscopic surveys

Context. Over the past few years, new multiplex spectrographs have emerged to observe several millions of stars. The optimisation of these instruments (w.r.t. their resolution or wavelength range), their associated surveys (choice of instrumental set-up), and their parameterisation pipelines require methods that estimate which wavelengths (or pixels) contain useful information. Aims. We propose a method that establishes the usefulness of an atomic spectral line, whereby usefulness is defined by the purity of the line and its detectability. We demonstrate two applications of our code: a) optimising an instrument by comparing the number of detected useful lines at a given wavelength range and resolution; and b) optimising the line list for a given set-up, in the sense of creating a golden subsample of the least-blended lines that are detectable at a range of signal-to-noise ratio values. Methods. The method compares pre-computed normalised synthetic stellar spectra containing all of the elements and molecules with spectra solely containing the lines of specific elements. Then, the flux ratios between the full spectrum and the element spectrum are computed to estimate the line purities. The method automatically identifies: (i) the line’s central wavelength, (ii) its detectability based on its depth and a given signal-to-noise threshold, and (iii) its usefulness based on the purity ratio defined above. Results. We applied this method to compare the three WEAVE high-resolution set-ups (blue: 404–465 nm, green: 473–545 nm, red: 595–685 nm) and find that the green+red set-up both allows us to measure more elements and contains more numerous useful lines. However, there is a disparity in terms of which elements are detected over each of the set-ups that we have characterised. We also studied the performances of high-resolution (R ~ 20 000) and low-resolution (R ~ 6000) spectra covering the entire optical wavelength range. Assuming a purity threshold of 60%, we find that the high-resolution set-up contains a much wealthier selection of lines, for any of the considered elements; whereas the low-resolution set-up displays a ‘loss’ of 50% to 90% of the lines (depending on the nucleosynthetic channel considered), even when the signal-to-noise ratio is increased. Conclusions. The method presented here provides a vital diagnostic of where to focus to get the most out of a spectrograph. It is easy to implement for future instruments that have not yet determined their final configuration, as well as for pipelines that require line masks.

Nonthermal Motions and Atmospheric Heating of Cool Stars

The magnetic processes associated with the nonthermal broadening of optically thin emission lines appear to carry enough energy to heat the corona and accelerate the solar wind. We investigate whether nonthermal motions in cool stars exhibit the same behavior as on the Sun by analyzing archival stellar spectra taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, and full-disk Solar spectra taken by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph. We determined the nonthermal velocities by measuring the excess broadening in optically thin emission lines formed in the stellar atmosphere; the chromosphere, the transition region, and the corona. Assuming the nonthermal broadening is caused by the presence of Alfvén waves, we also determined the associated wave energy densities. Our results show that with a nonthermal velocity of ∼23 km s−1 the Sun-as-a-star results are in very good agreement with values obtained from spatially resolved solar observations. The nonthermal broadening in our sample shows a correlation to stellar rotation, with the strength of the nonthermal velocity decreasing with decreasing rotation rate. Finally, the nonthermal velocity in cool Sun-like stars varies with atmospheric height or temperature of the emission lines, and peaks at transition region temperatures. This points toward a solar-like Alfvén wave-driven heating in stellar atmospheres. However, the peak is at a lower temperature in some cool stars suggesting that other magnetic processes such as flaring events could also dominate.

GaiaData Release 3

Context.The chemo-physical parametrisation of stellar spectra is essential for understanding the nature and evolution of stars and of Galactic stellar populations. A worldwide observational effort from the ground has provided, in one century, an extremely heterogeneous collection of chemical abundances for about two million stars in total, with fragmentary sky coverage.Aims.This situation is revolutionised by theGaiathird data release (DR3), which contains the parametrisation of Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) data performed by the General Stellar Parametriser-spectroscopy, GSP-Spec, module. Here we describe the parametrisation of the first 34 months ofGaiaRVS observations.Methods.GSP-Spec estimates the chemo-physical parameters from combined RVS spectra of single stars, without additional inputs from astrometric, photometric, or spectro-photometric BP/RP data. The main analysis workflow described here, MatisseGauguin, is based on projection and optimisation methods and provides the stellar atmospheric parameters; the individual chemical abundances of N, Mg, Si, S, Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe I, Fe II, Ni, Zr, Ce and Nd; the differential equivalent width of a cyanogen line; and the parameters of a diffuse interstellar band (DIB) feature. Another workflow, based on an artificial neural network (ANN) and referred to with the same acronym, provides a second set of atmospheric parameters that are useful for classification control. For both workflows, we implement a detailed quality flag chain considering different error sources.Results.With about 5.6 million stars, theGaiaDR3 GSP-Spec all-sky catalogue is the largest compilation of stellar chemo-physical parameters ever published and the first one from space data. Internal and external biases have been studied taking into account the implemented flags. In some cases, simple calibrations with low degree polynomials are suggested. The homogeneity and quality of the estimated parameters enables chemo-dynamical studies of Galactic stellar populations, interstellar extinction studies from individual spectra, and clear constraints on stellar evolution models. We highly recommend that users adopt the provided quality flags for scientific exploitation.Conclusions.TheGaiaDR3 GSP-Spec catalogue is a major step in the scientific exploration of Milky Way stellar populations. It will be followed by increasingly large and higher quality catalogues in future data releases, confirming theGaiapromise of a new Galactic vision.

Confident detection of doubly ionized thorium in the extreme Ap star CPD-62° 2717

ABSTRACT Despite the Universe containing primordial thorium (Th) of sufficient abundance to appear in stellar spectra, detection of Th has to date been tentative and based on just a few weak and blended lines. Here, we present convincing evidence not only for the first Th detection in a magnetic chemically peculiar Ap star but also for the first detection of Th iii in a stellar spectrum. CPD-62° 2717 was initially recognized as a highly magnetized Ap star due to resolved magnetically split lines captured in H-band spectra from the SDSS/APOGEE survey. The star was subsequently pinpointed as extraordinarily peculiar when careful inspection of the H-band line content revealed the presence of five lines of Th iii, none of which are detected in the other ∼1500 APOGEE-observed Ap stars. Follow-up with the VLT + UVES confirmed a similarly peculiar optical spectrum featuring dozens of Th iii lines, among other peculiarities. Unlike past claims of Th detection, and owing to high-resolution observations of the strong (∼8–12 kG) magnetic field of CPD-62° 2717, the detection of Th iii can in this case be supported by matches between the observed and theoretical magnetic splitting patterns. Comparison of CPD-62° 2717 to stars for which Th overabundances have been previously reported (e.g. Przybylski’s Star) indicates that only for CPD-62° 2717 is the Th detection certain. Along with the focus on Th iii, we use time series measurements of the magnetic field modulus to constrain the rotation period of CPD-62° 2717 to ∼4.8 yr, thus establishing it as a new example of a superslowly rotating Ap star.

High Tide or Riptide on the Cosmic Shoreline? A Water-rich Atmosphere or Stellar Contamination for the Warm Super-Earth GJ 486b from JWST Observations

Planets orbiting M-dwarf stars are prime targets in the search for rocky exoplanet atmospheres. The small size of M dwarfs renders their planets exceptional targets for transmission spectroscopy, facilitating atmospheric characterization. However, it remains unknown whether their host stars’ highly variable extreme-UV radiation environments allow atmospheres to persist. With JWST, we have begun to determine whether or not the most favorable rocky worlds orbiting M dwarfs have detectable atmospheres. Here, we present a 2.8–5.2 μm JWST NIRSpec/G395H transmission spectrum of the warm (700 K, 40.3× Earth’s insolation) super-Earth GJ 486b (1.3 R ⊕ and 3.0 M ⊕). The measured spectrum from our two transits of GJ 486b deviates from a flat line at 2.2σ − 3.3σ, based on three independent reductions. Through a combination of forward and retrieval models, we determine that GJ 486b either has a water-rich atmosphere (with the most stringent constraint on the retrieved water abundance of H2O > 10% to 2σ) or the transmission spectrum is contaminated by water present in cool unocculted starspots. We also find that the measured stellar spectrum is best fit by a stellar model with cool starspots and hot faculae. While both retrieval scenarios provide equal quality fits () to our NIRSpec/G395H observations, shorter wavelength observations can break this degeneracy and reveal if GJ 486b sustains a water-rich atmosphere.

The Stellar Spectra Factory (SSF) Based on SLAM

An empirical stellar spectral library with large coverage of stellar parameters is essential for stellar population synthesis and studies of stellar evolution. In this work, we present Stellar Spectra Factory (SSF), a tool to generate empirical-based stellar spectra from arbitrary stellar atmospheric parameters. The relative flux-calibrated empirical spectra can be predicted by SSF given arbitrary effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity. SSF constructs the interpolation approach based on the Stellar LAbel Machine, using ATLAS-A library, which contains spectra covering from O type to M type, as the training data set. SSF is composed of four data-driven sub-models to predict empirical stellar spectra. Sub-model SSF-N can generate spectra from A to K type and some M giant stars, covering 3700 < T eff < 8700 K, 0 < < dex, and −1.5 < [M/H] < 0.5 dex. Sub-model SSF-gM is mainly used to predict M giant spectra with 3520 < T eff < 4000 K and −1.5 < [M/H] < 0.4 dex. Sub-model SSF-dM is for generating M dwarf spectra with 3295 < T eff < 4040 K, −1.0 < [M/H] < 0.1 dex. Sub-model SSF-B can predict B-type spectra with 9000 < T eff < 24,000 K and −5.2 < M G < 1.5 mag. The accuracy of the predicted spectra is validated by comparing the flux of predicted spectra to those with same stellar parameters selected from the known spectral libraries, MILES and MaStar. The averaged difference of flux over optical wavelength between the predicted spectra and the corresponding ones in MILES and MaStar is less than 5%. More verification is conducted between the magnitudes calculated from the integration of the predicted spectra and the observations in PS1 and APASS bands with the same stellar parameters. No significant systematic difference is found between the predicted spectra and the photometric observations. The uncertainty is 0.08 mag in the r band for SSF-gM when comparing with the stars with the same stellar parameters selected from PS1. The uncertainty becomes 0.31 mag in the i band for SSF-dM when comparing with the stars with the same stellar parameters selected from APASS.

Revisiting K2-233 spectroscopic time-series with multidimensional Gaussian processes

ABSTRACT Detecting planetary signatures in radial velocity time-series of young stars is challenging due to their inherently strong stellar activity. However, it is possible to learn information about the properties of the stellar signal by using activity indicators measured from the same stellar spectra used to extract radial velocities. In this manuscript, we present a reanalysis of spectroscopic High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher data of the young star K2-233, which hosts three transiting planets. We perform a multidimensional Gaussian process regression on the radial velocity and the activity indicators to characterize the planetary Doppler signals. We demonstrate, for the first time on a real data set, that the use of a multidimensional Gaussian process can boost the precision with which we measure the planetary signals compared to a one-dimensional Gaussian process applied to the radial velocities alone. We measure the semi-amplitudes of K2-233 b, c, and d as $1.31_{-0.74}^{+0.81}$ , $1.81_{-0.67}^{+0.71}$ , and $2.72_{-0.70}^{+0.66}$${\rm m\, s^{-1}}$ , which translate into planetary masses of $2.4_{-1.3}^{+1.5}$ , $4.6_{-1.7}^{+1.8}$ , and $10.3_{-2.6}^{+2.4}$ M⊕, respectively. These new mass measurements make K2-233 d a valuable target for transmission spectroscopy observations with JWST. K2-233 is the only young system with two detected inner planets below the radius valley and a third outer planet above it. This makes it an excellent target to perform comparative studies, to inform our theories of planet evolution, formation, migration, and atmospheric evolution.

Assessing stellar yields in Galaxy chemical evolution: Observational stellar abundance patterns

ABSTRACT One-zone Galactic chemical evolution (GCE) models have provided useful insights on a great wealth of average abundance patterns in many environments, especially for the Milky Way and its satellites. However, the scatter of such abundance patterns is still a challenging aspect to reproduce. The leading hypothesis is that dynamics is a likely major source of the dispersion. In this work, we test another hypothesis, namely, that different assumptions on yield modelling may be at play simultaneously. We compare whether the abundance patterns spanned by the models are consistent with those observed in Galactic data. First, we test the performance of recent yield tabulations, and show which of these tabulations best fit Galactic stellar abundances. We then group the models and test if yield combinations match the data scatter and standard deviation. On a fixed Milky Way-like parametrization of NuPyCEE, we test a selection of yields for the three dominant yield sets: low-to-intermediate mass stars, massive stars, and Type Ia supernovae. We also include the production of r-process elements by neutron star mergers. We explore the statistical properties spanned by such yields. We identify the differences and commonalities among yield sets. We define criteria that estimate whether an element is in agreement with the data, or if the model overestimates or underestimates it in various redshift bins. While it is true that yields are a major source of uncertainty in GCE models, the scatter of abundances in stellar spectra cannot be explained by a simple averaging of runs across yield prescriptions.

Coronal X-Ray Emission from Nearby, Low-mass, Exoplanet Host Stars Observed by the MUSCLES and Mega-MUSCLES HST Treasury Survey Projects

The high-energy X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) radiation fields of exoplanet host stars play a crucial role in controlling the atmospheric conditions and the potential habitability of exoplanets. Major surveys of the X-ray/UV emissions from late-type (K and M spectral types) exoplanet hosts have been conducted by the Measurements of the Ultraviolet Spectral Characteristics of Low-mass Exoplanetary systems (MUSCLES) and Mega-MUSCLES Hubble Space Telescope Treasury programs. These samples primarily consist of relatively old, “inactive,” low-mass stars. In this paper we present results from X-ray observations of the coronal emission from these stars obtained using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the XMM-Newton Observatory, and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The stars effectively sample the coronal activity of low-mass stars over a wide range of masses and ages. The vast majority (21 of 23) of the stars are detected and their X-ray luminosities measured. Short-term flaring variability is detected for most of the fully convective (M ≤ 0.35 M ⊙) stars but not for the more massive M dwarfs during these observations. Despite this difference, the mean X-ray luminosities for these two sets of M dwarfs are similar, with more massive (0.35 M ⊙ ≤ M ≤ 0.6 M ⊙) M dwarfs at ∼5 × 1026 erg s−1 compared to ∼2 × 1026 erg s−1 for fully convective stars older than 1 Gyr. Younger, fully convective M dwarfs have X-ray luminosities between 3 and 6 × 1027 erg s−1. The coronal X-ray spectra have been characterized and provide important information that is vital for the modeling of the stellar EUV spectra.

New Ga IV, Ga V, Ge IV and Ge V line widths for white dwarf spectra analysis; quantum mechanical results

Abstract We provide in the present paper new Stark broadening parameters for the four ions Ga IV, Ga V, Ge IV and Ge V. The calculations have been performed using our quantum mechanical method. To the best of our knowledge, the only available Stark broadening results are those of the Ge IV ion, where the semi classical perturbation and the modified semi empirical methods have been used. For the three other ions, no data have been found. In 2020 and for the first time, about five hundred lines of trans-iron elements including Gallium (Ga) and Germanium (Ge) have been identified in the ultraviolet spectrum of a DAO-type white dwarf BD-22°3467. Other precedent observations showed the existence of Ga IV-V lines in two white dwarfs (G191-B2B and RE 0503-289), and those of Ge IV and Ge V in the UV spectrum of RE 0503-289. Theoretical evaluations and measurements of atomic and Stark broadening data are a prerequisite for stellar-atmosphere modeling, which is a tool for the determination of the photospheric Gallium and Germanium abundance in white dwarfs. Since there is no Stark broadening data for the three ions Ga IV, Ga V and Ge V, our calculations come to fill this gap, and the obtained results can be used for the abundance determination of elements, the calculation of stellar opacity, the interpretation and modelling of stellar spectra, and the estimation of the relative transfer through stellar plasmas,... etc. They will be also implemented into the database of Stark broadening parameters STARK-B.

All Spectral Type LAMOST Spectra Library (ATLAS)

We present an empirical stellar spectra library, ATLAS, with resolution R ∼ 1800 and wavelength coverage from 3800–8700 Å. These spectra are homogeneously observed by the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope and have been released in its DR5. ATLAS is separated into two groups, ATLAS-A and -T. The former contains 5584 spectra covering spectral types from O- to M-type and some special types such as A supergiant, blue horizontal-branch, and carbon stars. All of the spectra have absolutely calibrated fluxes at certain characteristic wavelengths corresponding to the optical passbands with accuracy better than 2.9% by comparing with PanSTARRS1 g-, r-, and i-band photometry. In addition, greater than 1% systematic uncertainty from the fundamental calibration should be considered separately. ATLAS-A contains 5342 spectra with spectral energy distribution effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity and 242 spectra with only the effective temperature and surface gravity. These parameters are consistent with the spectroscopic derived parameters of the same stars. Compared to current empirical libraries, ATLAS-A contains more cool giant stars, which may play a critical role in understanding the evolution of galaxies. ATLAS-T, on the other hand, contains 1118 spectral templates averaging over spectra with similar stellar parameters from ATLAS-A. It smooths out some special features in the individual spectra and can be used as a “standard” atlas of stellar spectra. Containing stellar spectra with almost all normal types, ATLAS may not only be a complete training data set for stellar spectra parameter determination but also an ideal legacy for stellar population synthesis.

Experimental oscillator strengths of Al I lines for near-infrared astrophysical spectroscopy

Context. Elemental abundances can be determined from stellar spectra, making it possible to study galactic formation and evolution. Accurate atomic data is essential for the reliable interpretation and modeling of astrophysical spectra. In this work, we perform laboratory studies on neutral aluminium. This element is found, for example, in young, massive stars and it is a key element for tracing ongoing nucleosynthesis throughout the Galaxy. The near-infrared (NIR) wavelength region is of particular importance, since extinction in this region is lower than for optical wavelengths. This makes the NIR wavelength region a better probe for highly obscured regions, such as those located close to the Galactic center. Aims. We investigate the spectrum of neutral aluminium with the aim to provide oscillator strengths (f-values) of improved accuracy for lines in the NIR and optical regions (670–4200 nm). Methods. Measurements of high-resolution spectra were performed using a Fourier transform spectrometer and a hollow cathode discharge lamp. The f-values were derived from experimental line intensities combined with published radiative lifetimes. Results. We report oscillator strengths for 12 lines in the NIR and optical spectral regions, with an accuracy between 2 and 11%, as well as branching fractions for an additional 16 lines.

The Gaia-ESO Survey: Chemical evolution of Mg and Al in the Milky Way with machine learning

Context. To take full advantage of upcoming large-scale spectroscopic surveys, it will be necessary to parameterize millions of stellar spectra in an efficient way. Machine learning methods, especially convolutional neural networks (CNNs), will be among the main tools geared at achieving this task. Aims. We aim to prepare the groundwork for machine learning techniques for the next generation of spectroscopic surveys, such as 4MOST and WEAVE. Our goal is to show that CNNs can predict accurate stellar labels from relevant spectral features in a physically meaningful way. The predicted labels can be used to investigate properties of the Milky Way galaxy. Methods. We built a neural network and trained it on GIRAFFE spectra with their associated stellar labels from the sixth internal Gaia-ESO data release. Our network architecture contains several convolutional layers that allow the network to identify absorption features in the input spectra. The internal uncertainty was estimated from multiple network models. We used the t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding tool to remove bad spectra from our training sample. Results. Our neural network is able to predict the atmospheric parameters Teff and log(g) as well as the chemical abundances [Mg/Fe], [Al/Fe], and [Fe/H] for 36 904 stellar spectra. The training precision is 37 K for Teff, 0.06 dex for log(g), 0.05 dex for [Mg/Fe], 0.08 dex for [Al/Fe], and 0.04 dex for [Fe/H]. Network gradients reveal that the network is inferring the labels in a physically meaningful way from spectral features. We validated our methodology using benchmark stars and recovered the properties of different stellar populations in the Milky Way galaxy. Conclusions. Such a study provides very good insights into the application of machine learning for the analysis of large-scale spectroscopic surveys, such as WEAVE and 4MOST Milky Way disk and bulge low- and high-resolution (4MIDABLE-LR and -HR). The community will have to put substantial efforts into building proactive training sets for machine learning methods to minimize any possible systematics.

On the impact of spectral template uncertainties in synthetic stellar populations

ABSTRACTUncertainties in stellar population models, both in terms of stellar evolution and stellar spectra, translate into uncertainties in our interpretation of stellar populations in galaxies, since stars are the source of most of the light we receive from them. Observations by JWST are revealing high-redshift galaxies in great detail, which must then be compared to models. One significant source of uncertainty is in the stellar spectra used to generate composite spectra of stellar populations, which are then compared to data. Confidence in theoretical models is important to enable reliable determination of the properties of these galaxies such as their ages and star formation history. Here, we present a comparison of spectral synthesis carried out with six different stellar spectral libraries using the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis framework. In photometric colours, the differences between theoretical libraries are relatively small (&amp;lt;0.10 mag), similar to typical observational uncertainties on individual galaxy observations. Differences become more pronounced when detailed spectroscopic properties are examined. Predictions for spectral line indices can vary significantly, with equivalent widths differing by a factor of 2 in some cases. With these index strengths, some of the libraries yield predictions of ages and metallicities which are unphysical. Many spectral libraries lack wavelength coverage in the ultraviolet, which is of growing importance in the era of JWST observations of distant galaxies, whose flux is dominated by hot, young stars.

X-ray emission from Ae/Be Herbig stars due to disc–stellar magnetosphere interaction

ABSTRACT We reanalyse archival X-ray data of 16 Ae/Be Herbig stars obtained by the XMM–Newton and Chandra satellites. Stellar X-ray spectra in the energy range 0.2–8 keV were fitted with the use of APEC and MEKAL hot plasma emission models, and with models with an additional power-law component. We find that for Herbig stars, the dependence of the unabsorbed X-ray luminosity on stellar mass and radius, LX ∝ RαMβ with α ≈ 3 and β ≈ 2, is similar to that for T Tauri stars. The independently determined accretion rates, rotation periods, and the surface magnetic fields follow a tight correlation predicted by the standard magnetospheric accretion theory. We suggest that X-ray emission from Herbig stars is powered by magnetic reconnection events in the tenuous corona at the disc–magnetosphere boundary.

MPS-ATLAS Library of Stellar Model Atmospheres and Spectra

Stellar spectra contain a large amount of information about the conditions in stellar atmospheres. However, extracting this information is challenging and demands comprehensive numerical modeling. Here, we present stellar spectra synthesized using the recently developed state-of-the-art MPS-ATLAS code on a fine grid of stellar fundamental parameters. These calculations have been extensively validated against solar and stellar observations and can be used for various astrophysical applications. The spectra are available at the Max Planck Digital Library (https://doi.org/10.17617/3.NJ56TR) and have been also incorporated into the ExoTiC-LD python package (https://github.com/Exo-TiC/ExoTiC-LD/ which returns stellar limb darkening coefficients used for the software package Exoplanet Timeseries Characterisation (ExoTic).