J. H. M. M. Schmitt

Chromospheric activity and evolutionary age of the Sun and four solar twins

The activity levels of the solar-twin candidates HD 101364 and HD 197027 are measured and compared with the Sun, the known solar twin 18 Sco, and the solar-like star 51 Peg. Furthermore, the absolute ages of these five objects are estimated from their positions in the HR diagram and the evolutionary (relative) age compared with their activity levels. To represent the activity level of these stars, the Mount Wilson S-indices were used. To obtain consistent ages and evolutionary advance on the main sequence, we used evolutionary tracks calculated with the Cambridge Stellar Evolution Code. From our spectroscopic observations of HD 101364 and HD 197027 and based on the established calibration procedures, the respective Mount Wilson S-indices are determined. We find that the chromospheric activity of both stars is comparable with the present activity level of the Sun and that of 18 Sco, at least for the period in consideration. Furthermore, the absolute age of HD 101364, HD 197027, 51 Peg, and 18 Sco are found to be 7.2, 7.1, 6.1, and 5.1 Gyr, respectively. With the exception of 51 Peg, which has a significantly higher metallicity and a mass higher by about 10% than the Sun, the present Sun and its twins compare relatively well in their activity levels, even though the other twins are somewhat older. Even though 51 Peg has a similar age of 6.1 Gyr, this star is significantly less active. Only when we compare it on a relative age scale (which is about 20% shorter for 51 Peg than for the Sun in absolute terms) and use the higher-than-present long-term S

Time series of high-resolution spectra of SN 2014J observed with the TIGRE telescope

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High-energy irradiation and mass loss rates of hot Jupiters in the solar neighborhood

average of 0.18 for the Sun, does the S-index show a good correlation with evolutionary (relative) age. This shows that in the search for a suitably similar solar twin, the relative main-sequence age matters for obtaining a comparable activity level.

The Data Reduction Pipeline of the Hamburg Robotic Telescope

We present a time series of high resolution spectra of the Type Ia supernova 2014J, which exploded in the nearby galaxy M82. The spectra were obtained with the HEROS echelle spectrograph installed at the 1.2 m TIGRE telescope. We present a series of 33 spectra with a resolution of R = 20, 000, which covers the important bright phases in the evolution of SN 2014J during the period from January 24 to April 1 of 2014. The spectral evolution of SN 2014J is derived empirically. The expansion velocities of the Si II P-Cygni features were measured and show the expected decreasing behaviour, beginning with a high velocity of 14,000 km/s on January 24. The Ca II infrared triplet feature shows a high velocity component with expansion velocities of > 20, 000 km/s during the early evolution apart from the normal component showing similar velocities as Si II. Further broad P-Cygni profiles are exhibited by the principal lines of Ca II, Mg II and Fe II. The TIGRE SN 2014J spectra also resolve several very sharp Na I D doublet absorption components. Our analysis suggests interesting substructures in the interstellar medium of the host galaxy M82, as well as in our Milky Way, confirming other work on this SN. We were able to identify the interstellar absorption of M82 in the lines of Ca II H & K at 3933 and 3968 A as well as K I at 7664 and 7698 A. Furthermore, we confirm several Diffuse Interstellar Bands, at wavelengths of 6196, 6283, 6376, 6379 and 6613 A and give their measured equivalent widths.

Measuring rotation periods of solar-like stars using TIGRE. A study of periodic CaII H+K S-index variability

Giant gas planets in close proximity to their host stars experience strong irradiation. In extreme cases photoevaporation causes a transonic, planetary wind and the persistent mass loss can possibly affect the planetary evolution. We have identified nine hot Jupiter systems in the vicinity of the Sun, in which expanded planetary atmospheres should be detectable through Lyman alpha transit spectroscopy according to predictions. We use X-ray observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton of seven of these targets to derive the high-energy irradiation level of the planetary atmospheres and the resulting mass loss rates. We further derive improved Lyman alpha luminosity estimates for the host stars including interstellar absorption. According to our estimates WASP-80 b, WASP-77 b, and WASP-43 b experience the strongest mass loss rates, exceeding the mass loss rate of HD 209458 b, where an expanded atmosphere has been confirmed. Furthermore, seven out of nine targets might be amenable to Lyman alpha transit spectroscopy. Finally, we check the possibility of angular momentum transfer from the hot Jupiters to the host stars in the three binary systems among our sample, but find only weak indications for increased stellar rotation periods of WASP-77 and HAT-P-20.

The Temperature Dependence of the Pointing Model of the Hamburg Robotic Telescope

The fully automatic reduction pipeline for the blue channel of the HEROS nspectrograph of the Hamburg Robotic Telescope (HRT) is presented. This pipeline is started automatically after finishing the night-time observations and calibrations. The pipeline includes all necessary procedures for a reliable and complete data reduction, that is, Bias, Dark, and Flat Field correction. Also the order definition, wavelength calibration, and data extraction are included. The final output is written in a fits-format and ready to use for the astronomer. The reduction pipeline is implemented in IDL and based on the IDL reduction package REDUCE written by Piskunov and Valenti (2002).

The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs: Wing asymmetries of Hα, Na I D, and He I lines

Context. The rotation period of a star is a key parameter both for the stellar dynamo that generates magnetic fields as well as for stellar differential rotation. Aims. We present the results from the first year of monitoring a sample of solar-like stars by the TIGRE facility in Guanajuato (Mexico), which will study rotation in solar analogs. Methods. TIGRE is an automatically operating 1.2u2009m telescope equipped with an Echelle spectrograph with a spectral resolution of 20u2009000, which covers a spectral range of between 3800 and 8800 A. A main task is the monitoring the stellar activity of cool stars, mainly in the emission cores of the CaII H and K lines. We observed a number of stars with a sampling between 1–3 days over one year. Results. A total number of 95 stars were observed between August 1 2013 and July 31 2014, the total number of spectra taken for this program was appoximately 2700. For almost a third of the sample stars the number of observations was rather low (less than 20), mainly because of bad weather. Fifty-four stars show a periodic signal but often with low significance. Only 24 stars exhibit a significant period. We interpret these signals as stellar rotation. For about half of them the rotation periods were already previously known, in which case our period measurements are usually in good agreement with the literature values. Besides the periodic signals, trends are frequently observed in the time series. Conclusions. TIGRE is obviously able to detect stellar rotation periods in the CaII H+K emission cores when the time series contains a sufficient number of data points. However, this is frequently not achievable during the wet summer season in Guanajuato. Hence, future estimates of rotation periods will concentrate on stars that are observable during the winter season from October until April.

Carrington cycle 24: the solar chromospheric emission in a historical and stellar perspective

A first pointing model was determined during commissioning of the Hamburg Robotic Telescope in 2005 September. Pointing accuracy better than 3 was achieved with this model in those days. However, in the course of the rest of 2005, a systematic increase of the telescope mispointing mainly in azimuth was observed having been suggested a strong dependence on ambient air temperature. We therefore checked this relation between temperature and pointing accuracy by systematic observations targeted on temperature. We made 16 pointing-model estimates during the year 2006 and correlated the model parameters with temperature. While most of the parameters are either not correlated or merely weakly correlated with temperature we find a clear temperature dependence of a misalignment of the optical axis with the telescope tube. We suggest that the M3 mounting is responsible for this.

Coronal X-ray emission and planetary irradiation in HD 209458

B.F. acknowledges funding by the DFG under Cz 222/1-1 and thanks E. N. Johnson and L. Tal-Or for helpful remarks. CARMENES is an instrument of the Centro Astronomico Hispano-Aleman de Calar Alto (CAHA, Almeria, Spain). CARMENES is funded by the German Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG), the Spanish Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), the European Union through FEDER/ERF FICTS-2011-02 funds, and the members of the CARMENES Consortium (Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie, Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, Landessternwarte Konigstuhl, Institut de Ciencies de lEspai, Insitut fur Astrophysik Gottingen, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Thuringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Hamburger Sternwarte, Centro de Astrobiologia and Centro Astronomico Hispano-Aleman), with additional contributions by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, the German Science Foundation through the Major Research Instrumentation Programme and DFG Research Unit FOR2544 >Blue Planets around Red Stars>, the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, the states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Niedersachsen, and by the Junta de Andalucia.

Stellar rotation periods determined from simultaneously measured Ca II H&K and Ca II IRT lines

We present the solar S-index record of cycle 24, obtained by the TIGRE robotic telescope facility and its high-resolution spectrograph HEROS (R