Stellar physics and evolution calculations enable a broad range of research in astrophysics. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) is a suite of open source, robust, efficient, thread-safe libraries for a wide range of applications in computational stellar astrophysics. A one-dimensional stellar evolution module, MESAstar, combines many of the numerical and physics modules for simulations of a wide range of stellar evolution scenarios ranging from very low mass to massive stars, including advanced evolutionary phases. MESAstar solves the fully coupled structure and composition equations simultaneously. It uses adaptive mesh refinement and sophisticated timestep controls, and supports shared memory parallelism based on OpenMP. State-of-the-art modules provide equation of state, opacity, nuclear reaction rates, element diffusion data, and atmosphere boundary conditions. Each module is constructed as a separate Fortran 95 library with its own explicitly defined public interface to facilitate independent development. Several detailed examples indicate the extensive verification and testing that is continuously performed and demonstrate the wide range of capabilities that MESA possesses. These examples include evolutionary tracks of very low mass stars, brown dwarfs, and gas giant planets to very old ages; the complete evolutionary track of a 1 M ☉ star from the pre-main sequence (PMS) to a cooling white dwarf; the solar sound speed profile; the evolution of intermediate-mass stars through the He-core burning phase and thermal pulses on the He-shell burning asymptotic giant branch phase; the interior structure of slowly pulsating B Stars and Beta Cepheids; the complete evolutionary tracks of massive stars from the PMS to the onset of core collapse; mass transfer from stars undergoing Roche lobe overflow; and the evolution of helium accretion onto a neutron star. MESA can be downloaded from the project Web site (http://mesa.sourceforge.net/).

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0067-0049/192/1/3/pdf

Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA)

▪ Abstract Stellar clusters are born embedded within giant molecular clouds (GMCs) and during their formation and early evolution are often only visible at infrared wavelengths, being heavily obscured by dust. Over the past 15 years advances in infrared detection capabilities have enabled the first systematic studies of embedded clusters in galactic molecular clouds. In this article we review the current state of empirical knowledge concerning these extremely young protocluster systems. From a survey of the literature we compile the first extensive catalog of galactic embedded clusters. We use the catalog to construct the mass function and estimate the birthrate for embedded clusters within ∼2 kpc of the sun. We find that the embedded cluster birthrate exceeds that of visible open clusters by an order of magnitude or more indicating a high infant mortality rate for protocluster systems. Less than 4–7% of embedded clusters survive emergence from molecular clouds to become bound clusters of Pleiades age. Th...

http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/%7Ereipurth/reviews/ladalada.pdf

Embedded Clusters in Molecular Clouds

We present evolutionary models for cool brown dwarfs and extra-solar giant planets. The models reproduce the main trends of observed methane dwarfs in near-IR color-magnitude diagrams. We also present evolutionary models for irradiated planets, coupling for the first time irradiated atmosphere profiles and inner structures. We focus on HD 209458-like systems and show that irradiation effects can substantially affect the radius of sub-jovian mass giant planets. Irradiation effects, however, cannot alone explain the large observed radius of HD 209458b. Adopting assumptions which optimise irradiation effects and taking into account the extension of the outer atmospheric layers, we still find $\\sim$ 20% discrepancy between observed and theoretical radii. An extra source of energy seems to be required to explain the observed value of the first transit planet.

/pdf/evolutionary-models-for-cool-brown-dwarfs-and-extrasolar-dhoa678ggx.pdf

Evolutionary models for cool brown dwarfs and extrasolar giant planets. The case of HD 209458

A new molecular spectroscopic database for high-temperature modeling of the spectra of molecules in the gas phase is described. This database, called HITEMP, is analogous to the HITRAN database but encompasses many more bands and transitions than HITRAN for the absorbers H2O, CO2, CO, NO, and OH. HITEMP provides users with a powerful tool for a great many applications: astrophysics, planetary and stellar atmospheres, industrial processes, surveillance, non-local thermodynamic equilibrium problems, and investigating molecular interactions, to name a few. The sources and implementation of the spectroscopic parameters incorporated into HITEMP are discussed.

HITEMP, the high-temperature molecular spectroscopic database

The Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid‐Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE), a Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) Legacy Science Program, will be a fully sampled, confusion‐limited infrared survey of \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $\frac{2}{3}$ \end{document} of the inner Galactic disk with a pixel resolution of ∼1 \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \u...

http://www.astro.wisc.edu/glimpse/benjamin2003.pdf

GLIMPSE. I. An SIRTF Legacy Project to Map the Inner Galaxy

We present the results of a new series of nongray calculations of the atmospheres, spectra, colors, and evolution of extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) and brown dwarfs for effective temperatures below 1300 K This theory encompasses most of the mass/age parameter space occupied by substellar objects and is the first spectral study down to 100 K These calculations are in aid of the multitude of searches being conducted or planned around the world for giant planets and brown dwarfs and reveal the exotic nature of the class Generically, absorption by H2 at longer wavelengths and H2O opacity windows at shorter wavelengths conspire to redistribute flux blueward Below 1200 K, methane is the dominant carbon bearing molecule and is a universal diagnostic feature of EGP and brown dwarf spectra We find that the primary bands in which to search are Z (~105 ?m), J (~12 ?m), H (~16 ?m), K (~22 ?m), M (~5 ?m), and N (~10 ?m), that enhancements of the emergent flux over blackbody values, in particular in the near infrared, can be by many orders of magnitude, and that the infrared colors of EGPs and brown dwarfs are much bluer than previously believed In particular, relative to J and H, the K band flux is reduced by CH4 and H2 absorption Furthermore, we conclude that for Teff's below 1200 K most or all true metals may be sequestered below the photosphere, that an interior radiative zone is a generic feature of substellar objects, and that clouds of H2O and NH3 are formed for Teff's below ~400 and ~200 K, respectively This study is done for solar-metallicity objects in isolation and does not include the effects of stellar insulation Nevertheless, it is a comprehensive attempt to bridge the gap between the planetary and stellar realms and to develop a nongray theory of objects from 03MJ (Saturn) to 70MJ (~007 M?) We find that the detection ranges for brown dwarf/EGP discovery of both ground- and space-based telescopes are larger than previously estimated

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/305002/pdf

A Nongray Theory of Extrasolar Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs

We present the results of a new series of non-gray calculations of the atmospheres, spectra, colors, and evolution of extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) and brown dwarfs for effective temperatures below 1300 K. This theory encompasses most of the mass/age parameter space occupied by substellar objects and is the first spectral study down to 100 K. These calculations are in aid of the multitude of searches being conducted or planned around the world for giant planets and brown dwarfs and reveal the exotic nature of the class. Generically, absorption by H_2 at longer wavelengths and H_2O opacity windows at shorter wavelengths conspire to redistribute flux blueward. Below 1200 K, methane is the dominant carbon bearing molecule and is a universal diagnostic feature of EGP and brown dwarf spectra. We find that the primary bands in which to search are $Z$ (\sim 1.05 \mic), $J$ (\sim 1.2 \mic), $H$ (\sim 1.6 \mic), $K$ (\sim 2.2 \mic), $M$ (\sim 5 \mic), and $N$ (\sim 10 \mic), that enhancements of the emergent flux over blackbody values, in particular in the near infrared, can be by many orders of magnitude, and that the infrared colors of EGPs and brown dwarfs are much bluer than previously believed. In particular, relative to $J$ and $H$, the $K$ band flux is reduced by CH_4 and H_2 absorption. Furthermore, we derive that for T_{eff}s below 1200 K most or all true metals are sequestered below the photosphere, that an interior radiative zone is a generic feature of substellar objects, and that clouds of H_2O and NH_3 are formed for T_{eff}s below \sim 400 K and \sim 200 K, respectively. This study is done for solar-metallicity objects in isolation and does not include the effects of stellar insolation. Nevertheless, it is an attempt to bridge the gap between the planetary and stellar realms and to develop a non-gray theory of objects from 0.3 \mj (``saturn'') to 70 \mj ($\sim$0.07 \mo). We find that the detection ranges for brown dwarf/EGP discovery of both ground-- and space-based telescopes are larger than previously estimated.

https://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/9705201.pdf

A Non-Gray Theory of Extrasolar Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs

We explore detailed chemical equilibrium abundance profiles for a variety of brown dwarf and extrasolar giant planet atmosphere models, focusing in particular on Gl 229B, and derive the systematics of the changes in the dominant reservoirs of the major elements with altitude and temperature. We assume an Anders & Grevesse solar composition of 27 chemical elements and track 330 gas-phase species, including the monatomic forms of the elements, as well as about 120 condensates. In our fiducial, limiting reference model, we do not assume that condensation sequesters elements at depth and present true chemical equilibrium calculations for the solar element mix. However, there is evidence in the atmosphere of Gliese 229B that it is depleted in heavy elements. To explore depletion and rainout, which are fundamentally nonequilibrium processes, we perform a series of rainout calculations in which refractory elements are withdrawn from the equilibrium in stoichiometric ratios via an ad hoc algorithm. Then we compare the true equilibrium results with the rainout results, with an eye to understanding the near-infrared spectrum of Gliese 229B, as well as the new "L dwarfs" with Teff's above ~1500 K. We address the issue of the formation and composition of clouds in the cool atmospheres of substellar objects. We conclude that the opacity of clouds of low-temperature (≤900 K), small-radius condensables (specific chlorides and sulfides, not silicates), may in part be responsible for the steep spectrum of Gl 229B observed in the near-IR below 1 μm. We assemble a temperature sequence of chemical transitions in substellar atmospheres that may be used to anchor and define a sequence of spectral types for substellar objects with Teff's from ~2200 to ~100 K.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/306811/pdf

Chemical Equilibrium Abundances in Brown Dwarf and Extrasolar Giant Planet Atmospheres

We present a comprehensive description of the theory and practice of opacity calculations from the infrared to the ultraviolet needed to generate models of the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and extrasolar giant planets. Methods for using existing line lists and spectroscopic databases in disparate formats are presented, and plots of the resulting absorptive opacities versus wavelength for the most important molecules and atoms at representative temperature/pressure points are provided. Electronic, rovibrational, bound-free, bound-bound, free-free, and collision-induced transitions and monochromatic opacities are derived, discussed, and analyzed. The species addressed include the alkali metals, iron, heavy metal oxides, metal hydrides, H2, H2O, CH4, CO, NH3, H2S, PH3, and representative grains. Once monochromatic absorption cross sections for all constituents have been derived, chemical abundances have to be obtained before the resulting product can be summed to obtain total opacities. Hence, we include a review of the thermochemistry, techniques, and databases needed to derive equilibrium abundances and provide some sample results.

Atomic and Molecular Opacities for Brown Dwarf and Giant Planet Atmospheres

We identify the pressure-broadened red wings of the saturated potassium resonance lines at 7700 A as the source of anomalous absorption seen in the near-infrared spectra of Gliese 229B and, by extension, of methane dwarfs in general. In broad outline, this conclusion is supported by the 1999 work of Tsuji et al. The WFPC2 I-band measurement of Gliese 229B is also consistent with this hypothesis. Furthermore, a combination of the blue wings of this K I resonance doublet, the red wings of the Na D lines at 5890 A, and, perhaps, the Li I line at 6708 A can explain in a natural way the observed WFPC2 R-band flux of Gliese 229B. Hence, we conclude that the neutral alkali metals play a central role in the near-infrared and optical spectra of methane dwarfs and that their lines have the potential to provide crucial diagnostics of brown dwarf properties. We speculate on the systematics of the near-infrared and optical spectra of methane dwarfs, for a given mass and composition, that stems from the progressive burial with decreasing Teff of the alkali metal atoms to larger pressures and depths. Moreover, we surmise that those extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) that achieve Teffvalues in the 800-1300 K range because of stellar insolation will show signatures of the neutral alkali metals in their albedo and reflection spectra. We estimate that, predominantly because of absorption by Na D lines, the geometric albedo of the EGP τ Boo b at λ = 0.48 μm is less than 0.1, which is consistent with the new (and low) upper limit of 0.3 recently obtained by Charbonneau et al. in 1999.

C. M. Sharp

Papers

A Nongray Theory of Extrasolar Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs

A Non-Gray Theory of Extrasolar Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs

Chemical Equilibrium Abundances in Brown Dwarf and Extrasolar Giant Planet Atmospheres

Atomic and Molecular Opacities for Brown Dwarf and Giant Planet Atmospheres

The Near-Infrared and Optical Spectra of Methane Dwarfs and Brown Dwarfs