Abstract
Charge-exchange reactions between a fully ionized stellar wind and the partially ionized warm gas in the interstellar medium create a compressed region of hot neutral hydrogen atoms that are decelerated relative to the inflowing interstellar gas. This “hydrogen wall” produces a blue-shifted absorption component in the stellar Lyman-a emission line at many viewing angles that has now been detected in Hubble Space Telescope spectra of eight dwarf stars. Comparisons of the observed Lyman-α line profiles with theoretical models led to the first sensitive measurements of mass-loss rates as small as 4 × 10-15 MΘ yr-1 for solarlike dwarfs. Our study of astrospheres provides the first observational data (other than for the Sun) with which to test theories for dwarf star winds. We find an empirical correlation of stellar mass-loss rate with X-ray surface flux that allows us to predict the mass-loss rates of other stars and to infer the solar wind mass flux at earlier times, when the solar wind may have been as much as 1000 times stronger than at present. We mention some important ramifications for the history of planetary atmospheres in our solar system, that of Mars in particular, and for exoplanets.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Acuña, M.J. et al. 1999, Science, 284, 790.
Ayres, T.R. 1997, JGR, 102, 1641.
Ayres, T.R., Brown, A., Osten, R.A., Huenemoerder, D.P., Drake, J.J., Brickhouse, N.S., and Linsky, J.L. 2001, ApJ, 549, 544.
Ayres, T.R., Brown, A., Harper, G.M., Osten, R.A., Linsky, J.L., Wood, B. E., and Redfield, S. 2003, ApJ, 583, 963.
Baranov, V.B. & Malama, Y.G. 1993, JGR, 98, 15157.
Baranov, V.B. & Malama, Y.G. 1995, JGR, 100, 14755.
Biermann, L. 1951, Zeitschrift für Astrophysik, 29, 274.
Deutsch, A.J. 1956, ApJ, 123, 210.
Dring, A. R., Linsky, J., Murthy, J., Henry, R. C., Moos, W., Vidal Madjar, A., Audouze, J., & Landsman, W. 1997, ApJ, 488, 760.
Jakosky, B.M. & Phillips, R.J., 2001, Nature, 412, 237.
Gayley, K. G., Zank, G. P., Pauls, H. L., Frisch, P. C., & Welty, D. E. 1997, ApJ, 487, 259.
Izmodenov, V. V., Gruntman, M., & Malama, Y. G. 2001, JGR, 106, 10681.
Izmodenov, V. V., Lallement, R., & Malama, Y. G. 1999, A&A, 342, 113.
Izmodenov, V. V., Wood, B. E., & Lallement, R. 2002, JGR, 107, 1308.
Kass, D. M., & Yung, Y. L. 1995, Science, 268, 697.
Lamers, H.J.G.L.M. & Cassinelli, J.P. 1999, Introduction to Stellar Winds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lammer, H. et al. 2003, Icarus, 165, 9L.
Landsman, W.B., Henry, R.C., Moos, H.W., & Linsky, J.L. 1984, ApJ, 285, 801.
Lallement, R., Ferlet, R., Lagrange, A. M., Lemoine, M., & Vidal-Madjar, A. 1995, A&A, 304, 461.
Linde, T., Gombosi, T. I., Roe, P. L., Powell, K. G., & DeZeeuw, D. L. 1998, JGR, 103, 1889.
Linsky, J.L. et al. 1993, ApJ, 402, 694.
Linsky, J.L. et al. 1995, ApJ, 451, 335.
Linsky, J.L. & Wood, B.E. 1996, ApJ, 463, 254.
Lundin, R. 2001, Science, 291, 1909.
Müller, H. -R., Zank, G. P., & Lipatov, A. S. 2000, JGR, 105, 27419.
Müller, H. -R., Zank, G. P., & Wood, B. E. 2001a, ApJ, 551, 495.
Müller, H. -R., Zank, G. P., & Wood, B. E. 2001b, in The Outer Heliosphere: The Next Frontiers, ed. K. Scherer et al. (Amsterdam: Pergamon), 53.
Opher, M., Liewer, P. C, Gombosi, T. I., Manchester, W., DeZeeuw, D. L., Sokolov, I., & Toth, G. 2003, ApJ, 591, 161.
Parker, E.N. 1958, ApJ, 128, 664.
Parker, E.N. 1960, ApJ, 132, 821.
Peres, G., Orlando, S., Reale, F., Rosner, R., & Hudson, H. ApJ, 528, 537.
Phillips, J.L., Bame, S.J., Feldman, W.C., Goldstein, B.E., Gosling, J.T., Hammond, C.M., McComas, D.J., Neugebauer, M., Scime, E.E., & Suess, S.T. 1995, Science, 268, 1030.
Pauls, H. L., Zank, G. P., & Williams, L. L. 1995, JGR, 100, 21595.
Ratkiewicz, R., Barnes, A., Molvik, G. A., Spreiter, J. R., Stahara, S. S., Vinokur, M., & Venkateswaran, S. 1998, A&A, 335, 363.
Redfield, S., Ayres, T.R., Linsky, J.L., Ake, T.B., Dupree, A.K., Robinson, R. D ., and Young, P.R. 2003, ApJ, 585, 993.
Schrijver, C.J., & Title, A.M., ApJ, 551, 1099.
Schrijver, C.J., DeRosa, M.L., & Title, A.M., ApJ, 590, 493.
Witte, M., Rosenbauer, H., Banaszkewicz, M., & Fahr, H. 1993, Adv. Space Res., 13, 121.
Wood, B.E. & Linsky, J.L. 1996, ApJ, 470, 1157.
Wood, B.E. & Linsky, J.L. 1998, ApJ, 492, 788.
Wood, B. E., Alexander, W. R., & Linsky, J. L. 1996, ApJ, 470, 1157.
Wood, B. E.., Linsky, J. L., & Zank, G. P. 2000a, ApJ, 537, 304
Wood, B. E., Muller, H. -R., & Zank, G. P. 2000b, ApJ, 542, 493.
Wood, B.E. et al. 2001, ApJ, 547, L49.
Wood, B.E. et al. 2002, ApJ, 574, 412.
Zank, G.P. et al. 1996, JGR, 101, 21639.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Linsky, J.L., Wood, B.E. (2004). Hydrogen Walls: Mass Loss of Dwarf Stars and the Young Sun. In: Poletto, G., Suess, S.T. (eds) The Sun and the Heliosphere as an Integrated System. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 317. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2831-1_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2831-1_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-6728-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-2831-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive