When modelling the collapse of massive stars leading to supernova explosions and the cooling of neutron stars, understanding the microphysical processes, such as the interaction of neutrinos within a dense medium are of vital importance. The interaction of neutrinos with nucleons (neutrons and protons) is altered by the presence of the medium, compared to the same process with free nucleons. Neutrino scattering and production processes may be characterized in terms of the excitations that are created or destroyed in the nuclear medium. One way to analyse the effects of the medium is by using Landau's theory of normal Fermi liquids. This theory gives simple relationships between physical quantities such as the spin susceptibility or the response to a weak interaction probe in terms of Landau parameters, that are measures of the interaction between quasiparticles. One problem when using Landau Fermi liquid theory for nucleon matter is that the interaction has a tensor component. The tensor interaction does not conserve the total spin and, as a consequence, there are generally contributions to long-wavelength response functions from states that have more than one quasiparticle-quasihole pair in the intermediate state. Such contributions cannot be calculated in terms of Landau parameters alone, since in the usual formulation of Landau theory, only singlepair excitations are considered. In this thesis three problems are addressed. First, we obtain bounds on the contributions from more than one quasiparticle-quasihole pair by using sum-rule arguments. Second, we derive expressions for static response functions allowing for the tensor components of the interaction. We analyse which the most important effects are on the static response of nucleon matter, and find that the major contributions comes from renormalization of coupling constants and transitions to states with more than one quasiparticle-quasihole pair. Third, we show how contributions to the dynamical response coming from states containing two quasiparticle-quasihole pairs may be evaluated in terms of Landau theory if one allows for the effect of collisions in the Landau kinetic equation. We consider the case of asymmetric nuclear matter, and our work goes beyond earlier works in that they contain the effects of collisions in addition to those of the mean field.

Stellar atmospheres constitute excellent environments to study the chemical evolution of our Galaxy. The chemical composition of these atmospheres reflects the composition of the gas from where these stars were born. As the Galaxy evolves, the composition of the gas changes from being primordial (Big-Bang nucleosynthesis) to being enriched in heavy elements (stellar and interstellar nucleosynthesis). The abundances of fragile chemical elements can be affected by stellar mixing processes. Precise lithium, beryllium and oxygen abundance determinations in old stars are presented in this thesis. These determinations are based on the analysis of the observed spectra of a sample of thirteen metal-poor subgiant stars. According to stellar mixing theories, these stars are in a stellar evolutionary stage in which mixing by convection is expected. Abundances of fragile elements like lithium and beryllium are thus expected to be affected by such mixing processes. As a consequence of this, the abundances of these elements are discussed in a dilution context. Lithium and beryllium abundances are compared with the abundances of stars with similar characteristics but in a less evolved stellar phase so that mixing processes have not acted yet. As expected, our abundances seem to be depleted following reasonably well the standard predictions. Stellar abundances of oxygen should give an estimate of the oxygen contribution of core-collapse supernovae to the interstellar medium. However, there is poor agreement among the abundances determined from different atomic or molecular indicators in general. Abundances coming from three different indicators are compared in this thesis. The abundances determined from the O I infrared triplet lines at 777.1-5 nm give the poorest agreement among the three indicators. The abundances based on OH ultraviolet lines around 310 nm are lower for the subgiants in comparison with previous studies of main-sequence stars, becoming even lower than values based on the O I forbidden line at 630.03 nm. Still the most reliable indicator appears to be the O I forbidden line which suggests a plateau-like or only slowly increasing [O/Fe] towards lower [Fe/H]. In addition, the line formation of the Be II ultraviolet resonance lines at 313.0-1 nm, commonly used for abundance determinations purposes, is investigated under non-local thermodynamic equilibrium. We find that the common assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium typically gives systematic errors of about 0.1 dex.

We are made of stardust in the sense that most atomic nuclei around us have been formed by stars. Stars synthesise new elements and expel them to the interstellar medium, from which later new generations of stars are born. We can map this chemical evolution by analysing the atmospheric contents of old Galactic halo stars. I have done two such investigations. A vigourous debate is going on whether the oxygen-to-iron ratio varies strongly with the general metal-content of halo stars. In my first study, I made an abundance analysis of 43 halo stars, and found no support for such a variation. I have also found that there probably is a cosmic spread in the abundances of oxygen, magnesium, silicon, and calcium relative to iron for halo stars. This may be an indication that the halo was built up by subsystems with differences in the star formation rate. In my second study, I performed a thorough abundance analysis of the star HE0338-3945, which is strangely overabundant in both r- and s-elements. Several other stars have been found with abundance patterns curiously similar to this star, and I define new criteria for the class r+s stars. The abundance similarities among the r+s stars suggest a common formation scenario. However, as the s-elements usually are considered to be produced in binary systems of low mass, and r-elements in supernovae of Type II, this scenario is not obvious. In the article I discuss seven hypotheses, and several of them are dismissed.

The optical turbulence, which creates perturbations of the wavefronts coming from the stars, is caused by small-scale fluctuations in the index of refraction of the atmosphere and is a problem for astronomers because it limits the maximum resolution of the ground-based telescopes. One way of identifying the best sites to build astronomical observatories, where the influence of the optical turbulence is as small as possible, is to use the standard meteorological parameters to get a first idea of the potential of a site. In the first part of this thesis the three sites on the Internal Antarctic Plateau that are the most interesting for astronomers (Dome A, Dome C and the South Pole) are investigated using the operational analyses of the ECMWF and a ranking of these three sites is presented. The second part of this thesis focuses on the ability of the mesoscale model Meso-NH to simulate the optical turbulence as well as the wind speed at Mt Graham (AZ, USA). A rich sample of measurements of the vertical distribution of the optical turbulence, the largest sample used in this type of study so far, is used to calibrate the Meso-NH model and to quantify its ability to simulate the optical turbulence. The measurements are distributed over different periods of the year thus making it possible to evaluate the performance of the model in different seasons. Both the vertical distribution of the optical turbulence and the astroclimatic parameters (seeing, wavefront coherence time and isoplanatic angle) are investigated. / Felaktigt tryckt som Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 708

<p>A major fraction of stars will pass through a short period of dramatic events in their final evolutionary stage. Low- to intermediate-mass stars, studied here, are stripped of their outer parts in a slow massive wind. This mass loss reshapes both the star and the surrounding medium. The formation of the wind is a consequence of the non-linear interaction of a number of physical processes. Stellar pulsations and efficient dust formation are examples of such key processes. Time-dependent theoretical models, in combination with observations, are useful tools for understanding these winds.</p><p>The main object of this thesis has been the physical improvement of a theoretical wind model. Here the coupling between the dust and gas in the wind is studied in further detail, allowing drift. The methods that have been developed earlier to describe the micro-physical interaction are overviewed and summarized. Previously dust has often been assumed to move at the same velocity as gas. New time-dependent wind models are presented where grain drift has been treated self-consistently. Specifically, the coupling between dust and gas in the wind has been modeled more realistically, with descriptions of both the modified momentum and energy balances, and drift dependent dust formation. The results of these new ``drift models'' have been compared with the results of non-drift models. </p><p>A general result of the study is that the effects of drift are significant and difficult to predict if a simple analytical theory is used. It has been found that dust in drift models tends to accumulate in certain dense regions, an accumulation that was not possible without drift. Moreover the new models show an increased variability in the wind structure. The use of drift in dust formation tends to markedly increase the produced dust. Some sets of model parameters lead to a wind without including drift, but a corresponding wind does not form when drift is included -- and vice versa. The effects of drift are important and can probably not be ignored in realistic models.</p>

<p>Quasars form one of the most energetic phenomena in the universe, and can be traced out to very large redshifts. By studying the galaxies which host the active nuclei, important insights can be gained into the processes that trigger and maintain the quasar powerhouse. The evolution rate of the quasar population is furthermore similar to that of ordinary galaxies, which implies a connection between black hole accretion and star formation in the host galaxies. While the properties of quasar host galaxies at low redshift have become better constrained in recent years, less is known about hosts at earlier cosmic epochs. In addition, though radio-quiet quasars are by far more common than their radio-loud counterparts their host galaxies have not been studied to the same extent, in particular not at higher redshifts.</p><p>An imaging campaign of a large sample of quasars at intermediate redshift (0.4 < z < 0.8) was carried out at optical wavelengths using the Nordic Optical Telescope, and is studied in this thesis together with two smaller samples. The joint material forms more than half of the total number of observed sources in this redshift interval and increases the number of resolved radio-quiet hosts at z>0.4 considerably. The morphology and mean magnitudes are found to be similar for radio-loud and radio-quiet host galaxies. Both types of host are shown to have optical colours as blue as those of present-day late-type spirals and starburst galaxies, which is likely the result of ongoing star formation.</p><p>With increasing redshift, observations of host galaxies become more difficult. High spatial resolution can be achieved with adaptive optics, but the variation of the point spread function in the near-infrared wavelength band which is most suited for detection is large and rapid. A statistical approach to the problem of characterizing the point spread function has been developed, making use of simulated objects which are matched to the different atmospheric conditions. Bright, compact host galaxies showing signs of merging and interaction were detected in this way for three quasars at z~2.2, which were observed with the ESO 3.6 m telescope. The method is not restricted to host galaxy analysis but can be utilized in other applications as well, provided that the underlying extended source can be described by an analytical model. </p>

<p>Most of the matter in the Universe appears to be in some form which does not emit or absorb light. While evidence for the existence of this dark matter has accumulated over the last seventy years, its nature remains elusive. In this thesis, quasars and low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) are used to investigate the properties of the dark matter. </p><p>Quasars are extremely bright light sources which can be seen over vast distances. These cosmic beacons may be used to constrain dark matter in the form of low-mass, compact objects along the line of sight, as such objects are expected to induce brightness fluctuations in quasars through gravitational microlensing effects. Using a numerical microlensing model, we demonstrate that the uncertainty in the typical size of the optical continuum-emitting region in quasars represents the main obstacle in this procedure. We also show that, contrary to claims in the literature, microlensing fails to explain the observed long-term optical variability of quasars. Here, quasar distances are inferred from their redshifts, which are assumed to stem from the expansion of the Universe. Some astronomers do however defend the view that quasar redshifts could have a different origin. A number of potential methods for falsifying claims of such non-cosmological redshifts are proposed. </p><p>As the ratio of dark to luminous matter is known to be unusually high in LSBGs, these objects have become the prime targets for probing dark matter halos around galaxies. Here, we use spectral evolutionary models to constrain the properties of the stellar populations in a class of unusually blue LSBGs. Using rotation curve data obtained at the ESO Very Large Telescope, we also investigate the density profiles of their dark halos. We find our measurements to be inconsistent with the predictions of the currently favoured cold dark matter scenario.</p>

A major fraction of stars will pass through a short period of dramatic events in their final evolutionary stage. Low- to intermediate-mass stars, studied here, are stripped of their outer parts in a slow massive wind. This mass loss reshapes both the star and the surrounding medium. The formation of the wind is a consequence of the non-linear interaction of a number of physical processes. Stellar pulsations and efficient dust formation are examples of such key processes. Time-dependent theoretical models, in combination with observations, are useful tools for understanding these winds. The main object of this thesis has been the physical improvement of a theoretical wind model. Here the coupling between the dust and gas in the wind is studied in further detail, allowing drift. The methods that have been developed earlier to describe the micro-physical interaction are overviewed and summarized. Previously dust has often been assumed to move at the same velocity as gas. New time-dependent wind models are presented where grain drift has been treated self-consistently. Specifically, the coupling between dust and gas in the wind has been modeled more realistically, with descriptions of both the modified momentum and energy balances, and drift dependent dust formation. The results of these new ``drift models'' have been compared with the results of non-drift models. A general result of the study is that the effects of drift are significant and difficult to predict if a simple analytical theory is used. It has been found that dust in drift models tends to accumulate in certain dense regions, an accumulation that was not possible without drift. Moreover the new models show an increased variability in the wind structure. The use of drift in dust formation tends to markedly increase the produced dust. Some sets of model parameters lead to a wind without including drift, but a corresponding wind does not form when drift is included -- and vice versa. The effects of drift are important and can probably not be ignored in realistic models.

Quasars form one of the most energetic phenomena in the universe, and can be traced out to very large redshifts. By studying the galaxies which host the active nuclei, important insights can be gained into the processes that trigger and maintain the quasar powerhouse. The evolution rate of the quasar population is furthermore similar to that of ordinary galaxies, which implies a connection between black hole accretion and star formation in the host galaxies. While the properties of quasar host galaxies at low redshift have become better constrained in recent years, less is known about hosts at earlier cosmic epochs. In addition, though radio-quiet quasars are by far more common than their radio-loud counterparts their host galaxies have not been studied to the same extent, in particular not at higher redshifts. An imaging campaign of a large sample of quasars at intermediate redshift (0.4 &lt; z &lt; 0.8) was carried out at optical wavelengths using the Nordic Optical Telescope, and is studied in this thesis together with two smaller samples. The joint material forms more than half of the total number of observed sources in this redshift interval and increases the number of resolved radio-quiet hosts at z&gt;0.4 considerably. The morphology and mean magnitudes are found to be similar for radio-loud and radio-quiet host galaxies. Both types of host are shown to have optical colours as blue as those of present-day late-type spirals and starburst galaxies, which is likely the result of ongoing star formation. With increasing redshift, observations of host galaxies become more difficult. High spatial resolution can be achieved with adaptive optics, but the variation of the point spread function in the near-infrared wavelength band which is most suited for detection is large and rapid. A statistical approach to the problem of characterizing the point spread function has been developed, making use of simulated objects which are matched to the different atmospheric conditions. Bright, compact host galaxies showing signs of merging and interaction were detected in this way for three quasars at z~2.2, which were observed with the ESO 3.6 m telescope. The method is not restricted to host galaxy analysis but can be utilized in other applications as well, provided that the underlying extended source can be described by an analytical model.

Most of the matter in the Universe appears to be in some form which does not emit or absorb light. While evidence for the existence of this dark matter has accumulated over the last seventy years, its nature remains elusive. In this thesis, quasars and low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) are used to investigate the properties of the dark matter. Quasars are extremely bright light sources which can be seen over vast distances. These cosmic beacons may be used to constrain dark matter in the form of low-mass, compact objects along the line of sight, as such objects are expected to induce brightness fluctuations in quasars through gravitational microlensing effects. Using a numerical microlensing model, we demonstrate that the uncertainty in the typical size of the optical continuum-emitting region in quasars represents the main obstacle in this procedure. We also show that, contrary to claims in the literature, microlensing fails to explain the observed long-term optical variability of quasars. Here, quasar distances are inferred from their redshifts, which are assumed to stem from the expansion of the Universe. Some astronomers do however defend the view that quasar redshifts could have a different origin. A number of potential methods for falsifying claims of such non-cosmological redshifts are proposed. As the ratio of dark to luminous matter is known to be unusually high in LSBGs, these objects have become the prime targets for probing dark matter halos around galaxies. Here, we use spectral evolutionary models to constrain the properties of the stellar populations in a class of unusually blue LSBGs. Using rotation curve data obtained at the ESO Very Large Telescope, we also investigate the density profiles of their dark halos. We find our measurements to be inconsistent with the predictions of the currently favoured cold dark matter scenario.