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A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun
Traditionally, runaway stars are O- and B-type stars with large peculiarvelocities. We would like to extend this definition to young stars (upto ?50 Myr) of any spectral type and to identify those present in theHipparcos catalogue by applying different selection criteria, such aspeculiar space velocities or peculiar one-dimensional velocities.Runaway stars are important for studying the evolution of multiple starsystems or star clusters, as well as for identifying the origins ofneutron stars. We compile the distances, proper motions, spectral types,luminosity classes, V magnitudes and B-V colours, and we utilizeevolutionary models from different authors to obtain star ages. We studya sample of 7663 young Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun. Theradial velocities are obtained from the literature. We investigate thedistributions of the peculiar spatial velocity and the peculiar radialvelocity as well as the peculiar tangential velocity and itsone-dimensional components and we obtain runaway star probabilities foreach star in the sample. In addition, we look for stars that aresituated outside any OB association or OB cluster and the Galactic planeas well as stars for which the velocity vector points away from themedian velocity vector of neighbouring stars or the surrounding local OBassociation/cluster (although the absolute velocity might be small). Wefind a total of 2547 runaway star candidates (with a contamination ofnormal Population I stars of 20 per cent at most). Thus, aftersubtracting these 20 per cent, the runaway frequency among young starsis about 27 per cent. We compile a catalogue of runaway stars, which isavailable via VizieR.
| An absolutely calibrated Teff scale from the infrared flux method. Dwarfs and subgiants
Various effective temperature scales have been proposed over the years.Despite much work and the high internal precision usually achieved,systematic differences of order 100 K (or more) among various scales arestill present. We present an investigation based on the infrared fluxmethod aimed at assessing the source of such discrepancies and pin downtheir origin. We break the impasse among different scales by using alarge set of solar twins, stars which are spectroscopically andphotometrically identical to the Sun, to set the absolute zero point ofthe effective temperature scale to within few degrees. Our newlycalibrated, accurate and precise temperature scale applies to dwarfs andsubgiants, from super-solar metallicities to the most metal-poor starscurrently known. At solar metallicities our results validatespectroscopic effective temperature scales, whereas for [Fe/H]? -2.5our temperatures are roughly 100 K hotter than those determined frommodel fits to the Balmer lines and 200 K hotter than those obtained fromthe excitation equilibrium of Fe lines. Empirical bolometric correctionsand useful relations linking photometric indices to effectivetemperatures and angular diameters have been derived. Our results takefull advantage of the high accuracy reached in absolute calibration inrecent years and are further validated by interferometric angulardiameters and space based spectrophotometry over a wide range ofeffective temperatures and metallicities.Table 8 is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/512/A54
| Beryllium, Oxygen, and Iron Abundances in Extremely Metal-Deficient Stars
The abundance of beryllium in the oldest, most metal-poor stars acts asa probe of early star formation and Galactic chemical evolution. We haveanalyzed high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio Keck/HIRES spectraof 24 stars with [Fe/H] from -2.3 to -3.5 in order todetermine the history of Be abundance and explore the possibility of aBe plateau. We have determined stellar parameters of our samplespectroscopically, using equivalent widths of Fe I, Ti I, and Ti IIlines. We have determined O abundances from three OH features whichoccur in the same spectral region; this region is relatively uncrowdedand has a well determined continuum in these very/extremely metal-poorstars. We have supplemented this sample with reanalyzed spectra of 25stars from previous observations so that our total sample ranges in[Fe/H] from -0.5 to -3.5. Our results indicate that therelationship between Be and [Fe/H] continues to lower metallicities witha slope of 0.92 ± 0.04. Although there is no indication of aplateau with constant Be abundance, the four lowest metallicity stars(below [Fe/H] of -3.0) do show a Be enhancement relative to Fe atthe 1σ level. A single relationship between Be and [O/H] has aslope of 1.21 ± 0.08, but there is also a good fit with twoslopes: 1.59 above [O/H] = -1.6 and 0.74 for stars with [O/H]below -1.6. This change in slope could result from a change in thedominant production mechanism for Be. In the era of the formation of themore metal-poor stars, Be would be formed by acceleration of CNO atomsin the vicinity of SN II and in later times by high-energy cosmic-raysbombarding CNO in the ambient interstellar gas. We find an excellentcorrelation between [Fe/H] and [O/H] and show that [O/Fe] is near +1.0at [Fe/H] = -3.5 declining to 0 at [Fe/H] = 0.
| Photometric Study of Kepler Asteroseismic Targets
Reported are UBV and uvby? observations of 15 candidates for Keplerprimary asteroseismic targets and 14 other stars in the Kepler field,carried out at the M.G. Fracastoro station of the Catania AstrophysicalObservatory. These data serve to plot the 29 stars in two-parameterdiagrams with the photometric indices (such as B-V or?m1) and the atmospheric parameters (such as the MKtype or [Fe/H]) as coordinates. The two-parameter diagrams show noevidence of interstellar reddening. The photometric indices B-V and? are then used to derive photometric effective temperatures,Teff(B-V) and Teff(?). ForTeff(B-V)>6400 K, the photometric effective temperaturesturn out to be systematically higher than spectroscopic effectivetemperatures by 311±34 K and 346±91 K forTeff(B-V) and Teff(?), respectively. ForTeff(B-V)<6250 K, the agreement betweenTeff(B-V) and the spectroscopic effective temperatures isvery good. The photometric surface gravities, derived from c1and ?, show a range of about a factor of two greater than theirspectroscopic counterparts do.
| Binarity of transit host stars. Implications for planetary parameters
Context: Straight-forward derivation of planetary parameters can only beachieved in transiting planetary systems. However, planetary attributessuch as radius and mass strongly depend on stellar host parameters.Discovering a transit host star to be multiple leads to a necessaryrevision of the derived stellar and planetary parameters. Aims:Based on our observations of 14 transiting exoplanet hosts, we deriveparameters of the individual components of three transit host stars(WASP-2, TrES-2, andTrES-4) which we detected to be binaries. Two ofthese have not been known to be multiple before. Parameters of thecorresponding exoplanets are revised. Methods: High-resolution“Lucky Imaging” with AstraLux at the 2.2 m Calar Altotelescope provided near diffraction limited images in i' and z'passbands. These results have been combined with existing planetary datain order to recalibrate planetary attributes. Results: Despitethe faintness (Δmag ~ 4) of the discovered stellar companions toTrES-2, TrES-4, and WASP-2, light-curve deduced parameters change by upto more than 1σ. We discuss a possible relation between binaryseparation and planetary properties, which - if confirmed - could hintat the influence of binarity on the planet formation process.Based on observations collected at the Centro AstronómicoHispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by theMax-Planck-Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto deAstrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).
| Speckle interferometry of metal-poor stars in the solar neighborhood. II
The results of speckle interferometric observations of 115 metal-poorstars ([m/H] < ‑1) within 250 pc from the Sun and with propermotions µ ≳ 0.2″/yr, made with the 6-m telescope of theSpecial Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences,are reported. Close companions with separations ranging from0.034″ to 1″ were observed for 12 objects—G76-21,G59-1, G63-46, G135-16, G168-42, G141-47, G142-44, G190-10, G28-43,G217-8, G130-7, and G89-14—eight of them are astrometricallyresolved for the first time. The newly resolved systems include onetriple star—G190-10. If combined with spectroscopic and visualdata, our results imply a single:binary:triple:quadruple star ratio of147:64:9:1 for a sample of 221 primary components of halo and thick-diskstars.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| The lithium content of the Galactic Halo stars
Thanks to the accurate determination of the baryon density of theuniverse by the recent cosmic microwave background experiments, updatedpredictions of the standard model of Big Bang nucleosynthesis now yieldthe initial abundance of the primordial light elements withunprecedented precision. In the case of ^7Li, the CMB+SBBN value issignificantly higher than the generally reported abundances for Pop IIstars along the so-called Spite plateau. In view of the crucialimportance of this disagreement, which has cosmological, galactic andstellar implications, we decided to tackle the most critical issues ofthe problem by revisiting a large sample of literature Li data in halostars that we assembled following some strict selection criteria on thequality of the original analyses. In the first part of the paper wefocus on the systematic uncertainties affecting the determination of theLi abundances, one of our main goal being to look for the "highestobservational accuracy achievable" for one of the largest sets of Liabundances ever assembled. We explore in great detail the temperaturescale issue with a special emphasis on reddening. We derive four sets ofeffective temperatures by applying the same colour {T}_eff calibrationbut making four different assumptions about reddening and determine theLTE lithium values for each of them. We compute the NLTE corrections andapply them to the LTE lithium abundances. We then focus on our "best"(i.e. most consistent) set of temperatures in order to discuss theinferred mean Li value and dispersion in several {T}_eff and metallicityintervals. The resulting mean Li values along the plateau for [Fe/H]≤ 1.5 are A(Li)_NLTE = 2.214±0.093 and 2.224±0.075when the lowest effective temperature considered is taken equal to 5700K and 6000 K respectively. This is a factor of 2.48 to 2.81 (dependingon the adopted SBBN model and on the effective temperature range chosento delimit the plateau) lower than the CMB+SBBN determination. We findno evidence of intrinsic dispersion. Assuming the correctness of theCMB+SBBN prediction, we are then left with the conclusion that the Liabundance along the plateau is not the pristine one, but that halo starshave undergone surface depletion during their evolution. In the secondpart of the paper we further dissect our sample in search of newconstraints on Li depletion in halo stars. By means of the Hipparcosparallaxes, we derive the evolutionary status of each of our samplestars, and re-discuss our derived Li abundances. A very surprisingresult emerges for the first time from this examination. Namely, themean Li value as well as the dispersion appear to be lower (althoughfully compatible within the errors) for the dwarfs than for the turnoffand subgiant stars. For our most homogeneous dwarfs-only sample with[Fe/H] ≤ 1.5, the mean Li abundances are A(L)_NLTE = 2.177±0.071 and 2.215±0.074 when the lowest effective temperatureconsidered is taken equal to 5700 K and 6000 K respectively. This is afactor of 2.52 to 3.06 (depending on the selected range in {T}_eff forthe plateau and on the SBBN predictions we compare to) lower than theCMB+SBBN primordial value. Instead, for the post-main sequence stars thecorresponding values are 2.260±0.1 and 2.235±0.077, whichcorrespond to a depletion factor of 2.28 to 2.52. These results,together with the finding that all the stars with Li abnormalities(strong deficiency or high content) lie on or originate from the hotside of the plateau, lead us to suggest that the most massive of thehalo stars have had a slightly different Li history than their lessmassive contemporaries. In turn, this puts strong new constraints on thepossible depletion mechanisms and reinforces Li as a stellartomographer.
| The Red-Sequence Cluster Survey. I. The Survey and Cluster Catalogs for Patches RCS 0926+37 and RCS 1327+29
The Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (RCS) is a ~100 deg2,two-filter imaging survey in the RC and z'filters, designed primarily to locate and characterize galaxy clustersto redshifts as high as z=1.4. This paper provides a detaileddescription of the survey strategy and execution, including a thoroughdiscussion of the photometric and astrometric calibration of the surveydata. The data are shown to be calibrated to a typical photometricuncertainty of 0.03-0.05 mag, with total astrometric uncertainties lessthan 0.25" for most objects. We also provide a detailed discussion ofthe adaptation of a previously described cluster search algorithm (thecluster red-sequence method) to the vagaries of real survey data, withparticular attention to techniques for accounting for subtle variationsin survey depths caused by changes in seeing and sky brightness andtransparency. A first catalog of RCS clusters is also presented, for thesurvey patches RCS 0926+37 and RCS 1327+29. These catalogs, representingabout 10% of the total survey and comprising a total of 429 candidateclusters and groups, contain a total of 67 cluster candidates at aphotometric redshift of 0.9
| A Catalog of Northern Stars with Annual Proper Motions Larger than 0.15" (LSPM-NORTH Catalog)
The LSPM catalog is a comprehensive list of 61,977 stars north of theJ2000 celestial equator that have proper motions larger than 0.15"yr-1 (local-background-stars frame). The catalog has beengenerated primarily as a result of our systematic search for high propermotion stars in the Digitized Sky Surveys using our SUPERBLINK software.At brighter magnitudes, the catalog incorporates stars and data from theTycho-2 Catalogue and also, to a lesser extent, from the All-SkyCompiled Catalogue of 2.5 million stars. The LSPM catalog considerablyexpands over the old Luyten (Luyten Half-Second [LHS] and New LuytenTwo-Tenths [NLTT]) catalogs, superseding them for northern declinations.Positions are given with an accuracy of <~100 mas at the 2000.0epoch, and absolute proper motions are given with an accuracy of ~8 masyr-1. Corrections to the local-background-stars propermotions have been calculated, and absolute proper motions in theextragalactic frame are given. Whenever available, we also give opticalBT and VT magnitudes (from Tycho-2, ASCC-2.5),photographic BJ, RF, and IN magnitudes(from USNO-B1 catalog), and infrared J, H, and Ks magnitudes(from 2MASS). We also provide an estimated V magnitude and V-J color fornearly all catalog entries, useful for initial classification of thestars. The catalog is estimated to be over 99% complete at high Galacticlatitudes (|b|>15deg) and over 90% complete at lowGalactic latitudes (|b|>15deg), down to a magnitudeV=19.0, and has a limiting magnitude V=21.0. All the northern starslisted in the LHS and NLTT catalogs have been reidentified, and theirpositions, proper motions, and magnitudes reevaluated. The catalog alsolists a large number of completely new objects, which promise to expandvery significantly the census of red dwarfs, subdwarfs, and white dwarfsin the vicinity of the Sun.Based on data mining of the Digitized Sky Surveys (DSSs), developed andoperated by the Catalogs and Surveys Branch of the Space TelescopeScience Institute (STScI), Baltimore.Developed with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), aspart of the NASA/NSF NStars program.
| Reappraising the Spite Lithium Plateau: Extremely Thin and Marginally Consistent with WMAP Data
The lithium abundance in 62 halo dwarfs is determined from accurateequivalent widths reported in the literature and an improved infraredflux method temperature scale. The Li abundance of 41 plateau stars(those with Teff>6000 K) is found to be independent oftemperature and metallicity, with a star-to-star scatter of only 0.06dex over a broad range of temperatures (6000K
| SB9: The ninth catalogue of spectroscopic binary orbits
The Ninth Catalogue of Spectroscopic Binary Orbits(http://sb9.astro.ulb.ac.be) continues the series of compilations ofspectroscopic orbits carried out over the past 35 years by Batten andcollaborators. As of 2004 May 1st, the new Catalogue holds orbits for2386 systems. Some essential differences between this catalogue and itspredecessors are outlined and three straightforward applications arepresented: (1) completeness assessment: period distribution of SB1s andSB2s; (2) shortest periods across the H-R diagram; (3)period-eccentricity relation.
| A CCD imaging search for wide metal-poor binaries
We explored the regions within a radius of 25 arcsec around 473 nearby,low-metallicity G- to M-type stars using (VR)I optical filters andsmall-aperture telescopes. About 10% of the sample was searched up toangular separations of 90 arcsec. We applied photometric and astrometrictechniques to detect true physical companions to the targets. The greatmajority of the sample stars was drawn from the Carney-Latham surveys;their metallicities range from roughly solar to [Fe/H] = -3.5 dex. OurI-band photometric survey detected objects that are between 0 and 5 magfainter (completeness) than the target stars; the maximum dynamicalrange of our exploration is 9 mag. We also investigated the literature,and inspected images from the Digitized Sky Surveys to complete oursearch. By combining photometric and proper motion measurements, weretrieved 29 previously known companions, and identified 13 new propermotion companions. Near-infrared 2MASS photometry is provided for thegreat majority of them. Low-resolution optical spectroscopy (386-1000nm) was obtained for eight of the new companion stars. Thesespectroscopic data confirm them as cool, late-type, metal-depleteddwarfs, with spectral classes from esdK7 to sdM3. After comparison withlow-metallicity evolutionary models, we estimate the masses of theproper motion companion stars to be in the range 0.5-0.1Mȯ. They are moving around their primary stars atprojected separations between 32 and 57 000 AU. These orbitalsizes are very similar to those of solar-metallicity stars of the samespectral types. Our results indicate that about 15% of the metal-poorstars have stellar companions in wide orbits, which is in agreement withthe binary fraction observed among main sequence G- to M-type stars andT Tauri stars.Based on observations made with the IAC80 telescope operated on theisland of Tenerife by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias inthe Spanish Observatorio del Teide; also based on observations made withthe 2.2 m telescope of the German-Spanish Calar Alto Observatory(Almería, Spain), the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) operatedon the island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group in the SpanishObservatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM) of the Instituto deAstrofísica de Canarias; and the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo(TNG) at the ORM.The complete Table 1 is only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/419/167
| Empirically Constrained Color-Temperature Relations. II. uvby
A new grid of theoretical color indices for the Strömgren uvbyphotometric system has been derived from MARCS model atmospheres and SSGsynthetic spectra for cool dwarf and giant stars having-3.0<=[Fe/H]<=+0.5 and 3000<=Teff<=8000 K. Atwarmer temperatures (i.e., 8000-2.0. To overcome thisproblem, the theoretical indices at intermediate and high metallicitieshave been corrected using a set of color calibrations based on fieldstars having well-determined distances from Hipparcos, accurateTeff estimates from the infrared flux method, andspectroscopic [Fe/H] values. In contrast with Paper I, star clustersplayed only a minor role in this analysis in that they provided asupplementary constraint on the color corrections for cool dwarf starswith Teff<=5500 K. They were mainly used to test thecolor-Teff relations and, encouragingly, isochrones thatemploy the transformations derived in this study are able to reproducethe observed CMDs (involving u-v, v-b, and b-y colors) for a number ofopen and globular clusters (including M67, the Hyades, and 47 Tuc)rather well. Moreover, our interpretations of such data are verysimilar, if not identical, with those given in Paper I from aconsideration of BV(RI)C observations for the sameclusters-which provides a compelling argument in support of thecolor-Teff relations that are reported in both studies. Inthe present investigation, we have also analyzed the observedStrömgren photometry for the classic Population II subdwarfs,compared our ``final'' (b-y)-Teff relationship with thosederived empirically in a number of recent studies and examined in somedetail the dependence of the m1 index on [Fe/H].Based, in part, on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope,operated jointly on the island of La Palma by Denmark, Finland, Iceland,Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de losMuchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.Based, in part, on observations obtained with the Danish 1.54 mtelescope at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile.
| On the Mass-Ratio Distribution of Spectroscopic Binaries
In this paper we derive the mass-ratio and secondary-mass distributionsof a large, well-defined, complete sample of 129 spectroscopic binarieswith periods between 1 and 2500 days. The binaries, whose orbits werepublished recently, were detected by a systematic radial-velocity surveyof a sample of more than 1400 large proper motion stars. Three featuresstand out in the mass-ratio distribution: a rise as the mass ratio goesdown to q~0.2, a sharp drop below q~0.2, and a smaller peak at q~0.8.Another way to characterize the results is to state that thedistribution includes two ``populations,'' one with a high asymmetricpeak at q~0.2 and another with a smaller peak at q~0.8, while theminimum between the two populations is centered at q~0.55. The size ofthe binary sample allows us to divide it into two subsamples and lookfor differences in the mass-ratio distributions of the two subsamples.We performed two different divisions: one into Galactic halo versus diskpopulations, and the other into high- and low-mass primary stars (aboveand below 0.67 Msolar). The former division yieldsdifferences with moderate statistical significance of 88%, while thelatter is more significant at a level of 97%. Our analysis suggests thatthe rise toward low mass ratios does not appear in the mass-ratiodistribution of the halo binaries. The other separation shows a broadpeak at mass ratio of q~0.8-1 for the subsample of binaries withlow-mass primaries but no corresponding peak in the subsample withhigh-mass primaries. We discuss our findings and their application totheories of binary formation.
| Improved Astrometry and Photometry for the Luyten Catalog. II. Faint Stars and the Revised Catalog
We complete construction of a catalog containing improved astrometry andnew optical/infrared photometry for the vast majority of NLTT starslying in the overlap of regions covered by POSS I and by the secondincremental Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) release, approximately 44%of the sky. The epoch 2000 positions are typically accurate to 130 mas,the proper motions to 5.5 mas yr-1, and the V-J colors to0.25 mag. Relative proper motions of binary components are measured to 3mas yr-1. The false-identification rate is ~1% for11<~V<~18 and substantially less at brighter magnitudes. Theseimprovements permit the construction of a reduced proper-motion diagramthat, for the first time, allows one to classify NLTT stars intomain-sequence (MS) stars, subdwarfs (SDs), and white dwarfs (WDs). We inturn use this diagram to analyze the properties of both our catalog andthe NLTT catalog on which it is based. In sharp contrast to popularbelief, we find that NLTT incompleteness in the plane is almostcompletely concentrated in MS stars, and that SDs and WDs are detectedalmost uniformly over the sky δ>-33deg. Our catalogwill therefore provide a powerful tool to probe these populationsstatistically, as well as to reliably identify individual SDs and WDs.
| A Survey of Proper-Motion Stars. XVI. Orbital Solutions for 171 Single-lined Spectroscopic Binaries
We report 25,563 radial velocity measurements for 1359 single-linedstars in the Carney-Latham sample of 1464 stars selected for high propermotion. For 171 of these, we present spectroscopic orbital solutions. Wefind no obvious difference between the binary characteristics in thehalo and the disk populations. The observed frequency is the same, andthe period distributions are consistent with the hypothesis that the twosets of binaries were drawn from the same parent population. Thissuggests that metallicity in general, and radiative opacities inparticular, have little influence over the fragmentation process thatleads to short-period binaries. All the binaries with periods shorterthan 10 days have nearly circular orbits, while the binaries withperiods longer than 20 days exhibit a wide range of eccentricities and amedian value of 0.37. For the metal-poor high-velocity halo binaries inour sample, the transition from circular to eccentric orbits appears tooccur at about 20 days, supporting the conclusion that tidalcircularization on the main sequence is important for the oldestbinaries in the Galaxy. Some of the results presented here usedobservations made with the Multiple Mirror Telescope, a joint facilityof the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona.
| The u'g'r'i'z' Standard-Star System
We present the 158 standard stars that define the u'g'r'i'z' photometricsystem. These stars form the basis for the photometric calibration ofthe Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The defining instrument system andfilters, the observing process, the reduction techniques, and thesoftware used to create the stellar network are all described. Webriefly discuss the history of the star selection process, thederivation of a set of transformation equations for theUBVRCIC system, and plans for future work.
| Three-dimensional Spectral Classification of Low-Metallicity Stars Using Artificial Neural Networks
We explore the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for theestimation of atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, and [Fe/H])for Galactic F- and G-type stars. The ANNs are fed withmedium-resolution (Δλ~1-2 Å) non-flux-calibratedspectroscopic observations. From a sample of 279 stars with previoushigh-resolution determinations of metallicity and a set of (external)estimates of temperature and surface gravity, our ANNs are able topredict Teff with an accuracy ofσ(Teff)=135-150 K over the range4250<=Teff<=6500 K, logg with an accuracy ofσ(logg)=0.25-0.30 dex over the range 1.0<=logg<=5.0 dex, and[Fe/H] with an accuracy σ([Fe/H])=0.15-0.20 dex over the range-4.0<=[Fe/H]<=0.3. Such accuracies are competitive with theresults obtained by fine analysis of high-resolution spectra. It isnoteworthy that the ANNs are able to obtain these results withoutconsideration of photometric information for these stars. We have alsoexplored the impact of the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) on the behaviorof ANNs and conclude that, when analyzed with ANNs trained on spectra ofcommensurate S/N, it is possible to extract physical parameter estimatesof similar accuracy with stellar spectra having S/N as low as 13. Takentogether, these results indicate that the ANN approach should be ofprimary importance for use in present and future large-scalespectroscopic surveys.
| Catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations for FGK stars: 2001 edition
The catalogue presented here is a compilation of published atmosphericparameters (Teff, log g, [Fe/H]) obtained from highresolution, high signal-to-noise spectroscopic observations. This newedition has changed compared to the five previous versions. It is nowrestricted to intermediate and low mass stars (F, G and K stars). Itcontains 6354 determinations of (Teff, log g, [Fe/H]) for3356 stars, including 909 stars in 79 stellar systems. The literature iscomplete between January 1980 and December 2000 and includes 378references. The catalogue is made up of two tables, one for field starsand one for stars in galactic associations, open and globular clustersand external galaxies. The catalogue is distributed through the CDSdatabase. Access to the catalogue with cross-identification to othersets of data is also possible with VizieR (Ochsenbein et al.\cite{och00}). The catalogue (Tables 1 and 2) is only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/373/159 and VizieRhttp://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/.
| Stars in the Galactic Halo
Not Available
| Lithium abundances in metal-poor stars. I. New observations
We present the lithium measurements of a continuing programme of lightelement abundances in metal-poor stars. New equivalent widths of the Lii lambda 670.8 nm resonance line in 67 metal-poor stars covering themetallicity range -3.5 <= [Fe/H] <= -0.4 are reported. For abouthalf of this sample, the observations presented here represent the firstmeasurement of the Li i line. The sample allowed a statisticalcomparison with previous measurements from other authors and a study ofthe consistency and reliability of the quoted error bars. This papershows that for most of the stars these error bars are good estimates ofthe true uncertainties associated with the determination of theequivalent widths of the Li i line. However, about 20% of the stars withtwo or more independent measurements show discrepancies in the Li iequivalent widths; in these cases, other sources of uncertainty notproperly taken into account (binarity effects, cosmic rays, imperfectflat-field correction, continuum determination, etc.) could also beimportant. Conclusions on the possible lithium abundance trends versuseffective temperature or metallicity and on any intrinsic scatter shouldbe treated cautiously until their robustness vis-a-vis these additionaluncertainties is proved. Based on observations made with the IsaacNewton and Nordic Optical Telescopes, which are operated on the islandof La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group and the NOT ScientificAssociation, respectively, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de losMuchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.
| Estimation of Stellar Metal Abundance. II. A Recalibration of the Ca II K Technique, and the Autocorrelation Function Method
We have recalibrated a method for the estimation of stellar metalabundance, parameterized as [Fe/H], based on medium-resolution (1-2Å) optical spectra (the majority of which cover the wavelengthrange 3700-4500 Å). The equivalent width of the Ca II K line (3933Å) as a function of [Fe/H] and broadband B-V color, as predictedfrom spectrum synthesis and model atmosphere calculations, is comparedwith observations of 551 stars with high-resolution abundances availablefrom the literature (a sevenfold increase in the number of calibrationstars that were previously available). A second method, based on theFourier autocorrelation function technique first described by Ratnatunga& Freeman, is used to provide an independent estimate of [Fe/H], ascalibrated by comparison with 405 standard-star abundances.Metallicities based on a combination of the two techniques for dwarfsand giants in the color range 0.30<=(B-V)_0<=1.2 exhibit anexternal 1 sigma scatter of approximately 0.10-0.20 dex over theabundance range -4.0<=[Fe/H]<=0.5. Particular attention has beengiven to the determination of abundance estimates at the metal-rich endof the calibration, where our previous attempt suffered from aconsiderable zero-point offset. Radial velocities, accurate toapproximately 10 km s^-1, are reported for all 551 calibration stars.
| A catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations: 1996 edition
A fifth Edition of the Catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations is presentedherewith. It contains 5946 determinations for 3247 stars, including 751stars in 84 associations, clusters or galaxies. The literature iscomplete up to December 1995. The 700 bibliographical referencescorrespond to [Fe/H] determinations obtained from high resolutionspectroscopic observations and detailed analyses, most of them carriedout with the help of model-atmospheres. The Catalogue is made up ofthree formatted files: File 1: field stars, File 2: stars in galacticassociations and clusters, and stars in SMC, LMC, M33, File 3: numberedlist of bibliographical references The three files are only available inelectronic form at the Centre de Donnees Stellaires in Strasbourg, viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5), or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| ROSAT all-sky survey observations of PopII field binaries: X-ray activity of old, metal-poor stellar coronae.
This study represents the first X-ray observations of an extended sampleof Pop II field binaries, aimed at investigating the properties of old,metal-poor stellar coronae. Analysing X-ray observations from the ROSATall-sky survey, we detected only 13 (out of 86) Pop II systems (15%detection rate). The X-ray luminosity function, taking into account bothdetections and upper limits, has its median at logL_x_<=28.1erg/s,indicating a low average X-ray luminosity, with a high-luminosity tailat logL_x_~29-31erg/s. The only extreme metal-poor system detected is HD89499. Thus, the detection rate of extreme Pop II systems is lower thanof intermediate Pop II, possibly indicating extreme Pop II to betypically less luminous. The X-ray luminosity is not very wellcorrelated with orbital period; long-period Pop II binaries may havehigh X-ray luminosities and, surprisingly, short-period systems are notper se strong X-ray emitters. For a subsample of emission-line Pop IIbinaries, i.e. the halo component analogs to the RS CVn binaries, themedian X-ray luminosity is at least one order of magnitude lower thanfor the RS CVns. The lower activity levels of the Pop II systems may becaused in part by the presence of fewer evolved stars in the sample andlower metallicity. The extremely old age of Pop II binaries may alsogive rise to the unexpectedly low X-ray luminosities of some systems(e.g., CD-481741, BD+53080).
| The primordial lithium abundance
Lithium abundances in a selected sample of halo stars have been revisedby using the new accurate infrared flux method (IRFM) effectivetemperatures by Alonso, Arribas & Martinez-Roger. From 41 plateaustars (T_eff>5700 and [Fe/H]<=-1.5) we found no evidence forintrinsic dispersion, a tiny trend with T_eff and no trend with [Fe/H].The trend with the T_eff is fully consistent with the standard Liisochrones of Deliyannis, Demarque & Kawaler, implying a primordialvalue for Li of A(Li)=2.238+/-0.012_1sigma+/-0.05_sys. The presentresults argue against any kind of depletion predicted by diffusion,rotational mixing or stellar winds. Therefore the Li observed inPopulation II stars provides a direct and reliable estimate of thebaryonic density which can rival other baryonic indicators such as thedeuterium in high-redshift systems. The present upwards revision ofprimordial Li in the framework of standard big bang nucleosynthesis(SBBN) gives, at 1sigma, two solutions for the baryonic density:Omega_Bh^2=0.0062^+0.0018_-0.0011 or Omega_Bh^2=0.0146^+0.0029_-0.0033.
| Eccentricity versus Mass for Low-Mass Secondaries and Planets
Spectroscopic orbits have been reported for six unseen companionsorbiting solar-type stars with minimum possible masses in the range0.5--10 Jupiter masses. The four least massive companions, around 51Peg, 47 UMa, 55 Cnc, and tau Boo, have nearly circular orbits, while thetwo most massive companions, around HD 114762 and 70 Vir, haveeccentricities of 0.35 and 0.40. We compare the orbital eccentricitiesof these six planet candidates with the eccentricities of the planets inthe solar system, of the three planets found around the pulsar PSRB1957+12, and of the low-mass secondaries in a subsample of thespectroscopic binaries from the Carney-Latham proper-motion survey. Thedistribution of eccentricities for the combined samples displays astriking pattern: the companions with masses smaller than about 5Jupiter masses have circular orbits, while the more massive companionshave eccentric orbits. We outline four possible scenarios that mighthave produced this pattern of eccentricity versus mass.
| Uvby-β photometry of high-velocity and metal-poor stars. IX. Effects of orbital chaos in the Galactic halo.
Galactic orbits have been integrated using the Galactic potential modelof Allen & Santillan (1991RMxAA..22..255A) for 280 halo starsidentified in the V_rot_, [Fe/H] diagram. The effects of chaos upontheir orbital structure have been investigated. A "vertical" surface ofsection is defined, where Z is plotted versus z each time the orbitcrosses the cylinder ˜ω=8.5kpc; this surface of sectionallows a more complete visualization of the Galactic orbits in phasespace, a better understanding of the orbital chaos, and a more directcomparison with observations. "Horizontal" surfaces of section andmeridional orbits have also been plotted for all of these halo stars,and have been used to classify the Galactic orbits into the categoriesbox, chaotic, and resonant; 44.3% of the halo orbits are found to showsome evidence of chaos. The observed |W'| velocities of the halo starsgive poor measures of z_max_ for the box orbits, and especially for thechaotic orbits. Regressions of [Fe/H] against R_max_ and z_max_, for thetotal sample and for the chaotic and non-chaotic subsets, show littleevidence for a metallicity gradient in the Galactic halo. The surfacesof section for many of the halo stars (~ a third) show some evidence ofstructure within chaos. Part of this structure is due to the"stickiness" that chaotic orbits experience near the outer KAM tori offamilies of periodic and quasiperiodic orbits. This "stickiness" hasbeen discussed extensively in the literature. The phase-space clumpinessproduced by this "stickiness" may help to explain the "moving groups"found in the solar vicinity and the non-Gaussian velocity distributionsobserved at the Galactic poles. Also, the "confinement" of the chaoticorbits by a 1:1 resonant family of tube orbits, which passes a few kpcabove the Sun, may explain part of the halo duality which has beendetected in several studies, such as those of Hartwick (1987, in TheGalaxy, eds. G.Gilmore & B. Carswell. Reidel, dordrecht, 281) and ofKinman et al. (1994AJ....108.1722K). Histograms of the observed |W'|velocity and of the calculated orbital parameter z_max_ have beenplotted for the 280 halo stars. Structure is seen in both histograms,due mainly to the chaotic orbits; the |W'| histogram is non-Gaussianwith two peaks, and the z_max_ histogram has three peaks. Remarkably thestructure in these two histograms is correlated and can be explained inrelation to the details of the surfaces of section and the "confinement"and "stickiness" phenomena of the chaotic orbits.
| The empirical scale of temperatures of the low main sequence (F0V-K5V).
We have calibrated the effective temperatures of the low main sequencestars ranging spectral types from F0 to K5 versus [Fe/H] and colours(B-V), (R-I), (V-R), (V-I), (V-K), (J-H), (J-K) and ubvy-β, using alarge sample of dwarfs and subdwarfs. The effective temperatures, scaledto direct T_eff_ determinations via reliable angular diametermeasurements, were derived applying the InfraRed Flux Method with thenew grid of atmosphere models developed by Kurucz (1993). We have fittedpolynomial functions of the form θ_eff_=P(colour,[Fe/H]) usingthe least squares method. The precision of the fits ranges from 30K for(V-K) to 154K for (J-H). The new relations have been compared toprevious calibrations. We also provide the empirical intrinsic colours(U-B), (B-V), (R-I), (V-R), (V-I), (V-K), (J-H), (J-K) and β, inthe ranges: 4000K[Fe/H]>-2.5.
| Determination of effective temperatures for an extended sample of dwarfs and subdwarfs (F0-K5).
We have applied the InfraRed Flux Method (IRFM) to a sample of 475dwarfs and subdwarfs in order to derive their effective temperatureswith a mean accuracy of about 1.5%. We have used the new homogeneousgrid of theoretical model atmosphere flux distributions developed byKurucz (1991, 1993) for the application of the IRFM. The atmosphericparameters of the stars cover, roughly, the ranges:3500K<=T_eff_<=8000K -3.5<=[Fe/H]<=+0.53.5<=log(g)<=5. The monocromatic infrared fluxes at the continuum,and the bolometric fluxes are derived using recent results, whichsatisfy the accuracy requeriments of the work. Photometric calibrationshave been revised and applied to estimate metallicities, although directspectroscopic determinations were preferred when available. The adoptedinfrared absolute flux calibration, based on direct optical measurementsof angular stellar diameters, sets the effective temperatures determinedusing the IRFM on the same scale than those obtained by direct methods.We derive three temperatures, T_J_, T_H_ and T_K_, for each star usingthe monochromatic fluxes at different infrared wavelengths in thephotometric bands J, H, and K. They show good consistency over 4000 K,and no trend with wavelength may be appreciated. We provide a detaileddescription of the steps followed for the application of the IRFM, aswell as the sources of the errors associated to the different inputs ofthe method, and their transmission into the final temperatures. We alsoprovide comparison with previous works.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Leier |
| Right ascension: | 18h35m19.17s |
| Declination: | +28°41'55.4" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 11.376 |
| Proper motion RA: | -16.3 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -276.6 |
| B-T magnitude: | 11.816 |
| V-T magnitude: | 11.413 |
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