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The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the solar neighbourhood. III. Improved distances, ages, and kinematics
Context: Ages, chemical compositions, velocity vectors, and Galacticorbits for stars in the solar neighbourhood are fundamental test datafor models of Galactic evolution. The Geneva-Copenhagen Survey of theSolar Neighbourhood (Nordström et al. 2004; GCS), amagnitude-complete, kinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F andG dwarfs, is the largest available sample with complete data for starswith ages spanning that of the disk. Aims: We aim to improve theaccuracy of the GCS data by implementing the recent revision of theHipparcos parallaxes. Methods: The new parallaxes yield improvedastrometric distances for 12 506 stars in the GCS. We also use theparallaxes to verify the distance calibration for uvby? photometryby Holmberg et al. (2007, A&A, 475, 519; GCS II). We add newselection criteria to exclude evolved cool stars giving unreliableresults and derive distances for 3580 stars with large parallax errorsor not observed by Hipparcos. We also check the GCS II scales of T_effand [Fe/H] and find no need for change. Results: Introducing thenew distances, we recompute MV for 16 086 stars, and U, V, W,and Galactic orbital parameters for the 13 520 stars that also haveradial-velocity measurements. We also recompute stellar ages from thePadova stellar evolution models used in GCS I-II, using the new valuesof M_V, and compare them with ages from the Yale-Yonsei andVictoria-Regina models. Finally, we compare the observed age-velocityrelation in W with three simulated disk heating scenarios to show thepotential of the data. Conclusions: With these revisions, thebasic data for the GCS stars should now be as reliable as is possiblewith existing techniques. Further improvement must await consolidationof the T_eff scale from angular diameters and fluxes, and the Gaiatrigonometric parallaxes. We discuss the conditions for improvingcomputed stellar ages from new input data, and for distinguishingdifferent disk heating scenarios from data sets of the size andprecision of the GCS.Full 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/501/941
| The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood. Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of 14 000 F and G dwarfs
We present and discuss new determinations of metallicity, rotation, age,kinematics, and Galactic orbits for a complete, magnitude-limited, andkinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F and G dwarf stars. Our63 000 new, accurate radial-velocity observations for nearly 13 500stars allow identification of most of the binary stars in the sampleand, together with published uvbyβ photometry, Hipparcosparallaxes, Tycho-2 proper motions, and a few earlier radial velocities,complete the kinematic information for 14 139 stars. These high-qualityvelocity data are supplemented by effective temperatures andmetallicities newly derived from recent and/or revised calibrations. Theremaining stars either lack Hipparcos data or have fast rotation. Amajor effort has been devoted to the determination of new isochrone agesfor all stars for which this is possible. Particular attention has beengiven to a realistic treatment of statistical biases and errorestimates, as standard techniques tend to underestimate these effectsand introduce spurious features in the age distributions. Our ages agreewell with those by Edvardsson et al. (\cite{edv93}), despite severalastrophysical and computational improvements since then. We demonstrate,however, how strong observational and theoretical biases cause thedistribution of the observed ages to be very different from that of thetrue age distribution of the sample. Among the many basic relations ofthe Galactic disk that can be reinvestigated from the data presentedhere, we revisit the metallicity distribution of the G dwarfs and theage-metallicity, age-velocity, and metallicity-velocity relations of theSolar neighbourhood. Our first results confirm the lack of metal-poor Gdwarfs relative to closed-box model predictions (the ``G dwarfproblem''), the existence of radial metallicity gradients in the disk,the small change in mean metallicity of the thin disk since itsformation and the substantial scatter in metallicity at all ages, andthe continuing kinematic heating of the thin disk with an efficiencyconsistent with that expected for a combination of spiral arms and giantmolecular clouds. Distinct features in the distribution of the Vcomponent of the space motion are extended in age and metallicity,corresponding to the effects of stochastic spiral waves rather thanclassical moving groups, and may complicate the identification ofthick-disk stars from kinematic criteria. More advanced analyses of thisrich material will require careful simulations of the selection criteriafor the sample and the distribution of observational errors.Based on observations made with the Danish 1.5-m telescope at ESO, LaSilla, Chile, and with the Swiss 1-m telescope at Observatoire deHaute-Provence, France.Complete Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/418/989
| New periodic variables from the Hipparcos epoch photometry
Two selection statistics are used to extract new candidate periodicvariables from the epoch photometry of the Hipparcos catalogue. Theprimary selection criterion is a signal-to-noise ratio. The dependenceof this statistic on the number of observations is calibrated usingabout 30000 randomly permuted Hipparcos data sets. A significance levelof 0.1 per cent is used to extract a first batch of candidate variables.The second criterion requires that the optimal frequency be unaffectedif the data are de-trended by low-order polynomials. We find 2675 newcandidate periodic variables, of which the majority (2082) are from theHipparcos`unsolved' variables. Potential problems with theinterpretation of the data (e.g. aliasing) are discussed.
| Absolute proper motions of open clusters. I. Observational data
Mean proper motions and parallaxes of 205 open clusters were determinedfrom their member stars found in the Hipparcos Catalogue. 360 clusterswere searched for possible members, excluding nearby clusters withdistances D < 200 pc. Members were selected using ground basedinformation (photometry, radial velocity, proper motion, distance fromthe cluster centre) and information provided by Hipparcos (propermotion, parallax). Altogether 630 certain and 100 possible members werefound. A comparison of the Hipparcos parallaxes with photometricdistances of open clusters shows good agreement. The Hipparcos dataconfirm or reject the membership of several Cepheids in the studiedclusters. Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at theCDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Optical and X-Ray Characteristics of Stars Detected in the Einstein Slew Survey
We detect X-rays for the first time from 63 cool (types AM) stars. Thesestars are part of the 229 total stellar X-ray sources identified to datein the Einstein Slew Survey (hereafter Slew). We also list new X-raydata on one A star that may have a corona, five OB stars, and reportdiscoveries of two new T Tauri stars and two new cataclysmic variables.The stellar content of the Slew high-latitude subset (currently 93%identified for |b_II_| > 20^deg^) is 26%. This agrees well with theEinstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey (EMSS) stellar sample, whichonly considered high latitudes. Because of the large solid angle coveredby the Slew, and its shallow limiting flux, the sample will better probethe bright end of the stellar X-ray luminosity function (L_X_ >10^30^ ergs s^-1^). Presently (based on the 221 Slew stars with knownspectral types), the sample is dominated by late-type systems (coolerthan F; 68%). These include dMe's, BY Dra, RS CVn, and FK Comae systems.Based on the limiting magnitudes of catalogs searched to date, the Slewis assessed to be complete for spectral types earlier than K. Hence, Kand M systems will be prominent in the ~50 as yet unidentified stars. Wehave embarked on an extensive program to (1) confirm the X-rayidentifications with the optical counterparts; (2) search for Ca II Hand K and Balmer line emission as activity signatures; and (3) searchfor supporting evidence of magnetic activity by measuring rotationalvelocities and relating them to X-ray luminosity level. Of 64 proposedcoronal systems observed to date, we have confirmed 44 active stars,while in the remaining 20 we have been unable to find definitiveactivity. We have confirmed an additional 19 active stars from stellardatabase searches, and reclassified nine systems as having nonstellaroptical counterparts from optical follow-up identification work andextragalactic database searches. We discuss notable new discoveries.From the sample of single active F7-MS Slew stars with measured ν sini-values, we find a strong (99.9% confidence level) linear correlationof X-ray luminosity with ν sin i and with stellar radius (R).However, L_X_ is uncorrelated with angular rotation speed at the 99%level. For the combined Slew and EMSS single star F7-MS sample, we findthe same 99.9% ν sin i-L_X_ and R-L_X_ correlations. The L_X_-νsin i relation for the combined sample appears to flatten with respectto the quadratic behavior seen for optically selected stellar samples atrotational velocities in excess of ~16 km s^-1^. For the unevolvedsubset of the Slew single star sample, we also find a correlationbetween L_X_ and Rossby number (R_0_; more than 99% confidence). Aleast-squares fit gives L_X_ ~ R_0_^-0.4^, which is similarly flatterthan the quadratic dependence seen in optical samples. Using the stellarsurface X-ray flux F_X_ versus B - V diagram, we interpret these resultsas saturation of the stellar surface by active regions at F_X_/F_bol_ ~10^-3^.
| Stroemgren photometry of F- and G-type stars brighter than V = 9.6. I. UVBY photometry
Within the framework of a large photometric observing program, designedto investigate the Galaxy's structure and evolution, Hβ photometryis being made for about 9000 stars. As a by-product, supplementary uvbyphotometry has been made. The results are presented in a cataloguecontaining 6924 uvby observations of 6190 stars, all south ofδ=+38deg. The overall internal rms errors of one observation(transformed to the standard system) of a program star in the interval6.5
| The Einstein Slew Survey
A catalog of 819 sources detected in the Einstein IPC Slew Survey of theX-ray sky is presented; 313 of the sources were not previously known asX-ray sources. Typical count rates are 0.1 IPC count/s, roughlyequivalent to a flux of 3 x 10 exp -12 ergs/sq cm s. The sources havepositional uncertainties of 1.2 arcmin (90 percent confidence) radius,based on a subset of 452 sources identified with previously knownpointlike X-ray sources (i.e., extent less than 3 arcmin).Identifications based on a number of existing catalogs of X-ray andoptical objects are proposed for 637 of the sources, 78 percent of thesurvey (within a 3-arcmin error radius) including 133 identifications ofnew X-ray sources. A public identification data base for the Slew Surveysources will be maintained at CfA, and contributions to this data baseare invited.
| Wide- and narrow-band photometry of stars in a field around Collinder 135
A field of about 10,000 square arcmin around the cluster Cr 135 isstudied using UBV, H-alpha, and H-beta photometries. The photometricdata do not favor the existence of Cr 135 as a real open cluster. Onlyeight B-type stars lie on a very well-defined main sequence in the UBVphotometric diagrams. These eight stars - which are shown not to begravitationally bound - are located at a mean distance of 630 pc with aforeground color excess amounting to E(B-V) equals 0.06 magnitudes.These stars, together with most of the B stars in the region, can beconsidered probable members of the large, old, Pup-Can association.
| Estimation of spectral classifications for bright southern stars with interesting Stromgren indices
This paper investigates the degree of success with which uvby photometrycan be applied to predict spectral classifications for 947 A, F, and Gstars brighter than an apparent magnitude of 8.3 and with four-colorindices indicating some kind of interesting, unusual, or peculiarspectrum. One or several possible spectral classifications are estimatedfor each star from photometry alone, double stars are distinguished, andthe estimates are compared with published classifications. The resultsshow that the framework provided by uvby photometry can be extended toinclude most G and K stars, reddened stars, peculiar stars, and certaintypes of double star.
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