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A Unified Representation of Gas-Phase Element Depletions in the Interstellar Medium
A study of gas-phase element abundances reported in the literature for17 different elements sampled over 243 sight lines in the local part ofour Galaxy reveals that the depletions into solid form (dust grains) areextremely well characterized by trends that employ only three kinds ofparameters. One is an index that describes the overall level ofdepletion applicable to the gas in any particular sight line, and theother two represent linear coefficients that describe how to derive eachelement's depletion from this sight-line parameter. The information fromthis study reveals the relative proportions of different elements thatare incorporated into dust at different stages of grain growth. Anextremely simple scheme is proposed for deriving the dust contents andmetallicities of absorption-line systems that are seen in the spectra ofdistant quasars or the optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts. Contraryto presently accepted thinking, the elements sulfur and krypton appearto show measurable changes in their depletions as the general levels ofdepletions of other elements increase, although more data are needed toascertain whether or not these findings are truly compelling. Nitrogenappears to show no such increase. The incorporation of oxygen into solidform in the densest gas regions far exceeds the amounts that can takethe form of silicates or metallic oxides; this conclusion is based ondifferential measurements of depletion and thus is unaffected byuncertainties in the solar abundance reference scale.Based in large part on published observations from (1) the NASA/ESAHubble Space Telescope obtained at the Space Telescope ScienceInstitute, which is operated by the Association of Universities forResearch in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555, (2) theFar Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) mission operated by JohnsHopkins University, supported by NASA contract NAS5-32985, and (3) TheCopernicus satellite, supported by NASA grant NAGW-77 to PrincetonUniversity.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| New Estimates of the Solar-Neighborhood Massive Star Birthrate and the Galactic Supernova Rate
The birthrate of stars of masses >=10 Msolar is estimatedfrom a sample of just over 400 O3-B2 dwarfs within 1.5 kpc of the Sunand the result extrapolated to estimate the Galactic supernova ratecontributed by such stars. The solar-neighborhood Galactic-plane massivestar birthrate is estimated at ~176 stars kpc-3Myr-1. On the basis of a model in which the Galactic stellardensity distribution comprises a ``disk+central hole'' like that of thedust infrared emission (as proposed by Drimmel and Spergel), theGalactic supernova rate is estimated at probably not less than ~1 normore than ~2 per century and the number of O3-B2 dwarfs within the solarcircle at ~200,000.
| Catalog of Galactic OB Stars
An all-sky catalog of Galactic OB stars has been created by extendingthe Case-Hamburg Galactic plane luminous-stars surveys to include 5500additional objects drawn from the literature. This work brings the totalnumber of known or reasonably suspected OB stars to over 16,000.Companion databases of UBVβ photometry and MK classifications forthese objects include nearly 30,000 and 20,000 entries, respectively.
| Highly Ionized Gas in the Galactic Halo: A FUSE Survey of O VI Absorption toward 22 Halo Stars
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spectra of 22 Galactichalo stars are studied to determine the amount of O VI in the Galactichalo between ~0.3 and ~10 kpc from the Galactic midplane. Strong O VIλ1031.93 absorption was detected toward 21 stars, and a reliable3 σ upper limit was obtained toward HD 97991. The weaker member ofthe O VI doublet at 1037.62 Å could be studied toward only sixstars because of stellar and interstellar blending problems. Themeasured logarithmic total column densities vary from 13.65 to 14.57with =14.17+/-0.28 (1 σ). The observed columns arereasonably consistent with a patchy exponential O VI distribution with amidplane density of 1.7×10-8 cm-3 and scaleheight between 2.3 and 4 kpc. We do not see clear signs of stronghigh-velocity components in O VI absorption along the Galactic sightlines, which indicates the general absence of high-velocity O VI within2-5 kpc of the Galactic midplane. This result is in marked contrast tothe findings of Sembach et al., who reported high-velocity O VIabsorption toward ~60% of the complete halo sight lines observed byFUSE. The line centroid velocities of the O VI absorption do not reflectGalactic rotation well. The O VI velocity dispersions range from 33 to78 km s-1, with an average of =45+/-11 kms-1 (1 σ). These values are much higher than the valueof ~18 km s-1 expected from thermal broadening for gas atT~3×105 K, the temperature at which O VI is expected toreach its peak abundance in collisional ionization equilibrium.Turbulence, inflow, and outflow must have an effect on the shape of theO VI profiles. Kinematical comparisons of O VI with Ar I reveal thateight of 21 sight lines are closely aligned in LSR velocity(|ΔVLSR|<=5 km s-1), while nine of 21exhibit significant velocity differences(|ΔVLSR|>=15 km s-1). This dual behaviormay indicate the presence of two different types of O VI-bearingenvironments toward the Galactic sight lines. The correlation betweenthe H I and O VI intermediate-velocity absorption is poor. We couldidentify the known H I intermediate-velocity components in the Ar Iabsorption but not in the O VI absorption in most cases. Comparison of OVI with other highly ionized species suggests that the high ions areproduced primarily by cooling hot gas in the Galactic fountain flow andthat turbulent mixing also has a significant contribution. The role ofturbulent mixing varies from negligible to dominant. It is mostimportant toward sight lines that sample supernova remnants like Loops Iand IV. The average N(C IV)/N(O VI) ratios for the nearby halo (thiswork) and complete halo (Savage et al.) are similar (~0.6), but thedispersion is larger in the sample of nearby halo sight lines. We areable to show that the O VI enhancement toward the Galactic center regionthat was observed in the FUSE survey of complete halo sight lines(Savage et al.) is likely associated with processes occurring near theGalactic center by comparing the observations toward the nearby HD177566 sight line to those toward extragalactic targets.
| Synthetic High-Resolution Line Spectra of Star-forming Galaxies below 1200 Å
We have generated a set of far-ultraviolet stellar libraries usingspectra of OB and Wolf-Rayet stars in the Galaxy and the Large and SmallMagellanic Cloud. The spectra were collected with the Far UltravioletSpectroscopic Explorer and cover a wavelength range from 1003.1 to1182.7 Å at a resolution of 0.127 Å. The libraries extendfrom the earliest O to late-O and early-B stars for the Magellanic Cloudand Galactic libraries, respectively. Attention is paid to the complexblending of stellar and interstellar lines, which can be significant,especially in models using Galactic stars. The most severe contaminationis due to molecular hydrogen. Using a simple model for the H2line strength, we were able to remove the molecular hydrogen lines in asubset of Magellanic Cloud stars. Variations of the photospheric andwind features of C III λ1176, O VI λλ1032, 1038, PV λλ1118, 1128, and S IV λλ1063, 1073, 1074are discussed as a function of temperature and luminosity class. Thespectral libraries were implemented into the LavalSB and Starburst99packages and used to compute a standard set of synthetic spectra ofstar-forming galaxies. Representative spectra are presented for variousinitial mass functions and star formation histories. The valid parameterspace is confined to the youngest ages of less than ~=10 Myr for aninstantaneous burst, prior to the age when incompleteness of spectraltypes in the libraries sets in. For a continuous burst at solarmetallicity, the parameter space is not limited. The suite of models isuseful for interpreting the rest-frame far-ultraviolet in local andhigh-redshift galaxies. Based on observations made with theNASA-CNES-CSA Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. FUSE is operatedfor NASA by the Johns Hopkins University under NASA contract NAS5-32985.
| IUE Absorption-Line Observations of the Moderately and Highly Ionized Interstellar Medium toward 164 Early-Type Stars
We present measurements of Galactic interstellar Al III, Si IV, and C IVabsorption recorded in high-resolution archival ultraviolet spectra of164 hot early-type stars observed by the International UltravioletExplorer (IUE) satellite. The objects studied were drawn from the listof hot stars scheduled to be observed with the Far UltravioletSpectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite as part of observing programsdesigned to investigate absorption by O VI in the Galactic disk andhalo. Multiple IUE echelle-mode integrations have been combined toproduce a single ultraviolet (1150-1900 Å) spectrum of each starwith a spectral resolution of ~25 km s-1 (FWHM). Selectedabsorption-line profiles are presented for each star along with plots ofthe apparent column density per unit velocity for each line of the AlIII, Si IV, and C IV doublets. We report absorption-line equivalentwidths, absorption velocities, and integrated column densities based onthe apparent optical depth method of examining interstellar absorptionlines. We also determine column densities and Doppler parameters fromsingle-component curve-of-growth analyses. The scientific analysis ofthese observations will be undertaken after the FUSE satellite producessimilar measurements for absorption by interstellar O IV, Fe III, S III,and other ions. Based on archival data from observations obtained withthe International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite sponsored byNASA, SERC, and ESA.
| Classification and properties of UV extinction curves
The catalog of Savage et al. (\cite{ref27}) reporting colour excesses of1415 stars from ANS photometry offers the opportunity to deeplyinvestigate the characteristics of UV extinction curves which differfrom the standard extinction of the diffuse interstellar medium. To thisaim we have selected a sample of 252 curves, which have been comparedwith the relations derived by Cardelli et al. (\cite{ref4}; CCM in thefollowing) for a variety of R_V values in the range 2.4-5 and have beenclassified as normal if they fit at least one of the CCM curves oranomalous otherwise. We find that normal curves with small R_V are justas numerous as those with large R_V. The anomalous objects are arrangedinto two groups according to the strength of the bump at 0.217 mu . Fora given value of c_2 this increases along the sequence: type Aanomalous, normals and type B anomalous, suggesting that this sequenceshould correspond to an increase of the amount of small grains along thesightline. Considerations concerning the environmental characteristicsindicate that the anomalous behaviour is not necessarily tied to theexistence of dense gas clouds along the line of sight.
| Magellanic Cloud-Type Interstellar Dust along Low-Density Sight Lines in the Galaxy
We have studied the UV extinction properties along 30 Galactic sightlines using data from the International Ultraviolet Explorer archivethat have never been previously examined. These distant (d>1 kpc)sight lines were selected to investigate the distribution and physicalconditions of gas located in low-density regions of the Galactic diskand halo. The average densities along these sight lines are extremelylow. It is likely that they are dominated by the warm intercloud mediumand have little contribution from the cold cloud medium. We find that asubsample of these sight lines has extinction curves with weak bumps andvery steep far-UV extinction reminiscent of the Magellanic Clouds. Thesesight lines all lie in the region bounded by325deg<=l<=0deg and-5deg>=b>=-11deg. The gas along these sightlines shows forbidden velocities, which may indicate that the dust hasbeen subject to shocks. This type of low-density sight line may mimicthe environments found in the Magellanic Clouds. Large values of N(CaII)/N(Na I) indicating low depletion are associated with steep far-UVextinction. A possible correlation exists between decreasing bumpstrength and increasing far-UV steepness for extinction curves in theGalaxy and the Magellanic Clouds.
| The 74th Special Name-list of Variable Stars
We present the Name-list introducing GCVS names for 3153 variable starsdiscovered by the Hipparcos mission.
| Red and infrared colours of B stars and the reddening law in the Galaxy
The red and infrared intrinsic colours of B stars are derived fromphotometric observations through the UBV(RI)_CJHK and Hβ filters of257 early-type stars. Those stars for which the UBV and Hβmeasurements match the published spectral class, and which show no othersigns of peculiarity, are used to determine the intrinsic photometriccolours of B stars in the red and infrared. From these intrinsic coloursthe interstellar reddening relationships for the red and infraredcolours are evaluated, and the results are compared with previousestimates of these quantities. The values of R, E(B-V) and the distanceare then determined for the individual stars. R is confirmed to be closeto 3.1 in most cases, but was found to be much larger in somedirections. The relationship between R and the location of a star in theGalaxy is investigated. Usually the abnormally reddened stars seemed tobe associated with known regions of star formation. The paper alsoidentifies seven likely variable stars and a number of stars withpossible dust shells.
| Vitesses radiales. Catalogue WEB: Wilson Evans Batten. Subtittle: Radial velocities: The Wilson-Evans-Batten catalogue.
We give a common version of the two catalogues of Mean Radial Velocitiesby Wilson (1963) and Evans (1978) to which we have added the catalogueof spectroscopic binary systems (Batten et al. 1989). For each star,when possible, we give: 1) an acronym to enter SIMBAD (Set ofIdentifications Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data) ofthe CDS (Centre de Donnees Astronomiques de Strasbourg). 2) the numberHIC of the HIPPARCOS catalogue (Turon 1992). 3) the CCDM number(Catalogue des Composantes des etoiles Doubles et Multiples) byDommanget & Nys (1994). For the cluster stars, a precise study hasbeen done, on the identificator numbers. Numerous remarks point out theproblems we have had to deal with.
| Interstellar titanium in the galactic halo
We present observations of Ti II lambda 3384 absorption toward 15distant stars in the Galactic halo and the Magellanic Clouds. These newdata extend existing surveys of the distribution of Ti(+) to largerdistances from the plane of the Galaxy than sampled previously, allowingthe scale height of titaniumn to be determined for the first time. Wefind hTi(+ = 1.5 +/- 0.2 kpc, a value which although greaterthan those of other tracers of neutral gas, is not as large as had beensuspected. We interpret the extended distribution of Ti(+) as anindication that its severe depletion in interstellar clouds in the diskis reduced at the lower densities prevailing in the halo. The data areconsistent with a simple power-law dependence of the Ti abundance on theambient density, with exponent k approximately = -1. If the model iscorrect, it implies that refractory elements like Ti are fully returnedto the gas phase at distances beyond approximately 1 kpc from the planeof the Galaxy.
| The distribution of neutral hydrogen in the interstellar medium. 1: The data
We compile, from the existing literature, the largest sample to date(842 data points) of hydrogen column density measurements, N(H I), ofthe gas in the interstellar medium. We include only results obtainedfrom absorption measurements toward individual stars (594 in our sample)in an effort to construct a three-dimensional picture of theinterstellar gas. We derive hydrogen column densities toward a fractionof the stars in the sample from published column density measurements ofmetal ions. A three-dimensional physical model derived from this dataset will be presented in a companion paper. The observed stars spandistances from a few parsecs to a few thousand parsecs, and more thanhalf of the sample serves to describe the local interstellar mediumwithin a few hundred parsecs of the Sun. Hydrogen column densities rangefrom 1017 to 1022/sq cm. We describe here thevarious observational methods used to estimate the hydrogen columndensities and present the table with the stellar and hydrogen columndensity data. The provided table is intended as a global reference work,not to introduce new results.
| An IUE survey of interstellar H I LY alpha absorption. 1: Column densities
We measure Galactic interstellar neutral hydrogen column densities byanalyzing archival interstellar Ly alpha absorption line data toward 554B2 and hotter stars observed at high resolution with the IUE satellite.This study more than doubles the number of lines of sight with measuresof N(H I) based on Ly alpha. We have included the scattered lightbackground correction algorithm of Bianchi and Bohlin in our datareduction. We use the correlation between the Balmer discontinuity(c1) index and the stellar Ly alpha absorption in order toassess the effects of stellar Ly alpha contamination. Approximately 40%of the B stars with measured (c1) index, exhibit seriousstellar Ly alpha contamination. One table contains the derived values ofthe interstellar N(H I) for 393 stars with at most small amounts ofstellar contamination. Another lists the observed values of total N(H I)for 161 stars with suspected stellar Ly alpha contamination and/oruncertain stellar parameters.
| Optical studies of interstellar material in low density regions of the Galaxy. I - A survey of interstellar NA I and CA II absorption toward 57 distant stars
We present high-resolution spectra of the Na I D and Ca II K linestoward 57 late-O and early-B stars along extended (d greater than 1 kpc)low-density paths through the Milky Way disk and halo. The sight linespreferentially sample diffuse gas in the interstellar medium (ISM) alonginterarm, Galactic center, and high latitude directions. We measureequivalent widths, apparent column densities, and absorption componentstructure. The Ca II to Na I ratios presented as a function of velocityfor each sight line exhibit variations due to elemental depletion,ionization, and density enhancements. Absorption along high latitudesight lines is kinematically simpler than it is along interarm andGalactic center sight lines. Galactic rotation noticeably broadens theabsorption profiles of distant stars located in these latter directions.Along several sight lines, we see Ca II absorption at velocitiescorresponding to large distances (/z/ about 1 kpc) from the Galacticplane. The effects of differences in the Ca II and Na I scale heightsand nonzero velocity dispersions are readily apparent in the data. Briefnotes are given for several sight lines with interesting absorptionproperties.
| Uvby-beta observations of 528 type B stars with V between the 8th and 9th magnitude
The paper presents uvby-beta measurements of 528 type B stars selectedfrom the SAO Catalog on the basis of two criteria: the spectral types inthe range B3-B5 and mV between the 8th and the 9th magnitude. Reddeningindependent (c1) values are estimated from the spectral classificationand compared to the observed values. No systematic trend with observed(b-y), H-beta, or spectral type appears to be present, but the range of(c1) residuals is surprisingly large. A rather large part of the starshas small beta values, smaller than for the BIa supergiants. Only twoare classified as O stars and most of them have the suffix e, ne, ornne. Most beta values for the O type stars are slightly above the upperlimit of 2.585 m.
| The distribution of interstellar AL III away from the Galactic plane
IUE spectra are analyzed to study the density distribution ofinterstellar Al III away from the Galactic plane. In most cases, themeasured values of the relative line strengths are consistent with onlymodest levels of line saturation. Al III is found to have an exponentialscale height and 1 sigma errors of 1.02(+0.36, -0.24) kpc. For the sameset of 70 stars, the scale height and 1 sigma errors for H I are0.67(+0.21, -0.16) kpc. The Al III scale height is similar to the valueobtained for free electrons from pulsar dispersion measures. The ionizedgas traced by Al III is somewhat more extended than the neutral gastraced by H I but less extended than the very highly ionized gas tracedby Si IV, C IV, and N V.
| The density distribution of refractory elements away from the Galactic plane
The density distributions of the three refractory elements Ti II, Ca II,and Fe II away from the Galactic plane are compared with thedistribution of hydrogen and dust by examining plots of N s in b versusz. It is found that Ti II and Ca II are considerably more extended in zthan the H I and dust and that Fe II has an intermediate extension.Although the results are strongly influenced by sample bias, theindicated exponential scale heights for the data sample are h(Ti II) notless than 2 kpc, h(Ca II) = 1 kpc, h(Fe II) = 0.5 kpc, H(H I) = 0.3 kpc,and h(E/B-V) = 0.1 kpc. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that Ti II andCa II are much more smoothly distributed in space than the hydrogen ordust. The large scale heights for Ti II and Ca II and their smoothdistributions are most easily understood as the effect of a mixturealong the line of sight of two H I phases namely, a diffuse cloud phase,in which nearly all of the Ti and Ca are tied up in dust, and anintercloud medium, where refractory elements are less depleted. It isfound that Ti II and Ca II mostly trace the smoothly distributedintercloud medium. The smoothness of the distributions of Ti II and CaII makes them candidates for use as distance indicators.
| Highly ionized interstellar gas located in the Galactic disk and halo
High-resolution IUE absorption line spectra have been obtained for 40distant stars in order to study the distribution of interstellar H I, SiIV, C IV, and N V in the Galactic disk and lower halo. Respectivemidplane densities of 2 x 10 to the -9th, 7 x 10 to the -9th, and 3 x 10to the -9th are found for Si IV, C IV, and Ni V. Both column density andvelocity data indicate that the highly ionized gas (HIG) is considerablymore extended in directions away from the Galactic plane than is H I orSi II. The absorption-line velocities for the halo HIG are consistentwith the notion that halo gas in the inner Galaxy rotates more slowlythan gas in the underlying disk. The derived column densities suggest anexponential scale height for the HIG of about 3 kpc; however, a simpleexponential distribution is a poor representation of the distribution ofthe gas. It is concluded that a full explanation of the origin of thehalo HIG will probably require a blending of ideas from the Galacticfountain and the photoionized halo models.
| The case for diffuse, collisionally ionized interstellar C IV and SI IV below Z = 1 KPC
Highly ionized gas in the galactic disk and disc/halo interface regionwas studied using IUE observations of C IV and Si IV absorption in 19codirectional sight-lines to early-type stars. Evidence for a generallydistributed, collisionally ionized phase of this gas having a density inthe plane of 3 times 10 to the minus 9th power/cc and a scale height inthe range of 1 to 3 kpc is presented. It is shown that the use of arestricted range of sight-line directions in studies such as this mayreduce confusion resulting from inhomogeneities in the distribution ofthe highly ionized medium.
| A catalog of ultraviolet interstellar extinction excesses for 1415 stars
Ultraviolet interstellar extinction excesses are presented for 1415stars with spectral types B7 and earlier. The excesses with respect to Vare derived from Astronomical Netherlands Satellite (ANS) 5-channel UVphotometry at central wavelengths of approximately 1550, 1800, 2500, and3300 A. A measure of the excess extinction in the 2200-A extinction bumpis also given. The data are valuable for investigating the systematicsof peculiar interstellar extinction and for studying the character of UVinterstellar extinction in the general direction of stars for which theextinction-curve shape is unknown.
| Ultraviolet absorption by highly ionized halo gas near the Galactic center
Initial results are presented for a program to survey highly ionized gasin the Milky Way disk and halo. High-resolution IUE (InternationalUltraviolet Explorer) far-UV spectra were obtained for 12 stars atgalactocentric distances less than 6 kpc. The stars are 0.7-2.2 kpc awayfrom the plane. Most of the spectra contain exceedingly strong and broadinterstellar absorption lines of weakly and highly ionized atoms. Inaddition to the normally strong lines of Si IV and C IV, stronginterstellar NV lines have been detected in the spectra of eight stars.The detection of NV absorption (amounting to more than 10 times thepredicted NV) provides an important new constraint on models for theorigin of Galactic halo gas. A Galactic fountain operating in thepresence of known UV and EUV radiation might explain the observations.
| On the origin of intermediate-latitude OB stars
An attempt is made to trace the origin of early-type stars observed atappreciable distances from the galactic plane. Because uncertainties inthe proper motions make space motions and hence dynamical lifetimesrather inaccurate, a theory of oscillations normal to the plane has beenused to compute radial velocities for 138 intermediate-latitude OBstars. These theoretical values are then compared with the observedradial velocities, and it is found that the low-velocity stars wereprobably ejected from the plane some time after formation, while thehigh-velocity stars were ejected very soon after formation. Velocitiesof ejection perpendicular to the plane are computed and show a narrowdistribution with a mean absolute value of 7 km/s together with a spreadof velocities from about 40 to over 200 km/s. The data are in reasonableagreement with a 'sling' effect and 'runaway' origin for the stars inthe sample.
| O stars and supergiants south of declination -53 0.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1976AJ.....81..116H&db_key=AST
| H-beta photometry of southern early-type stars and galactic structure away from the plane
H-beta photoelectric photometry is reported for 165 early-type stars atintermediate and high galactic latitudes. The data are combined withearlier UBV and spectroscopic results to determine the stellar spacedistribution. Stars of type B2 and earlier, at distances of up to 1 kpcfrom the galactic plane, appear to follow spiral structure in the plane.The available material, particularly the derived color excesses, is usedto select a number of blue stars which may be subluminous.
| Photometry and spectral classification of early-type stars away from the galactic plane.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1970MNRAS.150...23H&db_key=AST
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Altar |
| Right ascension: | 17h31m07.13s |
| Declination: | -53°28'43.2" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.139 |
| Distance: | 1492.537 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -3.2 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -5 |
| B-T magnitude: | 8.124 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.138 |
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INHABITED SKY
