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Local kinematics of K and M giants from CORAVEL/Hipparcos/Tycho-2 data. Revisiting the concept of superclusters
The availability of the Hipparcos Catalogue has triggered many kinematicand dynamical studies of the solar neighbourhood. Nevertheless, thosestudies generally lacked the third component of the space velocities,i.e., the radial velocities. This work presents the kinematic analysisof 5952 K and 739 M giants in the solar neighbourhood which includes forthe first time radial velocity data from a large survey performed withthe CORAVEL spectrovelocimeter. It also uses proper motions from theTycho-2 catalogue, which are expected to be more accurate than theHipparcos ones. An important by-product of this study is the observedfraction of only 5.7% of spectroscopic binaries among M giants ascompared to 13.7% for K giants. After excluding the binaries for whichno center-of-mass velocity could be estimated, 5311 K and 719 M giantsremain in the final sample. The UV-plane constructed from these datafor the stars with precise parallaxes (σπ/π≤20%) reveals a rich small-scale structure, with several clumpscorresponding to the Hercules stream, the Sirius moving group, and theHyades and Pleiades superclusters. A maximum-likelihood method, based ona Bayesian approach, has been applied to the data, in order to make fulluse of all the available stars (not only those with precise parallaxes)and to derive the kinematic properties of these subgroups. Isochrones inthe Hertzsprung-Russell diagram reveal a very wide range of ages forstars belonging to these groups. These groups are most probably relatedto the dynamical perturbation by transient spiral waves (as recentlymodelled by De Simone et al. \cite{Simone2004}) rather than to clusterremnants. A possible explanation for the presence of younggroup/clusters in the same area of the UV-plane is that they have beenput there by the spiral wave associated with their formation, while thekinematics of the older stars of our sample has also been disturbed bythe same wave. The emerging picture is thus one of dynamical streamspervading the solar neighbourhood and travelling in the Galaxy withsimilar space velocities. The term dynamical stream is more appropriatethan the traditional term supercluster since it involves stars ofdifferent ages, not born at the same place nor at the same time. Theposition of those streams in the UV-plane is responsible for the vertexdeviation of 16.2o ± 5.6o for the wholesample. Our study suggests that the vertex deviation for youngerpopulations could have the same dynamical origin. The underlyingvelocity ellipsoid, extracted by the maximum-likelihood method afterremoval of the streams, is not centered on the value commonly acceptedfor the radial antisolar motion: it is centered on < U > =-2.78±1.07 km s-1. However, the full data set(including the various streams) does yield the usual value for theradial solar motion, when properly accounting for the biases inherent tothis kind of analysis (namely, < U > = -10.25±0.15 kms-1). This discrepancy clearly raises the essential questionof how to derive the solar motion in the presence of dynamicalperturbations altering the kinematics of the solar neighbourhood: doesthere exist in the solar neighbourhood a subset of stars having no netradial motion which can be used as a reference against which to measurethe solar motion?Based on observations performed at the Swiss 1m-telescope at OHP,France, and on data from the ESA Hipparcos astrometry satellite.Full Table \ref{taba1} is 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/430/165}
| Photometric Variability in a Sample of 187 G and K Giants
We have used three automatic photoelectric telescopes to obtainphotometric observations of 187 G, K, and (a few) M0 field giants. Wefind low-amplitude photometric variability on timescales of days toweeks on both sides of the coronal dividing line (CDL) in a total of 81or 43% of the 187 giants. About one-third of the variables haveamplitudes greater than 0.01 mag in V. In our sample the percentage ofvariable giants is a minimum for late-G spectral classes and increasesfor earlier and later classes; all K5 and M0 giants are variable. Wealso obtained high-resolution, red wavelength spectroscopic observationsof 147 of the giants, which we used to determine spectralclassifications, vsini values, and radial velocities. We acquiredadditional high-resolution, blue wavelength spectra of 48 of the giants,which we used to determine chromospheric emission fluxes. We analyzedthe photometric and spectroscopic observations to identify the cause(s)of photometric variability in our sample of giants. We show that thelight variations in the vast majority of G and K giant variables cannotbe due to rotation. For giants on the cool side of the CDL, we find thatthe variability mechanism is radial pulsation. Thus, the variabilitymechanism operating in M giants extends into the K giants up to aboutspectral class K2. On the hot side of the CDL, the variability mechanismis most likely nonradial, g-mode pulsation.
| Properties of Sun-like Stars with Planets: 51 Pegasi, 47 Ursae Majoris, 70 Virginis, and HD 114762
Radial velocity variations have revealed planets orbiting 51 Peg, 47UMa, and 70 Vir, and a low-mass companion orbiting HD 114762. We analyzeparallel records of photometric measurements in Stromgren b and y andJohnson V, R, and I passbands and Ca II H and K fluxes in those stars.In the case of 51 Peg, the high precision of the differentialphotometric measurements made by the 0.75 m Automatic PhotoelectricTelescope and the nonvariability of the star would allow the detectionof a transit of a planet as small as Earth (corresponding to anamplitude of 0.0001 mag) if its orbit were nearly coplanar with our lineof sight. No transits were observed. For 51 Peg and 70 Vir, the upperlimit of nondetection of photometric variability at their companion'sorbital periods is Delta (b + y)/2 < 0.0002 +/- 0.0002 mag. For HD114762, it is Delta V < 0.0007 +/- 0.0004 mag. Such small amplitudesof photometric variability seem to eliminate periodic velocityvariations expected from p-mode oscillations. All four stars aremagnetically quiet; that is, they lack the typical Ca II and photometricvariability due to rotation and activity cycles expected from surfacemagnetic activity in solar-type stars. Such quiescence produces aninteresting observational bias that favors the detection of planets fromlow-amplitude radial velocity or photometric variations by minimizingthe contribution from intrinsic stellar variability. We discuss thecircumstances for which the probability of planet detections is improvedby the reduced level of variability from surface magnetic activity in Gand K stars. Stars with low variability in surface activity should bethe best candidates for planet searches using radial velocity andphotometric techniques. Searches for planets around younger, more activestars will be impeded by variations in velocity or brightness caused bytime-varying surface features. The Ca II H and K fluxes indicate thatall four stars are older than 5 Gyr. Ages were estimated from theaverage levels of Ca II H and K fluxes and an existing relationship ofthe decrease of Ca II fluxes with age on the lower main sequence andwere drawn from previous results based on theoretical isochrone fitting.Values of the projected rotational velocity, v sin i, are determined for70 Vir and 47 UMa from high-resolution spectra.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Ursa Major |
| Right ascension: | 10h52m42.50s |
| Declination: | +40°10'16.2" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 7.171 |
| Distance: | 125.156 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -78.4 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -51.8 |
| B-T magnitude: | 8.551 |
| V-T magnitude: | 7.285 |
Catalogs and designations:
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INHABITED SKY
