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Elemental Abundance Ratios in Stars of the Outer Galactic Disk. III. Cepheids
We present metallicities, [Fe/H], and elemental abundance ratios,[X/Fe], for a sample of 24 Cepheids in the outer Galactic disk based onhigh-resolution echelle spectra. The sample members have galactocentricdistances covering 12 kpc<=RGC<=17.2 kpc, making themthe most distant Galactic Cepheids upon which detailed abundanceanalyses have been performed. We find subsolar ratios of [Fe/H] andoverabundances of [α/Fe], [La/Fe], and [Eu/Fe] in the programstars. All abundance ratios exhibit a dispersion that exceeds themeasurement uncertainties. As seen in our previous studies of old openclusters and field giants, enhanced ratios of [α/Fe] and [Eu/Fe]reveal that recent star formation has taken place in the outer disk withType II supernovae preferentially contributing ejecta to theinterstellar medium and with Type Ia supernovae playing only a minorrole. The enhancements for La suggest that asymptotic giant branch starshave contributed to the chemical evolution of the outer Galactic disk.Some of the young Cepheids are more metal-poor than the older openclusters and field stars at comparable galactocentric distances. Thisdemonstrates that the outer disk is not the end result of the isolatedevolution of an ensemble of gas and stars. We showed previously that theolder open clusters and field stars reached a basement metallicity atabout 10-11 kpc. The younger Cepheids reach the same metallicity but atlarger galactocentric distances, roughly 14 kpc. This suggests that theGalactic disk has been growing with time, as predicted from numericalsimulations. The outer disk Cepheids appear to exhibit a bimodaldistribution for [Fe/H] and [α/Fe]. Most of the Cepheids continuethe trends with galactocentric distance exhibited by S. M. Andrievsky'slarger Cepheid sample, and we refer to these stars as the ``GalacticCepheids.'' A minority of the Cepheids show considerably lower [Fe/H]and higher [α/Fe], and we refer to these stars as the ``MergerCepheids.'' One signature of a merger event would be compositiondifferences between the Galactic and Merger Cepheids. The Cepheidssatisfy this requirement, and we speculate that the distinctcompositions suggest that the Merger Cepheids may have formed under theinfluence of significant merger or accretion events. The short lifetimesof the Cepheids reveal that the merger event may be ongoing, with theMonoceros Ring and Canis Major galaxy being possible merger candidates.This paper makes use of observations obtained at the National OpticalAstronomy Observatory, which is operated by the Association ofUniversities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under contract fromthe National Science Foundation. We also employ data products from theTwo Micron All Sky Survey, which is a joint project of the University ofMassachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center,California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration and the National Science Foundation.
| Rate of Period Change as a Diagnostic of Cepheid Properties
The rate of period change P˙ for a Cepheid is shown to be aparameter that is capable of indicating the instability-strip crossingmode for individual objects and, in conjunction with light amplitude,the likely location of the object within the instability strip. Theobserved rates of period change in over 200 Milky Way Cepheids aredemonstrated to be in general agreement with predictions from stellarevolutionary models, although the sample also displays features that areinconsistent with some published models and indicative of the importanceof additional factors not fully incorporated in models to date.
| Observations and Analyses of the Cepheid SZ Tauri
Baade-Wesselink and maximum likelihood methods have been used to analyzecoeval sets of photometric and spectroscopic observations and archivaloptical and infrared data of the Cepheid variable SZ Tauri. New periodicand epoch values have been determined that differ marginally fromprevious values. The light curves exhibit nearly sinusoidal variability.This presentation will demonstrate the new software developed and usedby JP to determine Baade-Wesselink and Balona radii. The authorsappreciate observing time at Mt. Laguna Observatory in 2004, and thankits director, P. Etzel. This work was supported in part by NSERC grantsto EFM
| Mean Angular Diameters and Angular Diameter Amplitudes of Bright Cepheids
We predict mean angular diameters and amplitudes of angular diametervariations for all monoperiodic PopulationI Cepheids brighter than=8.0 mag. The catalog is intended to aid selecting mostpromising Cepheid targets for future interferometric observations.
| Seven-Color Photometry of the Open Cluster NGC 1647 Area
The area of the open cluster NGC 1647 in Taurus is investigated by CCDphotometry in the Vilnius seven-color system. Magnitudes and colorindices are determined for 433 stars down to V = 15.0 mag in the 45arcmin diameter area. For 252 of them photometric spectral andluminosity classes, interstellar reddenings, extinctions and distancesare obtained. According to the CDS WEBDA database, 89 of them have ahigh cluster membership probability. Their mean distance from the Sunis 555±74 pc, excluding four stars which seem to be field stars.The main sequence starts at spectral class B7 V which corresponds to acluster age of about 150 million years. Cluster members show adifferential interstellar extinction ranging from 0.8 to 1.8 mag. Themean extinction of the cluster stars is 1.12±0.25 mag.Interstellar extinction in the area is dominated by the Taurus darkcloud complex at 160 pc. Color excesses of individual stars correlatewell with the 100 μm dust thermal emission intensity. The clustershape is investigated by counting stars down to K=15.6 mag and is foundto be elongated in the direction roughly perpendicular to the Milky Way,with the flattening 0.4.
| The secret lives of Cepheids: evolutionary changes as found from historic and modern observations.
Not Available
| On the crossing mode of the long-period Cepheid SV Vulpeculae
The Cepheid SV Vul is demonstrated to be in the second crossing of theinstability strip on the basis of its well-defined period decrease of-214.3 ± 5.5 s yr-1. Recent arguments from itsatmospheric abundance pattern that it is in the first crossing are notsupported by the historical photometric data. Furthermore, anexamination of atmospheric abundance patterns for other Cepheids inadvanced strip crossing modes suggests that the presence ofCNO-processed material in the atmospheres of intermediate-mass starsdoes not arise from red supergiant dredge-up phases but from meridionalmixing during previous evolution as rapidly-rotating main-sequenceB-type stars.
| Improvement of the CORS method for Cepheids radii determination based on Strömgren photometry
In this paper we present a modified version of the CORS method based ona new calibration of the Surface Brightness function in theStrömgren photometric system. The method has been tested by meansof synthetic light and radial velocity curves derived from nonlinearpulsation models. Detailed simulations have been performed to take intoaccount the quality of real observed curves as well as possible shiftsbetween photometric and radial velocity data. The method has been thenapplied to a sample of Galactic Cepheids with Strömgren photometryand radial velocity data to derive the radii and a new PR relation. As aresult we find log R = (1.19 ± 0.09) + (0.74 ± 0.11) logP (rms = 0.07). The comparison between our result and previous estimatesin the literature is satisfactory. Better results are expected from theadoption of improved model atmosphere grids.
| The metallicity dependence of the Cepheid PL-relation
A sample of 37 Galactic, 10 LMC and 6 SMC cepheids is compiled for whichindividual metallicity estimates exist and BVIK photometry in almost allcases. The Galactic cepheids all have an individual distance estimateavailable. For the MC objects different sources of photometry arecombined to obtain improved periods and mean magnitudes. Amulti-parameter Period-Luminosity relation is fitted to the data whichalso solves for the distance to the LMC and SMC. When all three galaxiesare considered, without metallicity effect, a significant quadratic termin log P is found, as previously observed and also predicted in sometheoretical calculations. For the present sample it is empiricallydetermined that for log P < 1.65 linear PL-relations may be adopted,but this restricts the sample to only 4 LMC and 1 SMC cepheid.Considering the Galactic sample a metallicity effect is found in thezero point in the VIWK PL-relation (-0.6 ± 0.4 or -0.8 ±0.3 mag/dex depending on the in- or exclusion of one object), in thesense that metal-rich cepheids are brighter. The small significance ismostly due to the fact that the Galactic sample spans a narrowmetallicity range. The error is to a significant part due to the errorin the metallicity determinations and not to the error in the fit.Including the 5 MC cepheids broadens the observed metallicity range anda metallity effect of about -0.27 ± 0.08 mag/dex in the zeropoint is found in VIWK, in agreement with some previous empiricalestimates, but now derived using direct metallicity determinations forthe cepheids themselves.
| Period-luminosity relations for Galactic Cepheid variables with independent distance measurements
In this paper, we derive the period-luminosity (PL) relation forGalactic Cepheids with recent independent distance measurements fromopen cluster, Barnes-Evans surface brightness, interferometry and HubbleSpace Telescope astrometry techniques. Our PL relation confirms theresults from recent works, which showed that the Galactic Cepheidsfollow a different PL relation to their Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)counterparts. Our results also show that the slope of the Galactic PLrelation is inconsistent with the LMC slope with more than 95 per centconfidence level. We apply this Galactic PL relation to find thedistance to NGC 4258. Our result of μo= 29.49 +/- 0.06 mag(random error) agrees at the ~1.4σ level with the geometricaldistance of μgeo= 29.28 +/- 0.15 mag from water masermeasurements.
| Classification of Spectra from the Infrared Space Observatory PHT-S Database
We have classified over 1500 infrared spectra obtained with the PHT-Sspectrometer aboard the Infrared Space Observatory according to thesystem developed for the Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) spectra byKraemer et al. The majority of these spectra contribute to subclassesthat are either underrepresented in the SWS spectral database or containsources that are too faint, such as M dwarfs, to have been observed byeither the SWS or the Infrared Astronomical Satellite Low ResolutionSpectrometer. There is strong overall agreement about the chemistry ofobjects observed with both instruments. Discrepancies can usually betraced to the different wavelength ranges and sensitivities of theinstruments. Finally, a large subset of the observations (~=250 spectra)exhibit a featureless, red continuum that is consistent with emissionfrom zodiacal dust and suggest directions for further analysis of thisserendipitous measurement of the zodiacal background.Based on observations with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), aEuropean Space Agency (ESA) project with instruments funded by ESAMember States (especially the Principle Investigator countries: France,Germany, Netherlands, and United Kingdom) and with the participation ofthe Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
| Sodium enrichment of the stellar atmospheres. II. Galactic Cepheids
The present paper is a continuation of our study of the sodium abundancein supergiant atmospheres (Andrievsky et al. 2002a). We present theresults on the NLTE abundance determination in Cepheids, and the derivedrelation between the sodium overabundance and their masses.
| The Spectra of Type II Cepheids. II. The Hα Line in Intermediate-Period Stars
We present 98 Hα profiles for 21 pulsating variable stars withperiods from 3 to 8 days. The strength, depth, and shape of Hαvary throughout the cycles of the stars in a way consistent with thetemperature changes. Otherwise, they are quite uniform among all thestars, with a single exception. In FM Del, Hα is weaker and has asmaller central depth than in the other stars. This and the wavelengthshifts of the core are attributed to incipient emission. Thedifferential velocity of Hα relative to the metal lines is lessthan 25 km s-1 for all the stars except QY Cyg, FM Del, andEF Tau. We suggest that this indicates that only these stars are type IICepheids despite the large distances of some of the others from theGalactic plane.Based in part on observations obtained with the Apache Point Observatory3.5 m telescope, which is owned and operated by the AstrophysicalResearch Consortium.
| A Bayesian Analysis of the Cepheid Distance Scale
We develop and describe a Bayesian statistical analysis to solve thesurface brightness equations for Cepheid distances and stellarproperties. Our analysis provides a mathematically rigorous andobjective solution to the problem, including immunity from Lutz-Kelkerbias. We discuss the choice of priors, show the construction of thelikelihood distribution, and give sampling algorithms in a Markov chainMonte Carlo approach for efficiently and completely sampling theposterior probability distribution. Our analysis averages over theprobabilities associated with several models rather than attempting topick the ``best model'' from several possible models. Using a sample of13 Cepheids we demonstrate the method. We discuss diagnostics of theanalysis and the effects of the astrophysical choices going into themodel. We show that we can objectively model the order of Fourierpolynomial fits to the light and velocity data. By comparison withtheoretical models of Bono et al. we find that EU Tau and SZ Tau areovertone pulsators, most likely without convective overshoot. Theperiod-radius and period-luminosity relations we obtain are shown to becompatible with those in the recent literature. Specifically, we findlog()=(0.693+/-0.037)[log(P)-1.2]+(2.042+/-0.047) andv>=-(2.690+/-0.169)[log(P)-1.2]-(4.699+/-0.216).
| New Period-Luminosity and Period-Color relations of classical Cepheids: I. Cepheids in the Galaxy
321 Galactic fundamental-mode Cepheids with good B, V, and (in mostcases) I photometry by Berdnikov et al. (\cite{Berdnikov:etal:00}) andwith homogenized color excesses E(B-V) based on Fernie et al.(\cite{Fernie:etal:95}) are used to determine their period-color (P-C)relation in the range 0.4~ 1.4). The latter effect is enhanced by asuggestive break of the P-L relation of LMC and SMC at log P = 1.0towards still shallower values as shown in a forthcoming paper.Table 1 is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/404/423
| The Distance Scale for Classical Cepheid Variables
New radii, derived from a modified version of the Baade-Wesselink (BW)method that is tied to published KHG narrowband spectrophotometry, arepresented for 13 bright Cepheids. The data yield a best-fittingperiod-radius relation given bylog=1.071(+/-0.025)+0.747(+/-0.028)logP0. In combination with other high-quality radiusestimates recently published by Laney & Stobie, the new data yield aperiod-radius relation described bylog=1.064(+/-0.0006)+0.750(+/-0.006)logP0, which simplifies to ~P3/4.The relationship is used to test the scale of Cepheid luminositiesinferred from cluster zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) fitting, for whichwe present an updated list of calibrating Cepheids located in stellargroups. The cluster ZAMS-fitting distance scale tied to a Pleiadesdistance modulus of 5.56 is found to agree closely with the distancescale defined by Hipparcos parallaxes of cluster Cepheids and alsoyields Cepheid luminosities that are a good match to those inferred fromthe period-radius relation. The mean difference between absolute visualmagnitudes based on cluster ZAMS fitting,C, and those inferred for 23 clusterCepheids from radius and effective temperature estimates,BW, in the sense of C-BW is+0.019+/-0.029 s.e. There is no evidence to indicate the need for amajor revision to the Cepheid cluster distance scale. The absolutemagnitude differences are examined using available [Fe/H] data for thecluster Cepheid sample to test the metallicity dependence of theperiod-luminosity relation. Large scatter and a small range ofmetallicities hinder a reliable estimate of the exact relationship,although the data are fairly consistent with predictions from stellarevolutionary models. The derived dependence isΔMV(C-BW)=+0.06(+/-0.03)-0.43(+/-0.54)[ Fe/H].
| On the Absolute Calibration of the Cepheid Distance Scale Using Hipparcos Parallaxes
The fundamental Hipparcos parallaxes (HIPP) of 219 Cepheids are used forthe absolute calibration of the Galactic distance scale sampled by amodern Baade-Wesselink (BW) distance indicator, which reliably accountsfor pulsation and thermal properties of Cepheid variable stars. Notablywe map thermal properties into the Johnson-Cousins color (V-I). The BWrealization is found to be much less affected than previously adoptedoptical luminosity laws by intrinsic scatter and systematic errors inrepresenting individual Cepheid distances and thus is best suited for acalibration of the galactic distance scale using the fundamentalHipparcos parallaxes (HIPP). Comparisons between the actual Hipparcoscalibration and three independent ground-based calibrations of the sameBW distance scale show very close agreement at the 0.04 mag level, i.e.,at the 1 σ level of the absolute accuracy claimed for BWrealizations, although the Hipparcos calibration is affected by anuncertainty of +/-0.10 mag due to propagation of parallax errors alone.Comparisons include the zero-age main-sequence calibration by Cepheidsin clusters (Pleiades distance modulus at 5.57 mag), the calibration bypulsation parallaxes of Cepheids, and the calibration by updated modelcalculations of synthetic stellar spectra of Cepheids. Notably, theresulting galactic distance scale is found to be ~0.1 mag shorter thanthe value obtained in the original calibration of Feast & Catchpole.The implications of the actual calibration on the Cepheid-based distanceto the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the extragalactic distance scaleare briefly discussed. A true distance modulus of 18.59+/-0.04 mag ispresently achieved. Evidence from Hipparcos-based calibrations bydifferent methods strongly supports the actual upward revision of0.09+/-0.04 mag for the LMC distance of 18.50 mag adopted in the HubbleSpace Telescope Key Project program, corresponding to no more than a 5%decrease in the value of the Hubble constant.
| Fundamental Parameters of Cepheids. V. Additional Photometry and Radial Velocity Data for Southern Cepheids
I present photometric and radial velocity data for Galactic Cepheids,most of them being in the southern hemisphere. There are 1250 Genevaseven-color photometric measurements for 62 Cepheids, the averageuncertainty per measurement is better than 0.01 mag. A total of 832velocity measurements have been obtained with the CORAVEL radialvelocity spectrograph for 46 Cepheids. The average accuracy of theradial velocity data is 0.38 km s-1. There are 33 stars withboth photometry and radial velocity data. I discuss the possiblebinarity or period change that these new data reveal. I also presentreddenings for all Cepheids with photometry. The data are availableelectronically. Based on observations obtained at the European SouthernObservatory, La Silla.
| Polaris: Amplitude, Period Change, and Companions
Polaris has presented us with the rare phenomenon of a Cepheid with apulsation amplitude that has decreased over the last 50 yr. In thisstudy we have used this property to see whether the amplitude decreaseduring the last 15 yr has had any effect on upper atmosphere heating. Weobtained IUE high- and low-resolution spectra but found no change ineither the Mg II chromospheric emission or the flux at 1800 Åbetween 1978 and 1993 when the pulsation amplitude dropped by 50% (from2.8 to 1.6 km s-1). The energy distribution from 1700 Åthrough V, B, R(KC), and I(KC) is like that of a nonvariable supergiantof the same color rather than a full amplitude Cepheid in that it hasmore flux at 1800 Å than the full amplitude Cepheid δ Cep.Polaris also has a rapidly changing period (3.2 s yr-1), incommon with other overtone pulsators. We argue that this is a naturalconsequence of the different envelope locations that dominate pulsationgrowth rates in fundamental and overtone pulsation. In fundamental modepulsators, the deeper envelope is more important in determining growthrates than for overtone pulsators. For fundamental mode pulsators,evolutionary changes in the radius produce approximately linear changesin period. In overtone pulsators, pulsation reacts to small evolutionarychanges in a more unstable way because the modes are more sensitive tohigh envelope features such as opacity bumps, and the growth rates forthe many closely spaced overtone modes change easily. Finally, the upperlimit to the X-ray flux from an Einstein observation implies that thecompanion in the astrometric orbit is earlier than F4 V. The combinationof upper and lower limits on the companion from IUE and Einsteinrespectively catch the companion mass between 1.7 and 1.4Msolar. The X-ray limit is consistent with the more distantcompanion α UMi B being a physical companion in a hierarchaltriple system. However the X-ray limits require that the even moredistant companions α UMi C and D are too old to be physicallyassociated with Polaris.
| Calibration of the distance scale from galactic Cepheids. I. Calibration based on the GFG sample
New estimates of the distances of 36 nearby galaxies are presented basedon accurate distances of galactic Cepheids obtained by Gieren et al.(1998) from the geometrical Barnes-Evans method. The concept of``sosie'' is applied to extend the distance determination toextragalactic Cepheids without assuming the linearity of the PLrelation. Doing so, the distance moduli are obtained in astraightforward way. The correction for extinction is made using twophotometric bands (V and I) according to the principles introduced byFreedman & Madore (1990). Finally, the statistical bias due to theincompleteness of the sample is corrected according to the preceptsintroduced by Teerikorpi (1987) without introducing any free parameters(except the distance modulus itself in an iterative scheme). The finaldistance moduli depend on the adopted extinction ratioRV/RI and on the limiting apparent magnitude ofthe sample. A comparison with the distance moduli recently published bythe Hubble Space Telescope Key Project (HSTKP) team reveals a fairagreement when the same ratio RV/RI is used butshows a small discrepancy at large distance. In order to bypass theuncertainty due to the metallicity effect it is suggested to consideronly galaxies having nearly the same metallicity as the calibratingCepheids (i.e. Solar metallicity). The internal uncertainty of thedistances is about 0.1 mag but the total uncertainty may reach 0.3 mag.The table of the Appendix and Table 3 are available in electronic format 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/383/398, and on ouranonymous ftp-server www-obs.univ-lyon1.fr (pub/base/CEPHEIDES.tar.gz).
| Using Cepheids to determine the galactic abundance gradient. I. The solar neighbourhood
A number of studies of abundance gradients in the galactic disk havebeen performed in recent years. The results obtained are ratherdisparate: from no detectable gradient to a rather significant slope ofabout -0.1 dex kpc-1. The present study concerns theabundance gradient based on the spectroscopic analysis of a sample ofclassical Cepheids. These stars enable one to obtain reliable abundancesof a variety of chemical elements. Additionally, they have welldetermined distances which allow an accurate determination of abundancedistributions in the galactic disc. Using 236 high resolution spectra of77 galactic Cepheids, the radial elemental distribution in the galacticdisc between galactocentric distances in the range 6-11 kpc has beeninvestigated. Gradients for 25 chemical elements (from carbon togadolinium) are derived. The following results were obtained in thisstudy. Almost all investigated elements show rather flat abundancedistributions in the middle part of galactic disc. Typical values foriron-group elements lie within an interval from ~-0.02 to ~-0.04 dexkpc-1 (in particular, for iron we obtainedd[Fe/H]/dRG =-0.029 dex kpc-1). Similar gradientswere also obtained for O, Mg, Al, Si, and Ca. For sulphur we have founda steeper gradient (-0.05 dex kpc-1). For elements from Zr toGd we obtained (within the error bars) a near to zero gradient value.This result is reported for the first time. Those elements whoseabundance is not expected to be altered during the early stellarevolution (e.g. the iron-group elements) show at the solargalactocentric distance [El/H] values which are essentially solar.Therefore, there is no apparent reason to consider our Sun as ametal-rich star. The gradient values obtained in the present studyindicate that the radial abundance distribution within 6-11 kpc is quitehomogeneous, and this result favors a galactic model including a barstructure which may induce radial flows in the disc, and thus may beresponsible for abundance homogenization. Based on spectra collected atMcDonald - USA, SAORAS - Russia, KPNO - USA, CTIO - Chile, MSO -Australia, OHP - France. Full Table 1 is only available in electronicform at http://www.edpsciences.org Table A1 (Appendix) is only, andTable 2 also, available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftpto cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/381/32
| Improving the Mass Determination of Galactic Cepheids
We have selected a sample of Galactic Cepheids for which accurateestimates of radii, distances, and photometric parameters are available.The comparison between their pulsation masses, based on newperiod-mass-radius (PMR) relations, and their evolutionary masses, basedon both optical and NIR color-magnitude (CM) diagrams, suggests thatpulsation masses are on average of the order of 10% smaller than theevolutionary masses. Current pulsation masses show, at fixed radius, astrongly reduced dispersion when compared with values published in theliterature. The increased precision in the pulsation masses is due tothe fact that our predicted PMR relations based on nonlinear, convectiveCepheid models present smaller standard deviations than PMR relationsbased on linear models. At the same time, the empirical radii of ourCepheid sample are typically accurate at the 5% level. Our evolutionarymass determinations are based on stellar models constructed byneglecting the effect of mass loss during the He burning phase.Therefore, the difference between pulsation and evolutionary massescould be intrinsic and does not necessarily imply a problem with eitherevolutionary and/or nonlinear pulsation models. The marginal evidence ofa trend in the difference between evolutionary and pulsation masses whenmoving from short- to long-period Cepheids is also briefly discussed.The main finding of our investigation is that the long-standing Cepheidmass discrepancy seems now resolved at the 10% level either if weaccount for canonical or mild convective core overshooting evolutionarymodels.
| The Pulsation Mode of the Cluster Cepheid V1726 Cygni
CCD V-band observations and archival O-C estimates are presented for the4.237 day Cepheid V1726 Cyg, which is a member of the open clusterC2128+488 (Anon. Platais), and the data are analyzed in conjunction withother available photometric data in order to study the star's periodvariations. An O-C analysis of the data yields the following improvedephemeris for the variable,HJDmax=2,444,020.5892+4.2369334E+2.044×10-8E2, which implies that the period of V1726 Cyg isincreasing at a rate of +0.304+/-0.026 s yr-1, consistentwith a star in the third crossing of the instability strip provided thatit is pulsating in the first-overtone, rather than fundamental, mode.Overtone pulsation for V1726 Cyg is also indicated by its low amplitude,sinusoidal light curve, and derived Fourier parameters, despitereservations about the significance of the latter. No evidence is foundfor random cycle-to-cycle variations in period for V1726 Cyg.
| On the Pulsation Mode Identification of Short-Period Galactic Cepheids
We present new theoretical period-radius relations for first-overtoneGalactic Cepheids. Current predictions are based on several sequences ofnonlinear, convective pulsation models at solar chemical composition(Y=0.28, Z=0.02) and stellar masses ranging from 3.0 to 5.5Msolar. The comparison between predicted and empirical radiiof four short-period Galactic Cepheids suggests that QZ Normae and EVScuti are pulsating in the fundamental mode, whereas Polaris and SZTauri pulsate in the first overtone. This finding supports the modeidentifications that rely on the comparison between direct andperiod-luminosity-based distance determinations, but it is somewhat atvariance with the mode identification based on Fourier parameters. Infact, we find from our models that fundamental and first-overtonepulsators attain, for periods ranging from 2.7 to 4 days, quite similarφ21-values, making mode discrimination from thisparameter difficult. The present mode identifications for our sample ofCepheids are strengthened by the accuracy of their empirical radiusestimates as well as by the evidence that predicted fundamental andfirst-overtone radii do not show, within the current uncertainty on themass-luminosity relation, any degeneracy in the same period range.Accurate radius determinations are therefore an excellent tool tounambiguously determine the pulsation modes of short-period Cepheids.
| Spectroscopic investigations of classical Cepheids and main-sequence stars in galactic open clusters and associations. I. Association Cas OB2 and the small-amplitude Cepheid SU Cassiopeae
The small-amplitude Cepheid SU Cas and four membersof the association Cas OB2 (HD 16893, HD17327a and b, HD 17443) were investigated,using high-resolution CCD spectra. The following results were obtained:1) All these objects have the same metallicity values, close to that ofthe Sun; 2) Elemental abundance indicates that SU Cas is a post firstdredge-up star with an age from 1 108 to 1.45 108yr, and it is not crossing the Cepheid instability strip for the firsttime. The mean value of log g = 2.35 corresponds to pulsations in thefundamental tone, although errors in gravity estimations provideovertone pulsations. The questions about its pulsational mode andmembership in Cas OB2 remained open; 3) HD17327a is a slowly rotating HgMn-star with the highest heliumcontent among such objects, while HD 16893 also has a manganeseoverabundance and might be classified as an Am-star; 4) HD17327b and HD 17443 are rapidly rotating main-sequence stars,while HD 17443 has a helium content comparable with that of the Sun.
| Catalogue of Apparent Diameters and Absolute Radii of Stars (CADARS) - Third edition - Comments and statistics
The Catalogue, available at the Centre de Données Stellaires deStrasbourg, consists of 13 573 records concerning the results obtainedfrom different methods for 7778 stars, reported in the literature. Thefollowing data are listed for each star: identifications, apparentmagnitude, spectral type, apparent diameter in arcsec, absolute radiusin solar units, method of determination, reference, remarks. Commentsand statistics obtained from CADARS are given. The Catalogue isavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcar?J/A+A/367/521
| 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
| Dense Star Clusters as the Sources of Gamma-Ray-Burst Progenitors
Two independent sets of arguments lead us to conclude that theprogenitors of superintense bursts (with an energy yield larger thanthat for ordinary supernovae by one or two orders of magnitude) are bornin massive dense star clusters, but generally flare up only after theyhave left the cluster; these are the same objects that are theprogenitors of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Each of the giant stellar arcswhich are grouped into multiple systems of stellar complexes in the LMCand NGC6946 could only be produced by a single powerful energy releasenear its center. The progenitors of these systems of arc-shaped stellarcomplexes must have had a common source nearby, and it could only be amassive star cluster. Such clusters are actually known near bothsystems. On the other hand, calculations of the dynamical evolution ofstar clusters show that close binary systems of compact objects areformed in the dense central parts of the clusters and are then ejectedfrom them during triple encounters. Mergers of the components of suchsystems are believed to be responsible for GRBs. Since their progenitorsare ejected from the cluster before merging, the arc-shaped stellarcomplexes produced by GRBs are observed near (but not around) the parentclusters. If a considerable fraction of the GRB progenitors are formedas a result star encounters in massive star clusters, and if the GRBsthemselves trigger star formation near the parent clusters, thenobservations of GRBs in star-forming regions are consistent with theirorigin during mergers of pairs of compact objects.
| The intermediate-band approach to the surface-brightness method for Cepheid radii and distance determination
The surface-brightness parameter Fν is calibrated in termsof the Strömgren intermediate-band colour b-y. The relationFν-(b-y)o valid for Cepheids is calibratedusing accurate near-infrared radii and distances for selected Cepheids.We have obtained uvby photometry for non-Cepheid giant and supergiantstars with known angular diameters and compared the slope and zero-pointof their Fν-(b-y)o relation with the Cepheidcalibration. We found that the two calibrations are significantlydifferent. The theoretical models lie in between the two calibrations.It is remarked that Fν-colour relations derived fromnon-Cepheids and involving blue colours (e.g. B-V or b-y) are notapplicable to Cepheids, while those involving redder colours (e.g. V-R,V-K or V-J) also produce good radii for Cepheids. Selected Cepheids ascalibrators lead to the accurate relationFν=3.898(+/-0.003)-0.378(+/-0.006)(b-y)o, whichallowed the calculation of radii and distances for a sample of 59Galactic Cepheids. The uncertainties in the zero-point and slope of theabove relation are similar to those obtained from near-infrared colours,and determine the accuracies in radii and distance calculations. Whileinfrared light and colour curves for Cepheids may be superior inprecision, the intermediate-band b-y colour allows the recovery of meanradii with an accuracy comparable to those obtained from the infraredsolutions. The derived distances are consistent within the uncertaintieswith those predicted by a widely accepted period-luminosityrelationship. Likewise, the resulting period-radius relation from theintermediate-band approach is in better agreement with infrared versionsthan with optical versions of this law. It is highlighted that theintermediate-band calibration of the surface-brightness method in thiswork is of comparable accuracy to the near-infrared calibrations. Thepresent results stress the virtues of uvby in determining the physicalparameters of supergiant stars of intermediate temperature.
| Precise temperatures of classical Cepheids and yellow supergiants from line-depth ratios
The ratios of spectral line-depths are powerful indicators of theeffective temperature. Thirty-two functional formulas to estimate theeffective temperatures from line-depth ratios for Cepheids and F-Gsupergiants are offered. For high-quality spectra we find errors in thetemperature as small as 10-15 K. These calibrations are only littlesensitive to other stellar parameters and allow to derive highly preciseTeff for supergiants in the range 4700-6700 K.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Taureau |
| Right ascension: | 04h37m14.78s |
| Declination: | +18°32'34.9" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 6.504 |
| Distance: | 320.513 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -5.1 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -5.7 |
| B-T magnitude: | 7.5 |
| V-T magnitude: | 6.587 |
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INHABITED SKY
