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Spectroscopic analyses of six suspected chemically peculiar stars
The abundance pattern of six stars classified as suspected chemicallypeculiar in the General Catalogue of Ap and Am stars by Renson has beenderived to ascertain the real nature of these objects. Spectroscopicobservations in the range λλ4800-5600 Å have beencarried out at the stellar station of the INAF - Catania AstrophysicalObservatory.Among the studied stars, for only three of them we confirmed theirpeculiarity, HD155102 being a silicon star, HD159082 a mercury-manganesestar and HD162132 a moderate metallic A-type star.The other three objects have chemical abundances not so different fromthe standard values derived in the literature for A-type stars and,furthermore, they do not show light variability. Hence, we suggest thatthey could be ruled out from Renson's catalogue.
| CNO in evolved intermediate mass stars
In order to investigate the possible influence of rotation on theefficiency of the first dredge-up we determined atmospheric parameters,masses, and abundances of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in a sample ofevolved intermediate mass stars. We used high resolution spectra andconducted a model atmosphere analysis. The abundances were calculatedthrough spectral synthesis and compared to the predictions of rotatingand non-rotating evolutionary models. Almost all those objects in oursample where carbon and nitrogen abundances could be determined showsigns of internal mixing. The stars, however, seem to be mixed todifferent extents. Among the mixed stars we identify five in our samplewith abundances in agreement with the non-rotating models, four starsthat seem to be mixed beyond that, and one star that seems to beslightly less mixed than predicted for the first dredge-up. There arealso five stars that seem to be slightly more mixed than expected, buttheir abundances are in marginal agreement with both rotating andnon-rotating models. Such differences in the extent of the mixing arenot predicted by the standard models and imply the action of othermixing mechanisms than solely the convective dredge-up. We alsoidentified for the first time an important correlation between the [N/C]ratio and the stellar mass.
| Chandra Observations of Coronal Emission from the Early G Supergiants α and β Aquarii
We report Chandra detections of coronal X-rays from the early Gsupergiants α Aquarii (HD 209750: G2 Ib) and β Aquarii (HD204867: G0 Ib). Previous ROSAT observations of these archetypical``hybrid chromosphere'' stars were inconclusive, in the case of αAqr owing to a 38' mispointing, and for β Aqr because of a smallpositional discrepancy of the apparent source. The Chandra HighResolution Camera (HRC-I), with its superior spatial resolution andsensitivity, has obtained a positive detection of α Aqr andrecovered faint emission at the location of β Aqr, now wellseparated from the stronger source to the southeast that dominated theearlier ROSAT image. The coronal LX/LC IV luminosity ratiosof both supergiants are extremely depressed relative to early Gmain-sequence stars, continuing the ``X-ray deficiency syndrome''originally identified in late F/early G luminosity class III giants ofthe Hertzsprung gap.
| X-Rays from Hybrid Stars
The late-type giants and supergiants of the ``hybrid chromosphere''class display signatures of cool (T<~2×104 K) windstogether with hot emission lines from species like C IV(T~105 K). A survey of such stars by Reimers et al. usingROSAT reported numerous X-ray detections (T~106 K),strengthening the (then heretical) idea that hot coronae and cool windscan coexist in luminous giants. However, several of the candidatesources were offset from the predicted stellar coordinates, calling intoquestion the identifications. In an effort to secure better knowledge ofthe X-ray luminosities of the hybrids, the ROSAT fields from the Reimerset al. survey were reexamined, exploiting the USNO-A2.0 astrometriccatalog to register the pointings to a few arcseconds accuracy. On thebasis of positional mismatches, at least two of the previously reporteddetections of key hybrid stars-γ Dra (K5 III) and β Aqr (G0Ib)-must be rejected. The new X-ray upper limits for these stars,combined with the remaining candidate detections (and nondetections)from the original survey, place the hybrids into the same ``X-raydeficient'' category as the ``noncoronal'' red giants like Arcturus(α Boo: K1.5 III) and Aldebaran (α Tau: K5 III). A few ofthe hybrid X-ray sources are exceptional, however. The archetype αTrA (K2 II-III), in particular, is securely detected in terms ofpositional coincidence, but its anomalous, contradictory coronalproperties suggest that an unseen companion-a young hyperactive Gdwarf-might dominate the X-ray emission.
| Magnetic field measurements on four yellow supergiants. I
Multiyear high precision measurements of the longitudinal component ofthe magnetic field (Be) of four supergiants are reported: Aqr (G0 Ib),Aqr (G2 Ib), Gem (G8 Ib), and Peg (K2 Ib). The best measurementaccuracy, =0.8 G, was achieved for Peg. A Monte Carlo method was used totest the reliability of the derived measurement errors. The differencesbetween the observational errors and the calculated Monte Carlo errorswere 3.2%. For Aqr and Aqr no statistically significant value of themagnetic field was recorded when averaged over a night. For eGem thefollowing overnight average values of the magnetic field were recordedon five nights: 11.1±2.7 G, 9.8±2.5 G, -10.5±3.0 G,38.1±7.4 G, and 5.3±1.5 G. For Peg the magnetic fieldrecorded over two nights was -5.3±0.9 G and - 2.7±0.8 G.
| First results from the ESO VLTI calibrators program
The ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) is one of the leadinginterferometric facilities. It is equipped with several 8.2 and 1.8 mtelescopes, a large number of baselines up to 200 m, and with severalsubsystems designed to enable high quality measurements and to improvesignificantly the limits of sensitivities currently available tolong-baseline interferometry. The full scientific potential of the VLTIcan be exploited only if a consistent set of good quality calibrators isavailable. For this, a large number of observations of potentialcalibrators have been obtained during the commissioning phase of theVLTI. These data are publicly available. We briefly describe theinterferometer, the VINCI instrument used for the observations, the dataflow from acquisition to processed results, and we present and commenton the volume of observations gathered and scrutinized. The result is alist of 191 calibrator candidates, for which a total of 12 066observations can be deemed of satisfactory quality. We present a generalstatistical analysis of this sample, using as a starting point theangular diameters previously available in the literature. We derive thegeneral characteristics of the VLTI transfer function, and its trendwith time in the period 2001 through mid-2004. A second paper will bedevoted to a detailed investigation of a selected sample, aimed atestablishing a VLTI-based homogeneous system of calibrators.
| Identification of a complete sample of northern ROSAT All-Sky Survey X-ray sources. VIII. The late-type stellar component
We present results of an investigation of the X-ray properties, agedistribution, and kinematical characteristics of a high-galacticlatitude sample of late-type field stars selected from the ROSAT All-SkySurvey (RASS). The sample comprises 254 RASS sources with opticalcounterparts of spectral types F to M distributed over six study areaslocated at |b| 20 °, and Dec ≥ -9 °. A detailed studywas carried out for the subsample of ~200 G, K, and M stars. Lithiumabundances were determined for 179 G-M stars. Radial velocities weremeasured for most of the 141 G and K type stars of the sample. Combinedwith proper motions these data were used to study the age distributionand the kinematical properties of the sample. Based on the lithiumabundances half of the G-K stars were found to be younger than theHyades (660 Myr). About 25% are comparable in age to the Pleiades (100Myr). A small subsample of 10 stars is younger than the Pleiades. Theyare therefore most likely pre-main sequence stars. Kinematically the PMSand Pleiades-type stars appear to form a group with space velocitiesclose to the Castor moving group but clearly distinct from the LocalAssociation.Based on observations collected at the German-Spanish AstronomicalCentre, Calar Alto, operated by the Max-Planck-Institut fürAstronomie, Heidelberg, jointly with the Spanish National Commission forAstronomy, and at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile.Tables A2-A4 are only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| The orbits of southern binary Cepheids
High-resolution spectroscopic observations have been made of a number ofsouthern Cepheids. The stars studied were part of a long-term programmeto observe southern variable stars and to complete a data base of radialvelocities over a long time interval. The radial velocities have aprecision of ~300 m s-1, allowing the detection of velocitydifferences of ~1 km s-1 with confidence. Our new dataprovide a consistent set of data against which other sources of data canbe compared.Masses were determined for two systems, the 9-d Cepheid S Mus (6.2 +/-0.2 Msolar) and the 5-d Cepheid V350 Sgr (6.0 +/- 0.9Msolar). For another seven Cepheids (Y Car, YZ Car, AX Cir,BP Cir, V636 Sco, W Sgr and T Mon), new or improved orbital solutionswere found.New results presented here include the first orbital solution for AXCir, a completely revised orbital solution for YZ Car, which establishedits eccentricity and orbital motion, and a new pulsation period (2.39819 d) for BP Cir. The pulsational mass determinations provide furtherconfirmation of the convergence of mass determinations between dynamicaland evolutionary methods.
| Determination of fundamental characteristics for stars of the F, G, and K spectral types. The surface gravities and metallicity parameters.
Not Available
| The Indo-US Library of Coudé Feed Stellar Spectra
We have obtained spectra for 1273 stars using the 0.9 m coudéfeed telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. This telescope feedsthe coudé spectrograph of the 2.1 m telescope. The spectra havebeen obtained with the no. 5 camera of the coudé spectrograph anda Loral 3K×1K CCD. Two gratings have been used to provide spectralcoverage from 3460 to 9464 Å, at a resolution of ~1 Å FWHMand at an original dispersion of 0.44 Å pixel-1. For885 stars we have complete spectra over the entire 3460 to 9464 Åwavelength region (neglecting small gaps of less than 50 Å), andpartial spectral coverage for the remaining stars. The 1273 stars havebeen selected to provide broad coverage of the atmospheric parametersTeff, logg, and [Fe/H], as well as spectral type. The goal ofthe project is to provide a comprehensive library of stellar spectra foruse in the automated classification of stellar and galaxy spectra and ingalaxy population synthesis. In this paper we discuss thecharacteristics of the spectral library, viz., details of theobservations, data reduction procedures, and selection of stars. We alsopresent a few illustrations of the quality and information available inthe spectra. The first version of the complete spectral library is nowpublicly available from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory(NOAO) via ftp and http.
| Radiative Transfer Modeling of Warm Transition Region Winds in F- and G-type Supergiants
We present FUSE spectra of upper transition region emission lines of OVI in the dynamic atmosphere of the short-period classic Cepheid BetaDor (F-G Ia). The far-UV O VI 1032 & 1037 Å lines indicate aheating mechanism in the outer atmospheres of strongly pulsating F- andG-type supergiants sustaining hot plasmas at kinetic gas temperaturesbetween 100 kK and 300 kK. Our observation of prominent upper transitionregion emission lines in Beta Dor contrasts with the very low X-rayluminosities of Cepheid variables that signal only weak coronal plasmas.On the other hand, FUSE and HST-STIS observations of the non-variableyellow (hybrid) supergiants Alpha Aqr (G2 Ib) and Beta Aqr (G0 Ib),having large X-ray fluxes, reveal supersonic warm wind velocities of 140km/s and 90 km/s, respectively, in lower transition region emissionlines of C III 977 Å and Si III 1206 Å. Our semi-empiricradiative transfer models show that these optically thick winds occur atkinetic gas temperatures well above 70 kK, much larger than assumed forthe chromospheres of cool supergiants. Remarkably, these emission linesreveal peculiar shapes reminiscent of P-Cygni type line profilesobserved in UV spectra of hot supergiants. Both hybrid supergiants lackthe strongly oscillating photospheres of Cepheids, suggesting that theirtransition region wind acceleration and heating do not result from apure mechanical driving mechanism due to atmospheric pulsations.We present detailed semi-empiric radiative transfer models of thethermal and dynamic structures of the outer atmospheres of theseluminous F- and G-type supergiants based on the FUSE and HST-STISspectra. We investigate if warm accelerating winds observed in high ionsof cool supergiants can (partly) be driven by radiation pressure.This research is based on data obtained with the NASA/ESA Hubble SpaceTelescope, collected at the STScI, operated by AURA Inc., under contractNAS5-26555. Financial support has been provided by STScI grantHST-GO-10212.01-A and NASA FUSE grant GI-D107. Â
| HD 199143 and HD 358623: Two recently identified members of the β Pictoris moving group
HD 199143 and HD 358623 (BD-17°6128) are two sets of binary starswhich are physically associated and 48 pc from Earth. We presentheliocentric radial velocities and high lithium abundances whichestablish these stars as members of the 12 Myr-old β PictorisMoving Group. We also present mid-IR photometric measurements which showno firm evidence for warm dust around all four stars.
| A Revised Calibration of the MV-W(O I 7774) Relationship using Hipparcos Data: Its Application to Cepheids and Evolved Stars
A new calibration of the MV-W(O I 7774) relationship hasbeen calculated using better reddening and distance estimates for asample of 27 calibrator stars of spectral types A to G, based onaccurate parallaxes and proper motions from the Hipparcos and Tychocatalogues. The present calibration predicts absolute magnitude withaccuracies of +/-0.38mag for a sample covering a large range ofMV, from -9.5 to +0.35 mag. The color term included in aprevious paper has been dropped since its inclusion does not lead to anysignificant improvement in the calibration. The variation of the O I7774 feature in the classical cepheid SS Sct has been studied. Wecalculated a phase-dependent correction to random phase OI featurestrengths in Cepheids, such that it predicts mean absolute magnitudesusing the above calibration. After applying such a correction, we couldincrease the list of calibrators to 58 by adding MV and O Itriplet strength data for 31 classical Cepheids. The standard error ofthe calibration using the composite sample was comparable to thatobtained from the primary 27 calibrators, showing that it is possible tocalculate mean Cepheid luminosities from random phase observations ofthe O I 7774 feature. We use our derived calibrations to estimateMV for a set of evolved objects to be able to locate theirpositions in the HR diagram.
| High-Resolution Spectroscopy of FU Orionis Stars
High-resolution spectroscopy was obtained of the FU orionis stars FU Oriand V1057 Cyg between 1995 and 2002 with the SOFIN spectrograph at theNordic Optical Telescope and with HIRES at Keck I. During these years FUOri remained about 1 mag (in B) below its 1938-39 maximum brightness,but V1057 Cyg (B~10.5 at peak in 1970-1971) faded from about 13.5 to14.9 and then recovered slightly. Their photospheric spectra resemblethat of a rotationally broadened, slightly veiled supergiant of abouttype G0 Ib, with veqsini=70 km s-1 for FU Ori, and55 km s-1 for V1057 Cyg. As V1057 Cyg faded, P Cyg structurein Hα and the IR Ca II lines strengthened and a complexshortward-displaced shell spectrum of low-excitation lines of theneutral metals (including Li I and Rb I) increased in strength,disappeared in 1999, and reappeared in 2001. Several SOFIN runs extendedover a number of successive nights so that a search for rapid and cyclicchanges in the spectra was possible. These spectra show rapidnight-to-night changes in the wind structure of FU Ori at Hα,including clear evidence of sporadic infall. The equivalent width of theP Cyg absorption varied cyclically with a period of 14.8 days, withphase stability maintained over three seasons. This is believed to bethe rotation period of FU Ori. The internal structure of itsphotospheric lines also varies cyclically, but with a period of 3.54days. A similar variation may be present in V1057 Cyg, but the data aremuch noisier and that result uncertain. As V1057 Cyg has faded and thecontinuum level fallen, the emission lines of a preexistinglow-excitation chromosphere have emerged. Therefore we believe that the``line doubling'' in V1057 Cyg is produced by these central emissioncores in the absorption lines, not by orbital motion in an inclinedKeplerian disk. No convincing dependence of veqsini onwavelength or excitation potential was detected in either FU Ori orV1057 Cyg, again contrary to expectation for a self-luminous accretiondisk. It was found also that certain critical lines in the near infraredare not accounted for by synthetic disk spectra. It is concluded that arapidly rotating star near the edge of stability, as proposed by Larson,can better account for these observations. The possibility is alsoconsidered that FUor eruptions are not a property of ordinary T Tauristars but may be confined to a special subspecies of rapidly rotatingpre-main-sequence stars having powerful quasi-permanent winds.
| Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph Survey of Far-Ultraviolet Coronal Forbidden Lines in Late-Type Stars
We describe an extensive search with the Space Telescope ImagingSpectrograph (STIS) for ultraviolet coronal (T>106 K)forbidden lines in a sample of 29 F-M dwarfs, giants, and supergiants.Measuring coronal lines in the 1150-1700 Å band with STIS hasimportant advantages of superior velocity resolution and an absolutewavelength calibration compared with using the Chandra or XMM-Newtongrating spectrometers to observe permitted transitions of the same ionstages in the kilovolt X-ray region. Fe XII λλ1242, 1349(T~2×106 K) and Fe XXI λ1354 (107 K)are well known from solar studies and have been reported in previousstellar work. A search for other coronal forbidden lines in the1200-1600 Å region was largely negative. The few candidateidentifications (e.g., Ar XIII λ1330 and Ca XV λ1375) aretoo faint to be diagnostically useful. We add new dwarfs to the list ofFe XII detections, including the nearby solar twin α Cen A (G2 V).Clear detections of Fe XXI were obtained in dMe stars, active giants, ashort-period RS CVn binary, and possibly in active solar-type dwarfs. Wedeveloped a semiempirical method for removing the C I blend thatpartially affects the Fe XXI λ1354 profile. As discussed recentlyby Johnson et al., Capella (α Aur; G8 III+G1 III) displays clearFe XXI variability between Goddard High-Resolution Spectograph (GHRS)and STIS observations 4 yr apart, which is apparently due to asubstantial decline in the contribution from the G8 primary. We presentan alternative model of the GHRS and STIS era profiles using informationin the two sets of line shapes jointly, as well as knowledge of thebehavior of Fe XXI profiles of other late-G ``clump'' giants similar toCapella G8. The full survey sample also provides a context for theapparent variability: the Fe XXI flux of the G8 star in the GHRSspectrum is nearly identical (in LFeXXI/Lbol) toother clump giants of similar LX/Lbol, but it haddropped at least a factor of 6 in the STIS measurement. The He IIλ1640 Bα feature-which is thought to be responsive tocoronal irradiation-also showed significant changes between the GHRS andSTIS epochs, but the decrease in the G8 star was much smaller than FeXXI. The Fe XII flux displays a correlation with the ROSAT 0.2-2 keVX-ray flux that can be described by an α=0.5 power law. Fe XXIexhibits a steeper, perhaps linear (α=1), correlation with theROSAT flux down to an activity level ofLX/Lbol~10-5, below which detections ofthe coronal forbidden line are rare. There is no evidence of large,systematic Doppler shifts in either Fe XII λ1242 or Fe XXIλ1354. This suggests that the emissions arise dominantly inconfined structures, analogous to magnetic loops on the Sun, ratherthan, say, in a hot wind. The Fe XII and Fe XXI line widths generallyare close to thermal (FWHM~40-90 km s-1 atT~106.2-107.0 K), except for the Hertzsprung-gapgiants 31 Comae (G0 III) and Capella G1 and the K1 subgiant primary ofHR 1099, all of which show evidence for excess broadening in Fe XXI (FeXII is obscured in these objects by broad N V λ1242 features). Ifthe excess broadening is rotational, it implies that the hot coronae of``X-ray-deficient'' 31 Com and Capella G1 are highly extended, contraryto the compact structures suggested by recent density estimates in anumber of active coronal sources.
| Kinematics and Luminosity Function of Dwarf Populations in Three Areas of the Calán-ESO Proper-Motion Catalog
We have completed the analysis of a sample of 112 stars in the solarneighborhood taken from the statistically complete Calán-ESOcatalog. From medium-resolution spectroscopy we classified every star,both by direct comparison with spectroscopic standards and by usingspectral indices. The latter also allowed discrimination betweenmain-sequence (MS) dwarfs and subdwarfs. Several useful spectral typeversus color relations were obtained from CCD photometry of the sample(observed magnitudes were dereddened). Distances and absolute magnitudeswere determined. From measured radial velocities and proper motions, wedetermined the kinematics [Galactocentric velocity components (U,V,W)],which allowed the classification of each star as belonging to the diskor halo population. Luminosity functions (LFs) were then obtained usingthe 1/Vmax method for the different populations. The maximumin the LF for MS dwarfs was found to be near MV=12.5+/-0.5,in accord with previous determinations. On the other hand, we found anincrease in the LF of the subdwarf at its faint end, which is in strongdisagreement with determinations by other authors. A mass density of MSdwarfs of ~0.047+/-0.021 Msolar pc-3 was derived,while the contribution of subdwarfs was found to be negligible.Based on observations obtained with the VLT (ESO), project 67.D-0224A.
| 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.
| A catalog of rotational and radial velocities for evolved stars. II. Ib supergiant stars
Rotational velocity vsin i and mean radial velocity are presented for asample of 231 Ib supergiant stars covering the spectral region F, G andK. This work is the second part of the large survey carried out with theCORAVEL spectrometer to establish the behavior of the rotation for starsevolving off the main sequence (De Medeiros & Mayor 1999). Thesedata will add constraints to the study of the rotational behavior inevolved stars, as well as solid information concerning tidalinteractions in binary systems and on the link between rotation,chemical abundance and activity in stars of intermediate masses. Basedon observations collected at the Haute-Provence Observatory,Saint-Michel, France and at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla,Chile 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/395/97
| The ISO-SWS post-helium atlas of near-infrared stellar spectra
We present an atlas of near-infrared spectra (2.36 mu m-4.1 mu m) of ~300 stars at moderate resolution (lambda /delta lambda ~ 1500-2000). Thespectra were recorded using the Short-Wavelength Spectrometer aboard theInfrared Space Observatory (ISO-SWS). The bulk of the observations wereperformed during a dedicated observation campaign after the liquidhelium depletion of the ISO satellite, the so-called post-heliumprogramme. This programme was aimed at extending the MK-classificationto the near-infrared. Therefore the programme covers a large range ofspectral types and luminosity classes. The 2.36 mu m-4.05 mu m region isa valuable spectral probe for both hot and cool stars. H I lines(Bracket, Pfund and Humphreys series), He I and He II lines, atomiclines and molecular lines (CO, H2O, NH, OH, SiO, HCN,C2H2, ...) are sensitive to temperature, gravityand/or the nature of the outer layers of the stellar atmosphere(outflows, hot circumstellar discs, etc.). Another objective of theprogramme was to construct a homogeneous dataset of near-infraredstellar spectra that can be used for population synthesis studies ofgalaxies. At near-infrared wavelengths these objects emit the integratedlight of all stars in the system. In this paper we present the datasetof post-helium spectra completed with observations obtained during thenominal operations of the ISO-SWS. We discuss the calibration of the SWSdata obtained after the liquid helium boil-off and the data reduction.We also give a first qualitative overview of how the spectral featuresin this wavelength range change with spectral type. The dataset isscrutinised in two papers on the quantitative classification ofnear-infrared spectra of early-type stars ({Lenorzer} et al.\cite{lenorzer:2002a}) and late-type stars (Vandenbussche et al., inprep). Based on observations with ISO, an ESA project with instrumentsfunded by ESA Members States (especially the PI countries France,Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) and with theparticipation of ISAS and NASA. The full atlas is available inelectronic form at www.edpsciences.org Table 1 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?/A+A/390/1033
| Determination of accurate stellar radial-velocity measures
Wavelength measurements in stellar spectra cannot readily be interpretedas true stellar motion on the sub-km s-1 accuracy level dueto the presence of many other effects, such as gravitational redshiftand stellar convection, which also produce line shifts. Following arecommendation by the IAU, the result of an accurate spectroscopicradial-velocity observation should therefore be given as the``barycentric radial-velocity measure'', i.e. the absolute spectralshift as measured by an observer at zero gravitational potential locatedat the solar-system barycentre. Standard procedures for reducingaccurate radial-velocity observations should be reviewed to take intoaccount this recommendation. We describe a procedure to determineaccurate barycentric radial-velocity measures of bright stars, based ondigital cross-correlation of spectra obtained with the ELODIEspectrometer (Observatoire de Haute-Provence) with a synthetic templateof Fe I lines. The absolute zero point of the radial-velocity measuresis linked to the wavelength scale of the Kurucz (1984) Solar Flux Atlasvia ELODIE observations of the Moon. Results are given for the Sun and42 stars, most of them members of the Hyades and Ursa Major clusters.The median internal standard error is 27 m s-1. The externalerror is estimated at around 120 m s-1, mainly reflecting theuncertainty in the wavelength scale of the Solar Flux Atlas. For the Sunwe find a radial-velocity measure of +257+/- 11 m s-1referring to the full-disk spectrum of the selected Fe I lines. Based onobservations made at Observatoire de Haute-Provence
| Cyclic and secular variation in the temperatures and radii of extreme helium stars
The ultraviolet properties of 17 extreme helium stars have been examinedusing 150 IUE spectra. Combining short-wave and long-wave image pairsand using a grid of hydrogen-deficient model atmospheres and aχ2 minimization procedure, 70 measurements of effectivetemperature (Teff), angular diameters (θ) andinterstellar extinction (EB_V) were obtained. In most cases,these were in good agreement with previous measurements, but there aresome ambiguities in the case of the hotter stars, where the solutionsfor Teff and EB_V become degenerate, and in thecase of the cooler stars with large EB_V, where the totalflux is no longer dominated by the ultraviolet. The behaviour of 12helium stars was examined over an interval exceeding 10yr. The surfacesof four stars (HD 168476, HD 160641, BD -9°4395 and BD -1°3438)were found to be heating at rates between 20 and 120Kyr-1, inremarkable agreement with theoretical predictions. This result providesthe first direct evidence that extreme helium stars are heliumshell-burning stars of up to ~0.9Msolar contracting towardsthe white dwarf sequence. Low-luminosity helium stars do not show adetectable contraction, also in agreement with theory, although one, BD+10°2179, may be expanding. The short-term behaviour of threevariable helium stars (PV Tel variables: HD 168476, BD +1°4381, LSIV-1°2) was examined over a short interval in 1995. All three showedchanges in Teff and θ on periods consistent withprevious observations. Near-simultaneous radial velocity (v)measurements were used to establish the total change in radius, withsome reservations concerning the adopted periods. Subsequently,measurements of the stellar radii and distances could be derived. WithTeff and surface gravities established previously, stellarluminosities and masses were thus obtained directly from observation. Inthe case of HD 168476, the mass is 0.94 ± 0.68 M\odot.Assuming a similar gravity for LSIV -1°2 based on its neutral heliumline profiles, its mass becomes 0.79 ± 0.46 M\odot.The θ amplitude for BD +1°4381 appears to be overestimated bythe IUE measurements and leads to a nonsensical result. These firstdirect measurements of luminous extreme helium star masses agree wellwith previous estimates from stellar structure and pulsation theory.
| Absolute spectrophotometry of late-type stars.
Not Available
| The Physical Basis of Luminosity Classification in the Late A-, F-, and Early G-Type Stars. II. Basic Parameters of Program Stars and the Role of Microturbulence
Paper I of this series presented precise MK spectral types for 372 lateA-, F-, and early G-type stars with the aim of understanding the natureof luminosity classification on the MK spectral classification systemfor this range of spectral types. In this paper, a multidimensionaldownhill simplex technique is introduced to determine the basicparameters of the program stars from fits of synthetic spectra andfluxes with observed spectra and fluxes from Strömgren uvbyphotometry. This exercise yields useful calibrations of the MK spectralclassification system but, most importantly, gives insight into thephysical nature of luminosity classification on the MK spectralclassification system. In particular, we find that in this range ofspectral types, microturbulence appears to be at least as important asgravity in determining the MK luminosity type.
| The Physical Basis of Luminosity Classification in the Late A-, F-, and Early G-Type Stars. I. Precise Spectral Types for 372 Stars
This is the first in a series of two papers that address the problem ofthe physical nature of luminosity classification in the late A-, F-, andearly G-type stars. In this paper, we present precise spectralclassifications of 372 stars on the MK system. For those stars in theset with Strömgren uvbyβ photometry, we derive reddenings andpresent a calibration of MK temperature types in terms of the intrinsicStrömgren (b-y)0 index. We also examine the relationshipbetween the luminosity class and the Strömgren c1 index,which measures the Balmer jump. The second paper will address thederivation of the physical parameters of these stars, and therelationships between these physical parameters and the luminosityclass. Stars classified in this paper include one new λ Bootisstar and 10 of the F- and G-type dwarfs with recently discoveredplanets.
| The warm circumstellar envelope and wind of the G9 IIb star HR 6902
IUE observations of the eclipsing binary system HR 6902 obtained atvarious epochs spread over four years indicate the presence of warmcircumstellar material enveloping the G9 IIb primary. The spectra showSi Iv and C Iv absorption up to a distance of 3.3 giant radii(Rg). Line ratio diagnostics yields an electron temperatureof ~ 78 000 K which appears to be constant over the observed heightrange. Applying a least square fit absorption line analysis we derivecolumn densities as a function of height. We find that the innerenvelope (< 3;Rg) of the bright giant is consistent with ahydrostatic density distribution. The derived line broadening velocityof ~ 70 km s-1 is sufficient to provide turbulent pressuresupport for the required scale height. However, an improved agreementwith observations over the whole height regime including the emissionline region is obtained with an outflow model. We demonstrate that thecommon β power-law as well as a P ∝ ρ wind yieldappropriate fit models. Adopting a continuous mass outflow we obtain amass-loss rate of Mȯ=0.8 - 3.4 × 10-11Msolar yr-1 depending on the particular windmodel. The emission lines observed during total eclipse are attributedmostly to resonance scattering of B star photons in the extendedenvelope of the giant. By means of a multi-dimensional line formationstudy we show that the global envelope properties are consistent withthe wind models derived from the absorption line analysis. We argue thatfuture high resolution UV spectroscopy will resolve the large-scalevelocity structure of the circumstellar shell. As an illustration wepresent theoretical Si Iv and C Iv emission profiles showingmodel-dependent line shifts and asymmetries.
| New spectroscopic observations of the B[e]/K binary system MWC 623
The B[e]/K binary system MWC 623 was reinvestigated using newspectroscopic observations. The absorption lines of the K and the B stardo not exhibit any significant radial velocity variations over a timeinterval of 14 years. The spectral classification using a recent echellespectrum yielded spectral types of K2II-Ib and B4III. The luminosityclass of the K star gives an estimate of the distance towards MWC 623 of2.4+1.4-0.9 kpc. This is consistent with thekinematic distance of 2.0+0.6-0.3 kpc. The massesderived from the locations of the binary components in the H-R diagramare 7+/-1.5 {M}sun and 7.5+/-2.5 {M}sun for the Band K star, respectively, i.e. the mass ratio is close to 1. Both starsare coeval with an age of 50+10-20 Myr as shown bythe comparison with isochrones. The high luminosity of the K starexcludes a pre-main sequence evolutionary phase as explanation for thestrong Li ilambda 6708 absorption line observed in the late-typecomponent. Rather, the high lithium abundance is a consequence of theyoung age. Likewise, the B[e] star is a slightly evolved object startingit post-main sequence evolution.
| 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
| The proper motions of fundamental stars. I. 1535 stars from the Basic FK5
A direct combination of the positions given in the HIPPARCOS cataloguewith astrometric ground-based catalogues having epochs later than 1939allows us to obtain new proper motions for the 1535 stars of the BasicFK5. The results are presented as the catalogue Proper Motions ofFundamental Stars (PMFS), Part I. The median precision of the propermotions is 0.5 mas/year for mu alpha cos delta and 0.7mas/year for mu delta . The non-linear motions of thephotocentres of a few hundred astrometric binaries are separated intotheir linear and elliptic motions. Since the PMFS proper motions do notinclude the information given by the proper motions from othercatalogues (HIPPARCOS, FK5, FK6, etc.) this catalogue can be used as anindependent source of the proper motions of the fundamental stars.Catalogue (Table 3) is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strastg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/365/222
| High-Precision Radial Velocity Measurements of Some Southern Stars
Precise absolute radial velocities have been obtained at Mount JohnUniversity Observatory for a number of southern stars, using the 1 mtelescope and fiber-fed echelle spectrograph. Only the stars that havebeen observed three or more times are presented, including 14 IAUstandards and 11 program stars. Six echelle orders in the green(5000-5600 Å) are used. Many delicate steps have been undertakenin order to maintain the same conditions in both recording and reducingthe spectra over a period of 27 months. The Th-Ar lamp has been used forthe wavelength calibration. The absolute radial velocities have beendetermined by cross-correlation with synthetic spectra computed by R. L.Kurucz. The zero point has been adjusted using blue-sky spectra. Anadditional strong correlation, between the measured velocities andphoton counts in stellar and Th-Ar spectra, has been detected for thePM3000 CCD camera and has been eliminated. A resulting precision ofabout 20-30 m s-1 has been obtained. The overall uncertaintyof the absolute radial velocities was estimated to be about 100-200 ms-1. The present paper is a continuation of our recentprevious work, including more details on the reduction process and thepresentation of the radial velocities for more stars.
| Near-Infrared Classification Spectroscopy: J-Band Spectra of Fundamental MK Standards
We present a catalog of J-band spectra for 88 fundamental MK standardstars observed at a resolving power of R~3000. This contribution servesas a companion atlas to the K-band spectra recently published by Wallace& Hinkle and the H-band atlas by Meyer and coworkers. We report datafrom 7400 to 9550 cm-1 (1.05-1.34 μm) for stars ofspectral types O7-M6 and luminosity classes I-V as defined in the MKsystem. In reducing these data, special care has been taken to removetime-variable telluric features of water vapor. We identify atomic andmolecular indexes that are both temperature and luminosity sensitivethat aid in the classification of stellar spectra in the J band. Inaddition to being useful in the classification of late-type stars, the Jband contains several features of interest in the study of early-typestellar photospheres. These data are available electronically foranonymous FTP in addition to being served on the World Wide Web.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Verseau |
| Right ascension: | 21h31m33.50s |
| Declination: | -05°34'16.0" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 2.91 |
| Distance: | 187.617 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 0 |
| Proper motion Dec: | 0 |
| B-T magnitude: | 3.915 |
| V-T magnitude: | 2.958 |
Catalogs and designations:
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INHABITED SKY
