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Spectrometric composition of nearby K dwarfs
We have obtained relatively high resolution spectra of Northernhemisphere K dwarfs. This is the first spectrometric project dedicatedonly to K dwarfs. Earlier studies have concentrated on more massive Fand G dwarfs. However, these stars have already undergone evolutionaryeffects, unlike K dwarfs, which offer more accurate information aboutthe evolution of the Solar neighbourhood. We have determined the LTEabundances of 14 elements for 42 stars with initial metallicity rangecovered by -1.52 < [Fe/H] < 0.48. We confirm the discrepancy inthe abundances derived from neutral and ionized lines. The solution tothis problem cannot just be the modification of initial physicalparameters, but requires fundamental changes in the modeling of Kdwarfs.
| Spectroscopic Properties of Cool Stars (SPOCS). I. 1040 F, G, and K Dwarfs from Keck, Lick, and AAT Planet Search Programs
We present a uniform catalog of stellar properties for 1040 nearby F, G,and K stars that have been observed by the Keck, Lick, and AAT planetsearch programs. Fitting observed echelle spectra with synthetic spectrayielded effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, projectedrotational velocity, and abundances of the elements Na, Si, Ti, Fe, andNi, for every star in the catalog. Combining V-band photometry andHipparcos parallaxes with a bolometric correction based on thespectroscopic results yielded stellar luminosity, radius, and mass.Interpolating Yonsei-Yale isochrones to the luminosity, effectivetemperature, metallicity, and α-element enhancement of each staryielded a theoretical mass, radius, gravity, and age range for moststars in the catalog. Automated tools provide uniform results and makeanalysis of such a large sample practical. Our analysis method differsfrom traditional abundance analyses in that we fit the observed spectrumdirectly, rather than trying to match equivalent widths, and wedetermine effective temperature and surface gravity from the spectrumitself, rather than adopting values based on measured photometry orparallax. As part of our analysis, we determined a new relationshipbetween macroturbulence and effective temperature on the main sequence.Detailed error analysis revealed small systematic offsets with respectto the Sun and spurious abundance trends as a function of effectivetemperature that would be inobvious in smaller samples. We attempted toremove these errors by applying empirical corrections, achieving aprecision per spectrum of 44 K in effective temperature, 0.03 dex inmetallicity, 0.06 dex in the logarithm of gravity, and 0.5 kms-1 in projected rotational velocity. Comparisons withprevious studies show only small discrepancies. Our spectroscopicallydetermined masses have a median fractional precision of 15%, but theyare systematically 10% higher than masses obtained by interpolatingisochrones. Our spectroscopic radii have a median fractional precisionof 3%. Our ages from isochrones have a precision that variesdramatically with location in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. We planto extend the catalog by applying our automated analysis technique toother large stellar samples.
| Can Life Develop in the Expanded Habitable Zones around Red Giant Stars?
We present some new ideas about the possibility of life developingaround subgiant and red giant stars. Our study concerns the temporalevolution of the habitable zone. The distance between the star and thehabitable zone, as well as its width, increases with time as aconsequence of stellar evolution. The habitable zone moves outward afterthe star leaves the main sequence, sweeping a wider range of distancesfrom the star until the star reaches the tip of the asymptotic giantbranch. Currently there is no clear evidence as to when life actuallyformed on the Earth, but recent isotopic data suggest life existed atleast as early as 7×108 yr after the Earth was formed.Thus, if life could form and evolve over time intervals from5×108 to 109 yr, then there could behabitable planets with life around red giant stars. For a 1Msolar star at the first stages of its post-main-sequenceevolution, the temporal transit of the habitable zone is estimated to beseveral times 109 yr at 2 AU and around 108 yr at9 AU. Under these circumstances life could develop at distances in therange 2-9 AU in the environment of subgiant or giant stars, and in thefar distant future in the environment of our own solar system. After astar completes its first ascent along the red giant branch and the Heflash takes place, there is an additional stable period of quiescent Hecore burning during which there is another opportunity for life todevelop. For a 1 Msolar star there is an additional109 yr with a stable habitable zone in the region from 7 to22 AU. Space astronomy missions, such as proposed for the TerrestrialPlanet Finder (TPF) and Darwin, that focus on searches for signatures oflife on extrasolar planets, should also consider the environments ofsubgiants and red giant stars as potentially interesting sites forunderstanding the development of life. We performed a preliminaryevaluation of the difficulty of interferometric observations of planetsaround red giant stars compared to a main-sequence star environment. Weshow that pathfinder missions for TPF and Darwin, such as Eclipse andFKSI, have sufficient angular resolution and sensitivity to search forhabitable planets around some of the closest evolved stars of thesubgiant and red giant class.
| Chromospheric Ca II Emission in Nearby F, G, K, and M Stars
We present chromospheric Ca II H and K activity measurements, rotationperiods, and ages for ~1200 F, G, K, and M type main-sequence stars from~18,000 archival spectra taken at Keck and Lick Observatories as a partof the California and Carnegie Planet Search Project. We have calibratedour chromospheric S-values against the Mount Wilson chromosphericactivity data. From these measurements we have calculated medianactivity levels and derived R'HK, stellar ages,and rotation periods from general parameterizations for 1228 stars,~1000 of which have no previously published S-values. We also presentprecise time series of activity measurements for these stars.Based on observations obtained at Lick Observatory, which is operated bythe University of California, and on observations obtained at the W. M.Keck Observatory, which is operated jointly by the University ofCalifornia and the California Institute of Technology. The KeckObservatory was made possible by the generous financial support of theW. M. Keck Foundation.
| The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood. Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of 14 000 F and G dwarfs
We present and discuss new determinations of metallicity, rotation, age,kinematics, and Galactic orbits for a complete, magnitude-limited, andkinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F and G dwarf stars. Our63 000 new, accurate radial-velocity observations for nearly 13 500stars allow identification of most of the binary stars in the sampleand, together with published uvbyβ photometry, Hipparcosparallaxes, Tycho-2 proper motions, and a few earlier radial velocities,complete the kinematic information for 14 139 stars. These high-qualityvelocity data are supplemented by effective temperatures andmetallicities newly derived from recent and/or revised calibrations. Theremaining stars either lack Hipparcos data or have fast rotation. Amajor effort has been devoted to the determination of new isochrone agesfor all stars for which this is possible. Particular attention has beengiven to a realistic treatment of statistical biases and errorestimates, as standard techniques tend to underestimate these effectsand introduce spurious features in the age distributions. Our ages agreewell with those by Edvardsson et al. (\cite{edv93}), despite severalastrophysical and computational improvements since then. We demonstrate,however, how strong observational and theoretical biases cause thedistribution of the observed ages to be very different from that of thetrue age distribution of the sample. Among the many basic relations ofthe Galactic disk that can be reinvestigated from the data presentedhere, we revisit the metallicity distribution of the G dwarfs and theage-metallicity, age-velocity, and metallicity-velocity relations of theSolar neighbourhood. Our first results confirm the lack of metal-poor Gdwarfs relative to closed-box model predictions (the ``G dwarfproblem''), the existence of radial metallicity gradients in the disk,the small change in mean metallicity of the thin disk since itsformation and the substantial scatter in metallicity at all ages, andthe continuing kinematic heating of the thin disk with an efficiencyconsistent with that expected for a combination of spiral arms and giantmolecular clouds. Distinct features in the distribution of the Vcomponent of the space motion are extended in age and metallicity,corresponding to the effects of stochastic spiral waves rather thanclassical moving groups, and may complicate the identification ofthick-disk stars from kinematic criteria. More advanced analyses of thisrich material will require careful simulations of the selection criteriafor the sample and the distribution of observational errors.Based on observations made with the Danish 1.5-m telescope at ESO, LaSilla, Chile, and with the Swiss 1-m telescope at Observatoire deHaute-Provence, France.Complete Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/418/989
| Improved Astrometry and Photometry for the Luyten Catalog. II. Faint Stars and the Revised Catalog
We complete construction of a catalog containing improved astrometry andnew optical/infrared photometry for the vast majority of NLTT starslying in the overlap of regions covered by POSS I and by the secondincremental Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) release, approximately 44%of the sky. The epoch 2000 positions are typically accurate to 130 mas,the proper motions to 5.5 mas yr-1, and the V-J colors to0.25 mag. Relative proper motions of binary components are measured to 3mas yr-1. The false-identification rate is ~1% for11<~V<~18 and substantially less at brighter magnitudes. Theseimprovements permit the construction of a reduced proper-motion diagramthat, for the first time, allows one to classify NLTT stars intomain-sequence (MS) stars, subdwarfs (SDs), and white dwarfs (WDs). We inturn use this diagram to analyze the properties of both our catalog andthe NLTT catalog on which it is based. In sharp contrast to popularbelief, we find that NLTT incompleteness in the plane is almostcompletely concentrated in MS stars, and that SDs and WDs are detectedalmost uniformly over the sky δ>-33deg. Our catalogwill therefore provide a powerful tool to probe these populationsstatistically, as well as to reliably identify individual SDs and WDs.
| Multiplicity among solar-type stars. III. Statistical properties of the F7-K binaries with periods up to 10 years
Two CORAVEL radial velocity surveys - one among stars in the solarneighbourhood, the other in the Pleiades and in Praesepe - are merged toderive the statistical properties of main-sequence binaries withspectral types F7 to K and with periods up to 10 years. A sample of 89spectroscopic orbits was finally obtained. Among them, 52 relate to afree-of-bias selection of 405 stars (240 field stars and 165 clusterstars). The statistics corrected for selection effects yield thefollowing results: (1) No discrepancy is found between the binariesamong field stars and the binaries in open cluster. The distributions ofmass ratios, of periods, the period-eccentricity diagram and the binaryfrequencies are all within the same error intervals. (2) Thedistribution of mass ratios presents two maxima: a broad peak from q ~0.2 to q ~ 0.7, and a sharp peak for q > 0.8 (twins). Both arepresent among the early-type as well as among the late-type part of thesample, indicating a scale-free formation process. The peak for q >0.8 gradually decreases when long-period binaries are considered.Whatever their periods, the twins have eccentricities significantlylower than the other binaries, confirming a difference in the formationprocesses. Twins could be generated by in situ formation followed byaccretion from a gaseous envelope, whereas binaries with intermediatemass ratios could be formed at wide separations, but they are madecloser by migration led by interactions with a circumbinary disk. (3)The frequency of binaries with P<10 years is about 14%. (4) About0.3% of binaries are expected to appear as false positives in a planetsearch. Therefore, the frequency of planetary systems among stars ispresently 7+4-2%. The extension of thedistribution of mass ratios in the planetary range would result in avery sharp and very high peak, well separated from the binary stars withlow mass ratios. Based on photoelectric radial-velocity measurementscollected at Haute-Provence observatory and on observations made withthe ESA Hipparcos astrometry satellite.
| K dwarfs and the chemical evolution of the solar cylinder
K dwarfs have lifetimes older than the present age of the Galactic disc,and are thus ideal stars for investigating the chemical evolution of thedisc. We have developed several photometric metallicity indicators for Kdwarfs, based on a sample of accurate spectroscopic metallicities for 34disc and halo G and K dwarfs. The photometric metallicities lead us todevelop a metallicity index for K dwarfs based only on their position inthe colour-absolute-magnitude diagram. Metallicities have beendetermined for 431 single K dwarfs drawn from the Hipparcos catalogue,selecting the stars by absolute magnitude and removing multiple systems.The sample is essentially a complete reckoning of the metal content innearby K dwarfs. We use stellar isochrones to mark the stars by mass,and select a subset of 220 of the stars, which is complete within anarrow mass interval. We fit the data with a model of the chemicalevolution of the solar cylinder. We find that only a modest cosmicscatter is required to fit our age-metallicity relation. The modelassumes two main infall episodes for the formation of the halo-thickdisc and thin disc, respectively. The new data confirm that the solarneighbourhood formed on a long time-scale of the order of 7 Gyr.
| HIPPARCOS age-metallicity relation of the solar neighbourhood disc stars
We derive age-metallicity relations (AMRs) and orbital parameters forthe 1658 solar neighbourhood stars to which accurate distances aremeasured by the HIPPARCOS satellite. The sample stars comprise 1382 thindisc stars, 229 thick disc stars, and 47 halo stars according to theirorbital parameters. We find a considerable scatter for thin disc AMRalong the one-zone Galactic chemical evolution (GCE) model. Orbits andmetallicities of thin disc stars show now clear relation each other. Thescatter along the AMR exists even if the stars with the same orbits areselected. We examine simple extension of one-zone GCE models whichaccount for inhomogeneity in the effective yield and inhomogeneous starformation rate in the Galaxy. Both extensions of the one-zone GCE modelcannot account for the scatter in age - [Fe/H] - [Ca/Fe] relationsimultaneously. We conclude, therefore, that the scatter along the thindisc AMR is an essential feature in the formation and evolution of theGalaxy. The AMR for thick disc stars shows that the star formationterminated 8 Gyr ago in the thick disc. As already reported by Grattonet al. (\cite{Gratton_et.al.2000}) and Prochaska et al.(\cite{Prochaska_et.al.2000}), thick disc stars are more Ca-rich thanthin disc stars with the same [Fe/H]. We find that thick disc stars showa vertical abundance gradient. These three facts, the AMR, verticalgradient, and [Ca/Fe]-[Fe/H] relation, support monolithic collapseand/or accretion of satellite dwarf galaxies as likely thick discformation scenarios. Tables 2 and 3 are only available in electronicform at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5)or via http:/ /cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/ cgi-bin/qcat?J/ A+A/394/927
| Radial Velocities for 889 Late-Type Stars
We report radial velocities for 844 FGKM-type main-sequence and subgiantstars and 45 K giants, most of which had either low-precision velocitymeasurements or none at all. These velocities differ from the standardstars of Udry et al. by 0.035 km s-1 (rms) for the 26 FGKstandard stars in common. The zero point of our velocities differs fromthat of Udry et al.: =+0.053km s-1. Thus, these new velocities agree with the best knownstandard stars both in precision and zero point, to well within 0.1 kms-1. Nonetheless, both these velocities and the standardssuffer from three sources of systematic error, namely, convectiveblueshift, gravitational redshift, and spectral type mismatch of thereference spectrum. These systematic errors are here forced to be zerofor G2 V stars by using the Sun as reference, with Vesta and day sky asproxies. But for spectral types departing from solar, the systematicerrors reach 0.3 km s-1 in the F and K stars and 0.4 kms-1 in M dwarfs. Multiple spectra were obtained for all 889stars during 4 years, and 782 of them exhibit velocity scatter less than0.1 km s-1. These stars may serve as radial velocitystandards if they remain constant in velocity. We found 11 newspectroscopic binaries and report orbital parameters for them. Based onobservations obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operatedjointly by the University of California and the California Institute ofTechnology, and on observations obtained at the Lick Observatory, whichis operated by the University of California.
| Late-type members of young stellar kinematic groups - I. Single stars
This is the first paper of a series aimed at studying the properties oflate-type members of young stellar kinematic groups. We concentrate ourstudy on classical young moving groups such as the Local Association(Pleiades moving group, 20-150Myr), IC 2391 supercluster (35Myr), UrsaMajor group (Sirius supercluster, 300Myr), and Hyades supercluster(600Myr), as well as on recently identified groups such as the Castormoving group (200Myr). In this paper we compile a preliminary list ofsingle late-type possible members of some of these young stellarkinematic groups. Stars are selected from previously established membersof stellar kinematic groups based on photometric and kinematicproperties as well as from candidates based on other criteria such astheir level of chromospheric activity, rotation rate and lithiumabundance. Precise measurements of proper motions and parallaxes takenfrom the Hipparcos Catalogue, as well as from the Tycho-2 Catalogue, andpublished radial velocity measurements are used to calculate theGalactic space motions (U, V, W) and to apply Eggen's kinematic criteriain order to determine the membership of the selected stars to thedifferent groups. Additional criteria using age-dating methods forlate-type stars will be applied in forthcoming papers of this series. Afurther study of the list of stars compiled here could lead to a betterunderstanding of the chromospheric activity and their age evolution, aswell as of the star formation history in the solar neighbourhood. Inaddition, these stars are also potential search targets for directimaging detection of substellar companions.
| A revision of the solar neighbourhood metallicity distribution
We present a revised metallicity distribution of dwarfs in the solarneighbourhood. This distribution is centred on solar metallicity. Weshow that previous metallicity distributions, selected on the basis ofspectral type, are biased against stars with solar metallicity orhigher. A selection of G-dwarf stars is inherently biased againstmetal-rich stars and is not representative of the solar neighbourhoodmetallicity distribution. Using a sample selected on colour, we obtain adistribution where approximately half the stars in the solarneighbourhood have metallicities higher than [Fe/H]=0. The percentage ofmid-metal-poor stars ([Fe/H]<-0.5) is approximately 4 per cent, inagreement with present estimates of the thick disc. In order to have ametallicity distribution comparable to chemical evolution modelpredictions, we convert the star fraction to mass fraction, and showthat another bias against metal-rich stars affects dwarf metallicitydistributions, due to the colour (or spectral type) limits of thesamples. Reconsidering the corrections resulting from the increasingthickness of the stellar disc with age, we show that the simpleclosed-box model with no instantaneous recycling approximation gives areasonable fit to the observed distribution. Comparisons with theage-metallicity relation and abundance ratios suggest that the simpleclosed-box model may be a viable model of the chemical evolution of theGalaxy at solar radius.
| 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 Vienna-KPNO search for Doppler-imaging candidate stars. I. A catalog of stellar-activity indicators for 1058 late-type Hipparcos stars
We present the results from a spectroscopic Ca ii H&K survey of 1058late-type stars selected from a color-limited subsample of the Hipparcoscatalog. Out of these 1058 stars, 371 stars were found to showsignificant H&K emission, most of them previously unknown; 23% withstrong emission, 36% with moderate emission, and 41% with weak emission.These spectra are used to determine absolute H&K emission-linefluxes, radial velocities, and equivalent widths of theluminosity-sensitive Sr ii line at 4077 Ä. Red-wavelengthspectroscopic and Strömgren y photometric follow-up observations ofthe 371 stars with H&K emission are used to additionally determinethe absolute Hα -core flux, the lithium abundance from the Li i6708 Å equivalent width, the rotational velocity vsin i, theradial velocity, and the light variations and its periodicity. Thelatter is interpreted as the stellar rotation period due to aninhomogeneous surface brightness distribution. 156 stars were found withphotometric periods between 0.29 and 64 days, 11 additional systemsshowed quasi-periodic variations possibly in excess of ~50 days. Further54 stars had variations but no unique period was found, and four starswere essentially constant. Altogether, 170 new variable stars werediscovered. Additionally, we found 17 new SB1 (plus 16 new candidates)and 19 new SB2 systems, as well as one definite and two possible new SB3systems. Finally, we present a list of 21 stars that we think are mostsuitable candidates for a detailed study with the Doppler-imagingtechnique. Tables A1--A3 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
| Red supergiants in the LMC - III: luminous F and G stars
New BVRI observations for 40 and spectrophotometric measurements for 23F to G LMC supergiant candidates (and 3 galactic F to G supergiants) arepresented. The errors of the BVRI data are 0.01 to 0.03 mag in mostcases. The wavelength range of the spectra is 3400 to 6400 Angstroms,their resolution 10 Angstroms. The mean error of the fluxes is 0.03 mag.Spectral indices measuring the strengths of the Hβ , Hγ ,Hdelta , NaD and CaII H+K lines, the CHα_ {0} and CNbeta_ {0}bands, of the Balmer jump and the slope of the continuum redwards arediscussed as measures of effective temperature and luminosity on thebasis of galactic stars with accurate MK types and parallaxes. TheHγ line and the continuum gradient are very good temperaturecriteria, the CHα_ {0} band and especially the Balmer jump forluminosity. The luminosity classification given for F to G supergiantcandidates in the LMC in the literature is often doubtful. 5 of the 23stars observed spectrophotometrically turn out to be probably galacticforeground dwarfs on the basis both of the Balmer jump and thecomparison of their flux distributions with synthetic ones based on theKurucz model atmospheres. Surface gravities derived purely on the basisof flux distributions and such ones given by models of stellar evolutionagree with each other for dwarfs and giants only. For supergiants theformer are about 1.0 dex higher than the latter. As a consequenceeffective temperatures and metallicities given by these two methodsdeviate from each other for such stars, too. The intrinsic colours andtemperatures of galactic and LMC supergiants do not differ. Withabsolute magnitudes up to -9.6 mag the upper luminosity limit in the LMCdoes not exceed that in the Galaxy, where Ia-0 supergiants haveMV of up to -9.5 mag. The metallicities of the supergiantsshow a rather large scatter. Nevertheless the mean metallicities of 0.02+/- 0.09 dex for the Galaxy and -0.26 +/- 0.10 dex for the LMC agreewell with other observations.
| Kinematics and Metallicity of Stars in the Solar Region
Several samples of nearby stars with the most accurate astrometric andphotometric parameters are searched for clues to their evolutionaryhistory. The main samples are (1) the main-sequence stars with b - ybetween 0.29 and 0.59 mag (F3 to K1) in the Yale parallax catalog, (2) agroup of high-velocity subgiants studied spectroscopically by Ryan &Lambert, and (3) high-velocity main-sequence stars in the extensiveinvestigation by Norris, Bessel, & Pickles. The major conclusionsare as follows: (1) The oldest stars (halo), t >= 10-12 Gyr, haveV-velocities (in the direction of Galactic rotation and referred to theSun) in the range from about -50 to -800 km s^-1 and have aheavy-element abundance [Fe/H] of less than about -0.8 dex. The agerange of these objects depends on our knowledge of globular clusterages, but if age is correlated with V-velocity, the youngest may be M22and M28 (V ~ -50 km s^-1) and the oldest NGC 3201 (V ~ -500 km s^-1) andassorted field stars. (2) The old disk population covers the large agerange from about 2 Gyr (Hyades, NGC 752) to 10 or 12 Gyr (Arcturusgroup, 47 Tuc), but the lag (V) velocity is restricted to less thanabout 120 km s^-1 and [Fe/H] >= -0.8 or -0.9 dex. The [Fe/H] ~ -0.8dex division between halo and old disk, near t ~ 10-12 Gyr, is marked bya change in the character of the CN index (C_m) and of the blanketingparameter K of the DDO photometry. (3) The young disk population, t <2 Gyr, is confined exclusively to a well-defined area of the (U, V)velocity plane. The age separating young and old disk stars is also thatseparating giant evolution of the Hyades (near main-sequence luminosity)and M67 (degenerate helium cores and a large luminosity rise) kinds. Thetwo disk populations are also separated by such indexes as the g-indexof Geveva photometry. There appears to be no obvious need to invokeexogeneous influences to understand the motion and heavy-elementabundance distributions of the best-observed stars near the Sun.Individual stars of special interest include the parallax star HD 55575,which may be an equal-component binary, and the high-velocity star HD220127, with a well-determined space velocity near 1000 km s^-1.
| The catalogue of nearby stars metallicities.
Not Available
| The optical spectrum of FG Sagittae during its recent decline in brightness
We describe low- and intermediate-resolution optical spectra of thepeculiar variable star FG Sagittae that were obtained during the laterstages of its current episode of sharply diminished optical luminosity.In the region from 5600 to 6700 A, the line spectrum is essentially thesame as it was in 1983: it contains lines of Fe-peak elements typical ofluminous stars of spectral type G or early K, together with a forest oflines due to heavy elements associated with traditional s-processspecies, e.g., Zr, Ba, Ce, La, Sm, and Y. Estimates of (B - V), derivedfrom these flux-calibrated spectra, show that from early November 1992onward, the continuum grew progressively redder until by the end of1992, the color of the central star became even redder than it wasbefore the onset of the current episode. The present results arecompatible with a model in which the diminution in optical luminosity isthe result of the ejection of a semitransparent dust shell by thecentral star, as proposed by Woodward et al. (1993). There is nocompelling evidence to suggest that the central star is returning to itspre-1960 state within the domain of hot stars.
| UVBY - beta photometry of high-velocity and metal-poor stars. VI - A second catalogue, and stellar populations of the Galaxy
A second catalog of uvby-beta photometry for 553 high-velocity stars ispresented. Combining the catalogs, reliable (Fe/H) values are obtainedfor 1214 stars and reliable kinematic parameters for 1149. The totalsample contains at least three significant, distinct stellar populationswith properties very similar to those given in the literature of the oldthin disk, thick disk, and halo. The thick-disk component has mean(Fe/H) about -0.50 +/- 0.10 dex and sigma(Fe/H) about 0.25 +/- 0.03 dex,but there is evidence for a significant thick-disk contribution down to(Fe/H) about -1.4. A diagonal cut in the V(rot), (Fe/H) diagramindicates that there is not a chemical gradient in the Galactic halo.The mean V(rot), mean (Fe/H) curve for the whole sample indicates thatthe halo evolved mostly independently of the disk.
| The frequency of low-mass companions to K and M stars in the solar neighbourhood
The measurements of radial velocities of 200 stars from the Gliesecatalog during 5 years with an accuracy of 0.5 km/s indicate the absenceof substellar mass companions with periods less than 3000 d. Theprobability of companion detection is determined by numerical modeling.New data on spectroscopic orbits of late-type dwarfs are used toestimate the distribution of companion masses by the maximum likelihoodmethod. The statistical properties of low-mass binaries are differentfrom those of more massive main-sequence and giant systems: thefrequency of spectroscopic binaries is less (10 +/- 2 percent) while atleast half of them have a mass ratio exceeding 0.5. Evidence is foundfor a nonmonotonic distribution of the masses of secondary componentswith a deficit in the 0.2-0.3 solar mass range.
| CA II H and K measurements made at Mount Wilson Observatory, 1966-1983
Summaries are presented of the photoelectric measurements of stellar CaII H and K line intensity made at Mount Wilson Observatory during theyears 1966-1983. These results are derived from 65,263 individualobservations of 1296 stars. For each star, for each observing season,the maximum, minimum, mean, and variation of the instrumental H and Kindex 'S' are given, as well as a measurement of the accuracy ofobservation. A total of 3110 seasonal summaries are reported. Factorswhich affect the ability to detect stellar activity variations andaccurately measure their amplitudes, such as the accuracy of the H and Kmeasurements and scattered light contamination, are discussed. Relationsare given which facilitate intercomparison of 'S' values with residualintensities derived from ordinary spectrophotometry, and for convertingmeasurements to absolute fluxes.
| New subdwarfs. VI - Kinematics of 1125 high-proper-motion stars and the collapse of the Galaxy
The UVW velocity components, planar eccentricities, and angular momentaof 878 high-proper-motion stars are determined using the radial-velocitydata of Fouts and Sandage (1986) and compared with chemical abundancesand photometric parallaxes from the UBV photometry of Sandage and Kowal(1986). The results are presented, along with published data on 247additional stars, in extensive tables and graphs and characterized indetail. Two approximately equal components are differentiated: alow-velocity component identified as part of the thick disk described byGilmore and Reid (1983) and a high-velocity halo component. The data arefound to support a model of Galactic collapse (with concomitant spinupand progressive chemical enrichment) which includes a rotating bulge(the thick disk) with kinematic and metallicity properties between thoseof the old thin disk and the halo.
| New subdwarfs. V - Radial velocities for 889 high-proper-motion stars measured with the Mount Wilson 100 inch reflector
New radial velocities have been obtained from 2265 measurements of 889high-proper-motion stars taken from the subdwarf candidate list of aprevious paper. The observations were made with the Mount Wilson 100 inHooker reflector coude spectrograph with a Reticon detector, giving aninternal error of a single measurement of 4.7 km/s. From 88 stars incommon with previously known subdwarfs; the external error of the datais 6.9 km/s per measurement, and the velocity system is shown to be onthe system of the Wilson General Catalog to better than 1 km/s. Of the878 stars with nonvariable velocities in the sample, 38 have radialvelocities larger than 200 km/s, of which 22 are new. There is acorrelation between radial velocity and reduced ultraviolet excess asexpected from the previously known relations between space motion andchemical composition. The Stroemberg asymmetric drift is directlyvisible in the radial velocity and the proper-motion data separately aseach is displayed as a function of galactic longitude.
| New subdwarfs. IV - UBV photometry of 1690 high-proper-motion stars
A photometric list of 1690 stars of known high proper motion is used tosearch for potential high-velocity stars of various metallicity valuesin order to find candidates for trigonometric programs on subdwarfs andto enlarge the sample with which to study the relation between stellarkinematics and metal abundance. A list of 113 stars with tangentialspace velocities of 300 km/s or greater is obtained, the highesttangential velocity relative to the sun being 630 km/s. By using thevariation of the tangential velocity with longitude and adopting thegalactic rotation at the solar circle to be 220 km/s, the rotation ofthe subdwarf system is estimated at 0 + or - 50 km/s from the transversevelocity alone, in agreement with determinations based on other methods.
| G. P. Kuiper's spectral classifications of proper-motion stars
Spectral classifications are listed for over 3200 stars, mainly of largeproper motion, observed and classified by Kuiper during the years1937-1944 at the Yerkes and McDonald Observatories. While Kuiper himselfpublished many of his types, and while improved classifications are nowavailable for many of these stars, much of value remains. For many ofthe objects, no other spectral data exist.
| A library of stellar spectra
Spectra for 161 stars having spectral classes O-M and luminosity classesV, III, and I have been incorporated into a library available onmagnetic tape. The spectra extend from 3510 to 7427 A at a resolution ofabout 4.5 A. The typical photometric uncertainty of each resolutionelement in the spectra is on the order of 1 percent while broad-bandvariations are smaller than 3 percent. Potential uses for the libraryinclude population synthesis of galaxies and clusters, tests of stellaratmosphere models, spectral classification, and the generation of colorindices having arbitrary wavelength and bandpass.
| Preliminary UVBY calibrations for G and K type dwarf stars
Four-color uvby photometry for several hundred late-type dwarf stars oftypes G, K and M is discussed. Mean values of photometric indices aregiven for MK spectral types between F8/G0V and M2V. Preliminary standardrelations between the four-color indices are derived. Based onparallaxes and results from high-dispersion spectroscopic analyses,calibrations of the observed indices in terms of Mv, log Te and Fe/Hhave been derived. The means errors are 0.29 mag, 0.009 dex, and 0.17dex, respectively. The calibrations are valid for class-V stars of allpopulations between G0 and M2. If extreme population-II dwarfs areexcluded, the mean error of the abundance calibration decreases to 0.13dex. Calibrations in terms of log g have been attempted,, but the lowaccuracy of the spectroscopic g determinations does not inspireconfidence in the results. The possible contribution of a'fourth-parameter' variation to the mean errors of the calibrations isbriefly discussed. This fourth parameter could be the intrinsic heliumabundance of the stars.
| Magnetic field structure in the Taurus dark cloud
Optical and infrared polarimetry of sources in the direction of theTaurus cloud are obtained in order to study the magnetic field in thiscloud and its possible role in the cloud's evolution. Most of the starsare background giant stars whose light shines through the cloud and ispolarized by the cloud material. The transverse component of themagnetic field, as delineated by the polarization vectors, is generallyperpendicular to the galactic plane, and the stratified structure of thecloud could be due to the effect of the magnetic field during the earlystages of collapse. Three of the 13 embedded stars are stronglypolarized with position angles nearly perpendicular to those of nearbyfield stars. The polarization of these stars is most likely intrinsic,and the direction of polarization indicates that the materialsurrounding these stars may be magnetic i.e., that the magnetic field isfrozen in this material.
| Predicted infrared brightness of stars within 25 parsecs of the sun
Procedures are given for transforming selected optical data intoinfrared flux densities or irradiances. The results provide R, T(eff)blackbody approximations for about 2000 of the stars in Woolley et al.'sCatalog of Stars (1970) within 25 pc of the sun, and additional whitedwarfs, with infrared flux densities predicted for them at ninewavelengths from 2.2 to 101 microns including the Infrared AstronomySatellite bands.
| Meridian observations made with the Carlsberg Automatic Meridian Circle at Brorfelde (Copenhagen University Observatory) 1981-1982
The 7-inch transit circle instrument with which the present position andmagnitude catalog for 1577 stars with visual magnitudes greater than11.0 was obtained had been equipped with a photoelectric moving slitmicrometer and a minicomputer to control the entire observationalprocess. Positions are reduced relative to the FK4 system for each nightover the whole meridian rather than the usual narrow zones. Thepositions of the FK4 stars used in the least squares solution are alsogiven in the catalog.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Taureau |
| Right ascension: | 04h43m35.44s |
| Declination: | +27°41'14.7" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 7.998 |
| Distance: | 22.351 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 54.6 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -264.9 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.152 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.094 |
Catalogs and designations:
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INHABITED SKY
