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Is There Enhanced Depletion of Gas-Phase Nitrogen in Moderately Reddened Lines of Sight?
We report on the abundance of interstellar neutral nitrogen (N I) for 30sight lines, using data from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer(FUSE) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). N I column densities arederived by measuring the equivalent widths of several ultravioletabsorption lines and subsequently fitting those to a curve of growth. Wefind a mean interstellar N/H of 51+/-4 ppm. This is below the mean foundby Meyer et al. of 62+4-3 ppm (adjusted for adifference in f-values). Our mean N/H is similar, however, to the(f-value adjusted) mean of 51+/-3 ppm found by Knauth et al. for alarger sample of sight lines with larger hydrogen column densitiescomparable to those in this study. We discuss the question of whether ornot nitrogen shows increased gas-phase depletion in lines of sight withcolumn densities logN(Htot)>~21, as claimed by Knauth etal. The nitrogen abundance in the line of sight toward HD 152236 isparticularly interesting. We derive very small N/H and N/O ratios forthis line of sight that may support a previous suggestion that membersof the Sco OB1 association formed from an N-deficient region.
| Composition of the Interstellar Medium
We present an analysis of the FeII, GeII, MgI, MgII, SI, SII, SiII andZnII interstellar lines for 63 stars. Column density of MgII, SII, SiIIand ZnII is well correlated with distance. However, the column density-- distance relation should be used with care for the estimation of thedistance to OB stars. For stars with large f(H_2) this relation can leadto a large overestimation of the distance. The column densities of MgII,SiII and GeII (our largest samples of data) normalized to their totalhydrogen column densities decrease with interstellar reddening E(B-V) asexpected for elements that are incorporated into dust grains. The GeIIabundance (GeII/H) is lower in dense molecular clouds. The abundances ofall analyzed elements are generally lower than their Solar Systemvalues.
| On the diffuse bands related to the C2 interstellar molecule
The recently published idea that intensities of some weak diffuseinterstellar bands (DIBs) are related to the C2 molecule column densityhave been examined. We use a set of high quality echelle spectra ofheavily reddened stars, acquired at the Bohyunsan Optical AstronomicalObservatory (South Korea), with a resolution R=30 000. The high quality(high S/N ratio) of our spectra is proved by the fact that despite usingthe most widely used Phillips (2, 0) band of the C2 molecule (near 8760Å), we can trace the (3, 0) Phillips band (near 7725 Å) aswell. Equivalent widths of four (5176, 5542, 5546 and 5769 Å) outof 16 examined DIBs demonstrate relatively good correlation with C2column density. However, a majority of the studied DIBs, alreadyreported as "C2" ones, most likely are not related to this simplestcarbon molecule. A removal of peculiar objects like HD 34078 from theanalyzed sample does not substantially change the level of correlations.
| Interstellar Ca II Line Intensities and the Distances of the OB stars
We show that the equivalent widths of the well-known interstellar Ca IIH and K lines can be used to determine the distances to OB stars in ourGalaxy. The equivalent widths, measured in the spectra of 147 early-typestars, are strongly related to the Hipparcos parallaxes of thoseobjects. The lines fitted to the parallax-equivalent width data aregiven by the formulae π=1/[2.78EW(K)+95] and π=1/[4.58EW(H)+102],where π is in arcseconds and EW is in milliangstroms. The form of theformulae, yielding a finite parallax even for zero absorption, showsthat space within ~100 pc of the Sun contains very little Ca II, whichis in agreement with the known dimensions of the Local Bubble. Using CaII lines for distance determination does not require the knowledge ofthe absolute magnitude of the object; it is thus well suited for targetsfor which the absolute calibration is either not precise (OBsupergiants) or not available at all (peculiar objects). We alsodemonstrate that neither the reddening E(B-V) nor the equivalent widthsof interstellar K I and CH lines are suitable candidates for distanceestimation, their relation with parallaxes being far less tight than forCa II.
| Cloud Structure and Physical Conditions in Star-forming Regions from Optical Observations. II. Analysis
To complement the optical absorption line survey of diffuse moleculargas in Paper I, we obtained and analyzed far-ultraviolet H2and CO data on lines of sight toward stars in Cep OB2 and Cep OB3.Possible correlations between column densities of different species forindividual velocity components, not total columns along a line of sightas in the past, were examined and were interpreted in terms of cloudstructure. The analysis reveals that there are two kinds of CH indiffuse molecular gas: CN-like CH and CH+-like CH. Evidenceis provided that CO is also associated with CN in diffuse molecularclouds. Different species are distributed according to gas density inthe diffuse molecular gas. Both calcium and potassium may be depletedonto grains in high-density gas, but with different dependencies onlocal gas density. Gas densities for components where CN was detectedwere inferred from a chemical model. Analysis of cloud structureindicates that our data are generally consistent with the large-scalestructure suggested by maps of CO millimeter-wave emission. On smallscales, the gas density is seen to vary by factors greater than 5.0 overscales of ~10,000 AU. The relationships between column densities of COand CH with that of H2 along a line of sight show similarslopes for the gas toward Cep OB2 and Cep OB3, but the CO/H2and CH/H2 ratios tend to differ, which we ascribe tovariation in average density along the line of sight.
| Profiles of Very Weak Diffuse Interstellar Bands around 6440 Å
Profiles of very weak diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) between 6400 and6470 Å observed with high resolution and very high S/N aredemonstrated. We show that with the increasing quality of reddenedstellar spectra, the whole spectral range is covered with weak or veryweak DIBs-at least one every 2-3 Å. We also present the details ofthe profiles of a few stronger features; the presence of substructuresresembles the profiles of strong DIBs observed in high resolution duringthe last decade and supports the hypothesis of a molecular origin of atleast a majority of DIBs.
| Velocity Dispersion of the High Rotational Levels of H2
We present a study of the high rotational bands (J>=2) ofH2 toward four early-type Galactic stars: HD 73882, HD192639, HD 206267, and HD 207538. In each case, the velocity dispersion,characterized by the spectrum fitting parameter b, increases with thelevel of excitation, a phenomenon that has previously been detected bythe Copernicus and IMAPS observatories. In particular, we show with 4σ confidence that for HD 192639 it is not possible to fit all Jlevels with a single b-value and that higher b-values are needed for thehigher levels. The amplitude of the line broadening, which can be ashigh as 10 km s-1, makes explanations such as inhomogeneousspatial distribution unlikely. We investigate a mechanism in which thebroadening is due to the molecules that are rotationally excited throughthe excess energy acquired after their formation on a grain(H2 formation pumping). We show that different dispersionswould be a natural consequence of this mechanism. We note, however, thatsuch a process would require a formation rate 10 times higher than whatwas inferred from other observations. In view of this result, and of thedifficulty in accounting for the velocity dispersion as thermalbroadening (T would be around 10,000 K), we conclude then that we aremost certainly observing some highly turbulent warm layer associatedwith the cold diffuse cloud. Embedded in a magnetic field, it could beresponsible for the high quantities of CH+ measured in thecold neutral medium.
| Abundances and Depletions of Interstellar Oxygen
We report on the abundance of interstellar neutral oxygen (O I) for 26sight lines, using data from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer,the International Spectroscopic Explorer, and the Hubble SpaceTelescope. O I column densities are derived by measuring the equivalentwidths of several ultraviolet absorption lines and subsequently fittingthose to a curve of growth. We consider both our general sample of 26sight lines and a more restrictive sample of 10 sight lines that utilizeHST data for a measurement of the weak 1355 Å line of oxygen andare thus better constrained owing to our sampling of all three sectionsof the curve of growth. The column densities of our HST sample showratios of O/H that agree with the current best solar value if dust isconsidered, with the possible exception of one sight line (HD 37903). Wenote some very limited evidence in the HST sample for trends ofincreasing depletion with respect to RV and f(H2),but the trends are not conclusive. Unlike a recent result from Cartledgeet al., we do not see evidence for increasing depletion with respect to, but our HST sample contains only two points moredense than the critical density determined in that paper. The columndensities of our more general sample show some scatter in O/H, but mostagree with the solar value to within errors. We discuss these results inthe context of establishing the best method for determining interstellarabundances, the unresolved question of the best value for O/H in theinterstellar medium, the O/H ratios observed in Galactic stars, and thedepletion of gas-phase oxygen onto dust grains.
| On the Hipparcos parallaxes of O stars
We compare the absolute visual magnitude of the majority of bright Ostars in the sky as predicted from their spectral type with the absolutemagnitude calculated from their apparent magnitude and the Hipparcosparallax. We find that many stars appear to be much fainter thanexpected, up to five magnitudes. We find no evidence for a correlationbetween magnitude differences and the stellar rotational velocity assuggested for OB stars by Lamers et al. (1997, A&A, 325, L25), whosesmall sample of stars is partly included in ours. Instead, by means of asimulation we show how these differences arise naturally from the largedistances at which O stars are located, and the level of precision ofthe parallax measurements achieved by Hipparcos. Straightforwardlyderiving a distance from the Hipparcos parallax yields reliable resultsfor one or two O stars only. We discuss several types of bias reportedin the literature in connection with parallax samples (Lutz-Kelker,Malmquist) and investigate how they affect the O star sample. Inaddition, we test three absolute magnitude calibrations from theliterature (Schmidt-Kaler et al. 1982, Landolt-Börnstein; Howarth& Prinja 1989, ApJS, 69, 527; Vacca et al. 1996, ApJ, 460, 914) andfind that they are consistent with the Hipparcos measurements. AlthoughO stars conform nicely to the simulation, we notice that some B stars inthe sample of \citeauthor{La97} have a magnitude difference larger thanexpected.
| Correlations between diffuse interstellar bands and atomic lines
We present and discuss correlations between strengths of the well-known,strong interstellar atomic lines of KI and CaII, and four selected,strong unidentified diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs): 5780, 5797, 5850and 6614. In order to analyse a homogeneous sample of echellehigh-resolution spectra it has been chosen to use measurements fromTerskol Observatory in Northern Caucasus plus a selected number ofhigher resolution observations performed using other instruments. Wedemonstrate that the strength of certain DIBs correlate well withneutral potassium lines and to a much lower degree with ionized calciumlines. This fact suggests that the degree of irradiation of a cloud withUV photons, capable to ionize interstellar atoms, plays a crucial rolein the formation/maintenance of certain molecular species: possiblecarriers of DIBs.
| Cloud Structure and Physical Conditions in Star-forming Regions from Optical Observations. I. Data and Component Structure
We present high-resolution optical spectra (at ~0.6-1.8 kms-1) of interstellar CN, CH, CH+, Ca I, K I, andCa II absorption toward 29 lines of sight in three star-forming regions,ρ Oph, Cep OB2, and Cep OB3. The observations and data reduction aredescribed. The agreement between earlier measurements of the totalequivalent widths and our results is quite good. However, our higherresolution spectra reveal complex structure and closely blendedcomponents in most lines of sight. The velocity component structure ofeach species is obtained by analyzing the spectra of the six species fora given sight line together. The tabulated column densities and Dopplerparameters of individual components are determined by using the methodof profile fitting. Total column densities along lines of sight arecomputed by summing results from profile fitting for individualcomponents and are compared with column densities from the apparentoptical depth method. A more detailed analysis of these data and theirimplications will be presented in a companion paper.
| On the relation between diffuse bands and column densities of H2, CH and CO molecules
Mutual relations between column densities of H2, CH and COmolecules as well as between the latter and strengths of the major 5780and 5797 diffuse bands are presented and discussed. The CH radical seemsto be a good H2 tracer, possibly better than CO. It is alsodemonstrated that the molecular fraction of the H2 moleculeis correlated with an intensity ratio of 5797 and 5780 DIBs, suggestingthe possible formation of narrow DIB carriers in denser clouds,dominated by molecular hydrogen and reasonably shielded from ionizing UVradiation by small dust grains.Tables 1 and 2 are 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/414/949
| High-Resolution Observations of Interstellar Ca I Absorption-Implications for Depletions and Electron Densities in Diffuse Clouds
We present high-resolution (FWHM~0.3-1.5 km s-1) spectra,obtained with the AAT UHRF, the McDonald Observatory 2.7 m coudéspectrograph, and/or the KPNO coudé feed, of interstellar Ca Iabsorption toward 30 Galactic stars. Comparisons of the column densitiesof Ca I, Ca II, K I, and other species-for individual componentsidentified in the line profiles and also when integrated over entirelines of sight-yield information on relative electron densities anddepletions (dependent on assumptions regarding the ionizationequilibrium). There is no obvious relationship between the ratio N(CaI)/N(Ca II) [equal to ne/(Γ/αr) forphotoionization equilibrium] and the fraction of hydrogen in molecularform f(H2) (often taken to be indicative of the local densitynH). For a smaller sample of sight lines for which thethermal pressure (nHT) and local density can be estimated viaanalysis of the C I fine-structure excitation, the average electrondensity inferred from C, Na, and K (assuming photoionizationequilibrium) seems to be independent of nH andnHT. While the electron density (ne) obtained fromthe ratio N(Ca I)/N(Ca II) is often significantly higher than the valuesderived from other elements, the patterns of relative nederived from different elements show both similarities and differencesfor different lines of sight-suggesting that additional processesbesides photoionization and radiative recombination commonly andsignificantly affect the ionization balance of heavy elements in diffuseinterstellar clouds. Such additional processes may also contribute tothe (apparently) larger than expected fractional ionizations(ne/nH) found for some lines of sight withindependent determinations of nH. In general, inclusion of``grain-assisted'' recombination does reduce the inferred ne,but it does not reconcile the ne estimated from differentelements; it may, however, suggest some dependence of ne onnH. The depletion of calcium may have a much weakerdependence on density than was suggested by earlier comparisons with CHand CN. Two appendices present similar high-resolution spectra of Fe Ifor a few stars and give a compilation of column density data for Ca I,Ca II, Fe I, and S I.
| A search for O VI in the winds of B-type stars
We have conducted a survey of FUSE spectra of 235 Galactic B-type starsin order to determine the boundaries in the H-R diagram for theproduction of the superion {O Vi} in their winds. By comparing thelocations and morphology of otherwise unidentified absorption featuresin the vicinity of the {O Vi} resonance doublet with the bona fide windprofiles seen in archival IUE spectra of the resonance lines of {N V},{Si Iv} and {C Iv}, we were able to detect blueshifted {O Vi} lines inthe spectra of giant and supergiant stars with temperature classes aslate as B1. No features attributable to {O Vi} were detected in dwarfslater than B0, or in stars of any luminosity class later than B1,although our ability to recognize weak absorption features in thesestars is severely restricted by blending with photospheric andinterstellar features. We discuss evidence that the ratio of the ionfractions of {O Vi} and {N V} is substantially different in the winds ofearly B-type stars than O-type stars.
| High resolution spectroscopy of HD 207538 from Far-UV (FUSE) to Visible (SARG-TNG). A global picture of the stellar and interstellar features modeled
We present a detailed study of the suspected Chemically Peculiar star HD207538 based on high resolution spectroscopy in the far Ultraviolet(1000-3350 Å) and visible (4600-7000 Å) ranges. The stellarabundance synthesis analysis was performed by using Kurucz's codesATLAS9 and SYNTHE to compute the atmospheric model and the syntheticspectrum respectively. Observations were obtained with the FarUltraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, the International UltravioletExplorer satellites whereas the optical spectrum was collected with theground-based Telescopio Nazionale Galileo telescope. With our analysiswe refine the value of the rotational velocity to ve sin i =42 +/- 3 km s-1 and the microturbulence velocity to xi = 8+/- 1 km s-1. The stellar abundances inferred in this studyshow that C, N, O, Al, Si, P, S and Mn are compatible with the standardsolar abundances, within the experimental errors. On the other hand, Fe,Ni and Zn are definitively underabundant. We also show that the heliumcontent is comparable to the typical abundance of B-type stars. Becausethis spectrum is rich in stellar and interstellar features, we computedsimultaneously a synthetic spectrum of the stellar and interstellarlines in order to disentangle the different absorption contributions. Wethus also determined the column densities of several interstellarelements (FeII, NI, PII, HI, H2, HD, CO, ClI and ArI) presentin the gas in front of the star. Although several components are presentalong this sightline, our results suggest the presence of sometranslucent interstellar gas among the diffuse components. With thiswork, we demonstrate that it is possible to perform a stellarspectroscopic analysis from the far-UV to visible spectral range, withconsistent results in both ranges within errors, based on one singleatmosphere model.
| Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Snapshot Survey of O VI Variability in the Winds of 66 OB-Type Stars
We have used the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer to conduct asnapshot survey of O VI variability in the winds of 66 OB-type stars inthe Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. These time series consist of twoor three observations separated by intervals ranging from a few days toseveral months. Although these time series provide the bare minimum ofinformation required to detect variations, this survey demonstrates thatthe O VI doublet in the winds of OB-type stars is variable on variousscales in both time and velocity. For spectral types from O3 to B1, 64%vary in time. At spectral types later than B1, no wind variability isobserved. In view of the limitations of this survey, this fractionrepresents a lower limit on the true incidence of variability in the OVI wind lines, which is very common and probably ubiquitous. Incontrast, for S IV and P V, only a small percentage of the whole sampleshows wind variations, although this may be principally due to selectioneffects. The observed variations extend over several hundreds ofkilometers per second of the wind profile and can be strong. The widthover which the wind O VI profile varies is only weakly correlated withthe terminal velocity (v&infy;), but a significantcorrelation (close to a 1:1 relationship) is derived between the maximumvelocity of the variation and v&infy;. High-velocity O VIwind absorption features (possibly related to the discrete absorptioncomponents seen in other wind lines) are also observed in 46% of thecases for spectral types from O3 to B0.5. These features are variable,but the nature of their propagation cannot be determined from thissurvey. If X-rays can produce sufficient O VI by Auger ionization of OIV and the X-rays originate from strong shocks in the wind, this studysuggests that stronger shocks occur more frequently nearv&infy;, causing an enhancement of O VI nearv&infy;.
| Non-LTE abundances of magnesium, aluminum and sulfur in OB stars near the solar circle
Non-LTE abundances of magnesium, aluminum and sulfur are derived for asample of 23 low-v sin i stars belonging to six northern OBassociations of the Galactic disk within 1 kpc of the Sun. Theabundances are obtained from the fitting of synthetic line profiles tohigh resolution spectra. A comparison of our results with HII regionabundances indicates good agreement for sulfur while the cepheidabundances are higher. The derived abundances of Mg show good overlapwith the cepheid results. The aluminum abundances for OB stars aresignificantly below the cepheid values. But, the OB star results show adependence with effective temperature and need further investigation.The high Al abundances in the cepheids could be the result of mixing. Adiscussion of the oxygen abundance in objects near the solar circlesuggests that the current mean galactic oxygen abundance in this regionis 8.6-8.7 and in agreement with the recently revised oxygen abundancein the solar photosphere. Meaningful comparisons of the absolute S, Aland Mg abundances in OB stars with the Sun must await a reinvestigationof these elements with 3D hydrodynamical model atmospheres for the Sun.No abundance gradients are found within the limited range ingalactocentric distances in the present study. Such variations would beexpected only if there were large metallicity gradients in the disk.
| A Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Survey of Interstellar Molecular Hydrogen in Translucent Clouds
We report the first ensemble results from the Far UltravioletSpectroscopic Explorer survey of molecular hydrogen in lines of sightwith AV>~1 mag. We have developed techniques for fittingcomputed profiles to the low-J lines of H2, and thusdetermining column densities for J=0 and J=1, which contain >~99% ofthe total H2. From these column densities and ancillary datawe have derived the total H2 column densities, hydrogenmolecular fractions, and kinetic temperatures for 23 lines of sight.This is the first significant sample of molecular hydrogen columndensities of ~1021 cm-2, measured through UVabsorption bands. We have also compiled a set of extinction data forthese lines of sight, which sample a wide range of environments. We havesearched for correlations of our H2-related quantities withpreviously published column densities of other molecules and extinctionparameters. We find strong correlations between H2 andmolecules such as CH, CN, and CO, in general agreement with predictionsof chemical models. We also find the expected correlations betweenhydrogen molecular fraction and various density indicators such askinetic temperature, CN abundance, the steepness of the far-UVextinction rise, and the width of the 2175 Å bump. Despite therelatively large molecular fractions, we do not see the values greaterthan 0.8 expected in translucent clouds. With the exception of a fewlines of sight, we see little evidence for the presence of individualtranslucent clouds in our sample. We conclude that most of the lines ofsight are actually composed of two or more diffuse clouds similar tothose found toward targets like ζ Oph. We suggest a modification interminology to distinguish between a ``translucent line of sight'' and a``translucent cloud.''
| Gas-Phase Iron Abundances and Depletions in Translucent Interstellar Lines of Sight from Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Observations of Fe II Lines
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) wavelength coverageincludes several weak- to moderate-strength lines of Fe II, allowing thedetermination, through curve-of-growth analysis, of accurate Fe IIabundances and hence iron depletions. We have analyzed Fe II absorptionlines toward 18 of the reddened stars included in the FUSE survey ofmolecular hydrogen abundances in translucent clouds. Our analysis isbased on equivalent width measurements and curves of growth, aided bythe fact that some of the observed lines are weak enough to be on thelinear part of the curve of growth. In interpreting our abundance anddepletion results, we have combined our data with those of an earliersurvey of interstellar iron abundances and depletions in diffuse clouds,based on Copernicus data. The principal result of our survey is thatiron depletions, known from earlier work to increase with averageline-of-sight density for diffuse clouds, do not continue to increasewith either density or extinction in translucent clouds; i.e., there isno significant trend of increasing depletion with increasing extinctionor molecular fraction. This may be due to the fact that our data setdoes not probe lines of sight with greater average volume densities thanthose that were covered by the previous Copernicus-based survey of irondepletions. We conclude by reevaluating the definition of translucentclouds, based on the lack of enhanced iron depletions in our sample.
| On the Absolute Magnitudes of the O Stars
The conclusion published in 1992 by Garmany & Stencel from a studyof northern OB associations, that the absolute magnitudes of the O starsshow ``a large scatter ... intrinsic to the classification system,'' iscritically examined. It is found that the differences between theirderived absolute magnitudes of O stars and this author's 1973calibration exhibit large systematic effects in several associations,ranging from -0.74 to +1.02 mag with substantially smaller dispersions.Of course, when these results are combined, the scatter equals the fullrange of the systematic effects. To investigate the possibility ofdistance errors, the Garmany & Stencel B0-B2.5 stars in the sameassociations are subjected to the same analysis. The results for the Bstars show no significant systematic differences, eliminating errors inthe association distances derived by Garmany & Stencel from the Bstars as the source of the differences found for the O stars. It isnoteworthy that the dispersions in the absolute magnitudes of the Bstars within a given association are similar to or larger than those ofthe O stars. An examination of the distribution on the sky of the starsshows that the O and B stars in the discrepant associations aregenerally not colocated; such was already known to be the case for theimportant Perseus OB1 association. It is suggested that despite theirefforts to improve them, significant problems remain with theassociation memberships adopted by Garmany & Stencel; the relativelysmall dispersions of the O star absolute magnitudes even in thediscrepant cases indicate that they belong to different, usually moredistant associations near the lines of sight to the B associations withwhich they have been mistakenly connected. Several individual cases ofunrecognized multiple systems and classification errors are also foundin the Garmany & Stencel sample. It is concluded that the scatter inthe absolute magnitudes of the O stars is not as large as found byGarmany & Stencel, and not larger than that of the B stars.
| Chemical Abundances of OB Stars with High Projected Rotational Velocities
Elemental abundances of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium, aluminum,and silicon are presented for a sample of 12 rapidly rotating OB star(vsini>60kms-1) members of the Cep OB2, Cyg OB3, and CygOB7 associations. The abundances are derived from spectrum synthesis,using both LTE and non-LTE calculations. As found in almost all previousstudies of OB stars, the average abundances are slightly below solar, byabout 0.1 to 0.3 dex. In the case of oxygen, even with the recentlyderived low solar abundances, the OB stars are closer to, but stillbelow, the solar value. Results for the nine Cep OB2 members in thissample can be combined with results published previously for eight CepOB2 stars with low projected rotational velocities to yield the mostcomplete set of abundances, to date, for this particular association.These abundances provide a clear picture of both the general chemicaland individual stellar evolution that has occurred within thisassociation. By placing the Cep OB2 stars studied in an HR-diagram weidentify the presence of two distinct age subgroups, with both subgroupshaving quite uniform chemical abundances. Two stars are found in theolder subgroup that show significant N/O overabundances, with both starsbeing two of the most massive, the most evolved, and the most rapidlyrotating of the members studied in Cep OB2. These characteristics ofincreased N abundances being tied to high mass, rapid rotation, and anevolved phase are those predicted from models of rotating stars thatundergo rotationally driven mixing.
| Determination of R_V towards galactic O stars
We present new measurements of the interstellar reddening parameterRV=AV/E(B-V) towards 35 O stars. The results arecombined with measurements from the literature for 60 stars to study thebehaviour of RV with heliocentric distance. RV isthe single basic parameter which characterizes the interstellarextinction from the near-infrared to the far-UV spectral region. Theabsolute extinction AV, from which RV is derived,is best determined by optical and near-infrared photometry (Cardelli etal. \cite{r3}). We consider important the derivation of RVwith the same technique in the direction of as many as possible galacticO stars.
| Fundamental parameters and new variables of the galactic open cluster NGC 7128
CCD photometry in Johnson UBV and Strömgren uvby systems andmedium-resolution spectroscopy of the galactic open cluster NGC 7128 arepresented. Spectral types of the brightest 12 stars in the cluster fieldwere determined based on equivalent widths of the Hα and the Hei6678-Å line. The spectroscopic observations also revealed twoobvious and one probable Be-type stars showing Hα emission. Theanalysis of the photometric diagrams gave a colour excess ofE(B-V)=1.03+/-0.06mag, a distance modulus DM=13.0+/-0.2mag and an ageabove 10Myr. Time-resolved photometric observations obtained on onenight resulted in the detection of short time-scale light variations ofseven new and three already known variable stars in the cluster field.
| Profiles of blue and infrared diffuse interstellar bands
The paper presents a survey of profiles of reasonably strong diffuseinterstellar bands (DIBs) based on the extensive set of high-resolutionspectra acquired with the aid of echelle spectrographs installed at the2-m Terskol, 2-m Pic du Midi and 1-m SAO telescopes. The surveyeddiffuse interstellar bands cover the spectral ranges of blue andnear-infrared, i.e the DIBs not surveyed by Krełowski &Schmidt. The possible modifications caused by stellar and telluric linesare discussed. The very broad features such as 4430 are not discussedbecause the shapes of their profiles, extracted from echelle spectra,are very uncertain. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios of the spectra arenot high enough to enable discussion of the profiles of numerous weakinterstellar features discovered recently.
| 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
| Chemical Abundances of OB Stars in the Cepheus OB2 Association
LTE and non-LTE abundances of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and silicon, aswell as LTE abundances of Fe, are presented from analyses of C II, N II,O II, Si III, and Fe III lines in the spectra of eight main-sequence OBstars in the Cep OB2 association. We find that the chemical compositionof the studied stars in this association is very homogeneous: theabundances of all elements analyzed do not show significant variations,and the observed abundance dispersions can be explained in terms of theuncertainties in the analysis. The abundance results indicate that thisassociation is slightly metal poor ([Fe/H]=-0.3) with the abundances ofall studied elements being subsolar by roughly the same amount.
| Ultraviolet Interstellar Linear Polarization. V. Analysis of the Final Data Set
Using recent measurements of ultraviolet interstellar polarization, wehave examined its relationship to ultraviolet extinction and topolarization and extinction measurements in the visible and infrared.The relationship between the relative amount of ultraviolet polarizationand the parameter lambda_max, determined using only visible data, isconfirmed and strengthened, for example, by a tight correlation betweenp(6 mum^-1)/p_max and lambda^-1_max. A good fit to the wavelengthdependence of the polarization from the infrared to the ultraviolet canbe achieved with a five-parameter function combining a power law in theinfrared and a Serkowski-like function in the ultraviolet. Thepolarization efficiency (ratio of polarization to extinction) is less inthe ultraviolet than in the visual, and the ratio of these efficienciesincreases systematically with lambda^-1_max. We relate these effects tosystematic changes in the underlying aligned grain size distribution.The polarization efficiency of the grains causing the 2175 Åextinction bump along most sight lines is so (unusually) small that nostatistically significant polarization feature is detectable in thatwavelength region. Only two of 28 sight lines show a definitepolarization feature. The environments of the two bump sight lines aresimilar but not unique, and the mechanism for producing the polarizationfeature along only these two sight lines is still not known.
| A HIPPARCOS Census of the Nearby OB Associations
A comprehensive census of the stellar content of the OB associationswithin 1 kpc from the Sun is presented, based on Hipparcos positions,proper motions, and parallaxes. It is a key part of a long-term projectto study the formation, structure, and evolution of nearby young stellargroups and related star-forming regions. OB associations are unbound``moving groups,'' which can be detected kinematically because of theirsmall internal velocity dispersion. The nearby associations have a largeextent on the sky, which traditionally has limited astrometricmembership determination to bright stars (V<~6 mag), with spectraltypes earlier than ~B5. The Hipparcos measurements allow a majorimprovement in this situation. Moving groups are identified in theHipparcos Catalog by combining de Bruijne's refurbished convergent pointmethod with the ``Spaghetti method'' of Hoogerwerf & Aguilar.Astrometric members are listed for 12 young stellar groups, out to adistance of ~650 pc. These are the three subgroups Upper Scorpius, UpperCentaurus Lupus, and Lower Centaurus Crux of Sco OB2, as well as VelOB2, Tr 10, Col 121, Per OB2, alpha Persei (Per OB3), Cas-Tau, Lac OB1,Cep OB2, and a new group in Cepheus, designated as Cep OB6. Theselection procedure corrects the list of previously known astrometricand photometric B- and A-type members in these groups and identifiesmany new members, including a significant number of F stars, as well asevolved stars, e.g., the Wolf-Rayet stars gamma^2 Vel (WR 11) in Vel OB2and EZ CMa (WR 6) in Col 121, and the classical Cepheid delta Cep in CepOB6. Membership probabilities are given for all selected stars. MonteCarlo simulations are used to estimate the expected number of interloperfield stars. In the nearest associations, notably in Sco OB2, thelater-type members include T Tauri objects and other stars in the finalpre-main-sequence phase. This provides a firm link between the classicalhigh-mass stellar content and ongoing low-mass star formation. Detailedstudies of these 12 groups, and their relation to the surroundinginterstellar medium, will be presented elsewhere. Astrometric evidencefor moving groups in the fields of R CrA, CMa OB1, Mon OB1, Ori OB1, CamOB1, Cep OB3, Cep OB4, Cyg OB4, Cyg OB7, and Sct OB2, is inconclusive.OB associations do exist in many of these regions, but they are eitherat distances beyond ~500 pc where the Hipparcos parallaxes are oflimited use, or they have unfavorable kinematics, so that the groupproper motion does not distinguish it from the field stars in theGalactic disk. The mean distances of the well-established groups aresystematically smaller than the pre-Hipparcos photometric estimates.While part of this may be caused by the improved membership lists, arecalibration of the upper main sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russelldiagram may be called for. The mean motions display a systematicpattern, which is discussed in relation to the Gould Belt. Six of the 12detected moving groups do not appear in the classical list of nearby OBassociations. This is sometimes caused by the absence of O stars, but inother cases a previously known open cluster turns out to be (part of) anextended OB association. The number of unbound young stellar groups inthe solar neighborhood may be significantly larger than thoughtpreviously.
| Origin and Evolution of the Cepheus Bubble
We have imaged a 10 deg x 10 deg region of the Cepheus bubble in the J =1-0 line of CO and the 21 cm line of atomic hydrogen. The CO emissiondefines a giant expanding shell 120 pc in diameter, which is similar tothat seen in the IRAS sky maps. We estimate the total gas mass in theregion to be ~4 x 10^5 M_ȯ. The total kinetic energy from theobserved spread of velocities of the molecular clouds is ~10^51 ergs. Wesuggest that the members of earlier generations of massive stars in NGC7160 are responsible for the origin of the Cepheus bubble. These starscreated an expanding compressed shell of gas that became gravitationallyunstable at an age of ~7 Myr. The members of the Cepheus OB2 associationcomprise the second, intermediate generation of stars in this regionthat formed as a consequence of this instability. The numerous colorselected IRAS point sources represent the third and youngest generationof stars in this region. Our observations suggest the great importanceof sequentially triggered star formation in the region of the Cepheusbubble.
| UBV beta Database for Case-Hamburg Northern and Southern Luminous Stars
A database of photoelectric UBV beta photometry for stars listed in theCase-Hamburg northern and southern Milky Way luminous stars surveys hasbeen compiled from the original research literature. Consisting of over16,000 observations of some 7300 stars from over 500 sources, thisdatabase constitutes the most complete compilation of such photometryavailable for intrinsically luminous stars around the Galactic plane.Over 5000 stars listed in the Case-Hamburg surveys still lackfundamental photometric data.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Cepheus |
| Right ascension: | 21h47m39.79s |
| Declination: | +59°42'01.3" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 7.31 |
| Distance: | 3333.333 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -1.7 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -3 |
| B-T magnitude: | 7.62 |
| V-T magnitude: | 7.336 |
Catalogs and designations:
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INHABITED SKY
