Contents
Images
Upload your image
DSS Images Other Images
Related articles
Evolution of interacting binaries with a B type primary at birth
We revisited the analytical expression for the mass ratio distributionfor non-evolved binaries with a B type primary. Selection effectsgoverning the observations were taken into account in order to comparetheory with observations. Theory was optimized so as to fit best withthe observed q-distribution of SB1s and SB2s. The accuracy of thistheoretical mass ratio distribution function is severely hindered by theuncertainties on the observations. We present a library of evolutionarycomputations for binaries with a B type primary at birth. Some liberalcomputations including loss of mass and angular momentum during binaryevolution are added to an extensive grid of conservative calculations.Our computations are compared statistically to the observeddistributions of orbital periods and mass ratios of Algols. ConservativeRoche Lobe Over Flow (RLOF) reproduces the observed distribution oforbital periods but fails to explain the observed mass ratios in therange q in [0.4-1]. In order to obtain a better fit the binaries have tolose a significant amount of matter, without losing much angularmomentum.
| CO emission from discs around isolated HAeBe and Vega-excess stars
We describe results from a survey for J = 3-2 12CO emissionfrom visible stars classified as having an infrared excess. The line isclearly detected in 21 objects, and significant molecular gas(>=10-3 Jupiter masses) is found to be common in targetswith infrared excesses >=0.01 (>=56 per cent of objects), but rarefor those with smaller excesses (~10 per cent of objects).A simple geometrical argument based on the infrared excess implies thatdisc opening angles are typically >=12° for objects with detectedCO; within this angle, the disc is optically thick to stellar radiationand shields the CO from photodissociation. Two or three CO discs have anunusually low infrared excess (<=0.01), implying the shielding discis physically very thin (<=1°).Around 50 per cent of the detected line profiles are double-peaked,while many of the rest have significantly broadened lines, attributed todiscs in Keplerian rotation. Simple model fits to the line profilesindicate outer radii in the range 30-300 au, larger than found throughfitting continuum SEDs, but similar to the sizes of debris discs aroundmain-sequence stars. As many as five have outer radii smaller than theSolar System (50 au), with a further four showing evidence of gas in thedisc at radii smaller than 20 au. The outer disc radius is independentof the stellar spectral type (from K through to B9), but there isevidence of a correlation between radius and total dust mass. Also themean disc size appears to decrease with time: discs around stars of age3-7 Myr have a mean radius ~210 au, whereas discs of age 7-20 Myr are afactor of three smaller. This shows that a significant mass of gas (atleast 2 M⊕) exists beyond the region of planetformation for up to ~7 Myr, and may remain for a further ~10Myr withinthis region.The only bona fide debris disc with detected CO is HD9672; this shows adouble-peaked CO profile and is the most compact gas disc observed, witha modelled outer radius of 17 au. In the case of HD141569, detailedmodelling of the line profile indicates gas may lie in two rings, withradii of 90 and 250 au, similar to the dust structure seen in scatteredlight and the mid-infrared. In both AB Aur and HD163296 we also findthat the sizes of the molecular disc and the dust scattering disc aresimilar; this suggests that the molecular gas and small dust grains areclosely co-located.
| UVBLUE: A New High-Resolution Theoretical Library of Ultraviolet Stellar Spectra
We present an extended ultraviolet-blue (850-4700 Å) library oftheoretical stellar spectral energy distributions computed at highresolution, λ/Δλ=50,000. The UVBLUE grid, as wenamed the library, is based on LTE calculations carried out with ATLAS9and SYNTHE codes developed by R. L. Kurucz and consists of nearly 1800entries that cover a large volume of the parameter space. It spans arange in Teff from 3000 to 50,000 K, the surface gravityranges from logg=0.0 to 5.0 with Δlogg=0.5 dex, while sevenchemical compositions are considered:[M/H]=-2.0,-1.5,-1.0,-0.5,+0.0,+0.3, and +0.5 dex. For its coverageacross the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, this library is the mostcomprehensive one ever computed at high resolution in theshort-wavelength spectral range, and useful application can be foreseenfor both the study of single stars and in population synthesis models ofgalaxies and other stellar systems. We briefly discuss some relevantissues for a safe application of the theoretical output to ultravioletobservations, and a comparison of our LTE models with the non-LTE (NLTE)ones from the TLUSTY code is also carried out. NLTE spectra are found,on average, to be slightly ``redder'' compared to the LTE ones for thesame value of Teff, while a larger difference could bedetected for weak lines, which are nearly wiped out by the enhanced coreemission component in case of NLTE atmospheres. These effects seem to bemagnified at low metallicity (typically [M/H]<~-1). A match with aworking sample of 111 stars from the IUE atlas, with availableatmosphere parameters from the literature, shows that UVBLUE modelsprovide an accurate description of the main mid- and low-resolutionspectral features for stars along the whole sequence from the B to ~G5type. The comparison sensibly degrades for later spectral types, withsupergiant stars that are in general more poorly reproduced than dwarfs.As a possible explanation of this overall trend, we partly invoke theuncertainty in the input atmosphere parameters to compute thetheoretical spectra. In addition, one should also consider the importantcontamination of the IUE stellar sample, where the presence of binaryand variable stars certainly works in the sense of artificiallyworsening the match between theory and observations.
| Statistical Constraints for Astrometric Binaries with Nonlinear Motion
Useful constraints on the orbits and mass ratios of astrometric binariesin the Hipparcos catalog are derived from the measured proper motiondifferences of Hipparcos and Tycho-2 (Δμ), accelerations ofproper motions (μ˙), and second derivatives of proper motions(μ̈). It is shown how, in some cases, statistical bounds can beestimated for the masses of the secondary components. Two catalogs ofastrometric binaries are generated, one of binaries with significantproper motion differences and the other of binaries with significantaccelerations of their proper motions. Mathematical relations betweenthe astrometric observables Δμ, μ˙, and μ̈ andthe orbital elements are derived in the appendices. We find a remarkabledifference between the distribution of spectral types of stars withlarge accelerations but small proper motion differences and that ofstars with large proper motion differences but insignificantaccelerations. The spectral type distribution for the former sample ofbinaries is the same as the general distribution of all stars in theHipparcos catalog, whereas the latter sample is clearly dominated bysolar-type stars, with an obvious dearth of blue stars. We point outthat the latter set includes mostly binaries with long periods (longerthan about 6 yr).
| B Star Rotational Velocities in h and χ Persei: A Probe of Initial Conditions during the Star Formation Epoch?
Projected rotational velocities (vsini) have been measured for 216 B0-B9stars in the rich, dense h and χ Persei double cluster and comparedwith the distribution of rotational velocities for a sample of fieldstars having comparable ages (t~12-15 Myr) and masses (M~4-15Msolar). For stars that are relatively little evolved fromtheir initial locations on the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) (those withmasses M~4-5 Msolar), the mean vsini measured for the h andχ Per sample is slightly more than 2 times larger than the meandetermined for field stars of comparable mass, and the cluster and fieldvsini distributions differ with a high degree of significance. Forsomewhat more evolved stars with masses in the range 5-9Msolar, the mean vsini in h and χ Per is 1.5 times thatof the field; the vsini distributions differ as well, but with a lowerdegree of statistical significance. For stars that have evolvedsignificantly from the ZAMS and are approaching the hydrogen exhaustionphase (those with masses in the range 9-15 Msolar), thecluster and field star means and distributions are only slightlydifferent. We argue that both the higher rotation rates and the patternof rotation speeds as a function of mass that differentiatemain-sequence B stars in h and χ Per from their field analogs werelikely imprinted during the star formation process rather than a resultof angular momentum evolution over the 12-15 Myr cluster lifetime. Wespeculate that these differences may reflect the effects of the higheraccretion rates that theory suggests are characteristic of regions thatgive birth to dense clusters, namely, (1) higher initial rotationspeeds; (2) higher initial radii along the stellar birth line, resultingin greater spin-up between the birth line and the ZAMS; and (3) a morepronounced maximum in the birth line radius-mass relationship thatresults in differentially greater spin-up for stars that become mid- tolate-B stars on the ZAMS.
| Heavy Element Abundances in Late-B and Early-A Stars. I. Co-Added IUE Spectra of HgMn Stars
Very heavy elements (Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, and Bi) are found to be enhanced inthe atmospheres of the chemically peculiar stars of the upper mainsequence by up to a million times the solar system levels. Suchenhancements are believed to result from atmospheric dynamics (i.e.,diffusion) rather than scenarios that dredge up nuclear-processedmaterial to the surface or transfer processed material between binarycompanions. However, the theoretical framework needs to be furtherconstrained by observations beyond the realm of the spectral types forwhich such abundance enhancements are observed at optical wavelengths.The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite collected spectraof bright stars for which chemical peculiarities have been derived fromground-based data. For several elements the abundance enhancements haveonly been recently measured using Hubble Space Telescope data and havetherefore not yet been exploited in the IUE data. We have initiated aprogram to analyze IUE high-dispersion spectra to more fullycharacterize the pattern of very heavy element enhancement for manymercury-manganese (HgMn) stars and to potentially extend the spectralclass (effective temperature) boundaries over which these abundanceanomalies are known to exist. The abundances of very heavy elements inchemically normal B and A-type stars provide a base level that may becompared with the solar system abundances. These early spectral typestars may therefore reveal clues for galactic chemical evolution studiessince they were formed at a later epoch than the Sun in the history ofthe Galaxy. This first paper presents the motivation for the analyses tofollow, outlines our spectral co-addition technique for IUE spectra, anddiscusses the choice of model atmospheres and the synthetic spectrumprocedures, while initiating the study by highlighting the abundance ofgold in several HgMn stars.
| 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.
| Absolute Properties of the Upper Main-Sequence Eclipsing Binary Star MU Cassiopeiae
We present 6151 differential observations in the V filter measured by arobotic telescope, as well as 29 pairs of radial velocities fromhigh-resolution spectroscopic observations, of the detached, EA-type,9.65 day period double-lined eclipsing binary star MU Cas. Absolutedimensions of the components are determined with good precision (betterthan 2% in the masses and radii) for the purpose of testing variousaspects of theoretical modeling. We obtain 4.57+/-0.09 Msolarand 3.67+/-0.04 Rsolar for the hotter, but smaller, lessmassive and less luminous photometric primary (star A), and 4.66+/-0.10Msolar and 4.19+/-0.05 Rsolar for the cooler,larger, more massive and more luminous photometric secondary (star B).The effective temperatures and interstellar reddening of the stars areaccurately determined from uvbyβ photometry: 15,100+/-500 K for theprimary, 14,750+/-500 K for the secondary-corresponding to spectraltypes of B5 and B5-and 0.356 mag for Eb-y. The stars arelocated at a distance of about 1.7 kpc near the plane of the Galacticdisk. The orbits of the stars are eccentric, and spectral line widthsgive observed rotational velocities that are synchronous with the meanorbital motion for both components. The components of MU Cas are uppermain-sequence stars with an age of about 65 Myr according to models.
| Chemical analysis of 24 dusty (pre-)main-sequence stars
We have analysed the chemical photospheric composition of 24 HerbigAe/Be and Vega-type stars in search for the λ Bootis phenomenon.We present the results of the elemental abundances of the sample stars.Some of the stars were never before studied spectroscopically at opticalwavelengths. We have determined the projected rotational velocities ofour sample stars. Furthermore, we discuss stars that depict a(selective) depletion pattern in detail. HD 4881 andHD 139614 seem to display an overall deficiency.AB Aur and possibly HD 126367 havesubsolar values for the iron abundance, but are almost solar in silicon.HD 100546 is the only clear λ Bootis star inour sample.Appendix is only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| Rotational Velocities of B, A, and Early-F Narrow-lined Stars
Projected rotational velocities for 58 B, A, and early-F stars have beendetermined from high-resolution spectroscopic observations made at KittPeak National Observatory with the coudé feed telescope. All thestars are slowly rotating with vsini<60 km s-1. Because oftheir low rotational velocities, 15 of the stars have been observed asprospective, early-type, radial velocity standards.
| Elemental abundance analyses with the EBASIM spectrograph of the 2.1-m CASLEO Observatory Telescope. I. The late B and early A stars vec xi Octantis, alpha Sextantis, and 68 Tauri
We used data from the EBASIM spectrograph of the 2.1-m CASLEO telescopeto study three rather sharp-lined late B to early A stars xi Oct (B6IV), alpha Sex (B9.5 III), and 68 Tau (A2 IV). These measurements arecompared with those from the Anglo-Austrialian Telescope for the firststar and to those from the coudé spectrograph of the 1.22-mtelescope of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) for the othertwo stars. The equivalent width scales of the EBASIM and the DAO dataare similar. Thus for the latter two stars the DAO data is also used inthe analyses. Both xi Oct and alpha Sex generally have abundancesclose to those of the Sun in the range of values found for other normalstars with similar effective temperatures. The abundance pattern for 68Tau is that of a metallic-lined star as is well known.Tables 5 to 7 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/406/987
| Metallicities of the SPB stars from the IUE ultraviolet spectra
We derived the stellar parameters (angular diameters, effectivetemperatures, metallicities) and interstellar reddenings for 20 SPB and34 reference stars observed during the IUE satellite mission. Theparameters were derived by means of an algorithmic procedure of fittingtheoretical flux distributions to the low-resolution IUE spectra andoptical spectrophotometric observations. Since the metallicity [m/H] hasa special importance for pulsating B type stars, we focused ourattention on that parameter. We found that the mean value of themetallicity of the considered SPB and reference stars amounts to [m/H] ~-0.20. The results only slightly depend on the reduction procedure usedfor the IUE images (NEWSIPS and INES). The metal abundances obtained inthis paper are in accordance with the average value of -0.2 dex forstars in the solar neighborhood recently reported by otherinvestigators.Tables 3-7 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/404/689
| Radial velocities of early-type stars in the Perseus OB2 association
We present radial velocities for 29 B- and A-type stars in the field ofthe nearby association Perseus OB2. The velocities are derived fromspectra obtained with AURELIE, via cross correlation with radialvelocity standards matched as closely as possible in spectral type. Theresulting accuracy is ~ 2-3 km s-1. We use thesemeasurements, together with published values for a few other early-typestars, to study membership of the association. The mean radial velocity(and measured velocity dispersion) of Per OB2 is 23.5 +/- 3.9 kms-1, and lies ~ 15 km s-1 away from the meanvelocity of the local disk field stars. We identify a number ofinterlopers in the list of possible late-B- and A-type members which wasbased on Hipparcos parallaxes and proper motions, and discuss thecolour-magnitude diagram of the association.Based on observations made at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence (CNRS),France.
| Mid-IR observations of small stellar clusters surrounding Herbig AeBe stars
We present TIMMI2 observations at 10 mu m of 12 fields centered on knownHerbig AeBe (HAeBe) stars. We detected sources (in addition to the HAeBestar) in five fields, three of which are associated with early B stars.Using complementary near-IR and optical data, we estimate that thedetected sources are young, embedded (AV, ~ 5-24 mag),intermediate-mass objects ( ~ 1.5-3.5 Msun). In four objectsthe 10 mu m emission can be accounted for by a circumstellar disk, whilein 2 cases (possibly 3) there is evidence that the objects are still inan earlier stage of evolution (Class I). These results confirm theassociation of the early B Herbig stars with rather rich clusters, aswell as their very young age. If our estimates of the stellar parametersare confirmed, this would be the largest sample so far of embedded,intermediate-mass objects available for further studies.Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, LaSilla, Chile, ESO proposal numbers 65.I-0097, 66.C-0064, 66.C-0120,67.C-0041, part of the data were acquired using the ESO Service Mode.
| Quantitative Stellar Spectral Classification. II. Early Type Stars
The method developed by Stock & Stock (1999) for stars of spectraltypes A to K to derive absolute magnitudes and intrinsic colors from theequivalent widths of absorption lines in stellar spectra is extended toB-type stars. Spectra of this type of stars for which the Hipparcoscatalogue gives parallaxes with an error of less than 20% were observedwith the CIDA one-meter reflector equipped with a Richardsonspectrograph with a Thompson 576×384 CCD detector. The dispersionis 1.753 Å/pixel using a 600 lines/mm grating in the first order.In order to cover the spectral range 3850 Å to 5750 Å thegrating had to be used in two different positions, with an overlap inthe region from 4800 Å to 4900 Å . A total of 116 stars wasobserved, but not all with both grating positions. A total of 12measurable absorption lines were identified in the spectra and theirequivalent widths were measured. These were related to the absolutemagnitudes derived from the Hipparcos catalogue and to the intrinsiccolors (deduced from the MK spectral types) using linear and secondorder polynomials and two or three lines as independent variables. Thebest solutions were obtained with polynomials of three lines,reproducing the absolute magnitudes with an average residual of about0.40 magnitudes and the intrinsic colors with an average residual of0.016 magnitudes.
| Rotational Velocities of B Stars
We measured the projected rotational velocities of 1092 northern B starslisted in the Bright Star Catalogue (BSC) and calibrated them againstthe 1975 Slettebak et al. system. We found that the published values ofB dwarfs in the BSC average 27% higher than those standards. Only 0.3%of the stars have rotational velocities in excess of two-thirds of thebreakup velocities, and the mean velocity is only 25% of breakup,implying that impending breakup is not a significant factor in reducingrotational velocities. For the B8-B9.5 III-V stars the bimodaldistribution in V can be explained by a set of slowly rotating Ap starsand a set of rapidly rotating normal stars. For the B0-B5 III-V starsthat include very few peculiar stars, the distributions in V are notbimodal. Are the low rotational velocities of B stars due to theoccurrence of frequent low-mass companions, planets, or disks? Therotational velocities of giants originating from late B dwarfs areconsistent with their conservation of angular momentum in shells.However, we are puzzled by why the giants that originate from the earlyB dwarfs, despite having 3 times greater radii, have nearly the samerotational velocities. We find that all B-type primaries in binarieswith periods less than 2.4 days have synchronized rotational and orbitalmotions; those with periods between 2.4 and 5.0 days are rotating withina factor 2 of synchronization or are ``nearly synchronized.'' Thecorresponding period ranges for A-type stars are 4.9 and 10.5 days, ortwice as large. We found that the rotational velocities of the primariesare synchronized earlier than their orbits are circularized. The maximumorbital period for circularized B binaries is 1.5 days and for Abinaries is 2.5 days. For stars of various ages from 107.5 to1010.2 yr the maximum circularized periods are a smoothexponential function of age.
| Absolute Properties of the Main-Sequence Eclipsing Binary Star WW Camelopardalis
We present absolute photometric observations in uvbyβ and 5759differential observations in the V filter (the most complete light curveever obtained) measured by a robotic telescope, as well as radialvelocities from spectroscopic observations of the detached, eccentric,2.3 day, double-lined, eclipsing binary star WW Camelopardalis. Absolutedimensions of the components are determined with high precision (betterthan 1% in the masses and radii) for the purpose of testing variousaspects of theoretical modeling. We obtain 1.920+/-0.013Msolar and 1.911+/-0.016 Rsolar for the primary,and 1.873+/-0.018 Msolar and 1.808+/-0.014 Rsolarfor the secondary. The effective temperatures and interstellar reddeningof the stars are accurately determined from new uvbyβ photometry:8350+/-135 K for the primary and 8240+/-135 K for the secondary,corresponding to a spectral type of A4m for both, and 0.294 mag forEb-y. The metallic-lined character of the stars is revealedby high-resolution spectroscopy and uvbyβ photometry. Spectral linewidths give rotational velocities that are synchronous with the orbitalmotion in a slightly eccentric orbit (e=0.0098). The components of WWCam are main-sequence stars with an age of about 490 Myr according tomodels. Some of the observations reported here were obtained with theMultiple Mirror Telescope, a joint facility of the SmithsonianInstitution and the University of Arizona.
| On the effective temperatures and surface gravities of superficially normal main sequence band B and A stars
Effective temperatures and surface gravities for 48 main sequence band Band A stars were found by matching optical region spectrophotometry andHγ profiles with the predictions of ATLAS9 solar composition modelatmospheres. When these values were compared with those found usingStrömgren uvbybeta photometry based on ATLAS6 model atmospheres, wefound a difference (photometry-spectrophotometry) of 25+/- 118 K for 29stars with 8000 K le Teff <= 10 050 K compared to 76 +/-105 K for 14 stars with 10 050 K <= Teff <= 17 000 K.The surface gravity scales are in agreement. These stars aresufficiently hot that their effective temperatures and surface gravitydeterminations are unaffected by discrepancies due to the choice ofMixing-Length or Canuto-Mazzitelli convection theories.
| GasDust Shells around Some Early-Type Stars with an IR Excess (of Emission)
The results of an investigation of IR (IRAS) observations of 58OBAF stars of different luminosity classes, whichare mainly members of various associations, are presented. The colorindices of these stars are determined and two-color diagrams areconstructed. The emission excesses at 12 and 25 mm (E 12 and E 25) arealso compared with the absorption A1640 of UV radiation. It is concludedthat 24 stars (of the 58 investigated) are disk systems of the Vegatype, to which Vega = N 53 also belongs. Eight known stars of the Vegatype are also given in the figures for comparison. The remaining 34stars may have gasdust shells and/or shelldisks. The IRemission excesses of the 34 investigated stars and 11 comparison stars(eight of them are Be-Ae stars) are evidently due both to thermalemission from grains and to the emission from freefreetransitions of electrons in the gasdust shells of these stars.
| 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
| Composite spectraPaper 10: the equal-mass binary HR 2030 (K0IIb+B8IV)
We separate the spectra of the individual components of HR 2030, asixth-magnitude composite-spectrum binary system, and show that theyhave types close to K0IIb and B8IV, and masses that are equal to withinthe precision of the measurements (mass ratio=1.00+/-0.03). The orbitappears to have a very small eccentricity, although reasons are givenfor believing that such eccentricity is spurious; it has a period of 66dand an inclination estimated at 30° to the line of sight. Ourphotometric model of the system confirms the luminosity types derivedfrom the spectra and indicates an interstellar absorption of 0.4mag, inaccord with the observed strength of the interstellar K line. We derivethe physical parameters (Teff, Mbol, R, L) of thecomponents, and calculate that the mass of each star is close to4.0Msolar. We further show that the hot component(R=5.9+/-0.6Rsolar) has already evolved to a positionsignificantly above the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS), and we proposethat the primary (R=41+/-5Rsolar) is making its first ascentof the red-giant branch. From comparisons with evolutionary tracks, wededuce that the age of the binary (since its arrival at the ZAMS) is inthe range 1-2×108yr. While we suspect that thecomponents are sufficiently close for some tidal distortion to occur,the effects are not discernible in our data owing to the rather loworbital inclination. The system shows Sii in emission as a result ofirradiation of the primary by the hot secondary, but in the opticalspectrum we see little other clear evidence of interaction between thecomponents even though the object has a relatively short period and is astrong X-ray source. On the other hand, Hipparcos photometry suggeststhe existence of a major non-uniformity of the surface of the primarystar.
| Neon abundances in normal late-B and mercury-manganese stars
We make new non-local thermodynamic equilibrium calculations to deducethe abundances of neon from visible-region echelle spectra of selectedNei lines in seven normal stars and 20HgMn stars. We find that the beststrong blend-free Ne line that can be used at the lower end of theeffective temperature Teff range is λ6402, althoughseveral other potentially useful Nei lines are found in the red regionof the spectra of these stars. The mean neon abundance in the normalstars (logA=8.10) is in excellent agreement with the standard abundanceof neon (8.08). However, in HgMn stars neon is almost universallyunderabundant, ranging from marginal deficits of 0.1-0.3dex tounderabundances of an order of magnitude or more. In many cases, thelines are so weak that only upper limits can be established. The mostextreme example found is υ Her with an underabundance of at least1.5dex. These underabundances are qualitatively expected from radiativeacceleration calculations, which show that Ne has a very small radiativeacceleration in the photosphere, and that it is expected to undergogravitational settling if the mixing processes are sufficiently weak andthere is no strong stellar wind. According to theoretical predictions,the low Ne abundances place an important constraint on the intensity ofsuch stellar winds, which must be less than10-14Msolaryr-1 if they arenon-turbulent.
| Dating Ptolemy's star catalogue through proper motions : the Hipparchan epoch.
Not Available
| B Stars as a Diagnostic of Star Formation at Low and High Redshift
We have extended the evolutionary synthesis models by Leitherer et al.by including a new library of B stars generated from the IUEhigh-dispersion spectra archive. We present the library and show how thestellar spectral properties vary according to luminosity classes andspectral types. We have generated synthetic UV spectra for prototypicalyoung stellar populations varying the IMF and the star formation law.Clear signs of age effects are seen in all models. The contribution of Bstars in the UV line spectrum is clearly detected, in particular forgreater ages when O stars have evolved. With the addition of the newlibrary we are able to investigate the fraction of stellar andinterstellar contributions and the variation in the spectral shapes ofintense lines. We have used our models to date the spectrum of the localsuper-star cluster NGC 1705-1. Photospheric lines of C III λ1247,Si III λ1417, and S V λ1502 were used as diagnostics todate the burst of NGC 1705-1 at 10 Myr. Interstellar lines are clearlyseen in the NGC 1705-1 spectrum. Broadening and blueshifts of severalresonance lines are stronger in the galaxy spectrum than in our modelsand are confirmed to be intrinsic of the galaxy. Si II λ1261 andAl II λ1671 were found to be pure interstellar lines with anaverage blueshift of 78 km s-1 owing to a directed outflow ofthe interstellar medium. We have selected the star-forming galaxy1512-cB58 as a first application of the new models to high-z galaxies.This galaxy is at z=2.723, it is gravitationally lensed, and its highsignal-to-noise ratio Keck spectrum shows features typical of localstarburst galaxies, such as NGC 1705-1. Models with continuous starformation were found to be more adequate for 1512-cB58 since there arespectral features typical of a composite stellar population of O and Bstars. A model with Z=0.4 Zsolar and an IMF with α=2.8reproduces the stellar features of the 1512-cB58 spectrum.
| The Orbit of the Classical Cepheid AW Persei Revisited
We have obtained new velocity data for the classical Cepheid AW Perseiand used them to derive a new orbit for the binary star system of whichit is part. The orbital period (40 yr) is slightly longer than thepreviously determined orbit. The lower limit to the mass of thesecondary from the new mass function is 6.6 Msolar. This ismuch larger than the mass inferred from the spectral type of thecompanion, 4.0 Msolar. This implies that the secondary isitself a binary in a short-period orbit. We have used an IUEhigh-resolution spectrum to confirm the spectral contributions from theCepheid and the hottest companion at 2600 Å. Based on observationsfrom David Dunlap Observatory.
| Analysis of correlations between polarimetric and photometric characteristics of young stars. A new approach to the problem after eleven years' study
We present the results of the investigation of correlations between thepolarimetric and photometric characteristics of a sample (496 objects)of young Herbig Ae/Be (HAEBE) stars and T Tauri (TT) stars. It is shownthat, for 85% of the sample stars there is a general relation betweenthe degree of optical polarization and the infrared colour index(V-L)_obs and the colour excess E(V-L) due to the contribution of acircumstellar dust shell. Polarimetric data were also compared with thevalue of vsin i to search for a possible correlation between thepolarization and an inclination of circumstellar disks. Polarimetricdata as well as IR excesses are considered and compared for differentsubgroups of young stars namely: HAEBE and TT stars with Algol-likeminima of brightness (26 objects), Vega-type stars and post HAEBE stars(114 objects) and young solar-type stars (58 objects). For statisticalpurposes the data for young stars were compared with those collected fordifferent groups of evolved objects such as: classical Be stars (~300objects), Mira Ceti stars (39 objects), early-type supergiants from theSerkowski et al. (\cite{serk}) catalogue (120 objects) and main sequence(MS) stars within 50 pc from the Sun from the Leroy (\cite{leroy})catalogue (68 objects). The value of polarization is discussed incontext with the stages of evolution of circumstellar shells which wereestablished by comparison of spectral energy distribution in the far IR(using the IRAS data). It is shown that most young stars havestatistically larger value of polarization in comparison with the starswhich are on a stage of evolution close to MS. We are able to contendthat the changes in polarimetric behaviour of young stars are connectedwith evolution of their circumstellar shells. Appendices 1 to 5 are onlyavailable in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org
| Sixth Catalogue of Fundamental Stars (FK6). Part I. Basic fundamental stars with direct solutions
The FK6 is a suitable combination of the results of the HIPPARCOSastrometry satellite with ground-based data, measured over more than twocenturies and summarized in the FK5. Part I of the FK6 (abbreviatedFK6(I)) contains 878 basic fundamental stars with direct solutions. Suchdirect solutions are appropriate for single stars or for objects whichcan be treated like single stars. From the 878 stars in Part I, we haveselected 340 objects as "astrometrically excellent stars", since theirinstantaneous proper motions and mean (time-averaged) ones do not differsignificantly. Hence most of the astrometrically excellent stars arewell-behaving "single-star candidates" with good astrometric data. Thesestars are most suited for high-precision astrometry. On the other hand,199 of the stars in Part I are Δμ binaries in the sense ofWielen et al. (1999). Many of them are newly discovered probablebinaries with no other hitherto known indication of binarity. The FK6gives, besides the classical "single-star mode" solutions (SI mode),other solutions which take into account the fact that hidden astrometricbinaries among "apparently single-stars" introduce sizable "cosmicerrors" into the quasi-instantaneously measured HIPPARCOS proper motionsand positions. The FK6 gives in addition to the SI mode the "long-termprediction (LTP) mode" and the "short-term prediction (STP) mode". TheseLTP and STP modes are on average the most precise solutions forapparently single stars, depending on the epoch difference with respectto the HIPPARCOS epoch of about 1991. The typical mean error of anFK6(I) proper motion in the single-star mode is 0.35 mas/year. This isabout a factor of two better than the typical HIPPARCOS errors for thesestars of 0.67 mas/year. In the long-term prediction mode, in whichcosmic errors are taken into account, the FK6(I) proper motions have atypical mean error of 0.50 mas/year, which is by a factor of more than 4better than the corresponding error for the HIPPARCOS values of 2.21mas/year (cosmic errors included).
| Stellar Spectroscopy in NGC 6611: Binary Frequency and New Spectral Types of Several Early Type Stars
Not Available
| Oxygen 6156-8 Angstroms Triplet in Chemically Peculiar Stars of the Upper Main Sequence: Do HgMn Stars Show an Oxygen Anomaly?
An extensive spectrum-fitting analysis in the lambda ~ 6150 Angstromsregion was performed for forty late-B and A chemically peculiar (HgMn,Ap, Am, weak-lined) and normal stars of the upper main sequence, inorder to quantitatively establish the abundance of oxygen from the O I6156-8 triplet and to study its behavior/anomaly for each peculiaritygroup, where special attention was paid to HgMn-type stars. Magnetic Apvariables (Si or SrCrEu type) generally show a remarkably large oxygendepletion (by ~ -1.6 dex to ~ -0.4 dex relative to the solar abundance),and classical Am stars also show a clear underabundance (by ~ -0.6 dexon the average). In contrast, the oxygen abundance in HgMn stars,exhibiting only a mild deficiency relative to the Sun typically by ~0.3-0.4 dex, is not markedly different from the tendency of normalstars, also showing a subsolar abundance ([O/H] =~ -0.2). In view of therecent observational implication that the present solar oxygen abundanceis enriched by ~ 0.2-0.3 dex relative to the interstellar gas (fromwhich young stars are formed), and thus unsuitable for the comparisonstandard, we concluded that the extent of the average O-deficiency inHgMn stars is appreciably reduced down to only ~ 0.1-0.2 dex (i.e., notmuch different from the initial composition), which contrasts with theirwell-known drastically large N-depletion. Yet, as can be seen from thedelicate and tight O vs. Fe anticorrelation, this marginal deficiencyshould be real, and thus some physical process simultaneously producingO-depletion/Fe-enrichment must have actually worked in the atmosphere ofHgMn stars.
|
Submit a new article
Related links
Submit a new link
Member of following groups:
|
Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Cetus |
| Right ascension: | 02h44m07.40s |
| Declination: | -13°51'31.0" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 4.25 |
| Distance: | 135.135 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -8.4 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -12.6 |
| B-T magnitude: | 4.083 |
| V-T magnitude: | 4.216 |
Catalogs and designations:
|
INHABITED SKY
