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A Catalog of Rotation and Activity in Early-M Stars
We present a catalog of rotation and chromospheric activity in a sampleof 334 M dwarfs of spectral types M0-M4.5 populating the parameter spacearound the boundary to full convection. We obtain high-resolutionoptical spectra for 206 targets and determine projected rotationalvelocity, vsin i, and H? emission. The data are combined withmeasurements of vsin i in field stars of the same spectral type from theliterature. Our sample adds 157 new rotation measurements to theexisting literature and almost doubles the sample of available vsin i.The final sample provides a statistically meaningful picture of rotationand activity at the transition to full convection in the solarneighborhood. We confirm a steep rise in the fraction of active stars atthe transition to full convection known from earlier work. In addition,we see a clear rise in rotational velocity in the same stars. In veryfew stars, no chromospheric activity but a detection of rotationalbroadening is reported. We argue that all of them are probably spuriousdetections; we conclude that in our sample all significantly rotatingstars are active, and all active stars are significantly rotating. Therotation-activity relation is valid in partially and in fully convectivestars. Thus, we do not observe any evidence for a transition from arotationally dominated dynamo in partially convective stars to arotation-independent turbulent dynamo in fully convective stars;turbulent dynamos in fully convective stars of spectral types around M4are still driven by rotation. Finally, we compare projected rotationalvelocities of 33 stars to rotational periods derived from photometry inthe literature and determine inclinations for a few of them.
| The Radio Activity-Rotation Relation of Ultracool Dwarfs
We present a new radio survey of about 100 late-M and L dwarfsundertaken with the Very Large Array. The sample was chosen to explorethe role of rotation in the radio activity of ultracool dwarfs. As partof the survey we discovered radio emission from three new objects, 2MASSJ 0518113 - 310153 (M6.5), 2MASS J 0952219 - 192431 (M7),and 2MASS J 1314203 + 132001 (M7), and made an additional detection ofLP 349-25 (M8). Combining the new sample with results from our previousstudies and from the literature, we compile the largest sample to dateof ultracool dwarfs with radio observations and measured rotationvelocities (167 objects). In the spectral type range M0-M6 we find aradio activity-rotation relation, with saturation at L rad/Lbol ? 10-7.5 above vsin i ? 5 kms-1, similar to the relation in H? and X-rays.However, at spectral types >~ M7 the ratio of radio to bolometricluminosity increases significantly regardless of rotation velocity, andthe scatter in radio luminosity increases. In particular, while the mostrapid rotators (vsin i >~ 20 km s-1) exhibit"super-saturation" in X-rays and H?, this effect is not seen inthe radio. We also find that ultracool dwarfs with vsin i >~ 20 kms-1 have a higher radio detection fraction by about afactor of three compared to objects with vsin i <~ 10 kms-1. When measured in terms of the Rossby number (Ro),the radio activity-rotation relation follows a single trend and with noapparent saturation from G to L dwarfs and down to Ro ~10-3 in X-rays and H? there is clear saturationat Ro <~ 0.1, with super-saturation beyond M7. A similar trend isobserved for the radio surface flux (L rad/R 2*) as a function of Ro. The continued role of rotation in theoverall level of radio activity and in the fraction of active sources,and the single trend of L rad/L bol and Lrad/R 2 * as a function of Ro from G toL dwarfs, indicates that rotation effects are important in regulatingthe topology or strength of magnetic fields in at least some fullyconvective dwarfs. The fact that not all rapid rotators are detected inthe radio provides additional support to the idea of dual dynamo statesproposed from spectropolarimetric observations.
| Effect of different stellar galactic environments on planetary discs - I. The solar neighbourhood and the birth cloud of the Sun
We have computed trajectories, distances and times of closest approachesto the Sun by stars in the solar neighbourhood with known position,radial velocity and proper motions. For this purpose, we have used afull potential model of the Galaxy that reproduces the local z-force,the Oort constants, the local escape velocity and the rotation curve ofthe Galaxy. From our sample, we constructed initial conditions, withinobservational uncertainties, with a Monte Carlo scheme for the 12 mostsuspicious candidates because of their small tangential motion. We findthat the star Gliese 710 will have the closest approach to the Sun, witha distance of approximately 0.34 pc in 1.36 Myr in the future. We showthat the effect of a flyby with the characteristics of Gliese 710 on a100 au test particle disc representing the Solar system is negligible.However, since there is a lack of 6D data for a large percentage ofstars in the solar neighbourhood, closer approaches may exist. Wecalculate parameters of passing stars that would cause notable effectson the solar disc. Regarding the birth cloud of the Sun, we performedexperiments to reproduce roughly the observed orbital parameters such aseccentricities and inclinations of the Kuiper belt. It is now known thatin Galactic environments, such as stellar formation regions, the stellardensities of new born stars are high enough to produce close encounterswithin 200 au. Moreover, in these Galactic environments, the velocitydispersion is relatively low, typically ?˜ 1-3 kms-1. We find that with a velocity dispersion of ˜1 kms-1 and an approach distance of about 150 au, typical ofthese regions, we obtain approximately the eccentricities andinclinations seen in the current Solar system. Simple analyticalcalculations of stellar encounters effects on the Oort Cloud arepresented.
| A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun
Traditionally, runaway stars are O- and B-type stars with large peculiarvelocities. We would like to extend this definition to young stars (upto ?50 Myr) of any spectral type and to identify those present in theHipparcos catalogue by applying different selection criteria, such aspeculiar space velocities or peculiar one-dimensional velocities.Runaway stars are important for studying the evolution of multiple starsystems or star clusters, as well as for identifying the origins ofneutron stars. We compile the distances, proper motions, spectral types,luminosity classes, V magnitudes and B-V colours, and we utilizeevolutionary models from different authors to obtain star ages. We studya sample of 7663 young Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun. Theradial velocities are obtained from the literature. We investigate thedistributions of the peculiar spatial velocity and the peculiar radialvelocity as well as the peculiar tangential velocity and itsone-dimensional components and we obtain runaway star probabilities foreach star in the sample. In addition, we look for stars that aresituated outside any OB association or OB cluster and the Galactic planeas well as stars for which the velocity vector points away from themedian velocity vector of neighbouring stars or the surrounding local OBassociation/cluster (although the absolute velocity might be small). Wefind a total of 2547 runaway star candidates (with a contamination ofnormal Population I stars of 20 per cent at most). Thus, aftersubtracting these 20 per cent, the runaway frequency among young starsis about 27 per cent. We compile a catalogue of runaway stars, which isavailable via VizieR.
| EMCCD Speckle Interferometry with the 6 m Telescope: Astrometric Measurements, Differential Photometry, and Orbits
Results of the EMCCD-based speckle interferometric observations anddifferential photometry for 46 visual binaries obtained in 2007 June andJuly with the 6 m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory(Russia) are presented. First preliminary orbits for COU 401, COU 1281,and COU 1037 as well as improved orbits for CHR 137, COU 100, COU 1136,COU 798, CHR 51, CHR 55, COU 315, COU 206, and ADS 13961, along withtheir dynamical mass estimates, are reported. On the basis of dynamicalparallax information, first distance estimates for COU 100, COU 1136,COU 798, COU 206, and COU 1037 are calculated.
| Reaching the boundary between stellar kinematic groups and very wide binaries . II. ? Librae + KU Librae: a common proper motion system in Castor separated by 1.0 pc
Aims: I investigate the gravitational binding of a nearby commonproper motion system in the young Castor moving group (? ~ 200 Ma),which is formed by the bright quadruple star ? Lib (Zubenelgenubi)and the young solar analogue KU Lib. The system has an exceptionallywide angular separation of about 2.6 deg, which corresponds to aprojected physical separation of about 1.0 pc. Methods: Icompiled basic information on the system, compared its binding energywith those of other weakly bound systems in the field, and studied thephysical separations of resolved multiple systems in Castor. Results: KU Lib has roughly the same proper motion, parallacticdistance, radial velocity, and metallicity as the young hierarchicalquadruple system ? Lib. It also displays youth features. Theresemblance between these basic parameters and the relatively highestimated binding energy indicate that the five stars aregravitationally bound. KU Lib and ? Lib constitute the widestknown multiple system in all mass domains, and probably represent themost extreme example of young wide binaries on the point of beingdisrupted. Besides this, I make a comprehensive compilation of starcandidates in Castor, including new ones.
| UBV(RI)C JHK observations of Hipparcos-selected nearby stars
We present homogeneous, standardized UBV(RI)C photometry forover 700 nearby stars selected on the basis of Hipparcos parallaxes.Additionally, we list JHK photometry for about half of these stars, aswell as L photometry for 86 of the brightest. A number of stars withpeculiar colours or anomalous locations in various colour-magnitudediagrams are discussed.
| Imaging Young Giant Planets From Ground and Space
High-contrast imaging can find and characterize gas giant planets aroundnearby young stars and the closest M stars, complementing radialvelocity and astrometric searches by exploring orbital separationsinaccessible to indirect methods. Ground-based coronagraphs are alreadyprobing within 25 AU of nearby young stars to find objects as small as .This paper contrasts near-term and future ground-based capabilities withhigh-contrast imaging modes of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).Monte Carlo modeling reveals that JWST can detect planets with masses assmall as across a broad range of orbital separations. We present newcalculations for planet brightness as a function of mass and age forspecific JWST filters and extending to .
| Rotational Velocities for M Dwarfs
We present spectroscopic rotation velocities (v sin i) for 56 M dwarfstars using high-resolution Hobby-Eberly Telescope High ResolutionSpectrograph red spectroscopy. In addition, we have also determinedphotometric effective temperatures, masses, and metallicities ([Fe/H])for some stars observed here and in the literature where we couldacquire accurate parallax measurements and relevant photometry. We haveincreased the number of known v sin i values for mid M stars by around80% and can confirm a weakly increasing rotation velocity withdecreasing effective temperature. Our sample of v sin is peak at lowvelocities (~3 km s-1). We find a change in therotational velocity distribution between early M and late M stars, whichis likely due to the changing field topology between partially and fullyconvective stars. There is also a possible further change in therotational distribution toward the late M dwarfs where dust begins toplay a role in the stellar atmospheres. We also link v sin i to age andshow how it can be used to provide mid-M star age limits. When allliterature velocities for M dwarfs are added to our sample, there are198 with v sin i <= 10 km s-1 and 124 in themid-to-late M star regime (M3.0-M9.5) where measuring precision opticalradial velocities is difficult. In addition, we also search the spectrafor any significant Hα emission or absorption. Forty three percentwere found to exhibit such emission and could represent young, activeobjects with high levels of radial-velocity noise. We acquired twoepochs of spectra for the star GJ1253 spread by almost one month and theHα profile changed from showing no clear signs of emission, toexhibiting a clear emission peak. Four stars in our sample appear to below-mass binaries (GJ1080, GJ3129, Gl802, and LHS3080), with both GJ3129and Gl802 exhibiting double Hα emission features. The tablespresented here will aid any future M star planet search target selectionto extract stars with low v sin i.Based on observations obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which isa joint project of the University of Texas at Austin, the PennsylvaniaState University, Stanford University,Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, andGeorg-August-Universität Göttingen.
| XID II: Statistical Cross-Association of ROSAT Bright Source Catalog X-ray Sources with 2MASS Point Source Catalog Near-Infrared Sources
The 18,806 ROSAT All Sky Survey Bright Source Catalog (RASS/BSC) X-raysources are quantitatively cross-associated with near-infrared (NIR)sources from the Two Micron All Sky Survey Point Source Catalog(2MASS/PSC). An association catalog is presented, listing the mostlikely counterpart for each RASS/BSC source, the probability Pid that the NIR source and X-ray source are uniquelyassociated, and the probability P no-id that none of the2MASS/PSC sources are associated with the X-ray source. The catalogincludes 3853 high quality (P id>0.98) X-ray-NIR matches,2280 medium quality (0.98 >= P id>0.9) matches, and4153 low quality (0.9 >= P id>0.5) matches. Of the highquality matches, 1418 are associations that are not listed in the SIMBADdatabase, and for which no high quality match with a USNO-A2 opticalsource was presented for the RASS/BSC source in previous work. Thepresent work offers a significant number of new associations withRASS/BSC objects that will require optical/NIR spectroscopy forclassification. For example, of the 6133 P id>0.92MASS/PSC counterparts presented in the association catalog, 2411 haveno classification listed in the SIMBAD database. These 2MASS/PSC sourceswill likely include scientifically useful examples of known sourceclasses of X-ray emitters (white dwarfs, coronally active stars, activegalactic nuclei), but may also contain previously unknown sourceclasses. It is determined that all coronally active stars in theRASS/BSC should have a counterpart in the 2MASS/PSC, and that the uniqueassociation of these RASS/BSC sources with their NIR counterparts thusis confusion limited.
| Tracers of Chromospheric Structure. I. Observations of Ca II K and Hα in M Dwarfs
We report on our observing program4This paper is based onobservations obtained with the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m telescope,which is owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium.Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. KeckObservatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among theCalifornia Institute of Technology, the University of California and theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was madepossible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.to capture simultaneous spectra of Ca II and Balmer lines in a sample ofnearby M3 dwarfs. Our goal is to investigate the chromospherictemperature structure required to produce these lines at the observedlevels. We find a strong positive correlation between instantaneousmeasurements of Ca II K and the Balmer lines in active stars, althoughthese lines may not be positively correlated in time-resolvedmeasurements. The relationship between Hα and Ca II K remainsambiguous for weak and intermediate activity stars, with Hαabsorption corresponding to a range of Ca II K emission. A similarrelationship is also observed between Ca II K and the higher-orderBalmer lines. As our sample consists of a single spectral type,correlations between these important chromospheric tracers cannot beascribed to continuum effects, as suggested by other authors. These dataconfirm prior nonsimultaneous observations of the Hα line behaviorwith increasing activity, showing an initial increase in the Hαabsorption with increasing Ca II K emission, prior to Hα fillingin and eventually becoming a pure emission line in the most activestars. We also compare our optical measurements with archival UV andX-ray measurements, finding a positive correlation between thechromospheric and coronal emission for both high and intermediateactivity stars. We compare our results with previous determinations ofthe active fraction of low-mass stars, and discuss them in the contextof surface inhomogeneity. Lastly, we discuss the application of thesedata as empirical constraints on new static models of quiescent M dwarfatmospheres.
| A catalogue of chromospherically active binary stars (third edition)
The catalogue of chromospherically active binaries (CABs) has beenrevised and updated. With 203 new identifications, the number of CABstars is increased to 409. The catalogue is available in electronicformat where each system has a number of lines (suborders) with a uniqueorder number. The columns contain data of limited numbers of selectedcross references, comments to explain peculiarities and the position ofthe binarity in case it belongs to a multiple system, classicalidentifications (RS Canum Venaticorum, BY Draconis), brightness andcolours, photometric and spectroscopic data, a description of emissionfeatures (CaII H and K, Hα, ultraviolet, infrared),X-ray luminosity, radio flux, physical quantities and orbitalinformation, where each basic entry is referenced so users can go to theoriginal sources.
| Confirmation of the Electron Cyclotron Maser Instability as the Dominant Source of Radio Emission from Very Low Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs
We report on radio observations of the M8.5 dwarf LSR J1835+3259 and theL3.5 dwarf 2MASS J00361617+1821104, which provide the strongest evidenceto date that the electron cyclotron maser instability is the dominantmechanism producing radio emission in the magnetospheres of ultracooldwarfs. As has previously been reported for the M9 dwarf TVLM 513-46546,periodic pulses of 100% circularly polarized, coherent radio emissionare detected from both dwarfs with periods of 2.84+/-0.01 and3.08+/-0.05 hr, respectively, for LSR J1835+3259 and 2MASSJ00361617+1821104. Importantly, periodic unpolarized radio emission isalso detected from 2MASS J00361617+1821104, and brightness temperaturelimitations rule out gyrosynchrotron radiation as a source of this radioemission. The unpolarized emission from this and other ultracool dwarfsis also attributed to electron cyclotron maser emission, which hasbecome depolarized on traversing the ultracool dwarf magnetosphere,possibly due to propagations effects such as scattering. Based onavailable vsini data in the literature and rotation periods derived fromthe periodic radio data for the three confirmed sources of electroncyclotron maser emission, TVLM 513-46546, LSR J1835+3259, and 2MASSJ00361617+1821104, we determine that the rotation axes of all threedwarfs are close to perpendicular to our line of sight. This suggests apossible geometrical selection effect due to the inherent directivity ofelectron cyclotron maser emission, that may account for the previouslyreported relationship between radio activity and vsini observed forultracool dwarfs. We also determine the radius of the dwarf LSRJ1835+3259 to be >=0.117+/-0.012 Rsolar. The implied sizeof the radius, together with the bolometric luminosity of the dwarf,suggests that either LSR J1835 is a young- or intermediate-age browndwarf, or that current theoretical models underestimate the radii ofultracool dwarfs.
| Characterizing the Near-UV Environment of M Dwarfs
We report the results of our Hubble Space Telescope (HST) snapshotsurvey with the ACS HRC PR200L prism, designed to measure the near-UVemission in a sample of nearby M dwarfs. Thirty-three stars wereobserved, spanning the mass range from 0.1 to 0.6 solar masses(Teff~2200-4000 K) where the UV energy distributions varywidely between active and inactive stars. These observations providemuch needed constraints on models of the habitability zone and theatmospheres of possible terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarf hosts andwill be useful in refining the target selection for future spacemissions such as Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF). We compare our datawith a new generation of M dwarf atmospheric models and discuss theirimplications for the chromospheric energy budget. These NUV data willalso be valuable in conjunction with existing optical, FUV, and X-raydata to explore unanswered questions regarding the dynamo generation andmagnetic heating in low-mass stars.
| Nearby stars of the Galactic disc and halo - IV
The Milky Way Galaxy has an age of about 13 billion years. Solar-typestars evolve all the long way to the realm of degenerate objects onessentially this time-scale. This, as well as the particular advantagethat the Sun offers through reliable differential spectroscopicanalyses, render these stars the ideal tracers for the fossil record ofour parent spiral. Astrophysics is a science that is known to benotoriously plagued by selection effects. The present work - with amajor focus in this fourth contribution on model atmosphere analyses ofspectroscopic binaries and multiple star systems - aims at avolume-complete sample of about 300 nearby F-, G-, and K-type stars thatparticularly avoids any kinematical or chemical pre-selection from theoutset. It thereby provides an unbiased record of the local stellarpopulations - the ancient thick disc and the much younger thin disc. Onthis base, the detailed individual scrutiny of the long-lived stars ofboth populations unveils the thick disc as a single-burst component witha local normalization of no less than 20 per cent. This enormousfraction, combined with its much larger scaleheight, implies a mass forthe thick disc that is comparable to that of the thin disc. On accountof its completely different mass-to-light ratio the thick disc therebybecomes the dark side of the Milky Way, an ideal major source forbaryonic dark matter. This massive, ancient population consequentlychallenges any gradual build-up scenario for our parent spiral. Evenmore, on the supposition that the Galaxy is not unusual, the thick disc- as it emerges from this unbiased spectroscopic work - particularlychallenges the hierarchical cold-dark-matter-dominated formation picturefor spiral galaxies in general.
| The effect of activity on stellar temperatures and radii
Context: Recent analyses of low-mass eclipsing binary stars haveunveiled a significant disagreement between the observations andpredictions of stellar structure models. Results show that theoreticalmodels underestimate the radii and overestimate the effectivetemperatures of low-mass stars but yield luminosities that accord withobservations. A hypothesis based upon the effects of stellar activitywas put forward to explain the discrepancies. Aims: In this paper westudy the existence of the same trend in single active stars and providea consistent scenario to explain systematic differences between activeand inactive stars in the H-R diagram reported earlier. Methods: Theanalysis is done using single field stars of spectral types late-K and Mand computing their bolometric magnitudes and temperatures throughinfrared colours and spectral indices. The properties of the stars insamples of active and inactive stars are compared statistically toreveal systematic differences. Results: After accounting for a numberof possible bias effects, active stars are shown to be cooler thaninactive stars of similar luminosity therefore implying a larger radiusas well, in proportions that are in excellent agreement with those foundfrom eclipsing binaries. Conclusions: The present results generalisethe existence of strong radius and temperature dependences on stellaractivity to the entire population of low-mass stars, regardless of theirmembership in close binary systems.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/478/507
| Further observations of Hipparcos red stars and standards for UBV(RI)C photometry
We present homogeneous and standardized UBV(RI)C JHKphotometry for over 100 M stars selected from an earlier paper on thebasis of apparent photometric constancy. L photometry has been obtainedfor stars brighter than about L = 6. Most of the stars have asubstantial number of UBV(RI)C observations and, it is hoped,will prove useful as red supplementary standards. Additionally, we listJHK photometry for nearly 300 Hipparcos red stars not selected asstandards, as well as L photometry for the brightest stars.
| Dynamical evolution of active detached binaries on the logJo-logM diagram and contact binary formation
Orbital angular momentum (OAM, Jo), systemic mass (M) andorbital period (P) distributions of chromospherically active binaries(CAB) and W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) systems were investigated. Thediagrams of and logJo-logM were formed from 119 CAB and 102 WUMa stars. The logJo-logM diagram is found to be mostmeaningful in demonstrating dynamical evolution of binary star orbits. Aslightly curved borderline (contact border) separating the detached andthe contact systems was discovered on the logJo-logM diagram.Since the orbital size (a) and period (P) of binaries are determined bytheir current Jo, M and mass ratio, q, the rates of OAM loss(dlogJo/dt) and mass loss (dlogM/dt) are primary parametersto determine the direction and the speed of the dynamical evolution. Adetached system becomes a contact system if its own dynamical evolutionenables it to pass the contact border on the logJo-logMdiagram. The evolution of q for a mass-losing detached system is unknownunless the mass-loss rate for each component is known. Assuming q isconstant in the first approximation and using the mean decreasing ratesof Jo and M from the kinematical ages of CAB stars, it hasbeen predicted that 11, 23 and 39 per cent of current CAB stars wouldtransform to W UMa systems if their nuclear evolution permits them tolive 2, 4 and 6 Gyr, respectively.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| Mass loss and orbital period decrease in detached chromospherically active binaries
The secular evolution of the orbital angular momentum (OAM), thesystemic mass (M=M1+M2) and the orbital period of114 chromospherically active binaries (CABs) were investigated afterdetermining the kinematical ages of the subsamples which were setaccording to OAM bins. OAMs, systemic masses and orbital periods wereshown to be decreasing by the kinematical ages. The first-orderdecreasing rates of OAM, systemic mass and orbital period have beendetermined as per systemic OAM, per systemic mass and per orbitalperiod, respectively, from the kinematical ages. The ratio of d logJ/dlogM= 2.68, which were derived from the kinematics of the presentsample, implies that there must be a mechanism which amplifies theangular momentum loss (AML) times in comparison to isotropic AML ofhypothetical isotropic wind from the components. It has been shown thatsimple isotropic mass loss from the surface of a component or bothcomponents would increase the orbital period.
| Near-Ultraviolet Spectra of Nine M Dwarf Stars, or a Second Effort to Find Optical Coronal Lines in M Dwarf Stars
We have searched for optical coronal lines in the 3100-3700 Åregion of eight M dwarf stars with rather low levels of activity. Thisbrief survey supplements a similar search in 15 active stars publishedin 1991. No coronal lines could be identified. However, the emissionspectra including lines of H I, He I, Ca II, Ca I, Si I, and Fe I aredescribed and illustrated. Radial velocities of the emission lines showno systematic differences from the stellar absorption lines. Coronaewith temperatures similar to those in the solar corona seem to be rareamong the M dwarfs, although at least one example has been found bySchmitt & Wichmann.
| The Brown Dwarf Desert at 75-1200 AU
We present results of a comprehensive infrared coronagraphic search forsubstellar companions to nearby stars. The research consisted of (1) a178-star survey at Steward and Lick observatories, with opticalfollow-up from Keck Observatory, capable of detecting companions withmasses greater than 30 MJ, and semimajor axes between about140 to 1200 AU; (2) a 102-star survey using the Keck Telescope, capableof detecting extrasolar brown dwarfs and planets typically more massivethan 10 MJ, with semimajor axes between about 75 and 300 AU.Only one brown dwarf companion was detected, and no planets. Thefrequency of brown dwarf companions to G, K, and M stars orbitingbetween 75 and 300 AU is measured to be 1%+/-1%, the most precisemeasurement of this quantity to date. The frequency of massive (greaterthan 30 MJ) brown dwarf companions at 120-1200 AU is found tobe f=0.7%+/-0.7%. The frequency of giant planet companions with massesbetween 5 and 10 MJ orbiting between 75 and 300 AU ismeasured here for the first time to be no more than ~3%. Together withother surveys that encompass a wide range of orbital separations, theseresults imply that substellar objects with masses between 12 and 75MJ form only rarely as companions to stars. Theories of starformation that could explain these data are only now beginning toemerge.
| Kinematics of chromospherically active binaries and evidence of an orbital period decrease in binary evolution
The kinematics of 237 chromospherically active binaries (CABs) werestudied. The sample is heterogeneous with different orbits andphysically different components from F to M spectral-type main-sequencestars to G and K giants and supergiants. The computed U, V, W spacevelocities indicate that the sample is also heterogeneous in velocityspace. That is, both kinematically younger and older systems exist amongthe non-evolved main sequence and the evolved binaries containing giantsand subgiants. The kinematically young (0.95 Gyr) subsample (N= 95),which is formed according to the kinematical criteria of moving groups,was compared with the rest (N= 142) of the sample (3.86 Gyr) toinvestigate any observational clues of binary evolution. Comparing theorbital period histograms between the younger and older subsamples,evidence was found supporting the finding of Demircan that the CABs losemass (and angular momentum) and evolve towards shorter orbital periods.The evidence of mass loss is noticeable on the histograms of the totalmass (Mh+Mc), which is compared between theyounger (only N= 53 systems available) and older subsamples (only N= 66systems available). The orbital period decrease during binary evolutionis found to be clearly indicated by the kinematical ages of 6.69, 5.19and 3.02 Gyr which were found in the subsamples according to the periodranges of logP<= 0.8, 0.8 < logP<= 1.7 and 1.7 < logP<=3, respectively, among the binaries in the older subsample.
| Dependence of coronal X-ray emission on spot-induced brightness variations in cool main sequence stars
The maximum amplitude (Amax) of spot-induced brightnessvariations from long-term V-band photometry and the ratioLX/Lbol between X-ray and bolometric luminositiesare suitable indicators of the level of magnetic activity in thephotosphere and in the corona of late-type stars, respectively. By usingthese activity indicators we investigate the dependence of coronal X-rayemission on the level of photospheric starspot activity in a homogeneoussample of low mass main sequence field and cluster stars of differentages (IC 2602, IC 4665,IC 2391, alpha Persei,Pleiades and Hyades). First, theactivity-rotation connection at the photospheric level is re-analysed,as well as its dependence on spectral type and age. The upper envelopeof Amax increases monotonically with decreasing rotationalperiod (P) and Rossby number (R0) showing a break around 1.1d that separates two rotation regimes where the starspot activity showsdifferent behaviours. The Amax-P andAmax-R0 relations are fitted with linear,exponential and power laws to look for the function which bestrepresents the trend of the data. The highest values of Amaxare found among K-type stars and at the ages of alphaPersei and Pleiades. We also analyse theactivity-rotation connection at the coronal level as well as itsdependence on spectral type. The level of X-ray emission increases withincreasing rotation rate up to a saturation level. The rotational periodat which saturation occurs is colour-dependent and increases withadvancing spectral type. Also the LX/Lbol-P andLX/Lbol-R0 relations are fitted withlinear, exponential and power laws to look for the best fittingfunction. Among the fastest rotating stars (P<=0.3 d) there isevidence of super-saturation. Also the highest values ofLXLbol are found among K-type stars. Finally, thephotospheric-coronal activity connection is investigated by using forthe first time the largest ever sample of light curve amplitudes asindicators of the magnetic filling factor. The activity parametersLX/Lbol and Amax are found to becorrelated with each other, thus confirming the dependence of coronalactivity on photospheric magnetic fields. More precisely, theLX/Lbol-Amax distribution shows thepresence of an upper envelope, which is constant at theLX/Lbol =~ -3.0 saturation level, and of a lowerenvelope. The best fit to the lower envelope is given by a power lawwith steepness decreasing from F-G to M spectral types. However, it isconsidered a tentative result, since the fit reduced chi-squares arelarge. Such spectral-type dependence may be related to a colourdependence of Amax on the total starspot filling factor, aswell as to the coronal emission being possibly more sensitive tostarspot activity variations in F- and G-type than in M-type stars. TheLX/Lbol-Amax mean values for eachcluster in our sample decrease monotonically with increasing age,showing that the levels of photospheric and coronal activity evolve intime according to a single power law till the Sun's age.Tables of the photometric and X-ray data sets are only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/410/671
| A systematic study of X-ray variability in the ROSAT all-sky survey
We present a systematic search for variability among the ROSAT All-SkySurvey (RASS) X-ray sources. We generated lightcurves for about 30 000X-ray point sources detected sufficiently high above background. For ourvariability study different search algorithms were developed in order torecognize flares, periods and trends, respectively. The variable X-raysources were optically identified with counterparts in the SIMBAD, theUSNO-A2.0 and NED data bases, but a significant part of the X-raysources remains without cataloged optical counterparts. Out of the 1207sources classified as variable 767 (63.5%) were identified with stars,118 (9.8%) are of extragalactic origin, 10 (0.8%) are identified withother sources and 312 (25.8%) could not uniquely be identified withentries in optical catalogs. We give a statistical analysis of thevariable X-ray population and present some outstanding examples of X-rayvariability detected in the ROSAT all-sky survey. Most prominent amongthese sources are white dwarfs, apparently single, yet neverthelessshowing periodic variability. Many flares from hitherto unrecognisedflare stars have been detected as well as long term variability in theBL Lac 1E1757.7+7034.The complete version of Table 7 is only available in electronic form atthe CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/403/247
| Hipparcos red stars in the HpV_T2 and V I_C systems
For Hipparcos M, S, and C spectral type stars, we provide calibratedinstantaneous (epoch) Cousins V - I color indices using newly derivedHpV_T2 photometry. Three new sets of ground-based Cousins V I data havebeen obtained for more than 170 carbon and red M giants. These datasetsin combination with the published sources of V I photometry served toobtain the calibration curves linking Hipparcos/Tycho Hp-V_T2 with theCousins V - I index. In total, 321 carbon stars and 4464 M- and S-typestars have new V - I indices. The standard error of the mean V - I isabout 0.1 mag or better down to Hp~9 although it deteriorates rapidly atfainter magnitudes. These V - I indices can be used to verify thepublished Hipparcos V - I color indices. Thus, we have identified ahandful of new cases where, instead of the real target, a random fieldstar has been observed. A considerable fraction of the DMSA/C and DMSA/Vsolutions for red stars appear not to be warranted. Most likely suchspurious solutions may originate from usage of a heavily biased color inthe astrometric processing.Based on observations from the Hipparcos astrometric satellite operatedby the European Space Agency (ESA 1997).}\fnmsep\thanks{Table 7 is onlyavailable 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/qcat?J/A+A/397/997
| UBV(RI)C photometry of Hipparcos red stars
We present homogeneous and standardized UBV(RI)C photometryfor nearly 550 M stars selected from the Hipparcos satellite data baseusing the following selection criteria: lack of obvious variability (noHipparcos variability flag); δ<+10°(V-I)>1.7 and Vmagnitude fainter than about 7.6. Comparisons are made between thecurrent photometry, other ground-based data sets and Hipparcosphotometry. We use linear discriminant analysis to determine aluminosity segregation criterion for late-type stars, and principalcomponent analysis to study the statistical structure of the colourindices and to calibrate absolute magnitude in terms of (V-I) for thedwarf stars. Various methods are used to determine the mean absolutemagnitude of the giant stars. We find 10 dwarf stars, apparentlypreviously unrecognized (prior to Hipparcos) as being within 25pc,including five within 20pc.
| Variability of the Photospheric Radiation of Active K-M Dwarfs and Their X-ray Luminosities
Variability of the photospheric radiation of 40 (dKe-dMe) dwarfs in thesolar neighborhood due to variations in the spottedness of theirsurfaces is analyzed based on the behavior of their mean annualbrightnesses over long time intervals. The amplitudes and characteristictime scales of the variations of the mean annual brightness are taken tobe indicators of photospheric activity and were used to infer the levelsof photospheric activity in the stars studied. The influence of axialrotation on the development of cyclic activity in young red dwarfs andF-M main-sequence stars is analyzed. The durations and amplitudes of thephotospheric variability of rapidly rotating (dK0e-dK5e) stars testifiesto a higher level of photospheric activity among red dwarfs andsolar-type stars. The X-ray luminosities of these stars grow with theamplitude of the variations of the mean annual brightness. However, thisis not typical of rapidly rotating M dwarfs, for which the X-rayemission varies by more than two orders of magnitude, although theirdegrees of spottedness are all virtually the same. A linear relationshipbetween the X-ray and bolometric luminosities is observed for young(dKe-dMe) stars, with their ratios log(L x/L bol) being about -3. Theseproperties can be used to determine whether a red dwarf is a young staror is already on the main sequence.
| The Palomar/MSU Nearby Star Spectroscopic Survey. III. Chromospheric Activity, M Dwarf Ages, and the Local Star Formation History
We present high-resolution echelle spectroscopy of 676 nearby M dwarfs.Our measurements include radial velocities, equivalent widths ofimportant chromospheric emission lines, and rotational velocities forrapidly rotating stars. We identify several distinct groups by theirHα properties and investigate variations in chromospheric activityamong early (M0-M2.5) and mid (M3-M6) dwarfs. Using a volume-limitedsample together with a relationship between age and chromosphericactivity, we show that the rate of star formation in the immediate solarneighborhood has been relatively constant over the last 4 Gyr. Inparticular, our results are inconsistent with recent large bursts ofstar formation. We use the correlation between Hα activity and ageas a function of color to set constraints on the properties of L and Tdwarf secondary components in binary systems. We also identify a numberof interesting stars, including rapid rotators, radial velocityvariables, and spectroscopic binaries. Observations were made at the 60inch telescope at Palomar Mountain, which is jointly owned by theCalifornia Institute of Technology and the Carnegie Institution ofWashington.
| Stellar encounters with the solar system
We continue our search, based on Hipparcos data, for stars which haveencountered or will encounter the solar system(García-Sánchez et al. \cite{Garcia}). Hipparcos parallaxand proper motion data are combined with ground-based radial velocitymeasurements to obtain the trajectories of stars relative to the solarsystem. We have integrated all trajectories using three different modelsof the galactic potential: a local potential model, a global potentialmodel, and a perturbative potential model. The agreement between themodels is generally very good. The time period over which our search forclose passages is valid is about +/-10 Myr. Based on the Hipparcos data,we find a frequency of stellar encounters within one parsec of the Sunof 2.3 +/- 0.2 per Myr. However, we also find that the Hipparcos data isobservationally incomplete. By comparing the Hipparcos observations withthe stellar luminosity function for star systems within 50 pc of theSun, we estimate that only about one-fifth of the stars or star systemswere detected by Hipparcos. Correcting for this incompleteness, weobtain a value of 11.7 +/- 1.3 stellar encounters per Myr within one pcof the Sun. We examine the ability of two future missions, FAME andGAIA, to extend the search for past and future stellar encounters withthe Sun.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Aquila |
| Right ascension: | 18h55m27.42s |
| Declination: | +08°24'08.9" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 10.141 |
| Distance: | 11.592 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 93.6 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -74.3 |
| B-T magnitude: | 11.931 |
| V-T magnitude: | 10.289 |
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