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Medium resolution spectroscopy in ω Centauri: abundances of 400 subgiant and turn-off region stars
Medium resolution spectra of more than 400 subgiant and turn-off regionstars in ω Centauri were analysed. The observations were performedat the VLT/Paranal with FORS2/MXU. In order to determine themetallicities of the sample stars, we defined a set of line indices(mostly iron) adjusted to the resolution of our spectra. The indices asdetermined for ω Cen were then compared to line indices from starsin the chemically homogeneous globular cluster M 55, in addition tostandard stars and synthetic spectra. The uncertainties in the derivedmetallicities are of the order of ±0.2 {dex}. Our study confirmsthe large variations in iron abundances found on the giant branch inearlier studies (-2.2 <[Fe/H]< -0.7 dex). In addition, we studiedthe α-element and CN/CH abundances. Stars of different metallicitygroups not only show distinct ages (Hilker et al. 2004, A&A, 422,L9), but also different behaviours in their relative abundances. Theα abundances increase smoothly with increasing metallicityresulting in a flat [ α/Fe] ratio over the whole observedmetallicity range. The combined CN+CH abundance increases smoothly withincreasing iron abundance. The most metal-rich stars are CN-enriched. Ina CN vs. CH plot, though, the individual abundances divide into CN- andCH-rich branches. The large abundance variations observed in our sampleof (unevolved) subgiant branch stars most probably have their origin inthe pre-enriched material rather than in internal mixing effects.Together with the age spread of the different sub-populations, ourfindings favour the formation of ω Centauri within a more massiveprogenitor.
| Galactic model parameters for field giants separated from field dwarfs by their 2MASS and V apparent magnitudes
We present a method which separates field dwarfs and field giants bytheir 2MASS and V apparent magnitudes. This method is based onspectroscopically selected standards and is hence reliable. We appliedit to stars in two fields, SA 54 and SA 82, and we estimated a full setof Galactic model parameters for giants including their total localspace density. Our results are in agreement with the ones given in therecent literature.
| The lithium content of the Galactic Halo stars
Thanks to the accurate determination of the baryon density of theuniverse by the recent cosmic microwave background experiments, updatedpredictions of the standard model of Big Bang nucleosynthesis now yieldthe initial abundance of the primordial light elements withunprecedented precision. In the case of ^7Li, the CMB+SBBN value issignificantly higher than the generally reported abundances for Pop IIstars along the so-called Spite plateau. In view of the crucialimportance of this disagreement, which has cosmological, galactic andstellar implications, we decided to tackle the most critical issues ofthe problem by revisiting a large sample of literature Li data in halostars that we assembled following some strict selection criteria on thequality of the original analyses. In the first part of the paper wefocus on the systematic uncertainties affecting the determination of theLi abundances, one of our main goal being to look for the "highestobservational accuracy achievable" for one of the largest sets of Liabundances ever assembled. We explore in great detail the temperaturescale issue with a special emphasis on reddening. We derive four sets ofeffective temperatures by applying the same colour {T}_eff calibrationbut making four different assumptions about reddening and determine theLTE lithium values for each of them. We compute the NLTE corrections andapply them to the LTE lithium abundances. We then focus on our "best"(i.e. most consistent) set of temperatures in order to discuss theinferred mean Li value and dispersion in several {T}_eff and metallicityintervals. The resulting mean Li values along the plateau for [Fe/H]≤ 1.5 are A(Li)_NLTE = 2.214±0.093 and 2.224±0.075when the lowest effective temperature considered is taken equal to 5700K and 6000 K respectively. This is a factor of 2.48 to 2.81 (dependingon the adopted SBBN model and on the effective temperature range chosento delimit the plateau) lower than the CMB+SBBN determination. We findno evidence of intrinsic dispersion. Assuming the correctness of theCMB+SBBN prediction, we are then left with the conclusion that the Liabundance along the plateau is not the pristine one, but that halo starshave undergone surface depletion during their evolution. In the secondpart of the paper we further dissect our sample in search of newconstraints on Li depletion in halo stars. By means of the Hipparcosparallaxes, we derive the evolutionary status of each of our samplestars, and re-discuss our derived Li abundances. A very surprisingresult emerges for the first time from this examination. Namely, themean Li value as well as the dispersion appear to be lower (althoughfully compatible within the errors) for the dwarfs than for the turnoffand subgiant stars. For our most homogeneous dwarfs-only sample with[Fe/H] ≤ 1.5, the mean Li abundances are A(L)_NLTE = 2.177±0.071 and 2.215±0.074 when the lowest effective temperatureconsidered is taken equal to 5700 K and 6000 K respectively. This is afactor of 2.52 to 3.06 (depending on the selected range in {T}_eff forthe plateau and on the SBBN predictions we compare to) lower than theCMB+SBBN primordial value. Instead, for the post-main sequence stars thecorresponding values are 2.260±0.1 and 2.235±0.077, whichcorrespond to a depletion factor of 2.28 to 2.52. These results,together with the finding that all the stars with Li abnormalities(strong deficiency or high content) lie on or originate from the hotside of the plateau, lead us to suggest that the most massive of thehalo stars have had a slightly different Li history than their lessmassive contemporaries. In turn, this puts strong new constraints on thepossible depletion mechanisms and reinforces Li as a stellartomographer.
| Analysis of medium resolution spectra by automated methods - Application to M 55 and ω Centauri
We have employed feedforward neural networks trained on syntheticspectra in the range 3800 to 5600 Å with resolutions of ~2-3Å to determine metallicities from spectra of about 1000main-sequence turn-off, subgiant and red giant stars in the globularclusters M 55 and ω Cen. The overall metallicity accuracies are ofthe order of 0.15 to 0.2 dex. In addition, we tested how well thestellar parameters log g and T_eff can be retrieved from such datawithout additional colour or photometric information. We find overalluncertainties of 0.3 to 0.4 dex for log g and 140 to 190 K for T_eff. Inorder to obtain some measure of uncertainty for the determined values of[Fe/H], log g and T_eff, we applied the bootstrap method for the firsttime to neural networks for this kind of parametrization problem. Thedistribution of metallicities for stars in ω Cen clearly shows alarge spread in agreement with the well known multiple stellarpopulations in this cluster.
| X-ray astronomy of stellar coronae
X-ray emission from stars in the cool half of the Hertzsprung-Russelldiagram is generally attributed to the presence of a magnetic coronathat contains plasma at temperatures exceeding 1 million K. Coronae areubiquitous among these stars, yet many fundamental mechanisms operatingin their magnetic fields still elude an interpretation through adetailed physical description. Stellar X-ray astronomy is thereforecontributing toward a deeper understanding of the generation of magneticfields in magnetohydrodynamic dynamos, the release of energy in tenuousastrophysical plasmas through various plasma-physical processes, and theinteractions of high-energy radiation with the stellar environment.Stellar X-ray emission also provides important diagnostics to study thestructure and evolution of stellar magnetic fields from the first daysof a protostellar life to the latest stages of stellar evolution amonggiants and supergiants. The discipline of stellar coronal X-rayastronomy has now reached a level of sophistication that makes tests ofadvanced theories in stellar physics possible. This development is basedon the rapidly advancing instrumental possibilities that today allow usto obtain images with sub-arcsecond resolution and spectra withresolving powers exceeding 1000. High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy has,in fact, opened new windows into astrophysical sources, and has played afundamental role in coronal research.
| The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood. Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of 14 000 F and G dwarfs
We present and discuss new determinations of metallicity, rotation, age,kinematics, and Galactic orbits for a complete, magnitude-limited, andkinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F and G dwarf stars. Our63 000 new, accurate radial-velocity observations for nearly 13 500stars allow identification of most of the binary stars in the sampleand, together with published uvbyβ photometry, Hipparcosparallaxes, Tycho-2 proper motions, and a few earlier radial velocities,complete the kinematic information for 14 139 stars. These high-qualityvelocity data are supplemented by effective temperatures andmetallicities newly derived from recent and/or revised calibrations. Theremaining stars either lack Hipparcos data or have fast rotation. Amajor effort has been devoted to the determination of new isochrone agesfor all stars for which this is possible. Particular attention has beengiven to a realistic treatment of statistical biases and errorestimates, as standard techniques tend to underestimate these effectsand introduce spurious features in the age distributions. Our ages agreewell with those by Edvardsson et al. (\cite{edv93}), despite severalastrophysical and computational improvements since then. We demonstrate,however, how strong observational and theoretical biases cause thedistribution of the observed ages to be very different from that of thetrue age distribution of the sample. Among the many basic relations ofthe Galactic disk that can be reinvestigated from the data presentedhere, we revisit the metallicity distribution of the G dwarfs and theage-metallicity, age-velocity, and metallicity-velocity relations of theSolar neighbourhood. Our first results confirm the lack of metal-poor Gdwarfs relative to closed-box model predictions (the ``G dwarfproblem''), the existence of radial metallicity gradients in the disk,the small change in mean metallicity of the thin disk since itsformation and the substantial scatter in metallicity at all ages, andthe continuing kinematic heating of the thin disk with an efficiencyconsistent with that expected for a combination of spiral arms and giantmolecular clouds. Distinct features in the distribution of the Vcomponent of the space motion are extended in age and metallicity,corresponding to the effects of stochastic spiral waves rather thanclassical moving groups, and may complicate the identification ofthick-disk stars from kinematic criteria. More advanced analyses of thisrich material will require careful simulations of the selection criteriafor the sample and the distribution of observational errors.Based on observations made with the Danish 1.5-m telescope at ESO, LaSilla, Chile, and with the Swiss 1-m telescope at Observatoire deHaute-Provence, France.Complete Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/418/989
| 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
| Improved Astrometry and Photometry for the Luyten Catalog. II. Faint Stars and the Revised Catalog
We complete construction of a catalog containing improved astrometry andnew optical/infrared photometry for the vast majority of NLTT starslying in the overlap of regions covered by POSS I and by the secondincremental Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) release, approximately 44%of the sky. The epoch 2000 positions are typically accurate to 130 mas,the proper motions to 5.5 mas yr-1, and the V-J colors to0.25 mag. Relative proper motions of binary components are measured to 3mas yr-1. The false-identification rate is ~1% for11<~V<~18 and substantially less at brighter magnitudes. Theseimprovements permit the construction of a reduced proper-motion diagramthat, for the first time, allows one to classify NLTT stars intomain-sequence (MS) stars, subdwarfs (SDs), and white dwarfs (WDs). We inturn use this diagram to analyze the properties of both our catalog andthe NLTT catalog on which it is based. In sharp contrast to popularbelief, we find that NLTT incompleteness in the plane is almostcompletely concentrated in MS stars, and that SDs and WDs are detectedalmost uniformly over the sky δ>-33deg. Our catalogwill therefore provide a powerful tool to probe these populationsstatistically, as well as to reliably identify individual SDs and WDs.
| Revised Coordinates and Proper Motions of the Stars in the Luyten Half-Second Catalog
We present refined coordinates and proper-motion data for the highproper-motion (HPM) stars in the Luyten Half-Second (LHS) catalog. Thepositional uncertainty in the original Luyten catalog is typicallygreater than 10" and is often greater than 30". We have used the digitalscans of the POSS I and POSS II plates to derive more accurate positionsand proper motions of the objects. Out of the 4470 candidates in the LHScatalog, 4323 objects were manually reidentified in the POSS I and POSSII scans. A small fraction of the stars were not found because of thelack of finder charts and digitized POSS II scans. The uncertainties inthe revised positions are typically ~2" but can be as high as ~8" in afew cases, which is a large improvement over the original data.Cross-correlation with the Tycho-2 and Hipparcos catalogs yielded 819candidates (with mR<~12). For these brighter sources, theposition and proper-motion data were replaced with the more accurateTycho-2/Hipparcos data. In total, we have revised proper-motionmeasurements and coordinates for 4040 stars and revised coordinates for4330 stars. The electronic version of the paper5 contains the updated information on all 4470stars in the LHS catalog.
| Caby Photometry of the Hyades: Comparisons with the Field Stars
Intermediate-band photometry of the Hyades on the Caby system ispresented for dwarf stars ranging from spectral type A through late K. Amean (hk, b-y) relation is constructed using only single stars withoutanomalous atmospheres and is compared with the field stars of the solarneighborhood. For the F dwarfs, the Hyades relation defines anapproximate lower bound in the two-color diagram, consistent with an[Fe/H] between +0.10 and +0.15. These index-color diagrams follow thecommon convention of presenting stars with highest abundance at thebottom of the plot, although the index values for the metal-rich starsare numerically larger. For field F dwarfs in the range [Fe/H] between+0.4 and -1.0, [Fe/H]=-5.6δhk+0.125, with no evidence for a colordependence in the slope. For the G and K dwarfs, the Hyades meanrelation crosses the field star distribution in the two-color diagram,defining an approximate upper bound for the local disk stars. Starsfound above the Hyades stars fall in at least one of three categories:[Fe/H] below -0.7, [Fe/H] above that of the Hyades, or chromosphericallyactive. It is concluded that, contrary to the predictions of modelatmospheres, the hk index for cool dwarfs at a given color hits amaximum value for stars below solar composition and, with increasing[Fe/H] above some critical value, declines. This trend is consistent,however, with the predictions from synthetic indices based upon muchnarrower Ca filters, where the crossover is caused by the metallicitysensitivity of b-y.
| Multiplicity of X-Ray-selected T Tauri Stars in Chamaeleon
We report on a multiplicity survey of a sample of X-ray-selected youngstars in the Chamaeleon association. We used speckle interferometry anddirect imaging to find companions in the separation range 0.13"-6".After correction for chance alignment with background stars, we find amultiplicity (number of binaries or multiples divided by number ofsystems) of 14.0%+/-4.3% and a companion-star frequency (number ofcompanions divided by number of systems) of 14.7%+/-5.1%. Compared withsolar-type main-sequence stars, the companion-star frequency is lower bya factor of 0.61+/-0.27. This is remarkably different from the highmultiplicity found in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region and for TTauri stars in Chamaeleon known before ROSAT. We find only a fewbinaries with projected separations of more than 70 AU, also in contrastto the results for stars known before ROSAT. This indicates that theX-ray-selected stars belong to a different population than the starsknown before ROSAT, a hypothesis further supported by their Hipparcosdistances and proper motions. Based on observations obtained at theEuropean Southern Observatory, La Silla, proposal 56.E-0197.
| Three-dimensional Spectral Classification of Low-Metallicity Stars Using Artificial Neural Networks
We explore the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for theestimation of atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, and [Fe/H])for Galactic F- and G-type stars. The ANNs are fed withmedium-resolution (Δλ~1-2 Å) non-flux-calibratedspectroscopic observations. From a sample of 279 stars with previoushigh-resolution determinations of metallicity and a set of (external)estimates of temperature and surface gravity, our ANNs are able topredict Teff with an accuracy ofσ(Teff)=135-150 K over the range4250<=Teff<=6500 K, logg with an accuracy ofσ(logg)=0.25-0.30 dex over the range 1.0<=logg<=5.0 dex, and[Fe/H] with an accuracy σ([Fe/H])=0.15-0.20 dex over the range-4.0<=[Fe/H]<=0.3. Such accuracies are competitive with theresults obtained by fine analysis of high-resolution spectra. It isnoteworthy that the ANNs are able to obtain these results withoutconsideration of photometric information for these stars. We have alsoexplored the impact of the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) on the behaviorof ANNs and conclude that, when analyzed with ANNs trained on spectra ofcommensurate S/N, it is possible to extract physical parameter estimatesof similar accuracy with stellar spectra having S/N as low as 13. Takentogether, these results indicate that the ANN approach should be ofprimary importance for use in present and future large-scalespectroscopic surveys.
| A search for previously unrecognized metal-poor subdwarfs in the Hipparcos astrometric catalogue
We have identified 317 stars included in the Hipparcos astrometriccatalogue that have parallaxes measured to a precision of better than 15per cent, and the location of which in the(MV,(B-V)T) diagram implies a metallicitycomparable to or less than that of the intermediate-abundance globularcluster M5. We have undertaken an extensive literature search to locateStrömgren, Johnson/Cousins and Walraven photometry for over 120stars. In addition, we present new UBV(RI)C photometry of 201of these candidate halo stars, together with similar data for a further14 known metal-poor subdwarfs. These observations provide the firstextensive data set of RCIC photometry ofmetal-poor, main-sequence stars with well-determined trigonometricparallaxes. Finally, we have obtained intermediate-resolution opticalspectroscopy of 175 stars. 47 stars still lack sufficient supplementaryobservations for population classification; however, we are able toestimate abundances for 270 stars, or over 80 per cent of the sample.The overwhelming majority have near-solar abundance, with theirinclusion in the present sample stemming from errors in the colourslisted in the Hipparcos catalogue. Only 44 stars show consistentevidence of abundances below [Fe/H]=-1.0. Nine are additions to thesmall sample of metal-poor subdwarfs with accurate photometry. Weconsider briefly the implication of these results for clustermain-sequence fitting.
| Dusty Debris around Solar-Type Stars: Temporal Disk Evolution
Using ISO-ISOPHOT, we carried out a survey of almost 150 stars to searchfor evidence of emission from dust orbiting young main-sequence stars,both in clusters and isolated systems. Over half of the detections arenew examples of dusty stellar systems and demonstrate that such dust canbe detected around numerous stars older than a few times 106yr. Fluxes at 60 and either 90 or 100 μm for the new excess sourcestogether with improved fluxes for a number of IRAS-identified sourcesare presented. Analysis of the excess luminosity relative to the stellarphotosphere shows a systematic decline of this excess with stellar ageconsistent with a power-law index of -2.
| The ASCA Medium Sensitivity Survey (the GIS Catalog Project): Source Catalog
We present the first X-ray source catalog of the ASCA Medium SensitivitySurvey (AMSS, or the GIS catalog project), constructed from data atGalactic latitudes b>10deg observed between 1993 May and 1996December. The catalog utilizes 368 combined fields and contains 1343sources with the detection significance above 5 σ either in thesurvey bands of 0.7-7 keV, 2-10 keV, or 0.7-2 keV, including targetsources. For each source, the ASCA source name, position, a 90% errorradius, count rates in the three bands, detection significances, fluxes,and a hardness ratio are provided. With extensive simulations, wecarefully evaluate the data quality of the catalog. Results fromcross-correlation with other existing catalogs are briefly summarized.
| Proper motions of pre-main sequence stars { } in southern star-forming regions
We present proper motion measurements of pre-main sequence (PMS) starsassociated with major star-forming regions of the southern hemisphere(Chamaeleon, Lupus, Upper Scorpius - Ophiuchus, Corona Australis),situated in the galactic longitude range l = 290degr to l = 360degr . Alist of PMS stars as complete as possible was established based on theHerbig and Bell catalogue and many new catalogues like the PDS survey,the catalogue of Herbig Ae/Be stars by Thé et al. (\cite{the}),X-rays surveys, etc. The measurements made use of public material(mainly AC2000 and USNO-A2.0 catalogues) as well as scans of SERC-JSchmidt plates with the MAMA measuring machine (Paris) and Valinhos CCDmeridian circle observations (Brazil). We derived proper motions for 213stars, with an accuracy of 5 to 10 mas/yr depending mainly on thedifference of epochs between the position sources. The maincharacteristics of the sample are discussed. We show that systematicmotions of groups of stars exist, which are not explained by the reflexsolar motion. Based on observations made at Valinhos CCD MeridianCircle. Based on measurements made with MAMA automatic measuringmachine. Table 4 is only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| High resolution abundance analysis of 16 giants and subgiants in the metal-poor globular cluster NGC 6397
High-resolution échelle spectra of five giants and elevensubgiants of the metal-poor globular cluster NGC 6397 were obtained atthe ESO 3.5m (NTT) and 3.6m telescopes. A detailed analysis of the 16sample stars was carried out, providing atmospheric parameters(Teff, log g, [Fe/H], vt) and element abundances.The metallicity of the cluster is [Fe/H] = -2.0 with a r.m.s. of+/-0.05, irrespective of the position in the Colour - Magnitude Diagram,with no variations as a function of effective temperatures andgravities. The dispersion in metal abundance, obtained over a range of 5magnitudes and 1400 K, is negligible and well within the measurementuncertainties. alpha -elements are mildly overabundant while thes-elements are deficient relative to iron by about 0.2 dex. [O/Fe] isalso mildly overabundant for the two stars where the line is detected.The Li abundances in the present sample and those of turnoff stars byPasquini and Molaro (1996) are complementary in terms of evolutionarystage. The Li abundances decrease off the main sequence along the redgiant branch, confirming that extra depletion must occur for starscooler than ~ 5000 K and V brighter than ~ 14. Observations collected atthe European Southern Observatory -- ESO, Chile
| Distances, Ages, and Epoch of Formation of Globular Clusters
We review the results on distances and absolute ages of Galacticglobular clusters (GCs) obtained after the release of the Hipparcoscatalog. Several methods aimed at the definition of the Population IIlocal distance scale are discussed, and their results compared,exploiting new results for RR Lyraes in the Large Magellanic Cloud(LMC). We find that the so-called short distance and long distancescales may be reconciled whether or not a consistent reddening scale isadopted for Cepheids and RR Lyrae variables in the LMC. Emphasis isgiven in the paper to the discussion of distances and ages of GCsderived using Hipparcos parallaxes of local subdwarfs. We find that theselection criteria adopted to choose the local subdwarfs, as well as thesize of the corrections applied to existing systematic biases, are themain culprit for the differences found among the various independentstudies that first used Hipparcos parallaxes and the subdwarf fittingtechnique. We also caution that the absolute age of M92 (usuallyconsidered one of the oldest clusters) still remains uncertain due tothe lack of subdwarfs of comparable metallicity with accurateparallaxes. Distances and ages for the nine clusters discussed in aprevious paper by Gratton et al. are rederived using an enlarged sampleof local subdwarfs, which includes about 90% of the metal-poor dwarfswith accurate parallaxes (Δπ/π<=0.12) in the wholeHipparcos catalog. On average, our revised distance moduli are decreasedby 0.04 mag with respect to Gratton et al. The corresponding age of theGCs is t=11.5+/-2.6 Gyr, where the error bars refer to the 95%confidence range. The relation between the zero-age horizontal branch(ZAHB) absolute magnitude and metallicity for the nine program clustersturns out to beMV(ZAHB)=(0.18+/-0.09)([Fe/H]+1.5)+(0.53+/-0.12) Thanks toHipparcos the major contribution to the total error budget associatedwith the subdwarf fitting technique has been moved from parallaxes tophotometric calibrations, reddening, and metallicity scale. This totaluncertainty still amounts to about +/-0.12 mag. We then compare thecorresponding (true) LMC distance modulusμLMC=18.64+/-0.12 mag with other existing determinations.We conclude that at present the best estimate for the distance of theLMC is μLMC=18.54+/-0.03+/-0.06, suggesting that distancesfrom the subdwarf fitting method are ~1 σ too long. Consequently,our best estimate for the age of the GCs is revised to Age=12.9+/-2.9Gyr (95% confidence range). The best relation between ZAHB absolutemagnitude and metallicity isMV(ZAHB)=(0.18+/-0.09)([Fe/H]+1.5)+(0.63+/-0.07). Finally, wecompare the ages of the GCs with the cosmic star formation rate recentlydetermined by studies of the Hubble Deep Field (HDF), exploiting thedeterminations of ΩM=0.3 andΩΛ=0.7 provided by Type Ia supernovae surveys.We find that the epoch of formation of the GCs (at z~3) matches well themaximum of the star formation rate for elliptical galaxies in the HDF asdetermined by Franceschini et al. Based on data from the Hipparcosastrometry satellite.
| The 75th Name-List of Variable Stars
We present the next regular Name-List of variable stars containinginformation on 916 variable stars recently designated in the system ofthe General Catalogue of Variable Stars.
| Estimation of Stellar Metal Abundance. II. A Recalibration of the Ca II K Technique, and the Autocorrelation Function Method
We have recalibrated a method for the estimation of stellar metalabundance, parameterized as [Fe/H], based on medium-resolution (1-2Å) optical spectra (the majority of which cover the wavelengthrange 3700-4500 Å). The equivalent width of the Ca II K line (3933Å) as a function of [Fe/H] and broadband B-V color, as predictedfrom spectrum synthesis and model atmosphere calculations, is comparedwith observations of 551 stars with high-resolution abundances availablefrom the literature (a sevenfold increase in the number of calibrationstars that were previously available). A second method, based on theFourier autocorrelation function technique first described by Ratnatunga& Freeman, is used to provide an independent estimate of [Fe/H], ascalibrated by comparison with 405 standard-star abundances.Metallicities based on a combination of the two techniques for dwarfsand giants in the color range 0.30<=(B-V)_0<=1.2 exhibit anexternal 1 sigma scatter of approximately 0.10-0.20 dex over theabundance range -4.0<=[Fe/H]<=0.5. Particular attention has beengiven to the determination of abundance estimates at the metal-rich endof the calibration, where our previous attempt suffered from aconsiderable zero-point offset. Radial velocities, accurate toapproximately 10 km s^-1, are reported for all 551 calibration stars.
| Proper motions of faint ROSAT WTT stars in the Chamaeleon region
We present proper motions of 59 stars of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS)located in direction of the Chamaeleon star forming region (SFR) in themagnitude range B=5.1 - 17 mag. Proper motions of the fainter stars werenewly derived utilizing survey Schmidt plates from the GSC II platearchive and from a set of special plates taken with the ESO Schmidttelescope. The vector point diagram (VPD) indicates that the certifiedWTT stars cluster away from the region occupied by the brighterpre-main-sequence stars (PMS) in Cha I. The distance to this newassociation is estimated at ~ 100 pc, sensibly smaller than the 150 pcgenerally assumed for the SFR. This yields an upper limit of 2 km s(-1)for the velocity dispersion of this new kinematic group. The de-reddenedCM diagram of the group members suggest the WTT stars are still PMSobjects, but older (3-30 Myr) and less massive than previousdeterminations. These revised age estimates, the newly derived grouppeculiar velocity, and current distance estimates to the Cha I/II/IIIcomplex would favour in-situ formation against that predicted by highvelocity cloud models. Finally, based on a redetermination of thepeculiar motions of stars and gas, we speculate that the whole SFRoriginated from the local Orion spur as a result of more classicalmechanisms like interactions with the spiral arms. Based on observationscollected at the European Southern Observatory (Chile) and on data fromthe Hipparcos astrometry satellite. Table~1 is available only inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp at 130.79.128.5.
| Progress in the X-ray observation and study of solar like stars.
Not Available
| Long-term monitoring of active stars. VIII. UBV(RI)_(c) photometry collected in February 1992
As a part of an extensive program focusing on the global properties andevolution of active stars, high-precision UBV(RI)_c photometry of 31selected stars, collected at the European Southern Observatory over the14-29 February 1992 interval, is presented. Significant evolution of thelight curves, period variations and evidence for long-term variabilityof the global degree of spottedness are found. Some spectralclassifications are revised and the inferred photometric parallaxes arecompared, whenever possible, with the values measured by the Hipparcossatellite. Flare events were detected for the star HD16157 = CC Eri, EXO 055609-3804.4 TY Coland HD 119285 = V851 Cen. Optical variability wasdiscovered for the Pop II binary HD 89499. Theseobservations contribute to the establishment of a time-extendedphotometric database which can give important clues on topics such asthe stability of spotted areas, differential rotation, solar-like cyclesand the correlation between inhomogeneities at different atmosphericlevels. based on data collected at the European Southern Observatory, LaSilla, Chile.
| Processing of Lithium in Halo Stars Cooler then the Spite Plateau. III. Observations and Abundance Analysis
We have measured the Li abundances, or upper limits, of 26 metal-poorstars generally cooler than the Spite plateau, where Li destruction (indwarfs) and dilution (in subgiants) is expected. These stars weretargeted in order to study Li processing mechanisms that must beunderstood in order for the primordial Li abundances in warmerless-depleted halo stars to be inferred. Iron abundances have also beenmeasured from the spectra. For the cool dwarfs, depletion of Li relativeto hotter plateau stars (which may or may not be depleted) becomessignificant at 5700 K. They show depletion of Li by ~=0.27 dex per 100 Kover the interval 5000 K < Teff < 5500 K. This trend is shallowerthan predicted by a subset of 16.5 Gyr Yale "standard" (nondiffusive,nonrotating, nonmagnetic, non-mass loss) models, but is in reasonableagreement at 5000 K. The overall depletion pattern appears to begenerally independent of metallicity for halo stars. However, severalstars of similar temperature and metallicity exhibit different degreesof depletion, and it is possible that metallicity plays a role in thismore complex situation. Despite the shallower slope of the observationsover this temperature range, depletion becomes a much steeper functionof temperature cooler than ~4900 K, consistent with these (and other)models. The subgiants conform to the dilution patterns previouslyrevealed for this class, except for the high Li abundance of HD 89499.Another mechanism is believed to be responsible for this short-periodbinary, possibly the suppression by tidal forces of main-sequencerotationally induced mixing.
| Globular Cluster Distances and Ages Using HIPPARCOS Subdwarfs
Not Available
| A study of the Chamaeleon star-forming region from the ROSAT all-sky survey. III. High resolution spectroscopic study
We present the results of a high-resolution spectroscopic study on some70 stars, discovered recently on the basis of the ROSAT all-sky surveyspread over a wide area in the Chamaeleon star forming region andclassified as new weak-line T Tauri stars. We refine the previousspectral type classification, based on low-resolution spectra, andcharacterize each star in the sample according to the Hα lineprofile. We use the strength of Li I 6708, compared to Pleiades stars ofthe same spectral type, as a youth discriminator in order to recognizebona-fide pre-main sequence stars. According to the adopted ``lithiumcriterion'', more than 50% of the stars in our sample are confirmed tobe truly young, PMS stars (most having age less than 5x 10(6) yr), whilethe remaining part seems mostly composed by active, young, foregroundmain-sequence stars (possibly Pleiades-like), which contaminate theoriginal sample. We confirm the existence of some very young stars farfrom the main Chamaeleon clouds, while we do not find clear evidence forthe presence of post-T Tauri stars in our sample. We find that 5 starsin the sample are spectroscopic binaries and 1 is a spectroscopic triplesystem. We derive radial and rotational velocities for all the stars insample and analyse their distributions for different spectral typeintervals. The radial velocity distribution shows a clear peak at about15 km s(-1) , which coincides with the radial velocity of stars and gasin the Cha I cloud. However, the velocity dispersion of the weak-line TTauri stars appears much broader and, possibly, a second peak is presentaround 16-18 km s(-1) . A clear segregation in radial velocity isobserved between the strong-lithium and the weak-lithium stars, with theformer showing radial velocities which, in most cases, fall in theinterval 12
| Astrometric positions of stars with high proper motions in the Southern Hemisphere
Several stars with large proper motions, cited by W.J. Luyten, wereincluded in the preliminary programme for the HIPPARCOS mission. Whenperforming preparatory measurements of plates, difficulties wereencountered in identifying certain of these stars when relying only onpublished coordinates. We have taken advantage of this work whichrelates to the southern sky in order to determine the astrometricposition of the greatest possible number of these objects, even forthose which were not included in the programme. Catalogue 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/Abstract.html
| A catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations: 1996 edition
A fifth Edition of the Catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations is presentedherewith. It contains 5946 determinations for 3247 stars, including 751stars in 84 associations, clusters or galaxies. The literature iscomplete up to December 1995. The 700 bibliographical referencescorrespond to [Fe/H] determinations obtained from high resolutionspectroscopic observations and detailed analyses, most of them carriedout with the help of model-atmospheres. The Catalogue is made up ofthree formatted files: File 1: field stars, File 2: stars in galacticassociations and clusters, and stars in SMC, LMC, M33, File 3: numberedlist of bibliographical references The three files are only available inelectronic form at the Centre de Donnees Stellaires in Strasbourg, viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5), or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| ROSAT all-sky survey observations of PopII field binaries: X-ray activity of old, metal-poor stellar coronae.
This study represents the first X-ray observations of an extended sampleof Pop II field binaries, aimed at investigating the properties of old,metal-poor stellar coronae. Analysing X-ray observations from the ROSATall-sky survey, we detected only 13 (out of 86) Pop II systems (15%detection rate). The X-ray luminosity function, taking into account bothdetections and upper limits, has its median at logL_x_<=28.1erg/s,indicating a low average X-ray luminosity, with a high-luminosity tailat logL_x_~29-31erg/s. The only extreme metal-poor system detected is HD89499. Thus, the detection rate of extreme Pop II systems is lower thanof intermediate Pop II, possibly indicating extreme Pop II to betypically less luminous. The X-ray luminosity is not very wellcorrelated with orbital period; long-period Pop II binaries may havehigh X-ray luminosities and, surprisingly, short-period systems are notper se strong X-ray emitters. For a subsample of emission-line Pop IIbinaries, i.e. the halo component analogs to the RS CVn binaries, themedian X-ray luminosity is at least one order of magnitude lower thanfor the RS CVns. The lower activity levels of the Pop II systems may becaused in part by the presence of fewer evolved stars in the sample andlower metallicity. The extremely old age of Pop II binaries may alsogive rise to the unexpectedly low X-ray luminosities of some systems(e.g., CD-481741, BD+53080).
| A study of the Chamaeleon star-forming region from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. II. The pre-main sequence population.
We analyse the nature of the optical counterparts of the ROSAT all-skysurvey (RASS) X-ray sources identified with new weak-line T Tauri (WTTS)stars in the Chamaeleon star forming region (SFR). The new WTTS aredistributed throughout the whole SFR, while the classical T Tauri stars(CTTS) are found only in the cloud cores. Adopting a distance of 150pcwe derive the stellar parameters and place the new WTTS in the HRdiagram. By comparison with theoretical pre-main sequence (PMS)evolutionary tracks, we find masses in the range of0.2-2.5Msun_ and ages from a few 10^5^yr to 5x10^7^yr. Manyof the youngest WTTS are located far away from the main Chamaeleon darkclouds. By comparing the properties of the new WTTS with those of thepreviously known Chamaeleon members, we obtain the following results: i)the new WTTS are, on average, the more massive and luminous PMS stars inChamaeleon, while the Cha II population contains the lower-mass PMSstars; ii) for stellar masses between 2.5 and 0.5Msun_, thecombined mass distribution of the PMS stars is consistent with theinitial mass function (IMF) for field stars, but declines rapidly formasses between 0.5 and 0.1Msun_, where the strongestselection effects are expected; iii) a weak trend for increasing agewith increasing angular distance from the cloud cores is observed but wecannot establish an age segregation since very young WTTS are also foundfar away from the molecular clouds; iv) the age distributions of the newWTTS and the Cha I population are nearly identical, while that of theCha II population is shifted towards younger stars indicating that ChaII is probably in an earlier evolutionary phase as compared with Cha Iand the new WTTS; v) no decrease of the number density of WTTS isobserved with increasing distance to the clouds; vi) the level of X-rayemission of the new WTTS is higher than that of the previously knownChamaeleon members, and the fraction of energy released as X-rayemission, is higher in the new WTTS than in the Cha I TTS. The latter issimilar to the X-ray emission level found in open clusters. Finally, wediscuss possible mechanisms which may give rise to the observed spatialdistribution of the PMS stars in Chamaeleon.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Oktant |
| Right ascension: | 10h07m29.50s |
| Declination: | -85°04'33.0" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.711 |
| Distance: | 111.982 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -565.7 |
| Proper motion Dec: | 394.8 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.534 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.779 |
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