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The heterogeneous class of lambda Bootis stars
We demonstrate that it is arduous to define the lambda Boo stars as aclass of objects exhibiting uniform abundance peculiarities which wouldbe generated by a mechanism altering the structure of their atmosphericlayers. We collected the stars classified as lambda Boo up to now anddiscuss their properties, in particular the important percentage ofconfirmed binaries producing composite spectra (including our adaptiveoptics observations) and of misclassified objects. The unexplained RVvariables (and thus suspected binaries), the known SB for which we lackinformation on the companion, the stars with an UV flux inconsistentwith their classification, and the fast rotating stars for which noaccurate abundance analysis can be performed, are also reviewed.Partly based on observations collected at the CFH Telescope (Hawaii) andat TBL of the Pic du Midi Observatory (France).Table \ref{tab5} is only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| The spectrum of the SB2 HD 64491 and the problem of metal abundances in lambda Boo stars
The spectrum of the classical lambda Boo star HD 64491 reveals thatthe object is a double-lined spectroscopic binary whose components havedifferent v sin i values. From such a tangled spectrum, we show thatlarge metal underabundances can be derived with the hypothesis that thespectrum is formed by a single object, while the abundance peculiaritiesare drastically reduced when the duplicity is taken into account.Based on observations collected at the Observatoire du Pic du Midi(France).
| The status of Galactic field λ Bootis stars in the post-Hipparcos era
The λ Bootis stars are Population I, late B- to early F-typestars, with moderate to extreme (up to a factor 100) surfaceunderabundances of most Fe-peak elements and solar abundances of lighterelements (C, N, O and S). To put constraints on the various existingtheories that try to explain these peculiar stars, we investigate theobservational properties of λ Bootis stars compared with areference sample of normal stars. Using various photometric systems andHipparcos data, we analyse the validity of standard photometriccalibrations, elemental abundances, and Galactic space motions. Therecrystallizes a clear picture of a homogeneous group of Population Iobjects found at all stages of their main-sequence evolution, with apeak at about 1 Gyr. No correlation of astrophysical parameters such asthe projected rotational velocities or elemental abundances with age isfound, suggesting that the a priori unknown mechanism, which createsλ Bootis stars, works continuously for late B- to early F-typestars in all stages of main-sequence evolution. Surprisingly, the sodiumabundances seem to indicate an interaction between the stars and theirlocal environment.
| The λ Bootis phenomenon: interaction between a star and a diffuse interstellar cloud
The λ Bootis stars, a group of late B- to early F-type PopulationI stars, have surface abundances that resemble the general metaldepletion pattern found in the interstellar medium. Inspired by therecent result that the fundamental parameters of these peculiar starsdiffer in no respect from those of a comparison sample of normal stars,the hypothesis of an interaction between a star and a diffuseinterstellar cloud is considered as a possible explanation of thepeculiar abundance pattern. It is found that such a scenario is able toexplain the selective accretion of interstellar gas depleted incondensable elements as well as the spectral range of the λBootis phenomenon.
| The accretion/diffusion theory for lambda Bootis stars in the light of spectroscopic data
Most of the current theories suggest the lambda Bootis phenomenon tooriginate from an interaction between the stellar surface and its localenvironment. In this paper, we compare the abundance pattern of thelambda Bootis stars to that of the interstellar medium and find largerdeficiencies for Mg, Si, Mn and Zn than in the interstellar medium. Acomparison with metal poor post-AGB stars showing evidence forcircumstellar material indicates a similar physical process possiblybeing at work for some of the lambda Bootis stars, but not for all ofthem. Despite the fact that the number of spectroscopically analysedlambda Bootis stars has considerably increased in the past, a test ofpredicted effects with observations shows current abundance andtemperature data to be still controversial.
| The abundance pattern of lambda Bootis stars
Within a project to investigate the properties of lambda Bootis stars,we report on their abundance pattern. High resolution spectra have beenobtained for a total of twelve candidate lambda Bootis stars, four ofthem being contained in spectroscopic binary systems, and detailedabundance analyses have been performed. All program stars show acharacteristic lambda Bootis abundance pattern (deficient heavy elementsand solar abundant light elements) and an enhanced abundance of Na. Thiswork raises the fraction of lambda Bootis stars with known abundances to50%. The resulting abundances complemented by literature data are usedto construct a ``mean lambda Bootis abundance pattern'', which exhibits,apart from general underabundances of heavy elements (~-1 dex) and solarabundances of C, N, O, Na and S, a star-to-star scatter which is up totwice as large as for a comparable sample of normal stars. Based onobservations obtained at the Osservatorio Astronomico di Padua-Asiago,OPD/LNA, KPNO and DSO.
| First orbital elements for the lambda Bootis spectroscopic binary systems HD 84948 and HD 171948. Implications for the origin of the lambda Bootis stars
We present high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the two lambdaBootis type spectroscopic binary systems HD 84948 and HD 171948. Bothsystems consist of two true lambda Bootis stars, as has already beenproven by a detailed abundance analysis taking into account the binarynature. Nevertheless, we have obtained non-LTE abundances for carbon andoxygen in order to investigate those important elements. The abundancesfit excellently into the typical pattern for this group, leaving nodoubt that all four components are true lambda Bootis stars. With thehelp of the derived orbital elements it is possible to establish theages of the two systems. For the first time we can estimate theevolutionary status of Galactic field lambda Bootis stars. The origin ofthose nonmagnetic, metal-weak, Population I, late B- to early F-typestars is still controversial. The two widely discussed theoriesexplaining the lambda Bootis phenomenon (diffusion together with eitheraccretion of circumstellar matter or mass-loss) predict significantlydifferent evolutionary stages for this group of objects (close to eitherthe Zero-Age Main Sequence or Terminal-Age Main Sequence). It is alreadyknown that very young members of the group exist in the Orion OBIassociation and probably in NGC 2264. Hipparcos data established sixfurther Galactic field lambda Bootis stars which are close to theZero-Age Main Sequence, whereas the evolutionary status for the otherobjects remained undetermined. The Hipparcos data reveal that theGalactic space motions of both the systems that we discuss here aretypical of those of Population I objects. The photometric data from theHipparcos mission confirm the pulsation previously discovered for HD84948 with a period of about 110 min and a V-amplitude of about 14 mmag.For HD 84948, we estimate from the mass ratio an age of about 1 Gyr,ruling out a possible Pre-Main-Sequence status. HD 171948 has an age ofabout 0.01 to 0.1 Gyr which is close to the Zero-Age Main Sequence. Wetherefore conclude that the lambda Bootis phenomenon can be foundcontinuously from very early stages to the Terminal-Age Main Sequence,suggesting that different mechanisms might work at different stages ofstellar evolution producing the same abundance pattern. Based onobservations at BNAO Rozhen; SAAO and with the Hipparcos satellite.
| On the Orbital Periods of Two Bona-fide lambda Bootis Stars HD 64491 and HD 141851
Not Available
| A spectroscopic survey for lambda Bootis stars. III. Final results
In the third paper of a series dedicated to the spectroscopic survey fornew lambda Bootis stars, we present all new and confirmed members of thegroup as well as a detailed analysis of the observed sample. The natureof this small group of chemically peculiar stars of the upper mainsequence still challenges our understanding of processes like diffusion,mass-loss and accretion. The typical abundances pattern (nearly solarvalues for C, N, O and S whereas the Fe-peak elements are moderate tostrong underabundant) can still not be explained by any proposed theory.Hence, the significant increase of new members gives the opportunity toinvestigate the group properties in more detail. We report the discoveryof 26 new members of the group and the confirmation of 18 candidatesfrom the literature. This almost triples the number of known lambdaBootis stars. The existence of one member in the young open cluster NGC2264 and four members in the Orion OB1 association proves that thelambda Bootis phenomenon already works at very early stages of stellarevolution. Recent results from the Hipparcos mission have shown that thewell established lambda Bootis stars of the Galactic field comprise thewhole area from the Zero Age Main Sequence to the Terminal Age MainSequence (~ 109 yr for an A-type star). There is a continuoustransition between very young and rather evolved evolutionary stages. Wefind that the overall percentage of lambda Bootis type among all normaltype stars in the spectral range from B8 to F4 is 2% in the Galacticfield as well as in open clusters. Furthermore, 44 metal-weak objectsare listed which might be connected with the lambda Bootis phenomenon.Our biased sample (chosen by photometric boxes) is not distinguishedfrom all A-type stars in the corresponding spectral region by therotational velocity distribution. Only for the luminosity classes IV andIII (especially for the cooler program stars) the determined mean v sini values are very high compared to those of the literature. Based onobservations from the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, OsservatorioAstronomico di Padova-Asiago, Observatório do Pico dosDias-LNA/CNPq/MCT, Chews Ridge Observatory (MIRA) and University ofToronto Southern Observatory (Las Campanas).
| A spectroscopic survey for lambda Bootis stars. II. The observational data
lambda Bootis stars comprise only a small number of all A-type stars andare characterized as nonmagnetic, Population i, late B to early F-typedwarfs which show significant underabundances of metals whereas thelight elements (C, N, O and S) are almost normal abundant compared tothe Sun. In the second paper on a spectroscopic survey for lambda Bootisstars, we present the spectral classifications of all program starsobserved. These stars were selected on the basis of their Strömgrenuvbybeta colors as lambda Bootis candidates. In total, 708 objects insix open clusters, the Orion OB1 association and the Galactic field wereclassified. In addition, 9 serendipity non-candidates in the vicinity ofour program stars as well as 15 Guide Star Catalogue stars were observedresulting in a total of 732 classified stars. The 15 objects from theGuide Star Catalogue are part of a program for the classification ofapparent variable stars from the Fine Guidance Sensors of the HubbleSpace Telescope. A grid of 105 MK standard as well as ``pathological''stars guarantees a precise classification. A comparison of our spectralclassification with the extensive work of Abt & Morrell(\cite{Abt95}) shows no significant differences. The derived types are0.23 +/- 0.09 (rms error per measurement) subclasses later and 0.30 +/-0.08 luminosity classes more luminous than those of Abt & Morrell(\cite{Abt95}) based on a sample of 160 objects in common. The estimatederrors of the means are +/- 0.1 subclasses. The characteristics of oursample are discussed in respect to the distribution on the sky, apparentvisual magnitudes and Strömgren uvbybeta colors. Based onobservations from the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, OsservatorioAstronomico di Padova-Asiago, Observatório do Pico dosDias-LNA/CNPq/MCT, Chews Ridge Observatory (MIRA) and University ofToronto Southern Observatory (Las Campanas).
| How many lambda Bootis stars are binaries?
In the attempt to shed new light on the lambda Boo phenomenon weanalyzed the astrometric, photometric and spectroscopic characteristicsof stars out of a list of recently selected lambda Boo candidates. Weshow that the class is still ill-defined and discuss the possibilitythat some, if not most stars presently classified as lambda Boo, are infact binary pairs and that peculiar abundances may not correspond toactual values if the average values of the atmospheric parameters{Teff} and log g are assumed and the effect of veiling is nottaken into account. Partly based on data from the ESA Hipparcosastrometry satellite.
| Astrophysics in 1998
From Alpha (Orionis and the parameter in mixing-length theory) to Omega(Centauri and the density of the universe), the Greeks had a letter forit. In between, we look at the Sun and planets, some very distantgalaxies and nearby stars, neutrinos, gamma rays, and some of theanomalies that arise in a very large universe being studied by roughlyone astronomer per 10^7 Galactic stars.
| Pulsation in lambda Bootis stars
In this paper we present a further step in applying asteroseismictechniques to the group of lambda Bootis stars which can becharacterized as nonmagnetic A to F-type Population I dwarfs withsignificant (surface) underabundances of Fe-peak elements. Since noconclusive theory explaining the origin of the observed abundanceanomalies exists, an extensive photometric survey for pulsation in thisgroup has been initiated. Knowledge about the pulsational properties(most members are located within the classical instability strip) couldhelp to establish constrains about the overall abundance of these starsas well as on the evolutionary status. New photometric observations werecarried out for eleven stars. Variability was detected in four stars(e.g. lambda Bootis itself) whereas the remaining seven objects areprobably constant. In total, 52 members of this group have beenphotometrically investigated so far. With 22 pulsating and 30``constant'' stars, we derive a ratio of at least 50 % for variable tononvariable members inside the classical instability strip. This resultis based on high quality Hipparcos and new photometric data. Theobserved log /lineρ//lineρ_ȯ and log P values for thepulsating members are compatible with standard (solar abundant) deltaScuti models supporting the hypothesis that the found abundanceanomalies are restricted to the surface only. Otherwise the pulsationalproperties of this group are not outstanding compared to ``normal''delta Scuti stars, indicating that the mechanism driving the pulsationsis very similar. Based on observations obtained at ESO-La\,Silla, CTIO,SAAO, McDonald Observatory, Instituto Astrofisica Andalucia Observatoryand with the Hipparcos satellite
| Atmospheric parameters and abundances of lambda Bootis stars
The results of the abundance analyses of six lambda Bootis stars arepresented. For three stars, the impact of individual ODFs and varioustreatments of convection in the calculations of the model atmospheresare investigated.
| On the new lambda Bootis-type spectroscopic binary systems HD 84948 and HD 171948
We report the discovery of two new lambda Bootis-type spectroscopicbinary systems (HD 84948 and HD 171948). High resolution spectra wereanalyzed in order to derive abundances as well as astrophysicalquantities. It resulted in extreme (HD 171948) and moderate (HD 84948)underabundances of Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr and Fe with respect to theSun, thus establishing all four individual stars as true members of thelambda Bootis group. These two systems are therefore the firstspectroscopic binary systems where both components are lambdaBootis-type stars. Furthermore, we have discovered delta Scuti typepulsation for one component of HD 84948 making this star particularlyinteresting for further observations. Since many authors have used therotational velocity for discriminating lambda Bootis stars(vsini>50kms(-1) ), we note that both components of HD 171948 are theslowest (vsini<20kms(-1) ) rotating lambda Bootis-type stars known sofar. Using the Hipparcos data, we are able to rule out thediffusion/mass-loss mechanism as origin for these two systems. Pre- aswell as Main Sequence evolutionary tracks for the age determinationyield consistent results with the predictions of the diffusion/accretiontheory, establishing both systems as being very close to the MainSequence. A determination of the orbital elements and/or anasteroseismological investigation of HD 84948 could provide anindependent proof of our results. Based on observations obtained at theOsservatorio Astronomico di Padua-Asiago, McDonald Observatory, theSierra Nevada Observatory and with the Hipparcos satellite
| A spectroscopic survey for lambda Bootis stars. I. Strategy, techniques and first results
In recent years, the chemically peculiar (CP) stars of the upper mainsequence have become a fruitful field for the testing of astrophysicaltheories. Processes such as diffusion, convection and mass loss havebeen developed theoretically and introduced into models. The group oflambda Bootis stars, however, is remarkable among the chemicallypeculiar stars as they are nonmagnetic, Population I, A to F-type dwarfswhich show significant underabundances of metals (except for C, N, O andS). Unfortunately, the small number of confirmed members of the lambdaBootis class makes a sound statistical analysis of their propertiesimpossible. Thus, it is still difficult to decide between the twotheories - mass loss with diffusion and the accretion theory - whichhave been proposed to explain the origin of these stars. We thereforehave started a spectroscopic survey to find new lambda Bootis stars inthe field as well as in open clusters and associations. The presence oflambda Bootis stars in open clusters and associations would permit adetermination of the ages of these stars, and thus would yield animportant test for distinguishing between the two theories. In thispaper we describe the selection of candidates using photometriccriteria, the basic requirements, spectroscopic follow-up observationsand results from the first three observing runs. Special care was takento avoid misclassification of our programme stars (e.g. lambda Bootisstars are often confused with intermediate Population II, He-weak orhigh v sin i stars), using a refined MK system. The discovery of atleast six new lambda Bootis stars (including three in the Orion OB1association) shows the efficacy of our selection criteria. Based onobservations obtained at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence and the DarkSky Observatory.
| Nonvariability among lambda Bootis stars
With asteroseismic techniques it is possible to investigate the interiorand the evolutionary status of stars via their frequency spectrum. Bothinformation would be very much needed for lambda Bootis stars, a groupof metal-poor Population I, A-type stars, since no conclusive theoryexists explaining the observed abundance anomalies. Geneva and Stromgrenphotometry place these stars inside the classical instability strip orat least very close to it. We therefore have started an extensivephotometric survey for pulsation in lambda Bootis stars and havediscovered so far 13 new variables. In this paper we present results forstars which presumably are constant, because we are able to establishonly an upper level for possible variability. A typical noise level of 3mmag for Stromgren b was achieved in the relevant frequency domain up to100 d^{-1}. Considering the given noise level of our survey, we concludethat at least 50% of all investigated lambda Bootis stars inside theinstability strip are pulsating, making this group remarkable comparedto stars with similar spectral types. This may suggest that a low(surface) metallicity has an influence on the pulsation Based onobservations obtained at ESO-La Silla, CTIO, SAAO, McDonald Observatory,Instituto Astrofisica Andalucia Observatory.
| A consolidated catalogue of lambda Bootis stars
lambda Bootis stars challenge our understanding of diffusion andaccretion processes related to stars and their circumstellarenvironment, and they are interesting components of the classicalinstability strip. Attempts to derive group properties with statisticalmethods are severely limited by the small number of unambiguouslyidentified lambda Bootis stars. In general, the subject appears to beobscured by incorrect memberships and it is therefore essential toprovide a sufficiently large catalogue of definitive group membersbefore modeling the lambda Bootis phenomenon. This paper describes thefirst steps towards this goal, based on our current knowledge of wellinvestigated members, leading to a concise definition of lambda Bootisstars: {Pop I hydrogen burning metal poor (except of C,N,O and S) A-typestars.} The definition does not depend on phenomenological features,like flux depressions, colour excesses, v sin i values, etc. Based on anew homogeneous catalogue with 45 lambda Bootis stars, we discussclassification criteria which can be used for a spectroscopic andphotometric all-sky survey for lambda Bootis stars in the field and inclusters of different ages. Based on observations obtained atESO-La,Silla, CTIO, Observatoire de Haute-Provence, OsservatorioAstronomico di Padua-Asiago, Univ. Toronto Southern Observatory,Observatorio do Pico dos Dias-LNA/CNPq/MCT (Brazil). Table 1 is alsoavailable 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.
| Nonvariability among lambda Bootis Stars III.: CTIO (1995) and McDonald (1995) Data
Not Available
| Catalogue of Lambda Bootis Candidates
Not Available
| Visual multiples. VIII - 1000 MK types
A total of 1000 new classifications are given for stars brighter than B= 8.0 mag in the Aitken double star catalog. The classificationssupplement 865 classifications obtained in 1981 and 1984. Among thenewly discovered stars are 12 new Ap stars, eight Lambda Bootis stars,one Ba II star, and 60 Am stars. A detailed list of the newclassifications is given.
| The Period of the Light Variation of HD 173650
Not Available
| Light Variability of HD 173650
Not Available
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Member of following groups:
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Hercules |
| Right ascension: | 18h36m37.02s |
| Declination: | +22°06'27.3" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 6.768 |
| Distance: | 130.548 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -9.5 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -8 |
| B-T magnitude: | 6.837 |
| V-T magnitude: | 6.774 |
Catalogs and designations:
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