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A High-Resolution Spectral Atlas of α Persei from 3810 to 8100 Å
We present a high-resolution (λ/δλ=90,000) spectralatlas of the F5 Ib star α Per covering the 3810-8100 Åregion. The atlas, based on data obtained with the aid of the echellespectrograph BOES fed by the 1.8 m telescope at Bohyunsan Observatory(Korea), is the result of the co-addition of a few well-exposed spectra.The final signal-to-noise ratio is ~800 at ~6000 Å. The atlas iscompared with a synthetic spectrum computed using a code based on Kuruczsoftware and databases. The adopted model atmosphere parameters areTeff=6240+/-20 K, logg=0.58+/-0.04, andvmicro=3.20+/-0.05 km s-1. We also derived an ironabundance of [Fe/H]=-0.28+/-0.06. The spectral lines of α Per havebeen identified by matching the synthetic spectrum with the observedone. The atlas is presented in figures and available in digital form onthe World Wide Web, along with the synthetic spectrum and spectral lineidentification tables.Based on data collected with the 1.8 m telescope at Bohyunsan OpticalAstronomy Observatory, South Korea.
| Computed Hβ indices from ATLAS9 model atmospheres
Aims.Grids of Hβ indices based on updated (new-ODF) ATLAS9 modelatmospheres were computed for solar and scaled solar metallicities[+0.5], [+0.2], [0.0], [ -0.5] , [ -1.0] , [ -1.5] , [ -2.0] , [ -2.5]and for α enhanced compositions [+0.5a], [0.0a], [ -0.5a] , [-1.0a] , [ -1.5a] , [ -2.0a] , [ -2.5a] , and [ -4.0a] . Methods:.Indices for T_eff > 5000 K were computed with the same methods asdescribed by Lester et al. (1986, LGK86) except for a differentnormalization of the computed natural system to the standard system.LGK86 used special ODFs to compute the fluxes. For T_eff ≤ 5000 K wecomputed the fluxes using the synthetic spectrum method. In order toassess the accuracy of the computed indices comparisons were made withthe indices computed by Smalley & Dworetsky (1995, A&A, 293,446, MD95) and with the empirical relations T_eff-Hβ given byAlonso et al. (1996, A&A, 313, 873) for several metallicities.Furthermore, for cool stars, temperatures inferred from the computedindices were compared with those of the fundamental stars listed byMD95. The same kind of comparison was made between gravities for B-typestars. Results: .The temperatures from the computed indices are ingood agreement, within the error limits, with the literature values for4750 K ≤ T_eff ≤ 8000 K, while the gravities agree for T_eff> 9000 K. The computed Hβ indices for the Sun and for Procyonare very close to the observed values. The comparison between theobserved and computed Hβ indices as function of the observedHβ has shown a very small trend which almost completely disappearswhen only stars hotter than 10 000 K are considered. The trend due tothe cool stars is probably related with the low accuracy of thefundamental T_eff which are affected by large errors for most of thestars.
| Observations of Hα, iron, and oxygen lines in B, Be, and shell stars
We carried out a spectroscopic survey of several B, Be, and shell starsin optical and near-infrared regions. Line profiles of the Hα lineand of selected Fe II and O I lines are presented.
| Wavefront outer scale deduced from interferometric dispersed fringes
In addition to site characterization, measurements of criticalatmospheric parameters are required to design and to optimize futureadaptive optic systems and long-baseline interferometers. It is possibleto estimate seeing conditions by processing data obtained with existingHigh Angular Resolution instruments. We report the results of jointobservations with the GI2T interferometer and the GSM site-testingmonitor performed over a period of several nights.We compared estimates of the wavefront outer scale done at variousbaselines as well as the seeing (Fried's parameter). We processedinterferometric data by calculating power spectra of dispersed fringeimages. Deduced measurements of the optical path difference lead to theestimates of the outer scale. We found that the outer scale valuesobtained from the GI2T data are mostly in the 5-30m range, in goodagreement with GSM measurements.
| A search for fine structure inside high resolution profiles of weak diffuse interstellar bands
This paper presents a survey of the high-resolution profiles ofselected, moderately weak diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) between 4725and 6730 Å. In very high signal-to-noise spectra, obtained as aresult of averaging several individual exposures of reddened, early-typestars that show Doppler splitting of <2 km s-1 ininterstellar gas lines, the profiles seem to have a substructure. Thissupports the molecular origin hypothesis for DIBs. We studied theprofiles of the diffuse interstellar bands at wavelengths of 4726.33,4963.85, 5418.89, 5541.74, 5544.95, 5546.46, 5762.73, 5766.05, 5769.09,6439.41, 6445.53, 6449.16, 6729.28 Å.
| Search for C2- in Diffuse Clouds
A search has been carried out for the C2- ion indiffuse clouds toward HD 23180, HD 24912, HD 24398, HD 46711, and HD50064 using the HIDES spectrometer on the Okayama 188-cm telescope. Anupper limit of 8.3 × 1010, 1.8 × 1012cm-2 was obtained for the C2- columndensity. The upper limit value (3.8 × 1011cm-2) toward HD 23180 is two orders of magnitude smaller thanthat of the C2 radical. Possible production mechanisms forC2- are discussed.
| Membership, binarity and accretion among very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs of the σ Orionis cluster
Intermediate-resolution (R~ 7000) spectroscopy is presented for 76photometrically selected very low-mass (0.04 < M < 0.3Msolar) candidate members of the young cluster around σOrionis (σ Ori). More than two-thirds appear to be genuine clustermembers on the basis that they exhibit LiI 6708-Åabsorption, weakNaI 8183/8195 Åfeatures and a radial velocity consistent with thecluster mean. Photometric selection alone therefore appears to be veryeffective in identifying cluster members in this mass range. Only sixobjects appear to be certain non-members; however, a substantial subsetof 13 candidates have ambiguous or contradictory indications ofmembership and lack Li absorption. Together with an observed spread inthe equivalent width of the Li absorption feature in the cooler stars ofour sample, this indicates that there may be deficiencies in ourunderstanding of the formation of this line in cool, low-gravityobjects.Four candidate binary cluster members are identified. Consideration ofsampling and radial velocity measurement precision leads us to concludethat either the fraction of very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs insmall separation (a < 1 au) binary systems is larger than in fieldM-dwarfs, or the distribution of separations is much less skewed towardslarge separations. This conclusion hinges critically on the correctidentification of the small number of binary candidates, although itremains significant even when only the candidate members displaying Liabsorption are considered.Broadened Hα emission, indicative of circum(sub)stellar accretiondiscs is found in five or six of the candidate cluster members, three ofwhich probably have substellar masses. The fraction of accretors (10 +/-5 per cent) is similar to that found in stars of higher mass in theσ Ori cluster using Hα emission as a diagnostic, but muchlower than found for very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs of youngerclusters. The time-scale for accretion rates to drop to<~10-11 Msolar yr-1 is hence lessthan the age of the σ Ori cluster (3-7 Myr) for most low-massobjects.
| Variability of Stars in the Pulkovo Spectrophotometric Catalog
We present the results of a statistical study of brightness variabilityfor 693 stars of the Pulkovo spectrophotometric database in fivespectral bands in the range λλ 320 1080 nm. Significantbrightness variations were detected in at least one spectral bandagainst the background of the random noise for one-third of the starsnot earlier believed to be variable. A comparison of the distributionsof these variations in amplitude and spectral band for the normal andvariable stars shows that variability is inherent to most stars to someextent and is often wavelength dependent.
| Profiles of Very Weak Diffuse Interstellar Bands around 6440 Å
Profiles of very weak diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) between 6400 and6470 Å observed with high resolution and very high S/N aredemonstrated. We show that with the increasing quality of reddenedstellar spectra, the whole spectral range is covered with weak or veryweak DIBs-at least one every 2-3 Å. We also present the details ofthe profiles of a few stronger features; the presence of substructuresresembles the profiles of strong DIBs observed in high resolution duringthe last decade and supports the hypothesis of a molecular origin of atleast a majority of DIBs.
| B Star Rotational Velocities in h and χ Persei: A Probe of Initial Conditions during the Star Formation Epoch?
Projected rotational velocities (vsini) have been measured for 216 B0-B9stars in the rich, dense h and χ Persei double cluster and comparedwith the distribution of rotational velocities for a sample of fieldstars having comparable ages (t~12-15 Myr) and masses (M~4-15Msolar). For stars that are relatively little evolved fromtheir initial locations on the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) (those withmasses M~4-5 Msolar), the mean vsini measured for the h andχ Per sample is slightly more than 2 times larger than the meandetermined for field stars of comparable mass, and the cluster and fieldvsini distributions differ with a high degree of significance. Forsomewhat more evolved stars with masses in the range 5-9Msolar, the mean vsini in h and χ Per is 1.5 times thatof the field; the vsini distributions differ as well, but with a lowerdegree of statistical significance. For stars that have evolvedsignificantly from the ZAMS and are approaching the hydrogen exhaustionphase (those with masses in the range 9-15 Msolar), thecluster and field star means and distributions are only slightlydifferent. We argue that both the higher rotation rates and the patternof rotation speeds as a function of mass that differentiatemain-sequence B stars in h and χ Per from their field analogs werelikely imprinted during the star formation process rather than a resultof angular momentum evolution over the 12-15 Myr cluster lifetime. Wespeculate that these differences may reflect the effects of the higheraccretion rates that theory suggests are characteristic of regions thatgive birth to dense clusters, namely, (1) higher initial rotationspeeds; (2) higher initial radii along the stellar birth line, resultingin greater spin-up between the birth line and the ZAMS; and (3) a morepronounced maximum in the birth line radius-mass relationship thatresults in differentially greater spin-up for stars that become mid- tolate-B stars on the ZAMS.
| Reliable elimination of telluric lines from stellar spectra
We demonstrate that the powerful disentangling technique used toseparate the individual spectra of binary components and telluric linescan also be used to remove telluric lines from the spectrum of a singlestar by treating the telluric spectrum as a second star. We tested thaton the spectra of α Boo (=Arcturus) secured with a Reticondetector in the coudé focus of the Ondřejov 2-m telescope.We demonstrate that the method works well and is invaluable especiallyfor the spectra of red stars which are heavily blended with the telluriclines. The disadvantage of the method is that one needs a number ofspectra of the star in question, secured at different months of theyear. The advantage is that one obtains the final disentangled stellarspectrum with a high S/N ratio.
| First VLTI/MIDI observations of a Be star: Alpha Arae
We present the first VLTI/MIDI observations of the Be star alpha Ara (HD158 427), showing a nearly unresolved circumstellar disk in the N band.The interferometric measurements made use of the UT1 and UT3 telescopes.The projected baselines were 102 and 74 meters with position angles of 7° and 55°, respectively. These measurements put an upper limiton the envelope size in the N band under the uniform disk approximationof φmax= 4±1.5 mas, corresponding to 14R*, assuming R*=4.8 Rȯ and theHipparcos distance of 74 pc. On the other hand the disk density must belarge enough to produce the observed strong Balmer line emission. Inorder to estimate the possible circumstellar and stellar parameters wehave used the SIMECA code developed by Stee et al. (1995, A&A, 300,219) and Stee & Bittar (2001, A&A, 367, 532). Optical spectrataken with the échelle instrument Heros and the ESO-50 cmtelescope, as well as infrared ones from the 1.6m Brazilian telescopewere used together with the MIDI spectra and visibilities. Theseobservations place complementary constraints on the density and geometryof the alpha Ara circumstellar disk. We discuss the potential truncationof the disk by a companion and we present spectroscopic indications of aperiodic perturbation of some Balmer lines.
| CHARM2: An updated Catalog of High Angular Resolution Measurements
We present an update of the Catalog of High Angular ResolutionMeasurements (CHARM, Richichi & Percheron \cite{CHARM}, A&A,386, 492), which includes results available until July 2004. CHARM2 is acompilation of direct measurements by high angular resolution methods,as well as indirect estimates of stellar diameters. Its main goal is toprovide a reference list of sources which can be used for calibrationand verification observations with long-baseline optical and near-IRinterferometers. Single and binary stars are included, as are complexobjects from circumstellar shells to extragalactic sources. The presentupdate provides an increase of almost a factor of two over the previousedition. Additionally, it includes several corrections and improvements,as well as a cross-check with the valuable public release observationsof the ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). A total of 8231entries for 3238 unique sources are now present in CHARM2. Thisrepresents an increase of a factor of 3.4 and 2.0, respectively, overthe contents of the previous version of CHARM.The catalog is only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/431/773
| A near-infrared stellar spectral library: I. H-band spectra.
This paper presents the H band near-infrared (NIR) spectral library of135 solar type stars covering spectral types O5-M3 and luminosityclasses I-V as per MK classification. The observations were carried outwith 1.2 meter Gurushikhar Infrared Telescope (GIRT), at Mt. Abu, Indiausing a NICMOS3 HgCdTe 256 x 256 NIR array based spectrometer. Thespectra have a moderate resolution of 1000 (about 16 A) at the H bandand have been continuum shape corrected to their respective effectivetemperatures. This library and the remaining ones in J and K bands oncereleased will serve as an important database for stellar populationsynthesis and other applications in conjunction with the newly formedlarge optical coude feed stellar spectral library of Valdes et al.(2004). The complete H-Band library is available online at: http://vo.iucaa.ernet.in/~voi/NIR_Header.html
| The Indo-US Library of Coudé Feed Stellar Spectra
We have obtained spectra for 1273 stars using the 0.9 m coudéfeed telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. This telescope feedsthe coudé spectrograph of the 2.1 m telescope. The spectra havebeen obtained with the no. 5 camera of the coudé spectrograph anda Loral 3K×1K CCD. Two gratings have been used to provide spectralcoverage from 3460 to 9464 Å, at a resolution of ~1 Å FWHMand at an original dispersion of 0.44 Å pixel-1. For885 stars we have complete spectra over the entire 3460 to 9464 Åwavelength region (neglecting small gaps of less than 50 Å), andpartial spectral coverage for the remaining stars. The 1273 stars havebeen selected to provide broad coverage of the atmospheric parametersTeff, logg, and [Fe/H], as well as spectral type. The goal ofthe project is to provide a comprehensive library of stellar spectra foruse in the automated classification of stellar and galaxy spectra and ingalaxy population synthesis. In this paper we discuss thecharacteristics of the spectral library, viz., details of theobservations, data reduction procedures, and selection of stars. We alsopresent a few illustrations of the quality and information available inthe spectra. The first version of the complete spectral library is nowpublicly available from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory(NOAO) via ftp and http.
| Classification of Spectra from the Infrared Space Observatory PHT-S Database
We have classified over 1500 infrared spectra obtained with the PHT-Sspectrometer aboard the Infrared Space Observatory according to thesystem developed for the Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) spectra byKraemer et al. The majority of these spectra contribute to subclassesthat are either underrepresented in the SWS spectral database or containsources that are too faint, such as M dwarfs, to have been observed byeither the SWS or the Infrared Astronomical Satellite Low ResolutionSpectrometer. There is strong overall agreement about the chemistry ofobjects observed with both instruments. Discrepancies can usually betraced to the different wavelength ranges and sensitivities of theinstruments. Finally, a large subset of the observations (~=250 spectra)exhibit a featureless, red continuum that is consistent with emissionfrom zodiacal dust and suggest directions for further analysis of thisserendipitous measurement of the zodiacal background.Based on observations with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), aEuropean Space Agency (ESA) project with instruments funded by ESAMember States (especially the Principle Investigator countries: France,Germany, Netherlands, and United Kingdom) and with the participation ofthe Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
| The Structure of the Local Interstellar Medium. III. Temperature and Turbulence
We present 50 individual measurements of the gas temperature andturbulent velocity in the local interstellar medium (LISM) within 100pc. By comparing the absorption line widths of many ions with differentatomic masses, we can satisfactorily discriminate between the twodominant broadening mechanisms, thermal broadening and macroscopicnonthermal, or turbulent, broadening. We find that the successful use ofthis technique requires a measurement of a light ion, such as D I, andan ion at least as heavy as Mg II. However, observations of more linesprovide an important consistency check and can also improve theprecision and accuracy of the measurement. Temperature and turbulentvelocity measurements are vital to understanding the physical propertiesof the gas in our local environment and can provide insight into thethree-dimensional morphological structure of the LISM. The weighted meangas temperature in the LISM warm clouds is 6680 K and the dispersionabout the mean is 1490 K. The weighted mean turbulent velocity is 2.24km s-1 and the dispersion about the mean is 1.03 kms-1. The ratio of the mean thermal pressure to the meanturbulent pressure is PT/Pξ~26. Turbulentpressure in LISM clouds cannot explain the difference in the apparentpressure imbalance between warm LISM clouds and the surrounding hot gasof the Local Bubble. Pressure equilibrium among the warm clouds may bethe source of a moderately negative correlation between temperature andturbulent velocity in these clouds. However, significant variations intemperature and turbulent velocity are observed. The turbulent motionsin the warm partially ionized clouds of the LISM are definitelysubsonic, and the weighted mean turbulent Mach number for clouds in theLISM is 0.19 with a dispersion of 0.11. These measurements provideimportant constraints on models of the evolution and origin of warmpartially ionized clouds in our local environment.Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope,obtained from the Data Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute,which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research inAstronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS AR-09525.01A. Theseobservations are associated with program 9525.
| The Structure of the Local Interstellar Medium. II. Observations of D I, C II, N I, O I, Al II, and Si II toward Stars within 100 Parsecs
Moderate- and high-resolution measurements(λ/Δλ>~40,000) of interstellar resonance lines ofD I, C II, N I, O I, Al II, and Si II (hereafter called light ions) arepresented for all available observed targets located within 100 pc thatalso have high-resolution observations of interstellar Fe II or Mg II(heavy ions) lines. All spectra were obtained with the Goddard HighResolution Spectrograph or the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrographinstrument aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Currently, there are 41sight lines to targets within 100 pc with observations that include aheavy ion at high resolution and at least one light ion at moderate orhigh resolution. We present new measurements of light ions along 33 ofthese sight lines and collect from the literature results for theremaining sight lines that have already been analyzed. For all of thenew observations we provide measurements of the central velocity,Doppler width parameter, and column density for each absorptioncomponent. We greatly increase the number of sight lines with usefullocal interstellar medium (LISM) absorption-line measurements of lightions by using knowledge of the kinematic structure along a line of sightobtained from high-resolution observations of intrinsically narrowabsorption lines, such as Fe II and Mg II. We successfully fit theabsorption lines with this technique, even with moderate-resolutionspectra. Because high-resolution observations of heavy ions are criticalfor understanding the kinematic structure of local absorbers along theline of sight, we include 18 new measurements of Fe II and Mg II in anAppendix. We present a statistical analysis of the LISM absorptionmeasurements, which provides an overview of some physicalcharacteristics of warm clouds in the LISM, including temperature andturbulent velocity. This complete collection and reduction of allavailable LISM absorption measurements provides an important databasefor studying the structure of nearby warm clouds, including ionization,abundances, and depletions. Subsequent papers will present models forthe morphology and physical properties of individual structures (clouds)in the LISM.Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope,obtained from the Data Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute,which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research inAstronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS AR-09525.01A. Theseobservations are associated with program 9525.
| On the Possible Role of Carbon Chains as Carriers of Diffuse Interstellar Bands
Because the laboratory gas-phase electronic spectra of only the threepolyatomic bare carbon chains C3, C4 andC5 are available, we have made a further attempt to detectthe origin bands of C4 (3789 Å) and C5 (5109Å) in the diffuse cloud toward ζ Oph. The measurementsprovide an improved 3 σ limit to their column densities:N(C4)<=5×1011 cm-2 andN(C5)<=1×1011 cm-2, with asignal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 42,000 and 31,000 Å-1,respectively, at a resolution of 110,000. The limits to N(C4)and N(C5) are lower than predictions from the chemical modelused by Roueff and coworkers for such diffuse clouds. In conjunctionwith observations of related, hydrogen-containing polar chains in themillimeter region and laboratory studies of the electronic transitionsof a number of homologous series, these results lead to interestingconclusions about the role of carbon chains as potential carriers of thediffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). First, the abundance and oscillatorstrength of smaller chains, say up to 10 atoms, are too small to accountfor the stronger DIBs. Second, because of the electronic configurationsof these open-shell species, the lowest energy π-π transition doesnot have a large oscillator strength but the higher energy one in the UVdoes, and the chains would have to be prohibitively long for theseabsorptions to shift into the DIB 4000-9000 Å wavelength region.The exceptions are closed-shell systems such as the odd-numbered barecarbon chains, and the ones in the C15-C31 sizerange that have their very strong transitions in this region. Thesespecies should be a major goal for laboratory and subsequentastronomical studies.
| The Chemical Composition and Gas-to-Dust Mass Ratio of Nearby Interstellar Matter
We use recent results on interstellar gas toward nearby stars andinterstellar by-products within the solar system to select among theequilibrium radiative transfer models of the nearest interstellarmaterial presented in Slavin & Frisch. For the assumption thatO/H~400 parts per million, models 2 and 8 are found to yield good fitsto available data on interstellar material inside and outside of theheliosphere, with the exception of the Ne abundance in the pickup ionand anomalous cosmic-ray populations. For these models, the interstellarmedium (ISM) at the entry point to the heliosphere hasn(H0)=0.202-0.208 cm-3,n(He0)=0.0137-0.0152 cm-3, and ionizationsχ(H)=0.29-0.30, χ(He)=0.47-0.51. These best models suggest thatthe chemical composition of the nearby ISM is ~60%-70% subsolar if S isundepleted. Both H0 and H+ need to be includedwhen evaluating abundances of ions found in warm diffuse clouds. Models2 and 8 yield an H filtration factor of ~0.46. Gas-to-dust mass ratiosfor the ISM toward ɛ CMa are Rgd=178-183 for solarabundances of Holweger or Rgd=611-657 for an interstellarabundance standard 70% solar. Direct observations of dust grains in thesolar system by Ulysses and Galileo yield Rgd~=115 for models2 and 8, supporting earlier results (Frisch and coworkers). If the localISM abundances are subsolar, then gas and dust are decoupled over smallspatial scales. The inferred variation in Rgd over parseclength scales is consistent with the fact that the ISM near the Sun ispart of a dynamically active cluster of cloudlets flowing away from theSco-Cen association. Observations toward stars within ~500 pc show thatRgd correlates with the percentage of the dust mass that iscarried by iron, suggesting that an Fe-rich grain core (by mass) remainsafter grain destruction. Evidently large dust grains (>10-13g) and small dust grains (<10-13 g) are not well mixedover parsec length spatial scales in the ISM. It also appears that verysmall C-dominated dust grains have been destroyed in the ISM withinseveral parsecs of the Sun, since C appears to be essentiallyundepleted. However, if gas-dust coupling breaks down over the cloudlifetime, the missing mass arguments applied here to determineRgd and dust grain mineralogy are not appropriate.
| Contributions to the Nearby Stars (NStars) Project: Spectroscopy of Stars Earlier than M0 within 40 Parsecs: The Northern Sample. I.
We have embarked on a project, under the aegis of the Nearby Stars(NStars)/Space Interferometry Mission Preparatory Science Program, toobtain spectra, spectral types, and, where feasible, basic physicalparameters for the 3600 dwarf and giant stars earlier than M0 within 40pc of the Sun. In this paper, we report on the results of this projectfor the first 664 stars in the northern hemisphere. These resultsinclude precise, homogeneous spectral types, basic physical parameters(including the effective temperature, surface gravity, and overallmetallicity [M/H]), and measures of the chromospheric activity of ourprogram stars. Observed and derived data presented in this paper arealso available on the project's Web site.
| The DDO IVC Distance Project: Survey Description and the Distance to G139.6+47.6
We present a detailed analysis of the distance determination for oneintermediate-velocity cloud (IVC, G139.6+47.6) from the ongoing DDO IVCDistance Project. Stars along the line of sight to G139.6+47.6 areexamined for the presence of sodium absorption attributable to thecloud, and the distance bracket is established by astrometric andspectroscopic parallax measurements of demonstrated foreground andbackground stars. We detail our strategy regarding target selection,observational setup, and analysis of the data, including a discussion ofwavelength calibration and sky subtraction uncertainties. We find adistance estimate of 129+/-10 pc for the lower limit and257+211-33 pc for the upper limit. Given the highnumber of stars showing absorption due to this IVC, we also discuss thesmall-scale covering factor of the cloud and the likely significance ofnondetections for subsequent observations of this and other similarIVCs. Distance measurements of the remaining targets in the DDO IVCproject will be detailed in a companion paper.
| Catalogue of averaged stellar effective magnetic fields. I. Chemically peculiar A and B type stars
This paper presents the catalogue and the method of determination ofaveraged quadratic effective magnetic fields < B_e > for 596 mainsequence and giant stars. The catalogue is based on measurements of thestellar effective (or mean longitudinal) magnetic field strengths B_e,which were compiled from the existing literature.We analysed the properties of 352 chemically peculiar A and B stars inthe catalogue, including Am, ApSi, He-weak, He-rich, HgMn, ApSrCrEu, andall ApSr type stars. We have found that the number distribution of allchemically peculiar (CP) stars vs. averaged magnetic field strength isdescribed by a decreasing exponential function. Relations of this typehold also for stars of all the analysed subclasses of chemicalpeculiarity. The exponential form of the above distribution function canbreak down below about 100 G, the latter value representingapproximately the resolution of our analysis for A type stars.Table A.1 and its references are 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/407/631 and Tables 3 to 9are only available in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org
| Metallicities of the SPB stars from the IUE ultraviolet spectra
We derived the stellar parameters (angular diameters, effectivetemperatures, metallicities) and interstellar reddenings for 20 SPB and34 reference stars observed during the IUE satellite mission. Theparameters were derived by means of an algorithmic procedure of fittingtheoretical flux distributions to the low-resolution IUE spectra andoptical spectrophotometric observations. Since the metallicity [m/H] hasa special importance for pulsating B type stars, we focused ourattention on that parameter. We found that the mean value of themetallicity of the considered SPB and reference stars amounts to [m/H] ~-0.20. The results only slightly depend on the reduction procedure usedfor the IUE images (NEWSIPS and INES). The metal abundances obtained inthis paper are in accordance with the average value of -0.2 dex forstars in the solar neighborhood recently reported by otherinvestigators.Tables 3-7 are only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/404/689
| Quantitative Stellar Spectral Classification. II. Early Type Stars
The method developed by Stock & Stock (1999) for stars of spectraltypes A to K to derive absolute magnitudes and intrinsic colors from theequivalent widths of absorption lines in stellar spectra is extended toB-type stars. Spectra of this type of stars for which the Hipparcoscatalogue gives parallaxes with an error of less than 20% were observedwith the CIDA one-meter reflector equipped with a Richardsonspectrograph with a Thompson 576×384 CCD detector. The dispersionis 1.753 Å/pixel using a 600 lines/mm grating in the first order.In order to cover the spectral range 3850 Å to 5750 Å thegrating had to be used in two different positions, with an overlap inthe region from 4800 Å to 4900 Å . A total of 116 stars wasobserved, but not all with both grating positions. A total of 12measurable absorption lines were identified in the spectra and theirequivalent widths were measured. These were related to the absolutemagnitudes derived from the Hipparcos catalogue and to the intrinsiccolors (deduced from the MK spectral types) using linear and secondorder polynomials and two or three lines as independent variables. Thebest solutions were obtained with polynomials of three lines,reproducing the absolute magnitudes with an average residual of about0.40 magnitudes and the intrinsic colors with an average residual of0.016 magnitudes.
| The latitude and epoch for the formation of the southern Greek constellations
Not Available
| The Structure of the Local Interstellar Medium. I. High-Resolution Observations of Fe II, Mg II, and Ca II toward Stars within 100 Parsecs
High-resolution absorption measurements(λ/Δλ>~100,000) of the resonance lines of Fe II,Mg II, and Ca II are presented for all available observed targets within100 pc. The Fe II and Mg II spectra were obtained with the Goddard HighResolution Spectrograph (GHRS) and the Space Telescope ImagingSpectrograph (STIS) instruments aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).Of the 63 observations of targets within 100 pc, we present newmeasurements for 24 lines of sight. We also compiled all publishedabsorption measurements based on Ca II spectra obtained by variousground-based instruments. For each observation we provide measurementsof the central velocity, Doppler parameter, and column density for eachabsorption component. These three ions provide the best opportunity tomeasure the component velocity structure. Because these are the heaviestions observed in absorption through the warm local interstellar medium(LISM), the narrow line widths minimize significant blending ofcomponents and allow for accurate measurements of the central velocity.We present a statistical analysis of the LISM absorption measurements,which provides an overview of some physical characteristics of warmclouds in the LISM, such as, temperature, turbulent velocity, ionizationdegree, and depletion. The complete collection and reduction of all LISMabsorption measurements provides an important database for studying thestructure of nearby warm clouds. Subsequent papers will present modelsfor the morphology and physical properties of individual structures(clouds) in the LISM.
| The Velocity Distribution of the Nearest Interstellar Gas
The bulk flow velocity for the cluster of interstellar cloudlets within~30 pc of the Sun is determined from optical and ultraviolet absorptionline data, after omitting from the sample stars with circumstellar disksor variable emission lines and the active variable HR 1099. A total of96 velocity components toward the remaining 60 stars yield a streamingvelocity through the local standard of rest of -17.0+/-4.6 kms-1, with an upstream direction of l=2.3d, b=-5.2d (usingHipparcos values for the solar apex motion). The velocity dispersion ofthe interstellar matter (ISM) within 30 pc is consistent with that ofnearby diffuse clouds, but present statistics are inadequate todistinguish between a Gaussian or exponential distribution about thebulk flow velocity. The upstream direction of the bulk flow vectorsuggests an origin associated with the Loop I supernova remnant.Groupings of component velocities by region are seen, indicatingregional departures from the bulk flow velocity or possibly separateclouds. The absorption components from the cloudlet feeding ISM into thesolar system form one of the regional features. The nominal gradientbetween the velocities of upstream and downstream gas may be an artifactof the Sun's location near the edge of the local cloud complex. The Sunmay emerge from the surrounding gas patch within several thousand years.
| Rotational Velocities of B Stars
We measured the projected rotational velocities of 1092 northern B starslisted in the Bright Star Catalogue (BSC) and calibrated them againstthe 1975 Slettebak et al. system. We found that the published values ofB dwarfs in the BSC average 27% higher than those standards. Only 0.3%of the stars have rotational velocities in excess of two-thirds of thebreakup velocities, and the mean velocity is only 25% of breakup,implying that impending breakup is not a significant factor in reducingrotational velocities. For the B8-B9.5 III-V stars the bimodaldistribution in V can be explained by a set of slowly rotating Ap starsand a set of rapidly rotating normal stars. For the B0-B5 III-V starsthat include very few peculiar stars, the distributions in V are notbimodal. Are the low rotational velocities of B stars due to theoccurrence of frequent low-mass companions, planets, or disks? Therotational velocities of giants originating from late B dwarfs areconsistent with their conservation of angular momentum in shells.However, we are puzzled by why the giants that originate from the earlyB dwarfs, despite having 3 times greater radii, have nearly the samerotational velocities. We find that all B-type primaries in binarieswith periods less than 2.4 days have synchronized rotational and orbitalmotions; those with periods between 2.4 and 5.0 days are rotating withina factor 2 of synchronization or are ``nearly synchronized.'' Thecorresponding period ranges for A-type stars are 4.9 and 10.5 days, ortwice as large. We found that the rotational velocities of the primariesare synchronized earlier than their orbits are circularized. The maximumorbital period for circularized B binaries is 1.5 days and for Abinaries is 2.5 days. For stars of various ages from 107.5 to1010.2 yr the maximum circularized periods are a smoothexponential function of age.
| The Local Interstellar Ultraviolet Radiation Field
I have used the Hipparcos Input Catalogue, together with Kurucz modelstellar atmospheres and information on the strength of the interstellarextinction, to create a model of the expected intensity and spectraldistribution of the local interstellar ultraviolet radiation field,under various assumptions concerning the albedo a of the interstellargrains. (This ultraviolet radiation field is of particular interestbecause of the fact that ultraviolet radiation is capable of profoundlyaffecting the chemistry of the interstellar medium.) By comparing mymodels with the observations, I am able to conclude that the albedo a ofthe interstellar grains in the far-ultraviolet is very low, perhapsa=0.1. I also advance arguments that my present determination of thisalbedo is much more reliable than any of the many previous (andconflicting) ultraviolet interstellar grain albedo determinations.Beyond this, I show that the ultraviolet background radiation that isobserved at high Galactic latitudes must be extragalactic in origin, asit cannot be backscatter of the interstellar radiation field.
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