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A 3-channel CCD photometer at the Xinglong Observatory
We describe the design and construction of a new rapid 3-channel CCDphotometer, dedicated to simultaneous multicolor photometricobservations of rapidly variable objects. This photometer is equipped onthe 1-meter telescope at the Xinglong Observatory. It allowssimultaneous imaging within fields of view of 18.8' × 18.8', 18.2'× 17.6' and 9.2' × 9.2' in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey'sg', r' and i' bands, respectively. The results of its calibration andperformance are reported.
| The Gaia spectrophotometric standard stars survey - I. Preliminary results
We describe two ground-based observing campaigns aimed at building agrid of approximately 200 spectrophotometric standard stars (SPSS), withan internal ≃1 per cent precision and tied to Vega within ≃3per cent, for the absolute flux calibration of data gathered by Gaia,the European Space Agency (ESA) astrometric mission. The criteria forthe selection and a list of candidates are presented, together with adescription of the survey strategy and the adopted data analysismethods. We also discuss a short list of notable rejected SPSScandidates and difficult cases, based on identification problems,literature discordant data, visual companions and variability. In fact,all candidates are also monitored for constancy (within ±5 mmag,approximately). In particular, we report on a CALSPEC standard, 1740346,that we found to be a δ Scuti variable during our short-termmonitoring (1-2 h) campaign. Based on data obtained within the Gaia DataProcessing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) - and coordinated by theGround-based Observations for Gaia (GBOG) working group - at varioustelescopes; see acknowledgments.
| Photometry of two DQ white dwarfs. Search for spots
Aims: The intensity profiles of the C2 Swan bands incool DQ white dwarfs cannot be adequately fitted with models thatotherwise succesfully reproduce spectral features of the molecule CH inthese stars. Initial modelling showed that a two-component atmosphere inthe style of a spot might be able to solve the problem. Methods:We photometrically observed the two cool DQ white dwarfs GJ1117 andEGGR78 to search for variability caused by stellar spots. Results: We have not found any such variability, but we estimate theeffects of hypothetical spots on lightcurves. We also estimate detectionprobabilities for spots in different configurations. Alternativeexplanations of the problem are needed and briefly discussed.Photometric data is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/544/L6
| uvby-? photometry and kinematics of metal-poor stars: A search for moving groups in the Galactic Stellar Halo
The possible presence of moving groups in the local Galactic stellarhalo has been examined based on new uvby-? photometry for a sampleof 143 metal-poor stars joined to the photometry of 1553 stars from theprevious catalogues of Schuster & Nissen (1988), Schuster et al.(1993), and Schuster et al. (2006). This new set of photometric data,together with radial velocities and proper motions taken from theliterature, have allowed us to obtain Galactic space velocities U', V',and W' for nearly the entire sample. With this kinematic information,three diagrams: the [Fe/H] vs V_rot, the Bottlinger (V' vs U') and theToomre (V' vs (U'^2 + W'^2)^{1/2}) have been obtained and used toidentify probable groups of stars in common between them. Onceidentified, these groups were compared to moving groups reported in theliterature. In particular, probable members of the Kapteyn group and? Cen were identified.
| The atmospheric parameters and spectral interpolator for the MILES stars
Context. Empirical libraries of stellar spectra are used to classifystars and synthetize stellar populations. MILES is a mediumspectral-resolution library in the optical domain covering a wide rangeof temperatures, surface gravities and metallicities. Aims: Weredetermine the atmospheric parameters of these stars in order toimprove the homogeneity and accuracy. We build an interpolating functionthat returns a spectrum as a function of the three atmosphericparameters, and finally we characterize the precision of the wavelengthcalibration and stability of the spectral resolution. Methods: Weused the ULySS program with the ELODIE library as a reference andcompared the results with those in the literature. Results: Weobtain precisions of 60 K, 0.13, and 0.05 dex, respectively, forTeff, log g, and [Fe/H] for the FGK stars. For the M stars,the mean errors are 38 K, 0.26, and 0.12 dex and 3.5%, 0.17, and 0.13dex for the OBA. We construct an interpolator that we test against theMILES stars themselves. We test it also by measuring the atmosphericparameters of the CFLIB stars with MILES as reference and find it to bemore reliable than the ELODIE interpolator for the evolved hot stars,like those of the blue horizontal branch in particular.FITS files are only and Table 1 also available in electronic form at theCDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/531/A165
| Element abundances in the stars of the MILES spectral library: the Mg/Fe ratio
We have obtained [Mg/Fe] measurements for 76.3 per cent of the stars inthe Mid-resolution Isaac Newton Telescope Library of Empirical Spectra(MILES) spectral library used for understanding stellar atmospheres andstellar populations in galaxies and star clusters. These abundanceratios were obtained through (1) a compilation of values from theliterature using abundances from high-resolution (HR) spectroscopicstudies and (2) a robust spectroscopic analysis using the MILESmid-resolution (MR) optical spectra. All the [Mg/Fe] values werecarefully calibrated to a single uniform scale, by using an extensivecontrol sample with results from HR spectra. The small averageuncertainties in the calibrated [Mg/Fe] values [respectively 0.09 and0.12 dex with methods (1) and (2)] and the good coverage of the starswith [Mg/Fe] over stellar atmospheric parameter space of the librarywill permit the building of new simple stellar populations (SSPs) withempirical ?-enhancements. These will be available for a range of[Mg/Fe], including both sub-solar and super-solar values, and forseveral metallicities and ages. These models will open up new prospectsfor testing and applications of evolutionary stellar populationsynthesis.
| Bayesian inference of stellar parameters and interstellar extinction using parallaxes and multiband photometry
Astrometric surveys provide the opportunity to measure the absolutemagnitudes of large numbers of stars, but only if the individualline-of-sight extinctions are known. Unfortunately, extinction is highlydegenerate with stellar effective temperature when estimated frombroad-band optical/infrared photometry. To address this problem, Iintroduce a Bayesian method for estimating the intrinsic parameters of astar and its line-of-sight extinction. It uses both photometry andparallaxes in a self-consistent manner in order to provide anon-parametric posterior probability distribution over the parameters.The method makes explicit use of domain knowledge by employing theHertzsprung-Russell Diagram (HRD) to constrain solutions and to ensurethat they respect stellar physics. I first demonstrate this method byusing it to estimate effective temperature and extinction from BVJHKdata for a set of artificially reddened Hipparcos stars, for whichaccurate effective temperatures have been estimated from high-resolutionspectroscopy. Using just the four colours, we see the expected strongdegeneracy (positive correlation) between the temperature andextinction. Introducing the parallax, apparent magnitude and the HRDreduces this degeneracy and improves both the precision (reduces theerror bars) and the accuracy of the parameter estimates, the latter byabout 35 per cent. The resulting accuracy is about 200 K in temperatureand 0.2 mag in extinction. I then apply the method to estimate theseparameters and absolute magnitudes for some 47 000 F, G, K Hipparcosstars which have been cross-matched with Two-Micron All-Sky Survey(2MASS). The method can easily be extended to incorporate the estimationof other parameters, in particular metallicity and surface gravity,making it particularly suitable for the analysis of the 109stars from Gaia.
| Accurate Coordinates and 2MASS Cross Identifications for (Almost) All Gliese Catalog Star
We provide precise J2000, epoch 2000 coordinates, andcross-identifications to sources in the 2MASS Point Source Catalog fornearly all stars in the Gliese, Gliese-Jahreiss, and Woolley catalogs ofnearby stars. The only Gliese objects where we were not successful aretwo Gliese sources that are actually QSOs; two proposed companions tobrighter stars, which we believe do not exist; four stars included inone of the catalogs but identified there as only optical companions; oneprobable plate flaw; and two stars that simply remain unrecovered. Forthe 4251 recovered stars, 2693 have coordinates based on Hipparcospositions, 1549 have coordinates based on 2MASS data, and 9 havepositions from other astrometric sources. All positions have beencalculated at epoch 2000 using proper motions from the literature, whichare also given here.
| Observational evidence for a broken Li Spite plateau and mass-dependent Li depletion
We present NLTE Li abundances for 88 stars in the metallicity range -3.5< [Fe/H] < -1.0. The effective temperatures are based on theinfrared flux method with improved E(B-V) values obtained mostly frominterstellar Na I D lines. The Li abundances were derived through MARCSmodels and high-quality UVES+VLT, HIRES+Keck and FIES+NOT spectra, andcomplemented with reliable equivalent widths from the literature. Theless-depleted stars with [Fe/H] < -2.5 and [Fe/H] > -2.5 fall intotwo well-defined plateaus of ALi = 2.18 (? = 0.04) andALi = 2.27 (? = 0.05), respectively. We show that thetwo plateaus are flat, unlike previous claims for a steep monotonicdecrease in Li abundances with decreasing metallicities. At allmetallicities we uncover a fine-structure in the Li abundances of Spiteplateau stars, which we trace to Li depletion that depends on bothmetallicity and mass. Models including atomic diffusion and turbulentmixing seem to reproduce the observed Li depletion assuming a primordialLi abundance ALi = 2.64, which agrees well with currentpredictions (ALi = 2.72) from standard Big Bangnucleosynthesis. Adopting the Kurucz overshooting model atmospheresincreases the Li abundance by +0.08 dex to ALi = 2.72, whichperfectly agrees with BBN+WMAP.Based in part on observations obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory,the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, and on data from theHIRES/Keck archive and the European Southern Observatory ESO/ST-ECFScience Archive Facility.Table 1 is only available in electronic form athttp://www.aanda.org
| The PASTEL catalogue of stellar parameters
Aims: The PASTEL catalogue is an update of the [Fe/H] catalogue,published in 1997 and 2001. It is a bibliographical compilation ofstellar atmospheric parameters providing (T_eff, log g, [Fe/H])determinations obtained from the analysis of high resolution, highsignal-to-noise spectra, carried out with model atmospheres. PASTEL alsoprovides determinations of the one parameter T_eff based on variousmethods. It is aimed in the future to provide also homogenizedatmospheric parameters and elemental abundances, radial and rotationalvelocities. A web interface has been created to query the catalogue onelaborated criteria. PASTEL is also distributed through the CDS databaseand VizieR. Methods: To make it as complete as possible, the mainjournals have been surveyed, as well as the CDS database, to findrelevant publications. The catalogue is regularly updated with newdeterminations found in the literature. Results: As of Febuary2010, PASTEL includes 30151 determinations of either T_eff or (T_eff,log g, [Fe/H]) for 16 649 different stars corresponding to 865bibliographical references. Nearly 6000 stars have a determination ofthe three parameters (T_eff, log g, [Fe/H]) with a high qualityspectroscopic metallicity.The catalogue can be queried through a dedicated web interface at http://pastel.obs.u-bordeaux1.fr/.It is also available in electronic form at the Centre de DonnéesStellaires in Strasbourg (http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR?-source=B/pastel),at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) orvia http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/515/A111
| An absolutely calibrated Teff scale from the infrared flux method. Dwarfs and subgiants
Various effective temperature scales have been proposed over the years.Despite much work and the high internal precision usually achieved,systematic differences of order 100 K (or more) among various scales arestill present. We present an investigation based on the infrared fluxmethod aimed at assessing the source of such discrepancies and pin downtheir origin. We break the impasse among different scales by using alarge set of solar twins, stars which are spectroscopically andphotometrically identical to the Sun, to set the absolute zero point ofthe effective temperature scale to within few degrees. Our newlycalibrated, accurate and precise temperature scale applies to dwarfs andsubgiants, from super-solar metallicities to the most metal-poor starscurrently known. At solar metallicities our results validatespectroscopic effective temperature scales, whereas for [Fe/H]? -2.5our temperatures are roughly 100 K hotter than those determined frommodel fits to the Balmer lines and 200 K hotter than those obtained fromthe excitation equilibrium of Fe lines. Empirical bolometric correctionsand useful relations linking photometric indices to effectivetemperatures and angular diameters have been derived. Our results takefull advantage of the high accuracy reached in absolute calibration inrecent years and are further validated by interferometric angulardiameters and space based spectrophotometry over a wide range ofeffective temperatures and metallicities.Table 8 is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/512/A54
| Speckle interferometry of metal-poor stars in the solar neighborhood. II
The results of speckle interferometric observations of 115 metal-poorstars ([m/H] < ‑1) within 250 pc from the Sun and with propermotions µ ≳ 0.2″/yr, made with the 6-m telescope of theSpecial Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences,are reported. Close companions with separations ranging from0.034″ to 1″ were observed for 12 objects—G76-21,G59-1, G63-46, G135-16, G168-42, G141-47, G142-44, G190-10, G28-43,G217-8, G130-7, and G89-14—eight of them are astrometricallyresolved for the first time. The newly resolved systems include onetriple star—G190-10. If combined with spectroscopic and visualdata, our results imply a single:binary:triple:quadruple star ratio of147:64:9:1 for a sample of 221 primary components of halo and thick-diskstars.
| Sequential Star Formation in a Cometary Globule (BRC37) of IC1396
We have carried out near-IR/optical observations to examine starformation toward a bright-rimmed cometary globule (BRC37) facing theexciting star(s) of an H II region (IC1396) containing an IRAS source,which is considered to be an intermediate-mass protostar. With slitlessspectroscopy we detected ten Hα emission stars around the globule,six of which are near the tip of the globule and are aligned along thedirection to the exciting stars. There is evidence that this alignmentwas originally toward an O9.5 star, but has evolved to align toward ayounger O6 star when that formed. Near-IR and optical photometrysuggests that four of these six stars are low-mass young stellar objects(YSOs) with masses of ~0.4 M sun. Their estimated ages of ~1Myr indicate that they were formed at the tip in advance of theformation of the IRAS source. Therefore, it is likely that sequentialstar formation has been taking place along the direction from theexciting stars toward the IRAS source, due to the UV impact of theexciting star(s). Interestingly, one faint, Hα emission star,which is the closest to the exciting star(s), seems to be a young browndwarf that was formed by the UV impact in advance of the formation ofother YSOs at the tip.
| Formation of Protoplanets from Massive Planetesimals in Binary Systems
More than half of all stars reside in binary or multiple star systems,and many planets have been found in binary systems. From a theoreticalpoint of view, however, whether or not the planetary formation proceedsin a binary system is a very complex problem, because secularperturbation from the companion star can easily stir up the eccentricityof the planetesimals and cause high-velocity, destructive collisionsbetween planetesimals. Early stages of the planetary formation processin binary systems have been studied by a restricted three-body approachwith gas drag, and it is commonly accepted that accretion ofplanetesimals can proceed due to orbital phasing by gas drag. However,the gas drag becomes less effective as the planetesimals become moremassive. Therefore, it is uncertain whether the collision velocityremains small and planetary accretion can proceed once the planetesimalsbecome massive. We performed N-body simulations of planetary formationin binary systems, starting from massive planetesimals of size ~100-500km. We found that the eccentricity vectors of planetesimals quicklyconverge to the forced eccentricity due to the coupling of theperturbation of the companion and the mutual interaction ofplanetesimals, if the initial disk model is sufficiently wide in radialdistribution. This convergence decreases the collision velocity, and asa result accretion can proceed much in the same way as in isolatedsystems. The basic processes of the planetary formation, such as runawayand oligarchic growth and final configuration of the protoplanets, areessentially the same in binary systems and single star systems, at leastin the late stage, where the effect of gas drag is small.
| Medium-resolution Isaac Newton Telescope library of empirical spectra - II. The stellar atmospheric parameters
We present a homogeneous set of stellar atmospheric parameters(Teff, logg, [Fe/H]) for MILES, a new spectral stellarlibrary covering the range λλ 3525-7500Å at2.3Å (FWHM) spectral resolution. The library consists of 985 starsspanning a large range in atmospheric parameters, from super-metal-rich,cool stars to hot, metal-poor stars. The spectral resolution, spectraltype coverage and number of stars represent a substantial improvementover previous libraries used in population synthesis models. Theatmospheric parameters that we present here are the result of aprevious, extensive compilation from the literature. In order toconstruct a homogeneous data set of atmospheric parameters we have takenthe sample of stars of Soubiran, Katz & Cayrel, which has very welldetermined fundamental parameters, as the standard reference system forour field stars, and have calibrated and bootstrapped the data fromother papers against it. The atmospheric parameters for our clusterstars have also been revised and updated according to recent metallicityscales, colour-temperature relations and improved set of isochrones.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| Medium-resolution Isaac Newton Telescope library of empirical spectra
A new stellar library developed for stellar population synthesismodelling is presented. The library consists of 985 stars spanning alarge range in atmospheric parameters. The spectra were obtained at the2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope and cover the range λλ3525-7500 Å at 2.3 Å (full width at half-maximum) spectralresolution. The spectral resolution, spectral-type coverage,flux-calibration accuracy and number of stars represent a substantialimprovement over previous libraries used in population-synthesis models.
| Effective temperature scale and bolometric corrections from 2MASS photometry
We present a method to determine effective temperatures, angularsemi-diameters and bolometric corrections for population I and II FGKtype stars based on V and 2MASS IR photometry. Accurate calibration isaccomplished by using a sample of solar analogues, whose averagetemperature is assumed to be equal to the solar effective temperature of5777 K. By taking into account all possible sources of error we estimateassociated uncertainties to better than 1% in effective temperature andin the range 1.0-2.5% in angular semi-diameter for unreddened stars.Comparison of our new temperatures with other determinations extractedfrom the literature indicates, in general, remarkably good agreement.These results suggest that the effective temperaure scale of FGK starsis currently established with an accuracy better than 0.5%-1%. Theapplication of the method to a sample of 10 999 dwarfs in the Hipparcoscatalogue allows us to define temperature and bolometric correction (Kband) calibrations as a function of (V-K), [m/H] and log g. Bolometriccorrections in the V and K bands as a function of T_eff, [m/H] and log gare also given. We provide effective temperatures, angularsemi-diameters, radii and bolometric corrections in the V and K bandsfor the 10 999 FGK stars in our sample with the correspondinguncertainties.
| Fine structure in the phase space distribution of nearby subdwarfs
We analysed the fine structure of the phase space distribution functionof nearby subdwarfs using data extracted from various catalogues.Applying a new search strategy based on Dekker's theory of galacticorbits, we found four overdensely populated regions in phase space.Three of them were correlated with previously known star streams: theHyades-Pleiades and Hercules streams in the thin disk of the Milky Wayand the Arcturus stream in the thick disk. In addition we find evidencefor another stream in the thick disk, which resembles closely theArcturus stream and probably has the same extragalactic origin.
| 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.
| A Catalog of Northern Stars with Annual Proper Motions Larger than 0.15" (LSPM-NORTH Catalog)
The LSPM catalog is a comprehensive list of 61,977 stars north of theJ2000 celestial equator that have proper motions larger than 0.15"yr-1 (local-background-stars frame). The catalog has beengenerated primarily as a result of our systematic search for high propermotion stars in the Digitized Sky Surveys using our SUPERBLINK software.At brighter magnitudes, the catalog incorporates stars and data from theTycho-2 Catalogue and also, to a lesser extent, from the All-SkyCompiled Catalogue of 2.5 million stars. The LSPM catalog considerablyexpands over the old Luyten (Luyten Half-Second [LHS] and New LuytenTwo-Tenths [NLTT]) catalogs, superseding them for northern declinations.Positions are given with an accuracy of <~100 mas at the 2000.0epoch, and absolute proper motions are given with an accuracy of ~8 masyr-1. Corrections to the local-background-stars propermotions have been calculated, and absolute proper motions in theextragalactic frame are given. Whenever available, we also give opticalBT and VT magnitudes (from Tycho-2, ASCC-2.5),photographic BJ, RF, and IN magnitudes(from USNO-B1 catalog), and infrared J, H, and Ks magnitudes(from 2MASS). We also provide an estimated V magnitude and V-J color fornearly all catalog entries, useful for initial classification of thestars. The catalog is estimated to be over 99% complete at high Galacticlatitudes (|b|>15deg) and over 90% complete at lowGalactic latitudes (|b|>15deg), down to a magnitudeV=19.0, and has a limiting magnitude V=21.0. All the northern starslisted in the LHS and NLTT catalogs have been reidentified, and theirpositions, proper motions, and magnitudes reevaluated. The catalog alsolists a large number of completely new objects, which promise to expandvery significantly the census of red dwarfs, subdwarfs, and white dwarfsin the vicinity of the Sun.Based on data mining of the Digitized Sky Surveys (DSSs), developed andoperated by the Catalogs and Surveys Branch of the Space TelescopeScience Institute (STScI), Baltimore.Developed with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), aspart of the NASA/NSF NStars program.
| SB9: The ninth catalogue of spectroscopic binary orbits
The Ninth Catalogue of Spectroscopic Binary Orbits(http://sb9.astro.ulb.ac.be) continues the series of compilations ofspectroscopic orbits carried out over the past 35 years by Batten andcollaborators. As of 2004 May 1st, the new Catalogue holds orbits for2386 systems. Some essential differences between this catalogue and itspredecessors are outlined and three straightforward applications arepresented: (1) completeness assessment: period distribution of SB1s andSB2s; (2) shortest periods across the H-R diagram; (3)period-eccentricity relation.
| A CCD imaging search for wide metal-poor binaries
We explored the regions within a radius of 25 arcsec around 473 nearby,low-metallicity G- to M-type stars using (VR)I optical filters andsmall-aperture telescopes. About 10% of the sample was searched up toangular separations of 90 arcsec. We applied photometric and astrometrictechniques to detect true physical companions to the targets. The greatmajority of the sample stars was drawn from the Carney-Latham surveys;their metallicities range from roughly solar to [Fe/H] = -3.5 dex. OurI-band photometric survey detected objects that are between 0 and 5 magfainter (completeness) than the target stars; the maximum dynamicalrange of our exploration is 9 mag. We also investigated the literature,and inspected images from the Digitized Sky Surveys to complete oursearch. By combining photometric and proper motion measurements, weretrieved 29 previously known companions, and identified 13 new propermotion companions. Near-infrared 2MASS photometry is provided for thegreat majority of them. Low-resolution optical spectroscopy (386-1000nm) was obtained for eight of the new companion stars. Thesespectroscopic data confirm them as cool, late-type, metal-depleteddwarfs, with spectral classes from esdK7 to sdM3. After comparison withlow-metallicity evolutionary models, we estimate the masses of theproper motion companion stars to be in the range 0.5-0.1Mȯ. They are moving around their primary stars atprojected separations between 32 and 57 000 AU. These orbitalsizes are very similar to those of solar-metallicity stars of the samespectral types. Our results indicate that about 15% of the metal-poorstars have stellar companions in wide orbits, which is in agreement withthe binary fraction observed among main sequence G- to M-type stars andT Tauri stars.Based on observations made with the IAC80 telescope operated on theisland of Tenerife by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias inthe Spanish Observatorio del Teide; also based on observations made withthe 2.2 m telescope of the German-Spanish Calar Alto Observatory(Almería, Spain), the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) operatedon the island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group in the SpanishObservatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM) of the Instituto deAstrofísica de Canarias; and the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo(TNG) at the ORM.The complete Table 1 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/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/419/167
| Empirically Constrained Color-Temperature Relations. II. uvby
A new grid of theoretical color indices for the Strömgren uvbyphotometric system has been derived from MARCS model atmospheres and SSGsynthetic spectra for cool dwarf and giant stars having-3.0<=[Fe/H]<=+0.5 and 3000<=Teff<=8000 K. Atwarmer temperatures (i.e., 8000-2.0. To overcome thisproblem, the theoretical indices at intermediate and high metallicitieshave been corrected using a set of color calibrations based on fieldstars having well-determined distances from Hipparcos, accurateTeff estimates from the infrared flux method, andspectroscopic [Fe/H] values. In contrast with Paper I, star clustersplayed only a minor role in this analysis in that they provided asupplementary constraint on the color corrections for cool dwarf starswith Teff<=5500 K. They were mainly used to test thecolor-Teff relations and, encouragingly, isochrones thatemploy the transformations derived in this study are able to reproducethe observed CMDs (involving u-v, v-b, and b-y colors) for a number ofopen and globular clusters (including M67, the Hyades, and 47 Tuc)rather well. Moreover, our interpretations of such data are verysimilar, if not identical, with those given in Paper I from aconsideration of BV(RI)C observations for the sameclusters-which provides a compelling argument in support of thecolor-Teff relations that are reported in both studies. Inthe present investigation, we have also analyzed the observedStrömgren photometry for the classic Population II subdwarfs,compared our ``final'' (b-y)-Teff relationship with thosederived empirically in a number of recent studies and examined in somedetail the dependence of the m1 index on [Fe/H].Based, in part, on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope,operated jointly on the island of La Palma by Denmark, Finland, Iceland,Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de losMuchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.Based, in part, on observations obtained with the Danish 1.54 mtelescope at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile.
| On the Mass-Ratio Distribution of Spectroscopic Binaries
In this paper we derive the mass-ratio and secondary-mass distributionsof a large, well-defined, complete sample of 129 spectroscopic binarieswith periods between 1 and 2500 days. The binaries, whose orbits werepublished recently, were detected by a systematic radial-velocity surveyof a sample of more than 1400 large proper motion stars. Three featuresstand out in the mass-ratio distribution: a rise as the mass ratio goesdown to q~0.2, a sharp drop below q~0.2, and a smaller peak at q~0.8.Another way to characterize the results is to state that thedistribution includes two ``populations,'' one with a high asymmetricpeak at q~0.2 and another with a smaller peak at q~0.8, while theminimum between the two populations is centered at q~0.55. The size ofthe binary sample allows us to divide it into two subsamples and lookfor differences in the mass-ratio distributions of the two subsamples.We performed two different divisions: one into Galactic halo versus diskpopulations, and the other into high- and low-mass primary stars (aboveand below 0.67 Msolar). The former division yieldsdifferences with moderate statistical significance of 88%, while thelatter is more significant at a level of 97%. Our analysis suggests thatthe rise toward low mass ratios does not appear in the mass-ratiodistribution of the halo binaries. The other separation shows a broadpeak at mass ratio of q~0.8-1 for the subsample of binaries withlow-mass primaries but no corresponding peak in the subsample withhigh-mass primaries. We discuss our findings and their application totheories of binary formation.
| A Globular Cluster Metallicity Scale Based on the Abundance of Fe II
Assuming that in the atmospheres of low-mass, metal-poor red giantstars, one-dimensional models based on local thermodynamic equilibriumaccurately predict the abundance of iron from Fe II, we derive aglobular cluster metallicity scale based on the equivalent widths of FeII lines measured from high-resolution spectra of giants in 16 keyclusters lying in the abundance range-2.4<[Fe/H]II<-0.7. We base the scale largely on theanalysis of spectra of 149 giant stars in 11 clusters by the Lick-Texasgroup supplemented by high-resolution studies of giants in five otherclusters. We also derive ab initio the true distance moduli for certainkey clusters (M5, M3, M13, M92, and M15) as a means of setting stellarsurface gravities. Allowances are made for changes in the abundancescale if one employs (1) Kurucz models with and without convectiveovershooting to represent giant star atmospheres in place of MARCSmodels and (2) the Houdashelt et al. color-temperature scale in place ofthe Alonso et al. scale.We find that [Fe/H]II is correlated linearly withW', the reduced strength of the near-infrared Ca II tripletdefined by Rutledge et al., although the actual correlation coefficientsdepend on the atmospheric model employed. The correlations, limited tothe range -2.4<[Fe/H]II<-0.7, are as follows:1.[Fe/H]II=0.531W'-3.279(MARCS),2.[Fe/H]II=0.537W'-3.225 (Kurucz withconvective overshooting),3.[Fe/H]II=0.562W'-3.329 (Kurucz withoutconvective overshooting).We also discuss how to estimate [X/Fe] ratios. We suggest that C, N, andO, as well as elements appearing in the spectrum in the singly ionizedstate, e.g., Ti, Sc, Ba, La, and Eu, should be normalized to theabundance of Fe II. Other elements, which appear mostly in the neutralstate, but for which the dominant species is nevertheless the ionizedstate, are probably best normalized to Fe I, but uncertainties remain.
| IRFM temperature calibrations for the Vilnius, Geneva, RI(C) and DDO photometric systems
We have used the infrared flux method (IRFM) temperatures of a largesample of late type dwarfs given by Alonso et al. (\cite{alonso:irfm})to calibrate empirically the relations Teff=f (colour,[Fe/H]) for the Vilnius, Geneva, RI(C) (Cousins) and DDOphotometric systems. The resulting temperature scale and intrinsiccolour-colour diagrams for these systems are also obtained. From thisscale, the solar colours are derived and compared with those of thesolar twin 18 Sco. Since our work is based on the same Teffand [Fe/H] values used by Alonso et al. (\cite{alonso:escala}) tocalibrate other colours, we now have an homogeneous calibration for alarge set of photometric systems.Based on data from the GCPD.
| 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.
| New Metallicity Calibration Down to [Fe/H] = -2.75 dex
We have taken 88 dwarfs, covering the colour-index interval 0.37 <=(B-V)0 <= 1.07mag, with metallicities -2.70 <= [Fe/H]<= +0.26dex, from three different sources for new metallicitycalibration. The catalogue of Cayrel de Stroble et al. (2001), whichincludes 65% of the stars in our sample, supplies detailed informationon abundances for stars with determination based on high-resolutionspectroscopy. In constructing the new calibration we have used as`corner stones' 77 stars which supply at least one of the followingconditions: (i) the parallax is larger than 10mas (distance relative tothe Sun less than 100pc) and the galactic latitude is absolutely higherthan 30° (ii) the parallax is rather large, if the galactic latitudeis absolutely low and vice versa. Contrary to previous investigations, athird-degree polynomial is fitted for the new calibration: [Fe/H]=0.10 -2.76δ - 24.04δ2 + 30.00δ3. Thecoefficients were evaluated by the least-squares method, without regardto the metallicity of Hyades. However, the constant term is in the rangeof metallicity determined for this cluster, i.e.0.08<=[Fe/H]<=0.11dex. The mean deviation and the mean error inour work are equal to those of Carney (1979), for [Fe/H] >= -1.75dexwhere Carney's calibration is valid
| Classification of Metal-Deficient Dwarfs in the Vilnius Photometric System
Methods used for the quantitative classification of metal-deficientstars in the Vilnius photometric system are reviewed. We present a newcalibration of absolute magnitudes for dwarfs and subdwarfs, based onHipparcos parallaxes. The new classification scheme is applied to asample of Population II visual binaries.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Andromeda |
| Right ascension: | 23h13m38.82s |
| Declination: | +39°25'02.6" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 10.983 |
| Proper motion RA: | 168.6 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -314.1 |
| B-T magnitude: | 11.738 |
| V-T magnitude: | 11.046 |
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