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The Nature of Interstellar Gas toward the Pleiades Revealed in Absorption Lines
We present high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio absorption-lineobservations of CN, Ca II, Ca I, CH+, and CH along 20 linesof sight toward members of the Pleiades. The acquired data enable themost detailed study to date of the interaction between cluster stars andthe surrounding interstellar gas. Total equivalent widths are consistentwith previous investigations, except where weaker features are detectedowing to our greater sensitivity. Mean b-values for the molecularspecies indicate that toward most of the Pleiades, CH is associated withthe production of CH+ rather than CN. An analysis of radialvelocities reveals a kinematic distinction between ionized atomic gasand molecular and neutral gas. Molecular components are found withvelocities in the local standard of rest of either ~+7 or ~+9.5 kms-1, with the higher velocity components being associatedwith the strongest absorption. Atomic gas traced by Ca II shows a strongcentral component at vLSR~+7 km s-1, exhibitingvelocity gradients indicative of cloud-cluster interactions. Gas densityestimates derived from measured CH/CH+ column density ratiosshow good agreement with those inferred from H2 rotationalpopulations, yielding typical values of n~50 cm-3. Our modelsdo not include the important time-dependent effects on CH+formation, which may ultimately be needed to extract physical conditionsin these clouds.
| Circular Polarization of Starlight
Of the 7500 stars cited in the Catalog of starlight polarization, thosewhich satisfy the condition P obs % and A V 0m.5 are selected. It ispresumed that the selected stars (n=216) have circularly polarizedlight.
| 3D mapping of the dense interstellar gas around the Local Bubble
We present intermediate results from a long-term program of mapping theneutral absorption characteristics of the local interstellar medium,motivated by the availability of accurate and consistent parallaxes fromthe Hipparcos satellite. Equivalent widths of the interstellar NaID-line doublet at 5890 Å are presented for the lines-of-sighttowards some 311 new target stars lying within ~ 350 pc of the Sun.Using these data, together with NaI absorption measurements towards afurther ~ 240 nearby targets published in the literature (for many ofthem, in the directions of molecular clouds), and the ~ 450lines-of-sight already presented by (Sfeir et al. \cite{sfeir99}), weshow 3D absorption maps of the local distribution of neutral gas towards1005 sight-lines with Hipparcos distances as viewed from a variety ofdifferent galactic projections.The data are synthesized by means of two complementary methods, (i) bymapping of iso-equivalent width contours, and (ii) by densitydistribution calculation from the inversion of column-densities, amethod devised by Vergely et al. (\cite{vergely01}). Our present dataconfirms the view that the local cavity is deficient in cold and neutralinterstellar gas. The closest dense and cold gas ``wall'', in the firstquadrant, is at ~ 55-60 pc. There are a few isolated clouds at closerdistance, if the detected absorption is not produced by circumstellarmaterial.The maps reveal narrow or wide ``interstellar tunnels'' which connectthe Local Bubble to surrounding cavities, as predicted by the model ofCox & Smith (1974). In particular, one of these tunnels, defined bystars at 300 to 600 pc from the Sun showing negligible sodiumabsorption, connects the well known CMa void (Gry et al. \cite{gry85}),which is part of the Local Bubble, with the supershell GSH 238+00+09(Heiles \cite{heiles98}). High latitude lines-of-sight with the smallestabsorption are found in two ``chimneys'', whose directions areperpendicular to the Gould belt plane. The maps show that the LocalBubble is ``squeezed'' by surrounding shells in a complicated patternand suggest that its pressure is smaller than in those expandingregions.We discuss the locations of several HI and molecular clouds. Usingcomparisons between NaI and HI or CO velocities, in some cases we areable to improve the constraints on their distances. According to thevelocity criteria, MBM 33-37, MBM 16-18, UT 3-7, and MBM 54-55 arecloser than ~ 100 pc, and MBM 40 is closer than 80 pc. Dense HI cloudsare seen at less than 90 pc and 85 pc in the directions of the MBM 12and MBM 41-43 clouds respectively, but the molecular clouds themselvesmay be far beyond. The above closest molecular clouds are located at theneutral boundary of the Bubble. Only one translucent cloud, G192-67, isclearly embedded within the LB and well isolated.These maps of the distribution of local neutral interstellar NaI gas arealso briefly compared with the distribution of both interstellar dustand neutral HI gas within 300 pc.Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp:cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/411/447
| Interstellar Matter near the Pleiades. VI. Evidence for an Interstellar Three-Body Encounter
This paper seeks a comprehensive interpretation of new data on Na Iabsorption toward stars in and near the Pleiades, together with existingvisible and infrared data on the distribution of dust and with radiodata on H I and CO in the cluster vicinity. The use of dust and gasmorphology to constrain tangential motions in connection with themeasured radial velocities yields estimates for the space motion of gasnear the Pleiades. Much of the kinematic complexity in the interstellarabsorption toward the Pleiades, including the presence of stronglyblueshifted components that arise in shocked gas, finds explanation inthe interaction between the cluster and foreground gas withVr(LSR)~7 km s-1 associated with the Taurus dustclouds. Taurus gas, however, cannot readily account for an absorptioncomponent having Vr(LSR)~10 km s-1 with a wide,but not continuous distribution and 21 cm emission from gas in thecluster having Vr(LSR)~0 km s-1 associated witheast-west dust filaments. Successive hypotheses for the origin of theseadditional features include Taurus gas at a higher velocity than thepervasive foreground component, additional gas at a radial velocityintermediate between that of the Taurus component and the cluster, and acloud having Vr(LSR)~10 km s-1 approaching thePleiades from the west. A satisfactory account of the full complexity ofthe interstellar medium near the Pleiades requires the last feature andthe Taurus gas, both interacting with the Pleiades and also with eachother.
| Observations of Star-Forming Regions with the Midcourse Space Experiment
We have imaged seven nearby star-forming regions, the Rosette Nebula,the Orion Nebula, W3, the Pleiades, G300.2-16.8, S263, and G159.6-18.5,with the Spatial Infrared Imaging Telescope on the Midcourse SpaceExperiment (MSX) satellite at 18" resolution at 8.3, 12.1, 14.7, and21.3 μm. The large angular scale of the regions imaged (~7.2-50deg2) makes these data unique in terms of the combination ofsize and resolution. In addition to the star-forming regions, twocirrus-free fields (MSXBG 160 and MSXBG 161) and a field near the southGalactic pole (MSXBG 239) were also imaged. Point sources have beenextracted from each region, resulting in the identification over 500 newsources (i.e., no identified counterparts at other wavelengths), as wellas over 1300 with prior identifications. The extended emission from thestar-forming regions is described, and prominent structures areidentified, particularly in W3 and Orion. The Rosette Nebula isdiscussed in detail. The bulk of the mid-infrared emission is consistentwith that of photon-dominated regions, including the elephant trunkcomplex. The central clump, however, and a line of site toward thenorthern edge of the cavity show significantly redder colors than therest of the Rosette complex.
| Astrometric radial velocities. III. Hipparcos measurements of nearby star clusters and associations
Radial motions of stars in nearby moving clusters are determined fromaccurate proper motions and trigonometric parallaxes, without any use ofspectroscopy. Assuming that cluster members share the same velocityvector (apart from a random dispersion), we apply a maximum-likelihoodmethod on astrometric data from Hipparcos to compute radial and spacevelocities (and their dispersions) in the Ursa Major, Hyades, ComaBerenices, Pleiades, and Praesepe clusters, and for theScorpius-Centaurus, alpha Persei, and ``HIP 98321'' associations. Theradial motion of the Hyades cluster is determined to within 0.4 kms-1 (standard error), and that of its individual stars towithin 0.6 km s-1. For other clusters, Hipparcos data yieldastrometric radial velocities with typical accuracies of a few kms-1. A comparison of these astrometric values withspectroscopic radial velocities in the literature shows a good generalagreement and, in the case of the best-determined Hyades cluster, alsopermits searches for subtle astrophysical differences, such as evidencefor enhanced convective blueshifts of F-dwarf spectra, and decreasedgravitational redshifts in giants. Similar comparisons for the ScorpiusOB2 complex indicate some expansion of its associations, albeit slowerthan expected from their ages. As a by-product from the radial-velocitysolutions, kinematically improved parallaxes for individual stars areobtained, enabling Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams with unprecedentedaccuracy in luminosity. For the Hyades (parallax accuracy 0.3 mas), itsmain sequence resembles a thin line, possibly with wiggles in it.Although this main sequence has underpopulated regions at certaincolours (previously suggested to be ``Böhm-Vitense gaps''), suchare not visible for other clusters, and are probably spurious. Futurespace astrometry missions carry a great potential for absoluteradial-velocity determinations, insensitive to the complexities ofstellar spectra. Based on observations by the ESA Hipparcos satellite.Extended versions of Tables \ref{tab1} and \ref{tab2} are available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.125.8) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/381/446
| Internal kinematics and binarity of X-ray stars in the Pleiades open cluster
The classical convergent point analysis is implemented for the Pleiadesstars with proper motions in the Tycho-2 Catalogue and X-ray fluxesmeasured by the ROSAT satellite. It is demonstrated that, with thestandard astrometric errors as given in Tycho-2, strong X-ray sources inthe cluster (log L_X > 29.1, where L_X is in erg s-1)exhibit a velocity dispersion in one component of only 0.20 kms-1, while the distributions of velocity components ofmoderate (log LX < 29.1) sources and stars not detected byROSAT at all are consistent with a velocity dispersion of 0.64 kms-1. The difference is statistically significant at the levelof 1.6sigma , or 0.95 confidence limit. This result is a clue to thekinematics/X-ray luminosity segregation, similar to that previouslydiscovered in the Hyades open cluster. It is discussed that thesegregation may be caused by a wide spread of ages of the member stars.The occurrence of high X-ray luminosities is found to correlate verywell with visual binarity and multiplicity (separations > 10 AU).
| Interstellar Matter Near the Pleiades. V. Observations of NA I toward 36 Stars
This paper reports high-resolution, moderate to high signal-to-noiseratio observations of 23 certain Pleiades members, four possiblemembers, and nine nonmembers in the Na I D lines, as well asobservations of 12 of the stars in the Na I ultraviolet doublet. Inspite of the relative proximity of the stars to the sun (even most ofthe nonmembers lie within 200 pc), the line profiles exhibit remarkablecomplexity, with up to five absorption components and equally remarkablestar-to-star variation. The velocity range, 2-20 km s-1,conforms well to the range expected for gas deflected by the passage ofthe cluster. The paper includes a careful discussion of uncertainties inthe data, the most important conclusions of which are that the velocityscatter is consistent with that expected from random errors in thewavelength calibration and that systematic errors probably are <~0.1km s-1. Appendices detail the choice of stellar data and theprocedure adopted for removing telluric absorption lines. Analysisfollows in a separate paper.
| Search for X-ray flares in the Pleiades using SoHO LASCO C3 images.
Not Available
| Open clusters with Hipparcos. I. Mean astrometric parameters
New memberships, mean parallaxes and proper motions of all 9 openclusters closer than 300 pc (except the Hyades) and 9rich clusters between 300 and 500 pc have been computed using Hipparcosdata. Precisions, ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 mas for parallaxes and 0.1 to0.5 mas/yr for proper motions, are of great interest for calibratingphotometric parallaxes as well as for kinematical studies. Carefulinvestigations of possible biases have been performed and no evidence ofsignificant systematic errors on the mean cluster parallaxes has beenfound. The distances and proper motions of 32 more distant clusters,which may be used statistically, are also indicated. Based onobservations made with the ESA Hipparcos astrometry satellite
| Deep ROSAT HRI observations of the Pleiades
In a deep X-ray survey of the Pleiades open cluster, we use the ROSATHigh Resolution Imager to explore a region of the cluster formerlysurveyed with the PSPC. These new observations substantially improveupon both the sensitivity and the spatial resolution for this region ofthe Pleiades, allowing us to detect 18 cluster members not detectedbefore and 16 members not included in the catalogs used in previoussurveys. The high sensitivity of the present observations permits us toobtain more stringent upper limits for 72 additional members and alsoprovides sufficient numbers of stars to enable us to explore thedependence of L_x on stellar rotation for the slow rotators of thePleiades. Using the new high sensitivity X-ray observations and therecent rotational measurements we discuss the activity-rotationrelationship in the Pleiades solar type stars. We also present newphotometric observations of optical counterparts of a number of X-raysources detected in previous surveys but not yet identified. Table~2 isavailable in electronic form at CDS via ftp 130.79.128.5
| The Pleiades and alpha Persei Clusters
The upper-main-sequence members of the Pleiades and alpha Perseiclusters, considered as members of the Local Association, yield meanparallaxes that are only 4% larger than the mean values from Hipparcosobservations. The (log T_eff, M_V) diagram reveals that in thetemperature range from 6000 to 8000 K, the Hyades and alpha Perseimain-sequence members are nearly identical and several tenths of amagnitude brighter than similar stars on the Pleiades main sequence. Thedeparture of the Pleiades main sequence cannot be traced to either ageor heavy-element abundance differences in the range thought to apply tothese clusters. A 50% increase in the helium abundance of Pleiades overHyades stars could account for the luminosity difference. Alternativeexplanations are that the Pleiades cluster is rejected from superclustermembership and/or that the Hipparcos parallax results for the Pleiadesare in error by some 10%.
| Spectrophotometry of 237 Stars in 7 Open Clusters
Spectrophotometry is presented for 237 stars in 7 nearby open clusters:Hyades, Pleiades, Alpha Persei, Praesepe, Coma Berenices, IC 4665, andM39. The observations were taken by Lee McDonald and David Bursteinusing the Wampler single-channel scanner on the Crossley 0.9m telescopeat Lick Observatory from July 1973 through December 1974. Sixteenbandpasses spanning the spectral range 3500 Angstroms to 7780 Angstromswere observed for each star, with bandwidths 32Angstroms, 48 Angstromsor 64 Angstroms. Data are standardized to the Hayes-Latham system tomutual accuracy of 0.016 mag per passband. The accuracy of thespectrophotometry is assessed in three ways on a star-by-star basis.First, comparisons are made with previously published spectrophotometryfor 19 stars observed in common. Second, (B-V) colors and uvby colorsare compared for 236 stars and 221 stars, respectively. Finally,comparsions are made for 200 main sequence stars to the spectralsynthesis models of Kurucz, fixing log g = 4.0 and [Fe/H] = 0.0, andonly varying effective temperature. The accuracy of tests using uvbycolors and the Kurucz models are shown to track each other closely,yielding an accuracy estimate (1 sigma ) of 0.01 mag for the 13 colorsformed from bandpasses longward of the Balmer jump, and 0.02 mag for the3 colors formed from the three bandpasses below the Balmer jump. Incontrast, larger scatter is found relative to the previously publishedspectrophotometry of Bohm-Vitense & Johnson (16 stars in common) andGunn & Stryker (3 stars). We also show that the scatter in the fitsof the spectrophotometric colors and the uvby filter colors is areasonable way to identify the observations of which specific stars areaccurate to 1 sigma , 2 sigma , .... As such, the residuals from boththe filter color fits and the Kurucz model fits are tabulated for eachstar where it was possible to make a comparison, so users of these datacan choose stars according to the accuracy of the data that isappropriate to their needs. The very good agreement between the modelsand these data verifies the accuracy of these data, and also verifiesthe usefulness of the Kurucz models to define spectrophotometry forstars in this temperature range (>5000 K). These data define accuratespectrophotometry of bright, open cluster stars that can be used as asecondary flux calibration for CCD-based spectrophotometric surveys.
| ROSAT Observations of the Pleiades. I. X-Ray Characteristics of a Coeval Stellar Population
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1996ApJS..102...75M&db_key=AST
| Vitesses radiales. Catalogue WEB: Wilson Evans Batten. Subtittle: Radial velocities: The Wilson-Evans-Batten catalogue.
We give a common version of the two catalogues of Mean Radial Velocitiesby Wilson (1963) and Evans (1978) to which we have added the catalogueof spectroscopic binary systems (Batten et al. 1989). For each star,when possible, we give: 1) an acronym to enter SIMBAD (Set ofIdentifications Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data) ofthe CDS (Centre de Donnees Astronomiques de Strasbourg). 2) the numberHIC of the HIPPARCOS catalogue (Turon 1992). 3) the CCDM number(Catalogue des Composantes des etoiles Doubles et Multiples) byDommanget & Nys (1994). For the cluster stars, a precise study hasbeen done, on the identificator numbers. Numerous remarks point out theproblems we have had to deal with.
| Membership probabilities in the Pleiades field.
A catalogue of proper motions and photographic B, V magnitudes for starsup to B=19mag within a region centered near Alcyone is presented. Thecatalogue is based on MAMA measurements of 8 plates taken with theTautenburg Schmidt telescope. The survey includes ca. 14500 stars andcovers a total field of about 9 square degrees. For stars brighter thanB=18mag an internal accuracy of 0.05mag and 2.5mas/year has beenestimated for photometric data and proper motions, respectively.Membership probabilities, proper motions and B, V magnitudes are listedfor 442 stars up to B=19mag in the Pleiades field.
| Close binaries observed polarimetrically
Not Available
| The Pleiades' age and the sequential star formation
A new age of the Pleiades has been obtained, comparing the cluster HRdiagram with the isochrones derived from the overshooting evolutionarymodels with chemical composition Y = 0.28, Z = 0.02. This comparisongives an age for the cluster of 1.5 x 10 to the 8th yr, instead of 6-7 x10 to the 7th derived in these last years from the classicalevolutionary models. This new value reduces drastically the differencebetween the age derived with the premain-sequence evolutionary models(turn-on age) and that derived with the new main-sequence models(turn-off age): a strong argument in favor of the sequental starformation hypothesis thus fails.
| The early A type stars - Refined MK classification, confrontation with Stroemgren photometry, and the effects of rotation
The MK classification system for the early A-type stars is refined, anda parallel system of standards for the broad-lined stars is introduced.With this improved system, stars may be classified with significantlygreater precision than before. It is shown that spectral types in thissystem are not systematically affected by rotational line broadening. Atotal of 372 early A-type stars are classified, and a confrontation ofthese spectral types with Stroemgren photometry reveals a number ofsystematic photometric effects of rotation. In particular, high v sin istars are systematically redder than low v sin i stars of the samespectral type, and the beta index is weakened by rotation. It isconcluded that precise spectral classification in conjunction withStroemgren and H-beta photometry can potentially provide a valuablecheck and input to the theory of the atmospheres of rotating stars.
| Interstellar extinction in the Pleiades
The different values of the ratio of total to selective absorption R =A(V)/E(B-V) given in the literature for the Pleiades are reviewed, andsome new estimates of this ratio are obtained. The results indicate avalue R = 3.2, which is close to the normal value for the interstellarmedium. However, the interstellar bands and the feature at 2200 A areabnormally weak in the spectrum of the reddened star HD 23512. Thereddening of HD 23512 and fainter stars nearby is due mainly to a smallmolecular cloud which is moving into the cluster.
| Interstellar extinction in the direction of the Merope dark cloud in Pleiades
The dependence of interstellar extinction on distance in the directionof the dark cloud south of Merope is determined using photoelectricphotometry of 93 stars in the Vilnius photometric system. The cloudfront edge is detected at 120-130 pc from the sun, and the distance ofthe Pleiades cluster is found to be 127 pc. Mean extinction, A(V), inthe Merope cloud is of the order of 1.0 mag. There is no evidence ofextinction at distances exceeding the Merope cloud distance. Thevariable extinction method yields R = A(V)/E(B-V) = 3.6, while themaximum polarization wavelength method gives the value 3.4. SomePleiades stars are suspected to be unresolved binaries.
| The distance of the Pleiades cluster and the calibration of photometric luminosities for early-type stars
An examination of the lower main-sequence (mode-A) stars in the Pleiadescluster suggests an Fe/H abundance ratio between 0.0 and 0.1 dex with aresulting modulus of 5.65 + or - 0.1 mag, and fundamental defects in thecalculation of Balona and Shobbrook (1984), with an adopted modulus of5.50 mag, are discussed. It is suggested that the ZAMS of Balona andShobbrook, and of Mermilliod (1981), are too bright due to theirassumption that the color-luminosity arrays of such clusters as thePleiades represent isochrones, leading to uncertainties in the ZAMS,particularly with respect to slope. Several recently publishedphotometric luminosity calibrations for early-type stars may beincorrect due to their failing to recognize the probable presence of atleast two evolutionary modes and the apparent absence of ZAMS stars nearthe sun.
| A VBLUW photometric survey of the Pleiades cluster
Photometric data are presented for 390 known or suspected members of thePleiades cluster. The data were obtained in 1979 at ESO using theWalraven VBLUW photometer and the Dutch 91-cm telescope. A comparisonwas made with subsets obtained with the same telescope andinstrumentation at the former Leiden Southern Station at the SAAO annexduring 1976 and 1977, and with data obtained at ESO during 1980 and1981. The much improved performance of the telescope and the photometerat their new site is obvious from these comparisons. The stars measuredcomprise the selection of possible members by Hertzsprung (1947)brighter than m(pg) = 14.5 and a selection of possible members in theouter region of the cluster by Pels et al. (1975). Of the starsselected, 66 were found not to be members. A few of these are possiblyescaping members. The present data set provides a well determined mainsequence over the range K2V to B9V, as well as data on some of theprobably premain-sequence K2-to-K5 and postmain-sequence B8-to-B6 stars.Finding charts for the stars selected by Pels are presented in anappendix.
| Catalogue of Eclipsing and Spectroscopic Binary Stars in the Regions of Open Clusters
Not Available
| Wide binaries in the Pleiades
The numbers and distributions of wide binary stars in the Pleiades starcluster are compared with those of the solar neighborhood. The numbersof distances between stars in Hertzsprung's (1947) catalog of stars inthe inner region of the Pleiades lying within given intervals werecounted and compared with the expected numbers of optical pairs for arandom distribution of stars in order to obtain the number of visualbinaries. For both a parametric representation of stars in the solarneighborhood and a selection of the nearby binaries with magnitudesgreater than that corresponding to the limit of 16 at the distance ofthe Pleiades, it is found that the magnitude and distance statistics ofthe two regions are in general agreement. The only significant deviationis the deficit of systems with fainter companions in the Pleiadescompared with local stars.
| H-alpha and O I photometry of the Pleiades
Narrow band photometry of 26 cluster members of the Pleiades has beensecured to define the alpha(16) Lambda(9)-photometric system in the B6-A 2 spectral range. The problem of the ratio of total-to-selectiveabsorption is also discussed. Pleione shows photometric characteristicsof a supergiant-like star.
| Spectral types for early-type stars observed by SKYLAB
MK spectral types are presented for 246 early-type stars observed withthe S-019 ultraviolet stellar astronomy experiment on Skylab. K-linetypes are also given where applicable, and various peculiar stars areidentified. The peculiar stars include five silicon stars, a shell star,a helium-rich star, a silicon-strontium star, a chromium-europium star,and two marginal metallic-line stars.
| Is star formation bimodal ? II. The nearest early-type stars.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1977PASP...89..187E&db_key=AST
| Four-color and H-beta photometry for open clusters. XI - The Pleiades
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1976AJ.....81..419C&db_key=AST
| Statistical identification of binaries in star clusters.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1975PASP...87..707B&db_key=AST
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Taurus |
| Right ascension: | 03h45m48.82s |
| Declination: | +23°08'49.7" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 6.908 |
| Distance: | 103.306 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 22.2 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -47.5 |
| B-T magnitude: | 6.934 |
| V-T magnitude: | 6.911 |
Catalogs and designations:
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