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Explorations Beyond the Snow Line: Spitzer/IRS Spectra of Debris Disks Around Solar-type Stars
We have observed 152 nearby solar-type stars with the InfraredSpectrometer (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. Including stars thatmet our criteria but were observed in other surveys, we get an overallsuccess rate for finding excesses in the long-wavelength IRS band (30-34μm) of 11.8% ± 2.4%. The success rate for excesses in theshort-wavelength band (8.5-12 μm) is ~1% including sources from othersurveys. For stars with no excess at 8.5-12 μm, the IRS data set3σ limits of around 1000 times the level of zodiacal emissionpresent in our solar system, while at 30-34 μm data set limits ofaround 100 times the level of our solar system. Two stars (HD 40136 andHD 10647) show weak evidence for spectral features; the excess emissionin the other systems is featureless. If the emitting material consistsof large (10 μm) grains as implied by the lack of spectral features,we find that these grains are typically located at or beyond the snowline, ~1-35 AU from the host stars, with an average distance of 14± 6 AU; however, smaller grains could be located at significantlygreater distances from the host stars. These distances correspond todust temperatures in the range ~50-450 K. Several of the disks are wellmodeled by a single dust temperature, possibly indicative of a ring-likestructure. However, a single dust temperature does not match the datafor other disks in the sample, implying a distribution of temperatureswithin these disks. For most stars with excesses, we detect an excess atboth IRS and Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS)wavelengths. Only three stars in this sample show a MIPS 70 μm excesswith no IRS excess, implying that very cold dust is rare aroundsolar-type stars.
| The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the solar neighbourhood. III. Improved distances, ages, and kinematics
Context: Ages, chemical compositions, velocity vectors, and Galacticorbits for stars in the solar neighbourhood are fundamental test datafor models of Galactic evolution. The Geneva-Copenhagen Survey of theSolar Neighbourhood (Nordström et al. 2004; GCS), amagnitude-complete, kinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F andG dwarfs, is the largest available sample with complete data for starswith ages spanning that of the disk. Aims: We aim to improve theaccuracy of the GCS data by implementing the recent revision of theHipparcos parallaxes. Methods: The new parallaxes yield improvedastrometric distances for 12 506 stars in the GCS. We also use theparallaxes to verify the distance calibration for uvby? photometryby Holmberg et al. (2007, A&A, 475, 519; GCS II). We add newselection criteria to exclude evolved cool stars giving unreliableresults and derive distances for 3580 stars with large parallax errorsor not observed by Hipparcos. We also check the GCS II scales of T_effand [Fe/H] and find no need for change. Results: Introducing thenew distances, we recompute MV for 16 086 stars, and U, V, W,and Galactic orbital parameters for the 13 520 stars that also haveradial-velocity measurements. We also recompute stellar ages from thePadova stellar evolution models used in GCS I-II, using the new valuesof M_V, and compare them with ages from the Yale-Yonsei andVictoria-Regina models. Finally, we compare the observed age-velocityrelation in W with three simulated disk heating scenarios to show thepotential of the data. Conclusions: With these revisions, thebasic data for the GCS stars should now be as reliable as is possiblewith existing techniques. Further improvement must await consolidationof the T_eff scale from angular diameters and fluxes, and the Gaiatrigonometric parallaxes. We discuss the conditions for improvingcomputed stellar ages from new input data, and for distinguishingdifferent disk heating scenarios from data sets of the size andprecision of the GCS.Full 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/501/941
| Spectroscopic parameters for 451 stars in the HARPS GTO planet search program. Stellar [Fe/H] and the frequency of exo-Neptunes
To understand the formation and evolution of solar-type stars in thesolar neighborhood, we need to measure their stellar parameters to highaccuracy. We present a catalogue of accurate stellar parameters for 451stars that represent the HARPS Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO)“high precision” sample. Spectroscopic stellar parameterswere measured using high signal-to-noise (S/N) spectra acquired with theHARPS spectrograph. The spectroscopic analysis was completed assumingLTE with a grid of Kurucz atmosphere models and the recent ARES code formeasuring line equivalent widths. We show that our results agree wellwith those ones presented in the literature (for stars in common). Wepresent a useful calibration for the effective temperature as a functionof the index color B-V and [Fe/H]. We use our results to study themetallicity-planet correlation, namely for very low mass planets. Theresults presented here suggest that in contrast to their joviancouterparts, neptune-like planets do not form preferentially aroundmetal-rich stars. The ratio of jupiter-to-neptunes is also an increasingfunction of stellar metallicity. These results are discussed in thecontext of the core-accretion model for planet formation.Based on observations collected at La Silla Observatory, ESO, Chile,with the HARPS spectrograph at the 3.6-m telescope (072.C-0488(E)). FullTables 1 and 3 are only available in electronic form at the CDS vianonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/487/373
| The main sequence from F to K stars of the solar neighbourhood in SDSS colours
For an understanding of Galactic stellar populations in the SDSS filtersystem well defined stellar samples are needed. The nearby stars providea complete stellar sample representative for the thin disc population.We compare the filter transformations of different authors applied tothe main sequence stars from F to K dwarfs to SDSS filter system anddiscuss the properties of the main sequence. The location of the meanmain sequence in colour-magnitude diagrams is very sensitive tosystematic differences in the filter transformation. A comparison withfiducial sequences of star clusters observed in g', r', and i' show goodagreement. Theoretical isochrones from Padua and from Dartmouth havestill some problems, especially in the (r-i) colours.
| The impact of stellar duplicity on planet occurrence and properties. I. Observational results of a VLT/NACO search for stellar companions to 130 nearby stars with and without planets
Context: Although it is commonly agreed that the presence of a closestellar companion is likely to affect planet formation and evolution,the precise effects and their actual impact on planet occurrence arestill debated. Different conclusions have been reached on thetheoretical side, while observational constraints are sparse, aconsequence of the discrimination against close binaries in Dopplerplanet searches. Accordingly, basic questions such as how hospitablebinaries are to planets and how binary separation and mass ratio impacton planet formation, remain poorly known. Aims: In an effort to bringobservational constraints on the occurrence and properties of planets inbinaries and multiple stars, we have been conducting a dedicatedinvestigation, the results of which will be presented in this series. Methods: Our investigation follows two different approaches, one basedon radial-velocity monitoring, the other based on direct imaging. Inthis first paper, we present the observational results from oursystematic adaptive optics search with VLT/NACO for close stellarcompanions to 130 nearby stars, 57 with planets and 73 without, forcomparison. The inclusion of a control sub-sample is a unique feature ofour program that will enable a meaningful and rigorous comparisonbetween the properties of planet-host stars and the properties of fieldstars subject to the same selection effects against close binaries, butshowing no evidence for planetary companions. Results: Our data reveal95 companion candidates found in the vicinity of 33 of our targets.Nineteen of these candidates are true companions and 2 are likely boundobjects. Among planet-host stars, we discovered a tight pair of very lowmass companions to HD 65216 (projected separation of 255 AU), an early Mcompanion to HD 177830 (projected separation of 97 AU), and we resolvedthe previously known companion to HD 196050 into a close pair of Mdwarfs. Our data additionally confirm the bound nature of the companionsto HD 142, HD 16141, and HD 46375. Among control stars, we detected truecompanions to HD 7895, HD 24331, HD 31412, HD 40397, HD 43834, HD 70923,HD 78351, HD 104263, HD 129642, HD 154682, and HD 223913, and likelybound companions to HD 82241 and HD 134180. Most of these objects are Mdwarfs and have projected separations between 7 and 505 AU.Based on observations collected at the ESO VLT Yepun telescope,proposals 70.C-0557, 71.C-0125, 73.C-0124, 74.C-0048, 75.C-0069, and76.C-0057. Tables 1, 2, and Figs. 3, 4 are only available in electronicform at http://www.aanda.org
| Results from a spectroscopic survey in the CoRoT fields. I. Search for chromospherically active stars
Aims.In this paper we report the results of the spectroscopic survey wecarried out to detect chromospheric activity of late-type stars in thefields of view of the CoRoT space mission. Methods: We give an accurateMK classification of all targets, which is valuable information on boththe main CoRoT project and additional science programs, by means ofcross-correlation with MK standard stars, by using artificial neuralnetworks. The presence or absence of excess Hα emission,determined using spectral subtraction technique, is used to characterizethe chromospheric activity level. Results: In most cases our MKclassification agrees with the spectral classification reported in theSIMBAD database; however, there are a few stars that are found to havevery different MK classes. Our survey reveals that ~7% of late-typestars in our sample indeed possess a very active chromosphere. Themeasured Hα excess and the presence of the 6708 Å Li lineallow us to confirm the membership of 5 targets in the young opencluster NGC 2264.Based on observations collected at the Himalayan Chandra Telescope ofthe Indian Institute of Astrophysics, India. Tables 1-5 and Figs. 7-12are only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/469/713
| Structure and Evolution of Nearby Stars with Planets. II. Physical Properties of ~1000 Cool Stars from the SPOCS Catalog
We derive detailed theoretical models for 1074 nearby stars from theSPOCS (Spectroscopic Properties of Cool Stars) Catalog. The Californiaand Carnegie Planet Search has obtained high-quality (R~=70,000-90,000,S/N~=300-500) echelle spectra of over 1000 nearby stars taken with theHamilton spectrograph at Lick Observatory, the HIRES spectrograph atKeck, and UCLES at the Anglo Australian Observatory. A uniform analysisof the high-resolution spectra has yielded precise stellar parameters(Teff, logg, vsini, [M/H], and individual elementalabundances for Fe, Ni, Si, Na, and Ti), enabling systematic erroranalyses and accurate theoretical stellar modeling. We have created alarge database of theoretical stellar evolution tracks using the YaleStellar Evolution Code (YREC) to match the observed parameters of theSPOCS stars. Our very dense grids of evolutionary tracks eliminate theneed for interpolation between stellar evolutionary tracks and allowprecise determinations of physical stellar parameters (mass, age,radius, size and mass of the convective zone, surface gravity, etc.).Combining our stellar models with the observed stellar atmosphericparameters and uncertainties, we compute the likelihood for each set ofstellar model parameters separated by uniform time steps along thestellar evolutionary tracks. The computed likelihoods are used for aBayesian analysis to derive posterior probability distribution functionsfor the physical stellar parameters of interest. We provide a catalog ofphysical parameters for 1074 stars that are based on a uniform set ofhigh-quality spectral observations, a uniform spectral reductionprocedure, and a uniform set of stellar evolutionary models. We explorethis catalog for various possible correlations between stellar andplanetary properties, which may help constrain the formation anddynamical histories of other planetary systems.
| Accurate fundamental parameters for lower main-sequence stars
We derive an empirical effective temperature and bolometric luminositycalibration for G and K dwarfs, by applying our own implementation ofthe Infrared Flux Method to multiband photometry. Our study is based on104 stars for which we have excellent BV(RI)C JHKSphotometry, excellent parallaxes and good metallicities.Colours computed from the most recent synthetic libraries (ATLAS9 andMARCS) are found to be in good agreement with the empirical colours inthe optical bands, but some discrepancies still remain in the infrared.Synthetic and empirical bolometric corrections also show fair agreement.A careful comparison to temperatures, luminosities and angular diametersobtained with other methods in the literature shows that systematiceffects still exist in the calibrations at the level of a few per cent.Our Infrared Flux Method temperature scale is 100-K hotter than recentanalogous determinations in the literature, but is in agreement withspectroscopically calibrated temperature scales and fits well thecolours of the Sun. Our angular diameters are typically 3 per centsmaller when compared to other (indirect) determinations of angulardiameter for such stars, but are consistent with the limb-darkeningcorrected predictions of the latest 3D model atmospheres and also withthe results of asteroseismology.Very tight empirical relations are derived for bolometric luminosity,effective temperature and angular diameter from photometric indices.We find that much of the discrepancy with other temperature scales andthe uncertainties in the infrared synthetic colours arise from theuncertainties in the use of Vega as the flux calibrator. Angulardiameter measurements for a well-chosen set of G and K dwarfs would go along way to addressing this problem.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| 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.
| Abundances of refractory elements in the atmospheres of stars with extrasolar planets
Aims.This work presents a uniform and homogeneous study of chemicalabundances of refractory elements in 101 stars with and 93 without knownplanetary companions. We carry out an in-depth investigation of theabundances of Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Na, Mg and Al. The newcomparison sample, spanning the metallicity range -0.70< [Fe/H]<0.50, fills the gap that previously existed, mainly at highmetallicities, in the number of stars without known planets.Methods.Weused an enlarged set of data including new observations, especially forthe field "single" comparison stars . The line list previously studiedby other authors was improved: on average we analysed 90 spectral linesin every spectrum and carefully measured more than 16 600 equivalentwidths (EW) to calculate the abundances.Results.We investigate possibledifferences between the chemical abundances of the two groups of stars,both with and without planets. The results are globally comparable tothose obtained by other authors, and in most cases the abundance trendsof planet-host stars are very similar to those of the comparison sample.Conclusions.This work represents a step towards the comprehension ofrecently discovered planetary systems. These results could also beuseful for verifying galactic models at high metallicities andconsequently improve our knowledge of stellar nucleosynthesis andgalactic chemical evolution.
| Oxygen abundances in planet-harbouring stars. Comparison of different abundance indicators
We present a detailed and uniform study of oxygen abundances in 155solar type stars, 96 of which are planet hosts and 59 of which form partof a volume-limited comparison sample with no known planets. EWmeasurements were carried out for the [O I] 6300 Å line and the OI triplet, and spectral synthesis was performed for several OH lines.NLTE corrections were calculated and applied to the LTE abundanceresults derived from the O I 7771-5 Å triplet. Abundances from [OI], the O I triplet and near-UV OH were obtained in 103, 87 and 77dwarfs, respectively. We present the first detailed and uniformcomparison of these three oxygen indicators in a large sample ofsolar-type stars. There is good agreement between the [O/H] ratios fromforbidden and OH lines, while the NLTE triplet shows a systematicallylower abundance. We found that discrepancies between OH, [O I] and the OI triplet do not exceed 0.2 dex in most cases. We have studied abundancetrends in planet host and comparison sample stars, and no obviousanomalies related to the presence of planets have been detected. Allthree indicators show that, on average, [O/Fe] decreases with [Fe/H] inthe metallicity range -0.8< [Fe/H] < 0.5. The planet host starspresent an average oxygen overabundance of 0.1-0.2 dex with respect tothe comparison sample.
| Spectroscopic Properties of Cool Stars (SPOCS). I. 1040 F, G, and K Dwarfs from Keck, Lick, and AAT Planet Search Programs
We present a uniform catalog of stellar properties for 1040 nearby F, G,and K stars that have been observed by the Keck, Lick, and AAT planetsearch programs. Fitting observed echelle spectra with synthetic spectrayielded effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, projectedrotational velocity, and abundances of the elements Na, Si, Ti, Fe, andNi, for every star in the catalog. Combining V-band photometry andHipparcos parallaxes with a bolometric correction based on thespectroscopic results yielded stellar luminosity, radius, and mass.Interpolating Yonsei-Yale isochrones to the luminosity, effectivetemperature, metallicity, and α-element enhancement of each staryielded a theoretical mass, radius, gravity, and age range for moststars in the catalog. Automated tools provide uniform results and makeanalysis of such a large sample practical. Our analysis method differsfrom traditional abundance analyses in that we fit the observed spectrumdirectly, rather than trying to match equivalent widths, and wedetermine effective temperature and surface gravity from the spectrumitself, rather than adopting values based on measured photometry orparallax. As part of our analysis, we determined a new relationshipbetween macroturbulence and effective temperature on the main sequence.Detailed error analysis revealed small systematic offsets with respectto the Sun and spurious abundance trends as a function of effectivetemperature that would be inobvious in smaller samples. We attempted toremove these errors by applying empirical corrections, achieving aprecision per spectrum of 44 K in effective temperature, 0.03 dex inmetallicity, 0.06 dex in the logarithm of gravity, and 0.5 kms-1 in projected rotational velocity. Comparisons withprevious studies show only small discrepancies. Our spectroscopicallydetermined masses have a median fractional precision of 15%, but theyare systematically 10% higher than masses obtained by interpolatingisochrones. Our spectroscopic radii have a median fractional precisionof 3%. Our ages from isochrones have a precision that variesdramatically with location in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. We planto extend the catalog by applying our automated analysis technique toother large stellar samples.
| Spectroscopic metallicities for planet-host stars: Extending the samples
We present stellar parameters and metallicities for 29 planet-hoststars, as well as for a large volume-limited sample of 53 stars notknown to be orbited by any planetary-mass companion. These stars add tothe results presented in our previous series of papers, providing twolarge and uniform samples of 119 planet-hosts and 94“single” stars with accurate stellar parameters and [Fe/H]estimates. The analysis of the results further confirms that stars withplanets are metal-rich when compared with average field dwarfs.Important biases that may compromise future studies are also discussed.Finally, we compare the metallicity distributions for singleplanet-hosts and planet-hosts in multiple stellar systems. The resultsshow that a small difference cannot be excluded, in the sense that thelatter sample is slighly overmetallic. However, more data are needed toconfirm this correlation.
| The Planet-Metallicity Correlation
We have recently carried out spectral synthesis modeling to determineTeff, logg, vsini, and [Fe/H] for 1040 FGK-type stars on theKeck, Lick, and Anglo-Australian Telescope planet search programs. Thisis the first time that a single, uniform spectroscopic analysis has beenmade for every star on a large Doppler planet search survey. We identifya subset of 850 stars that have Doppler observations sufficient todetect uniformly all planets with radial velocity semiamplitudes K>30m s-1 and orbital periods shorter than 4 yr. From this subsetof stars, we determine that fewer than 3% of stars with-0.5<[Fe/H]<0.0 have Doppler-detected planets. Above solarmetallicity, there is a smooth and rapid rise in the fraction of starswith planets. At [Fe/H]>+0.3 dex, 25% of observed stars have detectedgas giant planets. A power-law fit to these data relates the formationprobability for gas giant planets to the square of the number of metalatoms. High stellar metallicity also appears to be correlated with thepresence of multiple-planet systems and with the total detected planetmass. This data set was examined to better understand the origin of highmetallicity in stars with planets. None of the expected fossilsignatures of accretion are observed in stars with planets relative tothe general sample: (1) metallicity does not appear to increase as themass of the convective envelopes decreases, (2) subgiants with planetsdo not show dilution of metallicity, (3) no abundance variations for Na,Si, Ti, or Ni are found as a function of condensation temperature, and(4) no correlations between metallicity and orbital period oreccentricity could be identified. We conclude that stars with extrasolarplanets do not have an accretion signature that distinguishes them fromother stars; more likely, they are simply born in higher metallicitymolecular clouds.Based on observations obtained at Lick and Keck Observatories, operatedby the University of California, and the Anglo-Australian Observatories.
| Chromospheric Ca II Emission in Nearby F, G, K, and M Stars
We present chromospheric Ca II H and K activity measurements, rotationperiods, and ages for ~1200 F, G, K, and M type main-sequence stars from~18,000 archival spectra taken at Keck and Lick Observatories as a partof the California and Carnegie Planet Search Project. We have calibratedour chromospheric S-values against the Mount Wilson chromosphericactivity data. From these measurements we have calculated medianactivity levels and derived R'HK, stellar ages,and rotation periods from general parameterizations for 1228 stars,~1000 of which have no previously published S-values. We also presentprecise time series of activity measurements for these stars.Based on observations obtained at Lick Observatory, which is operated bythe University of California, and on observations obtained at the W. M.Keck Observatory, which is operated jointly by the University ofCalifornia and the California Institute of Technology. The KeckObservatory was made possible by the generous financial support of theW. M. Keck Foundation.
| The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood. Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of 14 000 F and G dwarfs
We present and discuss new determinations of metallicity, rotation, age,kinematics, and Galactic orbits for a complete, magnitude-limited, andkinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F and G dwarf stars. Our63 000 new, accurate radial-velocity observations for nearly 13 500stars allow identification of most of the binary stars in the sampleand, together with published uvbyβ photometry, Hipparcosparallaxes, Tycho-2 proper motions, and a few earlier radial velocities,complete the kinematic information for 14 139 stars. These high-qualityvelocity data are supplemented by effective temperatures andmetallicities newly derived from recent and/or revised calibrations. Theremaining stars either lack Hipparcos data or have fast rotation. Amajor effort has been devoted to the determination of new isochrone agesfor all stars for which this is possible. Particular attention has beengiven to a realistic treatment of statistical biases and errorestimates, as standard techniques tend to underestimate these effectsand introduce spurious features in the age distributions. Our ages agreewell with those by Edvardsson et al. (\cite{edv93}), despite severalastrophysical and computational improvements since then. We demonstrate,however, how strong observational and theoretical biases cause thedistribution of the observed ages to be very different from that of thetrue age distribution of the sample. Among the many basic relations ofthe Galactic disk that can be reinvestigated from the data presentedhere, we revisit the metallicity distribution of the G dwarfs and theage-metallicity, age-velocity, and metallicity-velocity relations of theSolar neighbourhood. Our first results confirm the lack of metal-poor Gdwarfs relative to closed-box model predictions (the ``G dwarfproblem''), the existence of radial metallicity gradients in the disk,the small change in mean metallicity of the thin disk since itsformation and the substantial scatter in metallicity at all ages, andthe continuing kinematic heating of the thin disk with an efficiencyconsistent with that expected for a combination of spiral arms and giantmolecular clouds. Distinct features in the distribution of the Vcomponent of the space motion are extended in age and metallicity,corresponding to the effects of stochastic spiral waves rather thanclassical moving groups, and may complicate the identification ofthick-disk stars from kinematic criteria. More advanced analyses of thisrich material will require careful simulations of the selection criteriafor the sample and the distribution of observational errors.Based on observations made with the Danish 1.5-m telescope at ESO, LaSilla, Chile, and with the Swiss 1-m telescope at Observatoire deHaute-Provence, France.Complete Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/418/989
| The Wilson-Bappu effect: A tool to determine stellar distances
Wilson & Bappu (\cite{orig}) have shown the existence of aremarkable correlation between the width of the emission in the core ofthe K line of Ca II and the absolute visual magnitude of late-typestars.Here we present a new calibration of the Wilson-Bappu effect based on asample of 119 nearby stars. We use, for the first time, widthmeasurements based on high resolution and high signal to noise ratio CCDspectra and absolute visual magnitudes from the Hipparcos database.Our primary goal is to investigate the possibility of using theWilson-Bappu effect to determine accurate distances to single stars andgroups.The result of our calibration fitting of the Wilson-Bappu relationshipis MV=33.2-18.0 log W0, and the determinationseems free of systematic effects. The root mean square error of thefitting is 0.6 mag. This error is mostly accounted for by measurementerrors and intrinsic variability of W0, but in addition apossible dependence on the metallicity is found, which becomes clearlynoticeable for metallicities below [Fe/H] ~ -0.4. This detection ispossible because in our sample [Fe/H] ranges from -1.5 to 0.4.The Wilson-Bappu effect can be used confidently for all metallicitiesnot lower than ~ -0.4, including the LMC. While it does not provideaccurate distances to single stars, it is a useful tool to determineaccurate distances to clusters and aggregates, where a sufficient numberof stars can be observed.We apply the Wilson-Bappu effect to published data of the open cluster M67; the retrieved distance modulus is of 9.65 mag, in very goodagreement with the best distance estimations for this cluster, based onmain sequence fitting.Observations collected at ESO, La Silla.
| 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.
| Multiplicity among solar-type stars. III. Statistical properties of the F7-K binaries with periods up to 10 years
Two CORAVEL radial velocity surveys - one among stars in the solarneighbourhood, the other in the Pleiades and in Praesepe - are merged toderive the statistical properties of main-sequence binaries withspectral types F7 to K and with periods up to 10 years. A sample of 89spectroscopic orbits was finally obtained. Among them, 52 relate to afree-of-bias selection of 405 stars (240 field stars and 165 clusterstars). The statistics corrected for selection effects yield thefollowing results: (1) No discrepancy is found between the binariesamong field stars and the binaries in open cluster. The distributions ofmass ratios, of periods, the period-eccentricity diagram and the binaryfrequencies are all within the same error intervals. (2) Thedistribution of mass ratios presents two maxima: a broad peak from q ~0.2 to q ~ 0.7, and a sharp peak for q > 0.8 (twins). Both arepresent among the early-type as well as among the late-type part of thesample, indicating a scale-free formation process. The peak for q >0.8 gradually decreases when long-period binaries are considered.Whatever their periods, the twins have eccentricities significantlylower than the other binaries, confirming a difference in the formationprocesses. Twins could be generated by in situ formation followed byaccretion from a gaseous envelope, whereas binaries with intermediatemass ratios could be formed at wide separations, but they are madecloser by migration led by interactions with a circumbinary disk. (3)The frequency of binaries with P<10 years is about 14%. (4) About0.3% of binaries are expected to appear as false positives in a planetsearch. Therefore, the frequency of planetary systems among stars ispresently 7+4-2%. The extension of thedistribution of mass ratios in the planetary range would result in avery sharp and very high peak, well separated from the binary stars withlow mass ratios. Based on photoelectric radial-velocity measurementscollected at Haute-Provence observatory and on observations made withthe ESA Hipparcos astrometry satellite.
| K dwarfs and the chemical evolution of the solar cylinder
K dwarfs have lifetimes older than the present age of the Galactic disc,and are thus ideal stars for investigating the chemical evolution of thedisc. We have developed several photometric metallicity indicators for Kdwarfs, based on a sample of accurate spectroscopic metallicities for 34disc and halo G and K dwarfs. The photometric metallicities lead us todevelop a metallicity index for K dwarfs based only on their position inthe colour-absolute-magnitude diagram. Metallicities have beendetermined for 431 single K dwarfs drawn from the Hipparcos catalogue,selecting the stars by absolute magnitude and removing multiple systems.The sample is essentially a complete reckoning of the metal content innearby K dwarfs. We use stellar isochrones to mark the stars by mass,and select a subset of 220 of the stars, which is complete within anarrow mass interval. We fit the data with a model of the chemicalevolution of the solar cylinder. We find that only a modest cosmicscatter is required to fit our age-metallicity relation. The modelassumes two main infall episodes for the formation of the halo-thickdisc and thin disc, respectively. The new data confirm that the solarneighbourhood formed on a long time-scale of the order of 7 Gyr.
| Radial Velocities for 889 Late-Type Stars
We report radial velocities for 844 FGKM-type main-sequence and subgiantstars and 45 K giants, most of which had either low-precision velocitymeasurements or none at all. These velocities differ from the standardstars of Udry et al. by 0.035 km s-1 (rms) for the 26 FGKstandard stars in common. The zero point of our velocities differs fromthat of Udry et al.: =+0.053km s-1. Thus, these new velocities agree with the best knownstandard stars both in precision and zero point, to well within 0.1 kms-1. Nonetheless, both these velocities and the standardssuffer from three sources of systematic error, namely, convectiveblueshift, gravitational redshift, and spectral type mismatch of thereference spectrum. These systematic errors are here forced to be zerofor G2 V stars by using the Sun as reference, with Vesta and day sky asproxies. But for spectral types departing from solar, the systematicerrors reach 0.3 km s-1 in the F and K stars and 0.4 kms-1 in M dwarfs. Multiple spectra were obtained for all 889stars during 4 years, and 782 of them exhibit velocity scatter less than0.1 km s-1. These stars may serve as radial velocitystandards if they remain constant in velocity. We found 11 newspectroscopic binaries and report orbital parameters for them. Based onobservations obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operatedjointly by the University of California and the California Institute ofTechnology, and on observations obtained at the Lick Observatory, whichis operated by the University of California.
| A statistical search for supermetallicity in F, G and K stars
High-dispersion and low-resolution data are combined to search forsuper-metal-rich (SMR) FGK stars in the solar neighbourhood and Baade'sWindow. The data are assessed by using statistical analysis, with theirrms errors playing a key role. A star is considered to be SMR if itsvalue of [Fe/H]>+0.2dex, while `borderline' SMR status may beassigned if +0.1<[Fe/H]<=+0.2dex. Borderline SMR status isassigned to μ Leo and three other giants, but no full-fledged SMRgiants are found in either Baade's Window or the solar neighbourhood. Bycontrast, the existence of SMR class IV-V stars turns out to be wellestablished, with values found for [Fe/H] that are as large as ~+0.4dex.It is concluded that this apparent contrast between class IV-V stars andgiants should not be interpreted in astrophysical terms at presentbecause of marked shortcomings in the available data base for giants.Recommendations are made about future research that may cure thisproblem and extend present knowledge about SMR dwarfs.
| Catalogue of Apparent Diameters and Absolute Radii of Stars (CADARS) - Third edition - Comments and statistics
The Catalogue, available at the Centre de Données Stellaires deStrasbourg, consists of 13 573 records concerning the results obtainedfrom different methods for 7778 stars, reported in the literature. Thefollowing data are listed for each star: identifications, apparentmagnitude, spectral type, apparent diameter in arcsec, absolute radiusin solar units, method of determination, reference, remarks. Commentsand statistics obtained from CADARS are given. The Catalogue isavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcar?J/A+A/367/521
| Supermetallicity at the Quarter-Century Mark: A Conservative Statistician's Review of the Evidence
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1996ApJS..102..105T&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.
| The general catalogue of trigonometric [stellar] paralaxes
Not Available
| On the sytematic accuracy of the equatorial UBVRI standard stars
The considerable systematic difference in B-V between northern andsouthern measurements of the equatorial UBVRI standard stars arestudied. It is found that the northern data (Landolt 1983) are muchcloser to the original UBV system than the southern ones. The situationis less clear in the case of V and U-B.
| A large, complete, volume-limited sample of G-type dwarfs. I. Completion of Stroemgren UVBY photometry
Four-colour photometry of potential dwarf stars of types G0 to K2,selected from the Michigan Spectral Catalogues (Vol. 1-3), has beencarried out. The results are presented in a catalogue containing 4247uvby observations of 3900 stars, all south of δ = -26deg. Theoverall internal rms errors of one observation (transformed to thestandard system) of a program star in the interval 8.5 < V < 10.5are 0.0044, 0.0021, 0.0039, and 0.0059, respectively, in V, b-y, m_1_ ,and c_1_. The purpose of the catalogue, combined with earliercatalogues, is to allow selection of a large, complete, volume-limitedsample of G- and K-type dwarfs, investigate their metallicitydistribution, and compare it to predictions of various models ofgalactic chemical evolution. Future papers in this series will discussthese subjects.
| Far infrared properties of late type dwarfs. Infrared fluxes of K & M dwarfs
IRAS fluxes/upper limits are presented for a large sample of K and Mdwarfs. Good agreement is found between the 12 micrometer fluxes andthose derived from the photospheric models of Mould (1976).Relationships between the optical and infrared colors are derived. Theactive dMe/dKe stars appear systematically brighter in the infraredcompared with the less active dM/dK stars, which could be attributed tomore efficient nonradiative heating in their atmosphere. Any systematicdifferences found in our results when compared with those obtained fromprevious studies are attributed to the different analysis packages used.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Serpens |
| Right ascension: | 18h29m52.41s |
| Declination: | -01°49'05.2" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.035 |
| Distance: | 18.762 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 173.3 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -193.5 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.456 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.153 |
Catalogs and designations:
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