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On the origin of field O-type stars
Aims. We aim to identify the origins of field O-stars in the nearest 2to 3 kpc around the Sun using the best presently available kinematicdata on O-stars and on young open clusters. We investigate the questionof whether the present-day data are consistent with the assumption thatO-stars have formed in groups (clusters, associations), or in isolation. Methods: We apply the epicycle theory to back-trace the orbits ofO-type stars and of candidate parent open clusters. Results: From the370 O-stars in the “Galactic O star catalog v 2.0” (GOSV2)we have investigated 93 stars classified as field, and found the originfor 73 of them in 48 open clusters younger than 30 Myr. Only for 32stars or about 9% of all O-stars from this catalogue is the question oftheir origin in groups not solved; some of them may have originated inisolation or may have disintegrated the group in which they formed.Fifty percent of the young open clusters (age < 30 Myr) in the“Catalogue of Open Cluster Data” (COCD) have O-stars asmembers, or have ejected at least one O-star in the first 10 Myr oftheir life, or both. During this period the average mass loss from openclusters by ejecting O-stars is found to be 3 to 5 M_ȯ per Myr. Weprove that ζ Pup had its origin in the open cluster Trumpler 10which it left about 2.5 Myr ago, and that its present-day distance is300 pc (compared to 440 pc before). The revised distance implies asignificant revision of the stellar parameters (a radius of 14 R_ȯ,a mass of 22.5 M_ȯ, and a luminosity of log L/L_ȯ of 5.74)i.e., ζ Pup is closer, less massive, and less luminous thanpreviously thought. Our findings provide independent estimates of thepresent-day distances and absolute magnitudes of field O-stars.
| Adaptive Optics Photometry and Astrometry of Binary Stars. III. a Faint Companion Search of O-Star Systems
We present the results of an adaptive optics survey for faint companionsamong Galactic O-type star systems (with V lsim 8) using the AdvancedElectro-Optical System (AEOS) 3.6 m telescope on Haleakala. We surveyedthese O-star systems in the I-band, typically being able to detect acompanion with a magnitude difference of utrimI lsim 6 in theprojected separation range 0farcs5 < ρ < 1farcs0, andutrimI lsim 9.5 in the range 1farcs0 < ρ < 5farcs0.In the course of the survey, we discovered 40 new companions among 31 ofthe 116 objects examined and made astrometric and differential magnitudemeasurements of 24 additional known pairs, several of them beingconfirmation detections. We present new astrometric orbits for twobinaries, BU 1032AB (WDS 05387–0236 σ Ori AB) and SEE 322(WDS 17158–3344 HD 155889AB). We lack magnitude differences forother filter bands, so it is difficult to determine physical fromline-of-sight companions, but we present empirical arguments for thelimiting magnitude difference where field contamination is significant.Based on observations made at the Maui Space Surveillance Systemoperated by Detachment 15 of the US Air Force Research Laboratory'sDirected Energy Directorate.
| The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Survey of O VI Absorption in the Disk of the Milky Way
To probe the distribution and physical characteristics of interstellargas at temperatures T~3×105 K in the disk of the MilkyWay, we have used the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) toobserve absorption lines of O VI λ1032 toward 148 early-typestars situated at distances >1 kpc. After subtracting off a mildexcess of O VI arising from the Local Bubble, combining our new resultswith earlier surveys of O VI, and eliminating stars that showconspicuous localized X-ray emission, we find an average O VI midplanedensity n0=1.3×10-8 cm-3. Thedensity decreases away from the plane of the Galaxy in a way that isconsistent with an exponential scale height of 3.2 kpc at negativelatitudes or 4.6 kpc at positive latitudes. Average volume densities ofO VI along different sight lines exhibit a dispersion of about 0.26 dex,irrespective of the distances to the target stars. This indicates that OVI does not arise in randomly situated clouds of a fixed size anddensity, but instead is distributed in regions that have a very broadrange of column densities, with the more strongly absorbing cloudshaving a lower space density. Line widths and centroid velocities aremuch larger than those expected from differential Galactic rotation, butthey are nevertheless correlated with distance and N(O VI), whichreinforces our picture of a diverse population of hot plasma regionsthat are ubiquitous over the entire Galactic disk. The velocity extremesof the O VI profiles show a loose correlation with those of very stronglines of less ionized species, supporting a picture of a turbulent,multiphase medium churned by shock-heated gas from multiple supernovaexplosions.
| Faint H I 21 cm Emission Line Wings at Forbidden Velocities
We present the results of a search for faint H I 21 cm emission linewings at velocities forbidden by Galactic rotation in the Galactic planeusing the Leiden/Dwingeloo H I Survey data and the H I Southern GalacticPlane Survey data. These ``forbidden-velocity wings'' (FVWs) appear asprotruding excessive emission in comparison with their surroundings inlimited (<~2°) spatial regions over velocity extents of more than~20 km s-1 in large-scale (l, v) diagrams. Their highvelocities imply that there should be some dynamical phenomenaassociated. We have identified 87 FVWs. We present their catalog anddiscuss their distribution and statistical properties. We found that 85%of FVWs are not coincident with known supernova remnants (SNRs),galaxies, or high-velocity clouds. Their natures are currently unknown.We suspect that many of them are fast-moving H I shells and filamentsassociated with the oldest SNRs that are essentially invisible exceptvia their H I line emission. We discuss other possible origins.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| The origin of massive O-type field stars: II. Field O stars as runaways
In two papers we try to confirm that all Galactic high-mass stars areformed in a cluster environment, by excluding that O-type stars found inthe Galactic field actually formed there. In de Wit et al. (2004) wepresented deep K-band imaging of 5 arcmin fields centred on 43 massiveO-type field stars that revealed that the large majority of theseobjects are single objects. In this contribution we explore thepossibility that the field O stars are dynamically ejected from youngclusters, by investigating their peculiar space velocity distribution,their distance from the Galactic plane, and their spatial vicinity toknown young stellar clusters. We (re-)identify 22 field O-type stars ascandidate runaway OB-stars. The statistics show that 4 ± 2% ofall O-type stars with V<8m can be considered as formedoutside a cluster environment. Most are spectroscopically singleobjects, some are visual binaries. The derived percentage for O-typestars that form isolated in the field based on our statistical analysesis in agreement with what is expected from calculations adopting auniversal cluster richness distribution with power index of β= 1.7,assuming that the cluster richness distribution is continuous down tothe smallest clusters containing one single star.
| On the Hipparcos parallaxes of O stars
We compare the absolute visual magnitude of the majority of bright Ostars in the sky as predicted from their spectral type with the absolutemagnitude calculated from their apparent magnitude and the Hipparcosparallax. We find that many stars appear to be much fainter thanexpected, up to five magnitudes. We find no evidence for a correlationbetween magnitude differences and the stellar rotational velocity assuggested for OB stars by Lamers et al. (1997, A&A, 325, L25), whosesmall sample of stars is partly included in ours. Instead, by means of asimulation we show how these differences arise naturally from the largedistances at which O stars are located, and the level of precision ofthe parallax measurements achieved by Hipparcos. Straightforwardlyderiving a distance from the Hipparcos parallax yields reliable resultsfor one or two O stars only. We discuss several types of bias reportedin the literature in connection with parallax samples (Lutz-Kelker,Malmquist) and investigate how they affect the O star sample. Inaddition, we test three absolute magnitude calibrations from theliterature (Schmidt-Kaler et al. 1982, Landolt-Börnstein; Howarth& Prinja 1989, ApJS, 69, 527; Vacca et al. 1996, ApJ, 460, 914) andfind that they are consistent with the Hipparcos measurements. AlthoughO stars conform nicely to the simulation, we notice that some B stars inthe sample of \citeauthor{La97} have a magnitude difference larger thanexpected.
| The origin of massive O-type field stars. I. A search for clusters
We present a study aimed at clarifying the birthplace for 43 massiveO-type field stars. In this first paper we present the observationalpart: a search for stellar clusters near the target stars. We derivestellar density maps at two different resolving scales, viz. 0.25pc and 1.0 pc from NTT and TNG imaging and the 2MASS catalogue.These scales are typical for cluster sizes. The main result is that thelarge majority of the O-type field population are isolated stars: only12% (5 out of 43) of the O-type field stars is found to harbour asmall-scale stellar cluster. We review the literature and aim atcharacterizing the stellar field of each O-type field star with theemphasis on star formation and the presence of known young stellarclusters. An analysis of the result of this paper and a discussion ofthe O-type field population as products of a dynamical ejection event ispresented in an accompanying paper.Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory,Chile, and at the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) operated onthe island of La Palma by the Centro Galileo Galilei of the CNAA(Consorzio Nazionale per l'Astronomia e l'Astrofisica) at the SpanishObservatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisicade Canarias.Table 2 and Figs. 4 to 17 are available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| A Galactic O Star Catalog
We have produced a catalog of 378 Galactic O stars with accuratespectral classifications that is complete for V<8 but includes manyfainter stars. The catalog provides cross-identifications with othersources; coordinates (obtained in most cases from Tycho-2 data);astrometric distances for 24 of the nearest stars; optical (Tycho-2,Johnson, and Strömgren) and NIR photometry; group membership,runaway character, and multiplicity information; and a Web-based versionwith links to on-line services.
| A study of RV in Galactic O stars from the 2MASS catalogue
We present new measurements of the interstellar reddening parameterRV=AV/E(B-V) towards 185 O stars, using J, H,Ks photometry from the 2MASS project. The results arecombined with data from the literature of 95 stars where RVhas been derived with the same technique, 22 of which in common with ourpresent sample from the 2MASS project catalogue. The averageRV from these 258 O stars is of 3.19 +/- 0.50. All objectswhose RV departs from this value by more than 2 sigma havebeen recognized. Ten objects have RV higher than this valueand two lower. It is found that anomalous RV can scarcely beassociated with anomalies in the general interstellar medium, e.g. withdifferent behaviour in different spiral arms. They are clearly linked tolocal cloud effect. In the Cygnus region RV values follow thebehaviour of the general interstellar medium, while in the Carina arm,in spite of the relatively larger distance, local cloud effects prevail.An explanation for this is suggested. The relatively few stars of oursample whose Hipparcos parallaxes are reliable, are found to havedistances systematically smaller than the distances derived by thespectroscopic parallaxes. We argue that this effect is consistent withthe recently claimed discovery of grey extinction towards OB stars.This publication makes use of data products from the Two Micron All SkySurvey (2MASS), which is a joint project of the University ofMassachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center/CaliforniaInstitute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration and the National Science Foundation.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/410/905
| Highly Ionized Gas in the Galactic Halo: A FUSE Survey of O VI Absorption toward 22 Halo Stars
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spectra of 22 Galactichalo stars are studied to determine the amount of O VI in the Galactichalo between ~0.3 and ~10 kpc from the Galactic midplane. Strong O VIλ1031.93 absorption was detected toward 21 stars, and a reliable3 σ upper limit was obtained toward HD 97991. The weaker member ofthe O VI doublet at 1037.62 Å could be studied toward only sixstars because of stellar and interstellar blending problems. Themeasured logarithmic total column densities vary from 13.65 to 14.57with =14.17+/-0.28 (1 σ). The observed columns arereasonably consistent with a patchy exponential O VI distribution with amidplane density of 1.7×10-8 cm-3 and scaleheight between 2.3 and 4 kpc. We do not see clear signs of stronghigh-velocity components in O VI absorption along the Galactic sightlines, which indicates the general absence of high-velocity O VI within2-5 kpc of the Galactic midplane. This result is in marked contrast tothe findings of Sembach et al., who reported high-velocity O VIabsorption toward ~60% of the complete halo sight lines observed byFUSE. The line centroid velocities of the O VI absorption do not reflectGalactic rotation well. The O VI velocity dispersions range from 33 to78 km s-1, with an average of =45+/-11 kms-1 (1 σ). These values are much higher than the valueof ~18 km s-1 expected from thermal broadening for gas atT~3×105 K, the temperature at which O VI is expected toreach its peak abundance in collisional ionization equilibrium.Turbulence, inflow, and outflow must have an effect on the shape of theO VI profiles. Kinematical comparisons of O VI with Ar I reveal thateight of 21 sight lines are closely aligned in LSR velocity(|ΔVLSR|<=5 km s-1), while nine of 21exhibit significant velocity differences(|ΔVLSR|>=15 km s-1). This dual behaviormay indicate the presence of two different types of O VI-bearingenvironments toward the Galactic sight lines. The correlation betweenthe H I and O VI intermediate-velocity absorption is poor. We couldidentify the known H I intermediate-velocity components in the Ar Iabsorption but not in the O VI absorption in most cases. Comparison of OVI with other highly ionized species suggests that the high ions areproduced primarily by cooling hot gas in the Galactic fountain flow andthat turbulent mixing also has a significant contribution. The role ofturbulent mixing varies from negligible to dominant. It is mostimportant toward sight lines that sample supernova remnants like Loops Iand IV. The average N(C IV)/N(O VI) ratios for the nearby halo (thiswork) and complete halo (Savage et al.) are similar (~0.6), but thedispersion is larger in the sample of nearby halo sight lines. We areable to show that the O VI enhancement toward the Galactic center regionthat was observed in the FUSE survey of complete halo sight lines(Savage et al.) is likely associated with processes occurring near theGalactic center by comparing the observations toward the nearby HD177566 sight line to those toward extragalactic targets.
| Stringent upper limits to the solid NH3 abundance towards W 33A from near-IR spectroscopy with the Very Large Telescope
We obtained near-infrared spectroscopy of the high mass young stellarobject W 33A between 1.9-2.5 mu m in search of absorption features ofcircumstellar ices. The 2.27 mu m band of CH3OH is positivelyidentified in the spectrum, its intensity being fully consistent withthe column density derived earlier from the methanol bands at 3.54 and3.91 mu m. The 2.21 mu m band of solid NH3, on the otherhand, was not detected. This shows that the quantity of solidNH3 towards W 33A is at least 3 times lower than earlierestimates based on the NH3 umbrella mode at 9 mu m.Based on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory(ESO), Paranal, Chile.
| The total-to-selective extinction ratio determined from near IR photometry of OB stars
The paper presents an extensive list of the total to selectiveextinction ratios R calculated from the infrared magnitudes of 597 O andB stars using the extrapolation method. The IR magnitudes of these starswere taken from the literature. The IR colour excesses are determinedwith the aid of "artificial standards" - Wegner (1994). The individualand mean values of total to selective extinction ratios R differ in mostcases from the average value R=3.10 +/-0.05 - Wegner (1993) in differentOB associations. The relation between total to selective extinctionratios R determined in this paper and those calculated using the "methodof variable extinction" and the Cardelli et al. (1989) formulae isdiscussed. The R values presented in this paper can be used to determineindividual absolute magnitudes of reddened OB stars with knowntrigonometric parallaxes.
| Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Observations of O VI Overlying the Scutum Supershell
We present Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer observations of the B0III star HD 177989 (l=17.8d, b=-11.9d, d=4.9 kpc). This line of sightpasses through the high-latitude outflow from the Scutum supershell (GS018-04+44), a structure that lies at a kinematic distance of ~3.5 kpcand spans ~5° in diameter. The O VI λ1031.93 line is comparedwith Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) observations of Si IV,C IV, and N V to examine the ionizing mechanisms responsible forproducing the high ion absorption, as well as to study the processes bywhich gas is expelled into the halo. The O VI profile spans a similarvelocity range as the other highly ionized atoms, from -70 to +80 kms-1. Component fits reveal very broad absorption at thekinematic velocity of the Scutum shell, which differs from the narrow SiIV, C IV, and N V components, suggesting that these other species occupya more confined region. It is possible that the O VI is present in hotgas from the shell interior that is diffusing into the high-latituderegion above it. The column densities in the Scutum supershell componentare N(SiIV)=(3.59+/-0.09)×1013,N(CIV)=(1.78+/-0.04)×1014,N(NV)=(8.89+/-0.79)×1012, and N(OVI)=(7.76+/-0.75)×1013 cm-2. The correspondingcolumn density ratios of N(CIV)/N(SiIV)=4.96+/-0.17,N(CIV)/N(NV)=20.0+/-1.8, and N(CIV)/N(OVI)=2.29+/-0.23 show that whilethe C IV and Si IV columns are amplified in this region, the enhancementis not reflected in N V or O VI. We suggest that such ionic ratios andcolumn densities could be produced by ~150-200 turbulent mixing layerslying in a fragmented medium above the polar cap of the superbubble. Wenote through a sight-line comparison that although these absorptioncharacteristics are similar to those near the center of Radio Loops Iand IV, they differ considerably from those near the edges of the loops.It is apparent that the traits of high ion absorption in a supershell,as well as the ionizing mechanisms responsible, can vary among sightlines through the shell.
| Atlas of Interstellar Extinction Curves of OB Stars Covering the Whole Available Wavelength Range
The paper presents a collection of 436 extinction curves covering thewhole available range of wavelengths from satellite UV to near-IR. Thedata were taken from the ANS photometric catalogue and from thecompilations of IR photometric measurements. The data curves have beenobtained with the aid of ``artificial standards": Papaj et al. (1993)and Wegner (1994, 1995). The visual magnitudes and spectralclassifications of O and B type stars with EB-V>= 0.05were taken from the SIMBAD database. The curves are given in the form ofplots and tables E{lambda - V} / EB-V versus1/λ. The observed variety of extinction laws among slightlyreddened stars is apparently due to the various physical parameters ofinterstellar clouds.
| Stellar populations in Seyfert 2 galaxies. I. Atlas of near-UV spectra
We have carried out a uniform spectroscopic survey of Seyfert 2 galaxiesto study the stellar populations of the host galaxies. New spectra havebeen obtained for 79 Southern galaxies classified as Seyfert 2 galaxies,7 normal galaxies, and 73 stars at a resolution of 2.2 Å over thewavelength region 3500-5300 Å. Cross-correlation between thestellar spectra is performed to group the individual observations into44 synthesis standard spectra. The standard groups include a solarabundance sequence of spectral types from O5 to M3 for dwarfs, giants,and supergiants. Metal-rich and metal-weak F-K giants and dwarfs arealso included. A comparison of the stellar data with previouslypublished spectra is performed both with the individual spectra and thestandard groups. For each galaxy, two distinct spatial regions areconsidered: the nucleus and the external bulge. Spectroscopic variationsfrom one galaxy to another and from the central to the external regionare briefly discussed. It is found that the central region of a Seyfert2 galaxy, after subtracting the bulge stellar population, always shows anear-UV spectrum similar to one of three representative categories: a)many strong emission lines and only two visible absorption lines (Ca IiK and G band) (Sey2e); b) few emission lines, many absorption lines, anda redder continuum than the previous category (Sey2a); c) an almost flatcontinuum and high-order Balmer lines seen in absorption (Sey2b). Theproportion of Seyfert 2 galaxies belonging to each class is found to be22%, 28%, and 50% respectively. We find no significative differencesbetween morphology distributions of Seyfert 2 galaxies with Balmer linesdetected in absorption and the rest of the sample. This quick lookthrough the atlas indicates that half of Seyfert 2 galaxies harbour ayoung stellar population (about or less than 100 Myr) in their centralregion, clearly unveiled by the high order Balmer series seen inabsorption. Based on observations collected at the European SouthernObservatory, Chile (ESO 65.P-0014(A)). Tables 1-3 and 8 and Fig. A.1(Appendix A) are only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| IUE Absorption-Line Observations of the Moderately and Highly Ionized Interstellar Medium toward 164 Early-Type Stars
We present measurements of Galactic interstellar Al III, Si IV, and C IVabsorption recorded in high-resolution archival ultraviolet spectra of164 hot early-type stars observed by the International UltravioletExplorer (IUE) satellite. The objects studied were drawn from the listof hot stars scheduled to be observed with the Far UltravioletSpectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite as part of observing programsdesigned to investigate absorption by O VI in the Galactic disk andhalo. Multiple IUE echelle-mode integrations have been combined toproduce a single ultraviolet (1150-1900 Å) spectrum of each starwith a spectral resolution of ~25 km s-1 (FWHM). Selectedabsorption-line profiles are presented for each star along with plots ofthe apparent column density per unit velocity for each line of the AlIII, Si IV, and C IV doublets. We report absorption-line equivalentwidths, absorption velocities, and integrated column densities based onthe apparent optical depth method of examining interstellar absorptionlines. We also determine column densities and Doppler parameters fromsingle-component curve-of-growth analyses. The scientific analysis ofthese observations will be undertaken after the FUSE satellite producessimilar measurements for absorption by interstellar O IV, Fe III, S III,and other ions. Based on archival data from observations obtained withthe International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite sponsored byNASA, SERC, and ESA.
| STIS and GHRS Observations of Warm and Hot Gas Overlying the Scutum Supershell (GS 018-04+44)
We present Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and Goddard HighResolution Spectrograph (GHRS) observations of interstellar UVabsorption toward HD 177989, a B0 III star at 4.9 kpc in the directionl=17.8d, b=-11.9d. The line of sight passes through the high-latitudeejecta of the Scutum supershell (GS 018-06+44), which is ~5° indiameter extending ~7° below the Galactic plane at a kinematicdistance of ~3.5 kpc in the Scutum spiral arm. The observations with theSTIS E140H and GHRS echelle B gratings provide far- and middle-UVspectra at resolutions (FWHM) of ~3 km s-1 and asignal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of ~20:1 to 50:1. The observations revealstrong and broad absorption in the lines of Si IV and C IV centered onLSR velocities of +18 and +42 km s-1 and weaker absorptionfrom these ions near -50 and -13 km s-1. Weak absorption by NV extends over the full velocity range traced by Si IV and C IV. The +18km s-1 high-ionization absorption likely occurs in gas ~400pc below the Sagittarius spiral arm, while the extremely strong +42 kms-1 absorption occurs in highly ionized gas in the Scutumsupershell at a distance of ~700 pc below the Galactic plane. Theproperties of the highly ionized gas associated with the Scutumsupershell are similar to the gas found in radio loops I and IV; in bothcases there is a strong enhancement in the column density of C IVwithout a corresponding increase in the column density of N V, whichcauses N(C IV)/N(N V) to be among the largest measured in theinterstellar medium. The low-ionization absorption lines of N I, S II,Si II, and Fe II produce narrow absorption features at +37, +40 kms-1 and +55, +60 km s-1. The strength andkinematic properties of these absorption features bear no resemblance tothose expected for the high-latitude neutral cloud seen in the H I 21 cmline. This may be due to the relatively low angular resolution (FWHM~21') of the 21 cm observations. The kinematic relationships among thehigh-ionization and low-ionization absorption lines observed in the UVsuggest a related origin in a hot-warm gas interface region. We arepossibly seeing the warm gas in the swept-up shell surrounding a regionwhere hot gas is being vented into the halo. In the warm gas, N(N I)/N(SII) ~0.01 solar, which implies a similar value forN(H0)/[N(H0)+N(H+)]. The warm neutraland ionized gas in the matter overlying the Scutum supershell has valuesof Si /S and Fe /S roughly similar to those found in the warm neutralmedium of the Galactic disk in the vicinity of the Sun. While there hasbeen grain processing in the ejecta of the Scutum supershell, theprocessing has not been complete. Based on observations of interstellarC IV and Si IV at high S/N and high resolution toward four very distantstars, we determine that highly ionized gas absorption components occurat a frequency of ~1 component kpc-1. The strongestcomponents are associated with lines of sight that pass over or underspiral arms or that pass though Galactic supershells. Based onobservations obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph andthe Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on the NASA/ESA Hubble SpaceTelescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which isoperated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy,Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.
| Classification and properties of UV extinction curves
The catalog of Savage et al. (\cite{ref27}) reporting colour excesses of1415 stars from ANS photometry offers the opportunity to deeplyinvestigate the characteristics of UV extinction curves which differfrom the standard extinction of the diffuse interstellar medium. To thisaim we have selected a sample of 252 curves, which have been comparedwith the relations derived by Cardelli et al. (\cite{ref4}; CCM in thefollowing) for a variety of R_V values in the range 2.4-5 and have beenclassified as normal if they fit at least one of the CCM curves oranomalous otherwise. We find that normal curves with small R_V are justas numerous as those with large R_V. The anomalous objects are arrangedinto two groups according to the strength of the bump at 0.217 mu . Fora given value of c_2 this increases along the sequence: type Aanomalous, normals and type B anomalous, suggesting that this sequenceshould correspond to an increase of the amount of small grains along thesightline. Considerations concerning the environmental characteristicsindicate that the anomalous behaviour is not necessarily tied to theexistence of dense gas clouds along the line of sight.
| A Search for Interstellar Bubbles surrounding Massive Stars in Perseus OB1
We have examined the interstellar medium in the vicinity of massivestars belonging to the Per OB1 association based on neutral hydrogen 21cm observations obtained with the 100 m radio telescope at Effelsberg(HPBW=8.4′) and complementary data from the Leiden-Dwingeloo H ISurvey (HPBW=36'). The higher angular resolution H I observationsallowed us to discover probable wind-blown bubbles related to fourmassive stars in the association, namely, HD 14442 [O5n(f)p], HD 14947[O5If+], HD 13022 [O9.5II-III((n))], and HD 13338 [O9.5V], while thedetection of a wind-blown bubble associated with HD 16691 [O5If+] isless conclusive. A clear H I shell coincident in position with two B1IIIstars (HD 15233 and Hilt 311) was also detected. Some of these featuresalso have infrared and/or molecular counterparts. The energetics of thestructures related to each massive star is analyzed. The new H Iinterstellar bubbles appear to be similar to the ones found surroundingWolf-Rayet stars and other Of stars. The large-scale maps obtained usingthe lower angular resolution H I data show that most of the early-typestars belonging to Per OB1 are placed in a region of low H I emission.The association could have blown a H I shell of about 350×550 pcin size. This large H I shell has an infrared counterpart.
| Observational Evidence of Supershell Blowout in GS 018-04+44: The Scutum Supershell
Emission in the H I 21 cm line has been mapped for a region of theGalaxy that includes two known supershells, GS 018-04+44 and GS034-06+65. We focus on the GS 018-04+44, hereafter referred to as theScutum Supershell, which is an elongated shell about 5 deg in diameterextending to -7 deg below the Galactic plane. The Scutum shell lies at akinematic distance of ~3300 pc, implying a shell diameter of ~290 pcwith a vertical extension of ~400 pc away from the Galactic plane. TheScutum shell contains 6.2x105 Msolar swept intothe walls. We observe that the top of the shell is missing, and asubstantial column of H I rises from the shell walls tob=-11deg, culminating in a large cloud of neutral hydrogen,3.74x104 Msolar, located ~630 pc from the plane.ROSAT data show X-ray emission that closely anticorrelates with the 21cm emission. This emission probably originates from hot gas within theScutum Supershell. After approximately correcting for the foregroundabsorption, we find that the 1.5 keV X-rays peak at the base of theshell, the 0.75 keV emission peaks in the interior and at the top of theshell, and the 0.25 keV emission extends to high latitudes above theshell. The X-ray luminosity is roughly ~5x1036 ergss-1. The Wisconsin Hα Mapper (WHAM) survey shows thepresence of Hα emission that exhibits a morphology similar to thatof the H I. Spectra indicate the presence of ionized hydrogen atvelocities similar to the H I, placing ionized material at the samekinematic distance as the neutral material. IRAS images in the 60 and100 μm wavebands reveal the presence of dust correlated with theneutral hydrogen. Infrared surface brightness indicates an excess in the100 μm emission, which could indicate a molecular hydrogen componentwith a column density of 2.4x1021 cm-2 in thedensest regions of the high-latitude cloud of neutral hydrogen. IUEultraviolet high dispersion spectra of HD 177989 (l=17.89d, b=-11.88d)and HD 175754 (l=16.40d, b=-9.92d) reveal the presence of very strongabsorption by highly ionized gas at a velocity that associates theabsorption with the ejecta of the Scutum Supershell. In the case of HD177989, the high ion column density ratios suggest an origin in aturbulent mixing layer where hot and cool gases mix in the presence ofshear flows. The Hα and X-ray emission suggest that a multitude ofenergetic phenomena exist in this region, providing the necessaryionizing radiation. Indeed, there are multiple supernova remnants, H IIregions, and hot stars, which could all contribute sizeable amounts ofenergy and ionizing radiation. The combination of these data setsindicates observational evidence of a ``blowout'' phenomena whereby hotmaterial produced within the Scutum Supershell has blown through the topof the shell and been pushed to high latitude. Based on observationsfrom the Green Bank 43m radio telescope, the ROSAT All-Sky Survey, theWHAM All-Sky Survey, IRAS, and IUE.
| The OB Zoo: A Digital Atlas of Peculiar Spectra
A digital atlas of 20 high-luminosity, peculiar OB spectra in the3800-4900 Å range is presented. The atlas is organized anddiscussed in terms of the following four categories: WN-A or WNL stars,OB Iape or very late WN (WNVL) stars, iron stars, and B-supergiantluminous blue variables (LBVs). Several objects in the earliercategories are also active or quiescent LBVs. Some (but not all) ofthese objects have been well studied, and extensive references areprovided, as are comprehensive spectral-line identifications. Severalnew morphological relationships among the objects have been recognizedthrough this presentation. In particular, attention is drawn to theoccurrence of spatial pairing between nearly identical, unusual spectra,which may have implications for a particular mode of massive-starformation. This small sample includes one or both members of at leastfive such pairs. Physical explanations of these peculiar, likelytransitional spectra and the relationships among them are essential fora complete understanding of massive stellar evolution.
| Five-colour photometry of OB-stars in the Southern Hemisphere
Observations of OB-stars, made in 1959 and 1960 at the Leiden SouthernStation near Hartebeespoortdam, South Africa, with the VBLUW photometerattached to the 90 cm light-collector, are given in this paper. They arecompared with photometry obtained by \cite[Graham (1968),]{gra68}\cite[Walraven & Walraven (1977),]{wal77} \cite[Lub & Pel(1977)]{lub77} and \cite[Van Genderen et al. (1984).]{gen84} Formulaefor the transformation of the present observations to those of\cite[Walraven & Walraven (1977)]{wal77} and \cite[Lub & Pel(1977)]{lub77} are given. Table 4 is only available in electronic format the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) orvia http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| The Interstellar Medium in the Environs of O-Type Stars
We analyze the distribution of the neutral gas in the neighborhood offour southern O-type stars based on observations of the 21 cm H i line.These data disclose H i bubbles probably associated with the stars HD112244 [O8.5Iab(f)], HD 155913 [O5Vn((f))], HD 175754 [O8II((f))], andHD 175876 [O6.5III(n)(f)]. The dimensions of these bubbles are in therange 90 to 170 pc, and their expansion velocities are low, about 10 kms^-1, implying dynamical ages of (3-6) x 10^6 yr. Only a few percent ofthe mechanical energy of the stellar wind is transformed into kineticenergy of the shells. Their origin and the contribution of otherearly-type stars to the formation of these bubbles are discussed.Particularly, it is suggested that HD 155913 belongs to an unknown OBassociation that could also have contributed in the formation of the H ibubble surrounding this star. These new H i bubbles resemble H i bubblessurrounding Wolf-Rayet (W-R) stars. The presence of stellar wind bubblesassociated with O-type stars supports an interpretation where themassive progenitors of the W-R stars are also responsible for theformation of the H i bubbles detected around W-R stars.
| ICCD speckle observations of binary stars. XIX - an astrometric/spectroscopic survey of O stars
We present the results of a speckle interferometric survey made with theCHARA speckle camera and 4 m class telescopes of Galactic O-type starswith V less than 8. We can detect with the speckle camera binaries inthe angular separation range 0.035-1.5 arcsec with delta M less than 3,and we have discovered 15 binaries among 227 O-type systems. We combinedour results on visual binaries with measurements of wider pairs from theWashington Double Star Catalog and fainter pairs from the HipparcosCatalog, and we made a literature survey of the spectroscopic binariesamong the sample. We then investigated the overall binary frequency ofthe sample and the orbital characteristics of the known binaries.Binaries are common among O stars in clusters and associations but lessso among field and especially runaway stars. There are many triplesystems among the speckle binaries, and we discuss their possible rolein the ejection of stars from clusters. The period distribution of thebinaries is bimodal in log P, but we suggest that binaries with periodsof years and decades may eventually be found to fill the gap. The massratio distribution of the visual binaries increases toward lower massratios, but low mass ratio companions are rare among close,spectroscopic binaries. We present distributions of the eccentricity andlongitude of periastron for spectroscopic binaries with ellipticalorbits, and we find strong evidence of a bias in the longitude ofperiastron distribution.
| Cross-correlation characteristics of OB stars from IUE spectroscopy
We present a catalogue of homogeneous measures of the linewidthparameter, v_esin i, for 373 O-type stars and early B supergiants(including the separate components of 25 binary and three triplesystems), produced by cross-correlating high-resolution,short-wavelength IUE spectra against a `template' spectrum of tauSco. Wealso tabulate terminal velocities. There are no O supergiants in oursample with v_esin i<65 km s^-1, and only one supergiant earlier thanB5 has v_esin i<50 km s^-1, confirming that an important linebroadening mechanism in addition to rotation must be present in theseobjects. A calibration of the area under the cross-correlation peakagainst spectral type is used to obtain estimates of continuum intensityratios of the components in 28 spectroscopically binary or multiplesystems. At least seven SB2 systems show evidence for the `Struve-Sahadeeffect', a systematic variation in relative line strength as a functionof orbital phase. The stellar wind profiles of the most rapid rotator inour sample, the O9III:n* star HD 191423 (v_esin i=436km s^-1), show itto have a `wind-compressed disc' similar to that of HD 93521; this starand other rapid rotators are good candidates for studies of non-radialpulsation.
| Projected Rotational Velocities of O-Type Stars
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1996ApJ...463..737P&db_key=AST
| The Spectrum of Wakuda's Eruptive Star near the Time of Outburst
We have made complete wavelength measurements and line identificationsfor the star discovered by Wakuda to have risen to magnitude 10.5 aboutone year before our observation on 3 April 1994. Wavelength coverage wasfrom 4900 to 8800A. The spectrum is that of a "shell" with many emissionlines of singly ionized metals. The systemic velocity is near +63.5 kms^-1, which transforms to +76 km s^-1 with respect to the local standardof rest indicating that Wakuda's star is a disk object, as are mostsymbiotic objects. If classified as a nova its distance indicates thatit belongs to the Galactic bulge population. (SECTION: Stars)
| Absorption Line Profile Variations among the O Stars. I. The Incidence of Variability
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1996ApJS..103..475F&db_key=AST
| A Search for Pulsar Companions to OB Runaway Stars
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1996ApJ...461..357S&db_key=AST
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Sagittarius |
| Right ascension: | 18h58m10.77s |
| Declination: | -20°25'25.5" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 6.921 |
| Distance: | 3703.704 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 3.7 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -4.2 |
| B-T magnitude: | 6.755 |
| V-T magnitude: | 6.908 |
Catalogs and designations:
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