WIKISKY.ORG
 Home Getting Started To Survive in the Universe News@Sky Astro Photo The Collection Forum Blog New! FAQ Press Login

# 37 Com

Contents

### Images

DSS Images   Other Images

### Related articles

 Prospects for population synthesis in the H band: NeMo grids of stellar atmospheres compared to observationsContext: .For applications in population synthesis, libraries oftheoretical stellar spectra are often considered an alternative totemplate libraries of observed spectra, because they allow a completesampling of stellar parameters. Most of the attention in publishedtheoretical spectral libraries has been devoted to the visual wavelengthrange.Aims.The goal of the present work is to explore the near-infraredrange where few observed fully calibrated spectra and no theoreticallibraries are available.Methods.We make a detailed comparison oftheoretical spectra in the range 1.57-1.67 μm for spectral types fromA to early M and for giant and dwarf stars, with observed stellarspectra at resolutions around 3000, which would be sufficient todisentangle the different groups of late-type stars. We selected theNeMo grids of stellar atmospheres to perform this comparison.Results.Wefirst demonstrate that observed spectral flux distributions can bematched very well with theoretical ones for almost the entire parameterrange covered by the NeMo grids at moderate resolution in the visualrange. In the infrared range, although the overall shape of the observedflux distributions still matches reasonably well, the individualspectral features are reproduced by the theoretical spectra only forstars earlier than mid F type. For later spectral types the differencesincrease, and theoretical spectra of K type stars have systematicallyweaker line features than those found in observations. Thesediscrepancies are traced back to stem primarily from incomplete data onneutral atomic lines, although some of them are also related tomolecules.Conclusions.Libraries of theoretical spectra for A to early Mtype stars can be successfully used in the visual regions for populationsynthesis, but their application in the infrared is restricted to earlyand intermediate type stars. Improving atomic data in the near infraredis a key element in making the construction of reliable libraries ofstellar spectra feasible in the infrared. Analysis of the Na, Mg, Al, and Si Abundances in the Atmospheres of Red Giants of Different Spectral SubgroupsWe analyze the Na, Mg, Al, and Si abundances in the atmospheres of morethan 40 stars, includingred giants of different spectral subgroups(normal red giants, mild and classical barium stars) and severalsupergiants. All these elements exhibit abundance excesses, with theoverabundance increasing with the star’s luminosity. Thedependence of the overabundances for each of these elements on theluminosity (or log g) is the same for all the spectral subgroups,testifying to a common origin: they are all products of hydrogen burningin the NeNa and MgAl cycles that have been dredged up from the stellarinteriors to the outer atmospheric layers by convection that graduallydevelops during the star’s evolution from the main sequence to thered-giant stage. The sodium abundances derived for several stars arelower than for other stars with similar atmospheric parameters. The agesand kinematic characteristics of these two groups of stars suggest thatthey probably belong to different stellar generations. Local kinematics of K and M giants from CORAVEL/Hipparcos/Tycho-2 data. Revisiting the concept of superclustersThe availability of the Hipparcos Catalogue has triggered many kinematicand dynamical studies of the solar neighbourhood. Nevertheless, thosestudies generally lacked the third component of the space velocities,i.e., the radial velocities. This work presents the kinematic analysisof 5952 K and 739 M giants in the solar neighbourhood which includes forthe first time radial velocity data from a large survey performed withthe CORAVEL spectrovelocimeter. It also uses proper motions from theTycho-2 catalogue, which are expected to be more accurate than theHipparcos ones. An important by-product of this study is the observedfraction of only 5.7% of spectroscopic binaries among M giants ascompared to 13.7% for K giants. After excluding the binaries for whichno center-of-mass velocity could be estimated, 5311 K and 719 M giantsremain in the final sample. The UV-plane constructed from these datafor the stars with precise parallaxes (σπ/π≤20%) reveals a rich small-scale structure, with several clumpscorresponding to the Hercules stream, the Sirius moving group, and theHyades and Pleiades superclusters. A maximum-likelihood method, based ona Bayesian approach, has been applied to the data, in order to make fulluse of all the available stars (not only those with precise parallaxes)and to derive the kinematic properties of these subgroups. Isochrones inthe Hertzsprung-Russell diagram reveal a very wide range of ages forstars belonging to these groups. These groups are most probably relatedto the dynamical perturbation by transient spiral waves (as recentlymodelled by De Simone et al. \cite{Simone2004}) rather than to clusterremnants. A possible explanation for the presence of younggroup/clusters in the same area of the UV-plane is that they have beenput there by the spiral wave associated with their formation, while thekinematics of the older stars of our sample has also been disturbed bythe same wave. The emerging picture is thus one of dynamical streamspervading the solar neighbourhood and travelling in the Galaxy withsimilar space velocities. The term dynamical stream is more appropriatethan the traditional term supercluster since it involves stars ofdifferent ages, not born at the same place nor at the same time. Theposition of those streams in the UV-plane is responsible for the vertexdeviation of 16.2o ± 5.6o for the wholesample. Our study suggests that the vertex deviation for youngerpopulations could have the same dynamical origin. The underlyingvelocity ellipsoid, extracted by the maximum-likelihood method afterremoval of the streams, is not centered on the value commonly acceptedfor the radial antisolar motion: it is centered on < U > =-2.78±1.07 km s-1. However, the full data set(including the various streams) does yield the usual value for theradial solar motion, when properly accounting for the biases inherent tothis kind of analysis (namely, < U > = -10.25±0.15 kms-1). This discrepancy clearly raises the essential questionof how to derive the solar motion in the presence of dynamicalperturbations altering the kinematics of the solar neighbourhood: doesthere exist in the solar neighbourhood a subset of stars having no netradial motion which can be used as a reference against which to measurethe solar motion?Based on observations performed at the Swiss 1m-telescope at OHP,France, and on data from the ESA Hipparcos astrometry satellite.Full Table \ref{taba1} is 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/430/165} Synthetic Lick Indices and Detection of α-enhanced Stars. II. F, G, and K Stars in the -1.0 < [Fe/H] < +0.50 RangeWe present an analysis of 402 F, G, and K solar neighborhood stars, withaccurate estimates of [Fe/H] in the range -1.0 to +0.5 dex, aimed at thedetection of α-enhanced stars and at the investigation of theirkinematical properties. The analysis is based on the comparison of 571sets of spectral indices in the Lick/IDS system, coming from fourdifferent observational data sets, with synthetic indices computed withsolar-scaled abundances and with α-element enhancement. We useselected combinations of indices to single out α-enhanced starswithout requiring previous knowledge of their main atmosphericparameters. By applying this approach to the total data set, we obtain alist of 60 bona fide α-enhanced stars and of 146 stars withsolar-scaled abundances. The properties of the detected α-enhancedand solar-scaled abundance stars with respect to their [Fe/H] values andkinematics are presented. A clear kinematic distinction betweensolar-scaled and α-enhanced stars was found, although a one-to-onecorrespondence to thin disk'' and thick disk'' components cannot besupported with the present data. The 77th Name-List of Variable StarsWe present the next regular Name-List of variable stars containinginformation on 1152 variable stars recently designated in the system ofthe General Catalogue ofVariable Stars. New designations are alsointroduced for two old'' variables whose corrected coordinates bringthem to other constellations. Onset of Shear Instability in Rotating Red GiantsWe incorporate into an evolutionary code a unified treatment ofturbulent transport due to convective and shear instabilities in arotating star. The effects of composition gradients are included in aconsistent way. We use the code to follow the evolution of rotatingstars from the pre-main sequence to near the tip of the red giantbranch. We find that at a certain stage in the red giant evolution of a1 Msolar star, when the convectively unstable region occupiesan extensive outer envelope, shear instability sets in in a zone justbelow the H-burning shell. However, at a later time, shear instabilityalso develops in a second (outer) region that lies between the H-burningshell and the convective envelope. The onset of the outer region ofshear instability coincides closely in time with a well-defined featureof red giant evolution: the bump'' (so-called because of its effect onthe luminosity function of clusters). This evolutionary bump hasrecently been identified as a significant empirical marker among redgiants: cool massive winds have been found to set in abruptly after thestar evolves through the bump. The results we report in the presentpaper suggest that the onset of mass loss in red giants may becorrelated with the onset of an outer region of shear instability insidethe star. We offer some speculations concerning the possible physics ofsuch a correlation. A grid of synthetic spectra and indices Fe5270, Fe5335, Mgb and Mg2 as a function of stellar parameters and [alpha/Fe]We have computed a grid of synthetic spectra in the wavelength rangelambda lambda 4600-5600 Å using revised model atmospheres, for arange of atmospheric parameters and values of [alpha -elements/Fe] = 0.0and +0.4. The Lick indices Fe5270, Fe5335, Mgb and Mg2 aremeasured on the grid spectra for FWHM = 2 to 8.3 Å. Relationsbetween the indices Fe5270, Fe5335 and Mg2 and the stellarparameters effective temperature Teff, log ; g, [Fe/H] and[alpha /Fe], valid in the range 4000 <= Teff <= 7000 K,are presented. These fitting functions are given for FWHM = 3.5 and 8.3Å. The indices were also measured for a list of 97 reference starswith well-known stellar parameters observed at ESO and OHP, and theseare compared to the computed indices. Finally, a comparison of theindices measured on the observed spectra and those derived from thefitting functions based on synthetic spectra is presented.Observations collected at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), LaSilla, Chile and at the Observatoire de Haute Provence (OHP), St-Michel,France.All Tables of Appendices A and B are 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/cgi-bin/qcat?/A+A/404/661 A statistical search for supermetallicity in F, G and K starsHigh-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. Measuring starspots on magnetically active stars with the VLTIWe present feasibility studies to directly image stellar surfacefeatures, which are caused by magnetic activity, with the Very LargeTelescope Interferometer (VLTI). We concentrate on late typemagnetically active stars, for which the distribution of starspots onthe surface has been inferred from photometric and spectroscopic imaginganalysis. The study of the surface spot evolution during consecutiverotation cycles will allow first direct measurements (apart from theSun) of differential rotation which is the central ingredient ofmagnetic dynamo processes. The VLTI will provide baselines of up to 200m, and two scientific instruments for interferometric studies at near-and mid-infrared wavelengths. Imaging capabilities will be made possibleby closure-phase techniques. We conclude that a realistically modeledcool surface spot can be detected on stars with angular diametersexceeding ~ 2 mas using the VLTI with the first generation instrumentAMBER. The spot parameters can then be derived with reasonable accuracy.We discuss that the lack of knowledge of magnetically active stars ofthe required angular size, especially in the southern hemisphere, is acurrent limitation for VLTI observations of these surface features. Rapidly Rotating Lithium-rich K Giants: The New Case of the Giant PDS 365PDS 365 is a newly detected, rapidly rotating (vsini=20 kms-1), single, low-mass giant star that with HD 233517 and HD219025 forms a remarkable ensemble of single K giants with the uniqueproperties of rapid rotation, very strong Li lines, an asymmetricalHα profile, and a large far-infrared excess. Their vsini valuesare between 18 and 23 km s-1, and their LTE Li abundances,logɛ(Li), are between 2.9 and 3.9. Detailed analysis of PDS 365reveals it to be a ~1 Msolar giant with a value of12C/13C approximately equal to 12. A clearrelation between high rotational velocities and very high Li abundancesfor K giant stars is found only when asymmetrical Hα profiles andlarge far-infrared excesses are present. If we consider single K giants,we find that among rapid (vsini>=8 km s-1) rotators, avery large proportion (~50%) are Li-rich giants. This proportion is incontrast with a very low proportion (~2%) of Li-rich stars among themuch more common slowly rotating K giants. This striking difference isdiscussed in terms of proposed mechanisms for Li enrichment. A Comparative Analysis of Chemical Abundances in the Atmospheres of Red Giants of Different Age GroupsWe analyze previously published chemical abundances in the atmospheresof red giants. Excess abundances are observed not only for Na, but alsofor Al and Si, with the overabundances increasing with the stars’luminosity. The observed anomalies provide evidence that, in addition tothe CNO hydrogen-burning cycle, the Mg-Al and Ne-Na cycles operate inthe interiors of main-sequence stars; their products are brought to thestellar atmospheres by convection after the transition to the red-giantphase. The abundance anomalies for s-process elements, also observed inthe atmospheres of field stars, testify to the presence of a substantialnumber of neutrons. The s-process abundance anomalies are absent fromgiants of the young Hyades cluster. Kinematic properties of gas and stars in 20 disc galaxiesIonized gas and stellar kinematical parameters have been measured alongthe major axis of 20 nearby disc galaxies. We discuss the properties ofeach sample galaxy, distinguishing between those characterized byregular or peculiar kinematics. In early-type disc galaxies, ionized gastends to rotate faster than stars and to have a lower velocitydispersion (Vg > Vstar and sigmag< sigmastar), whereas in late-type spirals, gas andstars show almost the same rotation velocities and velocity dispersions(Vg =~ Vstar and sigmag =~sigmastar ). Incorporating the early-type disc galaxiesstudied by Bertola et al. (1995), Fisher (1997) and Corsini et al.(1999), we have compiled a sample of some 40 galaxies for which themajor-axis radial profiles of both the stellar and gaseous componentshave been measured. The value of sigmastar measured atRe/4 turns out to be strongly correlated with the galaxymorphological type, while sigmag is not and sometimes takesvalues above the range expected from thermal motions or small-scaleturbulence. Based on observations carried out at the European SouthernObservatory, at the Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory, at theObservatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, at the Observatorio del Teide,and at the Mount Graham International Observatory. Tables 5 and 6 areonly 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/374/394 Photometric Variability in a Sample of 187 G and K GiantsWe have used three automatic photoelectric telescopes to obtainphotometric observations of 187 G, K, and (a few) M0 field giants. Wefind low-amplitude photometric variability on timescales of days toweeks on both sides of the coronal dividing line (CDL) in a total of 81or 43% of the 187 giants. About one-third of the variables haveamplitudes greater than 0.01 mag in V. In our sample the percentage ofvariable giants is a minimum for late-G spectral classes and increasesfor earlier and later classes; all K5 and M0 giants are variable. Wealso obtained high-resolution, red wavelength spectroscopic observationsof 147 of the giants, which we used to determine spectralclassifications, vsini values, and radial velocities. We acquiredadditional high-resolution, blue wavelength spectra of 48 of the giants,which we used to determine chromospheric emission fluxes. We analyzedthe photometric and spectroscopic observations to identify the cause(s)of photometric variability in our sample of giants. We show that thelight variations in the vast majority of G and K giant variables cannotbe due to rotation. For giants on the cool side of the CDL, we find thatthe variability mechanism is radial pulsation. Thus, the variabilitymechanism operating in M giants extends into the K giants up to aboutspectral class K2. On the hot side of the CDL, the variability mechanismis most likely nonradial, g-mode pulsation. Rotation and lithium in single giant starsIn the present work, we study the link between rotation and lithiumabundance in giant stars of luminosity class III, on the basis of alarge sample of 309 single stars of spectral type F, G and K. We havefound a trend for a link between the discontinuity in rotation at thespectral type G0III and the behavior of lithium abundances around thesame spectral type. The present work also shows that giant starspresenting the highest lithium contents, typically stars earlier thanG0III, are those with the highest rotation rates, pointing for adependence of lithium content on rotation, as observed for otherluminosity classes. Giant stars later than G0III present, as a rule, thelowest rotation rates and lithium contents. A large spread of about fivemagnitudes in lithium abundance is observed for the slow rotators.Finally, single giant stars with masses 1.5 < M/Msun<=2.5 show a clearest trend for a correlation between rotational velocityand lithium abundance. Based on observations collected at theObservatoire de Haute -- Provence (France) and at the European SouthernObservatory, La Silla (Chile). Table 2 is only available electronicallywith the On-Line publication athttp://link.springer.de/link/service/00230/ Stellar populations in active galactic nuclei. II. Population synthesisThe relationship of an AGN to its host galaxy is one crucial question inthe study of galaxy evolution. We present a method to estimate thestellar contribution in active galactic nuclei. We perform stellarpopulation synthesis in the central regions of a sample of 12 galaxiesof different levels of activity: normal galaxies, starburst galaxies,LINERs, Seyfert 2 and Seyfert 1 galaxies. Quantification of the stellarcontribution is carried out in the visible range (5000 to 8800 Ä)using the equivalent widths of the absorption features throughout thespectrum. The synthesis is done by a variant of the new GPG method(Pelat, 1997). This method, contrary to previous ones, gives a uniquesolution. We find quite different stellar populations for the differenttypes of activity, which seems to be indicative of an age sequence. Thestarburst galaxies present the youngest populations of the sample. TheSeyfert 2 nuclei and NGC 1275, a Seyfert 1 with signs of interaction andwhere young stellar clusters have been found, also show the contributionof a young population, less intense than in the starburst galaxies butmetal rich. NGC 3516, a typical Seyfert 1, has a normal populationcharacteristic of galaxies of the same Hubble type and finally theLINERs show the oldest populations in the sample, metal rich, withlittle star formation still going on. It is found that a strong CaIItriplet, even though these lines are sensitive to gravity, does notimply necessarily a stellar population dominated by supergiant stars.Based on observations collected at the Canadian-French-HawaiianTelescope, Hawaii, and Observatoire de Haute Provence, France. Speckle Interferometry of New and Problem HIPPARCOS BinariesThe ESA Hipparcos satellite made measurements of over 12,000 doublestars and discovered 3406 new systems. In addition to these, 4706entries in the Hipparcos Catalogue correspond to double star solutionsthat did not provide the classical parameters of separation and positionangle (rho,theta) but were the so-called problem stars, flagged G,''O,'' V,'' or X'' (field H59 of the main catalog). An additionalsubset of 6981 entries were treated as single objects but classified byHipparcos as suspected nonsingle'' (flag S'' in field H61), thusyielding a total of 11,687 `problem stars.'' Of the many ground-basedtechniques for the study of double stars, probably the one with thegreatest potential for exploration of these new and problem Hipparcosbinaries is speckle interferometry. Results are presented from aninspection of 848 new and problem Hipparcos binaries, using botharchival and new speckle observations obtained with the USNO and CHARAspeckle cameras. Starspot photometry with robotic telescopes. UBV(RI)_C and by light curves of 47 active stars in 1996/97We present continuous multicolor photometry for 47 stars from October1996 through June 1997. Altogether, 7073 V(RI)_c, UBV, and by datapoints, each the average of three individual readings, were acquiredwith three automatic photoelectric telescopes (APTs) at FairbornObservatory in southern Arizona. Most of our targets arechromospherically active single and binary stars of spectral type G to Kbut there are also four pre-main-sequence objects and three pulsatingstars in our sample. The light variability is generally due torotational modulation of an asymmetrically spotted stellar surface andtherefore precise rotational periods and their seasonal variations aredetermined from Fourier analysis. We also report on photometricvariations of gamma CrB (A0V) with a period of 0.44534 days. All dataare available in numerical form. All data are available from CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html A catalog of rotational and radial velocities for evolved starsRotational and radial velocities have been measured for about 2000evolved stars of luminosity classes IV, III, II and Ib covering thespectral region F, G and K. The survey was carried out with the CORAVELspectrometer. The precision for the radial velocities is better than0.30 km s-1, whereas for the rotational velocity measurementsthe uncertainties are typically 1.0 km s-1 for subgiants andgiants and 2.0 km s-1 for class II giants and Ib supergiants.These data will add constraints to studies of the rotational behaviourof evolved stars as well as solid informations concerning the presenceof external rotational brakes, tidal interactions in evolved binarysystems and on the link between rotation, chemical abundance and stellaractivity. In this paper we present the rotational velocity v sin i andthe mean radial velocity for the stars of luminosity classes IV, III andII. Based on observations collected at the Haute--Provence Observatory,Saint--Michel, France and at the European Southern Observatory, LaSilla, Chile. Table \ref{tab5} also available in electronic form at CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html Catalogs of temperatures and [Fe/H] averages for evolved G and K starsA catalog of mean values of [Fe/H] for evolved G and K stars isdescribed. The zero point for the catalog entries has been establishedby using differential analyses. Literature sources for those entries areincluded in the catalog. The mean values are given with rms errors andnumbers of degrees of freedom, and a simple example of the use of thesestatistical data is given. For a number of the stars with entries in thecatalog, temperatures have been determined. A separate catalogcontaining those data is briefly described. Catalog only available atthe CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html The peculiar single giant HD 112989: rotation, activity and evolutionA spectroscopic, photometric and evolutionary study is presented for HD112989, an active peculiar giant star. The present spectroscopicobservations show a significant CaII K&H emission core variability,whereas the UBV photometry shows that HD 112989 has a variablebrightness. The rotational velocity for this star, 11.0 kms(-1) , isabout five times larger than the mean rotational velocity for giantswith the same spectral type. In addition, we have found no sign ofbinarity for this star. Based on observations collected at theObservatoire de Haute-Provence (France) and at the Bulgarian NationalAstronomical Observatory-Rozhen (Bulgaria) FAUST observations of ultraviolet sources in the direction of ComaWe analyse an ultraviolet observation toward the Coma cluster by meansof the FAUST shuttle-borne telescope. We detect 56 candidate sources toa signal-to-noise ratio of 6.5. Most sources have optical counterpartsin existing catalogues and are stars. 10 sources with no listedcounterparts were observed at the Wise Observatory. We presentidentifications based on low-resolution spectrophotometry, and discussthe foreground stars and the galaxies, all in the foreground of the Comacluster. The FAUST image yields a higher fraction of hot evolved starsthan either of the North Galactic Pole or the Virgo regions, analysedpreviously. We identify these tentatively as cooling white dwarfs in theComa Berenices (Mel111) open cluster. The ROSAT all-sky survey catalogue of optically bright late-type giants and supergiantsWe present X-ray data for all late-type (A, F, G, K, M) giants andsupergiants (luminosity classes I to III-IV) listed in the Bright StarCatalogue that have been detected in the ROSAT all-sky survey.Altogether, our catalogue contains 450 entries of X-ray emitting evolvedlate-type stars, which corresponds to an average detection rate of about11.7 percent. The selection of the sample stars, the data analysis, thecriteria for an accepted match between star and X-ray source, and thedetermination of X-ray fluxes are described. Catalogue only available atCDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html How many low-mass stars do destroy (3) He?We recall the current status of the long-standing (3) He problem, andits possible connection with chemical anomalies on the red giant branch.In this context, we collect in the literature all the availableobservations of the carbon isotopic ratio in field and cluster giantstars. Using the HIPPARCOS parallaxes, we get constraints on theevolutionary status of the field stars of the sample. This allows us toidentify the stars that have passed the luminosity function bump andpresent (12) C/(13) C ratios in disagreement with the standardpredictions of stellar evolutionary models. We determine statisticallywhat fraction of low mass stars experience an extra-mixing process onthe red giant branch, and are then expected to destroy their (3) He atthis evolutionary phase. The high number we get satisfies the galacticrequirements for the evolution of the (3) He abundance. Doppler imaging of stellar surface structure. VIII. The effectively single and rapidly-rotating G8-giant HD 51066 = CM CamelopardalisWe present first Doppler images of HD 51066 from observations in 1994,1995, 1996 and 1997, and find evidence for a vanishing polar spot inaccordance with the system's long-term brightness increase. Severalsmall spots with Delta T~500 K appear also at low latitudes. Ourcross-correlation maps indicate a latitude-dependent phase-shift patternbetween annual maps. New and continuous BVRI photometry from 1996 to1998 is presented and suggest a photometric period of 16.053+/-0.004days, that we interpret to be the stellar rotation period. Additionaloptical spectroscopy and the Hipparcos data are used to obtain absolutestellar parameters for HD 51066. A comparison with evolutionary tracksand the assumption of angular-momentum and magnetic-flux conservationsuggest that the main-sequence progenitor was a very rapidly-rotating Bpstar with a several kiloGauß\ magnetic field. We also examine theHα line profiles in this star and find some evidence that itsequivalent width is modulated with the stellar rotation period in phasewith the photospheric starspots. Our radial velocities indicate that HD51066 is likely a long-period (~10 yrs) spectroscopic binary and apreliminary orbit is presented. We emphasize that HD 51066 is aninteresting target for studies of evolutionary angular-momentum lossbecause it is effectively single, significantly evolved but stillrapidly rotating. The Tokyo PMC catalog 90-93: Catalog of positions of 6649 stars observed in 1990 through 1993 with Tokyo photoelectric meridian circleThe sixth annual catalog of the Tokyo Photoelectric Meridian Circle(PMC) is presented for 6649 stars which were observed at least two timesin January 1990 through March 1993. The mean positions of the starsobserved are given in the catalog at the corresponding mean epochs ofobservations of individual stars. The coordinates of the catalog arebased on the FK5 system, and referred to the equinox and equator ofJ2000.0. The mean local deviations of the observed positions from theFK5 catalog positions are constructed for the basic FK5 stars to comparewith those of the Tokyo PMC Catalog 89 and preliminary Hipparcos resultsof H30. Wolfgang-Amadeus: The University of Vienna Twin Automatic Photoelectric TelescopeWe describe the University of Vienna twin automatic photoelectrictelescope (APT) located at the new Fairborn Observatory at WashingtonCamp in southern Arizona. Not only are the telescopes fully automatic,also the observatory itself is automatic. A site-control computermonitors weather sensors and operates the roof while the telescopecontrol computer operates the photometer and accepts input files fromand provides nightly observations to the astronomer; no direct operatingpersonnel is needed. Both telescopes have 0.75-m primary mirrors, a CCDfinder camera, and an environmentally controlled single-channelphotoelectric photometer with filter combinations optimized for use inthe blue (Wolfgang) and in the red (Amadeus) wavelength forasteroseismology of non-radially pulsating variables, and for monitoringasymtotic-giant-branch stars. Some first results are presented.(SECTION: Astronomical Instrumentation) Classification of Population II Stars in the Vilnius Photometric System. II. ResultsThe results of photometric classification of 848 true and suspectedPopulation II stars, some of which were found to belong to Population I,are presented. The stars were classified using a new calibrationdescribed in Paper I (Bartkevicius & Lazauskaite 1996). We combinethese results with our results from Paper I and discuss in greaterdetail the following groups of stars: UU Herculis-type stars and otherhigh-galactic-latitude supergiants, field red horizontal-branch stars,metal-deficient visual binaries, metal-deficient subgiants, stars fromthe Catalogue of Metal-deficient F--M Stars Classified Photometrically(MDPH; Bartkevicius 1993) and stars from one of the HIPPARCOS programs(Bartkevicius 1994a). It is confirmed that high galactic latitudesupergiants from the Bartaya (1979) catalog are giants or even dwarfs.Some stars, identified by Rose (1985) and Tautvaisiene (1996a) as fieldRHB stars, appear to be ordinary giants according to our classification.Some of the visual binaries studied can be considered as physical pairs.Quite a large fraction of stars from the MDPH catalog are found to havesolar metallicity. A number of new possible UU Herculis-type stars, RHBstars and metal-deficient subgiants are identified. The Photometric Variability of Sun-like Stars: Observations and Results, 1984--1995Using differential Stromgren b, y photometry, we monitored thebrightness variations of 41 program stars and their 73 comparison starsfrom 1984 through 1995. The predominantly main-sequence program starsspanned ranges of temperature and mean chromospheric activity centeredon solar values. About 40% of all the stars showed measurablevariability, typically at levels below 0.01 mag (~1%), on bothnight-to-night and year-to-year timescales. The variability correlatedwith mean chromospheric activity and advancing spectral type. We presentdifferential light curves and statistical descriptions of ourobservations. A catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations: 1996 editionA fifth Edition of the Catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations is presentedherewith. It contains 5946 determinations for 3247 stars, including 751stars in 84 associations, clusters or galaxies. The literature iscomplete up to December 1995. The 700 bibliographical referencescorrespond to [Fe/H] determinations obtained from high resolutionspectroscopic observations and detailed analyses, most of them carriedout with the help of model-atmospheres. The Catalogue is made up ofthree formatted files: File 1: field stars, File 2: stars in galacticassociations and clusters, and stars in SMC, LMC, M33, File 3: numberedlist of bibliographical references The three files are only available inelectronic form at the Centre de Donnees Stellaires in Strasbourg, viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5), or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html A Search for Optical Flares in Chromospherically Active StarsWe have surveyed four years of archival UBV photometry of 69chromospherically active stars obtained with the Phoenix-10 automaticphotoelectric telescope in search of optical flares on these stars. Wedemonstrate taht, while flares can be detected in these data, the numberof events observed on evolved stars remains very small. Flares werefound only on UX Arietis, II Pegasi, and AR Piscium. (SECTION: Stars)
Submit a new article

• - No Links Found -