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Speckle interferometry of metal-poor stars in the solar neighborhood. II
The results of speckle interferometric observations of 115 metal-poorstars ([m/H] < ‑1) within 250 pc from the Sun and with propermotions µ ≳ 0.2″/yr, made with the 6-m telescope of theSpecial Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences,are reported. Close companions with separations ranging from0.034″ to 1″ were observed for 12 objects—G76-21,G59-1, G63-46, G135-16, G168-42, G141-47, G142-44, G190-10, G28-43,G217-8, G130-7, and G89-14—eight of them are astrometricallyresolved for the first time. The newly resolved systems include onetriple star—G190-10. If combined with spectroscopic and visualdata, our results imply a single:binary:triple:quadruple star ratio of147:64:9:1 for a sample of 221 primary components of halo and thick-diskstars.
| An extremely wide and very low-mass pair with common proper motion. Is it representative of a nearby halo stream?
Aims. We describe the discovery of an extremely wide pair of low-massstars with a common large proper motion and discuss their possiblemembership in a Galactic halo stream crossing the Solar neighbourhood. Methods: In a high proper motion survey of the southern sky we usedmulti-epoch positions and photometry from the SuperCOSMOS Sky Surveys.New nearby ultracool dwarf and subdwarf candidates were selected amongthe faint and red high proper motion objects, and subsequently confirmedby low-resolution classification spectroscopy. The resultingspectroscopic distance estimates, approximate radial velocitymeasurements and improved proper motions involving additional epochsfrom the Two Micron All Sky Survey and from the DEep Near-InfraredSurvey were used to compute Galactic space velocities. Results: Thelate-type (M 7) dwarf SSSPM J2003-4433 and the ultracool subdwarf SSSPMJ1930-4311 (sdM 7) sharing the same very large proper motion of about860 mas/yr were found in the same sky region with an angular separationof about 6°. From the comparison with other high proper motioncatalogues we have estimated the probability of a chance alignment ofthe two new large proper motions to be less than 0.3%. From theindividually estimated spectroscopic distances of about38+10-7 pc and 72+21-16 pc,respectively for the M 7 dwarf and the sdM 7 subdwarf, and in view ofthe accurate agreement in their large proper motions we assume a commondistance of about 50 pc and a projected physical separation of about 5pc. The mean heliocentric space velocity of the pair (U,V,W)=(-232,-170, +74) km s-1, based on the correctness of thepreliminary radial velocity measurement for only one of the componentsand on the assumption of a common distance and velocity vector, istypical of the Galactic halo population. Conclusions: The largeseparation and the different metallicities of dwarfs and subdwarfs makea common formation scenario as a wide binary (later disrupted)improbable, although there remains some uncertainty in the spectroscopicclassification scheme of ultracool dwarfs/subdwarfs so that a dissolvedbinary origin cannot be fully ruled out yet. It seems more likely thatthis wide pair is part of an old halo stream. Higher-resolutionspectroscopic observations are needed to measure accurate radialvelocities of both components. Further, we suggest to check the M 7dwarf for an unresolved binary status, which would explain its shorterspectroscopic distance estimate, and to place both objects on atrigonometric parallax program.Based onobservations with the ESO 3.6 m/EFOSC2 at the European SouthernObservatory, La Silla (ESO program 70.C-0568).
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| Lithium Isotopic Abundances in Metal-poor Halo Stars
Very high quality spectra of 24 metal-poor halo dwarfs and subgiantshave been acquired with ESO's VLT/UVES for the purpose of determining Liisotopic abundances. The derived one-dimensional, non-LTE 7Li abundances from the Li I 670.8 nm line reveal a pronounceddependence on metallicity but with negligible scatter around this trend.Very good agreement is found between the abundances from the Li I 670.8nm line and the Li I 610.4 nm line. The estimated primordial 7Li abundance is7Li/H=(1.1-1.5)×10-10, which is a factor of3-4 lower than predicted from standard big bang nucleosynthesis with thebaryon density inferred from the cosmic microwave background.Interestingly, 6Li is detected in 9 of our 24 stars at the>=2 σ significance level. Our observations suggest theexistence of a 6Li plateau at the level oflogε6Li~0.8 however, taking into accountpredictions for 6Li destruction during the pre-main-sequenceevolution tilts the plateau such that the 6Li abundancesapparently increase with metallicity. Our most noteworthy result is thedetection of 6Li in the very metal-poor star LP 815-43. Sucha high 6Li abundance during these early Galactic epochs isvery difficult to achieve by Galactic cosmic-ray spallation andα-fusion reactions. It is concluded that both Li isotopes have apre-Galactic origin. Possible 6Li production channels includeprotogalactic shocks and late-decaying or annihilating supersymmetricparticles during the era of big bang nucleosynthesis. The presence of6Li limits the possible degree of stellar 7Lidepletion and thus sharpens the discrepancy with standard big bangnucleosynthesis.Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory,Paranal, Chile (observing programs 65.L-0131, 68.D-0091, and273.D-5043).
| 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.
| Elemental abundance survey of the Galactic thick disc
We have performed an abundance analysis for F- and G- dwarfs of theGalactic thick-disc component. A sample of 176 nearby (d<= 150pc)thick-disc candidate stars was chosen from the Hipparcos catalogue andsubjected to a high-resolution spectroscopic analysis. Using accurateradial velocities combined with the Hipparcos astrometry, kinematics (U,V and W) and Galactic orbital parameters were computed. We estimate theprobability for a star to belong to the thin disc, the thick disc or thehalo. With a probability P>= 70 per cent taken as certain membership,we assigned 95 stars to the thick disc, 13 to the thin disc, and 20 tothe halo. The remaining 48 stars in the sample cannot be assigned withreasonable certainty to one of the three components.Abundances of C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni,Cu, Zn, Y, Ba, Ce, Nd and Eu have been obtained. The abundances for thethick-disc stars are compared with those for the thin-disc members fromReddy et al. The ratios of α-elements (O, Mg, Si, Ca and Ti) toiron for thick-disc stars show a clear enhancement compared to thin-discmembers in the range -0.3 < [Fe/H] < -1.2. There are also otherelements - Al, Sc, V, Co, and possibly Zn - which show enhanced ratiosto iron in the thick disc relative to the thin disc. The abundances ofNa, Cr, Mn, Ni and Cu (relative to Fe) are very similar for thin- andthick-disc stars. The dispersion in abundance ratios [X/Fe] at given[Fe/H] for thick-disc stars is consistent with the expected scatter dueto measurement errors, suggesting a lack of `cosmic' scatter.A few stars classified as members of the thick disc by our kinematiccriteria show thin-disc abundances. These stars, which appear older thanmost thin-disc stars, are also, on average, younger than the thick-discpopulation. They may have originated early in the thin-disc history, andbeen subsequently scattered to hotter orbits by collisions. The thickdisc may not include stars with [Fe/H] > -0.3. The observedcompositions of the thin and thick discs seem to be consistent with themodels of galaxy formation by hierarchical clustering in a Lambda colddark matter (ΛCDM) universe.
| Sulphur abundance in Galactic stars
We investigate sulphur abundance in 74 Galactic stars by using highresolution spectra obtained at ESO VLT and NTT telescopes. For the firsttime the abundances are derived, where possible, from three opticalmultiplets: Mult. 1, 6, and 8. By combining our own measurements withdata in the literature we assemble a sample of 253 stars in themetallicity range -3.2 [Fe/H] +0.5. Two important features,which could hardly be detected in smaller samples, are obvious from thislarge sample: 1) a sizeable scatter in [S/Fe] ratios around [Fe/H]-1; 2) at low metallicities we observe stars with [S/Fe] 0.4, aswell as stars with higher [S/Fe] ratios. The latter do not seem to bekinematically different from the former ones. Whether the latter findingstems from a distinct population of metal-poor stars or simply from anincreased scatter in sulphur abundances remains an open question.
| A Catalog of Northern Stars with Annual Proper Motions Larger than 0.15" (LSPM-NORTH Catalog)
The LSPM catalog is a comprehensive list of 61,977 stars north of theJ2000 celestial equator that have proper motions larger than 0.15"yr-1 (local-background-stars frame). The catalog has beengenerated primarily as a result of our systematic search for high propermotion stars in the Digitized Sky Surveys using our SUPERBLINK software.At brighter magnitudes, the catalog incorporates stars and data from theTycho-2 Catalogue and also, to a lesser extent, from the All-SkyCompiled Catalogue of 2.5 million stars. The LSPM catalog considerablyexpands over the old Luyten (Luyten Half-Second [LHS] and New LuytenTwo-Tenths [NLTT]) catalogs, superseding them for northern declinations.Positions are given with an accuracy of <~100 mas at the 2000.0epoch, and absolute proper motions are given with an accuracy of ~8 masyr-1. Corrections to the local-background-stars propermotions have been calculated, and absolute proper motions in theextragalactic frame are given. Whenever available, we also give opticalBT and VT magnitudes (from Tycho-2, ASCC-2.5),photographic BJ, RF, and IN magnitudes(from USNO-B1 catalog), and infrared J, H, and Ks magnitudes(from 2MASS). We also provide an estimated V magnitude and V-J color fornearly all catalog entries, useful for initial classification of thestars. The catalog is estimated to be over 99% complete at high Galacticlatitudes (|b|>15deg) and over 90% complete at lowGalactic latitudes (|b|>15deg), down to a magnitudeV=19.0, and has a limiting magnitude V=21.0. All the northern starslisted in the LHS and NLTT catalogs have been reidentified, and theirpositions, proper motions, and magnitudes reevaluated. The catalog alsolists a large number of completely new objects, which promise to expandvery significantly the census of red dwarfs, subdwarfs, and white dwarfsin the vicinity of the Sun.Based on data mining of the Digitized Sky Surveys (DSSs), developed andoperated by the Catalogs and Surveys Branch of the Space TelescopeScience Institute (STScI), Baltimore.Developed with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), aspart of the NASA/NSF NStars program.
| Reappraising the Spite Lithium Plateau: Extremely Thin and Marginally Consistent with WMAP Data
The lithium abundance in 62 halo dwarfs is determined from accurateequivalent widths reported in the literature and an improved infraredflux method temperature scale. The Li abundance of 41 plateau stars(those with Teff>6000 K) is found to be independent oftemperature and metallicity, with a star-to-star scatter of only 0.06dex over a broad range of temperatures (6000K
| Empirically Constrained Color-Temperature Relations. II. uvby
A new grid of theoretical color indices for the Strömgren uvbyphotometric system has been derived from MARCS model atmospheres and SSGsynthetic spectra for cool dwarf and giant stars having-3.0<=[Fe/H]<=+0.5 and 3000<=Teff<=8000 K. Atwarmer temperatures (i.e., 8000-2.0. To overcome thisproblem, the theoretical indices at intermediate and high metallicitieshave been corrected using a set of color calibrations based on fieldstars having well-determined distances from Hipparcos, accurateTeff estimates from the infrared flux method, andspectroscopic [Fe/H] values. In contrast with Paper I, star clustersplayed only a minor role in this analysis in that they provided asupplementary constraint on the color corrections for cool dwarf starswith Teff<=5500 K. They were mainly used to test thecolor-Teff relations and, encouragingly, isochrones thatemploy the transformations derived in this study are able to reproducethe observed CMDs (involving u-v, v-b, and b-y colors) for a number ofopen and globular clusters (including M67, the Hyades, and 47 Tuc)rather well. Moreover, our interpretations of such data are verysimilar, if not identical, with those given in Paper I from aconsideration of BV(RI)C observations for the sameclusters-which provides a compelling argument in support of thecolor-Teff relations that are reported in both studies. Inthe present investigation, we have also analyzed the observedStrömgren photometry for the classic Population II subdwarfs,compared our ``final'' (b-y)-Teff relationship with thosederived empirically in a number of recent studies and examined in somedetail the dependence of the m1 index on [Fe/H].Based, in part, on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope,operated jointly on the island of La Palma by Denmark, Finland, Iceland,Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de losMuchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.Based, in part, on observations obtained with the Danish 1.54 mtelescope at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile.
| Oxygen line formation in late-F through early-K disk/halo stars. Infrared O I triplet and [O I] lines
In order to investigate the formation of O I 7771-5 and [O I] 6300/6363lines, extensive non-LTE calculations for neutral atomic oxygen werecarried out for wide ranges of model atmosphere parameters, which areapplicable to early-K through late-F halo/disk stars of variousevolutionary stages.The formation of the triplet O I lines was found to be well described bythe classical two-level-atom scattering model, and the non-LTEcorrection is practically determined by the parameters of theline-transition itself without any significant relevance to the detailsof the oxygen atomic model. This simplifies the problem in the sensethat the non-LTE abundance correction is essentially determined only bythe line-strength (Wlambda ), if the atmospheric parametersof Teff, log g, and xi are given, without any explicitdependence of the metallicity; thus allowing a useful analytical formulawith tabulated numerical coefficients. On the other hand, ourcalculations lead to the robust conclusion that LTE is totally valid forthe forbidden [O I] lines.An extensive reanalysis of published equivalent-width data of O I 7771-5and [O I] 6300/6363 taken from various literature resulted in theconclusion that, while a reasonable consistency of O I and [O I]abundances was observed for disk stars (-1 <~ [Fe/H] <~ 0), theexistence of a systematic abundance discrepancy was confirmed between OI and [O I] lines in conspicuously metal-poor halo stars (-3 <~[Fe/H] <~ -1) without being removed by our non-LTE corrections, i.e.,the former being larger by ~ 0.3 dex at -3 <~ [Fe/H] <~ -2.An inspection of the parameter-dependence of this discordance indicatesthat the extent of the discrepancy tends to be comparatively lessenedfor higher Teff/log g stars, suggesting the preference ofdwarf (or subgiant) stars for studying the oxygen abundances ofmetal-poor stars.Tables 2, 5, and 7 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/402/343 and Table\ref{tab3} is only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| 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.
| A Survey of Proper-Motion Stars. XVI. Orbital Solutions for 171 Single-lined Spectroscopic Binaries
We report 25,563 radial velocity measurements for 1359 single-linedstars in the Carney-Latham sample of 1464 stars selected for high propermotion. For 171 of these, we present spectroscopic orbital solutions. Wefind no obvious difference between the binary characteristics in thehalo and the disk populations. The observed frequency is the same, andthe period distributions are consistent with the hypothesis that the twosets of binaries were drawn from the same parent population. Thissuggests that metallicity in general, and radiative opacities inparticular, have little influence over the fragmentation process thatleads to short-period binaries. All the binaries with periods shorterthan 10 days have nearly circular orbits, while the binaries withperiods longer than 20 days exhibit a wide range of eccentricities and amedian value of 0.37. For the metal-poor high-velocity halo binaries inour sample, the transition from circular to eccentric orbits appears tooccur at about 20 days, supporting the conclusion that tidalcircularization on the main sequence is important for the oldestbinaries in the Galaxy. Some of the results presented here usedobservations made with the Multiple Mirror Telescope, a joint facilityof the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona.
| O/Fe in metal-poor main sequence and subgiant stars
A study of the O/Fe ratio in metal-poor main sequence and subgiant starsis presented using the \ion{Oi},6300 Å line, the O I 7774 Åtriplet, and a selection of weak Fe Ii lines observed on high-resolutionspectra acquired with the VLT UVES spectrograph. The \ion{Oi line isdetected in the spectra of 18 stars with -2.4 < [Fe/H] < -0.5, andthe triplet is observed for 15 stars with Fe/H ranging from -1.0 to-2.7. The abundance analysis was made first using standard modelatmospheres taking into account non-LTE effects on the triplet: the\ion{Oi} line and the triplet give consistent results with [O/Fe]increasing quasi-linearly with decreasing [Fe/H] reaching [O/Fe] =~ +0.7at [Fe/H] = -2.5. This trend is in reasonable agreement with otherresults for [O/Fe] in metal-poor dwarfs obtained using standardatmospheres and both ultraviolet and infrared OH lines. There is alsobroad agreement with published results for [O/Fe] for giants obtainedusing standard model atmospheres and the \ion{Oi} line, and the OHinfrared lines, but the O I lines give higher [O/Fe] values which may,however, fall into place when non-LTE effects are considered. Whenhydrodynamical model atmospheres representing stellar granulation indwarf and subgiant stars replace standard models, the [O/Fe] from the\ion{Oi} and Fe Ii lines is decreased by an amount which increases withdecreasing [Fe/H]. These 3D effects on [O/Fe] is compounded by theopposite behaviour of the \ion{Oi} (continuous opacity effect) and Fe Iilines (excitation effect). The [O/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] relation remainsquasi-linear extending to [O/Fe] =~ +0.5 at [Fe/H] = -2.5, but with atendency of a plateau with [O/Fe] =~ +0.3 for -2.0 < [Fe/H] <-1.0, and a hint of cosmic scatter in [O/Fe] at [Fe/H] =~ -1.0. Use ofthe hydrodynamical models disturbs the broad agreement between theoxygen abundances from the \ion{Oi} , O I, and OH lines, but 3D non-LTEeffects may serve to erase these differences. The [O/Fe] values from the\ion{Oi} line and the hydrodynamical model atmospheres for dwarfs andsubgiant stars are lower than the values for giants using standard modelatmospheres and the \ion{Oi}, and O I lines. Based on observationscollected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile (ESO Nos.65.L-0131, 65.L-0507, and 67.D-0439).
| Rapid Rotation of Ultra-Li-depleted Halo Stars and Their Association with Blue Stragglers
Observations of 18 halo main-sequence turnoff stars, four of which areextremely deficient in Li, show that three of the Li-poor ones havesubstantial line broadening. We attribute this to stellar rotation.Despite the great ages of halo stars, for G202-65, BD +51°1817, andWolf 550 we infer vsini=8.3+/-0.4, 7.6+/-0.3, and 5.5+/-0.6 kms-1, respectively. The stated errors are 3 σ. For CD-31°19466 we derive a 3 σ upper limit vsini<2.2 kms-1. The three rotating stars are known spectroscopicbinaries. We explain the high rotation velocities in terms of mass andangular momentum transfer onto the surface of the turnoff star from aninitially more massive donor. Estimates of the specific angular momentumof accreted material indicate that quite small transfer masses couldhave been involved, although the unknown subsequent spin-down of theaccretor prevents us from assigning definitive values for each star. Theaccretor is now seen as an ultra-Li-deficient star whose origin makes ita low-mass counterpart of field blue stragglers. The Li could have beendestroyed before or during the mass transfer episode. Such objects mustbe avoided in studies of the primordial Li abundance and ininvestigations into the way normal single stars process their initialLi. Based on observations obtained with the University College Londonechelle spectrograph (UCLES) on the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) andwith the Utrecht echelle spectrograph (UES) on the William HerschelTelescope (WHT).
| Abundances and Evolution of Lithium in the Galactic Halo and Disk
We have measured the Li abundance of 18 stars with -2<~[Fe/H]<~-1and 6000<~Teff<~6400 K, a parameter range that waspoorly represented in previous studies. We examine the Galactic chemicalevolution (GCE) of this element, combining these data with previoussamples of turnoff stars over the full range of halo metallicities. Wefind that A(Li) increases from a level of ~2.10 at [Fe/H]=-3.5 to ~2.40at [Fe/H]=-1.0, where A(Li)=log10(n(Li)/n(H))+12.00. We comparethe observations with several GCE calculations, including existingone-zone models and a new model developed in the framework ofinhomogeneous evolution of the Galactic halo. We show that Li evolved ata constant rate relative to iron throughout the halo and old disk epochsbut that during the formation of young disk stars, the production of Lirelative to iron increased significantly. These observations can beunderstood in the context of models in which postprimordial Li evolutionduring the halo and old disk epochs is dominated by Galactic cosmic-rayfusion and spallation reactions, with some contribution from theν-process in supernovae. The onset of more efficient Li production(relative to iron) in the young disk coincides with the appearance of Lifrom novae and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. The major challengefacing the models is to reconcile the mild evolution of Li during thehalo and old disk phases with the more efficient production (relative toiron) at [Fe/H]>-0.5. We speculate that cool-bottom processing(production) of Li in low-mass stars may provide an importantlate-appearing source of Li, without attendant Fe production, that mightexplain the Li production in the young disk. Based on observationsobtained with the University College London échelle spectrograph(UCLES) on the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) and the Utrechtéchelle spectrograph (UES) on the William Herschel Telescope(WHT).
| The empirical scale of temperatures of the low main sequence (F0V-K5V).
We have calibrated the effective temperatures of the low main sequencestars ranging spectral types from F0 to K5 versus [Fe/H] and colours(B-V), (R-I), (V-R), (V-I), (V-K), (J-H), (J-K) and ubvy-β, using alarge sample of dwarfs and subdwarfs. The effective temperatures, scaledto direct T_eff_ determinations via reliable angular diametermeasurements, were derived applying the InfraRed Flux Method with thenew grid of atmosphere models developed by Kurucz (1993). We have fittedpolynomial functions of the form θ_eff_=P(colour,[Fe/H]) usingthe least squares method. The precision of the fits ranges from 30K for(V-K) to 154K for (J-H). The new relations have been compared toprevious calibrations. We also provide the empirical intrinsic colours(U-B), (B-V), (R-I), (V-R), (V-I), (V-K), (J-H), (J-K) and β, inthe ranges: 4000K[Fe/H]>-2.5.
| A Survey of Proper Motion Stars. XIII. The Halo Population
Based on our expanded sample of metallicities and kinematics for a largesample of stars selected from the Lowell Proper Motion Catalog, we studyseveral questions relating to the halo stellar population(s) in ourGalaxy. For [m/H]≤-1.4, there does not seem to be any variation with[m/H] in the mean values of the V velocity (i.e., angular momentumrelated to that in the disk) or the Galactic orbital eccentricities. Further, in spite of the strong kinematical biases in our sample, starswith very low metallicities are found that have small V velocities (highorbital angular momenta) and low orbital eccentricities. These resultscontradict the model that the metal-poor stars are a single populationthat is only the relic of the earliest stages of the Galaxy's collapse. There are signs that some of the metal-poor stars in the solarneighborhood are due to accretion events and, perhaps, also to theearliest stages of the formation of the Galactic disk. Regardingaccretion, we confirm Majewski's [ApJS, 78, 87 (1992)] finding of aretrograde rotation among stars that reach S kpc or more from the plane. These stars do not show any radial metallicity gradient, and may beyounger on average than dynamically hot, metal-poor stars closer to theplane. These latter stars show net prograde rotation and a radialmetallicity gradient, suggestive of a dissipative process in theearliest stages of disk formation. The correlation between metallicityand perigalacticon found by Ryan & Norris [AJ, 101, 1835 (1991a)]disappears when care is taken to exclude the stars that may have beenaccreted by our Galaxy. The field star results complement those forglobular clusters found by other workers, notably Zinn (1993), whoargued for two populations of metal-poor clusters, one apparently inretrograde rotation with no radial metallicity gradient and slightlyyounger ages, and the other with prograde rotation, a weak radialmetallicity gradient, and slightly older ages. The field stars andglobular clusters do differ slightly, however. Their metallicitydistributions differ, with the field stars showing a larger fraction ofthe most metal-poor stars. This could be caused by accretion of Dracodwarf galaxy-like objects, with very low metallicities and no globularclusters. We see in our data, particularly in the V vs>Rapo< plane, possible signs of large-scale kinematicsubstructure suggestive of specific accretion events. We also see signsfor the Preston et al. [AJ, 108, 538 (1994)] low-metallicity,intermediate kinematics, and younger age stellar population. However,the strength of the signal in our data suggests that a fairly largefraction of its stars may be old. On the other hand, the "away" versus"toward" mystery of Croswell et al. [Al, 93, 1445 (1987)] hasdisappeared: the numbers of stars approaching and receding from theplane agree with expectations. Finally, we point out that the model ofNorris [ApJ, 431, 645 (1994)] for a proto-disk population that is hotterdynamically than the accreted halo components does not agree with ourexpanded data sample. We suggest that the proto-disk component wasdynamically cooler when the mean metallicity was very low.
| Determination of effective temperatures for an extended sample of dwarfs and subdwarfs (F0-K5).
We have applied the InfraRed Flux Method (IRFM) to a sample of 475dwarfs and subdwarfs in order to derive their effective temperatureswith a mean accuracy of about 1.5%. We have used the new homogeneousgrid of theoretical model atmosphere flux distributions developed byKurucz (1991, 1993) for the application of the IRFM. The atmosphericparameters of the stars cover, roughly, the ranges:3500K<=T_eff_<=8000K -3.5<=[Fe/H]<=+0.53.5<=log(g)<=5. The monocromatic infrared fluxes at the continuum,and the bolometric fluxes are derived using recent results, whichsatisfy the accuracy requeriments of the work. Photometric calibrationshave been revised and applied to estimate metallicities, although directspectroscopic determinations were preferred when available. The adoptedinfrared absolute flux calibration, based on direct optical measurementsof angular stellar diameters, sets the effective temperatures determinedusing the IRFM on the same scale than those obtained by direct methods.We derive three temperatures, T_J_, T_H_ and T_K_, for each star usingthe monochromatic fluxes at different infrared wavelengths in thephotometric bands J, H, and K. They show good consistency over 4000 K,and no trend with wavelength may be appreciated. We provide a detaileddescription of the steps followed for the application of the IRFM, aswell as the sources of the errors associated to the different inputs ofthe method, and their transmission into the final temperatures. We alsoprovide comparison with previous works.
| Ca II H and K Filter Photometry on the UVBY System. II. The Catalog of Observations
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1995AJ....109.2828T&db_key=AST
| Broad band JHK infrared photometry of an extended sample of late type dwarfs and subdwarfs.
The results of a long term programme of broad band JHK photometry, for asample of 360 late type stars, made at the Observatorio del Teide(Tenerife, Spain) are presented. Transformations between thesemagnitudes and those of several currently used systems (CIT (Elias etal. 1982 and Carney 1983), Johnson (Johnson 1966, and Lee 1970), and ESO(Bouchet et al. 1991)) are proposed. A comparison to the narrow-bandsystem of Selby et al. (1988) has been made, in order to check theaccuracy of the photometric system. A mean internal accuracy better than0.02mag in the three bands can be inferred from the comparison to thelarge number of stars in common with Carney (1983), and from thedispersion of the multiple measured stars. The list of standards, thefilter passbands and effective wavelengths, together with correlationsbetween the extinction coefficients, ultimately characterize thephotometric IR system of the Observatorio del Teide (TCS). Data ofcomparable quality previously published have been added in order tocomplete the sample. This way the final sample consists of 550 stars.From the analysis of optical and IR colour:colour diagrams, we maydeduce that the range F0-K0 is properly sampled for0.1>[Fe/H]>-3.0. In the range K0-M4, no reliable photometricestimates of metallicity can be assigned, and only a small number ofstars have spectroscopic determination of the metallicity. Nevertheless,after kinematical considerations, the stars in this spectral range arealso expected to sample the galactic populations of dwarfs. Themetallicity effects on the IR and optical colour:colour diagrams arebriefly discussed.
| A survey of proper motion stars. 12: an expanded sample
We report new photometry and radial velocities for almost 500 stars fromthe Lowell Proper Motion Catalog. We combine these results with ourprior sample and rederive stellar temperatures based on the photometry,reddening, metallicities (using chi squared matching of our 22,500 lowSignal to Noise (S/N) high resolution echelle spectra with a grid ofsynthetic spectra), distances, space motions, and Galactic orbitalparameters for 1269 (kinematics) and 1261 (metallicity) of the 1464stars in the complete survey. The frequency of spectroscopic binariesfor the metal-poor ((m/H) less than or equal to -1.2) stars with periodsshorter than 3000 days is at least 15%. The spectroscopic binaryfrequency for metal-rich stars ((m/H) greater than -0.5) appears to belower, about 9%, but this may be a selection effect. We also discussspecial classes of stars, including treatment of the double-linedspectroscopic binaries, and identification of subgiants. Four possiblenew members of the class of field blue stragglers are noted. We pointout the detection of three possible new white dwarfs, six broad-lined(binary) systems, and discuss briefly the three already knownnitrogen-rich halo dwarfs. The primary result of this paper will beavailable on CD-ROM, in the form of a much larger table.
| Subdwarf studies. II - Abundances and kinematics from medium resolution spectra. III - The halo metallicity distribution
Stars previously identified as having UV excesses are observed at 1-Aresolution in the Ca II K-line region. Comparisons of these data withother samples and with Monte Carlo simulations involving a singlecomponent halo have yielded estimates of halo velocity dispersions androtation velocity, corrected for the kinematic biases in the sample. Itis suggested that the data are not consistent with a model in which thehalo formed from star formation in a dissipating, collapsing cloud; theyare, however, reconcilable with the formation of the halo stars bynumerous, independently evolving gas clouds. The metallicitydistribution of a sample of 372 kinematically selected halo stars isthen constructed, with a view to selection effects in the data. Goodagreement is noted between the globular cluster metallicity distributionand a stochastic model with a mean of 10 enrichments/fragment.
| Subdwarf studies. I - UBVRI photometry of NLTT stars
UBVRI photometry is presented for a sample of 1656 southern stars,including 1211 that were previously unmeasured, drown from the NLTTproper-motion catalog. The catalog is shown to be a rich source ofsubdwarfs. The normalized ultraviolet excess delta (U - B)0.6,photometric parallax, and interstellar reddening are calculated for eachstar when possible. Photometric parallaxes are compared withtrigonometric parallaxes from the literature. It is found that theformer do not have systematic errors greater than about 25 percent. Inagreement with other studies, the bluest subdwarfs are found at B - V =0.35. The selection of the program stars on the basis of large reducedproper motions restricted subgiant contamination of the sample to about5 percent and increased the discovery fraction of halo stars relative todisk stars. The claim is made here that the sample can be used toinvestigate the abundance distribution of the halo. The sample includesstars with ultraviolet excesses characteristic of disk abundances butwith velocities up to 150 km/s. These are believed to be stars that,quite expectedly, reside in the high-velocity tail of the disk velocitydistribution.
| Ubvy-beta photometry of high-velocity and metal-poor stars. III - Metallicities and ages of the halo stars
The interstellar color excesses, E(b-y) and the metallicities, Fe/Habundance ratio, are determined for the 711 high-velocity and metal-poorstars in the catalog of ubvy-beta photometry compiled by Schuster andNissen (1988). It is found that 220 of these are halo stars and that 15percent of these halo stars have colors that are significantly affectedby interstellar reddening. A minimum age of 18-20 Gyr is determined forthe halo stars. The results suggest that a pressure-supported slowuniform collapse controlled the formation and evolution of the Galaxy.
| Four-color UVBY and H-beta photometry of high-velocity and metal-poor stars. I - The catalogue of observations
A catalog of four-color uvby and H-beta photometry for 711 high-velocityand metal-poor stars is given. The selection of the stars and theobserving and reduction techniques used to obtain these data arediscussed. The photometry has been transformed closely onto the standarduvby-beta system. The errors of the data have been estimated using bothinternal and external comparisons. The data are uniform over the sky;that is, there are no significant north-south differences. For the largemajority of stars the mean errors of V, m1, c1, and beta are less than +or - 0.008 mag, and the error of b-y is less than + or - 0.005 mag.Values of V, b-y and beta and rough photometric classifications aregiven for 63 red and/or evolved stars that fall outside the range of thephotometric transformations.
| New subdwarfs. VI - Kinematics of 1125 high-proper-motion stars and the collapse of the Galaxy
The UVW velocity components, planar eccentricities, and angular momentaof 878 high-proper-motion stars are determined using the radial-velocitydata of Fouts and Sandage (1986) and compared with chemical abundancesand photometric parallaxes from the UBV photometry of Sandage and Kowal(1986). The results are presented, along with published data on 247additional stars, in extensive tables and graphs and characterized indetail. Two approximately equal components are differentiated: alow-velocity component identified as part of the thick disk described byGilmore and Reid (1983) and a high-velocity halo component. The data arefound to support a model of Galactic collapse (with concomitant spinupand progressive chemical enrichment) which includes a rotating bulge(the thick disk) with kinematic and metallicity properties between thoseof the old thin disk and the halo.
| Population studies. II - Kinematics as a function of abundance and galactocentric position for (Fe/H) of -0.6 or less
A catalog is presented of some 1200 Galactic objects which have radialvelocities and (Fe/H) abundances of -0.6 or less. These data areanalyzed to yield information on the kinematic properties of the olderpopulations of the Galaxy and on the interdependence between kinematicsand abundance. It is found that the kinematics of the availablekinematically selected stars differ from those of the nonkinematicallyselected objects. No evidence is found for any significant difference inthe kinematic properties of the various halo subgroups, nor for anydependence of kinematics on abundance. While the rotation of the halo issmall at about 37 km/s for (Fe/H) of -1.2 or less, it rises quickly forhigher abundances to a value of about 160 km/s at (Fe/H) = 0.6. Objectsin the abundance range -0.9 to -0.6 appear to belong predominantly to apopulation possessing the kinematic characteristics of a thick disk. Theimplications of these findings for the suggestion that globular clustersbelong to the same population as the noncluster objects, for the originof the thick disk, and for the mass of the Galaxy are discussed.
| New subdwarfs. V - Radial velocities for 889 high-proper-motion stars measured with the Mount Wilson 100 inch reflector
New radial velocities have been obtained from 2265 measurements of 889high-proper-motion stars taken from the subdwarf candidate list of aprevious paper. The observations were made with the Mount Wilson 100 inHooker reflector coude spectrograph with a Reticon detector, giving aninternal error of a single measurement of 4.7 km/s. From 88 stars incommon with previously known subdwarfs; the external error of the datais 6.9 km/s per measurement, and the velocity system is shown to be onthe system of the Wilson General Catalog to better than 1 km/s. Of the878 stars with nonvariable velocities in the sample, 38 have radialvelocities larger than 200 km/s, of which 22 are new. There is acorrelation between radial velocity and reduced ultraviolet excess asexpected from the previously known relations between space motion andchemical composition. The Stroemberg asymmetric drift is directlyvisible in the radial velocity and the proper-motion data separately aseach is displayed as a function of galactic longitude.
| New subdwarfs. IV - UBV photometry of 1690 high-proper-motion stars
A photometric list of 1690 stars of known high proper motion is used tosearch for potential high-velocity stars of various metallicity valuesin order to find candidates for trigonometric programs on subdwarfs andto enlarge the sample with which to study the relation between stellarkinematics and metal abundance. A list of 113 stars with tangentialspace velocities of 300 km/s or greater is obtained, the highesttangential velocity relative to the sun being 630 km/s. By using thevariation of the tangential velocity with longitude and adopting thegalactic rotation at the solar circle to be 220 km/s, the rotation ofthe subdwarf system is estimated at 0 + or - 50 km/s from the transversevelocity alone, in agreement with determinations based on other methods.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Κήτος |
| Right ascension: | 02h38m21.51s |
| Declination: | +02°26'44.4" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 10.479 |
| Proper motion RA: | 358.8 |
| Proper motion Dec: | 9.2 |
| B-T magnitude: | 11.067 |
| V-T magnitude: | 10.528 |
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