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3D mapping of the dense interstellar gas around the Local Bubble
We present intermediate results from a long-term program of mapping theneutral absorption characteristics of the local interstellar medium,motivated by the availability of accurate and consistent parallaxes fromthe Hipparcos satellite. Equivalent widths of the interstellar NaID-line doublet at 5890 Å are presented for the lines-of-sighttowards some 311 new target stars lying within ~ 350 pc of the Sun.Using these data, together with NaI absorption measurements towards afurther ~ 240 nearby targets published in the literature (for many ofthem, in the directions of molecular clouds), and the ~ 450lines-of-sight already presented by (Sfeir et al. \cite{sfeir99}), weshow 3D absorption maps of the local distribution of neutral gas towards1005 sight-lines with Hipparcos distances as viewed from a variety ofdifferent galactic projections.The data are synthesized by means of two complementary methods, (i) bymapping of iso-equivalent width contours, and (ii) by densitydistribution calculation from the inversion of column-densities, amethod devised by Vergely et al. (\cite{vergely01}). Our present dataconfirms the view that the local cavity is deficient in cold and neutralinterstellar gas. The closest dense and cold gas ``wall'', in the firstquadrant, is at ~ 55-60 pc. There are a few isolated clouds at closerdistance, if the detected absorption is not produced by circumstellarmaterial.The maps reveal narrow or wide ``interstellar tunnels'' which connectthe Local Bubble to surrounding cavities, as predicted by the model ofCox & Smith (1974). In particular, one of these tunnels, defined bystars at 300 to 600 pc from the Sun showing negligible sodiumabsorption, connects the well known CMa void (Gry et al. \cite{gry85}),which is part of the Local Bubble, with the supershell GSH 238+00+09(Heiles \cite{heiles98}). High latitude lines-of-sight with the smallestabsorption are found in two ``chimneys'', whose directions areperpendicular to the Gould belt plane. The maps show that the LocalBubble is ``squeezed'' by surrounding shells in a complicated patternand suggest that its pressure is smaller than in those expandingregions.We discuss the locations of several HI and molecular clouds. Usingcomparisons between NaI and HI or CO velocities, in some cases we areable to improve the constraints on their distances. According to thevelocity criteria, MBM 33-37, MBM 16-18, UT 3-7, and MBM 54-55 arecloser than ~ 100 pc, and MBM 40 is closer than 80 pc. Dense HI cloudsare seen at less than 90 pc and 85 pc in the directions of the MBM 12and MBM 41-43 clouds respectively, but the molecular clouds themselvesmay be far beyond. The above closest molecular clouds are located at theneutral boundary of the Bubble. Only one translucent cloud, G192-67, isclearly embedded within the LB and well isolated.These maps of the distribution of local neutral interstellar NaI gas arealso briefly compared with the distribution of both interstellar dustand neutral HI gas within 300 pc.Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp:cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/411/447
| Interstellar Nai D lines towards the Southern Coalsack
The interstellar Nai D absorption-line profiles observed for 15 starswith lines of sight towards the Southern Coalsack are analysed. Themethod of profile fitting was used in an attempt to determine columndensities, linewidths and velocities for the individual interstellarclouds contributing to the observed absorption lines. In common, theobserved spectra show a prominent component which is probably associatedwith the nearest absorbing material composing the Coalsack. The obtainedspatial velocity distribution shows great similarity with earlierresults from CO emission. In addition, the Nai D data reveal evidencefor the existence of two or three other structures with radialvelocities of about -22, -33 and -40kms-1. Such componentsmay be the counterparts of interstellar structures observed in diffuseHα and CO emission. The assumption that at least one of thesecomponents originated in the Carina arm imposes ~0.9-1.0kpc as themaximum distance to the near side of that arm.
| Sixth Catalogue of Fundamental Stars (FK6). Part III. Additional fundamental stars with direct solutions
The FK6 is a suitable combination of the results of the HIPPARCOSastrometry satellite with ground-based data, measured over a longinterval of time and summarized mainly in the FK5. Part III of the FK6(abbreviated FK6(III)) contains additional fundamental stars with directsolutions. Such direct solutions are appropriate for single stars or forobjects which can be treated like single stars. Part III of the FK6contains in total 3272 stars. Their ground-based data stem from thebright extension of the FK5 (735 stars), from the catalogue of remainingSup stars (RSup, 732 stars), and from the faint extension of the FK5(1805 stars). From the 3272 stars in Part III, we have selected 1928objects as "astrometrically excellent stars", since their instantaneousproper motions and their mean (time-averaged) ones do not differsignificantly. Hence most of the astrometrically excellent stars arewell-behaving "single-star candidates" with good astrometric data. Thesestars are most suited for high-precision astrometry. On the other hand,354 of the stars in Part III are Δμ binaries in the sense ofWielen et al. (1999). Many of them are newly discovered probablebinaries with no other hitherto known indication of binarity. The FK6gives, besides the classical "single-star mode" solutions (SI mode),other solutions which take into account the fact that hidden astrometricbinaries among "apparently single-stars" introduce sizable "cosmicerrors" into the quasi-instantaneously measured HIPPARCOS proper motionsand positions. The FK6 gives, in addition to the SI mode, the "long-termprediction (LTP) mode" and the "short-term prediction (STP) mode". TheseLTP and STP modes are on average the most precise solutions forapparently single stars, depending on the epoch difference with respectto the HIPPARCOS epoch of about 1991. The typical mean error of anFK6(III) proper motion in the single-star mode is 0.59 mas/year. This isa factor of 1.34 better than the typical HIPPARCOS errors for thesestars of 0.79 mas/year. In the long-term prediction mode, in whichcosmic errors are taken into account, the FK6(III) proper motions have atypical mean error of 0.93 mas/year, which is by a factor of about 2better than the corresponding error for the HIPPARCOS values of 1.83mas/year (cosmic errors included).
| A homogeneous catalog of new UBV and H-beta photometry of B- and A-type stars in and around the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association
B- and A-type stars in and near the Sco-Cen OB association areinvestigated with UBV and H-beta photometry to acquire data relevant tothe luminosity function of Sco-Cen. The measurements generally consistof two 10-s integrations of U, B, V, (W, N) filters, and theobservations are corrected iteratively for atmospheric extinction andinstrumental response. The data presented give the mean V magnitude,mean B-V, mean U-B, and the estimated uncertainties for these values.The catalog provides a homogeneous catalog of data for a large fieldwith stellar objects delineating membership to the association Sco-Cenand that affect the luminosity function of the aggregate.
| Fifth fundamental catalogue. Part 2: The FK5 extension - new fundamental stars
The mean positions and proper motions for 3117 new fundamental starsessentially in the magnitude range about 4.5 to 9.5 are given in thisFK5 extension. Mean apparent visual magnitude is 7.2 and is on average2.5 magnitudes fainter then the basic FK5 which has a mean magnitude of4.7. (The basic FK5 gives the mean positions and proper motions for theclassical 1535 fundamental stars). The following are discussed: theobservational material, reduction of observations, star selection, andthe system for the FK5 extension. An explanation and description of thecatalog are given. The catalog of 3117 fundamental stars for the equinoxand epoch J2000.0 and B1950.0 is presented. The parallaxes and radialvelocities for 22 extension stars with large forecasting effects aregiven. Catalogs used in the compilation of the FK5 fundamental catalogare listed.
| Photometric and polarimetric variability and mass-loss rate of the massive binary Wolf-Rayet star HDE 311884 (WN6 + 05: V)
Photometric and polarimetric monitoring of the Wolf-Rayet (W-R) + O-typebinary system HDE 311884 = WR 47 over many orbital cycles shows theclear effects of phase-dependent electron scattering of O-star light asthe orbiting O companion shines through varying column density of W-Rstellar wind material. In contrast to this wind-type eclipse, the starsthemselves do not quite eclipse. Both photometry and polarimetry give aconsistent estimate of the mass-loss rate of the W-R component: at about0.00003 solar mass/yr. The orbital inclination, i = 70 deg, along withthe previously published velocity orbit, yields high masses: M(WN6) = 48solar masses and M(O5:V) = 57 solar masses.
| The distance and structure of the Coalsack. I - Photometric data
The results of UBV and H-beta photometry for 284 stars of spectral typesB to F located in the area of the dark cloud Coalsack are presented.Most of the present stars are brighter than 10.0 mag and are classifiedin the MK system of Houk and Cowley (1975). For each star, the bestvalues for the extinction and distance modulus are provided, withtypical estimated errors of + or - 0.08 mag for the extinction and + or- 0.32 mag for the distance modulus. Possible misclassifications andspectral peculiarities are noted for several of the stars.
| The Southern Coalsack - Extinction and distance
H-beta and uvby photometric observations are reported for 236 stars oftypes B, A, and F in the region of the Southern Coalsack. Data obtainedwith the 50-cm Stromgren Automatic Telescope at ESO are presented inextensive tables, graphs, and maps and characterized in detail. Threedistinct structures are identified: (1) a nearby region (d less than 200pc) dominated by stars in front of the Coalsack, with evidence of a verydiffuse feature; (2) an intermediate region (d = 200-1100 pc) with starsreddened by Coalsack dust and/or the ISM behind it; and (3) a distantregion (d = 1.1-3.0 kpc) in which the reddening of 22 early B starsimplies a color-excess lower limit of E(b-y) = 0.230 mag, consistentwith a 10,000-solar-mass cloud at d = 1.2 kpc. The average upper-limitdistance to the main Coalsack components is estimated as 180 + or - 26pc, with some material possibly as near as 120 pc.
| Stromgren and H-beta photometry of stars earlier than G0 in the Southern Coalsack direction
Four-color and H-beta photometry have been obtained for 236 starsearlier than G0 in order to study the color excess distribution in theSouthern Coalsack direction. The beta histogram of the stars reveals arelative absence of stars in the range of A4 to A9. The (b-y)distribution for B-type stars suggests the existence of three differenttypes of stars located at different distances.
| Precision photometric monitoring of southern variable Wolf-Rayet stars with a comment on the overall continuum variability of WR stars
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1987AJ.....94.1008L&db_key=AST
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Croix du Sud |
| Right ascension: | 12h44m07.83s |
| Declination: | -64°12'41.5" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.574 |
| Distance: | 146.199 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -9.3 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -19.9 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.104 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.618 |
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