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Stellar population synthesis in the presence of diluting components. Application to the infrared range for MCG-6-30-15
Aims.Numerous studies of the host galaxy of Seyfert nuclei are beingconducted in the optical/visible range. However, in the case of Seyfert1, the spectra of the inner galactic core can be dominated by broademission lines coming from the nucleus that totally flood the underlyinggalactic spectrum, preventing any study of stellar populations. Methods: Because part of the IR H-band is free of the strongest AGNemission lines, we developed a method that allows the stellar populationof the very internal regions of the Seyfert 1 galaxies to be studied inthe presence of a diluting continuum. Results: A new inverse methodusing the flux as observables was developed and deeply tested. Thespecificity of the method is to take the non stellar parameters(reddening, dust emission, and non-stellar continuum) into accountdirectly in the synthetic distance to be minimised. Conclusions: Themethod is powerful for deriving the stellar content of the very centralpart of AGN. However, the results for the stellar population are stilltentative, as the incompleteness of the stellar base (lack ofsupermetallic giant stars) could lead to large uncertainties. Newobservations of stars in the infrared at high spectral resolution, inparticular metal-rich stars, are mandatory to build a complete stellarlibrary that can be used to synthesise the host galaxies of AGN with asmuch accuracy as possible.
| The NaI D resonance lines in main-sequence late-type stars
We study the sodium D lines (D1: 5895.92Å D2: 5889.95Å) inlate-type dwarf stars. The stars have spectral types between F6 and M5.5(B - V between 0.457 and 1.807) and metallicity between [Fe/H] = -0.82and 0.6. We obtained medium-resolution echelle spectra using the 2.15-mtelescope at the Argentinian observatory Complejo Astronómico ElLeoncito (CASLEO). The observations have been performed periodicallysince 1999. The spectra were calibrated in wavelength and in flux. Adefinition of the pseudo-continuum level is found for all ourobservations. We also define a continuum level for calibration purposes.The equivalent width of the D lines is computed in detail for all ourspectra and related to the colour index (B - V) of the stars. Whenpossible, we perform a careful comparison with previous studies.Finally, we construct a spectral index (R'D) as the ratiobetween the flux in the D lines and the bolometric flux. We find that,once corrected for the photospheric contribution, this index can be usedas a chromospheric activity indicator in stars with a high level ofactivity. Additionally, we find that combining some of our results, weobtain a method to calibrate in flux stars of unknown colour.
| On the Correlation between the Magnetic Activity Levels, Metallicities, and Radii of Low-Mass Stars
The recent increase in the number of radius measurements of very lowmass stars from eclipsing binaries and interferometry of single starshas raised more questions about what could be causing the discrepancybetween the observed radii and those predicted by models. The two mainexplanations being proposed are a correlation between the radii of thestars and either their activity levels or their metallicities. Thispaper presents a study of such correlations using all the data publishedto date. The study also investigates correlations between the radiusdeviations from the models and the masses of the stars. There is noclear correlation between activity level and radius for the single starsin the sample. These single stars are slow rotators, with typicalvelocities vrotsini<3.0 km s-1. A clearcorrelation however exists in the case of the faster rotating members ofbinaries. This result is based on the X-ray emission levels of thestars. There also appears to be an increase in the deviation of theradii of single stars from the models as a function of metallicity, aspreviously indicated by Berger et al. The stars in binaries do not seemto follow the same trend. Finally, the Baraffe et al. models reproducewell the radius observations below 0.30-0.35 Msolar, wherethe stars become fully convective, although this result is preliminarysince almost all the sample stars in that mass range are slow rotatorsand metallicities have not been measured for most of them. The resultsindicate that stellar activity and metallicity play an important role indetermining the radius of very low mass stars, at least above 0.35Msolar.
| The narrowest M-dwarf line profiles and the rotation-activity connection at very slow rotation
Context: The rotation-activity connection explains stellar activity interms of rotation and convective overturn time. It is well establishedin stars of spectral types F-K as well as in M-type stars of youngclusters, in which rotation is still very rapid even among M-dwarfs. Therotation-activity connection is not established in field M-dwarfs,because they rotate very slowly, and detecting rotation periods orrotational line broadening is a challenge. In field M-dwarfs, saturationsets in below v_rot = 5 km s-1, hence they are expected topopulate the non-saturated part of the rotation-activity connection. Aims: This work for the first time shows intrinsically resolved spectrallines of slowly rotating M-dwarfs and makes a first comparison toestimates of convective velocities. By measuring rotation velocities ina sample of mostly inactive M-dwarfs, the unsaturated part of therotation-activity connection is followed into the regime of very lowactivity. Methods: Spectra of ten M-dwarfs are taken at a resolvingpower of R = 200000 at the CES in the near infrared region wheremolecular FeH has strong absorption bands. The intrinsically very narrowlines are compared to model calculations of convective flows, androtational broadening is measured. Results: In one star, an upper limitof v sin i = 1 km s-1 was found, significant rotation wasdetected in the other nine objects. All inactive stars show rotationbelow or equal to 2 km s-1. In the two active stars AD Leoand YZ CMi, rotation velocities are found to be 40-50% below the resultsfrom earlier studies. Conclusions: The rotation activity connectionholds in field early-M stars, too. Activity and rotation velocities ofthe sample stars are well in agreement with the relation found inearlier and younger stars. The intrinsic absorption profiles ofmolecular FeH lines are consistent with calculations from atomic Felines. Investigation of FeH line profiles is a very promising tool tomeasure convection patterns at the surfaces of M-stars.Based on observationscarried out at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla,PID 076.D-0092.
| Meeting the Cool Neighbors. IX. The Luminosity Function of M7-L8 Ultracool Dwarfs in the Field
We present a 20 pc, volume-limited sample of M7-L8 dwarfs createdthrough spectroscopic follow-up of sources selected from the Two MicronAll Sky Survey Second Incremental Release Point Source Catalog. In thispaper we present optical spectroscopy of 198 candidate nearby ultracooldwarfs, including 12 late-M and L dwarfs likely to be within 20 pc ofthe Sun and 94 more distant late-type dwarfs. We have also identifiedfive ultracool dwarfs with spectral signatures of low gravity. Combiningthese data with previous results, we define a sample of 99 ultracooldwarfs in 91 systems within 20 pc. These are used to estimate the J- andK-band luminosity functions for dwarfs with optical spectral typesbetween M7 and L8 (10.5
| New Debris Disks around Nearby Main-Sequence Stars: Impact on the Direct Detection of Planets
Using the MIPS instrument on Spitzer, we have searched for infraredexcesses around a sample of 82 stars, mostly F, G, and K main-sequencefield stars, along with a small number of nearby M stars. These starswere selected for their suitability for future observations by a varietyof planet-finding techniques. These observations provide information onthe asteroidal and cometary material orbiting these stars, data that canbe correlated with any planets that may eventually be found. We havefound significant excess 70 μm emission toward 12 stars. Combinedwith an earlier study, we find an overall 70 μm excess detection rateof 13%+/-3% for mature cool stars. Unlike the trend for planets to befound preferentially toward stars with high metallicity, the incidenceof debris disks is uncorrelated with metallicity. By newly identifyingfour of these stars as having weak 24 μm excesses (fluxes ~10% abovethe stellar photosphere), we confirm a trend found in earlier studieswherein a weak 24 μm excess is associated with a strong 70 μmexcess. Interestingly, we find no evidence for debris disks around 23stars cooler than K1, a result that is bolstered by a lack of excessaround any of the 38 K1-M6 stars in two companion surveys. Onemotivation for this study is the fact that strong zodiacal emission canmake it hard or impossible to detect planets directly with futureobservatories such as the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF). Theobservations reported here exclude a few stars with very high levels ofemission, >1000 times the emission of our zodiacal cloud, from directplanet searches. For the remainder of the sample, we set relatively highlimits on dust emission from asteroid belt counterparts.
| Barnes-Evans relations for dwarfs with an application to the determination of distances to cataclysmic variables
Context: . Barnes-Evans type relations provide an empirical relationshipbetween the surface brightness of stars and their color. They are widelyused for measuring the distances to stars of known radii, as theRoche-lobe filling secondaries in cataclysmic variables (CVs).Aims: . The calibration of the surface brightness of field dwarfs ofnear-solar metalicity with spectral types A0 to L8 covers all secondaryspectral types detectable in CVs and related objects and will aid in themeasurement of their distances. Methods: . The calibrations arebased on the radii of field dwarfs measured by the Infrared Flux Methodand by interferometry. Published photometry is used and homogenized tothe Cousins Rc and Ic and the CIT JHK photometricsystems. The narrow band surface brightness at 7500 Å is based onour own and published spectrophotometry. Care is taken to select thedwarfs for near-solar metalicity, appropriate to CVs, and to avoiderrors caused by unrecognized binarity. Results: . Relations areprovided for the surface brightness in V, R_c, I_c, J, H, K and in anarrow band at 7500 Å as functions of V-K and of spectral type.The method is tested with selected CVs for which independent informationon their distances is available. The observed spread in the radii ofearly M-dwarfs of given mass or luminosity and its influence on thedistance measurements of CVs is discussed. Conclusions: . As longas accurate trigonometric parallaxes are not routinely available for alarge number of CVs, the surface brightness method remains a reliablemeans of determining distances to CVs in which a spectral signature ofthe secondary star can be discerned.
| S0 galaxies in Fornax: data and kinematics
We have obtained long-slit spectroscopy for a sample of nine S0 galaxiesin the Fornax Cluster using the FORS2 spectrograph at the 8.2-m EuropeanSouthern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT). From these data,we have extracted the kinematic parameters, comprising the meanvelocity, velocity dispersion and higher moment h3 andh4 coefficients, as a function of position along the majoraxes of these galaxies. Comparison with published kinematics indicatesthat earlier data are often limited by their lower signal-to-noise ratioand relatively poor spectral resolution. The greater depth and higherdispersion of the new data mean that we reach well beyond the bulges ofthese systems, probing their disc kinematics in some detail for thefirst time. Qualitative inspection of the results for individualgalaxies shows that they are not entirely simple systems, perhapsindicating a turbulent past. None the less, we are able to derivereliable circular velocities for most of these systems, which points theway towards a study of their Tully-Fisher relation. This study, alongwith an analysis of the stellar populations of these systems out tolarge galactocentric distances, will form the bases of future papersexploiting these new high-quality data, hopefully shedding new light onthe evolutionary history of these systems.
| First Results from the CHARA Array. IV. The Interferometric Radii of Low-Mass Stars
We have measured the angular diameters of six M dwarfs with the CHARAArray, a long-baseline optical interferometer located at Mount WilsonObservatory. Spectral types range from M1.0 V to M3.0 V and linear radiifrom 0.38 to 0.69 Rsolar. These results are consistent withthe seven other M dwarf radii measurements from optical interferometryand with those for 14 stars in eclipsing binary systems. We compare alldirectly measured M dwarf radii to model predictions and find thatcurrent models underestimate the true stellar radii by up to 15%-20%.The differences are small among the metal-poor stars but becomesignificantly larger with increasing metallicity. This suggests thattheoretical models for low-mass stars may be missing some opacity sourcethat alters the computed stellar radii.
| A Comparative Study of Flaring Loops in Active Stars
Dynamo activity in stars of different types is expected to generatemagnetic fields with different characteristics. As a result, adifferential study of the characteristics of magnetic loops in a broadsample of stars may yield information about dynamo systematics. In theabsence of direct imaging, certain physical parameters of a stellarmagnetic loop can be extracted if a flare occurs in that loop. In thispaper we employ a simple nonhydrodynamic approach introduced by Haisch,to analyze a homogeneous sample of all of the flares we could identifyin the EUVE DS database: a total of 134 flares that occurred on 44 starsranging in spectral type from F to M and in luminosity class from V toIII. All of the flare light curves that have been used in the presentstudy were obtained by a single instrument (EUVE DS). For each flare, wehave applied Haisch's simplified approach (HSA) in order to determineloop length, temperature, electron density, and magnetic field. For eachof our target stars, a literature survey has been performed to determinequantitatively the extent to which our results are consistent withindependent studies. The results obtained by HSA are found to be wellsupported by results obtained by other methods. Our survey suggeststhat, on the main sequence, short loops (with lengths<=0.5R*) may be found in stars of all classes, while thelargest loops (with lengths up to 2R*) appear to be confinedto M dwarfs. Based on EUVE data, the transition from small to largeloops on the main sequence appears to occur between spectral types K2and M0. We discuss the implications of this result for dynamo theories.
| Ca II H and K Chromospheric Emission Lines in Late-K and M Dwarfs
We have measured the profiles of the Ca II H and K chromosphericemission lines in 147 main-sequence stars of spectral type M5-K7 (masses0.30-0.55 Msolar) using multiple high-resolution spectraobtained during 6 years with the HIRES spectrometer on the Keck Itelescope. Remarkably, the average FWHM, equivalent widths, and lineluminosities of Ca II H and K increase by a factor of 3 with increasingstellar mass over this small range of stellar masses. We fit the Ca II Hand K lines with a double-Gaussian model to represent both thechromospheric emission and the non-LTE central absorption. Most of thesample stars display a central absorption that is typically redshiftedby ~0.1 km s-1 relative to the emission. This implies thatthe higher level, lower density chromospheric material has a smalleroutward velocity (or higher inward velocity) by 0.1 km s-1than the lower level material in the chromosphere, but the nature ofthis velocity gradient remains unknown. The FWHM of the Ca II H and Kemission lines increase with stellar luminosity, reminiscent of theWilson-Bappu effect in FGK-type stars. Both the equivalent widths andFWHM exhibit modest temporal variability in individual stars. At a givenvalue of MV, stars exhibit a spread in both the equivalentwidth and FWHM of Ca II H and K, due both to a spread in fundamentalstellar parameters, including rotation rate, age, and possiblymetallicity, and to the spread in stellar mass at a given MV.The K line is consistently wider than the H line, as expected, and itscentral absorption is more redshifted, indicating that the H and K linesform at slightly different heights in the chromosphere where thevelocities are slightly different. The equivalent width of Hαcorrelates with Ca II H and K only for stars having Ca II equivalentwidths above ~2 Å, suggesting the existence of a magneticthreshold above which the lower and upper chromospheres become thermallycoupled.Based on observations obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which isoperated jointly by the University of California and the CaliforniaInstitute of Technology. Keck time has been granted by both NASA and theUniversity of California.
| Prospects for population synthesis in the H band: NeMo grids of stellar atmospheres compared to observations
Context: .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.
| Calibrating M Dwarf Metallicities Using Molecular Indices
We report progress in the calibration of a method to determine cooldwarf star metallicities using molecular band strength indices. Themolecular band index to metallicity relation can be calibrated usingchemical abundances calculated from atomic-line equivalent widthmeasurements in high-resolution spectra. Building on previous work, wehave measured Fe and Ti abundances in 32 additional M and K dwarf starsto extend the range of temperature and metallicity covered. A test ofour analysis method using warm star-cool star binaries shows we cancalculate reliable abundances for stars warmer than 3500 K. We have usedabundance measurements for warmer binary or cluster companions toestimate abundances in six additional cool dwarfs. Adding stars measuredin our previous work and others from the literature provides 76 starswith Fe abundance and CaH2 and TiO5 index measurements. The CaH2molecular index is directly correlated with temperature. TiO5 depends ontemperature and metallicity. Metallicity can be estimated to within+/-0.3 dex within the bounds of our calibration, which extends fromroughly [Fe/H]=+0.05 to -1.0, with a limited extension to -1.5.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| Calibrating models of ultralow-mass stars
Evolutionary and atmospheric models have become available for youngultralow-mass objects. These models are being used to determinefundamental parameters from observational properties. TiO bands are usedto determine effective temperatures in ultralow-mass objects, andtogether with Na- and K-lines to derive gravities at the substellarboundary. Unfortunately, model calibrations in (young) ultralow-massobjects are rare. As a first step towards a calibration of syntheticspectral features, I show molecular bands of TiO, which is a mainopacity source in late M-dwarfs. The TiO \epsilon-band at 8450Å issystematically too weak. This implies that temperatures determined fromthat band are underestimated, and I discuss implications for determiningfundamental parameters from high resolution spectra.
| Metallicity of M dwarfs. I. A photometric calibration and the impact on the mass-luminosity relation at the bottom of the main sequence
We obtained high resolution ELODIE and CORALIE spectra for bothcomponents of 20 wide visual binaries composed of an F-, G- or K-dwarfprimary and an M-dwarf secondary. We analyse the well-understood spectraof the primaries to determine metallicities ([Fe/H]) for these 20systems, and hence for their M dwarf components. We pool thesemetallicities with determinations from the literature to obtain aprecise (±0.2 dex) photometric calibration of M dwarfmetallicities. This calibration represents a breakthrough in a fieldwhere discussions have had to remain largely qualitative, and it helpsus demonstrate that metallicity explains most of the large dispersion inthe empirical V-band mass-luminosity relation. We examine themetallicity of the two known M-dwarf planet-host stars, Gl876 (+0.02 dex) and Gl 436 (-0.03 dex), inthe context of preferential planet formation around metal-rich stars. Wefinally determine the metallicity of the 47 brightest single M dwarfs ina volume-limited sample, and compare the metallicity distributions ofsolar-type and M-dwarf stars in the solar neighbourhood.
| New Low Accretion Rate Magnetic Binary Systems and their Significance for the Evolution of Cataclysmic Variables
Discoveries of two new white dwarf plus M star binaries with strikingoptical cyclotron emission features from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS) brings to six the total number of X-ray-faint, magnetic accretionbinaries that accrete at rates M˙<~10-13Msolar yr-1, or <1% of the values normallyencountered in cataclysmic variables. This fact, coupled with donorstars that underfill their Roche lobes and very cool white dwarfs, brandthe binaries as post-common-envelope systems whose orbits have not yetdecayed to the point of Roche lobe contact. They are premagneticcataclysmic variables, or pre-Polars. The systems exhibit spin-orbitsynchronism and apparently accrete by efficient capture of the stellarwind from the secondary star, a process that has been dubbed a``magnetic siphon.'' Because of this, period evolution of the binarieswill occur solely by gravitational radiation, which is very slow forperiods >3 hr. Optical surveys for the cyclotron harmonics appear tobe the only means of discovery, so the space density of pre-Polars couldrival that of Polars, and the binaries provide an important channel ofprogenitors (in addition to the asynchronous intermediate Polars). Bothphysical and SDSS observational selection effects are identified thatmay help to explain the clumping of all six systems in a narrow range ofmagnetic field strength around 60 MG.A portion of the results presented here was obtained with the MMTObservatory, a facility operated jointly by the University of Arizonaand the Smithsonian Institution.Based in part on observations with the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 mtelescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which are owned and operatedby the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC).
| The Cornell High-Order Adaptive Optics Survey for Brown Dwarfs in Stellar Systems. I. Observations, Data Reduction, and Detection Analyses
In this first of a two-paper sequence, we report techniques and resultsof the Cornell High-Order Adaptive Optics Survey (CHAOS) for brown dwarfcompanions. At the time of this writing, this study represents the mostsensitive published population survey of brown dwarf companions tomain-sequence stars for separations akin to our own outer solar system.The survey, conducted using the Palomar 200 inch (5 m) Hale Telescope,consists of Ks coronagraphic observations of 80 main-sequencestars out to 22 pc. At 1" separation from a typical target system, thesurvey achieves median sensitivities 10 mag fainter than the parentstar. In terms of companion mass, the survey achieves typicalsensitivities of 25MJ (1 Gyr), 50MJ (solar age),and 60MJ (10 Gyr), using the evolutionary models of Baraffeand coworkers. Using common proper motion to distinguish companions fromfield stars, we find that no systems show positive evidence of asubstellar companion (searchable separation ~1"-15" projected separation~10-155 AU at the median target distance). In the second paper of theseries we will present our Monte Carlo population simulations.
| An Atlas of Spectrophotometric Landolt Standard Stars
We present CCD observations of 102 Landolt standard stars obtained withthe Ritchey-Chrétien spectrograph on the Cerro TololoInter-American Observatory 1.5 m telescope. Using stellar atmospheremodels, we have extended the flux points to our six spectrophotometricsecondary standards, in both the blue and the red, allowing us toproduce flux-calibrated spectra that span a wavelength range from 3050Å to 1.1 μm. Mean differences between UBVRI spectrophotometrycomputed using Bessell's standard passbands and Landolt's publishedphotometry were determined to be 1% or less. Observers in bothhemispheres will find these spectra useful for flux-calibrating spectra,and through the use of accurately constructed instrumental passbands,will be able to compute accurate corrections to bring instrumentalmagnitudes to any desired standard photometric system (S-corrections).In addition, by combining empirical and modeled spectra of the Sun,Sirius, and Vega, we calculate and compare synthetic photometry toobserved photometry taken from the literature for these three stars.
| A non-main-sequence secondary in SY Cancri
Simultaneous spectroscopic and photometric observations of the Z Camtype dwarf nova SY Cancri were used to obtain absolute fluxcalibrations. A comparison of the photometric calibration with awide-slit spectrophotometric calibration showed that either method isequally satisfactory. A radial velocity study of the secondary star,made using the far-red NaI doublet, yielded a semi-amplitude ofK2= 127 +/- 23 km s-1. Taking the published valueof 86 +/- 9 km s-1 for K1 gives a mass ratio ofq=M2/M1= 0.68 +/- 0.14; this is very differentfrom the value of 1.13 +/- 0.35 quoted in the literature. Using the newlower mass ratio, and constraining the mass of the white dwarf to bewithin reasonable limits, then leads to a mass for the secondary starthat is substantially less than would be expected for its orbital periodif it satisfied a main-sequence mass-radius relationship. We find aspectral type of M0 that is consistent with that expected for amain-sequence star of the low mass we have found. However, in order tofill its Roche lobe, the secondary must be significantly larger than amain-sequence star of that mass and spectral type. The secondary isdefinitely not a normal main-sequence star.
| CHARM2: An updated Catalog of High Angular Resolution Measurements
We present an update of the Catalog of High Angular ResolutionMeasurements (CHARM, Richichi & Percheron \cite{CHARM}, A&A,386, 492), which includes results available until July 2004. CHARM2 is acompilation of direct measurements by high angular resolution methods,as well as indirect estimates of stellar diameters. Its main goal is toprovide a reference list of sources which can be used for calibrationand verification observations with long-baseline optical and near-IRinterferometers. Single and binary stars are included, as are complexobjects from circumstellar shells to extragalactic sources. The presentupdate provides an increase of almost a factor of two over the previousedition. Additionally, it includes several corrections and improvements,as well as a cross-check with the valuable public release observationsof the ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). A total of 8231entries for 3238 unique sources are now present in CHARM2. Thisrepresents an increase of a factor of 3.4 and 2.0, respectively, overthe contents of the previous version of CHARM.The catalog is only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/431/773
| Metallicity measurements using atomic lines in M and K dwarf stars
We report the first survey of chemical abundances in M and K dwarf starsusing atomic absorption lines in high-resolution spectra. We havemeasured Fe and Ti abundances in 35 M and K dwarf stars using equivalentwidths measured from λ/Δλ~ 33000 spectra. Ouranalysis takes advantage of recent improvements in model atmospheres oflow-temperature dwarf stars. The stars have temperatures between 3300and 4700 K, with most cooler than 4100 K. They cover an iron abundancerange of -2.44 < [Fe/H] < +0.16. Our measurements show [Ti/Fe]decreasing with increasing [Fe/H], a trend similar to that measured forwarmer stars, where abundance analysis techniques have been tested morethoroughly. This study is a step towards the observational calibrationof procedures to estimate the metallicity of low-mass dwarf stars usingphotometric and low-resolution spectral indices.
| The χ Factor: Determining the Strength of Activity in Low-Mass Dwarfs
We describe a new, distance-independent method for calculating themagnetic activity strength in low-mass dwarfs,LHα/Lbol. Using a well-observed sample ofnearby stars and cool standards spanning spectral type M0.5 to L0, wecompute χ, the ratio between the continuum flux near Hα andthe bolometric flux, fλ6560/fbol. Thisratio can be multiplied by the measured equivalent width of the Hαemission line to yield LHα/Lbol. We provideχ values for all objects in our sample, and also fits to χ as afunction of color and average values by spectral type. This method wasused by West et al. to examine trends in magnetic activity strength inlow-mass stars.
| Further Results of TiO-Band Observations of Starspots
We present measurements of starspot parameters (temperature and fillingfactor) on five highly active stars, using absorption bands of TiO, fromobservations made between 1998 March and 2001 December. We determinedstarspot parameters by fitting TiO bands using spectra of inactive G andK stars as proxies for the unspotted photospheres of the active starsand spectra of M stars as proxies for the spots. For three evolved RSCVn systems, we find spot filling factors between 0.28 and 0.42 for DMUMa, 0.22 and 0.40 for IN Vir, and 0.31 and 0.35 for XX Tri; thesevalues are similar to those found by other investigators usingphotometry and Doppler imaging. Among active dwarfs, we measured a lowerspot temperature (3350 K) for EQ Vir than found in a previous study ofTiO bands, and for EK Dra a lower spot temperature (~3800 K) than foundthrough photometry. For all active stars but XX Tri, we achieved goodphase coverage through a stellar rotational period. We also present ourfinal, extensive grid of spot and nonspot proxy stars.This paper includes data taken at McDonald Observatory of the Universityof Texas at Austin.
| CHORIZOS: A χ2 Code for Parameterized Modeling and Characterization of Photometry and Spectrophotometry
We have developed CHi-square cOde for parameterRized modeling andcharacterIZation of phOtometry and Spectrophotmetry (CHORIZOS). CHORIZOScan use up to two intrinsic free parameters (e.g., temperature andgravity for stars, type and redshift for galaxies, or age andmetallicity for stellar clusters) and two extrinsic parameters (amountand type of extinction). The code uses χ2 minimization tofind all models compatible with the observed data in the modelN-dimensional (N=1, 2, 3, 4) parameter space. CHORIZOS can use eithercorrelated or uncorrelated colors as input and is specially designed toidentify possible parameter degeneracies and multiple solutions. Thecode is written in IDL and is available to the astronomical community.Here we present the techniques used, test the code, apply it to a fewwell-known astronomical problems, and suggest possible applications. Asa first scientific result from CHORIZOS, we confirm from photometry theneed for a revised temperature-spectral type scale for OB starspreviously derived from spectroscopy.
| Improved Baade-Wesselink surface brightness relations
Recent, and older accurate, data on (limb-darkened) angular diameters iscompiled for 221 stars, as well as BVRIJK[12][25] magnitudes for thoseobjects, when available. Nine stars (all M-giants or supergiants)showing excess in the [12-25] colour are excluded from the analysis asthis may indicate the presence of dust influencing the optical andnear-infrared colours as well. Based on this large sample,Baade-Wesselink surface brightness (SB) relations are presented fordwarfs, giants, supergiants and dwarfs in the optical and near-infrared.M-giants are found to follow different SB relations from non-M-giants,in particular in V versus V-R. The preferred relation for non-M-giantsis compared to the earlier relation by Fouqué and Gieren (basedon 10 stars) and Nordgren et al. (based on 57 stars). Increasing thesample size does not lead to a lower rms value. It is shown that theresiduals do not correlate with metallicity at a significant level. Thefinally adopted observed angular diameters are compared to thosepredicted by Cohen et al. for 45 stars in common, and there isreasonable overall, and good agreement when θ < 6 mas.Finally, I comment on the common practice in the literature to average,and then fix, the zero-point of the V versus V-K, V versus V-R and Kversus J-K relations, and then rederive the slopes. Such a commonzero-point at zero colour is not expected from model atmospheres for theV-R colour and depends on gravity. Relations derived in this way may bebiased.
| KH 15D: A Spectroscopic Binary
We present the results of a high-resolution spectroscopic monitoringprogram of the eclipsing pre-main-sequence star KH 15D that reveal it tobe a single-lined spectroscopic binary. We find that the best-fitKeplerian model has a period P=48.38 days, which is nearly identical tothe photometric period. Thus, we find the best explanation for theperiodic dimming of KH 15D is that the binary motion carries thecurrently visible star alternately above and behind the edge of anobscuring cloud. The data are consistent with the models involving aninclined circumstellar disk, as recently proposed by Winn et al. andChiang & Murray-Clay. We show that the mass ratio expected frommodels of pre-main-sequence evolution, together with the massconstraints for the visible star, restrict the orbital eccentricity to0.68<=e<=0.80 and the mass function to0.125Msolar<=FM/sin3i<=0.5 Msolar.Based on observations obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which isoperated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute ofTechnology, the University of California, and the Naional Aeronauticsand Space Administration; at Las Campanas Observatory of the CarnegieInstitution with the Magellan II Clay Telescope; and at McDonaldObservatory of the University of Texas at Austin.
| Chromospheric Ca II Emission in Nearby F, G, K, and M Stars
We present chromospheric Ca II H and K activity measurements, rotationperiods, and ages for ~1200 F, G, K, and M type main-sequence stars from~18,000 archival spectra taken at Keck and Lick Observatories as a partof the California and Carnegie Planet Search Project. We have calibratedour chromospheric S-values against the Mount Wilson chromosphericactivity data. From these measurements we have calculated medianactivity levels and derived R'HK, stellar ages,and rotation periods from general parameterizations for 1228 stars,~1000 of which have no previously published S-values. We also presentprecise time series of activity measurements for these stars.Based on observations obtained at Lick Observatory, which is operated bythe University of California, and on observations obtained at the W. M.Keck Observatory, which is operated jointly by the University ofCalifornia and the California Institute of Technology. The KeckObservatory was made possible by the generous financial support of theW. M. Keck Foundation.
| The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood. Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of 14 000 F and G dwarfs
We present and discuss new determinations of metallicity, rotation, age,kinematics, and Galactic orbits for a complete, magnitude-limited, andkinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F and G dwarf stars. Our63 000 new, accurate radial-velocity observations for nearly 13 500stars allow identification of most of the binary stars in the sampleand, together with published uvbyβ photometry, Hipparcosparallaxes, Tycho-2 proper motions, and a few earlier radial velocities,complete the kinematic information for 14 139 stars. These high-qualityvelocity data are supplemented by effective temperatures andmetallicities newly derived from recent and/or revised calibrations. Theremaining stars either lack Hipparcos data or have fast rotation. Amajor effort has been devoted to the determination of new isochrone agesfor all stars for which this is possible. Particular attention has beengiven to a realistic treatment of statistical biases and errorestimates, as standard techniques tend to underestimate these effectsand introduce spurious features in the age distributions. Our ages agreewell with those by Edvardsson et al. (\cite{edv93}), despite severalastrophysical and computational improvements since then. We demonstrate,however, how strong observational and theoretical biases cause thedistribution of the observed ages to be very different from that of thetrue age distribution of the sample. Among the many basic relations ofthe Galactic disk that can be reinvestigated from the data presentedhere, we revisit the metallicity distribution of the G dwarfs and theage-metallicity, age-velocity, and metallicity-velocity relations of theSolar neighbourhood. Our first results confirm the lack of metal-poor Gdwarfs relative to closed-box model predictions (the ``G dwarfproblem''), the existence of radial metallicity gradients in the disk,the small change in mean metallicity of the thin disk since itsformation and the substantial scatter in metallicity at all ages, andthe continuing kinematic heating of the thin disk with an efficiencyconsistent with that expected for a combination of spiral arms and giantmolecular clouds. Distinct features in the distribution of the Vcomponent of the space motion are extended in age and metallicity,corresponding to the effects of stochastic spiral waves rather thanclassical moving groups, and may complicate the identification ofthick-disk stars from kinematic criteria. More advanced analyses of thisrich material will require careful simulations of the selection criteriafor the sample and the distribution of observational errors.Based on observations made with the Danish 1.5-m telescope at ESO, LaSilla, Chile, and with the Swiss 1-m telescope at Observatoire deHaute-Provence, France.Complete Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/418/989
| Classification of Spectra from the Infrared Space Observatory PHT-S Database
We have classified over 1500 infrared spectra obtained with the PHT-Sspectrometer aboard the Infrared Space Observatory according to thesystem developed for the Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) spectra byKraemer et al. The majority of these spectra contribute to subclassesthat are either underrepresented in the SWS spectral database or containsources that are too faint, such as M dwarfs, to have been observed byeither the SWS or the Infrared Astronomical Satellite Low ResolutionSpectrometer. There is strong overall agreement about the chemistry ofobjects observed with both instruments. Discrepancies can usually betraced to the different wavelength ranges and sensitivities of theinstruments. Finally, a large subset of the observations (~=250 spectra)exhibit a featureless, red continuum that is consistent with emissionfrom zodiacal dust and suggest directions for further analysis of thisserendipitous measurement of the zodiacal background.Based on observations with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), aEuropean Space Agency (ESA) project with instruments funded by ESAMember States (especially the Principle Investigator countries: France,Germany, Netherlands, and United Kingdom) and with the participation ofthe Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Orion |
| Right ascension: | 05h31m27.40s |
| Declination: | -03°40'38.0" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 7.983 |
| Distance: | 5.691 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 765.1 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -2092.1 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.807 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.134 |
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