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Reliability Checks on the Indo-US Stellar Spectral Library Using Artificial Neural Networks and Principal Component Analysis
The Indo-US coudé feed stellar spectral library (CFLIB) madeavailable to the astronomical community recently by Valdes et al. (2004,ApJS, 152, 251) contains spectra of 1273 stars in the spectral region3460 to 9464Å at a high resolution of 1Å (FWHM) and a widerange of spectral types. Cross-checking the reliability of this databaseis an important and desirable exercise since a number of stars in thisdatabase have no known spectral types and a considerable fraction ofstars has not so complete coverage in the full wavelength region of3460-9464Å resulting in gaps ranging from a few Å to severaltens of Å. We use an automated classification scheme based onArtificial Neural Networks (ANN) to classify all 1273 stars in thedatabase. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) is carried outto reduce the dimensionality of the data set before the spectra areclassified by the ANN. Most importantly, we have successfullydemonstrated employment of a variation of the PCA technique to restorethe missing data in a sample of 300 stars out of the CFLIB.
| Early-type stars observed in the ESO UVES Paranal Observatory Project - I. Interstellar NaI UV, TiII and CaII K observations*
We present an analysis of interstellar NaI (λair=3302.37 and 3302.98 Å), TiII(λair= 3383.76Å) and CaII K (λair= 3933.66 Å) absorptionfeatures for 74 sightlines towards O- and B-type stars in the Galacticdisc. The data were obtained from the Ultraviolet and Visual EchelleSpectrograph Paranal Observatory Project, at a spectral resolution of3.75 km s-1 and with mean signal-to-noise ratios per pixel of260, 300 and 430 for the NaI, TiII and CaII observations, respectively.Interstellar features were detected in all but one of the TiIIsightlines and all of the CaII sightlines. The dependence of the columndensity of these three species with distance, height relative to theGalactic plane, HI column density, reddening and depletion relative tothe solar abundance has been investigated. We also examine the accuracyof using the NaI column density as an indicator of that for HI. Ingeneral, we find similar strong correlations for both Ti and Ca, andweaker correlations for Na. Our results confirm the general belief thatTi and Ca occur in the same regions of the interstellar medium (ISM) andalso that the TiII/CaII ratio is constant over all parameters. We henceconclude that the absorption properties of Ti and Ca are essentiallyconstant under the general ISM conditions of the Galactic disc.
| On the evolutionary status of Be stars. I. Field Be stars near the Sun
A sample of 97 galactic field Be stars were studied by taking intoaccount the effects induced by the fast rotation on their fundamentalparameters. All program stars were observed in the BCDspectrophotometric system in order to minimize the perturbationsproduced by the circumstellar environment on the spectral photosphericsignatures. This is one of the first attempts at determining stellarmasses and ages by simultaneously using model atmospheres andevolutionary tracks, both calculated for rotating objects. The stellarages (τ) normalized to the respective inferred time that eachrotating star can spend in the main sequence phase (τ_MS) reveal amass-dependent trend. This trend shows that: a) there are Be starsspread over the whole interval 0 τ/τ_MS 1 of themain sequence evolutionary phase; b) the distribution of points in the(τ/τMS,M/Mȯ) diagram indicates thatin massive stars (M 12~Mȯ) the Be phenomenon ispresent at smaller τ/τ_MS age ratios than for less massive stars(M 12~Mȯ). This distribution can be due to: i)higher mass-loss rates in massive objets, which can act to reduce thesurface fast rotation; ii) circulation time scales to transport angularmomentum from the core to the surface, which are longer the lower thestellar mass.
| Short-Period Variable Be Stars Discovered or Confirmed through Self-Correlation Analysis of Hipparcos Epoch Photometry
We have surveyed 277 bright Be stars for short-period (0.2-2 day)photometric variability using self-correlation analysis of Hipparcosepoch photometry. This extends the work of Percy et al.; the methods areas described there. We report the discovery, timescale, and amplitude ofshort-period variability in: HD 7636 (V764 Cas), HD 11606 (V777 Cas), HD13661 (V549 Per), HD 34921, HD 36408, HD 40978, HD 58343 (FW CMa), HD63460 (o Pup), HD 88195 (17 Sex), HD 89353 (AG Ant, HR 4049), HD 129954(CO Cir), HD 158220 (V862 Ara), HD 173219 (V947 Sct), and HD 187567(V1339 Aql). We report the confirmation of short-period variabilityusing an independent form of analysis in HD 52918 (19 Mon), HD 105382(V863 Cen), HD 137387 (κ-1 Aps), HD 157832 (V750 Ara), and HD163868 (V3984 Sgr). These include a β Cephei star (19 Mon), aVega-type star (17 Sex), and a post-asymptotic giant branch B star (HR4049). We find that short-period variability is more prevalent inearly-B stars than in late-B stars. We have found no β Cephei typevariables in our sample of Be stars, other than 19 Mon, which isapparently not a Be star.
| The Indo-US Library of Coudé Feed Stellar Spectra
We have obtained spectra for 1273 stars using the 0.9 m coudéfeed telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. This telescope feedsthe coudé spectrograph of the 2.1 m telescope. The spectra havebeen obtained with the no. 5 camera of the coudé spectrograph anda Loral 3K×1K CCD. Two gratings have been used to provide spectralcoverage from 3460 to 9464 Å, at a resolution of ~1 Å FWHMand at an original dispersion of 0.44 Å pixel-1. For885 stars we have complete spectra over the entire 3460 to 9464 Åwavelength region (neglecting small gaps of less than 50 Å), andpartial spectral coverage for the remaining stars. The 1273 stars havebeen selected to provide broad coverage of the atmospheric parametersTeff, logg, and [Fe/H], as well as spectral type. The goal ofthe project is to provide a comprehensive library of stellar spectra foruse in the automated classification of stellar and galaxy spectra and ingalaxy population synthesis. In this paper we discuss thecharacteristics of the spectral library, viz., details of theobservations, data reduction procedures, and selection of stars. We alsopresent a few illustrations of the quality and information available inthe spectra. The first version of the complete spectral library is nowpublicly available from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory(NOAO) via ftp and http.
| Non-radially pulsating Be stars
Based on more than 3000 high-resolution echelle spectra of 27 early-typeBe stars, taken over six years, it is shown that the short-term periodicline profile variability of these objects is due to non-radialpulsation. The appearance of the line profile variability depends mostlyon the projected rotational velocity v sin i and thus, since all Bestars rotate rapidly, on the inclination i. The observed variability ofthe investigated stars is described, and for some of them line profilevariability periods are given for the first time. For two of theinvestigated stars the line profile variability was successfully modeledas non-radial pulsation with l=m=+2 already in previous works. Since Bestars with similarly low v sin i share the same variability properties,these are in general explainable under the same model assumptions. Theline profile variability of stars with higher v sin i is different fromthe one observed in low v sin i stars, but can be reproduced by thesame model, if only the model inclination is modified to more equatorialvalues. Only for a few stars with periodic line profile variability thel=m=2 non-radial pulsation mode is not able to provide a satisfyingexplanation. These objects might pulsate in different modes (e.g.tesseral ones, l != |m|). Almost all stars in the sample show traces ofoutburst-like variability, pointing to an ephemeral nature of themass-loss phenomenon responsible for the formation of the circumstellardisk of early-type Be stars, rather than a steady star-to-disk masstransfer. In addition to the variability due to non-radial pulsationpresent in most stars, several objects were found to show other periodsresiding in the immediate circumstellar environment. The presence ofthese secondary periods is enhanced in the outburst phases. Short-livedaperiodic phenomena were clearly seen in two stars. But, given theunfavourable sampling of our database to follow rapid variability oftransient nature, they might be more common. Only in two out of 27 starsshort-term spectroscopic variability was not detected at all.Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory atLa Silla, Chile, 55.D-0502, 56.D-0381, 58.D-0697, 62.H-0319, 63.H-0080,64.H-0548, and 267.D-5702, the German-Spanish Astronomical Centre, CalarAlto, operated by the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg,jointly with the Spanish National Commission for Astronomy, and onobservations with the Wendelstein 80-cm and the Ondřejov 2-mtelescopes, both equipped with the HEROS spectrograph provided by theLandessternwarte Heidelberg.
| Stellar and circumstellar activity of the Be star omega CMa. I. Line and continuum emission in 1996-2002
Echelle spectroscopy and mostly unaided-eye photometry of the southernBe star omega CMa were obtained in the period1996-2003. The monitoring is bracketed by two brightenings by 0.4m-0.5m.The results of a literature search suggest that such phases occur aboutonce a decade and have various commonalities. Along with thesephotometric events goes enhanced line emission. This is due to anincreased total mass of the disk as well as to a change in its densityprofile. The models by Poeckert & Marlborough(\cite{1978ApJS...38..229P}, \cite{1979ApJ...233..259P}) imply that theenhanced continuum flux originates from the inner disk. Higher-orderBalmer line emission is correlated with brightness. The increase inHα is retarded by some months, possibly indicating a time delayin filling up and ionizing the outer disk. In the (U-B) vs. (B-V) colourdiagram and the D54 vs. D34 Balmer decrementdiagram the path from the ground to the bright state is distinct fromthe return path. This could result from the bulk of the disk matterbeing in the outer (inner) disk during the photometric ground (high)state, while the two transitions between the two states are both due tochanges progressing radially outward. Some mu Cen-like outbursts(Rivinius et al. \cite{1998A&A...333..125R}) seem to occur in allphases. It is conceivable that the build-up of the inner disk is causedby more frequent or more effective outbursts. During the photometricbright state various other phenomena gain in prominence and suggest thisto be a phase of increased activity. Of particular interest, butpossibly only apparently related to this phase, are absorptioncomponents at redshifts well beyond the range covered by the combinationof rotation and nonradial pulsation.Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory atLa Silla, Chile, ESO (proposal nos. 55.D-0502, 56.D-0381, 58.D-0697,62.H-0319, 64.H-0548).
| The ups and downs of a stellar surface: nonradial pulsation modelling of rapid rotators
The main result of the modelling project is the confirmation thatearly-type Be stars pulsate nonradially in g-modes. Based on thedetailed modelling of ω CMa, it could be shown that this star isproto-typical, and that the periodic lpv of early type Be stars ingeneral is due to nonradial pulsation.
| Rotational Velocities of B Stars
We measured the projected rotational velocities of 1092 northern B starslisted in the Bright Star Catalogue (BSC) and calibrated them againstthe 1975 Slettebak et al. system. We found that the published values ofB dwarfs in the BSC average 27% higher than those standards. Only 0.3%of the stars have rotational velocities in excess of two-thirds of thebreakup velocities, and the mean velocity is only 25% of breakup,implying that impending breakup is not a significant factor in reducingrotational velocities. For the B8-B9.5 III-V stars the bimodaldistribution in V can be explained by a set of slowly rotating Ap starsand a set of rapidly rotating normal stars. For the B0-B5 III-V starsthat include very few peculiar stars, the distributions in V are notbimodal. Are the low rotational velocities of B stars due to theoccurrence of frequent low-mass companions, planets, or disks? Therotational velocities of giants originating from late B dwarfs areconsistent with their conservation of angular momentum in shells.However, we are puzzled by why the giants that originate from the earlyB dwarfs, despite having 3 times greater radii, have nearly the samerotational velocities. We find that all B-type primaries in binarieswith periods less than 2.4 days have synchronized rotational and orbitalmotions; those with periods between 2.4 and 5.0 days are rotating withina factor 2 of synchronization or are ``nearly synchronized.'' Thecorresponding period ranges for A-type stars are 4.9 and 10.5 days, ortwice as large. We found that the rotational velocities of the primariesare synchronized earlier than their orbits are circularized. The maximumorbital period for circularized B binaries is 1.5 days and for Abinaries is 2.5 days. For stars of various ages from 107.5 to1010.2 yr the maximum circularized periods are a smoothexponential function of age.
| A ROSAT medium-sensitivity Galactic plane survey at 180°< l < 280°
We have performed a moderately deep soft X-ray (0.1-2keV) survey of theGalactic plane using pointed observations with the ROSAT PositionSensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC). The survey is more than an orderof magnitude more sensitive than previous X-ray surveys near theGalactic plane. The data consist of nine fields each of ~10ks exposure,pointed at positions on or very close to the Galactic plane(|b|<0°.3) in the longitude range 180°<~l<~280°.This region has relatively low X-ray absorbing material out to distancesof several hundred pc and presents fewer source-confusion problems thanat other longitudes. The total sky area surveyed was 2.5deg2this yielded 93 sources, 89 of which were detected in the `hard'(0.4-2.0keV) band. Nine sources were detected in both `soft'(0.1-0.4keV) and hard bands. In the hard band, the survey coverage is>~90 per cent for sources brighter than 0.002counts-1(~2×10-14ergcm-2s-1), but fallssteeply below this value, with the weakest sources being~0.001counts-1. The median limiting flux is~0.0013counts-1(~1.3×10-14ergcm-2s-1). There are64 sources with hard-band count rates >0.002counts-1. Wepresent the catalogue of X-ray sources and the number-flux relations(logN-logS). Eighteen sources have possible identifications from theSIMBAD data base. We have searched the Tycho-2 and USNO-A2.0 cataloguesto find all possible optical counterparts brighter than ~19th magnitude,and attempt to classify these on the basis oflog(fX/fopt) versus optical colour diagrams andnear-infrared photometry from the 2MASS Second Incremental Data Release.Hence, we have found the majority of these sources to be consistent withbeing late-type main-sequence stars, as previous studies have proposedfrom incompletely identified surveys. Comparison of the measurednumber-flux relations with predictions of Galactic (stellar) andextragalactic populations supports the view that the population of youngstars in the plane is denser than previously thought.
| A Search for High-Velocity Be Stars
We present an analysis of the kinematics of Be stars based uponHipparcos proper motions and published radial velocities. We findapproximately 23 of the 344 stars in our sample have peculiar spacemotions greater than 40 km s-1 and up to 102 kms-1. We argue that these high-velocity stars are the resultof either a supernova that disrupted a binary or ejection by closeencounters of binaries in young clusters. Be stars spun up by binarymass transfer will appear as high-velocity objects if there wassignificant mass loss during the supernova explosion of the initiallymore massive star, but the generally moderate peculiar velocities of BeX-ray binaries indicate that the progenitors lose most of their massprior to the supernova (in accordance with model predictions). Binaryformation models for Be stars predict that most systems bypass thesupernova stage (and do not receive runaway velocities) to createultimately Be+white dwarf binaries. The fraction of Be stars spun up bybinary mass transfer remains unknown, since the post-mass transfercompanions are difficult to detect.
| New Emission Phase of the Be/X-Ray Binary X Persei/4U0352+30: Nearly Simultaneous Spectroscopic and Near-Infrared Observations
We present a series of optical spectroscopic and near-infraredphotometric observations of the Be star X Persei, from the beginning ofthe recent emission phase. Our data show that after the latest extendedlow state (ELS), both the equivalent width (EW) of the Hα emissionline and the JHK luminosities gradually increased. The recent maximumHα EW and JHK magnitudes are more than but comparable to the1986-1989 maxima, which reflects a more extensive and denser envelope inthe new emission phase. The IR photometry and the Hα EW increasecoincidently in the early stage of the new emission phase. However, thevariations in the following years, especially in 1994 and 1995, are muchdifferent from the early trend. An unusual variation that while theHα EW in X Per increases considerably, the JHK magnitudes declinerapidly is seen in our nearly simultaneous spectroscopic andnear-infrared observations. An expanding ring model is put forward tointerpret the observed unusual variation between the Hα EW andnear-IR luminosity during the recent emission phase of X Persei. Ourresults indicate that although both infrared excess and Hαemission line arise from the envelope, their main contributors, in somecases, are likely to originate in the different part of the envelope.
| Evolution in circumstellar envelopes of Be stars: From disks to rings?
New series of echelle spectra were obtained to study the medium- andlong-term evolution of the disks of several Be stars. Subtle variationsin the wings of optically thin and thick emission lines suggest that theconventional, static picture of the disk being in quasi-contact with thecentral star is justified primarily (or perhaps only) after an outburstevent. Some weeks to months later, a low-density region seems to developabove the star and slowly grows outwards. A subsequent outburst maylater replenish this cavity. In fact, in two stars this more ring-likestructure is apparently at times detached far enough from the star toallow for the formation of a secondary inner disk from the ejecta of alater outburst. This behaviour is not necessarily representative of Bestars in general because in the later spectral sub-types, discrete massloss events have not so far been observed to play a major role. In thelight of the apparent life cycle of such disks, a brief discussion isgiven of the differences in strength and variability between the windsof Be and normal B stars. It seems possible to attribute thesedifferences to matter that was initially in the disk and thereforelargely shielded from the stellar radiation, but that during the courseof the inner excavation (or even complete distruction) of the diskbecomes exposed. Based on observations collected at the EuropeanSouthern Observatory at La Silla, Chile, ESO proposal No. 64.H-0548 andon observations with the Wendelstein 80-cm and the Ondřejov 2-mtelescopes, both equipped with the HEROS spectrograph provided by theLandessternwarte Heidelberg.
| High and intermediate-resolution spectroscopy of Be stars 4481 lines
We present an atlas of Hγ , He i lambda 4471 and Mg ii lambda 4481line profiles obtained in a 10 year observation period of 116 Be stars,which enabled many of them to be observed at quite different emissionepochs. From the best fit of the observed He i lambda 4471 line profileswith non-LTE, uniform (Teff,log g) and full limb-darkenedmodel line profiles, we determined the V sin i of the program stars. Toaccount, to some degree, for the line formation peculiarities related tothe rapid rotation-induced non-uniform distributions of temperature andgravity on the stellar surface, the fit was achieved by considering(Teff,log g) as free parameters. This method produced V sin iestimations that correlate with the rotational velocities determined bySlettebak (1982) within a dispersion sigma <= 30 km s-1and without any systematic deviation. They can be considered as given inthe new Slettebak's et al. (1975) system. Only 13 program stars havediscrepant V sin i values. In some objects, this discrepancy could beattributed to binary effects. Using the newly determined V sin iparameters, we found that the ratio of true rotational velocitiesV/Vc of the program Be stars has a very low dispersion aroundthe mean value. Assuming then that all the stars are rigid rotators withthe same ratio V(/lineω)/Vc, we looked for the value of/line ω that better represents the distribution of V sini/Vc for randomly oriented rotational axes. We obtained/lineω = 0.795. This value enabled us to determine the probableinclination angle of the stellar rotation axis of the program stars. Inthe observed line profiles of Hγ , He i lambda 4471, Mg ii lambda4481 and Fe ii lambda 4351 we measured several parameters related to theabsorption and/or emission components, such as: equivalent width,residual emission and/or absorption intensity, FWHM, emission peakseparations, etc. The parameters related to the Hγ line emissionprofiles were used to investigate the structure of the nearbyenvironment of the central star. From the characteristics of thecorrelations between these quantities and the inferred inclinationangle, we concluded that in most of cases the Hγ line emissionforming regions may not be strongly flattened. Using a simplerepresentation of the radiation flux emitted by the star+envelopesystem, we derived first order estimates of physical parameterscharacterizing the Hγ line emission formation region. Thus, weobtained that the total extent of the Hγ region is Rf=~ 2.5 +/- 1.0 R* and that the density distribution in theselayers can be mimicked with a power law rho ~ R-alpha , wherealpha =2.5+2.2-0.6. The same approach enabled usto estimate the optical depth of the Hγ line emission formationregion. From its dependence with the aspect angle, we concluded thatthese regions are caracterized by a modest flattening and that the rho(equator)/rho (pole) density contrast of the circumstellar envelope nearthe star should be two orders of magnitude lower than predicted bymodels based on a priori disc-shaped circumstellar envelopes. We foundthat the separation between the emission peaks, Deltap, andthe full width at half maximum, Delta 1/2, of the Hγline emission are not only sensitive to kinematic effects, but to lineoptical depth as well. This finding agrees with previous theoreticalpredictions and confirms that Huang's (1972) relation overestimates theextent of the Hγ line emission formation region. Data obtained atCASLEO operated under agreement between the CONICET and the NationalUniversities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan, Argentina, at ESOLa Silla, Chile and at OHP, France.}\fnmsep\thanks{Tables 2 to 7 andFigs. 1 and 2 are only available in full in electronic form at 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/378/861}} \subtitle{Anatlas of Hγ , He {\fontsize {10pt}{12pt}\selectfont I} 4471 and Mg{\fontsize {10pt}{12pt}\selectfont II
| Statistical analysis of intrinsic polarization, IR excess and projected rotational velocity distributions of classical Be stars
We present the results of statistical analyses of a sample of 627 Bestars. The parameters of intrinsic polarization (p*),projected rotational velocity (v sin i), and near IR excesses have beeninvestigated. The values of p* have been estimated for a muchlarger and more representative sample of Be stars (~490 objects) thanpreviously. We have confirmed that most Be stars of early spectral typehave statistically larger values of polarization and IR excesses incomparison with the late spectral type stars. It is found that thedistributions of p* diverge considerably for the differentspectral subgroups. In contrast to late spectral types (B5-B9.5), thedistribution of p* for B0-B2 stars does not peak at the valuep*=0%. Statistically significant differences in the meanprojected rotational velocities (/line{vsin i}) are found for differentspectral subgroups of Be stars in the sense that late spectral typestars (V luminosity class) generally rotate faster than early types, inagreement with previously published results. This behaviour is, however,not obvious for the III-IV luminosity class stars. Nevertheless, thecalculated values of the ratio vt/vc of the truerotational velocity, vt, to the critical velocity forbreak-up, vc, is larger for late spectral type stars of allluminosity classes. Thus, late spectral type stars appear to rotatecloser to their break-up rotational velocity. The distribution of nearIR excesses for early spectral subgroups is bi-modal, the position ofthe second peak displaying a maximum value E(V-L)~ 1 . m 3for O-B1.5 stars, decreasing to E(V-L)~0. m8 for intermediatespectral types (B3-B5). It is shown that bi-modality disappears for latespectral types (B6-B9.5). No correlations were found betweenp* and near IR excesses and between E(V-L) and vsin i for thedifferent subgroups of Be stars. In contrast to near IR excesses, arelation between p* and far IR excesses at 12 mu m is clearlyseen. A clear relation between p* and vsin i (as well asbetween p* and /line{vsin i}/vc) is found by thefact that plots of these parameters are bounded by a ``triangular"distribution of p*: vsin i, with a decrease of p*towards very small and very large vsin i (and /line{vsini}/vc) values. The latter behaviour can be understood in thecontext of a larger oblateness of circumstellar disks for the stars witha rapid rotation. From the analysis of correlations between differentobservational parameters we conclude that circumstellar envelopes forthe majority of Be stars are optically thin disks with the range of thehalf-opening angle of 10degr
| Catalogue of Apparent Diameters and Absolute Radii of Stars (CADARS) - Third edition - Comments and statistics
The Catalogue, available at the Centre de Données Stellaires deStrasbourg, consists of 13 573 records concerning the results obtainedfrom different methods for 7778 stars, reported in the literature. Thefollowing data are listed for each star: identifications, apparentmagnitude, spectral type, apparent diameter in arcsec, absolute radiusin solar units, method of determination, reference, remarks. Commentsand statistics obtained from CADARS are given. The Catalogue isavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcar?J/A+A/367/521
| On the origin of the O and B-type stars with high velocities. II. Runaway stars and pulsars ejected from the nearby young stellar groups
We use milli-arcsecond accuracy astrometry (proper motions andparallaxes) from Hipparcos and from radio observations to retrace theorbits of 56 runaway stars and nine compact objects with distances lessthan 700 pc, to identify the parent stellar group. It is possible todeduce the specific formation scenario with near certainty for twocases. (i) We find that the runaway star zeta Ophiuchi and the pulsarPSR J1932+1059 originated about 1 Myr ago in a supernova explosion in abinary in the Upper Scorpius subgroup of the Sco OB2 association. Thepulsar received a kick velocity of ~ 350 km s-1 in thisevent, which dissociated the binary, and gave zeta Oph its large spacevelocity. (ii) Blaauw & Morgan and Gies & Bolton alreadypostulated a common origin for the runaway-pair AE Aur and mu Col,possibly involving the massive highly-eccentric binary iota Ori, basedon their equal and opposite velocities. We demonstrate that these threeobjects indeed occupied a very small volume ~ 2.5 Myr ago, and show thatthey were ejected from the nascent Trapezium cluster. We identify theparent group for two more pulsars: both likely originate in the ~ 50 Myrold association Per OB3, which contains the open cluster alpha Persei.At least 21 of the 56 runaway stars in our sample can be linked to thenearby associations and young open clusters. These include the classicalrunaways 53 Arietis (Ori OB1), xi Persei (Per OB2), and lambda Cephei(Cep OB3), and fifteen new identifications, amongst which a pair ofstars running away in opposite directions from the region containing thelambda Ori cluster. Other currently nearby runaways and pulsarsoriginated beyond 700 pc, where our knowledge of the parent groups isvery incomplete.
| On the Variability of O4-B5 Luminosity Class III-V Stars
We investigate the Hipparcos Satellite photometry of O4-B5 luminosityclass III-V stars. Some for which further study is desirable areidentified. These stars in general are more variable than cooler stars
| Hα observations of Be stars
We present here the Hα spectra of 44 Be stars taken at aresolution of 0.5 Å. From the spectra, different emission lineparameters have been deduced. A study of the correlations betweendifferent pairs of these parameters has been made with a view tounderstanding the mechanisms of line formation and shaping in Be stars.
| An extensive Delta a-photometric survey of southern B and A type bright stars
Photoelectric photometry of 803 southern BS objects in the Deltaa-system as detection tool for magnetic chemically peculiar (=CP2) starshas been carried out and compared to published spectral types. Thestatistical yield of such objects detected by both techniques ispractically the same. We show that there are several factors whichcontaminate the search for these stars, but this contamination is onlyof the order of 10% in both techniques. We find a smooth transition fromnormal to peculiar stars. Our sample exhibits the largest fraction ofCP2 stars at their bluest colour interval, i.e. 10% of all stars in thecolour range -0.19 <= B-V < -0.10 or -0.10 <= b-y < -0.05.No peculiar stars based on the Delta a-criterion were found at bluercolours. Towards the red side the fraction of CP2 stars drops to about3% for positive values of B-V or b-y with red limits roughlycorresponding to normal stars of spectral type A5. The photometricbehaviour of other peculiar stars: Am, HgMn, delta Del, lambda Boo, Heabnormal stars, as well as Be/shell stars and supergiants shows someslight, but definite deviations from normal stars. Spectroscopic andvisual binaries are not distinguished from normal stars in their Delta abehaviour. The results of this work justify larger statistical work(e.g. in open clusters) employing more time-saving photometric methods(CCD). \newpage Based on observations obtained at the European SouthernObservatory, La Silla, Chile. This research has made use of the Simbaddatabase, operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France. Table 2 is only availablein electronic form via anonymous ftp 130.79.128.5 orhttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| ICCD Speckle Observations of Binary Stars.XVIII.An Investigation of Be =
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1997AJ....114.2112M&db_key=AST
| A catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations: 1996 edition
A fifth Edition of the Catalogue of [Fe/H] determinations is presentedherewith. It contains 5946 determinations for 3247 stars, including 751stars in 84 associations, clusters or galaxies. The literature iscomplete up to December 1995. The 700 bibliographical referencescorrespond to [Fe/H] determinations obtained from high resolutionspectroscopic observations and detailed analyses, most of them carriedout with the help of model-atmospheres. The Catalogue is made up ofthree formatted files: File 1: field stars, File 2: stars in galacticassociations and clusters, and stars in SMC, LMC, M33, File 3: numberedlist of bibliographical references The three files are only available inelectronic form at the Centre de Donnees Stellaires in Strasbourg, viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5), or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| The ROSAT all-sky survey catalogue of optically bright OB-type stars.
For the detailed statistical analysis of the X-ray emission of hot starswe selected all stars of spectral type O and B listed in the Yale BrightStar Catalogue and searched for them in the ROSAT All-Sky Survey. Inthis paper we describe the selection and preparation of the data andpresent a compilation of the derived X-ray data for a complete sample ofbright OB stars.
| Atlas of high-resolution emission and shell lines in Be stars. Line profiles and short-term variability.
We present an atlas of high-S/N, high-resolution ({DELTA}v=6km/s) dataof Be star emission and shell profiles. We have collected profiles ofHα and of Fe II, mostly of the λ5317 transition. Theselines have been selected to provide measures for the overall emissionstrength and for the velocity field in these disks. We have collecteddata for 77 southern and equatorial programme stars, covering the period1982-1993. This is the most comprehensive overview of profile shapes inBe disks. We propose a three-dimensional scheme in which most observedprofiles can be classified. The parameters are i) inclination, ii)optical depth, and iii) the pattern of the velocity field. A search forshort-term variability (timescales between five days and a few minutes)in six stars ended with negative result. Shortest observed timescale forvariability is a few days for well-developed disks in binary systems (HR1910, HR 2142).
| On the structure of Be star disks.
We investigate the geometrical structure of the emitting part ofcircumstellar envelopes around Be stars from an empirical point of view.We use new high-resolution, high-S/N spectroscopic data of the FeIIλ5317 and some other faint FeII emission lines in 27 Be starsshowing symmetrical emission lines (class 1). We find a clearcorrelation between its total width (measuring the maximum velocities ofcircumstellar matter) and the stellar rotational velocity. Thiscorrelation means that a typical Be envelope (or, more precisely, thatpart of it which is visible in optical emission lines) is anaxisymmetric, rotationally supported disk. For empirical investigationof the vertical structure, we use the occurrence of shell lines. Wedefine, as shell criterion based on FeII lines, a Be shell star as onewith FeII central intensity F_cd_/F_*_(FeII)<1. Using this forcalibrating an appropriate parameter for the much more frequentlyobserved Hα line, we find that shell stars are those withF_p_/F_cd_(Hα)>=1.5 where F_p_ is the mean peak intensity atHα. In a sample of 114 programme stars, we find a shell starfraction of 22.8%. This number is readily transformed into a halfopening angle of Be star disks, φ=13deg. We furthermore show thatBe disks must be thin at the inner edge, and may become fairly thick atthe outer rim. This, together with the small value of φ, isevidence for a conical or concave shape, the latter typical of ahydrostatically balanced disk. Finally we provide evidence that thefamous "shell-Be" phase transitions can naturally occur in such disks asa geometrical effect if they are seen under inclination i=~70deg and iftheir outer radius is variable with time.
| Vitesses radiales. Catalogue WEB: Wilson Evans Batten. Subtittle: Radial velocities: The Wilson-Evans-Batten catalogue.
We give a common version of the two catalogues of Mean Radial Velocitiesby Wilson (1963) and Evans (1978) to which we have added the catalogueof spectroscopic binary systems (Batten et al. 1989). For each star,when possible, we give: 1) an acronym to enter SIMBAD (Set ofIdentifications Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data) ofthe CDS (Centre de Donnees Astronomiques de Strasbourg). 2) the numberHIC of the HIPPARCOS catalogue (Turon 1992). 3) the CCDM number(Catalogue des Composantes des etoiles Doubles et Multiples) byDommanget & Nys (1994). For the cluster stars, a precise study hasbeen done, on the identificator numbers. Numerous remarks point out theproblems we have had to deal with.
| High-resolution spectroscopy of southern and equatorial Be stars: flux excess at λ4471 A.
We present a catalogue of high-resolution He I 4471, Mg II 4481 andHγ line profiles observed simultaneously for 37 southern andequatorial Be stars. In this paper we focus on the He I 4471 line, whichis studied using non-LTE model line profiles. A systematic difference isfound between the observed and the theoretical He I 4471 line equivalentwidths. This difference strongly correlates with the Hγ emissionand we interpret it as being due mainly to the veiling effect producedby the continuum emission excess originating in the circumstellarenvelope. To determine the continuum flux excess we use two methods. Onemethod enables us to obtain simultaneously the V sin i parameter. Theflux excess we determined is overestimated by about 9% on average,because in the line profile analysis we neglected the gravity darkeningeffect due to stellar rotation. We find that 14 program stars presenttwo possible solutions for V sin i. The second solution is, on average,14% smaller and produces a small residual or emission-like differencebetween the observed He I 4471 line profile and the model profile.
| Near Infrared Variability of Be-Stars
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1994MNRAS.269.1123D&db_key=AST
| Ultraviolet spectral classification and stellar winds in a sample of Be and standard stars
Equivalent widths of 16 lines of C I, C II, C III, C IV, Si II, Si III,Si IV, Al II, Al III, Fe II, and Fe III, plus centriod and edgevelocities of the Si IV and C IV lines, were measured in InternationalUltraviolet Explorer spectra of 39 Ble-B8e and 18 B1-B8 standardnon-emission-line stars. These suggest the following: (1) Certain lineratios of Si II/III, C II/III, Al II/III, and Fe II/III are verysensitive to spectral type and represent excellent UV criteria forspectral classification. (2) UV line strengths and line ratios show thatthere are no significant differences between the photospheric linespectra of Be and normal, non-emission-line stars of corresponding type.(3) The Si IV and C IV wind lines in the Be stars are correlated withboth spectral type and luminosity class in the sense that the hotteststars have the strongest lines with the largest centroid and edgevelocities, and the giants and subgiants have stronger lines than themain-sequence stars. (4) The Si IV wind lines persist to spectral typeB8 in both the Be stars and the standard stars but are stronger in theBe stars than in the standards for the earlier types. (5) The C IV windlines persist to spectral type B8 in the Be stars, but only to B3 in thestandard stars, and are stronger in the Be stars than in the standardsat all spectral types. (6) The equivalent widths of the Si IV and C IVwind lines are only very weakly correlated with v sin i, if at all, buta threshold in v sin i near 150 kn/sec exists, below which no largeequivalent widths of Si IV or C IV may be seen. Assuming that the Bestars are all rapid rotators, such a correlation is essentially acorrelation with i and suggests that the winds from Be stars arisepreferentially from the equatorial regions. (7) Shell stars have weakerC IV absorption and smaller centroid and edge velocities than other Bestars, suggesting that they have weaker winds. Since there isconsiderable evidence that these are stars with cool, low-velocity diskswhich are being viewed edge-on or nearly edge-on, the winds may beinhibited and modified by the denser material in the equatorial regions.(8) Mg II emission is detected in about half of the program Be starswith long-wavelength IUE spectra, and seems not to be correlated withspectral type, v sin i, or strength of the Si IV wind lines. Since theMg II emission presumably originates in the cool, low-velocity envelope,and since Mg II emission also correlates with hydrogen Balmer emissionin the Be stars, this sugests that there is no strong physicalrelationship between the stellar winds and the cool disk. (9) The Beshell stars have stronger resonance lines of Si II, C I, C II, Al II, FeII, presumably formed in the cool shells, than the other Be stars andthe normal, non-emission-line stars of the same spectral types,consistent with the strong lines arising from metastable levels in theoptical spectra of these stars.
| On the rotation properties of Be stars and their envelopes.
We present the results of low resolution spectroscopy (4A) obtained atCTIO for a sample of 42 Be, 4 B and 3 O stars covering theλ3700-7000A spectral range. Equivalent widths of the Balmer lineswere measured up to H_10_. We also give the V/R state of the Hαemission line. In addition, the peak separation and the width at thebase of the Hβ and Hγ emission lines are tabulated for atotal of 243 medium resolution (1A) spectra of 51 southern Be starstaken at the Manuel Foster Observatory, Chile. We analyzed our Hαequivalent widths (Wα) together with published data for a total of122 Be and 2 Oe stars. An upper limit of Wα increasing with theprojected rotational velocity vsini is shown by the data. The Wαvalues depend strongly on spectral type, being lower for later-type Bestars. This could indicate that the maximum strength of emission dependsmainly on the spectral type and rotation velocity. The relation betweenWα(max) and vsini, together with the observed excess in number oflow vsini Be stars and the reported anti-correlation between photometricperiod and vsini give evidence for a considerable range of the truerotation velocities of Be stars: definitely there are intrinsically slowrotators among them. However, our results could also be interpreted interms of anisotropic Hα emission coming from the disk. Theanalysis of the net equivalent widths and peak separations of Hαdouble emission line profiles strongly favor a disk type emittingenvelope with a r^-j^ rotation law with j=1.4+/-0.2 which do not dependon the spectral subtype. This result is interpreted as evidence ofradial motions in the envelopes of Be stars. The mean radial extensionsof the regions which emit Balmer lines were determined to range between30% (H_10_) and 60% (Hβ) of the Hα emitting envelope in thecase j=1. The mean electron density within the envelope has been foundto vary only by a factor of 4. We compare our results with earlierinvestigations.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Canis Major |
| Right ascension: | 07h24m40.10s |
| Declination: | -16°12'04.0" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 5.33 |
| Distance: | 289.855 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -3.3 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -20.9 |
| B-T magnitude: | 5.152 |
| V-T magnitude: | 5.208 |
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