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Mid-infrared Period-luminosity Relations of RR Lyrae Stars Derived from the WISE Preliminary Data Release
Interstellar dust presents a significant challenge to extendingparallax-determined distances of optically observed pulsationalvariables to larger volumes. Distance ladder work at mid-infraredwavebands, where dust effects are negligible and metallicitycorrelations are minimized, has been largely focused on few-epochCepheid studies. Here we present the first determination of mid-infraredperiod-luminosity (PL) relations of RR Lyrae stars from phase-resolvedimaging using the preliminary data release of the Wide-field InfraredSurvey Explorer (WISE). We present a novel statistical framework topredict posterior distances of 76 well observed RR Lyrae that uses theoptically constructed prior distance moduli while simultaneouslyimposing a power-law PL relation to WISE-determined mean magnitudes. Wefind that the absolute magnitude in the bluest WISE filter is MW1 = (- 0.421 ± 0.014) - (1.681 ±0.147)log10(P/0.50118 day), with no evidence for acorrelation with metallicity. Combining the results from the threebluest WISE filters, we find that a typical star in our sample has adistance measurement uncertainty of 0.97% (statistical) plus 1.17%(systematic). We do not fundamentalize the periods of RRc stars toimprove their fit to the relations. Taking the Hipparcos-derived meanV-band magnitudes, we use the distance posteriors to determine a newoptical metallicity-luminosity relation. The results of this analysiswill soon be tested by Hubble Space Telescope parallax measurements and,eventually, with the GAIA astrometric mission.
| Random forest automated supervised classification of Hipparcos periodic variable stars
We present an evaluation of the performance of an automatedclassification of the Hipparcos periodic variable stars into 26 types.The sub-sample with the most reliable variability types available in theliterature is used to train supervised algorithms to characterize thetype dependencies on a number of attributes. The most useful attributesevaluated with the random forest methodology include, in decreasingorder of importance, the period, the amplitude, the V-I colour index,the absolute magnitude, the residual around the folded light-curvemodel, the magnitude distribution skewness and the amplitude of thesecond harmonic of the Fourier series model relative to that of thefundamental frequency. Random forests and a multi-stage scheme involvingBayesian network and Gaussian mixture methods lead to statisticallyequivalent results. In standard 10-fold cross-validation (CV)experiments, the rate of correct classification is between 90 and 100per cent, depending on the variability type. The main mis-classificationcases, up to a rate of about 10 per cent, arise due to confusion betweenSPB and ACV blue variables and between eclipsing binaries, ellipsoidalvariables and other variability types. Our training set and thepredicted types for the other Hipparcos periodic stars are availableonline.
| The luminosities and distance scales of type II Cepheid and RR Lyrae variables
Infrared and optical absolute magnitudes are derived for the type IICepheids κ Pav and VY Pyx using revised Hipparcos parallaxes andfor κ Pav, V553 Cen and SW Tau from pulsational parallaxes.Revised Hipparcos and HST parallaxes for RR Lyrae agree satisfactorilyand are combined in deriving absolute magnitudes. Phase-corrected J, Hand Ks mags are given for 142 Hipparcos RR Lyraes based onTwo-Micron All-Sky Survey observations. Pulsation and trigonometricalparallaxes for classical Cepheids are compared to establish the bestvalue for the projection factor (p) used in pulsational analyses.The MV of RR Lyrae itself is 0.16 +/- 0.12 mag brighter thanpredicted from an MV-[Fe/H] relation based on RR Lyrae starsin the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) at a modulus of 18.39 +/- 0.05 asfound from classical Cepheids. This is consistent with the prediction ofCatelan & Cortés that it is overluminous for its metallicity.The results for the metal- and carbon-rich Galactic disc stars, V553 Cenand SW Tau, each with small internal errors (+/-0.08 mag) have a meandeviation of only 0.02 mag from the period-luminosity (PL) relationestablished by Matsunaga et al. for type II Cepheids in globularclusters and with a zero-point based on the same LMC-scale. Comparingdirectly the luminosities of these two stars with published data on typeII Cepheids in the LMC and in the Galactic bulge leads to an LMC modulusof 18.37 +/- 0.09 and a distance to the Galactic Centre of R0= 7.64 +/- 0.21kpc. The data for VY Pyx agree with these results withinthe uncertainties set by its parallax. Evidence is presented thatκ Pav may have a close companion and possible implications of thisare discussed. If the pulsational parallax of this star is incorporatedin the analyses, the distance scales just discussed will be increased by~0.15 +/- 0.15 mag. V553 Cen and SW Tau show that at optical wavelengthsPL relations are wider for field stars than for those in globularclusters. This is probably due to a narrower range of masses in thelatter case.
| The GEOS RR Lyr Survey
Not Available
| Proper identification of RR Lyrae stars brighter than 12.5 mag
RR Lyrae stars are of great importance for investigations of Galacticstructure. However, a complete compendium of all RR-Lyraes in the solarneighbourhood with accurate classifications and coordinates does notexist to this day. Here we present a catalogue of 561 local RR-Lyraestars (V_max ≤ 12.5 mag) according to the magnitudes given in theCombined General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS) and 16 fainter ones.The Tycho2 catalogue contains ≃100 RR Lyr stars. However, manyobjects have inaccurate coordinates in the GCVS, the primary source ofvariable star information, so that a reliable cross-identification isdifficult. We identified RR Lyrae from both catalogues based on anintensive literature search. In dubious cases we carried out photometryof fields to identify the variable. Mennessier & Colome (2002,A&A, 390, 173) have published a paper with Tyc2-GCVSidentifications, but we found that many of their identifications arewrong.
| RR Lyrae stars: kinematics, orbits and z-distribution
RR Lyrae stars in the Milky Way are good tracers to study the kinematicbehaviour and spatial distribution of older stellar populations. Arecently established well documented sample of 217 RR Lyr stars withV<12.5 mag, for which accurate distances and radial velocities aswell as proper motions from the Hipparcos and Tycho-2 catalogues areavailable, has been used to reinvestigate these structural parameters.The kinematic parameters allowed to calculate the orbits of the stars.Nearly 1/3 of the stars of our sample have orbits staying near the MilkyWay plane. Of the 217 stars, 163 have halo-like orbits fulfilling one ofthe following criteria: Θ < 100 km s-1, orbiteccentricity >0.4, and normalized maximum orbital z-distance>0.45. Of these stars roughly half have retrograde orbits. Thez-distance probability distribution of this sample shows scale heightsof 1.3±0.1 kpc for the disk component and 4.6±0.3 kpc forthe halo component. With our orbit statistics method we found a(vertical) spatial distribution which, out to z=20 kpc, is similar tothat found with other methods. This distribution is also compatible withthe ones found for blue (HBA and sdB) halo stars. The circular velocityΘ, the orbit eccentricity, orbit z-extent and [Fe/H] are employedto look for possible correlations. If any, it is that the metal poorstars with [Fe/H] <1.0 have a wide symmetric distribution aboutΘ=0, thus for this subsample on average a motion independent ofdisk rotation. We conclude that the Milky Way possesses a halo componentof old and metal poor stars with a scale height of 4-5 kpc having randomorbits. The presence in our sample of a few metal poor stars (thus partof the halo population) with thin disk-like orbits is statistically notsurprising. The midplane density ratio of halo to disk stars is found tobe 0.16, a value very dependent on proper sample statistics.
| Iron abundances derived from RR Lyrae light curves and low-dispersion spectroscopy
With the aid of the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) database on theGalactic field, we compare the iron abundances of fundamental mode RRLyrae stars derived from the Fourier parameters with those obtained fromlow-dispersion spectroscopy. We show from a set of 79 stars, distinctfrom the original calibrating sample of the Fourier method and selectedwithout quality control, that almost all discrepant estimates are theresults of some defects or peculiarities either in the photometry or inthe spectroscopy. Omitting objects deviating by more than 0.4 dex, theremaining subsample of 64 stars yields Fourier abundances that fit thespectroscopic ones with σ=0.20 dex. Other, more stringentselection criteria and different Fourier decompositions lead to smallersubsamples and concomitant better agreement, down to σ=0.16 dex.Except perhaps for two variables among the 163 stars, comprised of theASAS variables and those of the original calibrating set of the Fouriermethod, all discrepant values can be accounted for by observationalnoise and insufficient data coverage. We suggest that the agreement canbe further improved when new, more accurate spectroscopic data becomeavailable for a test with the best photometric data. As a by-product ofthis analysis, we also compute revised periods and select Blazhkovariables.
| The Metallicity Dependence of the Fourier Components of RR Lyrae Light Curves Is the Oosterhoff-Arp-Preston Period Ratio Effect in Disguise
The correlation of particular Fourier components of the light curves ofRR Lyrae variables with metallicity, discovered by Simon and later byKovacs and his coworkers, is shown to have the same explanation as theperiod ratios (period shifts in logP) between RRab Lyrae variables thathave the same colors, amplitudes, and light-curve shapes but differentmetallicities. A purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the modelthat predicts the period-metallicity relations in the mediatingparameters of colors, amplitudes, and light-curve shapes also explainsthe Simon-Kovacs et al. correlation between period, φ31,and metallicity. The proof is made by demonstrating that the combinationof the first- and third-phase terms in a Fourier decomposition of RRablight curves, called φ31 by Simon & Lee, variesmonotonically across the RR Lyrae instability strip in the same way thatamplitude, color, and rise time vary with period within the strip. Thepremise of the model is that if horizontal branches at the RR Lyraestrip are stacked in luminosity according to the metallicity, then therenecessarily must be a logperiod shift between RR Lyrae stars withdifferent metallicities at the same φ31 values. However,there are exceptions to the model. The two metal-rich globular clustersNGC 6388 and NGC 6441, with anomalously long periods of their RR Lyraestars for their amplitudes, violate the period-metallicity correlationsboth in amplitudes and in φ31 values (for NGC 6441 whereφ31 data exist). The cause must be related to theanomalously bright horizontal branches in these two clusters for theirmetallicities. The effect of luminosity evolution away from the zero-agehorizontal branch, putatively causing noise in the metallicity equation,is discussed. It is clearly seen in the amplitude-period correlationsbut apparently does not exist in the φ31-periodcorrelation in the data for the globular cluster M3 analyzed by Jurcsikand coworkers and by Cacciari and Fusi Pecci, for reasons not presentlyunderstood. Clarification can be expected from study of precisionphotometric data of evolved RR Lyrae stars in globular clusters ofdifferent metallicity when their Fourier components are known.
| Subsystems of RR Lyrae Variable Stars in Our Galaxy
We have used published, high-accuracy, ground-based and satelliteproper-motion measurements, a compilation of radial velocities, andphotometric distances to compute the spatial velocities and Galacticorbital elements for 174 RR Lyrae (ab) variable stars in the solarneighborhood. The computed orbital elements and published heavy-elementabundances are used to study relationships between the chemical,spatial, and kinematic characteristics of nearby RR Lyrae variables. Weobserve abrupt changes of the spatial and kinematic characteristics atthe metallicity [Fe/H]≈-0.95 and also when the residual spatialvelocities relative to the LSR cross the critical value V res≈290km/s. This provides evidence that the general population of RR Lyraestars is not uniform and includes at least three subsystems occupyingdifferent volumes in the Galaxy. Based on the agreement between typicalparameters for corresponding subsystems of RR Lyrae stars and globularclusters, we conclude that metal-rich stars and globular clusters belongto a rapidly rotating and fairly flat, thick-disk subsystem with a largenegative vertical metallicity gradient. Objects with larger metaldeficiencies can, in turn, be subdivided into two populations, but usingdifferent criteria for stars and clusters. We suggest that field starswith velocities below the critical value and clusters with extremelyblue horizontal branches form a spherical, slowly rotating subsystem ofthe protodisk halo, which has a common origin with the thick disk; thissubsystem has small but nonzero radial and vertical metallicitygradients. The dimensions of this subsystem, estimated from theapogalactic radii of orbits of field stars, are approximately the same.Field stars displaying more rapid motion and clusters with redderhorizontal branches constitute the spheroidal subsystem of the accretedouter halo, which is approximately a factor of three larger in size thanthe first two subsystems. It has no metallicity gradients; most of itsstars have eccentric orbits, many display retrograde motion in theGalaxy, and their ages are comparatively low, supporting the hypothesisthat the objects in this subsystem had an extragalactic origin.
| Bias Properties of Extragalactic Distance Indicators. XI. Methods to Correct for Observational Selection Bias for RR Lyrae Absolute Magnitudes from Trigonometric Parallaxes Expected from the Full-Sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer Satellite
A short history is given of the development of the correction forobservation selection bias inherent in the calibration of absolutemagnitudes using trigonometric parallaxes. The developments have beendue to Eddington, Jeffreys, Trumpler & Weaver, Wallerstein,Ljunggren & Oja, West, Lutz & Kelker, after whom the bias isnamed, Turon Lacarrieu & Crézé, Hanson, Smith, andmany others. As a tutorial to gain an intuitive understanding of severalcomplicated trigonometric bias problems, we study a toy bias model of aparallax catalog that incorporates assumed parallax measuring errors ofvarious severities. The two effects of bias errors on the derivedabsolute magnitudes are (1) the Lutz-Kelker correction itself, whichdepends on the relative parallax error δπ/π and the spatialdistribution, and (2) a Malmquist-like ``incompleteness'' correction ofopposite sign due to various apparent magnitude cutoffs as they areprogressively imposed on the catalog. We calculate the bias propertiesusing simulations involving 3×106 stars of fixedabsolute magnitude using Mv=+0.6 to imitate RR Lyraevariables in the mean. These stars are spread over a spherical volumebounded by a radius 50,000 pc with different spatial densitydistributions. The bias is demonstrated by first using a fixed rmsparallax uncertainty per star of 50 μas and then using a variable rmsaccuracy that ranges from 50 μas at apparent magnitude V=9 to 500μas at V=15 according to the specifications for the Full-SkyAstrometric Mapping Explorer (FAME) satellite to be launched in 2004.The effects of imposing magnitude limits and limits on the``observer's'' error, δπ/π, are displayed. We contrast themethod of calculating mean absolute magnitude directly from theparallaxes where bias corrections are mandatory, with an inverse methodusing maximum likelihood that is free of the Lutz-Kelker bias, althougha Malmquist bias is present. Simulations show the power of the inversemethod. Nevertheless, we recommend reduction of the data using bothmethods. Each must give the same answer if each is freed from systematicerror. Although the maximum likelihood method will, in theory, eliminatemany of the bias problems of the direct method, nevertheless the biascorrections required by the direct method can be determined empiricallyvia Spaenhauer diagrams immediately from the data, as discussed in theearlier papers of this series. Any correlation of the absolute(trigonometric) magnitudes with the (trigonometric) distances is thebias. We discuss the level of accuracy that can be expected in acalibration of RR Lyrae absolute magnitudes from the FAME data over themetallicity range of [Fe/H] from 0 to -2, given the known frequency ofthe local RR Lyrae stars closer than 1.5 kpc. Of course, use will alsobe made of the entire FAME database for the RR Lyrae stars over thecomplete range of distances that can be used to empirically determinethe random and systematic errors from the FAME parallax catalog, usingcorrelations of derived absolute magnitude with distance and position inthe sky. These bias corrections are expected to be much more complicatedthan only a function of apparent magnitude because of variousrestrictions due to orbital constraints on the spacecraft.
| Empirical relations for cluster RR Lyrae stars revisited
Our former study on the empirical relations between the Fourierparameters of the light curves of the fundamental mode RR Lyrae starsand their basic stellar parameters has been extended to considerablylarger data sets. The most significant contribution to the absolutemagnitude MV comes from the period P and from the firstFourier amplitude A1, but there are statistically significantcontributions also from additional higher order components, mostimportantly from A3 and in a lesser degree from the Fourierphase varphi51. When different colors are combined inreddening-free quantities, we obtain basically period-luminosity-colorrelations. Due to the log Teff(B-V,log g,[Fe/H]) relationfrom stellar atmosphere models, we would expect some dependence also onvarphi 31. Unfortunately, the data are still not extensiveand accurate enough to decipher clearly the small effect of this Fourierphase. However, with the aid of more accurate multicolor data on fieldvariables, we show that this Fourier phase should be present either inV-I or in B-V or in both. From the standard deviations of the variousregressions, an upper limit can be obtained on the overall inhomogeneityof the reddening in the individual clusters. This yields sigmaE(B-V)<~ 0.012 mag, which also implies an average minimumobservational error of sigmaV >~ 0.018 mag.
| Absolute Magnitudes and Kinematic Parameters of the Subsystem of RR Lyrae Variables
The statistical parallax technique is applied to a sample of 262 RRabLyrae variables with published photoelectric photometry, metallicities,and radial velocities and with measured absolute proper motions.Hipparcos, PPM, NPM, and the Four-Million Star Catalog (Volchkov et al.1992) were used as the sources of proper motions; the proper motionsfrom the last three catalogs were reduced to the Hipparcos system. Wedetermine parameters of the velocity distribution for halo [(U_0, V_0,W_0) = (-9 +/- 12, -214 +/- 10, -16 +/- 7) km/s and (sigma_U, sigma_V,sigma_W) = (164 +/- 11, 105 +/- 7, 95 +/- 7) km/s] and thick-disk [(U_0,V_0, W_0) = (-16 +/- 8, -41 +/- 7, -18 +/- 5) km/s and (sigma_U,sigma_V, sigma_W) = (53 +/- 9, 42 +/- 8, 26 +/- 5) km/s] RR Lyrae, aswell as the intensity-averaged absolute magnitude for RR Lyrae of thesepopulations: = 0.77 +/- 0.10 and = +1.11 +/-0.28 for the halo and thick-disk objects, respectively. The metallicitydependence of the absolute magnitude of RR Lyrae is analyzed(=(0.76 +/- 0.12) + (0.26 +/- 0.26) x ([Fe/H] + 1.6) = 1.17 +0.26 x [Fe/H]). Our results are in satisfactory agreement with the_(RR)-[Fe/H] relation from Carney et al. (1992)(_(RR) = 1.01 + 0.15 x [Fe/H]) obtained by Baade-Wesselink'smethod. They provide evidence for a short distance scale: the LMCdistance modulus and the distance to the Galactic center are 18.22 +/-0.11 and 7.4 +/-±0.5 kpc, respectively. The zero point ofthe distance scale and the kinematic parameters of the RR Lyraepopulations are shown to be virtually independent of the source ofabsolute proper motions used and of whether they are reduced to theHipparcos system or not.
| Stars with the Largest Hipparcos Photometric Amplitudes
A list of the 2027 stars that have the largest photometric amplitudes inHipparcos Photometry shows that most variable stars are all Miras. Thepercentage of variable types change as a function of amplitude. Thiscompilation should also be of value to photometrists looking forrelatively unstudied, but large amplitude stars.
| Kinematics of Metal-poor Stars in the Galaxy. II. Proper Motions for a Large Nonkinematically Selected Sample
We present a revised catalog of 2106 Galactic stars, selected withoutkinematic bias and with available radial velocities, distance estimates,and metal abundances in the range -4.0<=[Fe/H]<=0.0. This updateof the 1995 Beers & Sommer-Larsen catalog includes newly derivedhomogeneous photometric distance estimates, revised radial velocitiesfor a number of stars with recently obtained high-resolution spectra,and refined metallicities for stars originally identified in the HKobjective-prism survey (which account for nearly half of the catalog)based on a recent recalibration. A subset of 1258 stars in this cataloghave available proper motions based on measurements obtained with theHipparcos astrometry satellite or taken from the updated AstrographicCatalogue (second epoch positions from either the Hubble Space TelescopeGuide Star Catalog or the Tycho Catalogue), the Yale/San Juan SouthernProper Motion Catalog 2.0, and the Lick Northern Proper Motion Catalog.Our present catalog includes 388 RR Lyrae variables (182 of which arenewly added), 38 variables of other types, and 1680 nonvariables, withdistances in the range 0.1 to 40 kpc.
| Systematics of RR Lyrae Statistical Parallax. III. Apparent Magnitudes and Extinctions
We sing the praises of the central limit theorem. Having previouslyremoved all other possible causes of significant systematic error in thestatistical-parallax determination of RR Lyrae absolute magnitudes, weinvestigate systematic errors from two final sources of input data:apparent magnitudes and extinctions. We find corrections due to each ofabout 0.05 mag, i.e., about half the statistical error. However, theseare of opposite sign and so approximately cancel out. Theapparent-magnitude system that we previously adopted from Layden et al.was calibrated to the photoelectric photometry of Clube & Dawe.Using Hipparcos photometry and archival modern ground-based photometry,we show that the Clube & Dawe system is about 0.06 mag too bright.Extinctions were previously based on the map of Burstein & Heiles,which was constructed from H I maps. We argue that extinctions shouldrather be estimated using the new map of Schlegel, Finkbeiner, &Davis based on COBE and IRAS measurements of dust emission. Thissubstitution increases the mean estimated extinction by about 0.05 mag,primarily because of a difference in the zero point of the two maps. Ourfinal estimate for the absolute magnitude is M_V = 0.77 +/- 0.13 at[Fe/H] = -1.60 for a pure sample of 147 halo RR Lyrae stars, or M_V =0.80 +/- 0.11 at [Fe/H] = -1.71 if we incorporate kinematic informationfrom 716 nonkinematically selected non-RR Lyrae stars from Beers &Sommer-Larsen. These are 2 and 3 sigma fainter than recentdeterminations of M_V based on main-sequence fitting of clusters usingHipparcos measurements of subdwarfs by Reid and Gratton et al. Sincestatistical parallax is being cleared of systematic errors and since theprobability of a more than 2 sigma statistical fluctuation is less than1/20, we conclude that these brighter determinations may be in error. Inthe course of these three papers, we have corrected six systematicerrors whose absolute values total 0.20 mag. Had these, contrary to theexpectation of the central limit theorem, all lined up one way, theycould have resolved the conflict in favor of the brighterdeterminations. In fact, the net change was only 0.06 mag.
| The absolute magnitudes of RR Lyraes from HIPPARCOS parallaxes and proper motions
We have used HIPPARCOS proper motions and the method of StatisticalParallax to estimate the absolute magnitude of RR Lyrae stars. Inaddition we used the HIPPARCOS parallax of RR Lyrae itself to determineit's absolute magnitude. These two results are in excellent agreementwith each other and give a zero-point for the RR Lyrae M_v,[Fe/H]relation of 0.77+/-0.15 at [Fe/H]=-1.53. This zero-point is in goodagreement with that obtained recently by several groups usingBaade-Wesselink methods which, averaged over the results from thedifferent groups, gives M_v = 0.73+/-0.14 at [Fe/H]=-1.53. Taking theHIPPARCOS based zero-point and a value of 0.18+/-0.03 for the slope ofthe M_v,[Fe/H] relation from the literature we find firstly, thedistance modulus of the LMC is 18.26+/-0.15 and secondly, the mean ageof the Globular Clusters is 17.4+/-3.0 GYrs. These values are comparedwith recent estimates based on other "standard candles" that have alsobeen calibrated with HIPPARCOS data. It is clear that, in addition toastrophysical problems, there are also problems in the application ofHIPPARCOS data that are not yet fully understood. Table 1, whichcontains the basic data for the RR Lyraes, is available only at CDS. Itmay be retrieved via anonymous FTP at cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5)or via the Web at http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Early evolution of the Galactic halo revealed from Hipparcos observations of metal-poor stars
The kinematics of 122 red giant and 124 RR Lyrae stars in the solarneighborhood are studied using accurate measurements of their propermotions obtained by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite, combined withtheir published photometric distances, metal abundances, and radialvelocities. A majority of these sample stars have metal abundances of(Fe/H) = -1 or less and thus represent the old stellar populations inthe Galaxy. The halo component, with (Fe/H) = -1.6 or less, ischaracterized by a lack of systemic rotation and a radially elongatedvelocity ellipsoid. About 16 percent of such metal-poor stars have loworbital eccentricities, and we see no evidence of a correlation between(Fe/H) and e. Based on the model for the e-distribution of orbits, weshow that this fraction of low-e stars for (Fe/H) = -1.6 or less isexplained by the halo component alone, without introducing the extradisk component claimed by recent workers. This is also supported by theabsence of a significant change in the e-distribution with height fromthe Galactic plane. In the intermediate-metallicity range, we find thatstars with disklike kinematics have only modest effects on thedistributions of rotational velocities and e for the sample at absolutevalue of z less than 1 kpc. This disk component appears to constituteonly 10 percent for (Fe/H) between -1.6 and -1 and 20 percent for (Fe/H)between -1.4 and -1.
| Structural Properties of Pulsating Star Light Curves Through Fuzzy Divisive Hierarchical Clustering
Not Available
| Determination of [Fe/H] from the light curves of RR Lyrae stars.
We present an accurate and robust method for the calculation of [Fe/H]from the light curves of RRab stars. The method introduces aconsiderable improvement relative to our previously published formulae.First of all, it uses an improved and extended data base for the lightcurves and more accurate, very recent iron abundances. Secondly, the newdata base makes it possible to show that the basic relation between[Fe/H] and the Fourier parameters is linear and contains only the periodand one of the Fourier phases, most importantly φ_31_. Last but notleast, we derive interrelations among the Fourier parameters which helpus to filter out peculiar stars where more caution is needed inaccepting the calculated abundance. The applicability of the method isdemonstrated on independent samples of globular cluster stars.Peculiarities encountered in Blazhko variables and in some other casesare also discussed.
| Kinematics of metal-poor stars in the galaxy
We discuss the kinematic properties of a sample of 1936 Galactic stars,selected without kinematic bias, and with abundances (Fe/H) is less thanor equal to -0.6. The stars selected for this study all have measuredradial velocities, and the majority have abundances determined fromspectroscopic or narrow-/intermediate-band photometric techniques. Incontrast to previous examinations of the kinematics of the metal-poorstars in the Galaxy, our sample contains large numbers of stars that arelocated at distances in excess of 1 kpc from the Galactic plane. Thus, amuch clearer picture of the nature of the metal-deficient populations inthe Galaxy can now be drawn.
| A new method for the determination of [Fe/H] in RR Lyrae stars.
The Fourier parameters of the V light curves of the field RRab stars areused to fit their [Fe/H]. The method is based on the assumption that theobserved light curves depend only on a few physical parameters,including the chemical composition. We give two formulae which estimatethe observed [Fe/H] with an accuracy of 0.23-0.18dex. Each of theseexpressions consists of a second order polynom of 2-4 Fourier parametersand the period. The method is a powerful tool in estimating themetallicity when spectroscopic data are not available.
| The metallicities and kinematics of RR Lyrae variables, 1: New observations of local stars
In order to study the structure and formation history of the galaxy, wehave obtained low-to-moderate dispersion spectra of 302 nearby RR Lyraevariables of Bailey type 'ab'. We derived abundances, typically accurateto 0.15-0.20 dex and calibrated to the Zinn & West (1984) globularcluster metallicity scale, from the pseudoequivalent widths of the Ca IIK, H delta, H gamma, and H beta lines. Radial velocities accurate tobetween 2 and 30 km/s were obtained from the spectra and from theliterature. Distances accurate to between 5% and 20% were derived frompublished apparent magnitudes and Burstein & Heiles (1982)reddenings. The metallicity distribution of the RR Lyrae stars peaks at(Fe/H)K approximately equals -1.5, and is narrower than thatof the Ryan & Norris (1991) subdwarfs, as expected since the mostmetal-rich and metal-poor progenitors preferentially appear as stablered and blue horizontal branch stars, rather than as RR Lyrae. Themetal-rich tail of the RR Lyrae distribution extends to(Fe/H)K approximately equals 0, and a qualitative analysis ofthe distribution of distances from the galactic plane shows that thestars in this tail (i.e., (Fe/H)K greater than -1.0) are moreconcentrated to the plane than the more metal-poor stars. The abundancedistribution of the local RR Lyrae stars is in excellent agreement withthe changing abundance distributions of distant RR Lyrae stars as afunction of galactocentric distance, as derived by Suntzeff et al.(1991), who ascribed this change to systematic variation in horizontalbranch morphology (probably age variations) with galactocentricdistance. The abundance distribution of the local RR Lyrae stars alsoagrees well with those of the distant RR Lyrae stars as a function ofdistance from the galactic plane. There is no evidence for an abundancegradient in this direction, suggesting that gaseous dissipation did notplay a major role in the formation of the outer halo.
| Detection of a galactic color gradient for blue horizontal-branch stars of the halo field and implications for the halo age and density distributions
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1991ApJ...375..121P
| The Oosterhoff period effect - Luminosities of globular cluster zero-age horizontal branches and field RR Lyrae stars as a function of metallicity
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1990ApJ...350..631S
| Bump, hump and shock waves in the RR Lyrae stars - X Ari and RR LYR
High spectral resolution (0.2 and 0.7 A) observations of the H-alphaprofile in RR Lyrae stars X Ari and RR Lyr are presented. Theobservations have been carried out during bump and hump phases. A weakemission is presented during the bump (phi about 0.7) while during thehump (phi about 0.9), another stronger emission is observed. Only theemission associated with the hump is followed by a line absorptiondoubling. Both emissions are interpreted as the consequence of thepropagation of two independent shock waves. The 'main' (phi about 0.9)shock would be produced by the opacity mechanism giving the pulsation.The first or 'early' shock (phi about 0.7), associated with the bump,would be the consequence of the colliding of the upper atmosphericlayers with deeper ones during the infall phase. This is quiteconsistent with the nonlinear hydrodynamic model of Hill (1972). Thephysical origin of the bump in RR Lyrae stars would therefore bedifferent than that in Classical Cepheids (resonance mechanism).
| Hamuy's blue variable star in Orion
High-speed photometry of Hamuy's (Hamuy and Maza, 1986) blue variablestar in Orion, obtained on September 26 and 28, 1986 with the two-starphotometer of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock attached to the1.3-m Kitt Peak National Observatory reflector, are presented. Both theshort-time-scale flickering and the spectroscopic appearance of the starare found to be typical of the class of nova-like (UX UMa-type)variables. The data suggest that Hamuy's variable does not range overmore than a few tenths of a magnitude.
| Population studies. II - Kinematics as a function of abundance and galactocentric position for (Fe/H) of -0.6 or less
A catalog is presented of some 1200 Galactic objects which have radialvelocities and (Fe/H) abundances of -0.6 or less. These data areanalyzed to yield information on the kinematic properties of the olderpopulations of the Galaxy and on the interdependence between kinematicsand abundance. It is found that the kinematics of the availablekinematically selected stars differ from those of the nonkinematicallyselected objects. No evidence is found for any significant difference inthe kinematic properties of the various halo subgroups, nor for anydependence of kinematics on abundance. While the rotation of the halo issmall at about 37 km/s for (Fe/H) of -1.2 or less, it rises quickly forhigher abundances to a value of about 160 km/s at (Fe/H) = 0.6. Objectsin the abundance range -0.9 to -0.6 appear to belong predominantly to apopulation possessing the kinematic characteristics of a thick disk. Theimplications of these findings for the suggestion that globular clustersbelong to the same population as the noncluster objects, for the originof the thick disk, and for the mass of the Galaxy are discussed.
| The light curves of RR Lyrae field stars
Fourier decompositions have been made of the light curves of a largesample of RR Lyrae field stars. The coefficients have been tabulated.Following the scheme of an earlier investigation of classical Cepheids,certain combinations of the low-order coefficients - phi21, R21, andphi31 - are plotted against period. The Bailey-type c pulsators standout from the type ab stars, particularly on the R21 plot which is foundto be a more sensitive discriminator of Bailey type than is thetraditionally employed amplitude-period diagram. The RR Lyrae plots ofphi21, R21, and phi31 are compared with those previously obtained forclassical Cepheids. It is noted that, while the Cepheid plots display atightly defined progression with period, reflecting the influence of amodal resonance, in the RR Lyrae case there is much more scatter.However, some evidence is shown to exist for a Cepheid-like progressionappearing among the longer period RR Lyrae pulsators and culminating inthe unique small-amplitude variable XZ Ceti.
| An atlas of light and colour curves of field RR Lyrae stars
An atlas is presented of light and color curves in the Walraven VBLUWphotometric system for 90 field RR Lyrae and short-period variables. Theobservational program and the reduction procedure are briefly described.Tables are presented containing the colors at mean and minimum light.
| Absolute magnitudes and motions of RR Lyrae stars
Absolute magnitudes are found by the use of statistical parallax for RRLyrae stars which have been grouped by period and by metal type. TheBailey c-type stars are treated independently. Solar motion solutionsare made using velocity data. Parameters of galactic orbits obtainedfrom space velocities show a relation to period. For the total a-stargroup the resultant mean light visual absolute magnitude is 0.49 mag,which corresponds to MB of 0.63 mag. Using this figure, thedistance to the galactic center is 9.3 kpc.
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