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The polar wind of the fast rotating Be star Achernar. VINCI/VLTI interferometric observations of an elongated polar envelope
Context: .Be stars show evidence of mass loss and circumstellarenvelopes (CSE) from UV resonance lines, near-IR excesses, and thepresence of episodic hydrogen emission lines. The geometry of theseenvelopes is still uncertain, although it is often assumed that they areformed by a disk around the stellar equator and a hot polar wind.Aims: .We probe the close environment of the fast rotating Be starAchernar at angular scales of a few milliarcseconds (mas) in theinfrared, in order to constrain the geometry of a possible polar CSE. Methods: .We obtained long-baseline interferometric observations ofAchernar with the VINCI/VLTI beam combiner in the H and K bands, usingvarious telescope configurations and baseline lengths with a wideazimuthal coverage. Results: .The observed visibility measurementsalong the polar direction are significantly lower than the visibilityfunction of the photosphere of the star alone, in particular at lowspatial frequencies. This points to the presence of an asymmetricdiffuse CSE elongated along the polar direction of the star. To ourdata, we fit a simple model consisting of two components: a 2Delliptical Gaussian superimposed on a uniform ellipse representing thedistorted photosphere of the fast rotating star. Conclusions: .Weclearly detected a CSE elongated along the polar axis of the star, aswell as rotational flattening of the stellar photosphere. For theuniform-ellipse photosphere we derive a major axis of θ_eq = 2.13± 0.05 mas and a minor axis of θ_pol = 1.51 ± 0.02mas. The relative near-IR flux measured for the CSE compared to thestellar photosphere is f = 4.7 ± 0.3%. Its angular dimensions areloosely constrained by the available data at ρ_eq = 2.7 ± 1.3mas and ρ_pol = 17.6 ± 4.9 mas. This CSE could be linked tofree-free emission from the radiative pressure driven wind originatingfrom the hot polar caps of the star.
| Statistical Constraints for Astrometric Binaries with Nonlinear Motion
Useful constraints on the orbits and mass ratios of astrometric binariesin the Hipparcos catalog are derived from the measured proper motiondifferences of Hipparcos and Tycho-2 (Δμ), accelerations ofproper motions (μ˙), and second derivatives of proper motions(μ̈). It is shown how, in some cases, statistical bounds can beestimated for the masses of the secondary components. Two catalogs ofastrometric binaries are generated, one of binaries with significantproper motion differences and the other of binaries with significantaccelerations of their proper motions. Mathematical relations betweenthe astrometric observables Δμ, μ˙, and μ̈ andthe orbital elements are derived in the appendices. We find a remarkabledifference between the distribution of spectral types of stars withlarge accelerations but small proper motion differences and that ofstars with large proper motion differences but insignificantaccelerations. The spectral type distribution for the former sample ofbinaries is the same as the general distribution of all stars in theHipparcos catalog, whereas the latter sample is clearly dominated bysolar-type stars, with an obvious dearth of blue stars. We point outthat the latter set includes mostly binaries with long periods (longerthan about 6 yr).
| On the nature of lithium-rich giant stars. Constraints from beryllium abundances
We have derived beryllium abundances for 7 Li-rich giant (A(Li) >1.5) stars and 10 other Li-normal giants with the aim of investigatingthe origin of the lithium in the Li-rich giants. In particular, we testthe predictions of the engulfment scenario proposed by Siess & Livio(1999, MNRAS, 308, 1133), where the engulfment of a brown dwarf or oneor more giant planets would lead to simultaneous enrichment of7Li and 9Be. We show that regardless of theirnature, none of the stars studied in this paper were found to havedetectable beryllium. Using simple dilution arguments we show thatengulfment of an external object as the sole source of Li enrichment isruled out by the Li and Be abundance data. The present results favor theidea that Li has been produced in the interior of the stars by aCameron-Fowler process and brought up to the surface by an extra mixingmechanism.
| First results from the ESO VLTI calibrators program
The ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) is one of the leadinginterferometric facilities. It is equipped with several 8.2 and 1.8 mtelescopes, a large number of baselines up to 200 m, and with severalsubsystems designed to enable high quality measurements and to improvesignificantly the limits of sensitivities currently available tolong-baseline interferometry. The full scientific potential of the VLTIcan be exploited only if a consistent set of good quality calibrators isavailable. For this, a large number of observations of potentialcalibrators have been obtained during the commissioning phase of theVLTI. These data are publicly available. We briefly describe theinterferometer, the VINCI instrument used for the observations, the dataflow from acquisition to processed results, and we present and commenton the volume of observations gathered and scrutinized. The result is alist of 191 calibrator candidates, for which a total of 12 066observations can be deemed of satisfactory quality. We present a generalstatistical analysis of this sample, using as a starting point theangular diameters previously available in the literature. We derive thegeneral characteristics of the VLTI transfer function, and its trendwith time in the period 2001 through mid-2004. A second paper will bedevoted to a detailed investigation of a selected sample, aimed atestablishing a VLTI-based homogeneous system of calibrators.
| 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
| Rapidly Rotating Lithium-rich K Giants: The New Case of the Giant PDS 365
PDS 365 is a newly detected, rapidly rotating (vsini=20 kms-1), single, low-mass giant star that with HD 233517 and HD219025 forms a remarkable ensemble of single K giants with the uniqueproperties of rapid rotation, very strong Li lines, an asymmetricalHα profile, and a large far-infrared excess. Their vsini valuesare between 18 and 23 km s-1, and their LTE Li abundances,logɛ(Li), are between 2.9 and 3.9. Detailed analysis of PDS 365reveals it to be a ~1 Msolar giant with a value of12C/13C approximately equal to 12. A clearrelation between high rotational velocities and very high Li abundancesfor K giant stars is found only when asymmetrical Hα profiles andlarge far-infrared excesses are present. If we consider single K giants,we find that among rapid (vsini>=8 km s-1) rotators, avery large proportion (~50%) are Li-rich giants. This proportion is incontrast with a very low proportion (~2%) of Li-rich stars among themuch more common slowly rotating K giants. This striking difference isdiscussed in terms of proposed mechanisms for Li enrichment.
| A catalogue of calibrator stars for long baseline stellar interferometry
Long baseline stellar interferometry shares with other techniques theneed for calibrator stars in order to correct for instrumental andatmospheric effects. We present a catalogue of 374 stars carefullyselected to be used for that purpose in the near infrared. Owing toseveral convergent criteria with the work of Cohen et al.(\cite{cohen99}), this catalogue is in essence a subset of theirself-consistent all-sky network of spectro-photometric calibrator stars.For every star, we provide the angular limb-darkened diameter, uniformdisc angular diameters in the J, H and K bands, the Johnson photometryand other useful parameters. Most stars are type III giants withspectral types K or M0, magnitudes V=3-7 and K=0-3. Their angularlimb-darkened diameters range from 1 to 3 mas with a median uncertaintyas low as 1.2%. The median distance from a given point on the sky to theclosest reference is 5.2degr , whereas this distance never exceeds16.4degr for any celestial location. The catalogue is only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/393/183
| CHARM: A Catalog of High Angular Resolution Measurements
The Catalog of High Angular Resolution Measurements (CHARM) includesmost of the measurements obtained by the techniques of lunaroccultations and long-baseline interferometry at visual and infraredwavelengths, which have appeared in the literature or have otherwisebeen made public until mid-2001. A total of 2432 measurements of 1625sources are included, along with extensive auxiliary information. Inparticular, visual and infrared photometry is included for almost allthe sources. This has been partly extracted from currently availablecatalogs, and partly obtained specifically for CHARM. The main aim is toprovide a compilation of sources which could be used as calibrators orfor science verification purposes by the new generation of largeground-based facilities such as the ESO Very Large Interferometer andthe Keck Interferometer. The Catalog is available in electronic form atthe CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/386/492, and from theauthors on CD-Rom.
| Structure and Mass of a Young Globular Cluster in NGC 6946
Using the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the Hubble SpaceTelescope, we have imaged a luminous young star cluster in the nearbyspiral galaxy NGC 6946. Within a radius of 65 pc, the cluster has anabsolute visual magnitude, MV=-13.2, comparable to the mostluminous young ``super star clusters'' in the Antennae merger galaxy.UBV colors indicate an age of about 15 Myr. The cluster has a compactcore (radius ~1.3 pc) surrounded by an extended envelope with apower-law luminosity profile. The outer parts of the cluster profilegradually merge with the general field, making it difficult to measure aprecise half-light radius Re, but we estimateRe~13 pc. Combined with population synthesis models, theluminosity and age of the cluster imply a mass of8.2×105 Msolar for a Salpeter initial massfunction (IMF) extending down to 0.1 Msolar. If the IMF islognormal below 0.4 Msolar, then the mass decreases to5.5×105 Msolar. Depending on modelassumptions, the central density of the cluster is between5.3×103 and 1.7×104 Msolarpc-3, comparable to other high-density star-forming regions.We also estimate a dynamical mass for the cluster using high-dispersionspectra from the HIRES spectrograph on the Keck I telescope. The HIRESdata indicate a velocity dispersion of 10.0+/-2.7 km s-1 andimply a total cluster mass within 65 pc of(1.7+/-0.9)×106 Msolar. Comparing thedynamical mass with the mass estimates based on the photometry andpopulation synthesis models, we find that the mass-to-light ratio is atleast as high as for a Salpeter IMF extending down to 0.1Msolar, although a turnover in the IMF at 0.4Msolar is still possible within the ~1 σ errors. Thecluster will presumably remain bound, evolving into a globularcluster-like object. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA HubbleSpace Telescope and with the W. M. Keck Telescope.
| 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
| Two K Giants with Supermeteoritic Lithium Abundances: HDE 233517 and HD 9746
Two unusual Li-rich K giants, HDE 233517 and HD 9746, have been studied.Optical spectroscopy and photometry have been obtained to determine thefundamental parameters of HDE 233517, a single K2 III with an extremelylarge infrared excess. The spectra yield Teff=4475 K,logg=2.25, [Fe/H]=-0.37, vsini=17.6 km s-1, and a non-LTElogɛ(7Li)=4.22. Photometric observations reveallow-amplitude light variability with a period of 47.9 days. Combinedwith other parameters, this results in a minimum radius of 16.7Rsolar and minimum distance of 617 pc. Comparison of spectraobtained in 1994 and 1996 show profile variations in Hα and the NaD lines indicative of changing mass loss. Optical spectra of HD 9746, achromospherically active giant, were analyzed. The Teff=4400K and revised Hipparcos-based gravity of logg=2.30 lead to a non-LTElogɛ(7Li)=3.75. The Li abundances in both stars aresupermeteoritic. By the inclusion and exclusion of 6Li in thesyntheses, we show that consistent 7Li abundances areobtained only when 6Li is absent in the synthetic fit. Thisprovides evidence for fresh 7Li production and excludes bothpreservation of primordial Li and planetary accretion as viablescenarios for the formation of Li-rich giants. Both stars lie in closeproximity to the red giant luminosity bump supporting the hypothesisthat 7Li production is caused by the same mixing mechanismthat later results in CN processing and lowers the12C/13C ratio to nonstandard values.
| Detailed analysis of a sample of Li-rich giants
A detailed analysis has been carried out for a sample of 16 red giantsshowing a strong Li I 670.8 nm line. Ten of them were detected in asurvey by Castilho et al. (1998), and the other 6 stars are Li-richgiants selected from the literature. Element abundances in the sampleLi-rich giants are similar to those in normal red giants, differing onlyby their high Li abundance and infrared excess. This suggests thatLi-rich giants may correspond to a phase of stellar evolution of normalred giants, when Li is produced and transported to the atmosphere.
| Rotation and lithium in single giant stars
In the present work, we study the link between rotation and lithiumabundance in giant stars of luminosity class III, on the basis of alarge sample of 309 single stars of spectral type F, G and K. We havefound a trend for a link between the discontinuity in rotation at thespectral type G0III and the behavior of lithium abundances around thesame spectral type. The present work also shows that giant starspresenting the highest lithium contents, typically stars earlier thanG0III, are those with the highest rotation rates, pointing for adependence of lithium content on rotation, as observed for otherluminosity classes. Giant stars later than G0III present, as a rule, thelowest rotation rates and lithium contents. A large spread of about fivemagnitudes in lithium abundance is observed for the slow rotators.Finally, single giant stars with masses 1.5 < M/Msun<=2.5 show a clearest trend for a correlation between rotational velocityand lithium abundance. Based on observations collected at theObservatoire de Haute -- Provence (France) and at the European SouthernObservatory, La Silla (Chile). Table 2 is only available electronicallywith the On-Line publication athttp://link.springer.de/link/service/00230/
| The Nature of the lithium rich giants. Mixing episodes on the RGB and early-AGB
We present a critical analysis of the nature of the so-called Li-richRGB stars. For a majority of the stars, we have used Hipparcosparallaxes to determine masses and evolutionary states by comparingtheir position on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram with theoreticalevolutionary tracks. Among the twenty Li-rich giants whose location onthe HR diagram we were able to determine precisely, five appear to beLi-rich because they have not completed the standard first dredge-updilution, and three have abundances compatible with the maximum allowedby standard dilution. Thus, these should be re-classified as Li-normal.For the remaining stars, the high Li abundance must be a result of freshsynthesis of this fragile element. We identify two distinct episodes ofLi production which occur in advanced evolutionary phases depending uponthe mass of the star. Low-mass RGB stars, which later undergo the heliumflash, produce Li at the phase referred to as the bump in the luminosityfunction. At this evolutionary phase, the outwardly-moving hydrogenshell burns through the mean molecular weight discontinuity created bythe first dredge-up. Any extra-mixing process can now easily connect the3He-rich envelope material to the outer regions of thehydrogen-burning shell, enabling Li production by the Cameron &Fowler (1971) process. While very high Li abundances are then reached,this Li-rich phase is extremely short lived because once the mixingextends deep enough to lower the carbon isotopic ratio below thestandard dilution value, the freshly synthesized Li is quicklydestroyed. In intermediate-mass stars, the mean molecular weightgradient due to the first dredge-up is not erased until after the starhas begun to burn helium in its core. The Li-rich phase in these starsoccurs when the convective envelope deepens at the base of the AGB,permitting extra-mixing to play an effective role. Li production ceaseswhen a strong mean molecular weight gradient is built up between thedeepening convective envelope and the shell of nuclear burning thatsurrounds the inert CO core. This episode is also very short lived.Low-mass stars may undergo additional mixing at this phase. The compileddata provide constraints on the time scales for extra mixing and someinsight on processes suggested in the literature. However, our resultsdo not suggest any specific trigger mechanism. Since the Li-rich phasesare extremely short, enrichment of the Li content of the ISM as a resultof these episodes is negligible.
| Speckle Interferometry of New and Problem HIPPARCOS Binaries
The ESA Hipparcos satellite made measurements of over 12,000 doublestars and discovered 3406 new systems. In addition to these, 4706entries in the Hipparcos Catalogue correspond to double star solutionsthat did not provide the classical parameters of separation and positionangle (rho,theta) but were the so-called problem stars, flagged ``G,''``O,'' ``V,'' or ``X'' (field H59 of the main catalog). An additionalsubset of 6981 entries were treated as single objects but classified byHipparcos as ``suspected nonsingle'' (flag ``S'' in field H61), thusyielding a total of 11,687 ``problem stars.'' Of the many ground-basedtechniques for the study of double stars, probably the one with thegreatest potential for exploration of these new and problem Hipparcosbinaries is speckle interferometry. Results are presented from aninspection of 848 new and problem Hipparcos binaries, using botharchival and new speckle observations obtained with the USNO and CHARAspeckle cameras.
| Spectral Irradiance Calibration in the Infrared. X. A Self-Consistent Radiometric All-Sky Network of Absolutely Calibrated Stellar Spectra
We start from our six absolutely calibrated continuous stellar spectrafrom 1.2 to 35 μm for K0, K1.5, K3, K5, and M0 giants. These wereconstructed as far as possible from actual observed spectral fragmentstaken from the ground, the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, and the IRAS LowResolution Spectrometer, and all have a common calibration pedigree.From these we spawn 422 calibrated ``spectral templates'' for stars withspectral types in the ranges G9.5-K3.5 III and K4.5-M0.5 III. Wenormalize each template by photometry for the individual stars usingpublished and/or newly secured near- and mid-infrared photometryobtained through fully characterized, absolutely calibrated,combinations of filter passband, detector radiance response, and meanterrestrial atmospheric transmission. These templates continue ourongoing effort to provide an all-sky network of absolutely calibrated,spectrally continuous, stellar standards for general infrared usage, allwith a common, traceable calibration heritage. The wavelength coverageis ideal for calibration of many existing and proposed ground-based,airborne, and satellite sensors, particularly low- tomoderate-resolution spectrometers. We analyze the statistics of probableuncertainties, in the normalization of these templates to actualphotometry, that quantify the confidence with which we can assert thatthese templates truly represent the individual stars. Each calibratedtemplate provides an angular diameter for that star. These radiometricangular diameters compare very favorably with those directly observedacross the range from 1.6 to 21 mas.
| A catalog of rotational and radial velocities for evolved stars
Rotational and radial velocities have been measured for about 2000evolved stars of luminosity classes IV, III, II and Ib covering thespectral region F, G and K. The survey was carried out with the CORAVELspectrometer. The precision for the radial velocities is better than0.30 km s-1, whereas for the rotational velocity measurementsthe uncertainties are typically 1.0 km s-1 for subgiants andgiants and 2.0 km s-1 for class II giants and Ib supergiants.These data will add constraints to studies of the rotational behaviourof evolved stars as well as solid informations concerning the presenceof external rotational brakes, tidal interactions in evolved binarysystems and on the link between rotation, chemical abundance and stellaractivity. In this paper we present the rotational velocity v sin i andthe mean radial velocity for the stars of luminosity classes IV, III andII. Based on observations collected at the Haute--Provence Observatory,Saint--Michel, France and at the European Southern Observatory, LaSilla, Chile. Table \ref{tab5} also available in electronic form at CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Catalogs of temperatures and [Fe/H] averages for evolved G and K stars
A catalog of mean values of [Fe/H] for evolved G and K stars isdescribed. The zero point for the catalog entries has been establishedby using differential analyses. Literature sources for those entries areincluded in the catalog. The mean values are given with rms errors andnumbers of degrees of freedom, and a simple example of the use of thesestatistical data is given. For a number of the stars with entries in thecatalog, temperatures have been determined. A separate catalogcontaining those data is briefly described. Catalog only available atthe CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Beryllium abundance in lithium-rich giants
About 2% of the Population I red giants show lithium abundancessignificantly larger than expected by dilution due to mixing byclassical convection and, in some of them, the lithium abundance reachesvalues similar to (and even larger than) the Pop I value (meteoritic,open clusters etc.) around logN(Li) = 3.3. The classical convectionpredicts also a (smaller) dilution of beryllium and (an even smallerone) of boron. Two main interpretations of the Li-rich giants arepossible: the initial Li has been somehow preserved (perhaps by theinhibition of the classical mixing) on the contrary, a mixing, deeperthan the classical one, took place in some (or all?) giants, leading toa dilution of the superficial lithium but sometimes overcompensating forit by an internal production of lithium, with transport to the surface(by the Cameron-Fowler mechanism). In the first interpretation, Be (morerobust than Li) is a fortiori preserved, in the second one, a mixingdeeper than the classical one should dilute Be more than the classicalBe dilution. We have observed the Be II lambda 3130.420 and 3131.066Angstroms lines in two Li-rich giants and three reference stars: oneLi-poor giant and alpha Cen A and B. The observations were carried outat the ESO 3.6m telescope using the CASPEC spectrograph. By comparingthe observed spectra with spectrum synthesis calculations we show thatfor the three giant stars the Be abundance is low, suggesting that, inthese giants, Be is very depleted (>90%) from the initial Pop I value(logN(Be) ~ 1.4). This result implies that the original Li in thesestars must have been almost completely destroyed, and that the high Liabundances in the Li-rich red giants is most probably due to Liproduction in these stars. Observations collected at the EuropeanSouthern Observatory -- ESO, Chile
| Late-type giants with infrared excess. I. Lithium abundances
de la Reza et al. (1997) suggested that all K giants become Li-rich fora short time. During this period the giants are associated with anexpanding thin circumstellar shell supposedly triggered by an abruptinternal mixing mechanism resulting in the surface Li enrichment. Inorder to test this hypothesis twenty nine late-type giants withfar-infrared excess from the list of Zuckerman et al. (1995) wereobserved in the Li-region to study the connection between thecircumstellar shells and Li abundance. Eight giants have been found tohave log epsilon (Li) > 1.0. In the remaining giants the Li abundanceis found to be much lower. HD 219025 is found to be a rapidly rotating(projected rotational velocity of 23 +/-3 km s(-1) ), dusty and Li-rich(log epsilon (Li) = 3.0+/-0.2) K giant. Absolute magnitude derived fromthe Hipparcos parallax reveals that it is a giant and not apre-main-sequence star. The evolutionary status of HD 219025 seems to besimilar to that of HDE 233517 which is also a rapidly rotating, dustyand Li-rich K giant. The Hipparcos parallaxes of all the well studiedLi-rich K giants show that most of them are brighter than the ``clump"giants. Their position in the H-R diagram indicates that they have gonethrough mixing and the initial abundance of Li is not preserved. Thereseems to be no correlations between Li abundances, rotational velocitiesand carbon isotope ratios. The only satisfactory explanation for theoverabundance of lithium in these giants is the creation of Li by theextra deep mixing and the associated ``cool bottom processing". Based onobservations obtained at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla,Chile, and at the Observatoire de Haute Provence, France.
| Keck HIRES spectroscopy of M92 subgiants - Surprising abundances near the turnoff
Using high-resolution, moderate SNR spectroscopy obtained with the 10 mKeck I Telescope and efficient HIRES echelle spectrograph, we deriveabundances of several elements in subgiants near the M92 turnoff. Theanalysis suggests that the M92 reddening may be 0.04-0.05 mag greaterthan canonical values. It is concluded that either the (Fe/H) of M92 hasbeen significantly overestimated from red giants or currentreddening/photometry estimates are too small/red. If thereddening/photometry were in error by this amount, turnoff color basedages for M92 could be reduced by 4 Gyr. The adjustment to the M92distance modulus required for a similarly reduced turnoff age that isluminosity-based can be accommodated by increases in extinction andalterations to the metal-poor field star distance scale recentlyinferred from Hipparcos Cepheid and subdwarf data. Our M92 subgiantsdemonstrate (Cr/Fe), (Ca/Fe), and (Ti/Fe) ratios that are unremarkableand essentially identical to the values for HD 140283. (Ba/Fe) is 0.45dex larger for the M92 subgiants than for HD 140283. Surprisingly, wefind (Mg/Fe) to be 0.55 dex lower in our M92 subgiants than in HD140283, and (Na/Fe) to be 0.76 dex larger in our M92 subgiants than inHD 140283. If real, this striking abundance pattern is suggestive ofmaterial in our M92 stars' photospheres that has undergone Ne-Na andMg-Al cycling like that inferred for red giants in M92 and otherclusters.
| Determination of the temperatures of selected ISO flux calibration stars using the Infrared Flux Method
Effective temperatures for 420 stars with spectral types between A0 andK3, and luminosity classes between II and V, selected for a fluxcalibration of the Infrared Space Observatory, ISO, have been determinedusing the Infrared Flux Method (IRFM). The determinations are based onnarrow and wide band photometric data obtained for this purpose, andtake into account previously published narrow-band measures oftemperature. Regression coefficients are given for relations between thedetermined temperatures and the photometric parameters (B2-V1), (b-y)and (B-V), corrected for interstellar extinction through use ofHipparcos parallaxes. A correction for the effect of metallicity on thedetermination of integrated flux is proposed. The importance of aknowledge of metallicity in the representation of derived temperaturesfor Class V, IV and III stars by empirical functions is discussed andformulae given. An estimate is given for the probable error of eachtemperature determination. Based on data from the ESA HipparcosAstrometry Satellite.
| Towards a fundamental calibration of stellar parameters of A, F, G, K dwarfs and giants
I report on the implementation of the empirical surface brightnesstechnique using the near-infrared Johnson broadband { (V-K)} colour assuitable sampling observable aimed at providing accurate effectivetemperatures of 537 dwarfs and giants of A-F-G-K spectral-type selectedfor a flux calibration of the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). Thesurface brightness-colour correlation is carefully calibrated using aset of high-precision angular diameters measured by moderninterferometry techniques. The stellar sizes predicted by thiscorrelation are then combined with the bolometric flux measurementsavailable for a subset of 327 ISO standard stars in order to determineone-dimensional { (T, V-K)} temperature scales of dwarfs and giants. Theresulting very tight relationships show an intrinsic scatter induced byobservational photometry and bolometric flux measurements well below thetarget accuracy of +/- 1 % required for temperature determinations ofthe ISO standards. Major improvements related to the actual directcalibration are the high-precision broadband { K} magnitudes obtainedfor this purpose and the use of Hipparcos parallaxes for dereddeningphotometric data. The temperature scale of F-G-K dwarfs shows thesmallest random errors closely consistent with those affecting theobservational photometry alone, indicating a negligible contributionfrom the component due to the bolometric flux measurements despite thewide range in metallicity for these stars. A more detailed analysisusing a subset of selected dwarfs with large metallicity gradientsstrongly supports the actual bolometric fluxes as being practicallyunaffected by the metallicity of field stars, in contrast with recentresults claiming somewhat significant effects. The temperature scale ofF-G-K giants is affected by random errors much larger than those ofdwarfs, indicating that most of the relevant component of the scattercomes from the bolometric flux measurements. Since the giants have smallmetallicities, only gravity effects become likely responsible for theincreased level of scatter. The empirical stellar temperatures withsmall model-dependent corrections are compared with the semiempiricaldata by the Infrared Flux Method (IRFM) using the large sample of 327comparison stars. One major achievement is that all empirical andsemiempirical temperature estimates of F-G-K giants and dwarfs are foundto be closely consistent between each other to within +/- 1 %. However,there is also evidence for somewhat significant differential effects.These include an average systematic shift of (2.33 +/- 0.13) % affectingthe A-type stars, the semiempirical estimates being too low by thisamount, and an additional component of scatter as significant as +/- 1 %affecting all the comparison stars. The systematic effect confirms theresults from other investigations and indicates that previousdiscrepancies in applying the IRFM to A-type stars are not yet removedby using new LTE line-blanketed model atmospheres along with the updatedabsolute flux calibration, whereas the additional random component isfound to disappear in a broadband version of the IRFM using an infraredreference flux derived from wide rather than narrow band photometricdata. Table 1 and 2 are only available in the electronic form of thispaper
| Statistical equilibrium of lithium in the atmospheres of late-type stars: lithium-rich G-K giants.
Not Available
| Classification and Identification of IRAS Sources with Low-Resolution Spectra
IRAS low-resolution spectra were extracted for 11,224 IRAS sources.These spectra were classified into astrophysical classes, based on thepresence of emission and absorption features and on the shape of thecontinuum. Counterparts of these IRAS sources in existing optical andinfrared catalogs are identified, and their optical spectral types arelisted if they are known. The correlations between thephotospheric/optical and circumstellar/infrared classification arediscussed.
| On a Rapid Lithium Enrichment and Depletion of K Giant Stars
A model scenario has recently been introduced by de la Reza andcolleagues to explain the presence of very strong Li lines in thespectra of some low-mass K giant stars. In this scenario all ordinary,Li-poor, K giants become Li rich during a short time (~105 yr) whencompared to the red giant phase of 5 x 107 yr. In this "Li period," alarge number of the stars are associated with an expanding thincircumstellar shell supposedly triggered by an abrupt internal mixingmechanism resulting in a surface new 7Li enrichment. This Letterpresents nearly 40 Li-rich K giants known up to now. The distribution ofthese Li-rich giants, along with 41 other observed K giants that haveshells but are not Li rich, in a color-color IRAS diagram confirms thisscenario, which indicates, also as a new result, that a rapid Lidepletion takes place on a timescale of between ~103 and 105 yr. Thismodel explains the problem of the presence of K giants with far-infraredexcesses presented by Zuckerman and colleagues. Other present and futuretests of this scenario are briefly discussed.
| 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
| Classification of Population II Stars in the Vilnius Photometric System. I. Methods
The methods used for classification of Population II stars in theVilnius photometric system are described. An extensive set of standardswith known astrophysical parameters compiled from the literature sourcesis given. These standard stars are classified in the Vilnius photometricsystem using the methods described. The accuracy of classification isevaluated by a comparison of the astrophysical parameters derived fromthe Vilnius photometric system with those estimated from spectroscopicstudies as well as from photometric data in other systems. For dwarfsand subdwarfs, we find a satisfactory agreement between our reddeningsand those estimated in the uvbyscriptstyle beta system. The standarddeviation of [Fe/H] deter mined in the Vilnius system is about 0.2 dex.The absolute magnitude for dwarfs and subdwarfs is estimated with anaccuracy of scriptstyle <=0.5 mag.
| Lithium Enrichment--Mass-Loss Connection in K Giant Stars
Based on observed far-infrared properties of K giant stars, we propose ascenario linking the high Li abundances of some of these stars to theevolution of circumstellar shells. In this model, every K giant withmasses between 1.0 and 2.5 Mȯ become Li rich during the red giantbranch stage, and the internal mechanism responsible for the Lienrichment will initiate a prompt mass-loss event. The evolutionarypaths of the detached shells are compatible with observations for lowexpansion velocities of the order of 2 km s-1 and mass loss of (2--5) x10-8 Mȯ yr-1. This modest mass loss is, however, 2 orders ofmagnitude larger than those of normal, Li-poor K giants. A "Li time" ofthe order of 80,000 yr or somewhat larger is possible. This Li phase is,nevertheless, not related to the 12C/13C ratio which appears to evolve,for these low-mass stars, over a much longer time. This model requires arapid internal process of Li enrichment and depletion. New argumentsappearing in the literature concerning this internal process arediscussed. Reference is also made to the importance of these stars tothe Galactic Li evolution.
| Rotational velocity for lithium-rich evolved stars.
Precise rotational velocities have been determined for 12 lithium-richgiant stars using the CORAVEL spectrometer. Except for HD 9746, thelithium-rich giants show normal rotational velocities with respect totypical lithium-normal giants of the same spectral type. Further, wehave found no sign of binarity for the lithium-rich giants.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Cetus |
| Right ascension: | 00h12m10.00s |
| Declination: | -17°56'18.0" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 5.25 |
| Distance: | 187.617 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 57.5 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -27.9 |
| B-T magnitude: | 7.206 |
| V-T magnitude: | 5.439 |
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