Contents
Images
Upload your image
DSS Images Other Images
Related articles
Magnetic fields of chemically peculiar stars. II: Magnetic fields and rotation of stars with strong and weak anomalies in the continuum energy distribution
We make a comparative analysis of magnetic fields and rotationparameters of magnetic CP stars with strong and weak anomalies in thespectral energy distribution. Stars with strong depressions in thecontinuum at 5200 Å are shown to have significantly strongerfields (the mean longitudinal component of the fields of these stars is< B e> = 1341 ± 98 G) compared to objects withweaker depressions (< B e> = 645 ± 58 G). Starswith stronger depressions are also found to occur more commonly amongslow rotators. Their rotation periods are, on the average, about 10 dayslong, three times longer than these of stars with weak depressions(about three days). This fact is indicative of a decrease of the degreeof anomality of the magnetic stars continuum spectrum with increasingrotational velocity. Yet another proof has been obtained suggesting thatslow rotation is one of the crucial factors contributing to thedevelopment of the phenomenon of magnetic chemically peculiar stars.Magnetic CP stars with weak depressions at 5200 Å are intermediateobjects between stars with strong depressions and normal A- and B-typestars both in terms of field strength and rotational velocity.
| Magnetic fields of chemically peculiar stars. I. The catalog of magnetic CP stars
This is the first paper of the series dedicated to the analysis of themagnetism of chemically peculiar (CP) stars of the upper Main Sequence.We use our own measurements and published data to compile a catalog ofmagnetic CP stars containing a total of 326 objects with confidentlydetected magnetic fields and 29 stars which are very likely to possessmagnetic field. We obtained the data on the magnetism of theoverwhelming majority of the stars solely based on the analysis oflongitudinal field component B e . The surface magneticfield, B s , has been measured for 49 objects. Our analysisshows that the number of magnetic CP stars decreases with increasingfield strength in accordance with exponential law, and stars with B e exceeding 5kG occur rarely (about 3% objects of ourlist).
| Evolution of magnetic fields in stars across the upper main sequence: II. Observed distribution of the magnetic field geometry
We re-discuss the evolutionary state of upper main sequence magneticstars using a sample of Ap and Bp stars with accurate Hipparcosparallaxes and definitely determined longitudinal magnetic fields. Weconfirm our previous results obtained from the study of Ap and Bp starswith accurate measurements of the mean magnetic field modulus and meanquadratic magnetic fields that magnetic stars of mass {M}<3 M_ȯare concentrated towards the centre of the main-sequence band. Incontrast, stars with masses {M}>3 M_ȯ seem to be concentratedcloser to the ZAMS. The study of a few known members of nearby openclusters with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes confirms these conclusions.Stronger magnetic fields tend to be found in hotter, younger and moremassive stars, as well as in stars with shorter rotation periods. Thelongest rotation periods are found only in stars which spent alreadymore than 40% of their main sequence life, in the mass domain between1.8 and 3 M_ȯ and with log g values ranging from 3.80 to 4.13. Noevidence is found for any loss of angular momentum during themain-sequence life. The magnetic flux remains constant over the stellarlife time on the main sequence. An excess of stars with largeobliquities β is detected in both higher and lower mass stars. It isquite possible that the angle β becomes close to 0o inslower rotating stars of mass {M}>3 M_ȯ too, analog to thebehaviour of angles β in slowly rotating stars of {M}<3 M_ȯ.The obliquity angle distribution as inferred from the distribution ofr-values appears random at the time magnetic stars become observable onthe H-R diagram. After quite a short time spent on the main sequence,the obliquity angle β tends to reach values close to either90o or 0o for {M}<3 M_ȯ. The evolution ofthe obliquity angle β seems to be somewhat different for low andhigh mass stars. While we find a strong hint for an increase of βwith the elapsed time on the main sequence for stars with {M}>3M_ȯ, no similar trend is found for stars with {M}<3 M_ȯ.However, the predominance of high values of β at advanced ages inthese stars is notable. As the physics governing the processes takingplace in magnetised atmospheres remains poorly understood, magneticfield properties have to be considered in the framework of dynamo orfossil field theories.
| Are magnetic hot stars intrinsic X-ray sources?
Context: . X-ray surveys carried out with the Einstein and ROSATsatellites have resulted in rather unexpected detections of X-rayemission from late B-type and early A-type stars. These stars possessneither winds like early-type stars nor convective envelopes aslate-type stars, so that the origin and production mechanism of thisX-emission is unclear. Aims: . We investigate whether thepresence of large magnetic fields is related to the observed X-rayemission. Methods: . We carried out Chandra high-angularresolution observations of a sample of late B-type and A-type stars withmeasured magnetic fields in the range from 0.2-17 kG. Out of theselected 10 sample stars, 6 objects had been previously detected asX-ray sources, some of them, however, with high positional uncertaintyand a low signal-to-noise ratio, while 4 of our sample stars do havelarge magnetic fields but no previous detections of X-ray emission. Results: . Our Chandra data confirm all previous ROSAT detectionswith an extremely high significance, and the limits of the offsetsbetween X-ray and optical positions are greatly improved. In particular,HD 215441, known as Babcock's star with the strongestmagnetic field by far (17 kG) of our sample stars, a rather faint andsomewhat marginal ROSAT source, can clearly be detected. However, noneof the 4 ROSAT non-detections could be detected with the new Chandraobservations. Conclusions: . The pure existence of a magneticfield of kiloGauss strength on a late B-type or A-type star is thereforenot necessarily a prerequisite for finding X-ray emission among thesestars. Understanding the observed X-ray emission from Babcock's star isa challenge for observational and theoretical astrophysics.
| New magnetic chemically peculiar stars
Spectropolarimetric observations of 96 chemically peculiar (CP)main-sequence stars have been carried out at the 6-m telescope at theSpecial Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences(SAO RAS) with the aim of searching for the presence of stellar magneticfields. The stars selected for investigation were CP stars known to havestrong anomalies in the wavelength region of the continuum fluxdepression around λ 5200Å. This selection was conductedwith the aid of low-resolution spectral observations, made with the SAORAS 1-m telescope, and of published differential photometric data.Magnetic fields have been successfully detected in 72 stars of whichonly three stars were previously known to have magnetic fields. For twostars, the longitudinal component of the magnetic field Beexceeds 5 kG: HD178892 - 7.4 kG, and HD258686 - 6.7 kG. We failed toreliably detect the magnetic field in the other 24 CP stars. These starsare mostly fast rotators, a feature which hampers accurate measurementsof Be. It is demonstrated in this paper that selectingcandidate magnetic stars by considering their photometric indices Z orΔa, or alternatively, by inspecting low-resolution spectra aroundthe λ5200Å flux depression, considerably increases thedetection rate.This paper is based on data obtained at the 6-m telescope of the RussianAcademy of Sciences.E-mail: dkudr@sao.ru
| Evolutionary state of magnetic chemically peculiar stars
Context: .The photospheres of about 5-10% of the upper main sequencestars exhibit remarkable chemical anomalies. Many of these chemicallypeculiar (CP) stars have a global magnetic field, the origin of which isstill a matter of debate. Aims: .We present a comprehensivestatistical investigation of the evolution of magnetic CP stars, aimedat providing constraints to the theories that deal with the origin ofthe magnetic field in these stars. Methods: .We have collectedfrom the literature data for 150 magnetic CP stars with accurateHipparcos parallaxes. We have retrieved from the ESO archive 142 FORS1observations of circularly polarized spectra for 100 stars. From thesespectra we have measured the mean longitudinal magnetic field, anddiscovered 48 new magnetic CP stars (five of which belonging to the rareclass of rapidly oscillating Ap stars). We have determined effectivetemperature and luminosity, then mass and position in the H-R diagramfor a final sample of 194 magnetic CP stars. Results: .We foundthat magnetic stars with M > 3 ~M_ȯ are homogeneouslydistributed along the main sequence. Instead, there are statisticalindications that lower mass stars (especially those with M ≤2~M_ȯ) tend to concentrate in the centre of the main sequence band.We show that this inhomogeneous age distribution cannot be attributed tothe effects of random errors and small number statistics. Our datasuggest also that the surface magnetic flux of CP stars increases withstellar age and mass, and correlates with the rotation period. For starswith M > 3~M_ȯ, rotation periods decrease with age in a wayconsistent with the conservation of the angular momentum, while for lessmassive magnetic CP stars an angular momentum loss cannot be ruledout. Conclusions: .The mechanism that originates and sustains themagnetic field in the upper main sequence stars may be different in CPstars of different mass.
| On the detection of chemically peculiar stars using Δa photometry
We have summarized all Δ a measurements for galactic field stars(1474 objects) from the literature published over more than two decades.These measurements were, for the first time, compiled and homogeneouslyanalyzed. The Δ a intermediate band photometric system samples thedepth of the 5200 Å flux depression by comparing the flux at thecenter with the adjacent regions with bandwidths of 110 Å to 230Å. Because it was slightly modified over the last three decades,we checked for systematic trends for the different measurements butfound no correlations whatsoever. The Δ a photometric system ismost suitable to detecting magnetic chemically peculiar (CP) stars withhigh efficiency, but is also capable of detecting a small percentage ofnon-magnetic CP objects. Furthermore, the groups of (metal-weak)λ Bootis, as well as classical Be/shell stars, can besuccessfully investigated. In addition, we also analyzed the behaviourof supergiants (luminosity class I and II). On the basis of apparentnormal type objects, the correlation of the 3σ significance limitand the percentage of positive detection for all groups was derived. Wecompared the capability of the Δ a photometric system with theΔ (V1 - G) and Z indices of the Geneva 7-color system to detectpeculiar objects. Both photometric systems show the same efficiency forthe detection of CP and λ Bootis stars, while the indices in theGeneva system are even more efficient at detecting Be/shell objects. Onthe basis of this statistical analysis it is possible to derive theincidence of CP stars in galactic open cluster and extragalactic systemsincluding the former unknown bias of undetected objects. This isespecially important in order to make a sound statistical analysis ofthe correlation between the occurrence of these objects andastrophysical parameters such as the age, metallicity, and strength ofglobal, as well as local, magnetic fields.
| A catalog of stellar magnetic rotational phase curves
Magnetized stars usually exhibit periodic variations of the effective(longitudinal) magnetic field Be caused by their rotation. Wepresent a catalog of magnetic rotational phase curves, Be vs.the rotational phase φ, and tables of their parameters for 136stars on the main sequence and above it. Phase curves were obtained bythe least squares fitting of sine wave or double wave functions to theavailable Be measurements, which were compiled from theexisting literature. Most of the catalogued objects are chemicallypeculiar A and B type stars (127 stars). For some stars we also improvedor determined periods of their rotation. We discuss the distribution ofparameters describing magnetic rotational phase curves in our sample.All tables and Appendix A are only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org
| The primordial binary population. I. A near-infrared adaptive optics search for close visual companions to A star members of Scorpius OB2
We present the results of a near-infrared adaptive optics survey withthe aim to detect close companions to Hipparcos members in the threesubgroups of the nearby OB association Sco OB2: Upper Scorpius (US),Upper Centaurus Lupus (UCL) and Lower Centaurus Crux (LCC). We havetargeted 199 A-type and late B-type stars in the KS band, anda subset also in the J and H band. We find 151 stellar components otherthan the target stars. A brightness criterion is used to separate thesecomponents into 77 background stars and 74 candidate physical companionstars. Out of these 74 candidate companions, 41 have not been reportedbefore (14 in US; 13 in UCL; 14 in LCC). The angular separation betweenprimaries and observed companion stars ranges from 0.22'' to 12.4''. Atthe mean distance of Sco OB2 (130 pc) this corresponds to a projectedseparation of 28.6 AU to 1612 AU. Absolute magnitudes are derived forall primaries and observed companions using the parallax andinterstellar extinction for each star individually. For each object wederive the mass from KS, assuming an age of 5 Myr for the USsubgroup, and 20 Myr for the UCL and LCC subgroups. Companion starmasses range from 0.10 Mȯ to 3.0 Mȯ. Themass ratio distribution follows f(q) = q-Γ withΓ=0.33, which excludes random pairing. No close (ρ ≤3.75'') companion stars or background stars are found in the magnituderange 12 mag≤ KS ≤ 14 mag. The lack of stars withthese properties cannot be explained by low-number statistics, and mayimply a lower limit on the companion mass of 0.1Mȯ. Close stellar components with KS >14mag are observed. If these components are very low-mass companion stars,a gap in the companion mass distribution might be present. The smallnumber of close low-mass companion stars could support theembryo-ejection formation scenario for brown dwarfs. Our findings arecompared with and complementary to visual, spectroscopic, andastrometric data on binarity in Sco OB2. We find an overall companionstar fraction of 0.52 in this association. This is a lower limit sincethe data from the observations and from literature are hampered byobservational biases and selection effects. This paper is the first steptoward our goal to derive the primordial binary population in Sco OB2.Full Table 1 is only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.orgBased on observations collected with the ADONIS instrument at theEuropean Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile (65.H-0568(A) and67.D-0220(A)).
| Catalogue of averaged stellar effective magnetic fields. I. Chemically peculiar A and B type stars
This paper presents the catalogue and the method of determination ofaveraged quadratic effective magnetic fields < B_e > for 596 mainsequence and giant stars. The catalogue is based on measurements of thestellar effective (or mean longitudinal) magnetic field strengths B_e,which were compiled from the existing literature.We analysed the properties of 352 chemically peculiar A and B stars inthe catalogue, including Am, ApSi, He-weak, He-rich, HgMn, ApSrCrEu, andall ApSr type stars. We have found that the number distribution of allchemically peculiar (CP) stars vs. averaged magnetic field strength isdescribed by a decreasing exponential function. Relations of this typehold also for stars of all the analysed subclasses of chemicalpeculiarity. The exponential form of the above distribution function canbreak down below about 100 G, the latter value representingapproximately the resolution of our analysis for A type stars.Table A.1 and its references are only 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/407/631 and Tables 3 to 9are only available in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org
| Formation scenarios for the young stellar associations between galactic longitudes l = 280degr - 360degr
We investigate the spatial distribution, the space velocities and agedistribution of the pre-main sequence (PMS) stars belonging toOphiuchus, Lupus and Chamaeleon star-forming regions (SFRs), and of theyoung early-type star members of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association.These young stellar associations extend over the galactic longituderange from 280degr to 360degr , and are at a distance interval ofaround 100 and 200 pc. This study is based on a compilation ofdistances, proper motions and radial velocities from the literature forthe kinematic properties, and of basic stellar data for the constructionof Hertzsprung-Russel diagrams. Although there was no well-known OBassociation in Chamaeleon, the distances and the proper motions of agroup of 21 B- and A-type stars, taken from the Hipparcos Catalogue,lead us to propose that they form a young association. We show that theyoung early-type stars of the OB associations and the PMS stars of theSFRs follow a similar spatial distribution, i.e., there is no separationbetween the low and the high-mass young stars. We find no difference inthe kinematics nor in the ages of these two populations studied.Considering not only the stars selected by kinematic criteria but thewhole sample of young early-type stars, the scattering of their propermotions is similar to that of the PMS stars and all the young starsexhibit a common direction of motion. The space velocities of theHipparcos PMS stars of each SFR are compatible with the mean values ofthe OB associations. The PMS stars in each SFR span a wide range of ages(from 1 to 20 Myr). The ages of the OB subgroups are 8-10 Myr for UpperScorpius (US), and 16-20 Myr for Upper Centaurus Lupus (UCL) and forLower Centaurus Crux (LCC). Thus, our results do not confirm that UCL isolder than the LCC association. Based on these results and theuncertainties associated with the age determination, we cannot say thatthere is indeed a difference in the age of the two populations. Weanalyze the different scenarios for the triggering of large-scalestar-formation that have been proposed up to now, and argue that mostprobably we are observing a spiral arm that passes close to the Sun. Thealignment of young stars and molecular clouds and the average velocityof the stars in the opposite direction to the Galactic rotation agreewith the expected behavior of star formation in nearby spiral arms.Tables 1 to 4 are only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/404/913
| Merged catalogue of reflection nebulae
Several catalogues of reflection nebulae are merged to create a uniformcatalogue of 913 objects. It contains revised coordinates,cross-identifications of nebulae and stars, as well as identificationswith IRAS point sources.The catalogue is only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/399/141
| Astrometric radial velocities. III. Hipparcos measurements of nearby star clusters and associations
Radial motions of stars in nearby moving clusters are determined fromaccurate proper motions and trigonometric parallaxes, without any use ofspectroscopy. Assuming that cluster members share the same velocityvector (apart from a random dispersion), we apply a maximum-likelihoodmethod on astrometric data from Hipparcos to compute radial and spacevelocities (and their dispersions) in the Ursa Major, Hyades, ComaBerenices, Pleiades, and Praesepe clusters, and for theScorpius-Centaurus, alpha Persei, and ``HIP 98321'' associations. Theradial motion of the Hyades cluster is determined to within 0.4 kms-1 (standard error), and that of its individual stars towithin 0.6 km s-1. For other clusters, Hipparcos data yieldastrometric radial velocities with typical accuracies of a few kms-1. A comparison of these astrometric values withspectroscopic radial velocities in the literature shows a good generalagreement and, in the case of the best-determined Hyades cluster, alsopermits searches for subtle astrophysical differences, such as evidencefor enhanced convective blueshifts of F-dwarf spectra, and decreasedgravitational redshifts in giants. Similar comparisons for the ScorpiusOB2 complex indicate some expansion of its associations, albeit slowerthan expected from their ages. As a by-product from the radial-velocitysolutions, kinematically improved parallaxes for individual stars areobtained, enabling Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams with unprecedentedaccuracy in luminosity. For the Hyades (parallax accuracy 0.3 mas), itsmain sequence resembles a thin line, possibly with wiggles in it.Although this main sequence has underpopulated regions at certaincolours (previously suggested to be ``Böhm-Vitense gaps''), suchare not visible for other clusters, and are probably spurious. Futurespace astrometry missions carry a great potential for absoluteradial-velocity determinations, insensitive to the complexities ofstellar spectra. Based on observations by the ESA Hipparcos satellite.Extended versions of Tables \ref{tab1} and \ref{tab2} are available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.125.8) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/381/446
| Magnetic AP Stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
The evolutionary state of magnetic Ap stars is rediscussed using therecently released Hipparcos data. The distribution of the magnetic Apstars of mass below 3 Msolar in the H-R diagram differs fromthat of the normal stars in the same temperature range at a high levelof significance. Magnetic stars are concentrated toward the center ofthe main-sequence band. This is shown in two forms of the H-R diagram:one where logL is plotted against logTeff and a version moredirectly tied to the observed quantities, showing the astrometry-basedluminosity (Arenou & Luri) against the (B2-G)0 index ofGeneva photometry. In particular, it is found that magnetic fieldsappear only in stars that have already completed at least approximately30% of their main-sequence lifetime. No clear picture emerges as to thepossible evolution of the magnetic field across the main sequence. Hintsof some (loose) relations between magnetic field strength and otherstellar parameters are found: stars with shorter periods tend to havestronger fields, as do higher temperature and higher mass stars. Amarginal trend of the magnetic flux to be lower in more slowly rotatingstars may possibly be seen as suggesting a dynamo origin for the field.No correlation between the rotation period and the fraction of themain-sequence lifetime completed is observed, indicating that the slowrotation in these stars must already have been achieved before theybecame observably magnetic. Based on data from the ESA Hipparcossatellite and on observations collected at the European SouthernObservatory (La Silla, Chile; ESO programs Nos. 43.7-004, 44.7-012,49.7-030, 50.7-067, 51.7-041, 52.7-063, 53.7-028, 54.E-0416, and55.E-0751), at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence (Saint-Michell'Observatoire, France), at Kitt Peak National Observatory, and at theCanada-France-Hawaii Telescope.
| Hβ photometry of southern CP2 stars: is the uvbybeta luminosity calibration also valid for peculiar stars?
We present Hβ photometry of 233 southern CP2 stars (covering themagnetic Ap stars according to the definition by Preston 1974) brighterthan V < 8.5 mag from the list of Bidelman & MacConnell (1973).Absolute magnitudes derived from this photometry together with alreadyexisting uvby photometry is confronted with Hipparcos results availablefor a common subset of 152 stars. In order to compare peculiar withnormal stars, we identified a sample of 1147 normal B to F-type starsusing their published uvbybeta and Hipparcos data. For our analysis wedivide both samples into three temperature as well as two Hipparcosparallax accuracy groups. The error distribution of both samples provedto be statistically comparable. As a result the absolute magnitudes forthe B-type CP2 stars show up to be significantly too bright by anaverage of 0.5 mag using the actual photometric calibration. On theother hand, the photometric absolute magnitudes for cool A to F-type CP2stars are up to three magnitudes fainter as compared to Hipparcos. Basedon observations at ESO-La Silla and with the Hipparcos satellite
| The 74th Special Name-list of Variable Stars
We present the Name-list introducing GCVS names for 3153 variable starsdiscovered by the Hipparcos mission.
| A HIPPARCOS Census of the Nearby OB Associations
A comprehensive census of the stellar content of the OB associationswithin 1 kpc from the Sun is presented, based on Hipparcos positions,proper motions, and parallaxes. It is a key part of a long-term projectto study the formation, structure, and evolution of nearby young stellargroups and related star-forming regions. OB associations are unbound``moving groups,'' which can be detected kinematically because of theirsmall internal velocity dispersion. The nearby associations have a largeextent on the sky, which traditionally has limited astrometricmembership determination to bright stars (V<~6 mag), with spectraltypes earlier than ~B5. The Hipparcos measurements allow a majorimprovement in this situation. Moving groups are identified in theHipparcos Catalog by combining de Bruijne's refurbished convergent pointmethod with the ``Spaghetti method'' of Hoogerwerf & Aguilar.Astrometric members are listed for 12 young stellar groups, out to adistance of ~650 pc. These are the three subgroups Upper Scorpius, UpperCentaurus Lupus, and Lower Centaurus Crux of Sco OB2, as well as VelOB2, Tr 10, Col 121, Per OB2, alpha Persei (Per OB3), Cas-Tau, Lac OB1,Cep OB2, and a new group in Cepheus, designated as Cep OB6. Theselection procedure corrects the list of previously known astrometricand photometric B- and A-type members in these groups and identifiesmany new members, including a significant number of F stars, as well asevolved stars, e.g., the Wolf-Rayet stars gamma^2 Vel (WR 11) in Vel OB2and EZ CMa (WR 6) in Col 121, and the classical Cepheid delta Cep in CepOB6. Membership probabilities are given for all selected stars. MonteCarlo simulations are used to estimate the expected number of interloperfield stars. In the nearest associations, notably in Sco OB2, thelater-type members include T Tauri objects and other stars in the finalpre-main-sequence phase. This provides a firm link between the classicalhigh-mass stellar content and ongoing low-mass star formation. Detailedstudies of these 12 groups, and their relation to the surroundinginterstellar medium, will be presented elsewhere. Astrometric evidencefor moving groups in the fields of R CrA, CMa OB1, Mon OB1, Ori OB1, CamOB1, Cep OB3, Cep OB4, Cyg OB4, Cyg OB7, and Sct OB2, is inconclusive.OB associations do exist in many of these regions, but they are eitherat distances beyond ~500 pc where the Hipparcos parallaxes are oflimited use, or they have unfavorable kinematics, so that the groupproper motion does not distinguish it from the field stars in theGalactic disk. The mean distances of the well-established groups aresystematically smaller than the pre-Hipparcos photometric estimates.While part of this may be caused by the improved membership lists, arecalibration of the upper main sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russelldiagram may be called for. The mean motions display a systematicpattern, which is discussed in relation to the Gould Belt. Six of the 12detected moving groups do not appear in the classical list of nearby OBassociations. This is sometimes caused by the absence of O stars, but inother cases a previously known open cluster turns out to be (part of) anextended OB association. The number of unbound young stellar groups inthe solar neighborhood may be significantly larger than thoughtpreviously.
| New variable chemically peculiar stars identified in the HIPPARCOS archive
Since variability of chemically peculiar (CP) stars plays an importantrole for the astrophysical explanation of their outstanding behaviour,we have identified new variable CP stars listed in Renson's catalogueusing the extensive Hipparcos Variability Annex. From the 293 objectsfound, 33 were excluded because they are no CP stars and/or have noperiod listed, half of the remaining stars are newly identified and halfhad been already included in the catalogue of variable CP stars by\cite[Catalano & Renson (1997).]{Ca} Most of the newly identifiedvariability is due to an apparent magnetic field coupled with stellarrotation (oblique rotator model). The constraints of this model arefulfilled for all but three CP2 stars. Variations of bona fide Am-Fmstars are exclusively explained by eclipses of binary systems.Furthermore eight candidates of the >~mma Doradus group (pulsatingAm-Fm stars) were detected. Based on data from the ESA Hipparcosastrometry satellite. Table 1 is also available in electronic form atthe CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) orvia\break http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| On the HIPPARCOS photometry of chemically peculiar B, A, and F stars
The Hipparcos photometry of the Chemically Peculiar main sequence B, A,and F stars is examined for variability. Some non-magnetic CP stars,Mercury-Manganese and metallic-line stars, which according to canonicalwisdom should not be variable, may be variable and are identified forfurther study. Some potentially important magnetic CP stars are noted.Tables 1, 2, and 3 are available only in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| The HR-diagram from HIPPARCOS data. Absolute magnitudes and kinematics of BP - AP stars
The HR-diagram of about 1000 Bp - Ap stars in the solar neighbourhoodhas been constructed using astrometric data from Hipparcos satellite aswell as photometric and radial velocity data. The LM method\cite{luri95,luri96} allows the use of proper motion and radial velocitydata in addition to the trigonometric parallaxes to obtain luminositycalibrations and improved distances estimates. Six types of Bp - Apstars have been examined: He-rich, He-weak, HgMn, Si, Si+ and SrCrEu.Most Bp - Ap stars lie on the main sequence occupying the whole width ofit (about 2 mag), just like normal stars in the same range of spectraltypes. Their kinematic behaviour is typical of thin disk stars youngerthan about 1 Gyr. A few stars found to be high above the galactic planeor to have a high velocity are briefly discussed. Based on data from theESA Hipparcos astrometry satellite and photometric data collected in theGeneva system at ESO, La Silla (Chile) and at Jungfraujoch andGornergrat Observatories (Switzerland). Tables 3 and 4 are onlyavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| CP2 stars as viewed by the UVBY H_beta system
The aim of this work is to study the capacity of the uvby H_βsystem for detecting the chemically peculiar (CP) stars based on theeffect that peculiar features in the flux distribution have on all theStromgren-Crawford indices. Our study focuses on the classical magneticpeculiar stars (CP2), though Am stars (CP1) are also included forcomparison with cool CP2 stars. Satisfactory results were obtained forhot CP2 stars: the definition of a new index p, which is a linearcombination of uvby H_β colours, allowed us to separate a highpercentage of hot CP2 stars from normal stars. According to this newindex, 60 new CP2 candidates are proposed. The working sample wasextracted from The General Catalogue of Ap and Am stars by \cite[Rensonet al. (1991)]{ren91}. Photometric observations to enlarge the sample ofCP2 stars with complete uvby H_β photometry were carried out. Theseobservations are also reported in the present paper. The new index p isalso used to correct the reddening of early CP2 stars computed as ifthey were normal stars. Tables 2, 3 and 7 are also available inelectronic form from CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Radial velocities and axial rotation for a sample of chemically peculiar stars.
As part of a systematic project we have determined radial velocities andprojected rotational velocities for a sample of 186 chemically peculiarstars which have been observed by the Hipparcos' satellite. The purposeis to provide necessary data to study the space velocities of peculiarstars.
| Spectropolarimetry of magnetic stars. V. The mean quadratic magnetic field.
Systematic determinations of the mean quadratic magnetic field of Apstars have been performed for the first time. The mean quadraticmagnetic field (or, in short, the quadratic field) is the square root ofthe sum of the mean square magnetic field modulus and of the mean squarelongitudinal magnetic field. The latter are averages over the visiblestellar disk of the square of, respectively, the modulus of the magneticfield and its component along the line of sight. These averages areweighted by the local emergent line intensities. The quadratic field isdiagnosed from the study of the magnetic broadening of the stellarspectral lines as observed in unpolarized light, through thecharacterization of the widths of the lines by the second-order momentsof their profiles (in the Stokes parameter I) about their centre. Thetheoretical basis of the interpretation of these moments in terms ofmagnetic field and the strategy followed in the analysis are presented.It is shown that this analysis yields, as a by-product, the projectedequatorial velocity v_e_sini of the studied stars. Observations of asample of 29 stars are analyzed. For 22 of them, meaningful values orupper limits of the quadratic field can be determined. The lower limitof detection of the quadratic fields, set by the spectral resolution ofthe observations, is of the order of 5 kG. The observed quadratic fieldsrange from this value up to 37 kG, in the star HD 137509. The magneticfield of this star is likely the second strongest known field in Apstars. Quadratic field values derived for stars where resolvedmagnetically split lines are observed in higher-dispersion spectra areconsistent with the values of the mean field modulus measured in thosestars from the line splitting. For the stars of the sample repeatedlyobserved through their rotation cycle, the variations of the quadraticfield are well represented by a cosine with the rotation frequency ofthe star, or by the superposition of such a cosine and of a cosine withtwice that frequency. However, it appears that it is essential to have alarge number of observations distributed sufficiently uniformly andsufficiently densely over the rotation phases to determine unambiguouslythe shape of the variations. The extrema of the quadratic field tend tooccur at phases close to those of the extrema of the longitudinal field,but in some stars, the two quantities definitely vary out of phase. Theratio between the maximum and the minimum of the quadratic field isalways smaller than 1.7.
| Spectropolarimetry of magnetic stars. IV. The crossover effect.
This paper is devoted to the study of the crossover effect in magneticAp stars. It is shown that this effect can be measured by the secondorder moment about their centre of the profiles of spectral linesrecorded in the Stokes parameter V. The interpretation of thesemeasurements in terms of magnetic field is developed. It is shown thatone can derive from them a quantity called the mean asymmetry of thelongitudinal magnetic field, which is the first moment of the componentof the magnetic field along the line of sight, about the plane definedby the line of sight and the stellar rotation axis. The consistency ofthe determination of this quantity with that of the mean longitudinalmagnetic field from measurements of wavelength shifts of lines betweenright and left circular polarization is demonstrated. This technique ofanalysis is applied to observations of a sample of 29 stars, among which10 have a detectable crossover effect. For 8 of them, the availableobservational data allow the study of the variations of the asymmetry ofthe longitudinal field with rotation phase. In most cases, thisvariation is sinusoidal and essentially symmetric about 0, and it occursin quadrature with the variation of the mean longitudinal field. A morecomplex behaviour is definitely observed in HD 147010 and HD 175362,where the variation of the asymmetry of the longitudinal field is betterrepresented by the superposition of two sinusoids, one with the rotationfrequency of the star, and the other with twice that frequency.
| Spectropolarimetry of magnetic stars. III. Measurement uncertainties.
The estimation of the uncertainties affecting the determination ofvarious parameters characterizing spectral line profiles recorded inStokes I and V that are used in the diagnosis of stellar magnetic fieldsthrough the moment technique is described. Simple statisticalconsiderations are presented, to demonstrate that the errors areproperly assessed and to illustrate how their evaluation can beexploited to derive information about the physical properties of thestudied stars. It is shown that taking these uncertainties properly intoaccount allows one to achieve better determination of the meanlongitudinal magnetic field. Improved values of the latter are derivedfor observations already analysed in earlier work. The approach sketchedin this paper is intended as a basis for future studies of magneticfields of Ap stars.
| Some problems of non-reversive CP stars. I. Spatial distribution.
Not Available
| A study of magnetic fields in AP SI and He weak stars
A survey of 44 Ap and Bp Si and He-weak stars for the presence ofdetectable longitudinal magnetic fields (Be) is reported. Fields havebeen detected in about half of the sample, with typical standard errorsin the range of 100-400 G. In 11 stars, fields have been detected forthe first time. For most of the stars with detected fields, thevariation of Be with rotational phase has been determined at leastapproximately. In a number of cases the phase relationship withphotometric or spectroscopic variations have also been established.Several of the newly detected fields are relatively large, with rmsvalues between 1 and 4 kG, and thus may be especially suitable fordetailed mapping and modelling. A particularly interesting result ofthese observations is the identification of at least four stars in whichextrema of the photometric or spectroscopic variations do not coincidewith the magnetic extrema, which implies that the distribution ofchemical elements over the stellar surface that leads to photometricvariations is definitely not symmetric about the magnetic axis of thestar.
| A homogeneous catalog of new UBV and H-beta photometry of B- and A-type stars in and around the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association
B- and A-type stars in and near the Sco-Cen OB association areinvestigated with UBV and H-beta photometry to acquire data relevant tothe luminosity function of Sco-Cen. The measurements generally consistof two 10-s integrations of U, B, V, (W, N) filters, and theobservations are corrected iteratively for atmospheric extinction andinstrumental response. The data presented give the mean V magnitude,mean B-V, mean U-B, and the estimated uncertainties for these values.The catalog provides a homogeneous catalog of data for a large fieldwith stellar objects delineating membership to the association Sco-Cenand that affect the luminosity function of the aggregate.
| The third spectrum of praseodymium in magnetic AP stars
The identification of Pr III lines in the red spectrum of magnetic Apstars, whose great strength contrasts with the weakness of the secondspectrum of Pr in upper main-sequence, chemically peculiar stars, ispresently reported. This identification is judged to be a critical steptoward a knowledge of the abundance systematics of the lanthanides inchemically peculiar stars, as well as toward characterization of thechemical fractionation processes which they undergo.
| Spectropolarimetry of magnetic stars. II - The mean longitudinal magnetic field
Longitudinal magnetic field measurements were carried out for a sampleof Ap stars based on CCD spectra recording simultaneously in bothcirculation polarizations using the Zeeman analyzer of the ESOCassegrain Echelle Spectrograph fed by the ESO 3.6-m telescope.Comparison with previous studies demonstrates the proper operation ofthe Zeeman analyzer. Most curves of the rotational variation of thelongitudinal field are closely sinuosidal, which confirms that theanharmonicities of curves that had been reported in the past were oftendue to problems with the measurements of the photographic plates, whichare avoided with the present low-noise CCD spectra.
|
Submit a new article
Related links
Submit a new link
Member of following groups:
|
Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Wolf |
| Right ascension: | 16h01m58.87s |
| Declination: | -37°32'03.7" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 7.41 |
| Distance: | 123.916 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -10.6 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -24.6 |
| B-T magnitude: | 7.508 |
| V-T magnitude: | 7.419 |
Catalogs and designations:
|
