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A systematic study of variability among OB-stars based on HIPPARCOS photometry
Context: Variability is a key factor for understanding the nature of themost massive stars, the OB stars. Such stars lie closest to the unstableupper limit of star formation. Aims: In terms of statistics, thedata from the HIPPARCOS satellite are unique because of time coverageand uniformity. They are ideal to study variability in this large,uniform sample of OB stars. Methods: We used statisticaltechniques to determine an independant threshold of variabilitycorresponding to our sample of OB stars, and then applied an automaticalgorithm to search for periods in the data of stars that are locatedabove this threshold. We separated the sample stars into 4 maincategories of variability: 3 intrinsic and 1 extrinsic. The intrinsiccategories are: OB main sequence stars (~2/3 of the sample), OBe stars(~10%) and OB Supergiant stars (~1/4).The extrinsic category refers toeclipsing binaries. Results: We classified about 30% of the wholesample as variable, although the fraction depends on magnitude level dueto instrumental limitations. OBe stars tend to be much more variable(≈80%) than the average sample star, while OBMS stars are belowaverage and OBSG stars are average. Types of variables include αCyg, β Cep, slowly pulsating stars and other types from the generalcatalog of variable stars. As for eclipsing binaries, there arerelatively more contact than detached systems among the OBMS and OBestars, and about equal numbers among OBSG stars.
| The Alignment of the Polarization of Herbig Ae/Be Stars with the Interstellar Magnetic Field
We present a study of the correlation between the direction of thesymmetry axis of the circumstellar material around intermediate massyoung stellar objects and that of the interstellar magnetic field. Weuse CCD polarimetric data on 100 Herbig Ae/Be stars. A large numberof them show intrinsic polarization, which indicates that theircircumstellar envelopes are not spherical. The interstellar magneticfield direction is estimated from the polarization of field stars. Thereis an alignment between the position angle of the Herbig Ae/Be starpolarization and that of the field stars for the most polarized objects.This may be an evidence that the ambient interstellar magnetic fieldplays a role in shaping the circumstellar material around young stars ofintermediate mass and/or in defining their angular momentum axis.Based on observations made at the Observatório do Pico dos Dias,Brazil, operated by the Laboratório Nacional deAstrofísica.
| Searching for molecular hydrogen mid-infrared emission in the circumstellar environments of Herbig Be stars
Context: Molecular hydrogen (H2) is the most abundant molecule in thecircumstellar (CS) environments of young stars, and is a key element ingiant planet formation. The measurement of the H2 content provides themost direct probe of the total amount of CS gas, especially in the innerwarm planet-forming regions of the disks. Aims: Most Herbig Bestars (HBes) are distant from the Sun and their nature and evolution arestill debated. We therefore conducted mid-infrared observations of H2 asa tracer of warm gas around HBes known to have gas-rich CS environments.Methods: We report a search for the H2 S(1) emission line at17.0348 μm in the CS environments of 5 HBes with the high resolutionspectroscopic mode of VISIR (ESO VLT Imager and Spectrometer for themid-InfraRed). Results: No source shows evidence for H2 emissionat 17.0348 μm. Stringent 3σ upper limits on the integrated linefluxes are derived. Depending on the adopted temperature, limits oncolumn densities and masses of warm gas are also estimated. Thesenon-detections constrain the amount of warm (>150 K) gas in theimmediate CS environments of our target stars to be less than ˜1-10~ M_Jup.
| Be phenomenon in open clusters: results from a survey of emission-line stars in young open clusters
Emission-line stars in young open clusters are identified to study theirproperties, as a function of age, spectral type and evolutionary state.207 open star clusters were observed using the slitless spectroscopymethod and 157 emission stars were identified in 42 clusters. We havefound 54 new emission-line stars in 24 open clusters, out of which 19clusters are found to house emission stars for the first time. About 20per cent clusters harbour emission stars. The fraction of clustershousing emission stars is maximum in both the 0-10 and 20-30 Myr age bin(~40 per cent each). Most of the emission stars in our survey belong toClassical Be class (~92 per cent) while a few are Herbig Be stars (~6per cent) and Herbig Ae stars (~2 per cent). The youngest clusters tohave Classical Be stars are IC 1590, NGC 637 and 1624 (all 4 Myr old)while NGC 6756 (125-150 Myr) is the oldest cluster to have Classical Bestars. The Classical Be stars are located all along the main sequence(MS) in the optical colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of clusters of allages, which indicates that the Be phenomenon is unlikely due to corecontraction near the turn-off. The distribution of Classical Be stars asa function of spectral type shows peaks at B1-B2 and B6-B7 spectraltypes. The Be star fraction [N(Be)/N(B+Be)] is found to be less than 10per cent for most of the clusters and NGC 2345 is found to have thelargest fraction (~26 per cent). Our results indicate there could be twomechanisms responsible for the Classical Be phenomenon. Some are bornClassical Be stars (fast rotators), as indicated by their presence inclusters younger than 10 Myr. Some stars evolve to Classical Be stars,within the MS lifetime, as indicated by the enhancement in the fractionof clusters with Classical Be stars in the 20-30 Myr age bin.
| Molecular hydrogen in the circumstellar environments of Herbig Ae/Be stars probed by FUSE
Context: Molecular hydrogen (H2) gas is the most abundant molecule inthe circumstellar (CS) environments of young stars. It is thus a keyelement in our understanding of the evolution of pre-main sequence starsand their environments towards the main sequence. Aims: At the presenttime, little is known about the gas as compared to the dust in theenvironments of young stars. We thus observed molecular hydrogen arounda sample of pre-main sequence stars in order to better characterizetheir gaseous CS environments. Methods: The FUSE (Far UltravioletSpectroscopic Explorer) spectral range offers access to electronictransitions of H2. We analyzed the FUSE spectra of a sample of HerbigAe/Be stars (HAeBes) covering a broad spectral range (from F4 to B2),including the main-sequence A5 star β Pictoris. To better diagnosethe origin of the detected molecular gas and its excitation conditions,we used a model of a photodissociation region. Results: Our analysisdemonstrates that the excitation of H2 is clearly different around mostof the HAeBes compared to the interstellar medium. Moreover, thecharacteristics of H2 around Herbig Ae and Be stars give evidence fordifferent excitation mechanisms. For the most massive stars of oursample (B8 to B2 type), the excitation diagrams are reproduced well by amodel of photodissociation regions (PDR). Our results favor aninterpretation in terms of large CS envelopes, remnants of the molecularclouds in which the stars were formed. On the other hand, the group ofAe stars (later than B9 type) known to possess disks is moreinhomogeneous. In most cases, when CS H2 is detected, the lines of sightdo not pass through the disks. The excitation conditions of H2 around Aestars cannot be reproduced by PDR models and correspond to warm and/orhot excited media very close to the stars. In addition, no clearcorrelation has been found between the ages of the stars and the amountof circumstellar H2. Our results suggest structural differences betweenHerbig Ae and Be star environments. Herbig Be stars do evolve fasterthan Ae stars, and consequently, most Herbig Be stars are younger thanAe ones at the time we observe them. It is thus more likely to findremnants of their parent cloud around them.
| A search for strong, ordered magnetic fields in Herbig Ae/Be stars
The origin of magnetic fields in intermediate- and high-mass stars isfundamentally a mystery. Clues towards solving this basic astrophysicalproblem can likely be found at the pre-main-sequence (PMS) evolutionarystage. With this work, we perform the largest and most sensitive searchfor magnetic fields in PMS Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars. We seek todetermine whether strong, ordered magnetic fields, similar to those ofmain-sequence Ap/Bp stars, can be detected in these objects, and if so,to determine the intensities, geometrical characteristics, andstatistical incidence of such fields. 68 observations of 50 HAeBe starshave been obtained in circularly polarized light using the FORS1spectropolarimeter at the ESO VLT. An analysis of both Balmer andmetallic lines reveals the possible presence of weak longitudinalmagnetic fields in photospheric lines of two HAeBe stars, HD 101412 andBF Ori. Results for two additional stars, CPD-53 295 and HD 36112, aresuggestive of the presence of magnetic fields, but no firm conclusionscan be drawn based on the available data. The intensity of thelongitudinal fields detected in HD 101412 and BF Ori suggest that theycorrespond to globally ordered magnetic fields with surface intensitiesof order 1 kG. On the other hand, no magnetic field is detected in 4other HAeBe stars in our sample in which magnetic fields had previouslybeen confirmed. Monte Carlo simulations of the longitudinal fieldmeasurements of the undetected stars allow us to place an upper limit ofabout 300 G on the general presence of aligned magnetic dipole magneticfields, and of about 500 G on perpendicular dipole fields. Taking intoaccount the results of our survey and other published results, we findthat the observed bulk incidence of magnetic HAeBe stars in our sampleis 8-12 per cent, in good agreement with that of magnetic main-sequencestars of similar masses. We also find that the rms longitudinal fieldintensity of magnetically detected HAeBe stars is about 200 G, similarto that of Ap stars and consistent with magnetic flux conservationduring stellar evolution. These results are all in agreement with thehypothesis that the magnetic fields of main-sequence Ap/Bp stars arefossils, which already exist within the stars at the PMS stage. Finally,we explore the ability of our new magnetic data to constrainmagnetospheric accretion in Herbig Ae/Be stars, showing that ourmagnetic data are not consistent with the general occurrence in HAeBestars of magnetospheric accretion as described by the theories ofKönigl and Shu et al..Based on observations from the ESO telescopes at the La Silla ParanalObservatory under programme ID 072.C-0447, DDT-272.C-5063, 074.C-0442.E-mail: wade-g@rmc.ca
| A VLT/NACO survey for triple and quadruple systems among visual pre-main sequence binaries
Aims.This paper describes a systematic search for high-ordermultiplicity among wide visual Pre-Main Sequence (PMS) binaries. Methods: .We conducted an Adaptive Optics survey of a sample of 58 PMSwide binaries from various star-forming regions, which include 52 TTauri systems with mostly K- and M-type primaries, with the NIRinstrument NACO at the VLT. Results: .Of these 52 systems, 7 arefound to be triple (2 new) and 7 quadruple (1 new). The new closecompanions are most likely physically bound based on their probabilityof chance projection and, for some of them, on their position on acolor-color diagram. The corresponding degree of multiplicity among widebinaries (number of triples and quadruples divided by the number ofsystems) is 26.9 ± 7.2% in the projected separation range ~0.07arcsec -12'', with the largest contribution from the Taurus-Aurigacloud. We also found that this degree of multiplicity is twice in Tauruscompared to Ophiuchus and Chamaeleon for which the same number ofsources are present in our sample. Considering a restricted samplecomposed of systems at distance 140-190 pc, the degree of multiplicityis 26.8 ± 8.1%, in the separation range 10/14 AU-1700/2300 AU (30binaries, 5 triples, 6 quadruples). The observed frequency agrees withresults from previous multiplicity surveys within the uncertainties,although a significant overabundance of quadruple systems compared totriple systems is apparent. Tentatively including the spectroscopicpairs in our restricted sample and comparing the multiplicity fractionsto those measured for solar-type main-sequence stars in the solarneighborhood leads to the conclusion that both the ratio of triples tobinaries and the ratio of quadruples to triples seems to be in excessamong young stars. Most of the current numerical simulations of multiplestar formation, and especially smoothed particles hydrodynamicssimulations, over-predict the fraction of high-order multiplicity whencompared to our results. The circumstellar properties around theindividual components of our high-order multiple systems tend to favormixed systems (i.e. systems including components of wTTS and cTTS type),which is in general agreement with previous studies of disks inbinaries, with the exception of Taurus, where we find a preponderance ofsimilar type of components among the multiples studied.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| A survey for nanodiamond features in the 3 micron spectra of Herbig Ae/Be stars
Aims.We have carried out a survey of 60 Herbig Ae/Be stars in the 3micron wavelength region in search for the rare spectral features at3.43 and 3.53 micron. These features have been attributed to thepresence of large, hot, hydrogen-terminated nanodiamonds. Only twoHerbig Ae/Be stars, HD 97048 and Elias3-1 are known to display both these features. Methods:.We have obtained medium-resolution spectra (R 2500) with the ESOnear-IR instrument ISAAC in the 3.15-3.65 micron range. Results:.In our sample, no new examples of sources with prominent nanodiamondfeatures in their 3 micron spectra were discovered. Less than 4% of theHerbig targets show the prominent emission features at 3.43 and/or 3.53μm. Both features are detected in our spectrum of HD 97048. Weconfirm the detection of the 3.53 μm feature and the non-detection ofthe 3.43 μm feature in MWC 297. Furthermore, we report tentative 3.53μm detections in V921 Sco, HD 163296 and T CrA. The sources whichdisplay the nanodiamond features are not exceptional in the group ofHerbig stars with respect to disk properties, stellar characteristics,or disk and stellar activity. Moreover, the nanodiamond sources are verydifferent from each other in terms of these parameters. We do not findevidence for a recent supernova in the vicinity of any of thenanodiamond sources. We have analyzed the PAH 3.3 μm feature and thePfund δ hydrogen emission line, two other spectral features whichoccur in the 3 micron wavelength range. We reinforce the conclusion ofprevious authors that flared-disk systems display significantly more PAHemission than self-shadowed-disk sources. The Pf δ line detectionrate is higher in self-shadowed-disk sources than in the flared-disksystems. Conclusions: . We discuss the possible origin and paucityof the (nano)diamond features in Herbig stars. Different creationmechanisms have been proposed in the literature, amongst others in-situand supernova-induced formation. Our data set is inconclusive in provingor disproving either formation mechanism.
| Studies of pre-main-sequence stars with integral field spectrographs
We review the contribution of integral field spectroscopy (IFS) topre-main-sequence star studies. These studies are mostly synoptic innature reflecting the use of this technique in addressing difficult andcomplex objects. Physical diagnostics were derived from IFS data such as(atomic, molecular) gas excitation and pre-shock densities, gasmorphology and spectra from close binaries. Models for the sources aredirectly tested: shock models (planar, bow-shock) andmagneto-hydrodynamics jet models. Future contributions to the field areaddressed. Surveys of mass loss across age and mass spectrum and in thenearby Orion Nebula cluster emerge as the most scientifically promising.
| New Estimates of the Solar-Neighborhood Massive Star Birthrate and the Galactic Supernova Rate
The birthrate of stars of masses >=10 Msolar is estimatedfrom a sample of just over 400 O3-B2 dwarfs within 1.5 kpc of the Sunand the result extrapolated to estimate the Galactic supernova ratecontributed by such stars. The solar-neighborhood Galactic-plane massivestar birthrate is estimated at ~176 stars kpc-3Myr-1. On the basis of a model in which the Galactic stellardensity distribution comprises a ``disk+central hole'' like that of thedust infrared emission (as proposed by Drimmel and Spergel), theGalactic supernova rate is estimated at probably not less than ~1 normore than ~2 per century and the number of O3-B2 dwarfs within the solarcircle at ~200,000.
| Rotation, pulsations and outbursts in the Be star υ Cygni (HD 202904)
υ Cyg is a Be star that shows variations at all timescales. Wemonitored its spectrum for several years from 1998 to 2004 and, inparticular, during a spectroscopic multisite campaign in 2000. In thispaper we present and analyse the data. We observed several outburstsincluding an intense one in 2000. Moreover, we found several periods ofshort-term variations, including two frequencies at 2.95 and 2.6 cd-1, which are well reproduced by models of non radialpulsations with a retrograde mode with ℓ=3 and m=3 and a zonal modewith ℓ=3 or 4 and m=0, respectively. The stellar rotation isprobably also identified at f1.5 c d-1, which iscoherent with the rotation frequency deduced from our determination ofstellar parameters. The peak-to-peak amplitude of variations also seemsto vary in time, maybe due to a beating effect between closefrequencies, but the resolution in time of our data does not allow us toseparate such close frequencies. Finally, a longer timescale variationmay be present, with a period around 11 years, which could be associatedwith a binary companion.
| Probing the circumstellar structures of T Tauri stars and their relationship to those of Herbig stars
We present Hα spectropolarimetry observations of a sample of 10bright T Tauri stars, supplemented with new Herbig Ae/Be star data. Achange in the linear polarization across Hα is detected in most ofthe T Tauri (9/10) and Herbig Ae (9/11) objects, which we interpret interms of a compact source of line photons that is scattered off arotating accretion disc. We find consistency between the position angle(PA) of the polarization and those of imaged disc PAs from infrared andmillimetre imaging and interferometry studies, probing much largerscales. For the Herbig Ae stars AB Aur, MWC 480 and CQ Tau, we find thepolarization PA to be perpendicular to the imaged disc, which isexpected for single scattering. On the other hand, the polarization PAaligns with the outer disc PA for the T Tauri stars DR Tau and SU Aurand FU Ori, conforming to the case of multiple scattering. Thisdifference can be explained if the inner discs of Herbig Ae stars areoptically thin, whilst those around our T Tauri stars and FU Ori areoptically thick. Furthermore, we develop a novel technique that combinesknown inclination angles and our recent Monte Carlo models to constrainthe inner rim sizes of SU Aur, GW Ori, AB Aur and CQ Tau. Finally, weconsider the connection of the inner disc structure with the orientationof the magnetic field in the foreground interstellar medium: for FU Oriand DR Tau, we infer an alignment of the stellar axis and the largermagnetic field direction.
| X-Ray Study of Herbig Ae/Be Stars
We present ASCA results of intermediate-mass pre-main-sequence (PMS)stars, or Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars. Among the 35 ASCA pointed sources,we detect 11 plausible X-ray counterparts. X-ray luminosities of thedetected sources in the 0.5-10 keV band are in the range oflogLX~30-32 ergs s-1, which is systematicallyhigher than those of low-mass PMS stars. This fact suggests that thecontribution of a possible low-mass companion is not large. Most of thebright sources show significant time variation; in particular, two HAeBestars-MWC 297 and TY CrA-exhibit flarelike events with long decaytimescales (e-folding time ~10-60 ks). These flare shapes are similar tothose of low-mass PMS stars. The X-ray spectra are successfullyreproduced by an absorbed one- or two-temperature thin-thermal plasmamodel. The temperatures are in the range of kT~1-5 keV, significantlyhigher than those of main-sequence OB stars (kT<1 keV). These X-rayproperties are not explained by wind-driven shocks, but are more likelydue to magnetic activity. On the other hand, the plasma temperaturerises as absorption column density increases or as HAeBe stars ascend toearlier phases. The X-ray luminosity reduces after stellar age of a fewtimes 106 yr. X-ray activity may be related to stellarevolution. The age of the activity decay is apparently near thetermination of jet or outflow activity. We thus hypothesize thatmagnetic activity originates from the interaction of the large-scalemagnetic fields coupled to the circumstellar disk. We also discussdifferences in X-ray properties between HAeBe stars and main-sequence OBstars.
| Shocked Clouds in the Vela Supernova Remnant
Unusually strong high-excitation C I has been detected in 11 lines ofsight through the Vela supernova remnant (SNR) by means of UV absorptionline studies of IUE data. Most of these lines of sight lie near thewestern edge of the bright X-ray region of the SNR in a spatiallydistinct band approximately 1° by 4° oriented approximatelynorth-south. The high-excitation C I (denoted C I* and C I**) isinterpreted as evidence of a complex of shocked dense clouds interactingwith the SNR, because of the high pressures indicated in this region. Tofurther analyze the properties of this region of enhanced C I* and CI**, we present new HIRES-processed IRAS data of the entire Vela SNR. Atemperature map calculated from the HIRES IRAS data, based on atwo-component dust model, reveals the signature of hot dust at severallocations in the SNR. The hot dust is anticorrelated spatially withX-ray emission, as would be expected for a dusty medium interacting witha shock wave. The regions of hot dust are strongly correlated withoptical filaments, supporting a scenario of dense clouds interior to theSNR that have been shocked and are now cooling behind the supernovablast wave. With few exceptions, the lines of sight to the stronghigh-excitation C I pass through regions of hot dust and opticalfilaments. Possible mechanisms for the production of the unexpectedlylarge columns of high-excitation C I are discussed. Dense clouds on theback western hemisphere of the remnant may explain the relatively lowX-ray emission in the western portion of the Vela SNR due to the slowerforward shock velocity in regions where the shock has encountered thedense clouds. An alternate explanation for the presence of ground-stateand excited-state neutrals, as well as ionized species, along the sameline of sight is a magnetic precursor that heats and compresses the gasahead of the shock.
| Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of HD 76534
We present the first Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE)spectrum of HD 76534, a Herbig Be star. Here we focus on the analysis ofthe H2 absorption lines which allow to quantify the gaseouscontent along the line of sight. This analysis evidences large amountsof cold and warm H2 toward the star. We demonstrate that theH2 is bound to HD 76534 and we argue that it is likelydistributed in a circumstellar envelope. In addition, the present studygives clues for the existence of common properties for the circumstellarH2 of Herbig Ae/Be stars.
| Investigation of 131 Herbig Ae/Be Candidate Stars
We present a new catalog of 108 Herbig Ae/Be candidate stars identifiedin the Pico dos Dias Survey, together with 19 previously knowncandidates and four objects selected from the IRAS Faint Source Catalog.These 131 stars were observed with low- and/or medium-resolutionspectroscopy, and we complement these data with high-resolution spectraof 39 stars. The objects present a great variety of Hα lineprofiles and were separated according to them. Our study suggests thatmost of the time a Herbig Ae/Be star will present a double peak Hαline profile. Correlations among different physical parameters, such asspectral type and vsini with Hα line profiles were searched. Wefound no correlation among Hα line profiles and spectral type orvsini except for stars with P Cygni profiles, where there is acorrelation with vsini. We also use preliminary spectral energydistributions to seek for any influence of the circumstellar medium inthe Hα line profiles. The presence of [O I] and [S II] forbiddenlines is used together with the Hα line profiles and thesepreliminary spectral energy distributions to discuss the circumstellarenvironment of the Herbig Ae/Be candidates. The distribution of thedetected [O I] and [S II] forbidden lines among different spectral typespoints to a significantly higher occurrence of these lines among Bstars, whereas the distribution among different Hα profile typesindicates that forbidden lines are evenly distributed among eachHα line-profile type. Combining the distance estimates of theHerbig candidates with the knowledge of the interstellar mediumdistribution, we have found that 84 candidates can be associated withsome of the more conspicuous SFRs, being in the right direction and at acompatible distance. As a further means of checking the properties ofthe HAeBe candidates, as well as their present evolutionary status, thederived luminosities and effective temperatures of the stars withpossible association to the star-forming regions and/or Hipparcosdistances were plotted together with a set of pre-main-sequenceevolutionary tracks on an HR diagram. A set of 14 stars were found outof their expected positions in the HR diagram.Based on observations made at the Obsevatório do Pico dosDias/LNA (Brazil), ESO (Chile), and the Lick Observatory.
| A quest for PMS candidate stars at low metallicity: Variable HAe/Be and Be stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud
We report the discovery of 5 new Herbig Ae/Be candidate stars in theSmall Magellanic Cloud in addition to the 2 reported in Beaulieu et al.(\cite{Beaulieu01}). We discuss these 7 HAeBe candidate stars in termsof (1) their irregular photometric variability, (2) their near infraredemission, (3) their Hα emission and (4) their spectral type. Onestar has the typical photometric behaviour that is observed only amongPre-Main Sequence UX Orionis type stars. The objects are more luminousthan Galactic HAeBe stars and Large Magellanic Cloud HAeBe candidates ofthe same spectral type.The stars were discovered in a systematic search for variable stars in asubset of the EROS2 database consisting of 115 612 stars in a field of24x 24 arcmin in the Small Magellanic Cloud. In total we discovered 504variable stars. After classifying the different objects according totheir type of variability, we concentrate on 7 blue objects withirregular photometric behaviour. We cross-identified these objects withemission line catalogues from Simbad and JHK photometry from 2MASS. Theanalysis is supplemented with obtained narrow and broad band imaging. Wediscuss their variability in terms of dust obscuration and bound-freeand free-free emission. We estimate the influence of metallicity on thecircumstellar dust emission from pre-main sequence stars.
| Catalog of Galactic OB Stars
An all-sky catalog of Galactic OB stars has been created by extendingthe Case-Hamburg Galactic plane luminous-stars surveys to include 5500additional objects drawn from the literature. This work brings the totalnumber of known or reasonably suspected OB stars to over 16,000.Companion databases of UBVβ photometry and MK classifications forthese objects include nearly 30,000 and 20,000 entries, respectively.
| 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
| The total-to-selective extinction ratio determined from near IR photometry of OB stars
The paper presents an extensive list of the total to selectiveextinction ratios R calculated from the infrared magnitudes of 597 O andB stars using the extrapolation method. The IR magnitudes of these starswere taken from the literature. The IR colour excesses are determinedwith the aid of "artificial standards" - Wegner (1994). The individualand mean values of total to selective extinction ratios R differ in mostcases from the average value R=3.10 +/-0.05 - Wegner (1993) in differentOB associations. The relation between total to selective extinctionratios R determined in this paper and those calculated using the "methodof variable extinction" and the Cardelli et al. (1989) formulae isdiscussed. The R values presented in this paper can be used to determineindividual absolute magnitudes of reddened OB stars with knowntrigonometric parallaxes.
| Variability and pulsations in the Be star 66 Ophiuchi
66 Oph is a Be star seen under a moderate inclination angle that showsstrong variability from UV to IR wavelengths. A concise review oflong-term variability history is given. High resolution, high S/Nspectroscopic observations obtained in 1997, 1998 and 2001 andspectropolarimetric observations obtained in 2000 are presented. Theseobservations occurred during a long-term decrease of Hα intensity.Fundamental parameters of the star have been revisited fromBarbier-Chalonge-Divan (BCD) calibrations. New V sin i values areobtained using Fourier transforms applied to observed helium lines and arotational frequency f_rot = 1.29 c d-1 is determined. Timeseries analysis and Fourier Doppler Imaging (FDI) of He I lines (4713,4921, 5876 and 6678 Å) lead for the first time to the detection ofmulti-periodicity in 66 Oph. The two main frequencies found are f = 2.22c d-1 and f = 4.05 c d-1 . They are attributed tonon-radial pulsations and can be associated with mode degree l = 2 and l= 3, respectively. Inspection of Stokes V profiles suggests the presenceof a weak Zeeman signature but further observations are needed toconfirm the detection of a magnetic field in 66 Oph. Based onobservations taken at OHP and Pic du Midi Observatory (France), atMBT/LNA (Brazil) and on Brazilian observing time at La Silla (ESO,Chile).
| Circumstellar disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars: Polarization, outflows and binary orbits
The geometrical relationship between the distribution of circumstellarmatter, observed optical linear polarization, outflows and binaryorbital plane in Herbig Ae/Be stars is investigated. Optical linearpolarization measurements carried out for a number of Herbig Ae/Be starsthat are either known to be in binary systems and/or have bipolar jetsare presented in this paper. Available information on the positionangles of polarization, outflows and binary companions for Herbig Ae/Bestars is compiled and analysed for any possible correlations. In ~85% ofthe sources the outflow position angle is within 30deg ofbeing parallel or perpendicular to the polarization position angle. In~81% of the sources the binary position angle is within 30degof being parallel or perpendicular to the polarization position angle.Out of 15 sources with bipolar outflows, 10 sources have the binaryposition angle within 30deg of being perpendicular to theoutflow position angle. These results favour those binary formationmechanisms in which the binary components and the disks aroundindividual stars or circumbinary disks are coplanar.
| Atlas of Interstellar Extinction Curves of OB Stars Covering the Whole Available Wavelength Range
The paper presents a collection of 436 extinction curves covering thewhole available range of wavelengths from satellite UV to near-IR. Thedata were taken from the ANS photometric catalogue and from thecompilations of IR photometric measurements. The data curves have beenobtained with the aid of ``artificial standards": Papaj et al. (1993)and Wegner (1994, 1995). The visual magnitudes and spectralclassifications of O and B type stars with EB-V>= 0.05were taken from the SIMBAD database. The curves are given in the form ofplots and tables E{lambda - V} / EB-V versus1/λ. The observed variety of extinction laws among slightlyreddened stars is apparently due to the various physical parameters ofinterstellar clouds.
| A photometric catalogue of southern emission-line stars
We present a catalogue of previously unpublished optical and infraredphotometry for a sample of 162 emission-line objects and shell starsvisible from the southern hemisphere. The data were obtained between1978 and 1997 in the Walraven (WULBV), Johnson/Cousins(UBV(RI)c) and ESO and SAAO near-infrared (JHKLM) photometricsystems. Most of the observed objects are Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars orHAeBe candidates appearing in the list of HAeBe candidates of Théet al. (1994), although several B[e] stars, LBVs and T Tauri stars arealso included in our sample. For many of the stars the data presentedhere are the first photo-electric measurements in the literature. Theresulting catalogue consists of 1809 photometric measurements. Opticalvariability was detected in 66 out of the 116 sources that were observedmore than once. 15 out of the 50 stars observed multiple times in theinfrared showed variability at 2.2 mu m (K band). Based on observationscollected at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile and onobservations collected at the South African Astronomical Observatory.Tables 2-4 are 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/380/609
| GasDust Shells around Some Early-Type Stars with an IR Excess (of Emission)
The results of an investigation of IR (IRAS) observations of 58OBAF stars of different luminosity classes, whichare mainly members of various associations, are presented. The colorindices of these stars are determined and two-color diagrams areconstructed. The emission excesses at 12 and 25 mm (E 12 and E 25) arealso compared with the absorption A1640 of UV radiation. It is concludedthat 24 stars (of the 58 investigated) are disk systems of the Vegatype, to which Vega = N 53 also belongs. Eight known stars of the Vegatype are also given in the figures for comparison. The remaining 34stars may have gasdust shells and/or shelldisks. The IRemission excesses of the 34 investigated stars and 11 comparison stars(eight of them are Be-Ae stars) are evidently due both to thermalemission from grains and to the emission from freefreetransitions of electrons in the gasdust shells of these stars.
| A Search for High-Velocity Be Stars
We present an analysis of the kinematics of Be stars based uponHipparcos proper motions and published radial velocities. We findapproximately 23 of the 344 stars in our sample have peculiar spacemotions greater than 40 km s-1 and up to 102 kms-1. We argue that these high-velocity stars are the resultof either a supernova that disrupted a binary or ejection by closeencounters of binaries in young clusters. Be stars spun up by binarymass transfer will appear as high-velocity objects if there wassignificant mass loss during the supernova explosion of the initiallymore massive star, but the generally moderate peculiar velocities of BeX-ray binaries indicate that the progenitors lose most of their massprior to the supernova (in accordance with model predictions). Binaryformation models for Be stars predict that most systems bypass thesupernova stage (and do not receive runaway velocities) to createultimately Be+white dwarf binaries. The fraction of Be stars spun up bybinary mass transfer remains unknown, since the post-mass transfercompanions are difficult to detect.
| Circumstellar medium around close southern PMS binaries. New results with the ESO ADONIS + COMIC/SHARP infrared system
We have started a series of high angular resolution observations ofclose southern pre Main-Sequence (PMS) binary systems in order to studytheir respective photometry from 1 to 5 mu m. For most of the binariesof our sample, we present the first near infrared (NIR) measurementslongward of 3 mu m on both components. From these measurements wecharacterize the stellar Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of theprimary and its companion, adjust standard photospheres to estimatetheir luminosities & temperatures, hence masses & ages throughthe use of an HR diagram. At the same time, we study the presence ofcircumstellar material around our PMS targets, in order to assess howthe eventually leftover material is distributed after contraction. Wefind the same proportion of mixed systems (CTTS/WTTS) as in the overallsouthern clouds and all these mixed systems are found with mass ratios<0.5 all the WTTS/WTTS systems of our sample are found in binariescloser than 60 AU; apart from one of the most separated binaries, allour objects appear coeval. Based on observations made at ESO 3.60~mTelescope.
| Statistical analysis of intrinsic polarization, IR excess and projected rotational velocity distributions of classical Be stars
We present the results of statistical analyses of a sample of 627 Bestars. The parameters of intrinsic polarization (p*),projected rotational velocity (v sin i), and near IR excesses have beeninvestigated. The values of p* have been estimated for a muchlarger and more representative sample of Be stars (~490 objects) thanpreviously. We have confirmed that most Be stars of early spectral typehave statistically larger values of polarization and IR excesses incomparison with the late spectral type stars. It is found that thedistributions of p* diverge considerably for the differentspectral subgroups. In contrast to late spectral types (B5-B9.5), thedistribution of p* for B0-B2 stars does not peak at the valuep*=0%. Statistically significant differences in the meanprojected rotational velocities (/line{vsin i}) are found for differentspectral subgroups of Be stars in the sense that late spectral typestars (V luminosity class) generally rotate faster than early types, inagreement with previously published results. This behaviour is, however,not obvious for the III-IV luminosity class stars. Nevertheless, thecalculated values of the ratio vt/vc of the truerotational velocity, vt, to the critical velocity forbreak-up, vc, is larger for late spectral type stars of allluminosity classes. Thus, late spectral type stars appear to rotatecloser to their break-up rotational velocity. The distribution of nearIR excesses for early spectral subgroups is bi-modal, the position ofthe second peak displaying a maximum value E(V-L)~ 1 . m 3for O-B1.5 stars, decreasing to E(V-L)~0. m8 for intermediatespectral types (B3-B5). It is shown that bi-modality disappears for latespectral types (B6-B9.5). No correlations were found betweenp* and near IR excesses and between E(V-L) and vsin i for thedifferent subgroups of Be stars. In contrast to near IR excesses, arelation between p* and far IR excesses at 12 mu m is clearlyseen. A clear relation between p* and vsin i (as well asbetween p* and /line{vsin i}/vc) is found by thefact that plots of these parameters are bounded by a ``triangular"distribution of p*: vsin i, with a decrease of p*towards very small and very large vsin i (and /line{vsini}/vc) values. The latter behaviour can be understood in thecontext of a larger oblateness of circumstellar disks for the stars witha rapid rotation. From the analysis of correlations between differentobservational parameters we conclude that circumstellar envelopes forthe majority of Be stars are optically thin disks with the range of thehalf-opening angle of 10degr
| An IUE Atlas of Pre-Main-Sequence Stars. I. Co-added Final Archive Spectra from the SWP Camera
We have identified 50 T Tauri stars (TTS) and 74 Herbig Ae/Be (HAEBE)stars observed in the IUE short-wavelength bandpass (1150-1980 Å).Each low-resolution (R~6 Å) spectrum was visually inspected forsource contamination and data quality, and then all good spectra werecombined to form a single time-averaged spectrum for each star. Use ofIUE Final Archive spectra processed with NEWSIPS reduces fixed patternnoise in individual spectra, allowing significant signal-to-noise ratiogains in our co-added spectra. For the TTS observed by IUE, we measuredfluxes and uncertainties for 17 spectral features, including twocontinuum windows and four fluoresced H2 complexes. Thirteenof the 32 accreting TTS observed by IUE have detectable H2emission, which until now had been reported only for T Tau. Using anempirical correlation between H2 and C IV line flux, we showthat lack of sensitivity can account for practically all nondetections,suggesting that H2 fluorescence may be intrinsically strongin all accreting TTS systems. Comparison of IUE and GHRS spectra of TTau show extended emission primarily, but not exclusively, in lines ofH2. We also fit reddened main-sequence templates to 72 HAEBEstars, determining extinction and checking spectral types. Several ofthe HAEBE stars could not be fitted well or yielded implausibly lowextinctions, suggesting the presence of a minority emission componenthotter than the stellar photosphere, perhaps caused by white dwarfcompanions or heating in accretion shocks. We identified broadwavelength intervals in the far-UV that contain circumstellar absorptionfeatures ubiquitous in B5-A4 HAEBE stars, declining in prominence forearlier spectral types, perhaps caused by increasing ionization of metalresonance lines. For 61 HAEBE stars, we measured or set upper limits ona depth index that characterizes the strength of circumstellarabsorption and compared this depth index with published IR properties.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Vela |
| Right ascension: | 08h55m08.68s |
| Declination: | -43°27'59.6" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.412 |
| Distance: | 411.523 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -3 |
| Proper motion Dec: | 8.7 |
| B-T magnitude: | 8.529 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.422 |
Catalogs and designations:
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