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Cool Subdwarf Investigations. I. New Thoughts on the Spectral Types of K and M Subdwarfs
Using new spectra of 88 K- and M-type subdwarfs, we consider novelmethods for assigning their spectral types and take steps towarddeveloping a comprehensive spectral sequence for subdwarf types K3.0 toM6.0. The types are assigned based on the overall morphology of spectracovering 6000-9000 Å. The types and sequence presented link thespectral types of cool subdwarfs to their main-sequence counterparts,with emphasis on the relatively opacity-free region from 8200-9000Å. When available, supporting abundance, kinematic, andtrigonometric parallax information is used to provide more completeportraits of the observed subdwarfs. We find that the CaHn (n = 1-3) andTiO5 indices often used for subdwarf spectral typing are affected incomplicated ways by combinations of the subdwarfs' temperatures,metallicities, and gravities, and we use model grids to evaluate thetrends in all three parameters. Because of the complex interplay ofthese three characteristics, it is not possible to identify a star as an"extreme" subdwarf simply based on very low metallicity, and we suggestthat the modifiers "extreme" or "ultra" only outline locations onspectroscopic indices plots, and should not be used to imply low or verylow metallicity stars. In addition, we propose that "VI" be used toidentify a star as a subdwarf, rather than the confusing "sd" prefix,which is also used for hot O and B subdwarfs that are unrelated to thecool subdwarfs discussed in this paper.
| Probing Atlas model atmospheres at high spectral resolution. Stellar synthesis and reference template validation
Aims. The fast improvement of spectroscopic observations makes mandatorya strong effort on the theoretical side to better reproduce the spectralenergy distribution (SED) of stars at high spectral resolution. In thisregard, relying on the Kurucz Atlas/Synthe original codes we computedthe Bluered library, consisting of 832 synthetic SED of stars, thatcover a large parameter space at very high spectral resolution (R = 500000) along the 3500-7000 Å wavelength range. Methods: Blueredsynthetic spectra have been used to assess in finer detail the intrinsicreliability and the performance limits of the Atlas theoreticalframework. The continuum-normalized spectra of theSun, Arcturus, andVega, plus a selected list of 45 bright stars withhigh-quality SEDs from the Prugniel & Soubiran Elodie catalog, formour sample designed to probe the global properties of synthetic spectraacross the entire range of H-R parameters. Results: Atlas modelsdisplay a better fitting performance with increasing stellartemperature. High-resolution spectra of Vega, the Sun, and Arcturus havebeen reproduced at R=100 000, respectively, within a 0.7%, 4.5%, and8.8% relative scatter in residual flux. In all the three cases, theresidual flux distribution shows a significant asymmetry (skewnessparameter γ = -2.21, -0.98, -0.67, respectively), which neatlyconfirms an overall “excess” of theoretical line blanketing.For the Sun, this apparent discrepancy is alleviated, but not recovered,by a systematic decrease (-40%) of the line oscillator strengths, log(gf), especially referring to iron transitions. Definitely, a straight“astrophysical” determination of log (gf) for eachindividual atomic transition has to be devised to overcome the problem.By neglecting overblanketing effects in theoretical models when fittinghigh-resolution continuum-normalized spectra of real stars, we lead to asystematically warmer effective temperature (between +80 and +300 K forthe solar fit) and a slightly poorer metal content.
| On the thick-disc exoplanet host subgiant HD 155358
The nearby subgiant HD 155358 has very recently been announced byCochran et al. to harbour two Jovian-mass planetary companions and to bethe lowest metallicity exoplanet host star yet found. Here, we present amodel atmosphere analysis and stellar evolutionary tracks for HD 155358,and demonstrate that it is actually a member of the ancient thick-discpopulation of the Milky Way (τ >= 12 Gyr). As such, HD 155358 isconsiderably rich in its α-chain nuclei, and hence only about afactor of 2 below the solar abundance in terms of these species. Yet, asa precursor to the thin disc and residing on the metal-poor end of thethin-disc metal abundance distribution, HD 155358 gives way to theprincipal possibility that any star of the thin-disc population of theGalaxy can be a potential exoplanet host. As opposed to this, theformation of planets and even planetary systems for HD 155358 and HD37124 (another previously known thick-disc exoplanet host) ismentionable, as there is strong evidence for a vigorous starburst phasein the early Milky Way, and secondly, the direct census of an unbiasednearby thick-disc sample implies a minimum fraction of no less than 30per cent multiple star systems (N >= 3) to originate from that epoch.
| Vertical distribution of Galactic disk stars. IV. AMR and AVR from clump giants
We present the parameters of 891 stars, mostly clump giants, includingatmospheric parameters, distances, absolute magnitudes, spatialvelocities, galactic orbits and ages. One part of this sample consistsof local giants, within 100 pc, with atmospheric parameters eitherestimated from our spectroscopic observations at high resolution andhigh signal-to-noise ratio, or retrieved from the literature. The otherpart of the sample includes 523 distant stars, spanning distances up to1 kpc in the direction of the North Galactic Pole, for which we haveestimated atmospheric parameters from high resolution but lowsignal-to-noise Echelle spectra. This new sample is kinematicallyunbiased, with well-defined boundaries in magnitude and colours. Werevisit the basic properties of the Galactic thin disk as traced byclump giants. We find the metallicity distribution to be different fromthat of dwarfs, with fewer metal-rich stars. We find evidence for avertical metallicity gradient of -0.31 dex kpc-1 and for atransition at ~4-5 Gyr in both the metallicity and velocities. Theage-metallicity relation (AMR), which exhibits a very low dispersion,increases smoothly from 10 to 4 Gyr, with a steeper increase for youngerstars. The age-velocity relation (AVR) is characterized by thesaturation of the V and W dispersions at 5 Gyr, and continuous heatingin U.
| VLT Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters in Low Surface Brightness Dwarf Galaxies
We present VLT/FORS2 spectroscopic observations of globular clusters(GCs) in five low surface brightness dwarf galaxies: KK 211 and KK 221,both dwarf spheroidal satellites (dSph) of NGC 5128; dSph KK 84 locatedclose to the isolated S0 galaxy NGC 3115; and two isolated dwarfirregular (dIrr) galaxies, UGC 3755 and ESO 490-17. Our sample isselected from the Sharina et al. database of HST WFPC2 photometry of GCcandidates in dwarf galaxies. For objects with accurate radial velocitymeasurements we confirm 26 as genuine GCs out of the 27 selectedcandidates from our WFPC2 survey. One candidate appears to be a distantgalaxy. Our measurements of the Lick absorption-line indices in thespectra of confirmed GCs and the subsequent comparison with SSP modelpredictions show that all confirmed GCs in dSphs are old, except GC KK211-3-149 (6+/-2 Gyr), which we consider to be the nucleus of KK 211.GCs in UGC 3755 and ESO 490-17 show a spread in ages ranging fromt>10 Gyr to around 1 Gyr. Most of our sample GCs have lowmetallicities [Z/H]<=-1. Two relatively metal-rich clusters with[Z/H]~-0.3 are likely to be associated with NGC 3115. Our sample GCsshow in general a complex distribution of α-element enhancementwith a mean <[α/Fe]>=0.19+/-0.04 derived with theχ2 minimization technique and 0.18+/-0.12 dex computedwith the iterative approach. These values are slightly lower than themean <[α/Fe]>=0.29+/-0.01 for typical Milky Way GCs. Wecompare other abundance ratios with those of Local Group GCs and findindications for systematic differences in N and Ca abundance. Thespecific frequencies, SN, of our sample galaxies are in linewith the predictions of a simple mass-loss model for dwarf galaxies andcompare well with SN values found for dwarf galaxies innearby galaxy clusters.Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the ParanalObservatory under program ID P76.AB-0137.
| Neutron-capture elements in halo, thick-disk, and thin-disk stars. Strontium, yttrium, zirconium, cerium
We derived Sr, Y, Zr, and Ce abundances for a sample of 74 cool dwarfsand subgiants with iron abundances, [Fe/H], between 0.25 and‑2.43. These estimates were obtained using synthetic spectra,assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) for Y, Zr, and Ce,allowing for non-LTE conditions for Sr. We used high-resolution(λ/Δλ≅40 000 and 60 000) spectra withsignal-to-noise ratios between 50 and 200. We find that the Zr/Y, Sr/Y,and Sr/Zr ratios for the halo stars are the same in a wide metallicityrange (‑2.43 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ ‑0.90), within the errors,indicating a common origin for these elements at the epoch of haloformation. The Zr/Y ratios for thick-disk stars quickly decrease withincreasing Ba abundance, indicating a lower rate of production of Zrcompared to Y during active thick-disk formation. The thick-disk andhalo stars display an increase in the [Zr/Ba] ratio with decreasing Baabundance and a correlation of the Zr and Eu overabundances relative toBa. The evolutionary behavior of the abundance ratios found for thethick-disk and halo stars does not agree with current models for theGalaxy’s chemical evolution. The abundance ratios of Y and Zr toFe and Ba for thin-disk stars, as well as the abundance ratios withineach group, are, on average, solar, though we note a slight decrease ofZr/Ba and Zr/Y with increasing Ba abundance. These results provideevidence for a dominance of asymptotic-giant-branch stars in theenrichment of the interstellar medium in heavy elements during thethin-disk epoch, in agreement with the predictions of thenucleosynthesis theory for the main s-process component.
| A search for ultra-compact dwarf galaxies in the Centaurus galaxy cluster
Aims.Our aim is to extend the investigations of ultra-compact dwarfgalaxies (UCD) beyond the well studied Fornax and Virgo clusters. Methods: We measured spectroscopic redshifts of about 400 compact objectcandidates with 19.2 < V < 22.4 mag in the central region of theCentaurus galaxy cluster (d = 43 Mpc), using 3 pointings with VIMOS@VLT.The luminosity range of the candidates covers the bright end of theglobular cluster (GC) luminosity function and the luminosity regime ofUCDs in Fornax and Virgo. Within the area surveyed, our completeness interms of slit allocation is ≈30%. Results: We find 27 compactobjects with radial velocities consistent with them being members ofCentaurus, covering an absolute magnitude range -12.2 < MV< -10.9 mag. We do not find counterparts to the two very large andbright UCDs in Fornax and Virgo with MV = -13.5 mag, possiblydue to survey incompleteness. The compact objects' distribution inmagnitude and space is consistent with that of the GC population. Theirkinematics and spatial distribution indicate that they are associatedmore to the central galaxies than to the overall cluster potential. Thecompact objects have a mean metallicity consistent with that of themetal-rich globular cluster sub-population. Compact objects with highS/N spectra exhibit solar [ α/Fe] abundances, consistent withtypical dwarf elliptical galaxy values and unlike galactic bulgeglobular clusters. HST based size estimates for a sub-sample of eightcompact objects reveal the existence of one very large object withhalf-light radius rh around 30 pc, having MV =-11.6 mag (≃107 Mȯ). This source showssuper-solar [ α/Fe] abundances. Seven further sources are onlymarginally larger than typical GCs with rh in the range 4 to10 pc. Those sources exhibit a large scatter in [ α/Fe]abundances. Conclusions: We consider the largest compact object foundto be the only bona fide UCD detected in our study. In order to improveour understanding of UCDs in Centaurus, a significant increase of oursurvey completeness is necessary.Based on observations obtained in service mode at the VLT (programme076.B-0293). Table 1 is only available in electronic form athttp://www.aanda.org
| Spectroscopic and light curve characterization of bulge microlensing events
Aims: Microlensing events have been observed regularly by surveys suchas MACHO, OGLE and MOA. They offer an excellent way to probe thegalactic structure, kinematics and stellar content. We have undertaken afollow-up study of 16 galactic microlensing events to determine massesand locations of the sources of these events within the Galaxy. Methods: Spectroscopy allows us to obtain information about the sourcesof the events. Low resolution spectra obtained with the Magellan I andII telescopes were analyzed to obtain radial velocities, spectral typeand extinction by the method of Kane & Sahu. We also present resultsfor the lens of the event using the microlensing light curve whenpossible. Light curves have been analyzed with the standard and theparallax models. Results: We have inferred a configuration inside ourgalaxy for each event, and therefore a lens mass estimation using asuitable galaxy model. Lens mass determination in some cases showsmassive lenses that can be considered black hole candidates. This is thecase for the events MACHO-98-BLG-6, and OGLE-00-BUL-43. In our sampleonly three events do not have enough parallax signal for a successfulestimation of the lens mass.Based on observations collected with the Magellan telescopes of theCarnegie Institution of Washington, at Las Campanas Observatory inChile. Electronic spectra is only available in electronic form at theCDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/466/157
| Oxygen abundances in nearby stars. Clues to the formation and evolution of the Galactic disk
The abundances of iron and oxygen are homogeneously determined in asample of 523 nearby (d<150 pc) FGK disk and halo stars withmetallicities in the range -1.5<[Fe/H]<0.5. Iron abundances wereobtained from an LTE analysis of a large set of Fe I and Fe II lineswith reliable atomic data. Oxygen abundances were inferred from arestricted non-LTE analysis of the 777 nm O I triplet. We adopted theinfrared flux method temperature scale and surface gravities based onHipparcos trigonometric parallaxes. Within this framework, theionization balance of iron lines is not satisfied: the mean abundancesfrom the Fe I lines are systematically lower by 0.06 dex than those fromthe Fe II lines for dwarf stars of Teff>5500 K and[Fe/H]<0.0, and giant stars of all temperatures and metallicitiescovered by our sample. The discrepancy worsens for cooler and metal-richmain-sequence stars. We use the stellar kinematics to compute theprobabilities of our sample stars to be members of the thin disk, thickdisk, or halo of the Galaxy. We find that the majority of thekinematically-selected thick-disk stars show larger [O/Fe] ratioscompared to thin-disk stars while the rest show thin-disk abundances,which suggests that the latter are thin-disk members with unusual(hotter) kinematics. A close examination of this pattern for disk starswith ambiguous probabilities shows that an intermediate population withproperties between those of the thin and thick disks does not exist, atleast in the solar neighborhood. Excluding the stars with unusualkinematics, we find that thick-disk stars show slowly decreasing [O/Fe]ratios from about 0.5 to 0.4 in the -0.8<[Fe/H]<-0.3 range. Usinga simple model for the chemical evolution of the thick disk we show thatthis trend results directly from the metallicity dependence of the TypeII supernova yields. At [Fe/H]>-0.3, we find no obvious indication ofa sudden decrease (i.e., a "knee") in the [O/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] pattern ofthick-disk stars that would connect the thick and thin disk trends at ahigh metallicity. We conclude that Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) did notcontribute significantly to the chemical enrichment of the thick disk.In the -0.8<[Fe/H]<+0.3 range, thin-disk stars show decreasing[O/Fe] ratios from about 0.4 to 0.0 that require a SN Ia contribution.The implications of these results for studies of the formation andevolution of the Galactic disk are discussed.Tables 4-6 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/465/271 Partially based onobservations obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which is a jointproject of the University of Texas at Austin, the Pennsylvania StateUniversity, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätMünchen, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen; and datafrom the UVES Paranal Observatory Project (ESO DDT Program ID266.D-5655).
| Medium-resolution Isaac Newton Telescope library of empirical spectra - II. The stellar atmospheric parameters
We present a homogeneous set of stellar atmospheric parameters(Teff, logg, [Fe/H]) for MILES, a new spectral stellarlibrary covering the range λλ 3525-7500Å at2.3Å (FWHM) spectral resolution. The library consists of 985 starsspanning a large range in atmospheric parameters, from super-metal-rich,cool stars to hot, metal-poor stars. The spectral resolution, spectraltype coverage and number of stars represent a substantial improvementover previous libraries used in population synthesis models. Theatmospheric parameters that we present here are the result of aprevious, extensive compilation from the literature. In order toconstruct a homogeneous data set of atmospheric parameters we have takenthe sample of stars of Soubiran, Katz & Cayrel, which has very welldetermined fundamental parameters, as the standard reference system forour field stars, and have calibrated and bootstrapped the data fromother papers against it. The atmospheric parameters for our clusterstars have also been revised and updated according to recent metallicityscales, colour-temperature relations and improved set of isochrones.
| Metallicity and absolute magnitude calibrations for UBV photometry
Calibrations are presented here for metallicity ([Fe/H]) in terms of theultraviolet excess, [δ(U - B) at B - V = 0.6, hereafterδ0.6], and also for the absolute visual magnitude(MV) and its difference with respect to the Hyades(ΔMHV) in terms of δ0.6 and(B - V), making use of high-resolution spectroscopic abundances from theliterature and Hipparcos parallaxes. The relation[Fe/H]-δ0.6 has been derived for dwarf plus turn-offstars, and also for dwarf, turn-off, plus subgiant stars classifiedusing the MV-(B - V)0 plane of Fig. 11, which iscalibrated with isochrones from Bergbusch & VandenBerg (and alsoVandenBerg & Clem). The [Fe/H]-δ0.6 relations inour equations (5) and (6) agree well with those of Carney, as can beseen from Fig. 5(a). Within the uncertainties, the zero-points,+0.13(+/-0.05) of equation (5) and +0.13(+/-0.04) of equation (6), arein good agreement with the photometric ones of Cameron and of Carney,and close to the spectroscopic ones of Cayrel et al. and of Boesgaard& Friel for the Hyades open cluster. Good quantitative agreementbetween our estimated [Fe/H] abundances with those from uvby-βphotometry and spectroscopic [Fe/H]spec values demonstratesthat our equation (6) can be used in deriving quality photometric metalabundances for field stars and clusters using UBV data from variousphotometric surveys.For dwarf and turn-off stars, a new hybrid MV calibration ispresented, based on Hipparcos parallaxes withσπ/π <= 0.1 and with a dispersion of +/-0.24in MV. This hybrid MV calibration containsδ0.6 and (B - V) terms, plus higher order cross-termsof these, and is valid for the ranges of +0.37 <= (B - V)0<= +0.88,- 0.10 <= δ0.6 <= +0.29 and 3.44<= MV <= 7.23. For dwarf and turn-off stars, therelation for ΔMHV is revised and updated interms of (B - V) and δ0.6, for the ranges of -0.10<= δ0.6 <= +0.29, and +0.49 <= (B -V)0 <= +0.89, again making use of Hipparcos parallaxeswith σπ/π <= 0.1. These parallaxes formetal-poor dwarf and turn-off stars in our sample reveal that thedifference of ΔMHV(B - V) relative to Hyadesat (B - V) = +0.70 should be 1.37mag, instead of the 1.58mag given byLaird et al. In general, Hipparcos parallaxes are larger thanground-based ones, causing a divergence of ourΔMHV(B - V,δ0.6) relation(the solid line in Fig. 15b), from the one of Laird et al. (the dashedline) for the range +0.10 <= δ0.6 <= +0.29 ourabsolute magnitudes are fainter, as has been confirmed for localsubdwarfs by Reid. Our final calibrations forΔMHV(B - V, δ0.6),equations (16) and (17), are third-order polynomials inδ0.6, pass through the origin, and provide photometricdistances in reasonable agreement with those obtained directly fromHipparcos parallaxes (Fig. 18).
| Medium-resolution Isaac Newton Telescope library of empirical spectra
A new stellar library developed for stellar population synthesismodelling is presented. The library consists of 985 stars spanning alarge range in atmospheric parameters. The spectra were obtained at the2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope and cover the range λλ3525-7500 Å at 2.3 Å (full width at half-maximum) spectralresolution. The spectral resolution, spectral-type coverage,flux-calibration accuracy and number of stars represent a substantialimprovement over previous libraries used in population-synthesis models.
| Barium even-to-odd isotope abundance ratios in thick disk and thin disk stars
We present the Ba even-to-odd isotope abundance ratios in 25 cool dwarfstars with the metallicity [Fe/H] ranging between 0.25 and -1.35. Ourmethod takes advantage of the hyperfine structure (HFS) affecting the BaII resonance line of the odd isotopes. The fractional abundance of theodd isotopes of Ba is derived from a requirement that Ba abundances fromthe resonance line λ 4554 and subordinate lines λ 5853 andλ 6496 must be equal. The results are based on NLTE lineformation and analysis of high resolution (R 60 000) highsignal-to-noise ({S/N} ≥ 200) observed spectra. We find that thefraction of the odd isotopes of Ba grows toward the lower Ba abundance(or metallicity) and the mean value in the thick disk stars equals 33± 4%. This indicates the higher contribution of the r-process tobarium in the thick disk stars compared to the solar system matter. Theobtained fraction increases with the [Eu/Ba] abundance ratio growth inagreement with expectations. A significant fraction of the even isotopesof Ba found in old Galactic stars (the thick disk stars), 67%, is incontrast to the prediction of the "classical" model of the s-process andfavors the value predicted by the "stellar" models of Arlandini et al.(1999) and Travaglio et al. (1999).
| Abundances of refractory elements in the atmospheres of stars with extrasolar planets
Aims.This work presents a uniform and homogeneous study of chemicalabundances of refractory elements in 101 stars with and 93 without knownplanetary companions. We carry out an in-depth investigation of theabundances of Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Na, Mg and Al. The newcomparison sample, spanning the metallicity range -0.70< [Fe/H]<0.50, fills the gap that previously existed, mainly at highmetallicities, in the number of stars without known planets.Methods.Weused an enlarged set of data including new observations, especially forthe field "single" comparison stars . The line list previously studiedby other authors was improved: on average we analysed 90 spectral linesin every spectrum and carefully measured more than 16 600 equivalentwidths (EW) to calculate the abundances.Results.We investigate possibledifferences between the chemical abundances of the two groups of stars,both with and without planets. The results are globally comparable tothose obtained by other authors, and in most cases the abundance trendsof planet-host stars are very similar to those of the comparison sample.Conclusions.This work represents a step towards the comprehension ofrecently discovered planetary systems. These results could also beuseful for verifying galactic models at high metallicities andconsequently improve our knowledge of stellar nucleosynthesis andgalactic chemical evolution.
| Oxygen abundances in planet-harbouring stars. Comparison of different abundance indicators
We present a detailed and uniform study of oxygen abundances in 155solar type stars, 96 of which are planet hosts and 59 of which form partof a volume-limited comparison sample with no known planets. EWmeasurements were carried out for the [O I] 6300 Å line and the OI triplet, and spectral synthesis was performed for several OH lines.NLTE corrections were calculated and applied to the LTE abundanceresults derived from the O I 7771-5 Å triplet. Abundances from [OI], the O I triplet and near-UV OH were obtained in 103, 87 and 77dwarfs, respectively. We present the first detailed and uniformcomparison of these three oxygen indicators in a large sample ofsolar-type stars. There is good agreement between the [O/H] ratios fromforbidden and OH lines, while the NLTE triplet shows a systematicallylower abundance. We found that discrepancies between OH, [O I] and the OI triplet do not exceed 0.2 dex in most cases. We have studied abundancetrends in planet host and comparison sample stars, and no obviousanomalies related to the presence of planets have been detected. Allthree indicators show that, on average, [O/Fe] decreases with [Fe/H] inthe metallicity range -0.8< [Fe/H] < 0.5. The planet host starspresent an average oxygen overabundance of 0.1-0.2 dex with respect tothe comparison sample.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| A New Definition for the Ca4227 Feature: Is Calcium Really Underabundant in Early-Type Galaxies?
We have investigated the abundance of calcium in early-type galaxies bymeasuring the strength of the Ca I λ4227 absorption line in theirintegrated spectra. The database used is the large sample of early-typegalaxy integrated spectra in Caldwell and coworkers. We have measured Caabundances from the Ca I λ4227 feature both by using the LickCa4227 index and by defining a new index, Ca4227r, thatavoids the CN4216 molecular band in the continuum on the blueward sideof the line. With the new index definition we measure Ca abundances thatare systematically ~0.3 dex higher than with the Lick Ca4227 index. Theresult is that with the new index definition we obtain higher [Ca/Fe]abundances in early-type galaxies, which are more consistent with theirwell-known [Mg/Fe] overabundances. Hence, we suggest that Ca might beslightly enhanced, relative to Fe, in early-type galaxies.
| Abundance trends in kinematical groups of the Milky Way's disk
We have compiled a large catalogue of metallicities and abundance ratiosfrom the literature in order to investigate abundance trends of severalalpha and iron peak elements in the thin disk and the thick disk of theGalaxy. The catalogue includes 743 stars with abundances of Fe, O, Mg,Ca, Ti, Si, Na, Ni and Al in the metallicity range -1.30 < [Fe/H]< +0.50. We have checked that systematic differences betweenabundances measured in the different studies were lower than randomerrors before combining them. Accurate distances and proper motions fromHipparcos and radial velocities from several sources have been retreivedfor 639 stars and their velocities (U, V, W) and galactic orbits havebeen computed. Ages of 322 stars have been estimated with a Bayesianmethod of isochrone fitting. Two samples kinematically representative ofthe thin and thick disks have been selected, taking into account theHercules stream which is intermediate in kinematics, but with a probabledynamical origin. Our results show that the two disks are chemicallywell separated, they overlap greatly in metallicity and both showparallel decreasing alpha elements with increasing metallicity, in theinterval -0.80 < [Fe/H] < -0.30. The Mg enhancement with respectto Fe of the thick disk is measured to be 0.14 dex. An even largerenhancement is observed for Al. The thick disk is clearly older than thethin disk with tentative evidence of an AMR over 2-3 Gyr and a hiatus instar formation before the formation of the thin disk. We do not observea vertical gradient in the metallicity of the thick disk. The Herculesstream has properties similar to that of the thin disk, with a widerrange of metallicity. Metal-rich stars assigned to the thick disk andsuper-metal-rich stars assigned to the thin disk appear as outliers inall their properties.
| Spectroscopic metallicities for planet-host stars: Extending the samples
We present stellar parameters and metallicities for 29 planet-hoststars, as well as for a large volume-limited sample of 53 stars notknown to be orbited by any planetary-mass companion. These stars add tothe results presented in our previous series of papers, providing twolarge and uniform samples of 119 planet-hosts and 94“single” stars with accurate stellar parameters and [Fe/H]estimates. The analysis of the results further confirms that stars withplanets are metal-rich when compared with average field dwarfs.Important biases that may compromise future studies are also discussed.Finally, we compare the metallicity distributions for singleplanet-hosts and planet-hosts in multiple stellar systems. The resultsshow that a small difference cannot be excluded, in the sense that thelatter sample is slighly overmetallic. However, more data are needed toconfirm this correlation.
| UVBLUE: A New High-Resolution Theoretical Library of Ultraviolet Stellar Spectra
We present an extended ultraviolet-blue (850-4700 Å) library oftheoretical stellar spectral energy distributions computed at highresolution, λ/Δλ=50,000. The UVBLUE grid, as wenamed the library, is based on LTE calculations carried out with ATLAS9and SYNTHE codes developed by R. L. Kurucz and consists of nearly 1800entries that cover a large volume of the parameter space. It spans arange in Teff from 3000 to 50,000 K, the surface gravityranges from logg=0.0 to 5.0 with Δlogg=0.5 dex, while sevenchemical compositions are considered:[M/H]=-2.0,-1.5,-1.0,-0.5,+0.0,+0.3, and +0.5 dex. For its coverageacross the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, this library is the mostcomprehensive one ever computed at high resolution in theshort-wavelength spectral range, and useful application can be foreseenfor both the study of single stars and in population synthesis models ofgalaxies and other stellar systems. We briefly discuss some relevantissues for a safe application of the theoretical output to ultravioletobservations, and a comparison of our LTE models with the non-LTE (NLTE)ones from the TLUSTY code is also carried out. NLTE spectra are found,on average, to be slightly ``redder'' compared to the LTE ones for thesame value of Teff, while a larger difference could bedetected for weak lines, which are nearly wiped out by the enhanced coreemission component in case of NLTE atmospheres. These effects seem to bemagnified at low metallicity (typically [M/H]<~-1). A match with aworking sample of 111 stars from the IUE atlas, with availableatmosphere parameters from the literature, shows that UVBLUE modelsprovide an accurate description of the main mid- and low-resolutionspectral features for stars along the whole sequence from the B to ~G5type. The comparison sensibly degrades for later spectral types, withsupergiant stars that are in general more poorly reproduced than dwarfs.As a possible explanation of this overall trend, we partly invoke theuncertainty in the input atmosphere parameters to compute thetheoretical spectra. In addition, one should also consider the importantcontamination of the IUE stellar sample, where the presence of binaryand variable stars certainly works in the sense of artificiallyworsening the match between theory and observations.
| Synthetic Lick Indices and Detection of α-enhanced Stars. II. F, G, and K Stars in the -1.0 < [Fe/H] < +0.50 Range
We present an analysis of 402 F, G, and K solar neighborhood stars, withaccurate estimates of [Fe/H] in the range -1.0 to +0.5 dex, aimed at thedetection of α-enhanced stars and at the investigation of theirkinematical properties. The analysis is based on the comparison of 571sets of spectral indices in the Lick/IDS system, coming from fourdifferent observational data sets, with synthetic indices computed withsolar-scaled abundances and with α-element enhancement. We useselected combinations of indices to single out α-enhanced starswithout requiring previous knowledge of their main atmosphericparameters. By applying this approach to the total data set, we obtain alist of 60 bona fide α-enhanced stars and of 146 stars withsolar-scaled abundances. The properties of the detected α-enhancedand solar-scaled abundance stars with respect to their [Fe/H] values andkinematics are presented. A clear kinematic distinction betweensolar-scaled and α-enhanced stars was found, although a one-to-onecorrespondence to ``thin disk'' and ``thick disk'' components cannot besupported with the present data.
| Stellar Chemical Signatures and Hierarchical Galaxy Formation
To compare the chemistries of stars in the Milky Way dwarf spheroidal(dSph) satellite galaxies with stars in the Galaxy, we have compiled alarge sample of Galactic stellar abundances from the literature. Whenkinematic information is available, we have assigned the stars tostandard Galactic components through Bayesian classification based onGaussian velocity ellipsoids. As found in previous studies, the[α/Fe] ratios of most stars in the dSph galaxies are generallylower than similar metallicity Galactic stars in this extended sample.Our kinematically selected stars confirm this for the Galactic halo,thin-disk, and thick-disk components. There is marginal overlap in thelow [α/Fe] ratios between dSph stars and Galactic halo stars onextreme retrograde orbits (V<-420 km s-1), but this is notsupported by other element ratios. Other element ratios compared in thispaper include r- and s-process abundances, where we find a significantoffset in the [Y/Fe] ratios, which results in a large overabundance in[Ba/Y] in most dSph stars compared with Galactic stars. Thus, thechemical signatures of most of the dSph stars are distinct from thestars in each of the kinematic components of the Galaxy. This resultrules out continuous merging of low-mass galaxies similar to these dSphsatellites during the formation of the Galaxy. However, we do not ruleout very early merging of low-mass dwarf galaxies, since up to one-halfof the most metal-poor stars ([Fe/H]<=-1.8) have chemistries that arein fair agreement with Galactic halo stars. We also do not rule outmerging with higher mass galaxies, although we note that the LMC and theremnants of the Sgr dwarf galaxy are also chemically distinct from themajority of the Galactic halo stars. Formation of the Galaxy's thickdisk by heating of an old thin disk during a merger is also not ruledout; however, the Galaxy's thick disk itself cannot be comprised of theremnants from a low-mass (dSph) dwarf galaxy, nor of a high-mass dwarfgalaxy like the LMC or Sgr, because of differences in chemistry.The new and independent environments offered by the dSph galaxies alsoallow us to examine fundamental assumptions related to thenucleosynthesis of the elements. The metal-poor stars ([Fe/H]<=-1.8)in the dSph galaxies appear to have lower [Ca/Fe] and [Ti/Fe] than[Mg/Fe] ratios, unlike similar metallicity stars in the Galaxy.Predictions from the α-process (α-rich freeze-out) would beconsistent with this result if there have been a lack of hypernovae indSph galaxies. The α-process could also be responsible for thevery low Y abundances in the metal-poor stars in dSph's; since [La/Eu](and possibly [Ba/Eu]) are consistent with pure r-process results, thelow [Y/Eu] suggests a separate r-process site for this light(first-peak) r-process element. We also discuss SNe II rates and yieldsas other alternatives, however. In stars with higher metallicities([Fe/H]>=-1.8), contributions from the s-process are expected; [(Y,La, and Ba)/Eu] all rise as expected, and yet [Ba/Y] is still muchhigher in the dSph stars than similar metallicity Galactic stars. Thisresult is consistent with s-process contributions from lower metallicityAGB stars in dSph galaxies, and is in good agreement with the slowerchemical evolution expected in the low-mass dSph galaxies relative tothe Galaxy, such that the build-up of metals occurs over much longertimescales. Future investigations of nucleosynthetic constraints (aswell as galaxy formation and evolution) will require an examination ofmany stars within individual dwarf galaxies.Finally, the Na-Ni trend reported in 1997 by Nissen & Schuster isconfirmed in Galactic halo stars, but we discuss this in terms of thegeneral nucleosynthesis of neutron-rich elements. We do not confirm thatthe Na-Ni trend is related to the accretion of dSph galaxies in theGalactic halo.
| Statistical properties of solar-type close binaries
Two Coravel radial velocity surveys dedicated to F7-K field dwarfs andto open clusters are merged in order to investigate the statisticalproperties of binaries with periods up to 10 years. Thanks to theaccurate trigonometric parallaxes provided by Hipparcos, an unbiasedsample of spectroscopic binaries (SB) is selected. After correction forthe uncertainties of the measurements, the following results areobtained: 1. The distribution of mass ratios exhibits a peak forequal-mass binaries (twins), which is higher for short-period binariesthan for long-period binaries. 2. Apart from the twins, the distributionof mass ratios exhibits a broad peak from 0.2 to 0.6. 3. The orbitaleccentricities of twins are slightly smaller than those of otherbinaries. 4. An excess of SB is observed with periods shorter than about50 days in comparison with the Duquennoy and Mayor log-normaldistribution of periods. These features suggest that close binary starsare generated by two different processes. A possible difference couldcome from the accretion onto the binary, for instance from a commonenvelope or from a circumbinary disk. Alternatively, twins could comefrom dynamic evolution of multiple systems. It is not clear whether theformation models are already sufficiently elaborated to reproduce ourstatistics.
| Meeting the Cool Neighbors. VIII. A Preliminary 20 Parsec Census from the NLTT Catalogue
Continuing our census of late-type dwarfs in the solar neighborhood, wepresent BVRI photometry and optical spectroscopy of 800 mid-type Mdwarfs drawn from the NLTT proper-motion catalog. The targets are takenboth from our own cross-referencing of the NLTT Catalogue and the 2MASSSecond Incremental Data Release, and from the revised NLTT compiledrecently by Salim & Gould. All are identified as nearby-starcandidates based on their location in the(mr,mr-Ks) diagram. Three hundred starsdiscussed here have previous astrometric, photometric, or spectroscopicobservations. We present new BVRI photometry for 101 stars, togetherwith low-resolution spectroscopy of a further 400 dwarfs. In total, wefind that 241 stars are within 20 pc of the Sun, while a further 70 liewithin 1 σ of our distance limit. Combining the present resultswith previous analyses, we have quantitative observations for 1910 ofthe 1913 candidates in our NLTT nearby-star samples. Eight hundredfifteen of those stars have distance estimates of 20 pc or less,including 312 additions to the local census. With our NLTT follow-upobservations essentially complete, we have searched the literature for Kand early-type M dwarfs within the sampling volume covered by the 2MASSsecond release. Comparing the resultant 20 pc census against predictednumbers, derived from the 8 pc luminosity function, shows an overalldeficit of ~20% for stellar systems and ~35% for individual stars.Almost all are likely to be fainter than MJ=7, and at leasthalf are probably as yet undiscovered companions of known nearby stars.Our results suggest that there are relatively few missing systems at thelowest luminosities, MJ>8.5. We discuss possible means ofidentifying the missing stars.
| Chromospheric Ca II Emission in Nearby F, G, K, and M Stars
We present chromospheric Ca II H and K activity measurements, rotationperiods, and ages for ~1200 F, G, K, and M type main-sequence stars from~18,000 archival spectra taken at Keck and Lick Observatories as a partof the California and Carnegie Planet Search Project. We have calibratedour chromospheric S-values against the Mount Wilson chromosphericactivity data. From these measurements we have calculated medianactivity levels and derived R'HK, stellar ages,and rotation periods from general parameterizations for 1228 stars,~1000 of which have no previously published S-values. We also presentprecise time series of activity measurements for these stars.Based on observations obtained at Lick Observatory, which is operated bythe University of California, and on observations obtained at the W. M.Keck Observatory, which is operated jointly by the University ofCalifornia and the California Institute of Technology. The KeckObservatory was made possible by the generous financial support of theW. M. Keck Foundation.
| The Indo-US Library of Coudé Feed Stellar Spectra
We have obtained spectra for 1273 stars using the 0.9 m coudéfeed telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. This telescope feedsthe coudé spectrograph of the 2.1 m telescope. The spectra havebeen obtained with the no. 5 camera of the coudé spectrograph anda Loral 3K×1K CCD. Two gratings have been used to provide spectralcoverage from 3460 to 9464 Å, at a resolution of ~1 Å FWHMand at an original dispersion of 0.44 Å pixel-1. For885 stars we have complete spectra over the entire 3460 to 9464 Åwavelength region (neglecting small gaps of less than 50 Å), andpartial spectral coverage for the remaining stars. The 1273 stars havebeen selected to provide broad coverage of the atmospheric parametersTeff, logg, and [Fe/H], as well as spectral type. The goal ofthe project is to provide a comprehensive library of stellar spectra foruse in the automated classification of stellar and galaxy spectra and ingalaxy population synthesis. In this paper we discuss thecharacteristics of the spectral library, viz., details of theobservations, data reduction procedures, and selection of stars. We alsopresent a few illustrations of the quality and information available inthe spectra. The first version of the complete spectral library is nowpublicly available from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory(NOAO) via ftp and http.
| The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood. Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of 14 000 F and G dwarfs
We present and discuss new determinations of metallicity, rotation, age,kinematics, and Galactic orbits for a complete, magnitude-limited, andkinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F and G dwarf stars. Our63 000 new, accurate radial-velocity observations for nearly 13 500stars allow identification of most of the binary stars in the sampleand, together with published uvbyβ photometry, Hipparcosparallaxes, Tycho-2 proper motions, and a few earlier radial velocities,complete the kinematic information for 14 139 stars. These high-qualityvelocity data are supplemented by effective temperatures andmetallicities newly derived from recent and/or revised calibrations. Theremaining stars either lack Hipparcos data or have fast rotation. Amajor effort has been devoted to the determination of new isochrone agesfor all stars for which this is possible. Particular attention has beengiven to a realistic treatment of statistical biases and errorestimates, as standard techniques tend to underestimate these effectsand introduce spurious features in the age distributions. Our ages agreewell with those by Edvardsson et al. (\cite{edv93}), despite severalastrophysical and computational improvements since then. We demonstrate,however, how strong observational and theoretical biases cause thedistribution of the observed ages to be very different from that of thetrue age distribution of the sample. Among the many basic relations ofthe Galactic disk that can be reinvestigated from the data presentedhere, we revisit the metallicity distribution of the G dwarfs and theage-metallicity, age-velocity, and metallicity-velocity relations of theSolar neighbourhood. Our first results confirm the lack of metal-poor Gdwarfs relative to closed-box model predictions (the ``G dwarfproblem''), the existence of radial metallicity gradients in the disk,the small change in mean metallicity of the thin disk since itsformation and the substantial scatter in metallicity at all ages, andthe continuing kinematic heating of the thin disk with an efficiencyconsistent with that expected for a combination of spiral arms and giantmolecular clouds. Distinct features in the distribution of the Vcomponent of the space motion are extended in age and metallicity,corresponding to the effects of stochastic spiral waves rather thanclassical moving groups, and may complicate the identification ofthick-disk stars from kinematic criteria. More advanced analyses of thisrich material will require careful simulations of the selection criteriafor the sample and the distribution of observational errors.Based on observations made with the Danish 1.5-m telescope at ESO, LaSilla, Chile, and with the Swiss 1-m telescope at Observatoire deHaute-Provence, France.Complete Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at the CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/418/989
| On the correlation of elemental abundances with kinematics among galactic disk stars
We have performed the detailed analysis of 174 high-resolution spectraof FGK dwarfs obtained with the ELODIE echelle spectrograph at theObservatoire de Haute-Provence. Abundances of Fe, Si and Ni have beendetermined from equivalent widths under LTE approximation, whereasabundances of Mg have been determined under NLTE approximation usingequivalent widths of 4 lines and profiles of 5 lines. Spatial velocitieswith an accuracy better than 1 km s-1, as well as orbits,have been computed for all stars. They have been used to define 2subsamples kinematically representative of the thin disk and the thickdisk in order to highlight their respective properties. A transitionoccurs at [Fe/H] =-0.3. Stars more metal-rich than this value have aflat distribution with Zmax;<1 kpc and σW<20 km s-1, and a narrow distribution of [α/Fe].There exist stars in this metallicity regime which cannot belong to thethin disk because of their excentric orbits, neither to the thick diskbecause of their low scale height. Several thin disk stars areidentified down to [Fe/H] =-0.80. Their Mg enrichment is lower thanthick disk stars with the same metallicity. We confirm from a largersample the results of Feltzing et al. (\cite{felt03}) and Bensby et al.(\cite{ben03}) showing a decrease of [α/Fe] with [Fe/H] in thethick disk interpreted as the signature of the SNIa which haveprogressively enriched the ISM with iron. However our data suggest thatthe star formation in the thick disk stopped when the enrichment was[Fe/H] =-0.30, [Mg/Fe] =+0.20, [Si/Fe] =+0.17. A vertical gradient in[α/Fe] may exist in the thick disk but should be confirmed with alarger sample. Finally we have identified 2 new candidates of the HR1614moving group.Based on spectra collected with the ELODIE spectrograph at the 1.93-mtelescope of the Observatoire de Haute Provence (France).Tables 3 and 8 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/418/551
| Stars of Extragalactic Origin in the Solar Neighborhood
For 77 main-sequence F-G stars in the solar neighborhood with publishediron, magnesium, and europium abundances determined from high-dispersionspectra and with the ages estimated from theoretical isochrones, wecalculated the spatial velocities using Hipparcos data and the Galacticorbital elements. A comparison with the orbital elements of the globularclusters that are known to have been accreted by our Galaxy in the pastreveals stars of extragalactic origin. We show that the abundance ratiosof r- and alpha-elements in all the accreted stars differ sharply fromthose in the stars that are genetically associated with the Galaxy.According to current theoretical models, europium is produced mainly inlow-mass type-II supernovae (SNe II), while magnesium is synthesized inlarge quantities in high-mass SN II progenitors. Since all the oldaccreted stars of our sample exhibit a significant Eu overabundancerelative to Mg, we conclude that the maximum masses of the SN IIprogenitors outside the Galaxy were much lower than those inside it. Onthe other hand, only a small number of young accreted stars exhibit lownegative ratios [Eu/Mg] < 0. This can be explained by the delay ofprimordial star formation and the explosions of high-mass SNe II in arelatively small part of extragalactic space. We provide evidence thatthe interstellar medium was weakly mixed at the early evolutionarystages of the Galaxy formed from a single protogalactic cloud, and thatthe maximum mass of the SN II progenitors increased in it with timesimultaneously with the increase in mean metallicity.
| Neutron-Capture Elements in Halo, Thick-Disk, and Thin-Disk Stars: Neodymium
We have derived the LTE neodymium abundances in 60 cool stars withmetallicities [Fe/H] from 0.25 to -1.71 by applying a synthetic-spectrumanalysis to spectroscopic observations of NdII lines with a resolutionof λ/Δλ⋍60 000 and signal-to-noise ratios of100 200. We have improved the atomic parameters of NdII and blendinglines by analyzing the corresponding line pro files in the solarspectrum. Neodymium is overabundant with respect to iron in halo stars,[Nd/Fe]=0.33±0.09, with the [Nd/Fe] ratio decreasingsystematically with metallicity when [Fe/H]>-1. This reflects anonset of efficient iron production in type I supernovae during theformation of the thick disk. The [Nd/Ba] and [Nd/Eu] abundance ratiosbehave differently in halo, thick-disk, and thin-disk stars. Theobserved abundance ratios in halo stars, [Nd/Ba]=0.34±0.08 and[Nd/Eu]=-0.27±0.05, agree within the errors with the ratios ofthe elemental yields for the r-process. These results support theconclusion of other authors based on analyses of other elements that ther-process played the dominant role in the synthesis of heavy elementsduring the formation of the halo. The [Nd/Ba] and [Nd/Eu] ratios forthick-disk stars are almost independent of metallicity([Nd/Ba]=0.28(±0.03)-0.01(±0.04) [Fe/H] and[Nd/Eu]=-0.13(±0.03)+0.05(±0.04) [Fe/H]) but are smallerin absolute value than the corresponding ratios for halo stars,suggesting that the synthesis of s-process nuclei started during theformation of the thick disk. The s-process is estimated to havecontributed ⋍30% of the neodymium produced during this stage ofthe evolution of the Galaxy. The [Nd/Ba] ratio decreases abruptly by0.17 dex in the transition from the thick to the thin disk. Thesystematic decrease of [Nd/Ba] and increase of [Nd/Eu] with increasingmetallicity of thin-disk stars point toward a dominant role of thes-process in the synthesis of heavy elements during this epoch.
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