The Optical Spectrum of an LBV Candidate in the Cyg OB2 Association
We have obtained the first high-spectral-resolution (R=15000 and 60000)optical spectra for the extremely luminous star No. 12, identified withthe IR source IRAS 20308+4104 in the Cyg OB2 association. We haveidentified about 200 spectral features at 4552 7939 Å, includingthe interstellar NaI, KI lines and numerous DIBs, which are thestrongest absorption lines in the spectrum, along with the HeI, CII, andSiII lines. A two-dimensional spectral classification indicates that thestar's spectral type is B5±0.5 Ia+. Our analysis of theradial-velocity pattern shows the presence of a radial-velocity gradientin the stellar atmosphere, due to the infall of matter onto the star.The strong Hα emission line displays broad Thompson wings andtime-variable core absorption, providing evidence that the stellar windis inhomogeneous, and a slightly blue-shifted P Cygni absorptionprofile. We conclude that the wind is time-variable.
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The association of IRAS sources and 12CO emission in the outer Galaxy
We have revisited the question of the association of CO emission withIRAS sources in the outer Galaxy using data from the FCRAO Outer GalaxySurvey (OGS). The availability of a large-scale high-resolution COsurvey allows us to approach the question of IRAS-CO associations from anew direction - namely we examined all of the IRAS sources within theOGS region for associated molecular material. By investigating theassociation of molecular material with random lines of sight in the OGSregion we were able to construct a quantitative means to judge thelikelihood that any given IRAS-CO association is valid and todisentangle multiple emission components along the line of sight. Thepaper presents a list of all of the IRAS-CO associations in the OGSregion. We show that, within the OGS region, there is a significantincrease ( ~ 22%) in the number of probable star forming regions overprevious targeted CO surveys towards IRAS sources. As a demonstration ofthe utility of the IRAS-CO association table we present the results ofthree brief studies on candidate zone-of-avoidance galaxies with IRAScounterparts, far outer Galaxy CO clouds, and very bright CO clouds withno associated IRAS sources. We find that ~ 25% of such candidate ZOAGsare Galactic objects. We have discovered two new far outer Galaxystar-forming regions, and have discovered six bright molecular cloudsthat we believe are ideal targets for the investigation of the earlieststages of sequential star formation around HII regions. Finally, thispaper provides readers with the necessary data to compare othercatalogued data sets with the OGS data.Tables 1, 2 and A1 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/399/1083
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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.
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New periodic variables from the Hipparcos epoch photometry
Two selection statistics are used to extract new candidate periodicvariables from the epoch photometry of the Hipparcos catalogue. Theprimary selection criterion is a signal-to-noise ratio. The dependenceof this statistic on the number of observations is calibrated usingabout 30000 randomly permuted Hipparcos data sets. A significance levelof 0.1 per cent is used to extract a first batch of candidate variables.The second criterion requires that the optimal frequency be unaffectedif the data are de-trended by low-order polynomials. We find 2675 newcandidate periodic variables, of which the majority (2082) are from theHipparcos`unsolved' variables. Potential problems with theinterpretation of the data (e.g. aliasing) are discussed.
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On the identification of the C60+ interstellar features
The identity of the carriers of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) isone of the most fascinating puzzles of modern spectroscopy. Over thelast few years the number of known DIBs has grown substantially. In thispaper we discuss the two recently discovered near-infrared weakinterstellar features which have already been proposed as fingerprintsof the buckminsterfullerene [formmu2] We present and discussmeasurements of the two related DIBs within a larger sample of reddenedtargets, observed with different spectrometers, telescopes and siteconditions. We provide additional arguments in favour of theinterstellar origin of the two bands. We find evidence around the9577-Å DIB of far-wing structures, which may affect broad-bandmeasurements. We estimate corrections and errors for telluric andstellar blends, and show that the cores of the two DIBs are wellcorrelated with a ratio near unity within 20per cent. Finally, wediscuss their relation to the laboratory spectra of [formmu3] and thesearch for two expected weaker [formmu4] transitions.
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Galactic B-supergiants: A non-LTE model atmosphere analysis to estimate atmospheric parameters and chemical compositions
A non-LTE model atmosphere analysis of moderate resolution (R ~ 5 000)spectra of 46 Galactic B-type supergiants is presented. Standardtechniques are adopted, viz. plane-parallel geometry and radiative andhydrostatic equilibrium. Spectroscopic atmospheric parameters (T_eff,log g & v_turb) and chemical abundances (He, C, N, O, Mg & Si)are estimated, both as a test of the validity of such an approach and inan attempt to provide consistent results for supergiants covering asignificant range of spectral types. The values of the estimatedatmospheric parameters and their dependence on the physics adopted inthe model atmospheres calculations are discussed. The absolute metalabundances are compared to those of main sequence B-type stars and, ingeneral, their chemical compositions appear to be similar. Theabundances for He, C, N & O are considered in some detail and arediscussed in the context of possible evolutionary histories for thisstellar sample. Specifically, it is found that the supergiant sample canbe subdivided into a number of evolutionarily distinct groups. The lowermass objects are predominantly chemically near-normal i.e. theirphotospheres show little or no evidence for chemical processing, whereasthe higher mass supergiants have CNO ratios which are indicative of CNand possibly NO-cycle burning. An attempt is made to quantify thedifference in nitrogen and carbon abundances between the high and lowmass targets but this is hampered by theoretical uncertainties. Thepossibilities that the most highly processed supergiants may have eitherlarger rotational velocities or have undergone mass transfer within abinary system are discussed.
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Catalogue of H-alpha emission stars in the Northern Milky Way
The ``Catalogue of Stars in the Northern Milky Way Having H-alpha inEmission" appears in Abhandlungen aus der Hamburger Sternwarte, Band XIin the year 1997. It contains 4174 stars, range {32degr <= l() II< 214degr , -10degr < b() II < +10degr } having the Hαline in emission. HBH stars and stars of further 99 lists taken from theliterature till the end of 1994 were included in the catalogue. We givethe cross-identification of stars from all lists used. The catalogue isalso available in the Centre de Données, Strasbourg ftp130.79.128.5 or http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr and at the HamburgObservatory via internet.
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CCD spectra of MK standards and a preliminary extension of the MK classification to the yellow-red region.
Not Available
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Near-Infrared H-Band Features in Late O and B Stars
We examine the spectral characteristics of normal OB stars withhigh-signal-to-noise ratio (>120) H-band (1.6 μm) spectra at aresolution of 2000. We find that several atomic lines vary smoothly withstellar temperature, as first shown by Blum et al. However, we find apreviously unreported, significant variation in the strength of some ofthese lines with stellar luminosity. B supergiant stars show stronger Hei and weaker Br 11 as compared with low-luminosity B dwarf stars of thesame spectral class. It is for this reason that luminosity class mustalso be determined to obtain an accurate spectral type for a given starusing H-band spectra. We suggest a method for estimating the spectraltype and luminosity of an OB star over the wavelength range from 1.66 to1.72 μm using hydrogen Br 11 at 1.681 mum, He i at 1.700 mum, and Heii at 1.693 mum. The use of the near-infrared spectral range forclassification has obvious advantages over optical classification whenapplied to heavily reddened stars, such as in star-forming regions ordeeply embedded lines of sight within the plane of the Galaxy, such asthe Galactic center. Furthermore, the H band is less likely to becontaminated by infrared excess emission, which is frequently seenaround massive young stellar objects beyond 2 mum.
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UBV beta Database for Case-Hamburg Northern and Southern Luminous Stars
A database of photoelectric UBV beta photometry for stars listed in theCase-Hamburg northern and southern Milky Way luminous stars surveys hasbeen compiled from the original research literature. Consisting of over16,000 observations of some 7300 stars from over 500 sources, thisdatabase constitutes the most complete compilation of such photometryavailable for intrinsically luminous stars around the Galactic plane.Over 5000 stars listed in the Case-Hamburg surveys still lackfundamental photometric data.
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The Stellar Oxygen Abundance Gradient in M33
We report here first results concerning stellar oxygen abundances inM33. Non-LTE model atmosphere and non-LTE line formation calculationswere used to determine the oxygen abundance of B-type supergiants. Bychoosing stars located at different projected radial distances to thecenter of M33, we are able to determine the oxygen abundance gradient,for which we obtain a value of -0.16 +/- 0.06 dex kpc-1. This is thefirst time that the oxygen stellar abundance gradient has beendetermined in a spiral galaxy other than the Milky Way.
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Catalogue of stars in the northern Milky Way having H-alpha in emission
Not Available
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A Spectral Atlas of Hot, Luminous Stars at 2 Microns
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1996ApJS..107..281H&db_key=AST
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Vitesses radiales. Catalogue WEB: Wilson Evans Batten. Subtittle: Radial velocities: The Wilson-Evans-Batten catalogue.
We give a common version of the two catalogues of Mean Radial Velocitiesby Wilson (1963) and Evans (1978) to which we have added the catalogueof spectroscopic binary systems (Batten et al. 1989). For each star,when possible, we give: 1) an acronym to enter SIMBAD (Set ofIdentifications Measurements and Bibliography for Astronomical Data) ofthe CDS (Centre de Donnees Astronomiques de Strasbourg). 2) the numberHIC of the HIPPARCOS catalogue (Turon 1992). 3) the CCDM number(Catalogue des Composantes des etoiles Doubles et Multiples) byDommanget & Nys (1994). For the cluster stars, a precise study hasbeen done, on the identificator numbers. Numerous remarks point out theproblems we have had to deal with.
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Search for coronene and ovalene cations in the diffuse interstellar medium.
Recent studies suggest carbon-containing molecules as the bestcandidates for the carriers of the unidentified diffuse interstellarbands (DIBs), considering their abundance and ability to form stablebonds in interstellar space. The spectra of the naphthalene and pyrenecations in a neon matrix were recently reported, indicating a linkbetween these small polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) ions and somediffuse bands. We have searched for new DIBs in the near-infrared andaround 4592A in order to identify the coronene (C_24_H_12_) and ovalene(C_32_H_14_) cations in the diffuse medium. Due to their pericondensedstructure these molecules should be among the most stable PAHs in theinterstellar medium. The absorption spectra of both molecules wererecently measured in solid neon. We report on the search for the bandsat 9465/4592A and 9780A, and derive corresponding limits on the presenceof the coronene and ovalene cations in the diffuse interstellar medium.From these results, we discuss a possible selective destructionmechanism of PAHs through dication formation, and the role of PAHcompounds as possible DIB carriers.
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Search for fullerenes and PAHs in the diffuse interstellar medium
Not Available
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Galactic B-supergiants. II - Line strengths in the visible: Evidence for evolutionary effects?
Following the discovery by Lennon et al. (1992) of anomalously weakcarbon lines in the Galactic B-supergiants, a search was conducted forthe signatures of CNO processed material in the atmospheres of thesestars. It was found that the NII line strengths around spectral type B2correlate with luminosity, but exhibit a clear anticorrelation with theCII lines. It is suggested that this trend may be evidence for CNOprocessed material contaminating the atmospheres of the most luminousstars. The CNO processing signature was found to be most pronounced inthe more luminous supergiants, in qualitative agreement with stellarevolution calculations (provided that such stars have passed through aprevious red-supergiant phase of evolution).
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Galactic B-supergiants. I - an atlas of O9-B9 supergiant spectra from 3950 A to 4950 A
CCD spectra are presented for supergiants of spectral types O9-B9 andluminosity subclasses Ia and Ib. They cover the wavelength region fromapproximately 3950 A to 4950 A at a resolution of 0.8 A, and normallyhave a signal-to-noise in excess of 150 at 4600 A. The spectra arediscussed in respect to their classification. A number of stars showclear evidence of the 'filling in' of hydrogen lines by emission fromthe stellar wind, while HD 190603, a B1.5 Ia(+) hypergiant, exhibits anH-beta P-Cygni type line-profile. Also reported is the finding of a newnitrogen weak star, HD 13866, in the Per OB1 association which isclassified here as BC2 Ib.
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Galactic OB associations in the northern Milky Way Galaxy. I - Longitudes 55 deg to 150 deg
The literature on all OB associations was reviewed, and their IRAS pointsource content was studied, between galactic longitude 55 and 150 deg.Only one third of the 24 associations listed by Ruprecht et al. (1981)have been the subject of individual studies designed to identify thebrightest stars. Distances to all of these were recomputed using themethod of cluster fitting of the B main sequence stars, which makes itpoossible to reexamine the absolute magnitude calibration of the Ostars, as well as for the red supergiant candidate stars. Also examinedwas the composite HR diagram for these associations. Associations withthe best defined main sequences, which also tend to contain very youngclusters, referred to here as OB clusters, have extremely few evolved Band A or red supergiants. Associations with poorly defined mainsequences and few OB clusters have many more evolved stars. They alsoshow an effect in the upper HR diagram referred to as a ledge byFitzpatrick and Garmany (1990) in similar data for the Large MagellanicCloud. It is suggested that the differences in the associations are notjust observational selection effects but represent real differences inage and formation history.
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Groups of stars with common motion in the Galaxy. Groups of O and B stars
Not Available
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The diffuse interstellar bands. VIII - New features between 6000 and 8650 A
Twenty-two new diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) have been discovered onhigh signal-to-noise Reticon scans of reddened O- and B-type stars inthe 5840-8650 A region, with special attention being given to HD 183143(B7 Ia). Most of the new DIBs occur in regions masked by atmospheric O2and H2O. Attempts to find DIBs at positions expected for a transition inthe (hypothetical) spectrum of interstellar H(-), and at wavelengths oflines in the laboratory spectrum of Cr(3+):MgO, were inconclusive. Asystematic search was made in the wavenumbers of the 105 DIBs now knownfor vibrational sequences of the type 0 to v-prime; none of those foundare very convincing. The large number of DIBs now known, far more thanwould be expected in the spectrum of a single species at interstellartemperatures, must mean that a substantial number of different carriersare responsible for the DIB spectrum.
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Absolute magnitudes of B emission line stars - Correlation between the luminosity excess and the effective temperature
A new determination of the visual absolute magnitude of Be stars iscarried out. For this, a new calibration of visual absolute magnitudesof B stars of luminosity classes, V, IV, and III is first obtained froma sample of 215 stars. The absolute luminosity excess in the visual isdetermined for a sample of 49 Be stars. It is found that this excess iscorrelated with the effective temperature of the underlying stars. Awell defined correlation between this excess and the emission in thefirst two Balmer lines is established. From these results, using asimple model of circumstellar envelope, it is inferred that the zones ofthe circumstellar envelope contributing to the emission in the continuumand in the lines have to be rather small. It is also deduced that theemission measure of the envelope is correlated with the temperature ofthe central star and that the irregular photometric variations of Bestars are an envelope-opacity phenomenon.
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A list of MK standard stars
Not Available
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The maximum amplitude of the optical micro-variations of massive O-F type stars (or Alpha Cygni variables, including LBV's or S DOR variables) across the HR diagram
The maximum light amplitude (MLA) of the microvariations of nearly 100massive stars with spectral type O 3-F8 are collected from theliterature and unpublished material. These variables, called the AlphaCygni variables, also include the LBVs or S Dor type variables. The SDor type variables must be in a quiescent stage to detect theirintrinsic variations properly. The log T(eff)/MLA diagram exhibits aclear separation between S Dor type variables and the normal Alpha Cygnivariables (the majority). The results suggest that the outer layers ofboth types of stars where gravity waves presumably occur, differphysically from each other.
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Mass loss from stars : the universal formula for mass loss rate
Not Available
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A unified formula for mass-loss rate of O to M stars
A formula for stellar mass-loss rate has been derived using conservationequations of mass and momentum for coronal and continuumradiation-driven wind. The derived mass-loss rate formula has been foundto be consistent with the observed mass-loss rates for stars from O to Mspectral type. Two constant parameters appearing in the mass-loss rateformula have been found to have values for special group of stars suchas Be-stars, which are different from the majority of stars.
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2000 A UV imaging of a 6 deg diameter field around the H and Chi Persei double cluster
A stellar field centered close to the h and Chi per double cluster hasbeen observed at 2000 A by the stratospheric balloon-born telescope ofthe SCAP-2000 program. It is shown that the prevailing extinction lawproduces greater extinction at 1965 A than is predicted by the meanextinction law. The results suggest the presence of an H2 cloud in frontof h and Chi Per in the second absorbing layer and in the local arm. Agroup of hot stars centered at the same distance as the molecular cloudmay form an association of OB stars in the local arm.
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H-alpha as a tracer of mass loss from OB stars
This paper investigates the use of the H-alpha emission from stellarwinds of OB stars to determine the stellar mass-loss rate. The power inH-alpha emitted by the wind can be parameterized in terms of thetemperature and the density field of the wind. A simple expression isderived which relates the observed H-alpha luminosity to the stellarmass-loss rate, the stellar radius, the velocity law, and the stellareffective temperature. This expression is calibrated for the influenceof the velocity law using a sample of Galactic OB stars with UVmass-loss rates. Consequently, the results depend on the validity of theUV rates. The derived velocity law for O stars turns out to be inagreement with the radiation-pressure-driven wind theory. There isevidence for a dependence of the velocity-law gradient on spectral type.The results for B stars, however, are more uncertain due to thedependence on the adopted mass accretion rate/L relation. Application ofthe calibrated H-alpha luminosity/mass-loss rate relation to a sample of149 galactic OB stars shows that mass accretion rate can be reliablydetermined from H-alpha. Due to the moderate amount of observing timerequired to derive mass accretion rate from H-alpha, this method may beapplied successfully to investigate mass-loss effects in extra-Galacticstars.
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Mass loss rates in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
Mass loss rates have been collected for 271 stars of spectral type Othrough M, primarily of population I. Good agreement is found forresults obtained according to six different methods, and it is shownthat the mass loss rate data can be well represented by one empiricalinterpolation formula as a function of the effective temperature andluminosity. The chemically evolved stars are shown to have mass lossrates which are larger than those of normal stars occupying the samepositions in the Hertzprung-Russell diagram by factors of 160 forWolf-Rayet stars and 11 for C-type stars.
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Small Magellanic Cloud: H-gamma-line equivalent widths and luminosity classes of the brightest blue star members
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1987A&AS...69..421A&db_key=AST
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INHABITED SKY
