Local kinematics of K and M giants from CORAVEL/Hipparcos/Tycho-2 data. Revisiting the concept of superclusters
The availability of the Hipparcos Catalogue has triggered many kinematicand dynamical studies of the solar neighbourhood. Nevertheless, thosestudies generally lacked the third component of the space velocities,i.e., the radial velocities. This work presents the kinematic analysisof 5952 K and 739 M giants in the solar neighbourhood which includes forthe first time radial velocity data from a large survey performed withthe CORAVEL spectrovelocimeter. It also uses proper motions from theTycho-2 catalogue, which are expected to be more accurate than theHipparcos ones. An important by-product of this study is the observedfraction of only 5.7% of spectroscopic binaries among M giants ascompared to 13.7% for K giants. After excluding the binaries for whichno center-of-mass velocity could be estimated, 5311 K and 719 M giantsremain in the final sample. The UV-plane constructed from these datafor the stars with precise parallaxes (σπ/π≤20%) reveals a rich small-scale structure, with several clumpscorresponding to the Hercules stream, the Sirius moving group, and theHyades and Pleiades superclusters. A maximum-likelihood method, based ona Bayesian approach, has been applied to the data, in order to make fulluse of all the available stars (not only those with precise parallaxes)and to derive the kinematic properties of these subgroups. Isochrones inthe Hertzsprung-Russell diagram reveal a very wide range of ages forstars belonging to these groups. These groups are most probably relatedto the dynamical perturbation by transient spiral waves (as recentlymodelled by De Simone et al. \cite{Simone2004}) rather than to clusterremnants. A possible explanation for the presence of younggroup/clusters in the same area of the UV-plane is that they have beenput there by the spiral wave associated with their formation, while thekinematics of the older stars of our sample has also been disturbed bythe same wave. The emerging picture is thus one of dynamical streamspervading the solar neighbourhood and travelling in the Galaxy withsimilar space velocities. The term dynamical stream is more appropriatethan the traditional term supercluster since it involves stars ofdifferent ages, not born at the same place nor at the same time. Theposition of those streams in the UV-plane is responsible for the vertexdeviation of 16.2o ± 5.6o for the wholesample. Our study suggests that the vertex deviation for youngerpopulations could have the same dynamical origin. The underlyingvelocity ellipsoid, extracted by the maximum-likelihood method afterremoval of the streams, is not centered on the value commonly acceptedfor the radial antisolar motion: it is centered on < U > =-2.78±1.07 km s-1. However, the full data set(including the various streams) does yield the usual value for theradial solar motion, when properly accounting for the biases inherent tothis kind of analysis (namely, < U > = -10.25±0.15 kms-1). This discrepancy clearly raises the essential questionof how to derive the solar motion in the presence of dynamicalperturbations altering the kinematics of the solar neighbourhood: doesthere exist in the solar neighbourhood a subset of stars having no netradial motion which can be used as a reference against which to measurethe solar motion?Based on observations performed at the Swiss 1m-telescope at OHP,France, and on data from the ESA Hipparcos astrometry satellite.Full Table \ref{taba1} is 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/430/165}
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Effect of telescope vibrations upon high angular resolution imaging
We have analysed short-exposure high-resolution images obtained on theWilliam Herschel Telescope (WHT), Big Telescope Azimuthal (BTA) andCanada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) in order to investigate mechanicalvibrations that are capable of reducing the high angular resolutionallowed by speckle-interferometric methods. After filtering the photonnoise we have computed power spectra of the image centres of gravity. Inthese spectra we have found vibration features that differ from onetelescope to another and that vary in particular with the zenith angle.In the case of the WHT we discuss these results in terms of possiblecauses and in terms of degradation of the transfer function. We presentsome means to improve the data.
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CCD measurements of visual double stars made with the 74 cm and 50 cm refractors of the Nice Observatory (2nd series)
We present 619 measurements of 606 visual double stars made by CCDimaging from 1996 to 1999 with the 74 cm and 50 cm refractors of theNice observatory. Angular separation, position angle and magnitudedifference are given. Magnitude differences estimated from CCD imagesare compared with magnitude differences given in the Hipparcos catalog.The residuals in angular separation and position angle are computed forbinaries with known orbit. Table 2 is only available in electronic format the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) orvia http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/378/954
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Catalogs of temperatures and [Fe/H] averages for evolved G and K stars
A catalog of mean values of [Fe/H] for evolved G and K stars isdescribed. The zero point for the catalog entries has been establishedby using differential analyses. Literature sources for those entries areincluded in the catalog. The mean values are given with rms errors andnumbers of degrees of freedom, and a simple example of the use of thesestatistical data is given. For a number of the stars with entries in thecatalog, temperatures have been determined. A separate catalogcontaining those data is briefly described. Catalog only available atthe CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
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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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A photometric survey of suspected small-amplitude red variables
For approximately 100 days in the summer of 1990, photometricobservations were carried out of 21 red-giant stars whose variabilitywas suspected or poorly documented. Two were constant, six weremarginally variable, and 16 were definitely variable. For these, theamplitude and timescale were estimated, though the estimates wererestricted by the limited run of data. There was a slight tendency forstars with longer timescales and/or later spectral types to have largeramplitudes.
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A critical appraisal of published values of (Fe/H) for K II-IV stars
'Primary' (Fe/H) averages are presented for 373 evolved K stars ofluminosity classes II-IV and (Fe/H) values beween -0.9 and +0.21 dex.The data define a 'consensus' zero point with a precision of + or -0.018 dex and have rms errors per datum which are typically 0.08-0.16dex. The primary data base makes recalibration possible for the large(Fe/H) catalogs of Hansen and Kjaergaard (1971) and Brown et al. (1989).A set of (Fe/H) standard stars and a new DDO calibration are given whichhave rms of 0.07 dex or less for the standard star data. For normal Kgiants, CN-based values of (Fe/H) turn out to be more precise than manyhigh-dispersion results. Some zero-point errors in the latter are alsofound and new examples of continuum-placement problems appear. Thushigh-dispersion results are not invariably superior to photometricmetallicities. A review of high-dispersion and related work onsupermetallicity in K III-IV star is also given.
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A search for lithium-rich giant stars
Lithium abundances or upper limits have been determined for 644 brightG-K giant stars selected from the DDO photometric catalog. Two of thesegiants possess surface lithium abundances approaching the 'cosmic' valueof the interstellar medium and young main-sequence stars, and eight moregiants have Li contents far in excess of standard predictions. At leastsome of these Li-rich giants are shown to be evolved to the stage ofhaving convectively mixed envelopes, either from the direct evidence oflow surface carbon isotope ratios, or from the indirect evidence oftheir H-R diagram positions. Suggestions are given for the uniqueconditions that might have allowed these stars to produce or accrete newlithium for their surface layers, or simply to preserve from destructiontheir initial lithium contents. The lithium abundance of the remainingstars demonstrates that giants only very rarely meet the expectations ofstandard first dredge-up theories; the average extra Li destructionrequired is about 1.5 dex. The evolutionary states of these giants andtheir average masses are discussed briefly, and the Li distribution ofthe giants is compared to predictions of Galactic chemical evolution.
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Radial velocity measurements. II - Ground-based observations of the program stars for the HIPPARCOS satellite
New radial velocities for 446 stars of magnitude 9.0 or brighter in 1616-sq-deg fields of the Northern Hemisphere are determined by automaticPDS measurement of 80-A/mm-dispersion spectra obtained at theObservatoire de Haute Provence using a 17-cm-diameter objective prism.The fields were selected to provide data for the input catalog of theESA Hipparcos astrometric satellite. The measurement techniques andprecision are discussed, and the results are presented in extensivetables and graphs.
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E. W. Fick Observatory stellar radial velocity measurements. I - 1976-1984
Stellar radial velocity observations made with the large vacuumhigh-dispersion photoelectric radial velocity spectrometer at FickObservatory are reported. This includes nearly 2000 late-type starsobserved during 585 nights. Gradual modifications to this instrumentover its first eight years of operation have reduced the observationalerror for high-quality dip observations to + or - 0.8 km/s.
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Visual multiples. VIII - 1000 MK types
A total of 1000 new classifications are given for stars brighter than B= 8.0 mag in the Aitken double star catalog. The classificationssupplement 865 classifications obtained in 1981 and 1984. Among thenewly discovered stars are 12 new Ap stars, eight Lambda Bootis stars,one Ba II star, and 60 Am stars. A detailed list of the newclassifications is given.
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B V Observations of Six Red Variable Stars
Not Available
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Micrometric Measures of Double Stars
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1974ApJS...28..413V&db_key=AST
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Micrometer Measures of Double Stars.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1961ApJS....6....1K&db_key=AST
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INHABITED SKY
