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 Reliability Checks on the Indo-US Stellar Spectral Library Using Artificial Neural Networks and Principal Component AnalysisThe Indo-US coudé feed stellar spectral library (CFLIB) madeavailable to the astronomical community recently by Valdes et al. (2004,ApJS, 152, 251) contains spectra of 1273 stars in the spectral region3460 to 9464Å at a high resolution of 1Å (FWHM) and a widerange of spectral types. Cross-checking the reliability of this databaseis an important and desirable exercise since a number of stars in thisdatabase have no known spectral types and a considerable fraction ofstars has not so complete coverage in the full wavelength region of3460-9464Å resulting in gaps ranging from a few Å to severaltens of Å. We use an automated classification scheme based onArtificial Neural Networks (ANN) to classify all 1273 stars in thedatabase. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) is carried outto reduce the dimensionality of the data set before the spectra areclassified by the ANN. Most importantly, we have successfullydemonstrated employment of a variation of the PCA technique to restorethe missing data in a sample of 300 stars out of the CFLIB. Spectroscopic analyses of six suspected chemically peculiar starsThe abundance pattern of six stars classified as suspected chemicallypeculiar in the General Catalogue of Ap and Am stars by Renson has beenderived to ascertain the real nature of these objects. Spectroscopicobservations in the range λλ4800-5600 Å have beencarried out at the stellar station of the INAF - Catania AstrophysicalObservatory.Among the studied stars, for only three of them we confirmed theirpeculiarity, HD155102 being a silicon star, HD159082 a mercury-manganesestar and HD162132 a moderate metallic A-type star.The other three objects have chemical abundances not so different fromthe standard values derived in the literature for A-type stars and,furthermore, they do not show light variability. Hence, we suggest thatthey could be ruled out from Renson's catalogue. Establishing Observational Baselines for Two δ Scuti Variables: V966 Herculis and V1438 AquilaeWe have examined the previously understudied δ Scuti stars V966Herculis and V1438 Aquilae. We find that V966 Her is a stable pulsatorwith a refined period of 0.1330302 days with a full V amplitude of 0.096mag. We also find that V966 Her has an average radial velocity of +7.8km s-1, a full radial velocity amplitude of 7.6 kms-1, and a vsini=63.8 km s-1. For V1438 Aql wereport a revised Hipparcos period of 0.1612751 days with a fullamplitude of 0.056. The average radial velocity is found to be -43 kms-1, with full amplitude of 9.7 km s-1, and avsini=76.7 km s-1. Due to some anomalies seen in V1438 Aql wefeel that a much larger photometric and spectroscopic campaign isrequired to determine the true nature of this star. New Precision Orbits of Bright Double-Lined Spectroscopic Binaries. I. RR Lyncis, 12 Bootis, and HR 6169Radial velocities from the 2.1 m telescope at McDonald Observatorysupplemented with radial velocities from the coudé feed telescopeat Kitt Peak National Observatory provide new precise orbits for thedouble-lined spectroscopic binaries RR Lyn (A3/A8/A6), 12 Boo (F8 IV),and HR 6169 (A2 V). We derive orbital dimensions (a1sini anda2sini) and minimum masses (m1sin3i andm2sin3i) with accuracies of 0.06%-0.9%. The three systems,which have V magnitudes of 5.53, 4.82, and 6.42, respectively, are allsufficiently bright that they are easily within the grasp of modernoptical interferometers and so afford the prospect, when ourspectroscopic observations are complemented by interferometricobservations, of fully determined orbits, precise masses, and distances.In the case of RR Lyn, which is also a detached eclipsing binary with awell-determined orbital inclination (i=87.45d+/-0.11d), we are able todetermine the semimajor axis of the relative orbit, a=29.32+/-0.04Rsolar primary and secondary radii of 2.57+/-0.02 and1.59+/-0.03 Rsolar, respectively; and primary and secondarymasses of 1.927+/-0.008 and 1.507+/-0.004 Msolar,respectively. Comparison of our new systemic velocity determination,γ=-12.03+/-0.04 km s-1, with the earlier one of Kondo,γ=-11.61+/-0.30 km s-1, shows no evidence of any changein the systemic velocity in the 40 yr separating the two measurements, anull result that neither confirms nor contradicts the presence of thelow-mass third component proposed by Khaliullin & Khaliullina. Ourspectroscopic orbit of 12 Boo is more precise than that of Boden et al.but confirms their results about this system. Our analysis of HR 6169has produced a major improvement in its orbital elements. The minimummasses of the primary and secondary are 2.20+/-0.01 and 1.64+/-0.02Msolar, respectively. Although all three systems haveeccentric orbits, the six components of the systems are eitherpseudosynchronously rotating or very nearly so. Spectroscopy and Photometry of the Double-lined Binary HD 149420We have used new spectroscopic and photometric observations of HD 149420to obtain an improved orbital element solution and determine some basicproperties of the system. This double-lined binary has an orbital periodof 3.39430 days, a circular orbit, and a mass ratio of 0.52. The primaryis somewhat evolved, with an A9 IV spectral type, while the secondary isestimated to be an F5: dwarf. The secondary may be synchronouslyrotating, but the primary is rotating substantially slower than itssynchronous velocity. Our photometric observations confirm the lightvariability and period found by Hipparcos. We determine a photometricperiod of 1.698 days, essentially half the value of the orbital period,with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.028 mag in V. In addition to thisellipsoidal light variation, we also detect more rapid, low-amplitudevariability with a period of 0.076082 days and a peak-to-peak Vamplitude of 0.008 mag, as well as a possible second short 0.059256 dayperiod with a peak-to-peak amplitude of only 0.005 mag. This indicatesthat the A9 IV primary in HD 149420 is a pulsating δ Scutivariable. Our binary model that best fits both the radial velocity andphotometric observations indicates the possibility of extremely shallowgrazing eclipses, a circumstance not unexpected given the large minimummasses from the orbital solution, the evolved nature of the primary, andthe short orbital period. Radial-Velocity Survey of Central Stars of Southern Planetary Nebulae .We have monitored selected southern-hemisphere planetary-nebula nuclei(PNNi) in order to search for radial-velocity (RV) variations. Theobservations have been carried out regularly since early 2003 with theSMARTS Consortium 1.5-m telescope and Cassegrain spectrograph at CerroTololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile. This study is a followup to anearlier survey of northern PNNi made by \citet{demarco04}, whichsuggested that there is a high incidence of RV variability among PNNi.If the variations are due to motion in binary orbits, the fraction ofclose binaries among PNNi must be very high, suggesting that mostplanetary nebulae are ejected through binary-star processes, such ascommon-envelope interactions. We presente here the results of thesouthern portion of our RV survey. Preliminary results indicate that thefraction of variable RVs is also very high among southern PNNi. Radial Velocities of Galactic CepheidsWe report 490 radial velocities for 16 Galactic Cepheid variables. Thetypical uncertainty of a single velocity is +/-0.40 km s-1.Comparison with published velocities shows excellent agreement. Two ofthe Cepheids (Z Lac, S Sge) are known binaries and exhibit orbitalvelocity changes in our observing interval. The Vertical Stellar Kinematics in Face-On Barred Galaxies: Estimating the Ages of BarsIn order to perform a detailed study of the stellar kinematics in thevertical axis of bars, we obtained high signal-to-noise spectra alongthe major and minor axes of the bars in a sample of 14 face-on galaxiesand used them to determine the line-of-sight stellar velocitydistribution, parameterized as a Gauss-Hermite series. With these data,we developed a diagnostic tool that allows one to distinguish betweenrecently formed and evolved bars, as well as to estimate their ages,assuming that bars form in vertically thin disks that are recognizableby low values for the vertical velocity dispersion σz.Through N-body realizations of bar unstable disk galaxies we were alsoable to check the timescales involved in the processes that give bars animportant vertical structure. We show that σz inevolved bars is roughly 100 km s-1, which translates to aheight scale of about 1.4 kpc, giving support to scenarios in whichbulges form through disk material. Furthermore, the bars in ournumerical simulations have values for σz generallysmaller than 50 km s-1, even after evolving for 2 Gyr,suggesting that a slow process is responsible for making bars asvertically thick as we observe. We verify theoretically that theSpitzer-Schwarzschild mechanism is quantitatively able to explain theseobservations if we assume that giant molecular clouds are twice asconcentrated along the bar as in the rest of the disk. Comprehensive Analysis of RGU Photometry in the Direction to M5The RGU-photographic investigation of an intermediate latitude field inthe direction to the Galactic centre is presented. 164 extra-galacticobjects, identified by comparison of Minnesota and Basel charts, areexcluded from the program. Also, a region with size 0.104square-degrees, contaminated by cluster (M5) stars and affected bybackground light of the bright star HD 136202 is omitted. Contrary toprevious investigations, a reddening of E(B-V)=0.046, corresponding toE(G-R)=0.07mag is adopted. The separation of dwarfs and evolved stars iscarried out by an empirical method, already applied in some of ourworks. A new calibration for the metallicity determination is used fordwarfs, while the absolute magnitude determination for stars of allcategories is performed using the procedures given in the literature.There is good agreement between the observed logarithmic space densityhistograms and the galactic model gradients. Also, the local luminosityfunction agrees with Gliese's (1969) and Hipparcos (Jahreiss &Wielen 1997) luminosity functions, for stars with 2 Lithium abundances of the local thin disc starsLithium abundances are presented for a sample of 181 nearby F and Gdwarfs with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes. The stars are on circularorbits about the Galactic centre and, hence, are identified as belongingto the thin disc. This sample is combined with two published surveys toprovide a catalogue of lithium abundances, metallicities ([Fe/H]),masses, and ages for 451 F-G dwarfs, almost all belonging to the thindisc. The lithium abundances are compared and contrasted with publishedlithium abundances for F and G stars in local open clusters. The fieldstars span a larger range in [Fe/H] than the clusters for which [Fe/H]~=0.0 +/- 0.2. The initial (i.e. interstellar) lithium abundance of thesolar neighbourhood, as derived from stars for which astration oflithium is believed to be unimportant, is traced from logɛ(Li) =2.2 at [Fe/H]=-1 to logɛ(Li) = 3.2 at +0.1. This form for theevolution is dependent on the assumption that astration of lithium isnegligible for the stars defining the relation. An argument is advancedthat this latter assumption may not be entirely correct, and, theevolution of lithium with [Fe/H] may be flatter than previouslysupposed. A sharp Hyades-like Li dip is not seen among the field starsand appears to be replaced by a large spread among lithium abundances ofstars more massive than the lower mass limit of the dip. Astration oflithium by stars of masses too low to participate in the Li dip isdiscussed. These stars show little to no spread in lithium abundance ata given [Fe/H] and mass. The Indo-US Library of Coudé Feed Stellar SpectraWe 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. Synthetic Lick Indices and Detection of α-enhanced Stars. II. F, G, and K Stars in the -1.0 < [Fe/H] < +0.50 RangeWe 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. Nearby stars of the Galactic disk and halo. III.High-resolution spectroscopic observations of about 150 nearby stars orstar systems are presented and discussed. The study of these and another100 objects of the previous papers of this series implies that theGalaxy became reality 13 or 14 Gyr ago with the implementation of amassive, rotationally-supported population of thick-disk stars. The veryhigh star formation rate in that phase gave rise to a rapid metalenrichment and an expulsion of gas in supernovae-driven Galactic winds,but was followed by a star formation gap for no less than three billionyears at the Sun's galactocentric distance. In a second phase, then, thethin disk - our familiar Milky Way'' - came on stage. Nowadays ittraces the bright side of the Galaxy, but it is also embedded in a hugecoffin of dead thick-disk stars that account for a large amount ofbaryonic dark matter. As opposed to this, cold-dark-matter-dominatedcosmologies that suggest a more gradual hierarchical buildup throughmergers of minor structures, though popular, are a poor description forthe Milky Way Galaxy - and by inference many other spirals as well - if,as the sample implies, the fossil records of its long-lived stars do notstick to this paradigm. Apart from this general picture that emergeswith reference to the entire sample stars, a good deal of the presentwork is however also concerned with detailed discussions of manyindividual objects. Among the most interesting we mention the bluestraggler or merger candidates HD 165401 and HD 137763/HD 137778, thelikely accretion of a giant planet or brown dwarf on 59 Vir in itsrecent history, and HD 63433 that proves to be a young solar analog at\tau200 Myr. Likewise, the secondary to HR 4867, formerly suspectednon-single from the Hipparcos astrometry, is directly detectable in thehigh-resolution spectroscopic tracings, whereas the visual binary \chiCet is instead at least triple, and presumably even quadruple. Withrespect to the nearby young stars a complete account of the Ursa MajorAssociation is presented, and we provide as well plain evidence foranother, the Hercules-Lyra Association'', the likely existence ofwhich was only realized in recent years. On account of its rotation,chemistry, and age we do confirm that the Sun is very typical among itsG-type neighbors; as to its kinematics, it appears however not unlikelythat the Sun's known low peculiar space velocity could indeed be thecause for the weak paleontological record of mass extinctions and majorimpact events on our parent planet during the most recent Galactic planepassage of the solar system. Although the significance of thiscorrelation certainly remains a matter of debate for years to come, wepoint in this context to the principal importance of the thick disk fora complete census with respect to the local surface and volumedensities. Other important effects that can be ascribed to this darkstellar population comprise (i) the observed plateau in the shape of theluminosity function of the local FGK stars, (ii) a small thoughsystematic effect on the basic solar motion, (iii) a reassessment of theterm asymmetrical drift velocity'' for the remainder (i.e. the thindisk) of the stellar objects, (iv) its ability to account for the bulkof the recently discovered high-velocity blue white dwarfs, (v) itsmajor contribution to the Sun's 220 km s-1 rotationalvelocity around the Galactic center, and (vi) the significant flatteningthat it imposes on the Milky Way's rotation curve. Finally we note ahigh multiplicity fraction in the small but volume-complete local sampleof stars of this ancient population. This in turn is highly suggestivefor a star formation scenario wherein the few existing single stellarobjects might only arise from either late mergers or the dynamicalejection of former triple or higher level star systems. Sodium abundances in nearby disk starsWe present sodium abundances for a sample of nearby stars. All resultshave been derived from NLTE statistical equilibrium calculations. Theinfluence of collisional interactions with electrons and hydrogen atomsis evaluated by comparison of the solar spectrum with very precise fitsto the Na I line cores. The NLTE effects are more pronounced inmetal-poor stars since the statistical equilibrium is dominated bycollisions of which at least the electronic component is substantiallyreduced. The resulting influence on the determination of sodiumabundances is in a direction opposite to that found previously for Mgand Al. The NLTE corrections are about -0.1 in thick-disk stars with[Fe/H] -0.6. Our [Na/Fe] abundance ratios are about solar forthick- and thin-disk stars. The increase in [Na/Fe] as a function of[Fe/H] for metal-rich stars found by Edvardsson et al. (\cite{EAG93}) isconfirmed. Our results suggest that sodium yields increase with themetallicity, and quite large amounts of sodium may be produced by AGBstars. We find that [Na/Fe] ratios, together with either [Mg/Fe] ratio,kinematic data or stellar evolutionary ages, make possible theindividual discrimination between thin- and thick-disk membership.Based on observations collected at the Germany-Spanish AstronomicalCenter, Calar Alto, Spain.Tables \ref{table2} and \ref{table3} are only available in electronicform at http://www.edpsciences.org The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood. Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of 14 000 F and G dwarfsWe 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. Our63 000 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 A new upper limit on the reflected starlight from τ Bootis bUsing improved Doppler tomographic signal-analysis techniques, we havecarried out a deep search for starlight reflected from the giant planetorbiting the star τ Bootis. We combined echelle spectra secured atthe 4.2-m William Herschel telescope in 1998 and 1999 (which yielded atentative detection of a reflected starlight component from the orbitingcompanion) with new data obtained in 2000 (which failed to confirm thedetection). The combined data set comprises 893 high-resolution spectrawith a total integration time of 75h 32m spanning17 nights. We establish an upper limit on the planet's geometric albedop < 0.39 (at the 99.9 per cent significance level) at the mostprobable orbital inclination i~= 36°, assuming a grey albedo, aVenus-like phase function and a planetary radius Rp=1.2RJup. We are able to rule out some combinations of thepredicted planetary radius and atmospheric albedo models with high,reflective cloud decks. Although a weak candidate signal appears near tothe most probable radial velocity amplitude, its statisticalsignificance is insufficient for us to claim a detection with anyconfidence. Improved Astrometry and Photometry for the Luyten Catalog. II. Faint Stars and the Revised CatalogWe complete construction of a catalog containing improved astrometry andnew optical/infrared photometry for the vast majority of NLTT starslying in the overlap of regions covered by POSS I and by the secondincremental Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) release, approximately 44%of the sky. The epoch 2000 positions are typically accurate to 130 mas,the proper motions to 5.5 mas yr-1, and the V-J colors to0.25 mag. Relative proper motions of binary components are measured to 3mas yr-1. The false-identification rate is ~1% for11<~V<~18 and substantially less at brighter magnitudes. Theseimprovements permit the construction of a reduced proper-motion diagramthat, for the first time, allows one to classify NLTT stars intomain-sequence (MS) stars, subdwarfs (SDs), and white dwarfs (WDs). We inturn use this diagram to analyze the properties of both our catalog andthe NLTT catalog on which it is based. In sharp contrast to popularbelief, we find that NLTT incompleteness in the plane is almostcompletely concentrated in MS stars, and that SDs and WDs are detectedalmost uniformly over the sky δ>-33deg. Our catalogwill therefore provide a powerful tool to probe these populationsstatistically, as well as to reliably identify individual SDs and WDs. Contributions to the Nearby Stars (NStars) Project: Spectroscopy of Stars Earlier than M0 within 40 Parsecs: The Northern Sample. I.We have embarked on a project, under the aegis of the Nearby Stars(NStars)/Space Interferometry Mission Preparatory Science Program, toobtain spectra, spectral types, and, where feasible, basic physicalparameters for the 3600 dwarf and giant stars earlier than M0 within 40pc of the Sun. In this paper, we report on the results of this projectfor the first 664 stars in the northern hemisphere. These resultsinclude precise, homogeneous spectral types, basic physical parameters(including the effective temperature, surface gravity, and overallmetallicity [M/H]), and measures of the chromospheric activity of ourprogram stars. Observed and derived data presented in this paper arealso available on the project's Web site. The Orbit and Pulsation Periods of the γ Doradus Variable HR 6844 (V2502 Ophiuchi)We obtained spectroscopic and photometric observations of the γDoradus variable HR 6844 (=V2502 Ophiuchi). Radial velocities show thatthis star is a single-lined binary with a period of 4.4852 days. Theprimary is an F1 V star, while the secondary is likely an M dwarf.Velocity residuals to a circular orbit have a period of 1.3071 days andan amplitude of ~3 km s-1. Three periods of light variationwere detected, 1.30702, 1.4350, and 0.62286 days. The first period isessentially identical to that found in the radial velocities and has thelargest amplitude, a peak-to-peak value of 0.067 mag in B. Thephotometric check star, 73 Oph (=HR 6795), has light variations with aperiod of 0.61439 in B. Although the star is a close visual binary, thelight variations are ascribed to the primary, making it most likely anewly discovered γ Doradus variable. Observational constraints for lithium depletion before the RGBPrecise Li abundances are determined for 54 giant stars mostly evolvingacross the Hertzsprung gap. We combine these data with rotationalvelocity and with information related to the deepening of the convectivezone of the stars to analyse their link to Li dilution in the referredspectral region. A sudden decline in Li abundance paralleling the onealready established in rotation is quite clear. Following similarresults for other stellar luminosity classes and spectral regions, thereis no linear relation between Li abundance and rotation, in spite of thefact that most of the fast rotators present high Li content. The effectsof convection in driving the Li dilution is also quite clear. Stars withhigh Li content are mostly those with an undeveloped convective zone,whereas stars with a developed convective zone present clear sign of Lidilution.Based on observations collected at ESO, La Silla, Chile, and at theObservatoire de Haute Provence, France, operated by the Centre Nationalde la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). Lithium and rotation in F and G dwarfs and subgiantsLithium abundances have been determined in 127 F and G Pop I stars basedon new measurements of the equivalent width of the lambda 6707 ÅLi I line from their high resolution CCD spectra. Distances and absolutemagnitudes of these stars have been obtained from the HipparcosCatalogue and their masses and ages derived, enabling us to investigatethe behaviour of lithium as a function of these parameters. Based ontheir location on the HR diagram superposed on theoretical evolutionarytracks, the sample of the stars has been chosen to ensure that they havemore or less completed their Li depletion on the main sequence. A largespread in the Li abundances is found at any given effective temperatureespecially in the already spun down late F and early G stars. Thisspread persists even if the Li-dip'' stars that have evolved from themain sequence temperature interval 6500-6800 K are excluded. Stars inthe mass range up to 2 M/Msun when divided into threemetallicity groups show a linear correlation between Li abundance andmass, albeit with a large dispersion around it which is not fullyaccounted for by age either. The large depletions and the observedspread in Li are in contrast to the predictions of the standard stellarmodel calculations and suggest that they are aided by non-standardprocesses depending upon variables besides mass, age and metallicity.The present study was undertaken to examine, in particular, the effectsof rotation on the depletion of Li. No one-to-one correlation is foundbetween the Li abundance and the present projected rotational velocity.Instead the observed abundances seem to be dictated by the rotationalhistory of the star. However, it is noted that even this interpretationis subject to the inherent limitation in the measurement of the observedLi EQW for large rotational velocities.Table 1 is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/409/251 STELIB: A library of stellar spectra at R ~ 2000We present STELIB, a new spectroscopic stellar library, available athttp://webast.ast.obs-mip.fr/stelib. STELIB consists of an homogeneouslibrary of 249 stellar spectra in the visible range (3200 to 9500Å), with an intermediate spectral resolution (la 3 Å) andsampling (1 Å). This library includes stars of various spectraltypes and luminosity classes, spanning a relatively wide range inmetallicity. The spectral resolution, wavelength and spectral typecoverage of this library represents a substantial improvement overprevious libraries used in population synthesis models. The overallabsolute photometric uncertainty is 3%.Based on observations collected with the Jacobus Kaptein Telescope,(owned and operated jointly by the Particle Physics and AstronomyResearch Council of the UK, The Nederlandse Organisatie voorWetenschappelijk Onderzoek of The Netherlands and the Instituto deAstrofísica de Canarias of Spain and located in the SpanishObservatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos on La Palma which is operated bythe Instituto de AstrofÃ­sica de Canarias), the 2.3 mtelescope of the Australian National University at Siding Spring,Australia, and the VLT-UT1 Antu Telescope (ESO).Tables \ref{cat1} to \ref{cat6} and \ref{antab1} to A.7 are onlyavailable in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org. The StellarLibrary STELIB library is also available at the CDS, via anonymous ftpto cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/402/433 Automated spectroscopic abundances of A and F-type stars using echelle spectrographs. II. Abundances of 140 A-F stars from ELODIEUsing the method presented in Erspamer & North (\cite{erspamer},hereafter Paper I), detailed abundances of 140 stars are presented. Theuncertainties characteristic of this method are presented and discussed.In particular, we show that for a S/N ratio higher than 200, the methodis applicable to stars with a rotational velocity as high as 200 kms-1. There is no correlation between abundances and Vsin i,except a spurious one for Sr, Sc and Na which we explain by the smallnumber of lines of these elements combined with a locally biasedcontinuum. Metallic giants (Hauck \cite{hauck}) show larger abundancesthan normal giants for at least 8 elements: Al, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Niand Ba. The anticorrelation for Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Fe and Ni with Vsin isuggested by Varenne & Monier (\cite{varenne99}) is not confirmed.The predictions of the Montréal models (e.g. Richard et al.\cite{richard01}) are not fulfilled in general. However, a correlationbetween left [(Fe)/(H)right ] and log g is found for stars of 1.8 to 2.0M_sun. Various possible causes are discussed, but the physical realityof this correlation seems inescapable.Based on observations collected at the 1.93 m telescope at theObservatoire de Haute-Provence (St-Michel l'Observatoire, France) andCORALIE.Based on observations collected at the Swiss 1.2 m Leonard Eulertelescopes at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla, Chile).Tables 5 and 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/398/1121 Statistical cataloging of archival data for luminosity class IV-V stars. II. The epoch 2001 [Fe/H] catalogThis paper describes the derivation of an updated statistical catalog ofmetallicities. The stars for which those metallicities apply are ofspectral types F, G, and K, and are on or near the main sequence. Theinput data for the catalog are values of [Fe/H] published before 2002February and derived from lines of weak and moderate strength. Theanalyses used to derive the data have been based on one-dimensional LTEmodel atmospheres. Initial adjustments which are applied to the datainclude corrections to a uniform temperature scale which is given in acompanion paper (see Taylor \cite{t02}). After correction, the data aresubjected to a statistical analysis. For each of 941 stars considered,the results of that analysis include a mean value of [Fe/H], an rmserror, an associated number of degrees of freedom, and one or moreidentification numbers for source papers. The catalog of these resultssupersedes an earlier version given by Taylor (\cite{t94b}).Catalog is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/398/731 Statistical cataloging of archival data for luminosity class IV-V stars. I. The epoch 2001 temperature catalogThis paper is one of a pair in which temperatures and metallicitycatalogs for class IV-V stars are considered. The temperature catalogdescribed here is derived from a calibration based on stellar angulardiameters. If published calibrations of this kind are compared by usingcolor-index transformations, temperature-dependent differences among thecalibrations are commonly found. However, such differences are minimizedif attention is restricted to calibrations based on Johnson V-K. Acalibration of this sort from Di Benedetto (\cite{dib98}) is thereforetested and adopted. That calibration is then applied to spectroscopicand photometric data, with the latter predominating. Cousins R-Iphotometry receives special attention because of its high precision andlow metallicity sensitivity. Testing of temperatures derived from thecalibration suggests that their accuracy and precision are satisfactory,though further testing will be warranted as new results appear. Thesetemperatures appear in the catalog as values of theta equiv5040/T(effective). Most of these entries are accompanied by measured orderived values of Cousins R-I. Entries are given for 951 stars.Catalog is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/398/721 The stellar activity-rotation relationship revisited: Dependence of saturated and non-saturated X-ray emission regimes on stellar mass for late-type dwarfsWe present the results of a new study on the relationship betweencoronal X-ray emission and stellar rotation in late-type main-sequencestars. We have selected a sample of 259 dwarfs in the B-V range 0.5-2.0,including 110 field stars and 149 members of the Pleiades, Hyades, alphaPersei, IC 2602 and IC 2391 open clusters. All the stars have beenobserved with ROSAT, and most of them have photometrically-measuredrotation periods available. Our results confirm that two emissionregimes exist, one in which the rotation period is a good predictor ofthe total X-ray luminosity, and the other in which a constant saturatedX-ray to bolometric luminosity ratio is attained; we present aquantitative estimate of the critical rotation periods below which starsof different masses (or spectral types) enter the saturated regime. Inthis work we have also empirically derived a characteristic time scale,taue , which we have used to investigate the relationshipbetween the X-ray emission level and an X-ray-based Rossby numberRe = Prot/taue: we show that ourempirical time scale taue resembles the theoreticalconvective turnover time for 0.4 <~ M/Msun <~ 1.2, butit also has the same functional dependence on B-V asLbol-1/2 in the color range 0.5 <~ B-V <~1.5. Our results imply that - for non-saturated coronae - theLx - Prot relation is equivalent to theLx/Lbol vs. Re relation. Tables 1 and 2are only available in electronic form at \ http://www.edpsciences.org Spectroscopic survey of field stars : A search for metal-poor starsWe have undertaken a spectroscopic survey of field stars to finemetal-poor objects among them. Though the main objective of the surveyis to find new metal-poor stars, stellar parameterization is carried outfor all the sample stars so that the other categories of interestingobjects like composite stars, weak or strong CN, CH stars etc. can alsobe identified. Observations are carried out using OMR spectrographattached to VBT, Kavalur. The sample of candidate stars are chosen fromprismatic survey of Beers and his collaborators covering a large part ofthe Galaxy. At the first phase of this project, the analysis ofcompleted for a set of 19 relatively hot stars (Teff in 6000 to 8000Krage). The metallicities of the program stars are derived bysynthesizing the spectrum in the wavelength range 4900 to 5400 Åfor different metallicities and matching them with the observed spectra.This spectral region contains strong feature of Fe I at 5269 Å andone moderately strong Fe I blend at 5228 Å. These features weregenerally relied upon for Fe/H determination. More than half of thecandidate stars were found to show (Fe/H) in -0.7 to -1.2 range. Twomost metal-poor stars have (Fe/H) values of -1.3 and -1.8. It appearsthat metal-poor candidates suggested by Beers et al. from theirprismatic survey has a very significant fraction of metal-poor stars.The significantly metal-poor stars found so far would be studied indetail using high resolution spectra to understand nucleosynthesisprocesses that might have occurred in early Galaxy. Revised Coordinates and Proper Motions of the Stars in the Luyten Half-Second CatalogWe present refined coordinates and proper-motion data for the highproper-motion (HPM) stars in the Luyten Half-Second (LHS) catalog. Thepositional uncertainty in the original Luyten catalog is typicallygreater than 10" and is often greater than 30". We have used the digitalscans of the POSS I and POSS II plates to derive more accurate positionsand proper motions of the objects. Out of the 4470 candidates in the LHScatalog, 4323 objects were manually reidentified in the POSS I and POSSII scans. A small fraction of the stars were not found because of thelack of finder charts and digitized POSS II scans. The uncertainties inthe revised positions are typically ~2" but can be as high as ~8" in afew cases, which is a large improvement over the original data.Cross-correlation with the Tycho-2 and Hipparcos catalogs yielded 819candidates (with mR<~12). For these brighter sources, theposition and proper-motion data were replaced with the more accurateTycho-2/Hipparcos data. In total, we have revised proper-motionmeasurements and coordinates for 4040 stars and revised coordinates for4330 stars. The electronic version of the paper5 contains the updated information on all 4470stars in the LHS catalog. A new look at dynamo cycle amplitudesWe explore the dependence of the amplitude of stellar dynamo cyclevariability (as seen in the Mount Wilson Ca II HK timeseries data) onother stellar parameters. We find that the fractional cycle amplitudeA_cyc (i.e. the ratio of the peak-to-peak variation to the average)decreases somewhat with mean activity, increases with decreasingeffective temperature, but is not correlated with inverse Rossby numberRo-1. We find that A_cyc increases with the ratio of cycleand rotational frequencies omega_cyc /Omega along two, nearly parallelbranches. First orbital elements for the lambda Bootis spectroscopic binary systems HD 84948 and HD 171948. Implications for the origin of the lambda Bootis starsWe present high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the two lambdaBootis type spectroscopic binary systems HD 84948 and HD 171948. Bothsystems consist of two true lambda Bootis stars, as has already beenproven by a detailed abundance analysis taking into account the binarynature. Nevertheless, we have obtained non-LTE abundances for carbon andoxygen in order to investigate those important elements. The abundancesfit excellently into the typical pattern for this group, leaving nodoubt that all four components are true lambda Bootis stars. With thehelp of the derived orbital elements it is possible to establish theages of the two systems. For the first time we can estimate theevolutionary status of Galactic field lambda Bootis stars. The origin ofthose nonmagnetic, metal-weak, Population I, late B- to early F-typestars is still controversial. The two widely discussed theoriesexplaining the lambda Bootis phenomenon (diffusion together with eitheraccretion of circumstellar matter or mass-loss) predict significantlydifferent evolutionary stages for this group of objects (close to eitherthe Zero-Age Main Sequence or Terminal-Age Main Sequence). It is alreadyknown that very young members of the group exist in the Orion OBIassociation and probably in NGC 2264. Hipparcos data established sixfurther Galactic field lambda Bootis stars which are close to theZero-Age Main Sequence, whereas the evolutionary status for the otherobjects remained undetermined. The Hipparcos data reveal that theGalactic space motions of both the systems that we discuss here aretypical of those of Population I objects. The photometric data from theHipparcos mission confirm the pulsation previously discovered for HD84948 with a period of about 110 min and a V-amplitude of about 14 mmag.For HD 84948, we estimate from the mass ratio an age of about 1 Gyr,ruling out a possible Pre-Main-Sequence status. HD 171948 has an age ofabout 0.01 to 0.1 Gyr which is close to the Zero-Age Main Sequence. Wetherefore conclude that the lambda Bootis phenomenon can be foundcontinuously from very early stages to the Terminal-Age Main Sequence,suggesting that different mechanisms might work at different stages ofstellar evolution producing the same abundance pattern. Based onobservations at BNAO Rozhen; SAAO and with the Hipparcos satellite.
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