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Observational constraints on the magnetic field of RR Lyrae stars
Context: A high percentage of the astrophysically important RR Lyraestars show a periodic amplitude and/or phase modulation of theirpulsation cycles. More than a century after its discovery, this“Blazhko effect” still lacks acceptable theoreticalunderstanding. In one of the plausible models for explaining thephenomenon, the modulation is caused by the effects of a magnetic field.So far, the available observational data have not allowed us to eithersupport nor rule out the presence of a magnetic field in RR Lyrae stars.Aims: We intend to determine whether RR Lyrae stars are generallycharacterized by the presence of a magnetic field organized on a largescale. Methods: With the help of the FORS1 instrument at the ESOVLT we performed a spectropolarimetric survey of 17 relatively brightsouthern RR Lyrae stars, both Blazhko stars and non-modulated stars, anddetermined their mean longitudinal magnetic field with a typical errorbar <30 G. Results: All our measurements of the meanlongitudinal magnetic field resulted in null detections within 3?.From our data we can set an upper limit for the strength of the dipolecomponent of the magnetic fields of RR Lyrae stars to ~130 G. Because ofthe limitations intrinsic to the diagnostic technique, we cannot excludethe presence of higher order multipolar components. Conclusions:The outcome of this survey clarifies that the Blazhko modulation in thepulsation of RR Lyrae stars is not correlated with the presence of astrong, quasi-dipolar magnetic field.
| The luminosities and distance scales of type II Cepheid and RR Lyrae variables
Infrared and optical absolute magnitudes are derived for the type IICepheids κ Pav and VY Pyx using revised Hipparcos parallaxes andfor κ Pav, V553 Cen and SW Tau from pulsational parallaxes.Revised Hipparcos and HST parallaxes for RR Lyrae agree satisfactorilyand are combined in deriving absolute magnitudes. Phase-corrected J, Hand Ks mags are given for 142 Hipparcos RR Lyraes based onTwo-Micron All-Sky Survey observations. Pulsation and trigonometricalparallaxes for classical Cepheids are compared to establish the bestvalue for the projection factor (p) used in pulsational analyses.The MV of RR Lyrae itself is 0.16 +/- 0.12 mag brighter thanpredicted from an MV-[Fe/H] relation based on RR Lyrae starsin the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) at a modulus of 18.39 +/- 0.05 asfound from classical Cepheids. This is consistent with the prediction ofCatelan & Cortés that it is overluminous for its metallicity.The results for the metal- and carbon-rich Galactic disc stars, V553 Cenand SW Tau, each with small internal errors (+/-0.08 mag) have a meandeviation of only 0.02 mag from the period-luminosity (PL) relationestablished by Matsunaga et al. for type II Cepheids in globularclusters and with a zero-point based on the same LMC-scale. Comparingdirectly the luminosities of these two stars with published data on typeII Cepheids in the LMC and in the Galactic bulge leads to an LMC modulusof 18.37 +/- 0.09 and a distance to the Galactic Centre of R0= 7.64 +/- 0.21kpc. The data for VY Pyx agree with these results withinthe uncertainties set by its parallax. Evidence is presented thatκ Pav may have a close companion and possible implications of thisare discussed. If the pulsational parallax of this star is incorporatedin the analyses, the distance scales just discussed will be increased by~0.15 +/- 0.15 mag. V553 Cen and SW Tau show that at optical wavelengthsPL relations are wider for field stars than for those in globularclusters. This is probably due to a narrower range of masses in thelatter case.
| Proper identification of RR Lyrae stars brighter than 12.5 mag
RR Lyrae stars are of great importance for investigations of Galacticstructure. However, a complete compendium of all RR-Lyraes in the solarneighbourhood with accurate classifications and coordinates does notexist to this day. Here we present a catalogue of 561 local RR-Lyraestars (V_max ≤ 12.5 mag) according to the magnitudes given in theCombined General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS) and 16 fainter ones.The Tycho2 catalogue contains ≃100 RR Lyr stars. However, manyobjects have inaccurate coordinates in the GCVS, the primary source ofvariable star information, so that a reliable cross-identification isdifficult. We identified RR Lyrae from both catalogues based on anintensive literature search. In dubious cases we carried out photometryof fields to identify the variable. Mennessier & Colome (2002,A&A, 390, 173) have published a paper with Tyc2-GCVSidentifications, but we found that many of their identifications arewrong.
| RR Lyrae stars: kinematics, orbits and z-distribution
RR Lyrae stars in the Milky Way are good tracers to study the kinematicbehaviour and spatial distribution of older stellar populations. Arecently established well documented sample of 217 RR Lyr stars withV<12.5 mag, for which accurate distances and radial velocities aswell as proper motions from the Hipparcos and Tycho-2 catalogues areavailable, has been used to reinvestigate these structural parameters.The kinematic parameters allowed to calculate the orbits of the stars.Nearly 1/3 of the stars of our sample have orbits staying near the MilkyWay plane. Of the 217 stars, 163 have halo-like orbits fulfilling one ofthe following criteria: Θ < 100 km s-1, orbiteccentricity >0.4, and normalized maximum orbital z-distance>0.45. Of these stars roughly half have retrograde orbits. Thez-distance probability distribution of this sample shows scale heightsof 1.3±0.1 kpc for the disk component and 4.6±0.3 kpc forthe halo component. With our orbit statistics method we found a(vertical) spatial distribution which, out to z=20 kpc, is similar tothat found with other methods. This distribution is also compatible withthe ones found for blue (HBA and sdB) halo stars. The circular velocityΘ, the orbit eccentricity, orbit z-extent and [Fe/H] are employedto look for possible correlations. If any, it is that the metal poorstars with [Fe/H] <1.0 have a wide symmetric distribution aboutΘ=0, thus for this subsample on average a motion independent ofdisk rotation. We conclude that the Milky Way possesses a halo componentof old and metal poor stars with a scale height of 4-5 kpc having randomorbits. The presence in our sample of a few metal poor stars (thus partof the halo population) with thin disk-like orbits is statistically notsurprising. The midplane density ratio of halo to disk stars is found tobe 0.16, a value very dependent on proper sample statistics.
| Stars with the Largest Hipparcos Photometric Amplitudes
A list of the 2027 stars that have the largest photometric amplitudes inHipparcos Photometry shows that most variable stars are all Miras. Thepercentage of variable types change as a function of amplitude. Thiscompilation should also be of value to photometrists looking forrelatively unstudied, but large amplitude stars.
| A spectroscopic study of field BHB star candidates
New spectroscopic observations are presented for a sample of thirty-oneblue horizontal branch (BHB) star candidates that are sufficientlynearby to have reliable proper motions. Comments are given on a furthertwenty-five stars that have previously been suggested as BHB starcandidates but which were not included in our sample. Moderatelyhigh-resolution spectra (lambda /Delta lambda ~ 15 000) of twenty fiveof our program stars were taken with the coudé feed spectrographat Kitt Peak. Twelve of the program stars were also observed with theCAT spectrograph at ESO. Six of these program stars were observed fromboth hemispheres. IUE low-resolution spectra are available for most ofour candidates and were used, in addition to other methods, in thedetermination of their Teff and reddening. A compilation ofthe visual photometry for these stars (including new photometry obtainedat Kitt Peak) is also given. Abundances were obtained from these spectrausing models computed by Castelli with an updated version of the ATLAS9code (Kurucz 1993a). All thirty one candidates are halo stars. Of these,twenty eight are classified as BHB stars because: [(1)]they lie close tothe ZAHB (in a similar position to the BHB stars in globular clusters)in the Teff versus log g plot. For all but one of thesestars, far-UV data were available which were consistent with other data(Strömgren photometry, energy distributions, Hγ profiles) forderiving Teff and log g. [(2)]they have a distribution of kms-1i (<=40 km s-1) that is similar to thatfound for the BHB in globular clusters. Peterson et al. (1995) and Cohen& McCarthy (1997) have shown that the BHB stars in the globularclusters M13 and M92 have a higher km s-1i (<= 40 kms-1) than those in M3 and NGC 288 (<=20 kms-1). The mean deprojected rotational velocity (/line{v}) wascalculated for both the two globular clusters and the nearby BHB starsamples. A comparison of these suggests that both globular cluster kms-1i types are present in our nearby sample. No obvious trendis seen between km s-1i and either (B-V)o or [Fe/H].[(3)]they have -0.99>=[Fe/H]>=-2.95 (mean [Fe/H] -1.67; dispersion0.42 dex), which is similar to that found for field halo RR Lyrae andred HB stars. These local halo field stars appear (on average) to bemore metal-poor than the halo globular clusters. The local sample of redgiant stars given by Chiba & Yoshii (1998) contains a greaterfraction of metal-poor stars than either our halo samples or the haloglobular clusters. The stars in our sample that have a Teffthat exceeds about 8 500 K show the He i (lambda 4471) line with astrength that corresponds to the solar helium abundance. [(4)]they showa similar enhancement of the alpha -elements (< [Mg/Fe]right > =+0.43+/-0.04 and also < [Ti/Fe]right > = +0.44+/-0.02) to thatfound for other halo field stars of similar metallicity. Based onobservations obtained at KPNO, operated by the Association ofUniversities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract with theNational Science Foundation, and the European Southern Observatory,Chile. Tables 4 and 5 are only available in electronic form at the CDSvia anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr
| Kinematics of Metal-poor Stars in the Galaxy. II. Proper Motions for a Large Nonkinematically Selected Sample
We present a revised catalog of 2106 Galactic stars, selected withoutkinematic bias and with available radial velocities, distance estimates,and metal abundances in the range -4.0<=[Fe/H]<=0.0. This updateof the 1995 Beers & Sommer-Larsen catalog includes newly derivedhomogeneous photometric distance estimates, revised radial velocitiesfor a number of stars with recently obtained high-resolution spectra,and refined metallicities for stars originally identified in the HKobjective-prism survey (which account for nearly half of the catalog)based on a recent recalibration. A subset of 1258 stars in this cataloghave available proper motions based on measurements obtained with theHipparcos astrometry satellite or taken from the updated AstrographicCatalogue (second epoch positions from either the Hubble Space TelescopeGuide Star Catalog or the Tycho Catalogue), the Yale/San Juan SouthernProper Motion Catalog 2.0, and the Lick Northern Proper Motion Catalog.Our present catalog includes 388 RR Lyrae variables (182 of which arenewly added), 38 variables of other types, and 1680 nonvariables, withdistances in the range 0.1 to 40 kpc.
| Spectroscopy of Hot Stars in the Galactic Halo. II. The Identification and Classification of Horizontal-Branch and Other A-Type Stars
We discuss a spectroscopic and photometric technique that enables theidentification and classification of field horizontal-branch (FHB) andother A-type stars, even from relatively low signal-to-noise ratiomedium-resolution spectra. This technique makes use of broadband UBVcolors predicted from model atmosphere calculations and Balmer lineprofiles and Ca II K equivalent widths determined from synthetic spectrato estimate the physical parameters T_eff, log g, and [Fe/H] for starsin the effective temperature range 6000-10,000 K. A comparison of ourmethod with high signal-to-noise ratio spectra of standard starsindicates a scatter in the derived parameters of sigma(T_eff)=+/-250 K,sigma(log g)=+/-0.14 dex, and sigma([Fe/H])=+/-0.12 dex. This precisionallows for a separation of low surface gravity FHB and other, generallyhigher surface gravity, A-type (and somewhat later) stars. We alsodevelop a synthetic-template comparison technique, which is veryeffective in the identification of metallic-line and peculiar A-typestars. A detailed investigation of the influence of noise in the spectraon the determination of physical parameters shows that, for spectra withsignal-to-noise ratios in the range 10
| The absolute magnitude of field metal-poor horizontal branch stars
Hipparcos satellite parallaxes for 22 metal-poor field horizontal branchstars with V_0<9 are used to derive their absolute magnitude. Theweighted mean value is M_V=+0.69+/-0.10 for an average metallicity of[Fe/H]=-1.41 a somewhat brighter average magnitude of M_V=+0.60+/-0.12for an average metallicity of [Fe/H]=-1.51 is obtained by eliminating HD17072, which might be on the first ascent of the giant branch ratherthan on the horizontal branch. The present values agree with thedeterminations based on proper motions and application of theBaade-Wesselink method to field RR Lyraes; they are 0.1-0.2 mag fainterthan those based on calibration of cluster distances obtained by usinglocal subdwarfs and on alternative distance calibrators for the LargeMagellanic Cloud (LMC). The possibility that there is a real differencebetween the luminosity of the horizontal branch for clusters and thefield is briefly commented on.
| The absolute magnitudes of RR Lyraes from HIPPARCOS parallaxes and proper motions
We have used HIPPARCOS proper motions and the method of StatisticalParallax to estimate the absolute magnitude of RR Lyrae stars. Inaddition we used the HIPPARCOS parallax of RR Lyrae itself to determineit's absolute magnitude. These two results are in excellent agreementwith each other and give a zero-point for the RR Lyrae M_v,[Fe/H]relation of 0.77+/-0.15 at [Fe/H]=-1.53. This zero-point is in goodagreement with that obtained recently by several groups usingBaade-Wesselink methods which, averaged over the results from thedifferent groups, gives M_v = 0.73+/-0.14 at [Fe/H]=-1.53. Taking theHIPPARCOS based zero-point and a value of 0.18+/-0.03 for the slope ofthe M_v,[Fe/H] relation from the literature we find firstly, thedistance modulus of the LMC is 18.26+/-0.15 and secondly, the mean ageof the Globular Clusters is 17.4+/-3.0 GYrs. These values are comparedwith recent estimates based on other "standard candles" that have alsobeen calibrated with HIPPARCOS data. It is clear that, in addition toastrophysical problems, there are also problems in the application ofHIPPARCOS data that are not yet fully understood. Table 1, whichcontains the basic data for the RR Lyraes, is available only at CDS. Itmay be retrieved via anonymous FTP at cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5)or via the Web at http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Early evolution of the Galactic halo revealed from Hipparcos observations of metal-poor stars
The kinematics of 122 red giant and 124 RR Lyrae stars in the solarneighborhood are studied using accurate measurements of their propermotions obtained by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite, combined withtheir published photometric distances, metal abundances, and radialvelocities. A majority of these sample stars have metal abundances of(Fe/H) = -1 or less and thus represent the old stellar populations inthe Galaxy. The halo component, with (Fe/H) = -1.6 or less, ischaracterized by a lack of systemic rotation and a radially elongatedvelocity ellipsoid. About 16 percent of such metal-poor stars have loworbital eccentricities, and we see no evidence of a correlation between(Fe/H) and e. Based on the model for the e-distribution of orbits, weshow that this fraction of low-e stars for (Fe/H) = -1.6 or less isexplained by the halo component alone, without introducing the extradisk component claimed by recent workers. This is also supported by theabsence of a significant change in the e-distribution with height fromthe Galactic plane. In the intermediate-metallicity range, we find thatstars with disklike kinematics have only modest effects on thedistributions of rotational velocities and e for the sample at absolutevalue of z less than 1 kpc. This disk component appears to constituteonly 10 percent for (Fe/H) between -1.6 and -1 and 20 percent for (Fe/H)between -1.4 and -1.
| Radial velocities and iron abundances of field RR Lyraes. II.
This is the second of the papers devoted to derive radial velocities andiron abundances of field RR Lyraes observed by HIPPARCOS. Our abundancesshow good agreement with those in the literature obtained both fromphotometric (Delta S index) and spectroscopic methods. Binary candidatesand stars misclassified as RR Lyraes in the original HIPPARCOS list havebeen also identified. Appendix is only available in electronic form atthe CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u- strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Structural Properties of Pulsating Star Light Curves Through Fuzzy Divisive Hierarchical Clustering
Not Available
| 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.
| Early type high-velocity stars in the solar neighborhood. IV - Four-color and H-beta photometry
Results are presented from photometric obaservations in the Stromgrenuvby four-color and H-beta systems of early-type high-velocity stars inthe solar neighborhood. Several types of photometrically peculiar starsare selected on the basis of their Stromgren indices and areprovisionally identified as peculiar A stars, field horizontal-branchstars, metal-poor stars near the Population II and old-disk turnoffs,metal-poor blue stragglers, or metallic-line A stars. Numerousphotometrically normal stars were also found.
| Detection of a galactic color gradient for blue horizontal-branch stars of the halo field and implications for the halo age and density distributions
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1991ApJ...375..121P
| A Determination of Interstellar Absorption for Rrc-Lyrae Variables
Interstellar absorption is determined for 13 RRc Lyrae variables and 3dwarf Cepheids using the method described in Astron. Tsirk., No. 1503,1987.
| The analysis of the RR Lyrae type variable HD 176387 (MT Tel)
In a coarse analysis the RR Lyrae type variable HD 176387 (MT Tel) wascompared with the Hyades star HD 26462 and the old disc population star? VirS. It was found that HD 176387 is deficient in metals by afactor of 270 in comparison with HD 26462 and by a factor of 90 incomparison with ? VirS.
| The light curves of RR Lyrae field stars
Fourier decompositions have been made of the light curves of a largesample of RR Lyrae field stars. The coefficients have been tabulated.Following the scheme of an earlier investigation of classical Cepheids,certain combinations of the low-order coefficients - phi21, R21, andphi31 - are plotted against period. The Bailey-type c pulsators standout from the type ab stars, particularly on the R21 plot which is foundto be a more sensitive discriminator of Bailey type than is thetraditionally employed amplitude-period diagram. The RR Lyrae plots ofphi21, R21, and phi31 are compared with those previously obtained forclassical Cepheids. It is noted that, while the Cepheid plots display atightly defined progression with period, reflecting the influence of amodal resonance, in the RR Lyrae case there is much more scatter.However, some evidence is shown to exist for a Cepheid-like progressionappearing among the longer period RR Lyrae pulsators and culminating inthe unique small-amplitude variable XZ Ceti.
| A spectroscopic study of the c-type RR Lyraes
Image tube scanner observations have been made for a sample of fieldc-type RR Lyraes. Using these spectra, it is shown how Preston's metalabundance indicator Delta-S can be applied to the RRc's to derive (Fe/H)on Butler's system. Mean temperatures for the field RRc's based onreddening free colors determined from the strength of the H-beta line.These abundances and temperatures allow the delineation of Oosterhoffgroups among field stars. It is shown that, as in clusters, theOosterhoff effect for field stars occurs star by star and not just formean properties of the group. There is a temperature region in thefield-star instability strip where the RRc's and RRab's can both existat the same temperature. Data on the temperature boundaries of theinstability strip provide no convincing case for helium abundancedifferences among field RR Lyraes with differing metal abundances.
| Early-type high-velocity stars in the solar neighborhood. I - List of candidates
Suspected nearby high-velocity stars of spectral types B and A areidentified by their proper motions, which are generally too small forthe stars to have been included in previous catalogs of high-velocitystars. The same selection process is then extended to spectral type Fstars, in order to both provide a companion sample and investigatewhether the hypothetical high-velocity, metal-rich population continuesto later spectral types. Of the presented list of 371 stars withconfirmed proper motions, 168 are of A and B spectral types. Photometricand spectroscopic observations of these stars are required to eliminatethose with misclassified spectra and convert proper motions into spacevelocities. The identification of type of stars is important forunderstanding apparent exceptions to the correlation between stellarages, metal abundances, and kinematic properties.
| Reddening and blanketing of RR Lyrae stars
Based on complete light curves in the five channels of the WalravenVBLUW photometric system, a discussion is given of the determination ofblanketing and reddening for RR Lyrae stars. A photometric accuracy ofthe order of 0.005 mag has been reached. Blanketing derived from thereddening-free color index /B-L/ is shown to be equivalent to other waysof determining the metallicity of RR Lyrae stars, such as delta (u-B)s,m1, and delta S. Two independent ways to find the interstellar-reddeningcorrection are studied; they lead to identical results. A table is givenwith high-accuracy blanketing and reddening values for 73 RRab, 13 RRc,and a few short-period (RRs) variables. The relation between the presentobservations and those in other intermediate-band systems is considered.
| An atlas of light and colour curves of field RR Lyrae stars
An atlas is presented of light and color curves in the Walraven VBLUWphotometric system for 90 field RR Lyrae and short-period variables. Theobservational program and the reduction procedure are briefly described.Tables are presented containing the colors at mean and minimum light.
| An Unusual RR Lyrae-Type Variable
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1974PASP...86..403P
| Intermediate Band Photometry of BB Lyrae Stars. II. Colors of RR Lyrae and Ultra-Short Period Variables
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1973ApJS...25..487J&db_key=AST
| Photometry of Metal-Deficient A-Type Stars Found on Objective-Prism Plates
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1973PASP...85..332B
| UBV observations of the RR Lyrae variable HD 176387 (MT Telescopii).
Not Available
| Discoveries on Southern Objective-Prism Plates. II. New Probable Field Horizontal-Branch Stars
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1971PASP...83...98M
| The RR Lyrae type star HD 16456.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1971MNRAS.151..197P
| Observations of southern RR Lyrae stars
Not Available
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Télescope |
| Right ascension: | 19h02m12.28s |
| Declination: | -46°39'12.1" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.948 |
| Distance: | 990.099 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -138.5 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -114.2 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.19 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.968 |
Catalogs and designations:
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