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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\tau200 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.
| Photometric Measurements of the Fields of More than 700 Nearby Stars
In preparation for optical/IR interferometric searches for substellarcompanions of nearby stars, we undertook to characterize the fields ofall nearby stars visible from the Northern Hemisphere to determinesuitable companions for interferometric phase referencing. Because theKeck Interferometer in particular will be able to phase-reference oncompanions within the isoplanatic patch (30") to about 17th magnitude atK, we took images at V, r, and i that were deep enough to determine iffield stars were present to this magnitude around nearby stars using aspot-coated CCD. We report on 733 fields containing 10,629 measurementsin up to three filters (Gunn i, r and Johnson V) of nearby stars down toabout 13th magnitude at V.
| A large, complete, volume-limited sample of G-type dwarfs. I. Completion of Stroemgren UVBY photometry
Four-colour photometry of potential dwarf stars of types G0 to K2,selected from the Michigan Spectral Catalogues (Vol. 1-3), has beencarried out. The results are presented in a catalogue containing 4247uvby observations of 3900 stars, all south of δ = -26deg. Theoverall internal rms errors of one observation (transformed to thestandard system) of a program star in the interval 8.5 < V < 10.5are 0.0044, 0.0021, 0.0039, and 0.0059, respectively, in V, b-y, m_1_ ,and c_1_. The purpose of the catalogue, combined with earliercatalogues, is to allow selection of a large, complete, volume-limitedsample of G- and K-type dwarfs, investigate their metallicitydistribution, and compare it to predictions of various models ofgalactic chemical evolution. Future papers in this series will discussthese subjects.
| Preliminary Version of the Third Catalogue of Nearby Stars
Not Available
| Preliminary UVBY calibrations for G and K type dwarf stars
Four-color uvby photometry for several hundred late-type dwarf stars oftypes G, K and M is discussed. Mean values of photometric indices aregiven for MK spectral types between F8/G0V and M2V. Preliminary standardrelations between the four-color indices are derived. Based onparallaxes and results from high-dispersion spectroscopic analyses,calibrations of the observed indices in terms of Mv, log Te and Fe/Hhave been derived. The means errors are 0.29 mag, 0.009 dex, and 0.17dex, respectively. The calibrations are valid for class-V stars of allpopulations between G0 and M2. If extreme population-II dwarfs areexcluded, the mean error of the abundance calibration decreases to 0.13dex. Calibrations in terms of log g have been attempted,, but the lowaccuracy of the spectroscopic g determinations does not inspireconfidence in the results. The possible contribution of a'fourth-parameter' variation to the mean errors of the calibrations isbriefly discussed. This fourth parameter could be the intrinsic heliumabundance of the stars.
| Estimation of spectral classifications for bright northern stars with interesting Stromgren indices
The purpose of this investigation is to provide spectroscopic observerswith finding lists of potentially interesting objects. From anunpublished UVBY catalogue of 7026 northern stars (mostly brighter than8.3m) 1094 objects with interesting combinations of UVBY indices havebeen selected. Most stars with post-HD classifications have beenexcluded, as well as late F dwarfs belonging to the intermediatepopulation II. For the 792 remaining stars estimated spectralclassifications are given. The techniques and experience from a previouspaper dealing with southern stars have been utilized here. Among thepredicted spectral classifications are 40 OB stars; 262 Ap, Am, or Fmstars; 16 supergiants of types A to G; 110 bright giants of types A to K(class II); 156 double stars or objects with composite spectra; 26 lateF dwarfs; 91 weak-lined dwarf and giant stars of types F to K, includingearly F-type population II field blue stragglers; and a few possiblefield horizontal branch stars, lambda Bootis-type stars, and late-typehalo giants.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Δίδυμοι |
| Right ascension: | 06h58m11.78s |
| Declination: | +14°13'13.2" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.283 |
| Distance: | 20.833 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -2.5 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -5.5 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.383 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.374 |
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