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Search for associations containing young stars (SACY). III. Ages and Li abundances
Context: Our study is a follow-up of the SACY project, an extended highspectral resolution survey of more than two thousand opticalcounterparts to X-ray sources in the southern hemisphere targeted tosearch for young nearby association. Nine associations have either beennewly identified, or have had their member list revised. Groupsbelonging to the Sco-Cen-Oph complex are not considered in the presentstudy. Aims: These nine associations, with ages of between about 6Myr and 70 Myr, form an excellent sample to study the Li depletion inthe pre-main sequence (PMS) evolution. In the present paper, weinvestigate the use of Li abundances as an independent clock toconstrain the PMS evolution. Methods: Using our measurements ofthe equivalent widths of the Li resonance line and assuming fixedmetallicities and microturbulence, we calculated the LTE Li abundancesfor 376 members of various young associations. In addition, weconsidered the effects of their projected stellar rotation.Results: We present the Li depletion as a function of age in the firsthundred million years for the first time for the most extended sample ofLi abundances in young stellar associations. Conclusions: A clearLi depletion can be measured in the temperature range from 5000 K to3500 K for the age span covered by the nine associations studied in thispaper. The age sequence based on the Li-clock agrees well with theisochronal ages, the ?Cha association being the only possibleexception. The lithium depletion patterns for the associations presentedhere resemble those of the young open clusters with similar ages,strengthening the notion that the members proposed for these loose youngassociations have indeed a common physical origin. The observed scatterin the Li abundances hampers the use of Li in determining reliable agesfor individual stars. For velocities above 20 km s-1,rotation seems to play an important role in inhibiting the Li depletion.Based on observations collected at the ESO - La Silla and at theLNA-OPD.Tables [see full textsee full text]-[see full textsee full text] areonly available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org
| Far-Ultraviolet H2 Emission from Circumstellar Disks
We analyze the far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra of 33 classical T Tauristars (CTTS), including 20 new spectra obtained with the Advanced Camerafor Surveys Solar Blind Channel (ACS/SBC) on the Hubble Space Telescope.Of the sources, 28 are in the ~1 Myr old Taurus-Auriga complex or OrionMolecular Cloud, 4 in the 8-10 Myr old Orion OB1a complex, and 1, TWHya, in the 10 Myr old TW Hydrae Association. We also obtained FUVACS/SBC spectra of 10 non-accreting sources surrounded by debris diskswith ages between 10 and 125 Myr. We use a feature in the FUV spectradue mostly to electron impact excitation of H2 to study theevolution of the gas in the inner disk. We find that the H2feature is absent in non-accreting sources, but is detected in thespectra of CTTS and correlates with accretion luminosity. Since allyoung stars have active chromospheres which produce strong X-ray and UVemission capable of exciting H2 in the disk, the fact thatthe non-accreting sources show no H2 emission implies thatthe H2 gas in the inner disk has dissipated in thenon-accreting sources, although dust (and possibly gas) remains atlarger radii. Using the flux at 1600 Å, we estimate that thecolumn density of H2 left in the inner regions of the debrisdisks in our sample is less than ~3 × 10-6 gcm-2, 9 orders of magnitude below the surface density of theminimum mass solar nebula at 1 AU.
| Kinematic analysis and membership status of TWA22 AB
Context: TWA22 was initially regarded as a member of the TW Hydraeassociation (TWA). In addition to being one of the youngest (≈8 Myr)and nearest (≈20 pc) stars to Earth, TWA22 has proven to be veryinteresting after being resolved as a tight, very low-mass binary. Thisbinary can serve as a very useful dynamical calibrator for pre-mainsequence evolutionary models. However, its membership in the TWA hasbeen recently questioned despite due to the lack of accurate kinematicmeasurements. Aims: Based on proper motion, radial velocity, andtrigonometric parallax measurements, we aim here to re-analyze themembership of TWA22 to young, nearby associations. Methods: Usingthe ESO NTT/SUSI2 telescope, we observed TWA22 AB during 5 differentobserving runs over 1.2 years to measure its trigonometric parallax andproper motion. This is a part of a larger project measuringtrigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of most known TWA members ata sub-milliarcsec level. HARPS at the ESO 3.6 m telescope was also usedto measure the system's radial velocity over 2 years. Results: Wereport an absolute trigonometric parallax of TWA22 AB, π =57.0±0.7 mas, corresponding to a distance 17.5±0.2 pc fromEarth. Measured proper motions of TWA 22AB areμαcos(δ) = -175.8±0.8 mas/yr andμδ = -21.3±0.8 mas/yr. Finally, from HARPSmeasurements, we obtain a radial velocity V_rad = 14.8±2.1 kms-1. Conclusions: A kinematic analysis of TWA22 ABspace motion and position implies that a membership of TWA22 AB to knownyoung, nearby associations can be excluded except for the βPictoris and TW Hydrae associations. Membership probabilities based onthe system's Galactic space motion and/or the trace-back techniquesupport a higher chance of being a member to the β Pictorisassociation. Membership of TWA22 in the TWA cannot be fully excludedbecause of large uncertainties in parallax measurements and radialvelocities and to the uncertain internal velocity dispersion of itsmembers.Based on observations performed at the European Southern Observatory,Chile (76.C-0543, 077.C-0112, 078.C-0158, 079.C-0229). Table 4 is onlyavailable in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org
| Search for associations containing young stars (SACY). II. Chemical abundances of stars in 11 young associations in the solar neighborhood
The recently discovered coeval, moving groups of young stellar objectsin the solar neighborhood represent invaluable laboratories for studyingrecent star formation and searching for high metallicity stars that canbe included in future exo-planet surveys.In this study, we derived through an uniform and homogeneous methodstellar atmospheric parameters and abundances for iron, silicium, andnickel in 63 post-T Tauri stars from 11 nearby young associations. Wefurther compare the results with two different pre-main sequence (PMS)and main sequence (MS) star populations. The stellar atmosphericparameters and the abundances presented here were derivedusing the equivalent width of individual lines in the stellar spectra byassuming the excitation/ionization equilibrium of iron.Moreover, we compared the observed Balmer lines with synthetic profilescalculated for model atmospheres with a different line-formationcode. We found that the synthetic profiles agree reasonably well withthe observed profiles, although the Balmer lines of many stars aresubstantially filled-in, probably by chromospheric emission. Solarmetallicity is found to be a common trend in all thenearby young associations studied.The low abundance dispersion within each association strengthens theidea that the origin of these nearby young associations is related tothe nearby star-forming regions (SFR).Abundances of elements other than iron are consistent with previousresults for Main Sequence stars in the solar neighborhood. The chemicalcharacterization of the members of the newly found nearby youngassociations, performed in this study and intended to proceed insubsequent works, is essential to understanding and testing the contextof local star formation and the evolutionary history of the galaxy.Based on observations collected with the UVES spectrograph at theVLT/UT2 8.2-m Kueyen Telescope (ESO run ID. 079.C-0556(A)) at theParanal Observatory, Chile. Tables 1, 2 and 5 are only available inelectronic form at http://www.aanda.org
| The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the solar neighbourhood. III. Improved distances, ages, and kinematics
Context: Ages, chemical compositions, velocity vectors, and Galacticorbits for stars in the solar neighbourhood are fundamental test datafor models of Galactic evolution. The Geneva-Copenhagen Survey of theSolar Neighbourhood (Nordström et al. 2004; GCS), amagnitude-complete, kinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F andG dwarfs, is the largest available sample with complete data for starswith ages spanning that of the disk. Aims: We aim to improve theaccuracy of the GCS data by implementing the recent revision of theHipparcos parallaxes. Methods: The new parallaxes yield improvedastrometric distances for 12 506 stars in the GCS. We also use theparallaxes to verify the distance calibration for uvby? photometryby Holmberg et al. (2007, A&A, 475, 519; GCS II). We add newselection criteria to exclude evolved cool stars giving unreliableresults and derive distances for 3580 stars with large parallax errorsor not observed by Hipparcos. We also check the GCS II scales of T_effand [Fe/H] and find no need for change. Results: Introducing thenew distances, we recompute MV for 16 086 stars, and U, V, W,and Galactic orbital parameters for the 13 520 stars that also haveradial-velocity measurements. We also recompute stellar ages from thePadova stellar evolution models used in GCS I-II, using the new valuesof M_V, and compare them with ages from the Yale-Yonsei andVictoria-Regina models. Finally, we compare the observed age-velocityrelation in W with three simulated disk heating scenarios to show thepotential of the data. Conclusions: With these revisions, thebasic data for the GCS stars should now be as reliable as is possiblewith existing techniques. Further improvement must await consolidationof the T_eff scale from angular diameters and fluxes, and the Gaiatrigonometric parallaxes. We discuss the conditions for improvingcomputed stellar ages from new input data, and for distinguishingdifferent disk heating scenarios from data sets of the size andprecision of the GCS.Full Table 1 is 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/501/941
| The Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Description of the Spitzer Legacy Science Database
We present the science database produced by the Formation and Evolutionof Planetary Systems (FEPS) Spitzer Legacy program. Data reduction andvalidation procedures for the IRAC, MIPS, and IRS instruments aredescribed in detail. We also derive stellar properties for the FEPSsample from available broadband photometry and spectral types, andpresent an algorithm to normalize Kurucz synthetic spectra to opticaland near-infrared photometry. The final FEPS data products include IRACand MIPS photometry for each star in the FEPS sample and calibrated IRSspectra.
| Lithium Depletion of Nearby Young Stellar Associations
We estimate cluster ages from lithium depletion in fivepre-main-sequence groups found within 100 pc of the Sun: the TW Hydraeassociation, η Chamaeleontis cluster, β Pictoris moving group,Tucanae-Horologium association, and AB Doradus moving group. Wedetermine surface gravities, effective temperatures, and lithiumabundances for over 900 spectra through least-squares fitting tomodel-atmosphere spectra. For each group, we compare the dependence oflithium abundance on temperature with isochrones from pre-main-sequenceevolutionary tracks to obtain model-dependent ages. We find that theη Cha cluster and the TW Hydrae association are the youngest, withages of 12+/-6 Myr and 12+/-8 Myr, respectively, followed by the βPic moving group at 21+/-9 Myr, the Tucanae-Horologium association at27+/-11 Myr, and the AB Dor moving group at an age of at least 45 Myr(whereby we can only set a lower limit, since the models-unlike realstars-do not show much lithium depletion beyond this age). Here theordering is robust, but the precise ages depend on our choice of bothatmospheric and evolutionary models. As a result, while our ages areconsistent with estimates based on Hertzsprung-Russell isochrone fittingand dynamical expansion, they are not yet more precise. Our observationsdo show that with improved models, much stronger constraints should befeasible, as the intrinsic uncertainties, as measured from the scatterbetween measurements from different spectra of the same star, are verylow: around 10 K in effective temperature, 0.05 dex in surface gravity,and 0.03 dex in lithium abundance.
| Towards the main sequence: detailed analysis of weak line and post-T Tauri stars
A detailed study was performed for a sample of low-masspre-main-sequence (PMS) stars, previously identified as weak-line TTauri stars, which are compared to members of the Tucanae and HorologiumAssociations. Aiming to verify if there is any pattern of abundanceswhen comparing the young stars at different phases, we selected objectsin the range from 1 to 100 Myr, which covers most of PMS evolution.High-resolution optical spectra were acquired at European SouthernObservatory and Observatório do Pico dos Dias. The stellarfundamental parameters effective temperature and gravity were calculatedby excitation and ionization equilibria of iron absorption lines.Chemical abundances were obtained via equivalent width calculations andspectral synthesis for 44 per cent of the sample, which showsmetallicities within 0.5 dex solar. A classification was developed basedon equivalent width of LiI 6708 Å and Hα lines and spectraltypes of the studied stars. This classification allowed a separation ofthe sample into categories that correspond to different evolutive stagesin the PMS. The position of these stars in the Hertzsprung-Russelldiagram was also inspected in order to estimate their ages and masses.Among the studied objects, it was verified that our sample actuallycontains seven weak-line T Tauri stars, three are Classical T Tauri, 12are Fe/Ge PMS stars and 21 are post-T Tauri or young main-sequencestars. An estimation of circumstellar luminosity was obtained using adisc model to reproduce the observed spectral energy distribution. Mostof the stars show low levels of circumstellar emission, corresponding toless than 30 per cent of the total emission.
| The Complete Census of 70 μm-bright Debris Disks within ``the Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems'' Spitzer Legacy Survey of Sun-like Stars
We report detection of cool dust surrounding solar-type stars fromobservations performed as part of the Spitzer Legacy Science ProgramFEPS. From a sample of 328 stars having ages ~0.003-3 Gyr we haveselected sources with 70 μm flux densities indicating excess in theirSEDs above expected photospheric emission. Six strong excess sources arelikely primordial circumstellar disks, remnants of the star formationprocess. Another 25 sources having >=3 σ excesses areassociated with dusty debris disks, generated by collisions withinplanetesimal belts that are possibly stirred by existing planets. Sixadditional sources with >=2 σ excesses require confirmation asdebris disks. In our analysis, most (>80%) 70 μm excess sourceshave >=3 σ excesses at 33 μm as well, while only a minority(<40%) have >=3 σ excesses at 24 μm. The rising SEDstoward (and perhaps beyond) 70 μm imply dust temperatures <45-85 Kfor debris in equilibrium with the stellar radiation field. From fittedsingle-temperature blackbody models we infer bulk dust properties suchas characteristic temperature, location, fractional luminosity, andmass. For >1/3 of the debris sources we find that multipletemperature components are suggested, implying a dust distributionextending over many tens of AU. Because the disks are dominated bycollisional processes, the parent body (planetesimal) belts may beextended as well. Preliminary assessment of the statistics of colddebris around Sun-like stars shows that ~10% of FEPS targets with massesbetween 0.6 and 1.8 Msolar and ages between 30 Myr and 3 Gyrexhibit excess 70 μm emission. We find that fractional excessamplitudes appear higher for younger stars and that there may be a trendin 70 μm excess frequency with stellar mass.
| On the kinematic evolution of young local associations and the Scorpius-Centaurus complex
Context: Over the last decade, several groups of young (mainly low-mass)stars have been discovered in the solar neighbourhood (closer than ~100pc), thanks to cross-correlation between X-ray, optical spectroscopy andkinematic data. These young local associations - including an importantfraction whose members are Hipparcos stars - offer insights into thestar formation process in low-density environments, shed light on thesubstellar domain, and could have played an important role in the recenthistory of the local interstellar medium. Aims: To study the kinematicevolution of young local associations and their relation to other youngstellar groups and structures in the local interstellar medium, thuscasting new light on recent star formation processes in the solarneighbourhood. Methods: We compiled the data published in theliterature for young local associations. Using a realistic Galacticpotential we integrated the orbits for these associations and theSco-Cen complex back in time. Results: Combining these data with thespatial structure of the Local Bubble and the spiral structure of theGalaxy, we propose a recent history of star formation in the solarneighbourhood. We suggest that both the Sco-Cen complex and young localassociations originated as a result of the impact of the inner spiralarm shock wave against a giant molecular cloud. The core of the giantmolecular cloud formed the Sco-Cen complex, and some small cloudlets ina halo around the giant molecular cloud formed young local associationsseveral million years later. We also propose a supernova in young localassociations a few million years ago as the most likely candidate tohave reheated the Local Bubble to its present temperature.
| A Survey for Massive Giant Planets in Debris Disks with Evacuated Inner Cavities
The commonality of collisionally replenished debris around main-sequencestars suggests that minor bodies are frequent around Sun-like stars.Whether or not debris disks in general are accompanied by planets is yetunknown, but debris disks with large inner cavities-perhaps dynamicallycleared-are considered to be prime candidates for hostinglarge-separation massive giant planets. We present here a high-contrastVLT/NACO angular differential imaging survey for eight such cold debrisdisks. We investigated the presence of massive giant planets in therange of orbital radii where the inner edge of the dust debris isexpected. Our observations are sensitive to planets and brown dwarfswith masses >3-7 Jupiter mass, depending on the age and distance ofthe target star. Our observations did not identify any planetcandidates. We compare the derived planet mass upper limits to theminimum planet mass required to dynamically clear the inner disks. Whilewe cannot exclude that single giant planets are responsible for clearingout the inner debris disks, our observations constrain the parameterspace available for such planets. The nondetection of massive planets inthese evacuated debris disks further reinforces the notion that thegiant planet population is confined to the inner disk (<15 AU).Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory atParanal, Chile (ESO programs P078.C-0412(A) and P077.C-0391(A)).
| Kinematics of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association
A fine structure related to the kinematic peculiarities of threecomponents of the Scorpius-Centaurus association (LCC, UCL, and US) hasbeen revealed in the UV-velocity distribution of Gould Belt stars. Wehave been able to identify the most likely members of these groups byapplying the method of analyzing the two-dimensional probability densityfunction of stellar UV velocities that we developed. A kinematicanalysis of the identified structural components has shown that, ingeneral, the center-of-mass motion of the LCC, UCL, and US groupsfollows the motion characteristic of the Gould Belt, notably itsexpansion. The entire Scorpius-Centaurus complex is shown to possess aproper expansion with an angular velocity parameter of 46 ± 8 kms‑1 kpc‑1 for the kinematic centerwith l 0 = ‑40° and R 0 = 110 pc found.Based on this velocity, we have estimated the characteristic expansiontime of the complex to be 21 ± 4 Myr. The proper rotationvelocity of the Scorpius-Centaurus complex is lower in magnitude, isdetermined less reliably, and depends markedly on the data quality.
| SIM PlanetQuest Key Project Precursor Observations to Detect Gas Giant Planets around Young Stars
We present a review of precursor observing programs for the SIMPlanetQuest Key Project devoted to detecting Jupiter-mass planets aroundyoung stars. In order to ensure that the stars in the sample are free ofvarious sources of astrometric noise that might impede the detection ofplanets, we have initiated programs to collect photometry, high-contrastimages, interferometric data, and radial velocities for stars in boththe northern and southern hemispheres. We have completed a high-contrastimaging survey of target stars in Taurus and the Pleiades and found nodefinitive common proper motion companions within 1" (140 AU) of the SIMtargets. Our radial velocity surveys have shown that many of the targetstars in Sco-Cen are fast rotators, and a few stars in Taurus and thePleiades may have substellar companions. Interferometric data of a fewstars in Taurus show no signs of stellar or substellar companions withseparations of 5-50 mas. The photometric survey suggests thatapproximately half of the stars initially selected for this program arevariable to a degree (1 σ > 0.1 mag) that would degrade theastrometric accuracy achievable for that star. While the precursorprograms are still a work in progress, we provide a comprehensive listof all targets and rank them according to their viability as a result ofthe observations taken to date. The observable that removes by far themost targets from the SIM young stellar object (YSO) program isphotometric variability.
| The NaI D resonance lines in main-sequence late-type stars
We study the sodium D lines (D1: 5895.92Å D2: 5889.95Å) inlate-type dwarf stars. The stars have spectral types between F6 and M5.5(B - V between 0.457 and 1.807) and metallicity between [Fe/H] = -0.82and 0.6. We obtained medium-resolution echelle spectra using the 2.15-mtelescope at the Argentinian observatory Complejo Astronómico ElLeoncito (CASLEO). The observations have been performed periodicallysince 1999. The spectra were calibrated in wavelength and in flux. Adefinition of the pseudo-continuum level is found for all ourobservations. We also define a continuum level for calibration purposes.The equivalent width of the D lines is computed in detail for all ourspectra and related to the colour index (B - V) of the stars. Whenpossible, we perform a careful comparison with previous studies.Finally, we construct a spectral index (R'D) as the ratiobetween the flux in the D lines and the bolometric flux. We find that,once corrected for the photospheric contribution, this index can be usedas a chromospheric activity indicator in stars with a high level ofactivity. Additionally, we find that combining some of our results, weobtain a method to calibrate in flux stars of unknown colour.
| Hα and the Ca II H and K lines as activity proxies for late-type stars
Context: The main chromospheric activity indicator is the S index, whichis the ratio of the flux in the core of the Ca II H and K lines to thecontinuum nearby, and is well studied for stars from F to K. Anotherchromospheric proxy is the Hα line, which is believed to betightly correlated with the Ca II index. Aims: In this work wecharacterize both chromospheric activity indicators, the one associatedwith the H and K Ca II lines and the other with Hα, for the wholerange of late type stars, from F to M. Methods: We present periodicmedium-resolution echelle observations covering the complete visualrange, taken at the CASLEO Argentinean Observatory over 7 years. We usea total of 917 flux-calibrated spectra for 109 stars that range from F6to M5. We statistically study these two indicators for stars ofdifferent activity levels and spectral types. Results: We directlyderive the conversion factor that translates the known S index to fluxin the Ca II cores, and extend its calibration to a wider spectralrange. We investigate the relation between the activity measurements inthe calcium and hydrogen lines, and found that the usual correlationobserved is the product of the dependence of each flux on stellarcolour, and not the product of similar activity phenomena.Tables 1 and 2 and full Figs. 1 and 6 are only available in electronicform at http://www.aanda.org
| Rotation and Activity of Pre-Main-Sequence Stars
We present a study of rotation (vsini) and chromospheric activity(Hα equivalent width) based on an extensive set of high-resolutionoptical spectra obtained with the MIKE instrument on the 6.5 m MagellanClay telescope. Our targets are 74 F-M dwarfs in four young stellarassociations, spanning ages from 6 to 30 Myr. By comparing Hα EWsin our sample to results in the literature, we see a clear evolutionarysequence: Chromospheric activity declines steadily from the T Tauriphase to the main sequence. Using activity as an age indicator, we finda plausible age range for the Tuc-Hor association of 10-40 Myr. Between5 and 30 Myr, we do not see evidence for rotational braking in the totalsample, and thus angular momentum is conserved, in contrast to youngerstars. This difference indicates a change in the rotational regulationat ~5-10 Myr, possibly because disk braking cannot operate longer thantypical disk lifetimes, allowing the objects to spin up. Therotation-activity relation is flat in our sample; in contrast tomain-sequence stars, there is no linear correlation for slow rotators.We argue that this is because young stars generate their magnetic fieldsin a fundamentally different way from main-sequence stars, and not justthe result of a saturated solar-type dynamo. By comparing our rotationalvelocities with published rotation periods for a subset of stars, wedetermine ages of 13+7-6 and9+8-2 Myr for the η Cha and TWA associations,respectively, consistent with previous estimates. Thus we conclude thatstellar radii from evolutionary models by Baraffe et al. (1998) are inagreement with the observed radii to within +/-15%.
| Unraveling the Origins of Nearby Young Stars
A systematic search for close conjunctions and clusterings in the pastof nearby stars younger than the Pleiades is undertaken, which mayreveal the time, location, and mechanism of formation of these oftenisolated, disconnected from clusters and star-forming regions, objects.The sample under investigation includes 101 T Tauri, post-TT, andmain-sequence stars and stellar systems with signs of youth, culled fromthe literature. Their Galactic orbits are traced back in time and nearapproaches are evaluated in time, distance, and relative velocity.Numerous clustering events are detected, providing clues to the originof very young, isolated stars. Each star's orbit is also matched withthose of nearby young open clusters, OB and TT associations andstar-forming molecular clouds, including the Ophiuchus, Lupus, CoronaAustralis, and Chamaeleon regions. Ejection of young stars from openclusters is ruled out for nearly all investigated objects, but thenearest OB associations in Scorpius-Centaurus, and especially, the denseclouds in Ophiuchus and Corona Australis have likely played a major rolein the generation of the local streams (TWA, Beta Pic, andTucana-Horologium) that happen to be close to the Sun today. The core ofthe Tucana-Horologium association probably originated from the vicinityof the Upper Scorpius association 28 Myr ago. A few proposed members ofthe AB Dor moving group were in conjunction with the coeval Cepheus OB6association 38 Myr ago.
| Structure and Evolution of Nearby Stars with Planets. II. Physical Properties of ~1000 Cool Stars from the SPOCS Catalog
We derive detailed theoretical models for 1074 nearby stars from theSPOCS (Spectroscopic Properties of Cool Stars) Catalog. The Californiaand Carnegie Planet Search has obtained high-quality (R~=70,000-90,000,S/N~=300-500) echelle spectra of over 1000 nearby stars taken with theHamilton spectrograph at Lick Observatory, the HIRES spectrograph atKeck, and UCLES at the Anglo Australian Observatory. A uniform analysisof the high-resolution spectra has yielded precise stellar parameters(Teff, logg, vsini, [M/H], and individual elementalabundances for Fe, Ni, Si, Na, and Ti), enabling systematic erroranalyses and accurate theoretical stellar modeling. We have created alarge database of theoretical stellar evolution tracks using the YaleStellar Evolution Code (YREC) to match the observed parameters of theSPOCS stars. Our very dense grids of evolutionary tracks eliminate theneed for interpolation between stellar evolutionary tracks and allowprecise determinations of physical stellar parameters (mass, age,radius, size and mass of the convective zone, surface gravity, etc.).Combining our stellar models with the observed stellar atmosphericparameters and uncertainties, we compute the likelihood for each set ofstellar model parameters separated by uniform time steps along thestellar evolutionary tracks. The computed likelihoods are used for aBayesian analysis to derive posterior probability distribution functionsfor the physical stellar parameters of interest. We provide a catalog ofphysical parameters for 1074 stars that are based on a uniform set ofhigh-quality spectral observations, a uniform spectral reductionprocedure, and a uniform set of stellar evolutionary models. We explorethis catalog for various possible correlations between stellar andplanetary properties, which may help constrain the formation anddynamical histories of other planetary systems.
| The Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Placing Our Solar System in Context with Spitzer
We provide an overview of the Spitzer Legacy Program, Formation andEvolution of Planetary Systems, that was proposed in 2000, begun in2001, and executed aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope between 2003 and2006. This program exploits the sensitivity of Spitzer to carry outmid-infrared spectrophotometric observations of solar-type stars. With asample of ~328 stars ranging in age from ~3 Myr to ~3 Gyr, we trace theevolution of circumstellar gas and dust from primordial planet-buildingstages in young circumstellar disks through to older collisionallygenerated debris disks. When completed, our program will help define thetimescales over which terrestrial and gas giant planets are built,constrain the frequency of planetesimal collisions as a function oftime, and establish the diversity of mature planetary architectures. Inaddition to the observational program, we have coordinated a concomitanttheoretical effort aimed at understanding the dynamics of circumstellardust with and without the effects of embedded planets, dust spectralenergy distributions, and atomic and molecular gas line emission.Together with the observations, these efforts will provide anastronomical context for understanding whether our solar system-and itshabitable planet-is a common or a rare circumstance. Additionalinformation about the FEPS project can be found on the team Web site.
| Search for associations containing young stars (SACY). I. Sample and searching method
We report results from a high-resolution optical spectroscopic surveyaimed to search for nearby young associations and young stars amongoptical counterparts of ROSAT All-Sky Survey X-ray sources in theSouthern Hemisphere. We selected 1953 late-type (B-V~≥~0.6),potentially young, optical counterparts out of a total of 9574 1RXSsources for follow-up observations. At least one high-resolutionspectrum was obtained for each of 1511 targets. This paper is the firstin a series presenting the results of the SACY survey. Here we describeour sample and our observations. We describe a convergence method in the(UVW) velocity space to find associations. As an example, we discuss thevalidity of this method in the framework of the β Pic Association.
| Pulkovo compilation of radial velocities for 35495 stars in a common system.
Not Available
| Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Upper Limits to the Gas Mass in Disks around Sun-like Stars
We have carried out a sensitive search for gas emission lines at IR andmillimeter wavelengths for a sample of 15 young Sun-like stars selectedfrom our dust disk survey with Spitzer. We have used mid-IR lines totrace the warm (300-100 K) gas in the inner disk and millimetertransitions of 12CO to probe the cold (~20 K) outer disk. Wereport no gas line detections from our sample. Line flux upper limitsare first converted to warm and cold gas mass limits using simpleapproximations allowing a direct comparison with values from theliterature. We also present results from more sophisticated modelsfollowing Gorti & Hollenbach that confirm and extend our simpleanalysis. These models show that the [S I] 25.23 μm line can setconstraining limits on the gas surface density at the disk inner radiusand traces disk regions up to a few AU. We find that none of the 15systems have more than 0.04MJ of gas within a few AU from thedisk inner radius for disk radii from 1 to ~40 AU. These gas mass upperlimits even in the eight systems younger than ~30 Myr suggest that mostof the gas is dispersed early. The gas mass upper limits in the 10-40 AUregion, which is mainly traced by our CO data, are <2M⊕. If these systems are analogs of the solar system,they either have already formed Uranus- and Neptune-like planets or willnot form them beyond 100 Myr. Finally, the gas surface density upperlimits at 1 AU are smaller than 0.01% of the minimum mass solar nebulafor most of the sources. If terrestrial planets form frequently andtheir orbits are circularized by gas, then circularization occurs early.
| Accretion Disks around Young Stars: Lifetimes, Disk Locking, and Variability
We report the findings of a comprehensive study of disk accretion andrelated phenomena in four of the nearest young stellar associationsspanning 6-30 million years in age, an epoch that may coincide with thelate stages of planet formation. We have obtained ~650 multiepochhigh-resolution optical spectra of 100 low-mass stars that are likelymembers of the η Chamaeleontis (~6 Myr), TW Hydrae (~8 Myr), βPictoris (~12 Myr), and Tucanae-Horologium (~30 Myr) groups. Our datawere collected over 12 nights between 2004 December and 2005 July on theMagellan Clay 6.5 m telescope. Based on Hα line profiles, alongwith a variety of other emission lines, we find clear evidence ofongoing accretion in 3 out of 11 η Cha stars and 2 out of 32 TWHydrae members. None of the 57 β Pic or Tuc-Hor members showsmeasurable signs of accretion. Together, these results imply significantevolution of the disk-accretion process within the first several Myr ofa low-mass star's life. While a few disks can continue to accrete for upto ~10 Myr, our findings suggest that disks accreting for beyond thattimescale are rather rare. This result provides an indirect constrainton the timescale for gas dissipation in inner disks and, in turn, ongas-giant planet formation. All accretors in our sample are slowrotators, whereas nonaccretors cover a large range in rotationalvelocities. This may hint at rotational braking by disks at ages up to~8 Myr. Our multiepoch spectra confirm that emission-line variability iscommon even in somewhat older T Tauri stars, among which accretors tendto show particularly strong variations. Thus, our results indicate thataccretion and wind activity undergo significant and sustained variationsthroughout the lifetime of accretion disks.
| Spitzer Far-Infrared Detections of Cold Circumstellar Disks
Observations at 70 μm with the Spitzer Space Telescope have detectedseveral stellar systems within 65 pc of the Sun. Of 18 presumably youngsystems detected in this study, as many as 15 have 70 μm emission inexcess of that expected from their stellar photospheres. Five of thesystems with excesses are members of the Tucanae association. The 70μm excesses range from a factor of ~2 to nearly 30 times the expectedphotospheric emission from these stars. In contrast to the 70 μmproperties of these systems, there is evidence for an emission excess at24 μm for only HD 3003, confirming previous results for this star.The lack of a strong 24 μm excess in most of these systems suggeststhat the circumstellar dust producing the IR excesses is relatively cool(Tdust<~150 K) and that there is little IR-emittingmaterial within the inner few AU of the primary stars. Many of thesesystems lie close enough to Earth that the distribution of the dustproducing the IR excesses might be imaged in scattered light at opticaland near-IR wavelengths.
| Nearby Debris Disk Systems with High Fractional Luminosity Reconsidered
By searching the IRAS and ISO databases, we compiled a list of 60 debrisdisks that exhibit the highest fractional luminosity values(fd>10-4) in the vicinity of the Sun (d<120pc). Eleven out of these 60 systems are new discoveries. Special carewas taken to exclude bogus disks from the sample. We computed thefractional luminosity values using available IRAS, ISO, and Spitzer dataand analyzed the Galactic space velocities of the objects. The resultsrevealed that stars with disks of high fractional luminosity oftenbelong to young stellar kinematic groups, providing an opportunity toobtain improved age estimates for these systems. We found thatpractically all disks with fd>5×10-4 areyounger than 100 Myr. The distribution of the disks in the fractionalluminosity versus age diagram indicates that (1) the number of oldsystems with high fd is lower than was claimed before, (2)there exist many relatively young disks of moderate fractionalluminosity, and (3) comparing the observations with a currenttheoretical model of debris disk evolution, a general good agreementcould be found.
| An Infrared Coronagraphic Survey for Substellar Companions
We have used the F160W filter (1.4-1.8 μm) and the coronagraph on theNear-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) on theHubble Space Telescope to survey 45 single stars with a median age of0.15 Gyr, an average distance of 30 pc, and an average H magnitude of 7mag. For the median age we were capable of detecting a 30MJcompanion at separations between 15 and 200 AU. A 5MJ objectcould have been detected at 30 AU around 36% of our primaries. Forseveral of our targets that were less than 30 Myr old, the lower masslimit was as low as 1MJ, well into the high mass planetregion. Results of the entire survey include the proper-motionverification of five low-mass stellar companions, two brown dwarfs(HR7329B and TWA5B), and one possible brown dwarf binary (Gl 577B/C).
| Chromospheric models of solar analogues with different activity levels
We computed chromospheric models of the Sun as a star and of nine solaranalogues. The atmospheric models were constructed to obtain the bestpossible match with the Ca II K and Hβ lines, including theasymmetry of the lines due to macroscopic velocity fields. The starswere chosen with 0.62 < B-V< 0.68 (the solar B-V=0.65) and have awide variety of magnetic activity levels, which allows us to study thedifferences in atmospheric structures induced by activity. For the lessactive stars we found that the changes with activity are in the regionof the temperature minimum, while the most active stars show changes allalong their atmospheric structures, mainly in the upper chromosphere.Regarding the macroscopic velocity fields, we can distinguish betweenthe two groups. The most active group has a velocity field in thetemperature-minimum region, and the other group in the chromosphericplateau. We also computed the net radiative losses for each model, andfound that they depend linearly on the usual index of chromosphericactivity, SCa II.
| Spectroscopic Properties of Cool Stars (SPOCS). I. 1040 F, G, and K Dwarfs from Keck, Lick, and AAT Planet Search Programs
We present a uniform catalog of stellar properties for 1040 nearby F, G,and K stars that have been observed by the Keck, Lick, and AAT planetsearch programs. Fitting observed echelle spectra with synthetic spectrayielded effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, projectedrotational velocity, and abundances of the elements Na, Si, Ti, Fe, andNi, for every star in the catalog. Combining V-band photometry andHipparcos parallaxes with a bolometric correction based on thespectroscopic results yielded stellar luminosity, radius, and mass.Interpolating Yonsei-Yale isochrones to the luminosity, effectivetemperature, metallicity, and α-element enhancement of each staryielded a theoretical mass, radius, gravity, and age range for moststars in the catalog. Automated tools provide uniform results and makeanalysis of such a large sample practical. Our analysis method differsfrom traditional abundance analyses in that we fit the observed spectrumdirectly, rather than trying to match equivalent widths, and wedetermine effective temperature and surface gravity from the spectrumitself, rather than adopting values based on measured photometry orparallax. As part of our analysis, we determined a new relationshipbetween macroturbulence and effective temperature on the main sequence.Detailed error analysis revealed small systematic offsets with respectto the Sun and spurious abundance trends as a function of effectivetemperature that would be inobvious in smaller samples. We attempted toremove these errors by applying empirical corrections, achieving aprecision per spectrum of 44 K in effective temperature, 0.03 dex inmetallicity, 0.06 dex in the logarithm of gravity, and 0.5 kms-1 in projected rotational velocity. Comparisons withprevious studies show only small discrepancies. Our spectroscopicallydetermined masses have a median fractional precision of 15%, but theyare systematically 10% higher than masses obtained by interpolatingisochrones. Our spectroscopic radii have a median fractional precisionof 3%. Our ages from isochrones have a precision that variesdramatically with location in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. We planto extend the catalog by applying our automated analysis technique toother large stellar samples.
| The Planet-Metallicity Correlation
We have recently carried out spectral synthesis modeling to determineTeff, logg, vsini, and [Fe/H] for 1040 FGK-type stars on theKeck, Lick, and Anglo-Australian Telescope planet search programs. Thisis the first time that a single, uniform spectroscopic analysis has beenmade for every star on a large Doppler planet search survey. We identifya subset of 850 stars that have Doppler observations sufficient todetect uniformly all planets with radial velocity semiamplitudes K>30m s-1 and orbital periods shorter than 4 yr. From this subsetof stars, we determine that fewer than 3% of stars with-0.5<[Fe/H]<0.0 have Doppler-detected planets. Above solarmetallicity, there is a smooth and rapid rise in the fraction of starswith planets. At [Fe/H]>+0.3 dex, 25% of observed stars have detectedgas giant planets. A power-law fit to these data relates the formationprobability for gas giant planets to the square of the number of metalatoms. High stellar metallicity also appears to be correlated with thepresence of multiple-planet systems and with the total detected planetmass. This data set was examined to better understand the origin of highmetallicity in stars with planets. None of the expected fossilsignatures of accretion are observed in stars with planets relative tothe general sample: (1) metallicity does not appear to increase as themass of the convective envelopes decreases, (2) subgiants with planetsdo not show dilution of metallicity, (3) no abundance variations for Na,Si, Ti, or Ni are found as a function of condensation temperature, and(4) no correlations between metallicity and orbital period oreccentricity could be identified. We conclude that stars with extrasolarplanets do not have an accretion signature that distinguishes them fromother stars; more likely, they are simply born in higher metallicitymolecular clouds.Based on observations obtained at Lick and Keck Observatories, operatedby the University of California, and the Anglo-Australian Observatories.
| Evolution of Cold Circumstellar Dust around Solar-type Stars
We present submillimeter (Caltech Submillimeter Observatory 350 μm)and millimeter (Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope [SEST] 1.2 mm, OwensValley Radio Observatory [OVRO] 3 mm) photometry for 127 solar-typestars from the Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems SpitzerLegacy program that have masses between ~0.5 and 2.0 Msolarand ages from ~3 Myr to 3 Gyr. Continuum emission was detected towardfour stars with a signal-to-noise ratio>=3: the classical T Tauristars RX J1842.9-3532, RX J1852.3-3700, and PDS 66 with SEST, and thedebris-disk system HD 107146 with OVRO. RX J1842.9-3532 and RXJ1852.3-3700 are located in projection near the R CrA molecular cloud,with estimated ages of ~10 Myr (Neuhäuser et al.), whereas PDS 66is a probable member of the ~20 Myr old Lower Centaurus-Crux subgroup ofthe Scorpius-Centaurus OB association (Mamajek et al.). The continuumemission toward these three sources is unresolved at the 24" SESTresolution and likely originates from circumstellar accretion disks,each with estimated dust masses of ~5×10-5Msolar. Analysis of the visibility data toward HD 107146(age~80-200 Myr) indicates that the 3 mm continuum emission is centeredon the star within the astrometric uncertainties and resolved with aGaussian-fit FWHM size of (6.5"+/-1.4")×(4.2"+/-1.3"), or185AU×120 AU. The results from our continuum survey are combinedwith published observations to quantify the evolution of dust mass withtime by comparing the mass distributions for samples with differentstellar ages. The frequency distribution of circumstellar dust massesaround solar-type stars in the Taurus molecular cloud (age~2 Myr) isdistinguished from that around 3-10 Myr and 10-30 Myr old stars at asignificance level of ~1.5 and ~3 σ, respectively. These resultssuggest a decrease in the mass of dust contained in small dust grainsand/or changes in the grain properties by stellar ages of 10-30 Myr,consistent with previous conclusions. Further observations are needed todetermine if the evolution in the amount of cold dust occurs on evenshorter timescales.
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