L. da Silva

Basic physical parameters of a selected sample of evolved stars

We present the detailed spectroscopic analysis of 72 evolved stars, which were previously studied for accurate radial velocity variations. Using one Hyades giant and another well studied star as the reference abundance, we determine the [Fe/H] for the whole sample. These metallicities, together with the Teff values and the absolute V-band magnitude derived from Hipparcos parallaxes, are used to estimate basic stellar parameters (ages, masses, radii, (B−V)0 and log g) using theoretical isochrones and a Bayesian estimation method. The (B−V)0 values so estimated turn out to be in excellent agreement (to within ∼0.05 mag) with the observed (B−V), confirming the reliability of the Teff−(B−V)0 relation used in the isochrones. On the other hand, the estimated log g values are typically 0.2 dex lower than those derived from spectroscopy; this effect has a negligible impact on [Fe/H] determinations. The estimated diameters θ have been compared with limb darkening-corrected ones measured with independent methods, finding an agreement better than 0.3 mas within the 1 <θ< 10 mas interval (or, alternatively, finding mean differences of just 6%). We derive the age-metallicity relation for the solar neighborhood; for the first time to our knowledge, such a relation has been derived from observations of field giants rather than from open clusters and field dwarfs and subdwarfs. The age-metallicity relation is characterized by close-to-solar metallicities for stars younger than ∼4 Gyr, and by a large [Fe/H] spread with a trend towards lower metallicities for higher ages. In disagreement with other studies, we find that the [Fe/H] dispersion of young stars (less than 1 Gyr) is comparable to the observational errors, indicating that stars in the solar neighbourhood are formed from interstellar matter of quite homogeneous chemical composition. The three giants of our sample which have been proposed to host planets are not metal rich; this result is at odds with those for main sequence stars. However, two of these stars have masses much larger than a solar mass so we may be sampling a different stellar population from most radial velocity searches for extrasolar planets. We also confirm the previous indication that the radial velocity variability tends to increase along the RGB, and in particular with the stellar radius.

Evolved stars suggest an external origin of the enhanced metallicity in planet-hosting stars

Aims. Exo-planets are preferentially found around high metallicity main sequence stars. We aim at investigating whether evolved stars share this property, and what this tells about planet formation. Methods. Statistical tools and the basic concepts of stellar evolution theory are applied to published results as well as our own radial velocity and chemical analyses of evolved stars. Results. We show that the metal distributions of planet-hosting (P-H) dwarfs and giants are different, and that the latter do not favor metal-rich systems. Rather, these stars follow the same age-metalicity relation as the giants without planets in our sample. The straightforward explanation is to attribute the difference between dwarfs and giants to the much larger masses of giants’ convective envelopes. If the metal excess on the main sequence is due to pollution, the effects of dilution naturally explains why it is not observed among evolved stars. Conclusions. Although we cannot exclude other explanations, the lack of any preference for metal-rich systems among P-H giants could be a strong indication of the accretion of metal-rich material. We discuss further tests, as well as some predictions and consequences of this hypothesis.

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 high spectral resolution survey of more than two thousand optical counterparts of X-ray sources in the Southern Hemisphere targeted to search for young nearby associations. Nine associations have either been newly identified, or had their member list better defined. Groups belonging to the Sco-Cen-Oph complex are not considered in the present study. Aims. These nine associations, with ages between about 6Myr and 70Myr, form an excellent sample to study the Li depletion in the pre-main sequence(PMS) evolution. In the present paper we investigate the use of Li abundances as an independent clock to constrain the PMS evolution. Methods. Using our measurements of the equivalent widths of the Li resonance line and assuming fixed metallicities and microturbulence, we have calculated the LTE Li abundances for 376 members of different young associations. In addition we considered the effects of their projected stellar rotation. Results. We present the Li depletion as function of age in the first hundred million years for the first time for the most extended sample of Li abundances in young stellar associations. Conclusions. A clear Li depletion can be measured in the temperature range from 5000 K to 3500 K for the age span covered by the nine associations studied in this paper. The age sequence based on the Li-clock agrees well with the isochronal ages, ǫCha association being the only possible exception. The lithium depletion patterns for the associations presented here resemble those of the young open clusters with similar ages, strengthening the notion that the members proposed for these loose young associations have indeed a common physical origin. The observed scatter in the Li abundances hampers the use of Li to determine reliable ages for individual stars. For velocities above 20kms 1 rotation seems to play an important role inhibiting the Li depletion.

HR 6060: The Closest Ever Solar Twin?

The detailed analysis of the optical spectrum and evolutionary state of the G2 Va star HR 6060 shows this object to have atmospheric parameters, mass, chromospheric activity, and UBV colors indistinguishable from the solar ones within the observational uncertainties. Only its luminosity and age are slightly higher than solar. Its abundance pattern is solar, with the exception of a slight excess of Sc, V, and the elements heavier than Sr. HR 6060 surpasses all previously claimed solar twins in likeness to the Sun, and we recommend that it be considered for strong priority in the ongoing planet-searching programs as well as in SETI surveys.

Abundance analysis of barium and mild barium stars

Aims. We compare and discuss abundances and trends in normal giants, mild barium, and barium stars, searching for differences and similarities between barium and mild barium stars that could help shed some light on the origin of these similar objects. Also, we search for nucleosynthetic effects possibly related to the s-process that were observed in the literature for elements like Cu in other types of s-process enriched stars. Methods. High signal to noise, high resolution spectra were obtained for a sample of normal, mild barium, and barium giants. Atmospheric parameters were determined from the Fe I and Fell lines. Abundances for Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd, were determined from equivalent widths and model atmospheres in a differential analysis, with the red giant ∈ Vir as the standard star. Results. The different levels of s-process overabundances of barium and mild barium stars were earlier suggested to be related to the stellar metallicity. Contrary to this suggestion, we found in this work no evidence of barium and mild barium having a different range in metallicity. However, comparing the ratio of abundances of heavy to light s-process elements, we found some evidence that they do not share the same neutron exposure parameter. The exact mechanism controlling this difference is still not clear. As a by-product of this analysis we identify two normal red giants misclassified as mild barium stars. The relevance of this finding is discussed. Concerning the suggested nucleosynthetic effects possibly related to the s-process, for elements like Cu, Mn, V and Sc, we found no evidence for an anomalous behavior in any of the s-process enriched stars analyzed here. However, further work is still needed since a clear [Cu/Fe] vs. [Ba/Fe] anticorrelation exists for other s-process enriched objects.

Accurate and homogeneous abundance patterns in solar-type stars of the solar neighbourhood: a chemo-chronological analysis

Aims. We report the derivation of abundances of C, Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, Ce, Nd, and Sm in a sample of 25 solar-type stars of the solar neighbourhood, correlating the abundances with the stellar ages, kinematics, and orbital parameters. Methods. The spectroscopic analysis, based on data of high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio, was differential to the Sun and applied to atomic line equivalent widths supplemented by the spectral synthesis of C and C2 features. We also performed a statistical study by using the method of tree clustering analysis, searching for groups of stars sharing similar elemental abundance patterns. We derived the stellar parameters from various criteria, with average errors of 30 K, 0.13 dex, and 0.05 dex, respectively, for Teff, log g ,a nd [Fe/H]. The average error of the [X/Fe] abundance ratios is 0.06 dex. Ages were derived from theoretical HR diagrams and membership of the stars in known kinematical moving groups. Results. We identified four stellar groups: one having, on average, over-solar abundances (� [X/H]� =+ 0.26 dex), another with undersolar abundances (� [X/H]� = −0.24 dex), and two with intermediate values (� [X/H]� = −0.06 and +0.06 dex) but with distinct chemical patterns. Stars sharing solar metallicity, age, and Galactic orbit possibly have non-solar abundance ratios, a possible effect either of chemical heterogeneity in their natal clouds or migration. A trend of [Cu/Fe] with [Ba/Fe] seems to exist, in agreement with previous claims in the literature, and maybe also of [Sm/Fe] with [Ba/Fe]. No such correlation involving C, Na, Mn, and Zn is observed. The [X/Fe] ratios of various elements show significant correlations with age. [Mg/Fe], [Sc/Fe], and [Ti/Fe] increase with age. [Mn/Fe] and [Cu/Fe] display a more complex behaviour, first increasing towards younger stars up to the solar age, and then decreasing, a result we interpret as possibly related to time-varying yields of SN Ia and the weak s-process in massive stars. The steepest negative age relation is due to [Ba/Fe], but only for stars younger than the Sun, and a similar though less significant behaviour is seen for Zr, Ce, and Nd. [Sr/Fe] and [Y/Fe] show a linearly increasing trend towards younger stars. The [Cu/Ba] and [Sm/Ba] therefore decrease for younger stars. We found that [Ba/Mg], [Ba/Zn], and [Sr,Y,Ba/Sm] increase but only for stars younger than the Sun, whereas the [Sr/Mg], [Y/Mg], [Sr/Zn], and [Y/Zn] ratios increase linearly towards younger stars over the whole age range.

Abundances of Mn, Co and Eu in a sample of 20 F-G disk stars : the influence of hyperfine structure splitting

We present Mn, Co and Eu abundances for a sample of 20 disk F and G dwarfs and subgiants with metallicities in the range −0.8 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ +0.3. We investigate the influence of hyperfine structure (HFS) on the derived abundances of Mn and Co by using HFS data from different sources in the literature, as well as calculated HFS from interaction factors A and B. Eu abundances were obtained from spectral synthesis of one Eu  line that takes into account HFS from a series of recent laboratory measurements. For the lines analysed in this study, we find that for manganese, the differences between abundances obtained with different HFSs are no greater than 0.10 dex. Our cobalt abundances are even less sensitive to the choice of HFS than Mn, presenting a 0.07 dex maximum difference between determinations with different HFSs. However, the cobalt HFS data from different sources are significantly different. Our abundance results for Mn offer an independent confirmation of literature results, favouring type Ia supernovae as the main nucleosynthesis site of Mn production, in contrast to trends of Mn versus metallicity previously reported in the literature. For Co, we obtain [Co/Fe] ∼ 0.0 in the range −0.3 < [Fe/H] < +0. 3a nd [Co/Fe] rising to a level of +0.2 when [Fe/H] decreases from −0. 3t o−0.8, in disagreement with recent results in the literature. The observed discrepancies may be attributed to the lack of HFS in the works we used for comparison. Our results for Eu are in accordance with low-mass type II supernovae being the main site of the r-process nucleosynthesis.

A photometric and spectroscopic survey of solar twin stars within 50 parsecs of the Sun - I. Atmospheric parameters and color similarity to the Sun

Context. Solar twins and analogs are fundamental in the characterization of the Sun’s place in the context of stellar measurements, as they are in understanding how typical the solar properties are in its neighborhood. They are also important for representing sunlight observable in the night sky for diverse photometric and spectroscopic tasks, besides being natural candidates for harboring planetary systems similar to ours and possibly even life-bearing environments. Aims. We report a photometric and spectroscopic survey of solar twin stars within 50 parsecs of the Sun. Hipparcos absolute magnitudes and (B − V) Tycho colors were used to define a 2σ box around the solar values, where 133 stars were considered. Additional stars resembling the solar UBV colors in a broad sense, plus stars present in the lists of Hardorp, were also selected. All objects were ranked by a color-similarity index with respect to the Sun, defined by uvby and BV photometry. Methods. Moderately high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra were used for a subsample of equatorial-southern stars to derive Teff ,l ogg (both ionization and evolutionary), and spectroscopic [Fe/H] with average internal errors better than 50 K, 0.20 dex, and 0.08 dex, respectively. Ages and masses were estimated from theoretical HR diagrams. Results. The color-similarity index proved very successful, since none of the best solar-analog and twin candidates that were photometrically and spectroscopically found to be good solar matches differed from the Sun by more than 3σ in their colors. We identify and quantitatively rank many new excellent solar analogs, which are fit to represent the Sun in the night sky to varying degrees of accuracy and in a wide range of contexts. Some of them are faint enough (V Tycho ∼ 8.5) to be of interest for moderately large telescopes. We also identify two stars with near-UV spectra indistinguishable from the Sun’s, although only HD 140690 also has atmospheric parameters matching the Sun’s, besides a high degree of photometric fidelity. This object is proposed as a prime solar analog in both the UV and visible ranges, a rare object. We present five new “probable” solar twin stars, besides five new “possible” twins, the best candidates being HD 98649, HD 118598, HD 150248, and HD 164595. Masses and isochronal ages for the best solar twin candidates lie very close to the solar values within uncertainties, but chromospheric activity levels range somewhat. We propose that the solar twins be emphasized in the ongoing searches for extra-solar planets and SETI searches.

The Spectral Energy Distribution of the Seyfert Galaxy Ton S180

We present spectral results from a multisatellite, broadband campaign on the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Ton S180 (PHL 912) performed at the end of 1999. We discuss the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the source, combining simultaneous Chandra, ASCA, and Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer data with contemporaneous Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based optical and infrared data. The resulting SED shows that most of the energy is emitted in the 10-100 eV regime, which must be dominated by the primary energy source. No spectral turnover is evident in the UV regime. This, the strong soft X-ray emission, and the overall shape of the SED indicate that emission from the accretion disk peaks between 15 and 100 eV. High-resolution FUSE spectra showing UV absorption due to O VI and the lack of detectable X-ray absorption in the Chandra spectrum demonstrate the presence of a low column density of highly ionized gas along our line of sight. The highly ionized state of the circumnuclear gas is most likely linked to the high luminosity and steep spectrum of the active nucleus. Given the strong ionizing flux in Ton S180, it is possible that the clouds within a few tens of light days of the central source are too highly ionized to produce much line emission. Thus, the narrow width of the emission lines in Ton S180 is due to the emission arising from large radii.

A planet around the evolved intermediate-mass star HD 110014

Context. We found evidence for a sub–stellar companion around the K giant star HD 110014. This cool evolved star, with a spectral type K2III and an estimated mass between 1.9 and 2.4 M� , is slightly metal rich with [Fe/H] = 0.19 and a rotational velocity V sini = 2.0 km s −1 . Aims. To search for extrasolar planets around intermediate-mass stars and to improve our knowledge of the nature of radial velocity variations shown by G and K giant stars. Methods. Based on radial velocity analysis, we found evidence for a substellar companion with a planetary mass and long orbital period. The Radial velocity variation of HD 110014 has been monitored from 2000 until 2007 with FEROS at 1.5 m ESO and at the 2.2 m MPG/ESO, HARPS at the 3.6 m ESO and Coralie at 1.2 m Leonard Euler swiss telescopes in La Silla observatory. The radial velocities were computed by using a cross-correlation technique. Line bisector, Hipparcos photometry and chromospheric lines were analyzed to exclude other root-causes for the radial velocity variability. Results. We report the presence of an extrasolar planet around the giant star HD 110014, with an orbital period of 835.48 ± 6.04 days. A Keplerian orbit, with an eccentricity e = 0.462 ± 0.069, yields a minimum mass M sini = 11.09 MJup. The analysis of the residuals shows evidence for a second RV variability with a period of 130 days and an amplitude of ±100 ms −1 . Its nature is not completely clear, but a second planet is a possible explanation.