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Improvement of Hipparcos Proper Motions in Declination
More than a decade elapsed after the HIPPARCOS ESA mission (ESA 1997)observations have been collected. This first astronomical satellitemission was less than 4 years long so that 1991.25 is the epoch of theHIPPARCOS Catalogue. Many other projects have checked or improvedHIPPARCOS data. Also, a long series of ground - based opticalobservations of some stars included in HIPPARCOS Catalogue, made withPhotographic Zenith Tubes (PZT) are useful for the task of improving theproper motions of these stars. The ARIHIP Catalogue (after ACT, TYCHO -2, FK6, GC+HIP, TYC2+HIP) is a combination of the HIPPARCOS and someground - based data, and the ARIHIP proper motions are more accuratethan the HIPPARCOS ones. Here we present a new step of our procedure ofcalculation; between PZT data we added the HIPPARCOS position withsuitable weight - the point with the coordinates (1991.25, 0ŭ0)in our case. The method was applied to 202 stars observed at RichmondPZTs in the course of a few decades. The result is better proper motionsin declination for these HIPPARCOS stars, and a good agreement withARIHIP proper motions (we found 128 common Richmond and ARIHIP stars tocheck our result). Also, we present the result for other 74 Richmondstars which are not found in ARIHIP.
| Statistical Constraints for Astrometric Binaries with Nonlinear Motion
Useful constraints on the orbits and mass ratios of astrometric binariesin the Hipparcos catalog are derived from the measured proper motiondifferences of Hipparcos and Tycho-2 (Δμ), accelerations ofproper motions (μ˙), and second derivatives of proper motions(μ̈). It is shown how, in some cases, statistical bounds can beestimated for the masses of the secondary components. Two catalogs ofastrometric binaries are generated, one of binaries with significantproper motion differences and the other of binaries with significantaccelerations of their proper motions. Mathematical relations betweenthe astrometric observables Δμ, μ˙, and μ̈ andthe orbital elements are derived in the appendices. We find a remarkabledifference between the distribution of spectral types of stars withlarge accelerations but small proper motion differences and that ofstars with large proper motion differences but insignificantaccelerations. The spectral type distribution for the former sample ofbinaries is the same as the general distribution of all stars in theHipparcos catalog, whereas the latter sample is clearly dominated bysolar-type stars, with an obvious dearth of blue stars. We point outthat the latter set includes mostly binaries with long periods (longerthan about 6 yr).
| Interstellar Extinction and Polarization in the Taurus Dark Clouds: The Optical Properties of Dust near the Diffuse/Dense Cloud Interface
Observations of interstellar linear polarization in the spectral range0.35-2.2 μm are presented for several stars reddened by dust in theTaurus region. Combined with a previously published study by Whittet etal., these results represent the most comprehensive data set availableon the spectral dependence of interstellar polarization in this nearbydark cloud (a total of 27 sight lines). Extinction data for these andother reddened stars in Taurus are assembled for the same spectralrange, combining published photometry and spectral classifications withphotometry from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. The polarization andextinction curves are characterized in terms of the parametersλmax (the wavelength of maximum polarization) andRV (the ratio of total to selective extinction),respectively. The data are used to investigate in detail the question ofwhether the optical properties of the dust change systematically as afunction of environment, considering stars observed throughprogressively more opaque (and thus progressively denser) regions of thecloud. At low visual extinctions (03, real changes in grainproperties occur, characterized by observed RVvalues in the range 3.5-4.0. A simple model for the development ofRV with AV suggests thatRV may approach values of 4.5 or more in thedensest regions of the cloud. The transition between ``normal''extinction and ``dense cloud'' extinction occurs at AV~3.2, avalue coincident with the threshold extinction above whichH2O-ice is detected on grains within the cloud. Changes inRV are thus either a direct consequence ofmantle growth or occur under closely similar physical conditions. Dustin Taurus appears to be in a different evolutionary state compared withother nearby dark clouds, such as ρ Oph, in which coagulation is thedominant physical process.
| Near-Infrared Imaging Polarimetry of Embedded Young Stars in the Taurus-Auriga Molecular Cloud
We describe near-infrared (JHK) imaging polarimetry of 21 embeddedprotostars in the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud. These objects displayextended, highly polarized reflection nebulae with V-shaped, unipolar,and bipolar morphologies. Most sources have PK ~ 5%-20% in an 8"aperture; a few objects have PK <~ 5%. The polarization increasestoward shorter wavelengths and is generally aligned perpendicular to thelong axis of the reflection nebula. We develop an analytic scatteringmodel for the near-IR colors and polarizations of embedded protostars.Our Taurus data require visual extinctions, AV ~ 25-60 mag, comparableto those predicted for models of collapsing clouds. The ratio ofscattered flux to intrinsic source flux ranges from Fs/F0 ~ 0.001 at1.25 mu m to Fs/F0 ~ 0.015 at 3.5 mu m. These results indicate that theobserved ratio of scattered light to direct (extincted) light increasesfrom Fs/Fd ~ 0.1 at 3.5 mu m to Fs/Fd ~ 25 at 1.25 mu m. Our datafurther require intrinsic colors of 0.6 <~ J-H <~ 0.9, 0.3 <~H-K <~ 0.6, and 0.4 <~ K-L <~ 1.2 for the central sources ofTaurus protostars. We adopt the Terebey, Shu, & Cassen solution foran infalling, rotating protostellar cloud and use a two dimensionalMonte Carlo radiative transfer code to model the near-IR polarizationdata for this sample. Our results indicate envelope parameters inagreement with previous estimates from broadband spectral energydistributions and near-IR images. We estimate infall rates, M dot~(2-5)x10^{-6} Mȯ yr-1; centrifugal radii, Rc ~ 10-50 AU; andopening angles of the bipolar cavity, theta h ~ 10 deg-20 deg, for atypical object. Standard grain parameters can explain the near-IR colorsand polarizations of Taurus protostars. The polarization maps show thatTaurus grains have a high maximum polarization at K, Pmax,K >~ 80%.The large image sizes of this sample further imply a high K-band albedo,omega K ~ 0.3-0.4. Model polarization maps indicate that the size of the"polarization disk" increases with the size of the instrumentalpoint-spread function. Relating the morphology of polarization vectorsto disk or envelope properties thus requires some care and a goodunderstanding of the characteristics of the instrument.
| A new optical extinction law and distance estimate for the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud
This paper presents optical spectrophotometry of field stars projectedon the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud. We derive extinction laws forheavily reddened stars in this sample and show that the reddening lawthrough the dark cloud is nearly identical to the standard law forlambda-lambda(3600-6100) and AV approximately less than 3mag. Our spectroscopic parallaxes suggest a distance of 140 +/- 10 pcfor the northern portion of the cloud and show no compelling evidencefor a substantial variation in distance across the leading edge of thecloud.
| Chemical transitions for interstellar C2 and CN in cloud envelopes
Observations were made of absorption from CH, C2, and CN towardmoderately reddened stars in Sco, OB2, Ceo OB3, and Taurus/Auriga. Forthese directions, most of the reddening is associated with a singlecloud complex, for example, the rho Ophiuchus molecular cloud, and as aresult, the observations probe moderately dense material. When combinedwith avaliable data for nearby directions, the survey provides the basisfor a comprehensive analysis of the chemistry for these species. Thechemical transitions affecting C2 and CN in cloud envelopes wereanalyzed. The depth into a cloud at which a transition takes place wascharacterized by tauuv, the grain optical depth at 1000 A.One transition at tauuv approx. = 2, which arises from, theconversion of C(+) into CO, affects the chemistries for both moleculesbecause of the key role this ion plays. A second one involvingproduction terms in the CN chemistry occurs at tauuv ofapprox. = 3; neutral reactions which C2 and CH is more important atlarger values for tauuv. The transition fromphotodissociation to chemical destruction takes place attauuv approx. = 4.5 for C2 and CN. The observational data forstars in Sco OB2, Cep OB3, and Taurus/Auriga were studied with chemicalrate equations containing the most important production and destructionmechanisms. Because the sample of stars in Sco OB2 includes sight lineswith Av ranging from 1-4 mag, sight lines dominated byphotochemistry could be analyzed separately from those controlled bygas-phase destruction. The analysis yielded values for two poorly knownrate constants for reactions involved in the production of CN; thereactions are C2 + N yields CN + C and C(+) + NH yields all products.The other directions were analyzed with the inferred values. Thepredicted column densities for C2 and CN agree with the observed valuesto better than 50%, and in most instances 20%. When combining theestimates for density and temperature derived from chemical modeling andmolecular excitation for a specific cloud, such as the rho Ophiuchusmolecular cloud, the portion of the cloud envelope probed by C2 and CNabsorption was found to be in pressure equilibrium.
| An IRAS survey of the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud
IRAS data are used to search for young premain-sequence stars notpreviously associated with molecular cloud cores in the Taurus-Aurigaregion. NIR photometry and optical spectroscopy suggest that many of theobjects are young stars. The sample includes six new embedded sourceswith luminosities comparable to that of the average T Tauri star,suggesting that surveys for premain-sequence stars in the cloud areessentially complete for luminosities greater than 0.5 solarluminosities. A disagreement is found between accretion rates derivedfrom the duration of the embedded phase and those derived from thebolometric luminosity. It is found that this disagreement may bereconciled if a star accretes most of its mass in a time that is shortcompared to the duration of the embedded phase or if the ages of T Tauristars have been underestimated.
| The local system of early type stars - Spatial extent and kinematics
Published uvby and H-beta photometric data and proper motions arecompiled and analyzed to characterize the structure and kinematics ofthe bright early-type O-A0 stars in the solar vicinity, with a focus onthe Gould belt. The selection and calibration techniques are explained,and the data are presented in extensive tables and graphs and discussedin detail. The Gould belt stars of age less than 20 Myr are shown togive belt inclination 19 deg to the Galactic plane and node-lineorientation in the direction of Galactic rotation, while the symmetricaldistribution about the Galactic plane and kinematic properties (purecircular differential rotation) of the belt stars over 60 Myr oldresemble those of fainter nonbelt stars of all ages. The unresolveddiscrepancy between the expansion observed in the youngest nearby starsand the predictions of simple models of expansion from a point isattributed to the inhomogeneous distribution of interstellar matter.
| Polarimetric investigation of background stars in the region of T and RY Tau
Electropolarimetric observations of 97 background stars in the TTauri/RY Tauri region, obtained with the 40-cm Cassegrain telescope ofthe Biurakan Astrophysical Observatory in December 1982, are reportedand interpreted in terms of local-magnetic-field effects oncometary-nebula bending. The data are presented in a table, and thedependence of polarization position angle on declination is establishedin a graph and attributed to a continuous variation in the direction ofthe magnetic field. From the magnitude of the effect, however, it isconcluded that the observed bending of the cometary nebulae in theregion results from the combined influence of the local magnetic momentand the magnetic moment of the star itself (as proposed by Vardanian,1983) rather than from the local moment alone.
| Four-color and H-beta photometry for O-A0 type stars in three regions near the galactic equator
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1982A&AS...49..561W&db_key=AST
| Photoelectric measurements of lunar occultation. VI. Further observational results.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1973AJ.....78..482D&db_key=AST
| UBV Photometry of 173 PZT Stars
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1971PASP...83..177W&db_key=AST
| The polarization of T and RY Tau.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Taurus |
| Right ascension: | 04h20m30.38s |
| Declination: | +25°49'38.8" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 7.801 |
| Distance: | 229.358 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | 5.1 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -9.6 |
| B-T magnitude: | 7.991 |
| V-T magnitude: | 7.817 |
Catalogs and designations:
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