248 research outputs found
Extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs around A-F type stars. II. A planet found with ELODIE around the F6V star HD 33564
We present here the detection of a planet orbiting around the F6V star HD
33564. The radial velocity measurements, obtained with the ELODIE echelle
spectrograph at the Haute-Provence Observatory, show a variation with a period
of 388 days. Assuming a primary mass of 1.25 Mo, the best Keplerian fit to the
data leads to a minimum mass of 9.1 MJup for the companion.Comment: 5 pages. Final version, accepted for publication (A&A). Some Spitzer
results on HD33564 (taken this year; not yet published), finally show that
the detection of IR excess around this star (by IRAS) is spuriou
Line-profile tomography of exoplanet transits I: The Doppler shadow of HD 189733b
We present a direct method for isolating the component of the starlight
blocked by a planet as it transits its host star, and apply it to spectra of
the bright transiting planet HD 189733b. We model the global shape of the
stellar cross-correlation function as the convolution of a limb-darkened
rotation profile and a gaussian representing the Doppler core of the average
photospheric line profile. The light blocked by the planet during the transit
is a gaussian of the same intrinsic width, whose trajectory across the line
profile yields a precise measure of the misalignment angle and an independent
measure of v sin I. We show that even when v sin I is less than the width of
the intrinsic line profile, the travelling Doppler "shadow" cast by the planet
creates an identifiable distortion in the line profiles which is amenable to
direct modelling. Direct measurement of the trajectory of the missing starlight
yields self-consistent measures of the projected stellar rotation rate, the
intrinsic width of the mean local photospheric line profile, the projected
spin-orbit misalignment angle, and the system's centre-of-mass velocity.
Combined with the photometric rotation period, the results give a geometrical
measure of the stellar radius which agrees closely with values obtained from
high-precision transit photometry if a small amount of differential rotation is
present in the stellar photosphere.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables; accepted by MNRA
Deriving High-Precision Radial Velocities
This chapter describes briefly the key aspects behind the derivation of
precise radial velocities. I start by defining radial velocity precision in the
context of astrophysics in general and exoplanet searches in particular. Next I
discuss the different basic elements that constitute a spectrograph, and how
these elements and overall technical choices impact on the derived radial
velocity precision. Then I go on to discuss the different wavelength
calibration and radial velocity calculation techniques, and how these are
intimately related to the spectrograph's properties. I conclude by presenting
some interesting examples of planets detected through radial velocity, and some
of the new-generation instruments that will push the precision limit further.Comment: Lecture presented at the IVth Azores International Advanced School in
Space Sciences on "Asteroseismology and Exoplanets: Listening to the Stars
and Searching for New Worlds" (arXiv:1709.00645), which took place in Horta,
Azores Islands, Portugal in July 201
Trumpler 20 - an old and rich open cluster
We show that the open cluster Trumpler 20, contrary to the earlier findings,
is actually an old Galactic open cluster. New CCD photometry and
high-resolution spectroscopy are used to derive the main parameters of this
cluster. At [Fe/H]=-0.11 for a single red giant star, the metallicity is
slightly subsolar. The best fit to the color-magnitude diagrams is achieved
using a 1.3 Gyr isochrone with convective overshoot. The cluster appears to
have a significant reddening at E(B-V)=0.46 (for B0 spectral type), although
for red giants this high reddening yields the color temperature exceeding the
spectroscopic T_eff by about 200 K. Trumpler 20 is a very rich open cluster,
containing at least 700 members brighter than M_V=+4. It may extend over the
field-of-view available in our study at 20'x20'.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures; accepted for publication in MNRA
Altair's inclination from line profile analysis
We present a detailed spectroscopic study of line broadening in the A7IV-V
star Altair. In a wavelength region covering 690AA we reconstruct the overall
broadening profile taking into account more than 650 spectral lines. From the
broadening profile we determine the projected rotational velocity vsini, derive
an upper limit for the equatorial velocity v from the shape of the profile and
search for signatures of differential rotation. Our redetermined value of vsini
is (227 +-11)km/s. Measuring the first two zeros of the Fourier transformed
broadening profile yield no signatures of differential rotation. We derive that
Altair is seen under an inclination angle higher than i=68deg and it rotates at
v<245km/s or slower than 53% of breakup velocity on a 1sigma level.Comment: A&A, accepte
Observational constraints for Lithium depletion before the RGB
Precise Li abundances are determined for 54 giant stars mostly evolving
across the Hertzsprung gap. We combine these data with rotational velocity and
with information related to the deepening of the convective zone of the stars
to analyse their link to Li dilution in the referred spectral region. A sudden
decline in Li abundance paralleling the one already established in rotation is
quite clear. Following similar results for other stellar luminosity classes and
spectral regions, there is no linear relation between Li abundance and
rotation, in spite of the fact that most of the fast rotators present high Li
content. The effects of convection in driving the Li dilution is also quite
clear. Stars with high Li content are mostly those with an undeveloped
convective zone, whereas stars with a developed convective zone present clear
sign of Li dilution.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. accepted for publicatio
No evidence of a hot Jupiter around HD 188753 A
The discovery of a short-period giant planet (a hot Jupiter) around the
primary component of the triple star system HD 188753 has often been considered
as an important observational evidence and as a serious challenge to
planet-formation theories. Following this discovery, we monitored HD 188753
during one year to better characterize the planetary orbit and the feasibility
of planet searches in close binaries and multiple star systems. We obtained
Doppler measurements of HD 188753 with the ELODIE spectrograph at the
Observatoire de Haute-Provence. We then extracted radial velocities for the two
brightest components of the system using our multi-order, two-dimensional
correlation algorithm, TODCOR. Our observations and analysis do not confirm the
existence of the short-period giant planet previously reported around HD 188753
A. Monte Carlo simulations show that we had both the precision and the temporal
sampling required to detect a planetary signal like the one quoted. From our
failure to detect the presumed planet around HD 188753 A and from the available
data on HD 188753, we conclude that there is currently no convincing evidence
of a close-in giant planet around HD 188753 A.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&A. Corrected typos
and minor mistake
HD 34700: A new T Tauri double-lined spectroscopic binary
We find the star HD 34700 to be a double-lined spectroscopic binary. We also
identify it as a weak-line T Tauri object The spectra of both components are
very similar and both show the Li I feature at 6708 \AA. Strong arguments in
favour of the binary nature of the star as opposed to other possibilities are
offered. It is very likely that the companion is also a T Tauri star of similar
mass. A projected rotational velocity, sin, of 25 and 23 km/s has
been estimated for the blue and red components. We present a list of the lines
identified and the radial velocities of the two components on three spectra
obtained on consecutive nights.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables (one electronic) Accepted for
publication in A&A Letter
The Baade-Wesselink p-factor applicable to LMC Cepheids
Context. Recent observations of LMC Cepheids bring new constraints on the
slope of the period-projection factor relation (hereafter Pp relation) that is
currently used in the Baade-Wesselink (hereafter BW) method of distance
determination. The discrepancy between observations and theoretical analysis is
particularly significant for short period Cepheids Aims. We investigate three
physical effects that might possibly explain this discrepancy: (1) the
spectroscopic S/N that is systematically lower for LMC Cepheids (around 10)
compared to Galactic ones (up to 300), (2) the impact of the metallicity on the
dynamical structure of LMC Cepheids, and (3) the combination of infrared
photometry/interferometry with optical spectroscopy. Methods. To study the S/N
we use a very simple toy model of Cepheids. The impact of metallicity on the
projection factor is based on the hydrodynamical model of delta Cep already
described in previous studies. This model is also used to derive the position
of the optical versus infrared photospheric layers. Results. We find no
significant effect of S/N, metallicity, and optical-versus-infrared
observations on the Pp relation. Conclusions. The Pp relation of Cepheids in
the LMC does not differ from the Galactic relation. This allows its universal
application to determine distances to extragalactic Cepheids via BW analysis.Comment: accepted in A&A LETTER
Vertical distribution of Galactic disk stars : II. The surface mass density in the Galactic plane
High resolution spectra data of red clump stars towards the NGP have been
obtained with the high resolution spectrograph Elodie at OHP for Tycho-2
selected stars. Combined with Hipparcos local analogues, we determine both the
gravitational force law perpendicaular to the Galactic plane, and the total
surface mass density and thickness of the Galactic disk. The surface mass
density of the Galactic disk within 800 pc derived from this analysis is
Sigma(|z|<800pc)=76 Msol.pc-2 and, removing the dark halo contribution, the
total disk mass density is Sigma0=67 Msol.pc-2 at solar radius. The thickness
of the total disk mass distribution is dynamicaly measured for the first time
and is found to be 390pc in relative agreement with the old stellar disk scale
height. All dynamical evidences concerning the structure of the disk (its local
volume density -i.e. the Oort limit-, its surface density and its thickness)
are compatible with our knowledge of the corresponding stellar disk properties.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in A&
- …