Integrated colors in the solar neighborhood

The bivariate spectral type-luminosity class distribution combined with thez-distribution and broad-band photometric data have been used in order to derive integrated colors in Johnson's UBVRIJKL system for the solar neighborhood.The frequency distribution of white dwarfs is also taken into account for theU-B, B-V colors.     

Star-formation modes in the solar neighborhood

We perform a study into the spatial and kinematical distribution of young open clusters in the solar neighborhood, distinguishing between Gould Belt and local Galactic disk members. We use a previous estimate of the structural parameters of both systems obtained from a sample of O to B6 stars from Hipparcos. The two star-forming regions that dominate and give the Gould Belt its characteristic inclined shape show a striking difference in their content of star clusters: while Ori OB1 is richly populated by open clusters, not a single one can be found within the boundaries of Sco OB2. This is mirrored in velocity space, translating again into an abundance of clusters in the region of the kinematic space populated by the members of Ori OB1, and a marginal number of them associated with Sco OB2. We interpret all these differences by characterizing the Orion region as a cluster complex typically surrounded by a stellar halo, and the Sco-Cen region as an OB association in the outskirts of the complex. The different contents of star clusters, the different heights above the Galactic plane and the different residual velocities of Ori OB1 and Sco OB2 can be explained in terms of their relative position with respect to the density maximum of the Local Arm in the solar neighborhood. The origin of this feature could have been the interaction of a density wave with the local interstellar medium close to the Galactic co-rotation radius.     

Halo streams in the solar neighborhood

The phase-space structure of our Galaxy holds the key to understand and reconstruct its formation. The ΛCDM model predicts a richly structured phase-space distribution of dark matter and (halo) stars, consisting of streams of particles torn from their progenitors during the process of hierarchical merging. While such streams quickly loose their spatial coherence in the process of phase mixing, the individual stars keep their common origin imprinted into their kinematic and chemical properties, allowing the recovery of the Galaxy’s individual “building blocks”. The field of Galactic Archeology has witnessed a dramatic boost over the last decade, thanks to the increasing quality and size of available data sets. This is especially true for the solar neighborhood, a volume of 1–2 kpc around the sun, where large scale surveys like SDSS/SEGUE continue to reveal the full 6D phase-space information of thousands of halo stars. In this review, I summarize the discoveries of stellar halo streams made so far and give a theoretical overview over the search strategies imployed. This article is intended as an introduction to researchers new to the field, but also as a reference illustrating the achievements made so far. I conclude that disentangling the individual fragments from which the Milky Way was built requires more precise data that will ultimately be delivered by the Gaia mission.     

On the pulsar distribution in the solar neighborhood

The spatial distribution of pulsars in the solar neighborhood is investigated on the basis of the recent catalog of Taylor, Manchester, and Lyne. It is shown that “old” pulsars with an age τ > 2.10⁶ yr, like “young ” ones, are indicators of fragments of the Galaxy’s spiral structure. It is concluded that if the distance scale adopted in the catalog is accurate, the peculiar velocities of the pulsars with the most accurate distances must be far lower than those adopted up to now. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 245–250, April-June, 1998.     

Stars of extragalactic origin in the solar neighborhood

For 77 main-sequence F–G stars in the solar neighborhood with published iron, magnesium, and europium abundances determined from high-dispersion spectra and with the ages estimated from theoretical isochrones, we calculated the spatial velocities using Hipparcos data and the Galactic orbital elements. A comparison with the orbital elements of the globular clusters that are known to have been accreted by our Galaxy in the past reveals stars of extragalactic origin. We show that the abundance ratios of r-and α-elements in all the accreted stars differ sharply from those in the stars that are genetically associated with the Galaxy. According to current theoretical models, europium is produced mainly in low-mass type-II supernovae (SNe II), while magnesium is synthesized in large quantities in high-mass SN II progenitors. Since all the old accreted stars of our sample exhibit a significant Eu overabundance relative to Mg, we conclude that the maximum masses of the SN II progenitors outside the Galaxy were much lower than those inside it. On the other hand, only a small number of young accreted stars exhibit low negative ratios [Eu/Mg]<0. This can be explained by the delay of primordial star formation and the explosions of high-mass SNe II in a relatively small part of extragalactic space. We provide evidence that the interstellar medium was weakly mixed at the early evolutionary stages of the Galaxy formed from a single protogalactic cloud, and that the maximum mass of the SN II progenitors increased in it with time simultaneously with the increase in mean metallicity.     

Speckle interferometry of metal-poor stars in the solar neighborhood. I

We report the results of speckle-interferometric observations of 109 high proper-motion metalpoor stars made with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. We resolve eight objects—G102-20, G191-55, BD+19° 1185A, G89-14, G87-45, G87-47, G111-38, and G114-25—into individual components and we are the first to astrometrically resolve seven of these stars. New resolved systems included two triple (G111-38, G87-47) and one quadruple (G89-14) star. The ratio of single-to-binary-to-triple-to-quadruple systems among the stars of our sample is equal to 71:28:6:1.     

Speckle interferometry of metal-poor stars in the solar neighborhood. II

The results of speckle interferometric observations of 115 metal-poor stars ([m/H] < ?1) within 250 pc from the Sun and with proper motions µ ? 0.2″/yr, made with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, are reported. Close companions with separations ranging from 0.034″ to 1″ were observed for 12 objects—G76-21, G59-1, G63-46, G135-16, G168-42, G141-47, G142-44, G190-10, G28-43, G217-8, G130-7, and G89-14—eight of them are astrometrically resolved for the first time. The newly resolved systems include one triple star—G190-10. If combined with spectroscopic and visual data, our results imply a single:binary:triple:quadruple star ratio of 147:64:9:1 for a sample of 221 primary components of halo and thick-disk stars.     

Dependence of kinematics on the age of stars in the solar neighborhood

The variations of kinematic parameters with age are considered for a sample of 15 402 thin-disk O-F stars with accurate ??, ??, ??, and ?? > 3 mas from the Hipparcos catalogue and radial velocities from the PCRV catalogue. The ages have been calculated from the positions of the stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram relative to the isochrones from the Padova database by taking into account the extinction from the previously constructed 3D analytical model and extinction coefficient R _V from the 3D map of its variations. Smooth, mutually reconciled variations of the velocity dispersions ??(U), ??(V), ??(W), solar motion components U _??, V _??, W _??, Ogorodnikov-Milne model parameters, Oort constants, and vertex deviation l _xy consistent with all of the extraneous results for which the stellar ages were determined have been found. The velocity dispersion variations are well fitted by power laws the deviations from which are explained by the influence of predominantly radial stellar streams: Sirius, Hyades, ?? Cet/Wolf 630, and Hercules. The accuracy of determining the solar motion relative to the local standard of rest is shown to be fundamentally limited due to these variations of stellar kinematics. The deviations of our results from those of Dehnen and Binney (1998), the Geneva-Copenhagen survey of dwarfs, and the Besan con model of the Galaxy are explained by the use of PCRV radial velocities with corrected systematic errors.     

Intensity of the infrared radiation from interstellar grains in the solar neighborhood

The expected intensity distribution of the infrared radiation in the solar neighborhood from the grain models of dirty ice, graphite and graphite core-dirty ice mantle has been calculated. It is found that the expected intensity from grain models at 100 agrees reasonably well with the observations of Hoffmann and Frederick.     

Analysis of peculiarities of the stellar velocity field in the solar neighborhood

Based on a new version of the Hipparcos catalogue and an updated Geneva-Copenhagen survey of F and G dwarfs, we analyze the space velocity field of ≈17 000 single stars in the solar neighborhood. The main known clumps, streams, and branches (Pleiades, Hyades, Sirius, Coma Berenices, Hercules, Wolf 630-α Ceti, and Arcturus) have been identified using various approaches. The evolution of the space velocity field for F and G dwarfs has been traced as a function of the stellar age. We have managed to confirm the existence of the recently discovered KFR08 stream. We have found 19 Hipparcos stars, candidates for membership in the KFR08 stream, and obtained an isochrone age estimate for the stream, 13 Gyr. The mean stellar ages of the Wolf 630-α Ceti and Hercules streams are shown to be comparable, 4–6 Gyr. No significant differences in the metallicities of stars belonging to these streams have been found. This is an argument for the hypothesis that these streams owe their origin to a common mechanism.     

A proposed search of the solar neighborhood for substellar objects

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) program will produce an extremely sensitive all-sky survey over the wavelength region 8 to 120 μm when the mission is flown in 1982. These data will provide a novel opportunity to detect planetary-sized objects having masses <0.08M_⊙ or near our solar system. The improved detection limit of the IRAS will greatly increase the volume of space searched for such objects as compared with previous optical and infrared studies.     

Peculiarities of galactic rotation in the solar neighborhood from the data on red clump giants

The three-dimensional Ogorodnikov-Milne model was used to investigate the local velocity field on the basis of the tangential velocities of more than 53 000 red giants which were identified as most probable Red Clump members from the Tycho-2 catalog. Galactic rotation parameters were determined for two star groups at the galactic latitudes |b| < 30° and |b| ≥ 30°. The galactic rotation of the first star group was found to have some peculiarities characterized by the statistically significant parameters of contraction (K = ?6.3 ± 1.1 km s^?1 kpc^?1) and phase shift (? = 6.9° ± 0.6°) in the Ogorodnikov-Miln model. The vertex deflection and the semiaxes of peculiar velocity ellipsoid were determined for both star groups together with the components of the Sun’s motion with respect to these groups. The greatest distinction between two groups manifests itself in the vertex deflection, which is equal to 5.9° ± 0.7° at |b| < 30° and 0.1° ± 0.6° at |b| ≥ 30°.     

Young open star clusters: The spatial distribution of metallicity in the solar neighborhood

We perform a comparative analysis of the spatial distribution of young (<50 Myr) open star clusters and field Cepheids with different metallicities. A significant fraction of young clusters are shown to have low metallicities atypical of field Cepheids. Both types of objects exhibit approximately equal (in magnitude) negative radial metallicity gradients, while their azimuthal metallicity gradients differ outside the error limits and have opposite signs. Among the stellar complexes identified by young clusters, the most metal-poor clusters are grouped in the Perseus complex. It is the clusters of this complex that are responsible for the radial and azimuthal metallicity gradients among young clusters. The described properties are indicative of a weak mixing of interstellar matter before the onset of star formation there. Significant differences between the spatial distributions of open clusters and field stars with different metallicities suggest different conditions required for the formation of these types of objects.     

Spectroscopic observations of red dwarfs. III. Observations of red stars in the solar neighborhood

This list is based on 20 stars in the solar neighborhood for which there are 52 spectra. Twelve of them are known as UV Ceti flare stars. The others behave like flare stars, but are not known to be such. Among the 20 there are many binary and triple flare stars. They all belong to the disk population of the Galaxy. Red dwarfs comprise one of the numerous populations of the system. Flare stars either continue to flare or have ceased flare activity. Three diagrams are given that show satisfactory agreement with the expected ones. A cluster analysis is carried out, which is in agreement with the original proposition and confirms the foregoing.     

Possible mass distributions in the nebulae of other solar systems

The supernova shell fragmentation model of solar system formation — previously shown to be successful in describing the mass distribution of our solar system — is used to calculate the mass distributions of other solar nebulae.Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Dept. of Energy under Contract W-7405-ENG-36.     

Kinematics of solar neighborhood stars and its dependence on age and metallicity

We have constructed a catalog containing the best available astrometric,photometric, radial velocity and astrophysical data for mainly F-type and G-type stars(called the Astrometric Catalog associated with Astrophysical Data, ACAD). This contains 27 553 records and is used for the purpose of analyzing stellar kinematics in the solar neighborhood. Using the Lindblad-Oort model and compiled ACAD, we calculated the solar motion and Oort constants in different age–metallicity bins. The evolution of kinematical parameters with stellar age and metallicity was investigated directly. The results show that the component of the solar motion in the direction of Galactic rotation(denoted S2) linearly increases with age, which may be a consequence of the scattering processes, and its value for a dynamical cold disk was found to be 8.0 ± 1.2 km s-1. S2 also linearly increases with metallicity, which indicates that radial migration is correlated to the metallicity gradient. On the other hand, the rotational velocity of the Sun around the Galactic center has no clear correlation with ages or metallicities of stars used in the estimation.     

Evidence for objects of lunar mass in the early solar system

The problem of the accumulation of the Moon is discussed on the assumption that the Moon is a captured object. If it is such, it is highly improbable that it is the only object of this kind present in the early solar system. Evidence indicating that other massive objects were present at that time is presented. Also, it is pointed out that interior of the Moon must contain normal solar proportions of the elements of intermediate volatility in the lunar interior, if the Moon accumulated in a gas sphere.     

Formation of solar nebula and mass distribution in the planetary system

The formation of the solar nebula and the distribution of mass in its planetary system is studied. The underlying idea is that the protosun, fragmented out from an interstellar cloud as a result of cluster formation, gathered the planetary material and, hence, spin angular momentum by gravitational accretion during its orbital motion around the centre of the Galaxy. The study gives the initial angular momentum of the solar nebula nearly equal to the present value of the solar system.