Radial Velocity Variations in Cool Supergiants

1984 ◽  
Vol 88 ◽  
pp. 283-288
Author(s):  
Hugh C. Harris

AbstractA survey of F, G, and W supergiants has been carried out with the DAO radial velocity spectrometer, an efficient instrument for detecting low-amplitude velocity variations in cool stars. Observations of 78 stars over five seasons show generally good agreement with OORAVEL results for spectroscopie binaries. The majority of supergiants show low-amplitude variability, with amplitudes typically 1 to 2 km s−1. The width of the cross-correlation profile has been measured for 58 supergiants. It reveals 14 stars with unusually broad lines, indicative of rotation velocities of 15 to 35 km s−1. Several have short-period binary companions and may be in synchronous rotation. The other broad-lined stars are apparently single or with long orbital periods; they may be making their first transition from the main sequence to become red supergiants.

2001 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 165-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eike W. Guenther ◽  
Viki Joergens ◽  
Ralph Neuhäuser ◽  
Guillermo Torres ◽  
Natalie Stout Batalha ◽  
...  

We give here an overview of the current state of our survey for pre-main sequence spectroscopic binaries. Up to now we have taken 739 spectra of 250 pre-main sequence stars. We find that 8% of the stars show significant radial velocity variations, and are thus most likely spectroscopic binaries. In addition to the targets showing radial velocity variations, 6% of the targets are double-lined spectroscopic binaries i.e., the total fraction of spectroscopic binaries is expected to be about 14%. All short-period SB2s are monitored photometrically in order to search for eclipses. An eclipsing SB2 would allow the direct measurement of the masses of both stellar components. Measurements of the stellar masses together with determinations of the stellar radii are a crucial test of evolutionary tracks of pre-main sequence stars.


1992 ◽  
Vol 135 ◽  
pp. 67-72
Author(s):  
Gordon A.H. Walker

AbstractCurrent techniques for the detection of long-term, low-amplitude (<50 m s−1), radial velocity variations are briefly reviewed together with some of their most successful programs. In the era of 8- to 10-m telescopes we must strive for a precision of < 1ms−1.


2002 ◽  
Vol 187 ◽  
pp. 239-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard E. Bond ◽  
M. Sean O’Brien ◽  
Edward M. Sion ◽  
Dermott J. Mullan ◽  
Katrina Exter ◽  
...  

AbstractV471 Tauri is a short-period eclipsing binary, and a member of the Hyades. It is composed of a hot DA white dwarf (WD) and a cool main-sequence dK2 companion. HST radial velocities of the WD, in combination with the ground-based spectroscopic orbit of the K star, yield dynamical masses of MWD = 0.84 and MdK = 0.93 M⊙. During the UV observations we serendipitously detected coronal mass ejections from the K star, passing in front of the WD and appearing as sudden, transient metallic absorption. Eclipse timings show that the active dK star is 18% larger than a main-sequence star of the same mass, an apparent consequence of its extensive starspot coverage. The high Teff and high mass of the WD are paradoxical: the WD is the most massive in the Hyades, but also the youngest. A plausible scenario is that the progenitor system was a triple, with a close inner pair that merged after several × 108 yr to produce a single blue straggler. When this star evolved to the AGB phase, it underwent a common-envelope interaction with a distant dK companion, which spiraled down to its present separation and ejected the envelope. The common-envelope efficiency parameter, αCE, was of order 0.3–1.0, in good agreement with recent hydrodynamical simulations.SuWt 2 is a southern-hemisphere planetary nebula (PN) with an unusual ring-shaped morphology. The central star is an eclipsing binary with a period of 4.9 days. Surprisingly, the binary is composed of two main-sequence A-type stars with similar masses of ~ 2.5 M⊙. We discuss scenarios involving a third companion which ejected and ionizes the PN.WeBo 1 is a northern PN with a ring morphology remarkably similar to that of SuWt 2. Although we hoped that its central star would shed light on the nature of SuWt 2, it has proven instead to be a late-type barium star!


1991 ◽  
Vol 130 ◽  
pp. 370-372
Author(s):  
Michael Zeilik

We have yet to understand the magnetic activity cycles of cool close binary systems of sunlike stars. Mutual tidal interactions, as well as magnetic ones, may result from a regime of dynamo models not yet tested, because these have been developed for single stars. To arrive at the basic physics, though, requires that we first examine the phenomenology of magnetic activity for binary systems. In particular, we would like to discover if such activity has a clearly-defined cycle, such as the sun exibits.Among the proxy indicators of magnetic activity are the Ca II H and K lines. Strassmeier et al. (1988) used the strength of these lines as the primary criterion for the inclusion of systems in The Catalog of Chromospherically Binary Stars. Of the RS CVn stars in the catalog, 12 have orbital periods of one day or shorter; 9 are eclipsing systems. As part of a decade-long program, we have focussed our observations and models on eight of the short-period group (Hall, 1976): XY UMa, UV Psc, SV Cam, RT And, CG Cyg, ER Vul, BH Vir, and WY Cnc. These close systems are tidally-locked in synchronous rotation and tidally-distorted into Roche lobe configurations.


2014 ◽  
Vol 566 ◽  
pp. A124
Author(s):  
B.-C. Lee ◽  
I. Han ◽  
M.-G. Park ◽  
A. P. Hatzes ◽  
K.-M. Kim

1993 ◽  
Vol 137 ◽  
pp. 392-394
Author(s):  
C. Lázaro ◽  
M.J. Arévalo

AbstractWe have initiated a programme of spectroscopic observations of RS CVn short-period group, with orbital phase resolution. The systems of this group are all eclipsing binaries with both components at the Main Sequence, and most of them have similar spectral type components. The high rotational velocities and their short orbital periods (less than 1 day) hinder the spectroscopic study of these stars. We presents the first results yielded by Hα line observations of the systems XY UMa and WY Cnc. Both systems were observed during 1991 with reasonably wide orbital phase coverage. The analysis of the spectra is made by comparison with a binary model, constructed from the observed spectra of normal stars of the same spectral type as the RS CVn system components. The model accounts for the partial contribution of each component at any orbital phase within eclipses.


1999 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 228-232
Author(s):  
Stephenson L.S. Yang ◽  
Gordon A.H. Walker ◽  
Ana M. Larson

AbstractLow-amplitude, radial-velocity variations of bright late-type stars were monitored at the 1.2-m telescope of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) with the hydrogen fluoride (HF) absorption-cell technique. Many of the stars appear to be semi-regular red variables (SRb and SRc) and irregular red variables (Lb). The radial-velocity amplitudes range from a few tens of meters per second to a few kilometers per second while the timescales of the variations appear to range from a few tens of days to a few hundreds of days. These irregular-looking velocities are analysed for multiperiodicities. There are also variations in the chromospheric Ca II 8662 index for a few of the variables.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S293) ◽  
pp. 382-384
Author(s):  
Heidi Korhonen ◽  
Jan Marie Andersen ◽  
Silva Järvinen

AbstractLate-type stars exhibit cool regions on their surface, the stellar equivalent of sunspots. These dark starspots can also mimic the radial velocity variations caused by orbiting planets, making it at times difficult to distinguish between planets and activity signatures. The amount of spots on the Sun and other cool stars changes cyclically during an activity cycle, which has length varying from about a year to longer than the solar 11 years. In this work we investigate the influence of varying amount of starspots on the sparsely sampled radial velocity observations - which are the norm in the radial velocity studies searching for exoplanets on wide orbits. We study two simulated cases: one with a random spot configuration, and one where the spot occurrence is concentrated. In addition we use Doppler images of young solar analogue V889 Her as a high activity case.


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