We present the stellar atmospheric parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, overall metallicity), radial velocities, individual abundances, and distances determined for 425,561 stars, which constitute the fourth public data release of the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE). The stellar atmospheric parameters are computed using a new pipeline, based on the algorithms of MATISSE and DEGAS. The spectral degeneracies and the Two Micron All Sky Survey photometric information are now better taken into consideration, improving the parameter determination compared to the previous RAVE data releases. The individual abundances for six elements (magnesium, aluminium, silicon, titanium, iron, and nickel) are also given, based on a special-purpose pipeline that is also improved compared to that available for the RAVE DR3 and Chemical DR1 data releases. The data release can also be accessed via the RAVE Web site http://www.rave-survey.org.
Data Release 5 (DR5) of the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) is the fifth data release from a magnitude-limited (9<I<12) survey of stars randomly selected in the southern hemisphere. The RAVE medium-resolution spectra (R=7500) covering the Ca-triplet region (8410-8795A) span the complete time frame from the start of RAVE observations in 2003 to their completion in 2013. Radial velocities from 520,781 spectra of 457,588 unique stars are presented, of which 215,590 unique stars have parallaxes and proper motions from the Tycho-Gaia astrometric solution (TGAS) in Gaia DR1. For our main DR5 catalog, stellar parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, overall metallicity) are computed using the RAVE DR4 stellar pipeline, but calibrated using recent K2 Campaign 1 seismic gravities and Gaia benchmark stars, as well as results obtained from high-resolution studies. Also included are temperatures from the Infrared Flux Method, and we provide a catalogue of red giant stars in the dereddened color (J-Ks)0 interval (0.50,0.85) for which the gravities were calibrated based only on seismology. Further data products for sub-samples of the RAVE stars include individual abundances for Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe, and Ni, and distances found using isochrones. Each RAVE spectrum is complemented by an error spectrum, which has been used to determine uncertainties on the parameters.
We publish a Bibliographic Catalogue of Stellar Radial Velocities including about 44000 entries for Galactic and Magellanic Cloud stars for the years 1971-1990. The two preceding issues published (1989, A&AS, 80, 67 and 1990, A&AS 85, 885) are mixed with the new data covering the years 1986-1990.
Defined as X-ray bright galaxy groups with large differences between the luminosities of their brightest and second brightest galaxies, "fossil groups" are believed to be some of the oldest galaxy systems in the Universe. They have therefore been the subject of much recent research. In this work we present a study of 10 fossil group candidates with an average of 33 spectroscopically confirmed members per group, making this the deepest study of its type to date. We also use these data to perform an analysis of the luminosity function of our sample of fossil groups.
As part of a long-term project to determine abundances and astrophysical properties of evolved red stars in open clusters, we present high-precision DDO photoelectric observations for a sample of 33 red giant candidates projected in the fields of nine Galactic open clusters. These data are supplemented with UBV photoelectric photometry of 24 of these stars as well as with CORAVEL radial-velocity observations for 13 red giant candidates in four of the clusters. We also present Washington photoelectric photometry of a small sample of red giant candidates of the open cluster Ruprecht 97. The likelihood of cluster membership for each star photometrically observed and for 23 additional red giant candidates with UBV and DDO data available in the literature, is evaluated by using two independent photometric criteria. Nearly 82% of the analysed stars are found to have a high probability of being cluster giants. Photometric membership probabilities show very good agreement with those obtained from CORAVEL radial velocities. While E(B-V) colour excesses were determined from combined B-V and DDO colours, calibrations of the DDO system were used to derive MK spectral types, effective temperatures and metallicities.The derived DDO metallicities range between values typical of moderately metal-poor clusters ([Fe/H]=-0.19) to moderately metal-rich ([Fe/H]=0.25) ones.
We have obtained a sample of ~22000 red giant branch (RGB) stars based on stellar parameters, provided by the ninth data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Cat. V/139), and the CH(G)/MgH indices, measured from the included spectra. The Galactic rest-frame velocity of V_gsr_ versus longitude for the sample shows the existence of several groups of stars from globular clusters and known streams. Excluding these substructures, a sample of ~16000 RGB stars from the general field is used to investigate the properties of the thick disk, the inner halo, and the outer halo of our Galaxy. The metallicity and rotational velocity distributions are investigated for stars at 0 kpc<|Z|<10 kpc. It is found that the canonical thick disk dominates at 0 kpc<|Z|<2 kpc and its contribution becomes negligible at |Z|>3 kpc. The MWTD is present and overlaps with the inner halo at 1 kpc<|Z|<3 kpc. The inner halo starts at 2 kpc<|Z|<3 kpc and becomes the dominated population for 4 kpc<|Z|<10 kpc. For halo stars with |Z|>5 kpc, bimodal metallicity distributions are found for 20 kpc<|Z|<25 kpc and 35 kpc<RR<45 kpc, which suggests a dual halo, the inner and the outer halo, as reported in Carollo et al. (2007Natur.450.1020C) at low|Z| values. The peak of metallicity for the inner halo is at [Fe/H]~-1.6 and appears to be at [Fe/H]~-2.3 for the outer halo. The transition point from the inner to the outer halo is located at|Z|~20 kpc and RR~35 kpc.
High-resolution spectra of 123 red giant stars in the globular cluster M13 and 64 red giant stars in M92 were obtained with Hectochelle at the MMT telescope. Emission and line asymmetries in H{alpha} and CaIIK are identified, characterizing motions in the extended atmospheres and seeking differences attributable to metallicity in these clusters and M15. On the red giant branch, emission in H{alpha} generally appears in stars with T_eff_<~4500K and logL/L_{sun}_>~2.75. Fainter stars showing emission are asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars or perhaps binary stars. The line-bisector for H{alpha} reveals the onset of chromospheric expansion in stars more luminous than log(L/L_{sun}_)~2.5 in all clusters, and this outflow velocity increases with stellar luminosity. However, the coolest giants in the metal-rich M13 show greatly reduced outflow in H{alpha} most probably due to decreased T_eff_ and changing atmospheric structure. The CaIIK_3_ outflow velocities are larger than shown by H{alpha} at the same luminosity and signal accelerating outflows in the chromospheres. Stars clearly on the AGB show faster chromospheric outflows in H{alpha} than RGB objects. While the H{alpha} velocities on the RGB are similar for all metallicities, the AGB stars in the metal-poor M15 and M92 have higher outflow velocities than in the metal-rich M13. Comparison of these chromospheric line profiles in the paired metal-poor clusters, M15 and M92, shows remarkable similarities in the presence of emission and dynamical signatures, and does not reveal a source of the "second-parameter" effect.
The mechanisms giving rise to diffuse radio emission in galaxy clusters, and in particular their connection with cluster mergers, are still debated. We aim to obtain new insights into the internal dynamics of the cluster Abell 1240, which appears to contain two roughly symmetric radio relics, separated by ~2h_70_^-1^Mpc.
We present a database and velocity catalogue towards the region of the Shapley Supercluster based on 18,129 measured velocities for 10,702 galaxies in the approximately 300 square degree area between 12:42:13.219<RA<14:16:59.210 and -38:29:35.70<Dec<-23:28:34.90. The data catalogue contains velocities from the literature found until 2015. It also includes 5,084 velocities, corresponding to 4617 galaxies, observed by us at Las Campanas and CTIO observatories and not reported individually until now. Of these, 2585 correspond to galaxies with no other previously published velocity measurement before 2015. Every galaxy in the velocity database has been identified with a galaxy extracted from the SuperCOSMOS photometric catalogues. We also provide a combined average velocity catalogue for all 10702 galaxies with measured velocities, adopting the SuperCOSMOS positions as a homogeneous base. A general magnitude cut-off at R2=18.0mag was adopted (with exceptions only for some of the new reported velocities). In general terms, we confirm the overall structure of the Shapley Supercluster, as found on earlier papers. However, the more extensive velocity data show finer structure, to be discussed in a future publication.
We acquired spectra for a random sample of galaxies within a 0.83deg^2^ region centered on the core of the Centaurus Cluster. Radial velocities were obtained for 225 galaxies to limiting magnitudes of V<19.5. Of the galaxies for which velocities were obtained, we find 35% to be member galaxies. New redshifts are obtained for 15 Centaurus Cluster members, many of them dwarf galaxies. Radial velocities for the other members agree well with those from previous studies. Of the 78 member galaxies, magnitudes range over 11.8<V<18.5 (-21.6<M_V_<-14.9 for H0=70km/s/Mpc), with a limiting central surface brightness of {mu}0<22.5mag/arcsec^2^. While many of these galaxies are giants, about 25 galaxies with M_V_>-17.0 are considered dwarfs. We constructed the cluster galaxy luminosity function (LF) by using these spectroscopic results to calculate the expected fraction of cluster members in each magnitude bin. The faint-end slope of the LF using this method is shallower than the one obtained using a statistical method to correct for background galaxy contamination. We also use the spectroscopy results to define surface brightness criteria to establish membership for the full sample. Using these criteria, we find a LF very similar to the one constructed with the statistical background correction.