Showing papers by "F. Thévenin published in 2014"

Benchmark stars for Gaia: fundamental properties of the Population II star HD140283 from interferometric, spectroscopic and photometric data

Abstract: We determined the fundamental properties of HD 140283 by obtaining new interferometric and spectroscopic measurements and combining them with photometry from the literature. The interferometric measurements were obtained using the visible interferometer VEGA on the CHARA array and we determined a 1D limb-darkened angular diameter of 0.353 +/- 0.013 milliarcseconds. Using photometry from the literature we derived the bolometric flux with two solutions: a zero-reddening one of Fbol = 3.890 +/- 0.066 1E-8 erg/s/cm2 and a solution with a maximum of Av = 0.1 mag, Fbol= 4.220 +/- 0.067 1E-8 erg/s/cm2. The interferometric Teff is thus 5534 +/- 103 K or 5647 +/- 105 K and its radius is R = 2.21 +/- 0.08 Rsol. Spectroscopic measurements of HD140283 were obtained using HARPS, NARVAL, and UVES and a 1D LTE analysis of H-alpha line wings yields Teff(Halpha) = 5626 +/- 75 K. Using fine-tuned stellar models including diffusion of elements we then determined the mass M and age t of HD140283. Once the metallicity has been fixed, the age of the star depends on M, initial helium abundance Yi and mixing-length parameter alpha, only two of which are independent. We need to adjust alpha to much lower values than the solar one (~2) in order to fit the observations, and if Av = 0.0 mag then 0.5 < alpha < 1. We give an equation to estimate t from M, Yi (alpha) and Av. Establishing a reference alpha = 1.00 and adopting Yi = 0.245 we derive a mass and age of HD140283: M = 0.780 +/- 0.010 Msol and t = 13.7 +/- 0.7 Gyr (Av = 0.0) or M = 0.805 +/- 0.010 Msol and t = 12.2 +/- 0.6 Gyr (Av=0.1 mag). Our stellar models yield an initial metallicity of [Z/X]i = -1.70 and logg = 3.65 +/- 0.03. Asteroseismic observations are critical for overcoming limitations in our results.

The carina project. vii. toward the breaking of the age-metallicity degeneracy of red giant branch stars using the c u, b, i index

Abstract: We present an analysis of photometric and spectroscopic data of the Carina dSph galaxy, testing a new approach similar to that used to disentangle multiple populations in Galactic globular clusters (GCs). We show that a proper color combination is able to separate a significant fraction of the red giant branch (RGB) of the two main Carina populations (the old one, ∼12 Gyr, and the intermediate-age one, 4-8 Gyr). In particular, the c {sub U,} {sub B,} {sub I} = (U – B) – (B – I) pseudo-color allows us to follow the RGB of both populations along a relevant portion of the RGB. We find that the oldest stars have a more negative c {sub U,} {sub B,} {sub I} pseudo-color than intermediate-age ones. We correlate the pseudo-color of RGB stars with their chemical properties, finding a significant trend between the iron content and the c {sub U,} {sub B,} {sub I}. Stars belonging to the old population are systematically more metal-poor ([Fe/H] =–2.32 ± 0.08 dex) than the intermediate-age ones ([Fe/H] =–1.82 ± 0.03 dex). This gives solid evidence of the chemical evolution history of this galaxy, and we have a new diagnostic that can allow us to breakmore » the age-metallicity degeneracy of H-burning advanced evolutionary phases. We compared the distribution of stars in the c {sub U,} {sub B,} {sub I} plane with theoretical isochrones, finding that no satisfactory agreement can be reached with models developed in a theoretical framework based on standard heavy element distributions. Finally, we discuss possible systematic differences when compared with multiple populations in GCs.« less

The Carina Project VII: Towards the breaking of the age-metallicity degeneracy of red giant branch stars using the c_UBI index

Abstract: We present an analysis of photometric and spectroscopic data of the Carina dSph galaxy, testing a new approach similar to that used to disentangle multiple populations in Galactic globular clusters (GCs). We show that a proper colour combination is able to separate a significant fraction of the red giant branch (RGB) of the two main Carina populations (the old one, \sim 12 Gyr, and the intermediate-age one, 4-8 Gyr). In particular, the c_UBI=(U-B)-(B-I) pseudo-colour allows us to follow the RGB of both populations along a relevant portion of the RGB. We find that the oldest stars have more negative c_UBI pseudo-colour than intermediate-age ones. We correlate the pseudo-colour of RGB stars with their chemical properties, finding a significant trend between the iron content and the c_UBI. Stars belonging to the old population are systematically more metal poor ([Fe/H]=-2.32\pm0.08 dex) than the intermediate-age ones ([Fe/H]=-1.82\pm0.03 dex). This gives solid evidence on the chemical evolution history of this galaxy, and we have a new diagnostic that can allow us to break the age-metallicity degeneracy of H-burning advanced evolutionary phases. We compared the distribution of stars in the c_UBI plane with theoretical isochrones, finding that no satisfactory agreement can be reached with models developed in a theoretical framework based on standard heavy element distributions. Finally, we discuss possible systematic differences when compared with multiple populations in GCs.