[en] A star's effective temperature, effective gravity and metallicity is reflected in its energy distribution and line spectrum. Standard photometric systems have been devised to measure these stellar parameters from the stellar fluxes. The most precise of the standard systems can measure magnitude differences (colours) to between 0.1 and 1%. These colours are generally calibrated empirically using stars of known parameters or by synthetic photometry from model atmospheres. This review will highlight the successes and challenges in synthetic photometry calibrations and the prospective improvement in metallicity sensitivity for halo stars with a new sky survey.

[en] We discuss the carbon-normal and carbon-rich populations of Galactic halo stars having [Fe/H] ∼< –3.0, utilizing chemical abundances from high-resolution, high signal-to-noise model-atmosphere analyses. The C-rich population represents ∼28% of stars below [Fe/H] = –3.1, with the present C-rich sample comprising 16 CEMP-no stars, and two others with [Fe/H] ∼ –5.5 and uncertain classification. The population is O-rich ([O/Fe] ∼> +1.5); the light elements Na, Mg, and Al are enhanced relative to Fe in half the sample; and for Z > 20 (Ca) there is little evidence for enhancements relative to solar values. These results are best explained in terms of the admixing and processing of material from H-burning and He-burning regions as achieved by nucleosynthesis in zero-heavy-element models in the literature of 'mixing and fallback' supernovae (SNe); of rotating, massive, and intermediate-mass stars; and of Type II SNe with relativistic jets. The available (limited) radial velocities offer little support for the C-rich stars with [Fe/H] < –3.1 being binary. More data are required before one could conclude that binarity is key to an understanding of this population. We suggest that the C-rich and C-normal populations result from two different gas cooling channels in the very early universe of material that formed the progenitors of the two populations. The first was cooling by fine-structure line transitions of C II and O I (to form the C-rich population); the second, while not well defined (perhaps dust-induced cooling?), led to the C-normal group. In this scenario, the C-rich population contains the oldest stars currently observed.

[en] We have spectroscopically identified ∼100 G-, K-, and M-type members of the Scorpius-Centaurus complex. To deduce the age of these young stars we compare their Li λ6708 absorption line strengths against those of stars in the TW Hydrae association and β Pictoris moving group. These line strengths indicate that Sco-Cen stars are younger than β Pic stars whose ages of ∼12 Myr have previously been derived from a kinematic traceback analysis. Our derived age, ∼10 Myr, for stars in the Lower Centaurus Crux and Upper Centaurus Lupus subgroups of ScoCen is younger than previously published ages based on the moving cluster method and upper main-sequence fitting. The discrepant ages are likely due to an incorrect (or lack of) cross-calibration between model-dependent and model-independent age-dating methods.

[en] We describe a new method to identify young, late-type stars within ∼150 pc of the Earth that employs visual or near-infrared (NIR) data and the GALEX GR4/5 database. For spectral types later than K5, we demonstrate that the ratio of GALEX near-ultraviolet to visual and NIR emission is larger for stars with ages between 10 and 100 Myr than for older, main-sequence stars. A search in regions of the sky encompassing the TW Hya and Scorpius-Centaurus Associations has returned 54 high-quality candidates for follow up. Spectroscopic observations of 24 of these M1-M5 objects reveal Li 6708 A absorption in at least 17 systems. Because GALEX surveys have covered a significant fraction of the sky, this methodology should prove valuable for future young star studies.

[en] We present a high-resolution ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of the ultra-metal-poor (UMP) carbon-enhanced red giant HE 0557–4840 (T_eff/log g/[Fe/H] = 4900/2.2/–4.8). Combining these data with earlier observations, the radial velocity is 212.0 ± 0.4 km s^–1, with no evidence of variability during 2006 February to 2007 December. One-dimensional (1D) LTE model-atmosphere analysis of UV Fe and CH lines confirms the iron and carbon abundances obtained previously ([Fe/H] = –4.8 and [C/Fe]_1D = +1.7), and places a more stringent limit on nitrogen abundance of [N/Fe]_1D < +1.0. Analysis of the UV OH lines yields [O/Fe]_1D = +2.3 ± 0.4. When corrections are made for three-dimensional (3D) effects we obtain [C/Fe]_3D = +1.1, [N/Fe]_3D < +0.1, and [O/Fe]_3D +1.4. Comparison of the abundances of HE 0557–4840 with those of supernova models of Nomoto et al. and Joggerst et al. suggests that none is able to explain fully the observed abundance pattern. For HE 0557–4840, the Frebel et al. transition discriminant D_trans(log(10^[C/H] + 0.3 × 10^[O/H]) = –3.4 ± 0.2, consistent with fine-structure transitions of C II and O I being a major cooling mechanism of star-forming regions at the earliest times. Of the four stars known to have [Fe/H] ∼< –4.3, three are strongly carbon and oxygen enhanced. If the suggestion by Caffau et al. that SDSS J102915+172927 ([Fe/H] = –4.7) does not belong to the class of C-rich, O-rich, UMP stars is supported by future similar discoveries, one will need to consider multiple channels for the production of stars having [Fe/H] ∼< –4.3.

[en] We propose 35 star systems within ∼70 pc of Earth as newly identified members of nearby young stellar kinematic groups; these identifications include the first A- and late-B-type members of the AB Doradus moving group and field Argus Association. All but one of the 35 systems contain a bright solar- or earlier-type star that should make an excellent target for the next generation of adaptive optics (AO) imaging systems on large telescopes. AO imaging has revealed four massive planets in orbit around the λ Boo star HR 8799. Initially, the planets were of uncertain mass due in large part to the uncertain age of the star. We find that HR 8799 is a likely member of the ∼30 Myr old Columba Association, implying planet masses ∼6 times that of Jupiter. We consider Spitzer Space Telescope MIPS photometry of stars in the ∼30 Myr old Tucana/Horologium and Columba Associations, the ∼40 Myr old field Argus Association, and the ∼70 Myr old AB Doradus moving group. The percentage of stars in these young stellar groups that display excess emission above the stellar photosphere at 24 and 70 μm wavelengths-indicative of the presence of a dusty debris disk-is compared with corresponding percentages for members of 11 open clusters and stellar associations with ages between 8 and 750 Myr, thus elucidating the decay of debris disks with time.

[en] We describe a method that exploits data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) ultraviolet and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and Two Micron All Sky Survey infrared source catalogs, combined with proper motions and empirical pre-main sequence isochrones, to identify candidate nearby, young, low-mass stars. Applying our method across the full GALEX-covered sky, we identify 2031 mostly M-type stars that, for an assumed age of 10 (100) Myr, all lie within ∼150 (∼90) pc of Earth. The distribution of M spectral subclasses among these ∼2000 candidate young stars peaks sharply in the range M3-M4; these subtypes constitute 50% of the sample, consistent with studies of the M star population in the immediate solar neighborhood. We focus on a subset of 58 of these candidate young M stars in the vicinity of the Tucana-Horologium association. Only 20 of these 58 candidates were detected in the ROSAT All-Sky X-ray Survey—reflecting the greater sensitivity of GALEX for the purposes of identifying active nearby, young stars, particularly for stars of type M4 and later. Based on statistical analysis of the kinematics and/or spectroscopic followup of these 58 M stars, we find that 50% (29 stars) indeed have properties consistent with Tuc-Hor membership, while 12 are potential new members of the Columba association, and 2 may be AB Dor moving group members. Hence, ∼75% of our initial subsample of 58 candidates are likely members of young (age ∼ 10-40 Myr) stellar moving groups within 100 pc, verifying that the stellar color- and kinematics-based selection algorithms described here can be used to efficiently isolate nearby, young, low-mass objects from among the field star population. Future studies will focus on characterizing additional subsamples selected from among this list of candidate nearby, young M stars

[en] Based on spectroscopic constraints derived from nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium line formation, we explore the likely range of stellar parameters (T _eff and log g) for the hyper-metal-poor (HMP) star HE 1327-2326. Combining the constraints from Balmer line profiles and the Ca I/II ionization equilibrium, a subgiant stage of evolution is indicated. This result is further supported by spectrophotometric observations of the Balmer jump. If a higher T _eff value was used (as favored by some photometric calibrations), the spectroscopic analysis would indicate a turnoff-point stage of evolution. Using a stellar-structure code that treats the effects of atomic diffusion throughout the star in detail, we evolve a low-mass model star to reach the Hertzsprung-Russell-diagram position of HE 1327-2326 after roughly 13 Gyr. While the surface abundances are modified significantly (by more than 1 dex for the case of uninhibited diffusion), such corrections cannot resolve the discrepancy between the abundance inferred from the nondetection of the Li I resonance line at 6707 A and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe based primordial lithium abundance. As there are numerous processes that can destroy lithium, any cosmological interpretation of a lower-than-expected lithium abundance at the lowest metallicities will have to await sample sizes of unevolved HMP stars that are 1 order of magnitude larger. The situation remains equally inconclusive concerning atomic-diffusion corrections. Here, attempts have to be made to better constrain internal mixing processes, both observationally and by means of sophisticated modeling. With constraints on additional mixing processes taken from a recent globular-cluster study, the likeliest scenario is that HE 1327-2326's surface abundances have undergone mild depletion (of order 0.2 dex).

[en] The nearest accreting T Tauri star, TW Hya was intensively and continuously observed over ∼17 days with spectroscopic and photometric measurements from four continents simultaneous with a long segmented exposure using the Chandra satellite. Contemporaneous optical photometry from WASP-S indicates a 4.74 day period was present during this time. The absence of a similar periodicity in the Hα flux and the total X-ray flux which are dominated by accretion processes and the stellar corona, respectively, points to a different source of photometric variations. The Hα emission line appears intrinsically broad and symmetric, and both the profile and its variability suggest an origin in the post-shock cooling region. An accretion event, signaled by soft X-rays, is traced spectroscopically for the first time through the optical emission line profiles. After the accretion event, downflowing turbulent material observed in the Hα and Hβ lines is followed by He I (λ5876) broadening near the photosphere. Optical veiling resulting from the heated photosphere increases with a delay of ∼2 hr after the X-ray accretion event. The response of the stellar coronal emission to an increase in the veiling follows ∼2.4 hr later, giving direct evidence that the stellar corona is heated in part by accretion. Subsequently, the stellar wind becomes re-established. We suggest a model that incorporates the dynamics of this sequential series of events: an accretion shock, a cooling downflow in a supersonically turbulent region, followed by photospheric and later, coronal heating. This model naturally explains the presence of broad optical and ultraviolet lines, and affects the mass accretion rates determined from emission line profiles.

[en] We present a high-resolution elemental-abundance analysis for a sample of 23 very metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −2.0) stars, 12 of which are extremely metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −3.0), and 4 of which are ultra-metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −4.0). These stars were targeted to explore differences in the abundance ratios for elements that constrain the possible astrophysical sites of element production, including Li, C, N, O, the α-elements, the iron-peak elements, and a number of neutron-capture elements. This sample substantially increases the number of known carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) and nitrogen-enhanced metal-poor (NEMP) stars—our program stars include eight that are considered “normal” metal-poor stars, six CEMP-no stars, five CEMP-s stars, two CEMP-r stars, and two CEMP-r/s stars. One of the CEMP-r stars and one of the CEMP-r/s stars are possible NEMP stars. We detect lithium for three of the six CEMP-no stars, all of which are Li depleted with respect to the Spite plateau. The majority of the CEMP stars have [C/N] > 0. The stars with [C/N] < 0 suggest a larger degree of mixing; the few CEMP-no stars that exhibit this signature are only found at [Fe/H] < −3.4, a metallicity below which we also find the CEMP-no stars with large enhancements in Na, Mg, and Al. We confirm the existence of two plateaus in the absolute carbon abundances of CEMP stars, as suggested by Spite et al. We also present evidence for a “floor” in the absolute Ba abundances of CEMP-no stars at A(Ba) ∼ −2.0