| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Christlieb, N.
;
Beers, Timothy C.
;
Thom, C.
;
Wilhelm, R.
;
Rossi, Silvia
;
Flynn, C.
;
Wisotzki, L.
;
Reimers, D.
Total Authors: 8
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | Astronomy & Astrophysics; v. 431, n. 1, p. 143-148, Feb. 2005. |
| Field of knowledge: | Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy |
| Abstract | |
We present a sample of 8321 candidate Field Horizontal-Branch (FHB) stars selected by automatic spectral classification in the digital data base of the Hamburg/ESO objective-prism survey. The stars are distributed over 8225 square degrees of the southern sky, at [b] 30º. The average distance of the sample, assuming that they are all FHB stars, is 9.8 kpc, and distances of up to ~30 kpc are reached. Moderate-resolution spectroscopic follow-up observations and UBV photometry of 125 test sample stars demonstrate that the contamination of the full candidate sample with main-sequence A-type stars is < 16%, while it would be up to 50% in a flux-limited sample at high galactic latitudes. Hence more than ~6800 of our FHB candidates are expected to be genuine FHB stars. The candidates are being used as distance probes for high-velocity clouds and for studies of the structure and kinematics of the Galactic halo. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 00/10406-4 - Chemical evolution and stellar populations of the galaxy, magellanic clouds and elliptical galaxies, based on spectroscopy and imaging |
| Grantee: | Beatriz Leonor Silveira Barbuy |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Projects - Thematic Grants |