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X-Ray Activity in the Open Cluster IC 4665We present the results of a joint ROSAT High Resolution Imager (HRI) and optical investigation of the open cluster IC 4665. The ROSAT data contains detections for 28 stellar sources in the field, including 22 cluster members and candidate members spanning the color range -0.18 less than or equal to (B - V(sub o)) less than or equal to +1.63 (approx. B3 - M3). Upper limits are given for the remaining members (or candidate members) in the HRI field. Keck HIRES spectra have been obtained that yield radial and rotational velocity measures, respectively, for faint, low mass candidate members located within the field of the ROSAT HRI observation. In addition, photometry of possible optical counterparts to previously uncatalogued X-ray sources in the HRI field is presented. The trends in X-ray properties with (B - V) color in IC 4665 are found to be quite similar to that for other, more nearby young clusters such as the Pleiades and alpha Persei. In particular, a maximum in normalized X-ray luminosity of log (L(sub x)/L(sub bol)) approx. equal 3 is observed, beginning in the color range of (B - V)(sub o) = 0.7 - 0.8. This is similar to the corresponding color range among Pleiades members, in agreement with the earlier estimate, that the age of IC 4665 is similar to the age of the Pleiades. The correlation of rotation and X-ray emission levels is consistent with that in other young clusters. Among the high mass stars in IC 4665, five B stars are detected as X-ray sources. Of these, one is a spectroscopic binary while the remaining objects are apparently single staxs. The level of intrinsic X-ray emission observed in the rapidly rotating (v sini greater than 200 km/ s), single B stars is consistent with an origin due to shock heating of the ambient medium by radiatively driven, rotationally enhanced winds. On the basis of these observations and the results for other clusters, we argue that observed levels of X-ray emission in high mass stars of log (L(sub x)/L(sub bol)) greater than -6.0 are likely due to intrinsic emission associated with the B stax itself rather than emission from a late-type secondary. Finally, our results suggest that the initial angular momentum distributions and the subsequent evolution of rotation, L(sub x), and (L(sub x)/L(sub bol)) occur in practically identical fashions in clusters with ages approx. less than 100 Myr.
Document ID
19980237319
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Giamapapa, Mark S.
(National Optical Astronomy Observatories Tucson, AZ United States)
Prosser, Charles F.
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA United States)
Fleming, Thomas A.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 1997
Subject Category
Astronomy
Report/Patent Number
NASA/CR-1998-208130
NAS 1.26:208130
NOAO-PREPRINT-775
Report Number: NASA/CR-1998-208130
Report Number: NAS 1.26:208130
Report Number: NOAO-PREPRINT-775
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGw-2698
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-2203
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-3238
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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