Question 1: The Solar Twin Search So Far: Solar twins have been selected on the basis of specific observational parameters, and there are a large number of these to choose from.[1A] How have the following parameters been employed in the solar analog hunt to date, and what has been the success or failure in identifying solar analogs in terms of those parameters?
Moderators evaluated their group's response and ranked the opinions on a scale of 5 (highly successful) to 1 (completely unsuccessful), or zero (not applicable). In addition, they noted the level agreement among the group by a sigma that ranged from zero (unanimous agreement) to three (significant disagreement). In the table below, we list the twenty parameters given to the groups for discussion. Each group evaluated four parameters, so that each parameter was evaluated independently, in the morning and afternoon, by two different groups of astronomers.
Parameter | Group | Ranking | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
Teff | 1 | 3 ± 2 | Useful if spectroscopically derived, usually in a differential context |
6 | 4 ± 1 | Concern over spread of Teff measures. Depends on model quality | |
log g | 5 | 3 ± 2 | Important, always available, but indirect |
10 | 0 ± 0 | ||
Mbol | 5 | 5 ± 1 | Fundamental |
10 | 5 ± 0 | ||
B-V | 2 | 2 ± 1 | Good for finding analogs; poor for finding twins |
7 | 4 ± 0 | High utility as a guide, exists for many stars | |
Johnson other than B-V | 4 | 3 ± 0 | |
9 | 3 ± 1 | Relative ranking of homogeneous data OK. | |
V magnitude | 4 | 0 ± 0 | Not relevant |
9 | 4 ± 1 | MV very important; therefore mv is important. | |
[Fe/H] | 3 | 4 ± 0 | |
8 | 4 ± 0 | Not a good parameter for first cut. | |
v sin i | 5 | 2 ± 0 | Allows you to differentiate the young stars. More needed! |
10 | 0 ± 0 | ||
Inclination | 4 | 0 ± 0 | |
9 | 0 ± 0 | Has been ignored to date; maybe interesting for future. | |
Microturbulence | 3 | 1 ± 1 | |
8 | 0 ± 0 | Important, but subtle. Probably not important for solar twin search. | |
B field | 5 | 1 ± 0 | What many people are after, but not used to find solar analogs |
10 | 0 ± 0 | ||
MK type | 3 | 5 ± 0 | |
8 | 5 ± 0 | Good first cut for general search, but must recognize limitations | |
Cousins photometry | 1 | 4 ± 1 | V-I useful, but not as good as b-y for fainter stars |
6 | 2 ± 1 | Not used except as transformed to Johnson. Maybe better than B-V | |
Strömgren photometry | 2 | 5 ± 0 | Far superior to UBV; gives m1 and c1 indices |
7 | 3 ± 2 | b-y not much employed | |
Energy distribution | 1 | 3 ± 2 | Pretty useless: not enough + sys. errors. But, fundamental quantity |
6 | 2 ± 0 | Not enough stars for which this is available | |
Photometric var. | 1 | 3 ± 2 | Ancillary parameter |
6 | 1 ± 0 | Viewed as a proxy for "activity" or youth | |
Spectroscopic var. | 2 | 1 ± 0 | Not utilized efficiently yet |
7 | 0 ± 0 | Not for screening purposes, but useful as ancillary quantity | |
R'HK | 2 | 4 ± 1 | Useful if you closely examine the photospheric contribution |
7 | 3 ± 2 | Surrogate for age, but not very accurate. Starting point/screening | |
Location | 4 | 2 ± 0 | Space motions |
9 | 1 ± 0 | except as cluster membership determinant | |
Space velocity | 3 | 2 ± 1 | |
8 | 2 ± 0 | Might indicate place of origin, but not good for first cut. |
[1B] Are there any relevant parameters that have so far been ignored (both in the literature and in the list of 20 parameters supplied to the working groups) or inadequately considered, and what would be the specific insights gained from considering them? Determine up to two that are most important.
Working groups were asked to select one or two of the most important neglected parameters in the solar analog hunt so far, and to summarize the specific insights to be gained from using those parameters as selection criteria. The results are compiled in Table 2 below. Each parameter is lsited in a separate row, with the number of groups mentioning it and their remarks included in the second and third columns.
Parameter | # of times cited | Insights to be gained from using this parameter |
---|---|---|
Companionship | 6 | In terms of stellar and/or planetary companions |
LX | 4 | More broadly: parameters that measure activity in higher levels of the atmosphere, e.g., UV, Mg II h&k. |
UV spectrophotometry 3 | ||
Radio luminosity | 2 | 10 cm: variable, sensitive to spots |
Geneva photometry | 1 | More precise measurements than Johnson & different from Strömgren. |
Detailed abundances | 1 | i.e., CNO, He, not just [Fe/H] |
Galactic orbit | 1 | Useful combination of location and velocity |
Convection | 1 | The group feels this is an underappreciated parameter in evolution/interior models |
Prot | 1 | |
Intellegent [sic] life | 1 |
Question 2: The Solar Twin Search Following This Workshop: What is the optimum method for searching for solar twins?[2A] Which, if any, parameters must be used in any search for solar twins (determine up to four)?
Groups listed up to four parameters they considered essential in future searches for solar analogs and twins. Again, a one-to-five scale was used to indicate the level of agreement (or lack thereof) among the group members.
Parameter | Rank (group #) |
---|---|
MV | 5 (2), 5 (4), 5 (5), 5 (6), 5 (7), 5 (8), 5 (10) |
Metallicity | 5 (4), 3 (5), 5 (6), 5 (7), 5 (8), 5 (10) |
Activity | 4.5 (3), 5 (4), 3 (5), 5 (6), 5 (9), 5 (10) |
Prot | 5 (2), 5 (7), 5 (8) |
Teff | 4.5 (3), 5 (4), 5 (5), 5 (6), 5 (10) |
Strömgren photometry | 4 (2), 5 (8), 4 (9) |
MK Type | 4.5 (3), 4 (9) |
Parallax (distance) | 4.5 (3), 5 (9) |
High-res spectroscopy | 4 (2) |
Mass | 1 (7) |
Age | 1 (7) |
Hour angle | 1 (5)a |
[2B] Do the parameters employed depend on the research needs of the investigator, e.g., would an investigator working with UV data have fundamentally different search criteria than one working in the IR?
[C] Can (or should) the essential parameters identified in [A] above be ranked in order of preference? That is, what is the optimum, properly ordered set of "filters" for identifying solar twins?
Group # | Remark |
---|---|
2 | No. It depends on the research needs of the investigator. |
6 | Only to the extent that they can be separated. |
7 | No. All are important at once. |
10 | No. |
Group \# | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | MV | Strömgren | Hi-res spectroscopy | Prot
3 | MK Type | Teff, log g, metallicity | parallax/Distance | Activity
| 4 | Color | MV | Metallicity | Age
| 5 | Teff | MV | Prot | Composition
| 6 | Teff | MV | Metallicity | Activity
| 8 | Colors | MV | Composition | Rotation
| 9 | MK Type | Strömgren | MV | Activity
| |
Question 3: Optimum Candidates Rank the following stars (listed by HD number) in order of preference as solar twins, to the extent that the working group considers feasible and/or useful. Each group may add up to 2 stars to the list. The stars are: 1835 (9 Cet), 11131, 20630 (kappa Cet), 28099 (VB 64), 44594, 76151, 86728, 89010, 114710 (beta Com), 144585, 146233 (18 Sco), 186408 (16 Cyg A), 186427 (16 Cyg B), 187923A, 217014 (51 Peg).
Star | Comments |
---|---|
1835 | Good analog for young Sun; too late, too young |
10307 | Deserves study |
11131 | A little too hot; worth keeping; young; good analog, poor twin |
20630 | Too young; G5 V; poor analog |
28099 | Hyades member; analog, NOT twin; too young |
44594 | worth following up; young; HIPPARCOS parallax OK?; good analog |
76151 | Probably too young; too active; S too high; binary? |
86728 | Worth keeping in spite of MK type; too red; too problematic |
89010 | Too bright, too evolved; too bright |
114710 | Too young, too active, too hot; too active |
144585 | Too evolved; too luminous |
alpha Cen A | Twin of 186408; analog, not twin |
146233 | A keeper; best of the bunch |
186408 | Older than Sun; analog, not twin; good twin |
186427 | Older than Sun; analog, not twin; good twin |
187923A | Abundances too far off; spectral type off |
217014 | Good candidate! |
Rank | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 146233 | 146233 | 146233 | 146233 | 146233 | 146233 | 146233 | 146233 | 146233 |
2 | 217014 | 186408 | 186408 | 186408 | 217014 | 186408 | 186408 | 186408 | 186427 |
3 | 186408 | 186427 | 186427 | 217014 | 186427 | 186427 | 186427 | 186427 | 186408 |
4 | 186427 | 28099 | 217014 | 89010 | 44594 | 217014 | 217014 | 143761 | 217014 |
5 | 44594 | 1835 | 44594 | 28099 | |||||
6 | 86728 | 11131 | 186408 | ||||||
7 | 76151 | 76151 | \alpha Cen A | ||||||
8 | alpha Cen A | 186427 | 11131 | ||||||
9 | 144585 | 10307 | |||||||
10 | 20630 | 76151 | |||||||
11 | 28099 | 187923 | |||||||
12 | 89010 | ||||||||
13 | 1835 | 1835 | |||||||
14 | 114710 | 20630 | |||||||
15 | 187923A | 28099 |