The Gaia-ESO Survey: Kinematic structure in the Gamma Velorum cluster
(2014) In Astronomy & Astrophysics 563.- Abstract
- Context. A key science goal of the Gaia-ESO survey (GES) at the VLT is to use the kinematics of low-mass stars in young clusters and star forming regions to probe their dynamical histories and how they populate the field as they become unbound. The clustering of low-mass stars around the massive Wolf-Rayet binary system gamma(2) Velorum was one of the first GES targets. Aims. We empirically determine the radial velocity precision of GES data, construct a kinematically unbiased sample of cluster members and characterise their dynamical state. Methods. Targets were selected from colour-magnitude diagrams and intermediate resolution spectroscopy was used to derive radial velocities and assess membership from the strength of the Li I 6708... (More)
- Context. A key science goal of the Gaia-ESO survey (GES) at the VLT is to use the kinematics of low-mass stars in young clusters and star forming regions to probe their dynamical histories and how they populate the field as they become unbound. The clustering of low-mass stars around the massive Wolf-Rayet binary system gamma(2) Velorum was one of the first GES targets. Aims. We empirically determine the radial velocity precision of GES data, construct a kinematically unbiased sample of cluster members and characterise their dynamical state. Methods. Targets were selected from colour-magnitude diagrams and intermediate resolution spectroscopy was used to derive radial velocities and assess membership from the strength of the Li I 6708 angstrom line. The radial velocity distribution was analysed using a maximum likelihood technique that accounts for unresolved binaries. Results. The GES radial velocity precision is about 0.25 km s(-1) and sufficient to resolve velocity structure in the low-mass population around gamma(2) Vel. The structure is well fitted by two kinematic components with roughly equal numbers of stars; the first has an intrinsic dispersion of 0.34 +/- 0.16 km s(-1), consistent with virial equilibrium. The second has a broader dispersion of 1.60 +/- 0.37 km s(-1) and is offset from the first by congruent to 2 kms(-1). The first population is older by 1-2 Myr based on a greater level of Li depletion seen among its M-type stars and is probably more centrally concentrated around gamma(2) Vel. Conclusions. We consider several formation scenarios, concluding that the two kinematic components are a bound remnant of the original, denser cluster that formed gamma(2) Vel, and a dispersed population from the wider Vela OB2 association, of which gamma(2) Vel is the most massive member. The apparent youth of gamma(2) Vel compared to the older (>= 10 Myr) low-mass population surrounding it suggests a scenario in which the massive binary formed in a clustered environment after the formation of the bulk of the low-mass stars. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4439815
- author
- Jeffries, R. D.
; Jackson, R. J.
; Cottaar, M.
; Koposov, S. E.
; Lanzafame, A. C.
; Meyer, M. R.
; Prisinzano, L.
; Randich, S.
; Sacco, G. G.
; Brugaletta, E.
; Caramazza, M.
; Damiani, F.
; Franciosini, E.
; Frasca, A.
; Gilmore, G.
; Feltzing, Sofia
LU
; Micela, G.
; Alfaro, E.
; Bensby, Thomas
LU
; Pancino, E.
; Recio-Blanco, A.
; De laverny, P.
; Lewis, J.
; Magrini, L.
; Morbidelli, L.
; Costado, M. T.
; Jofre, P.
; Klutsch, A.
; Lind, K.
and Maiorca, E.
(Less) - organization
- publishing date
- 2014
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- stars: pre-main sequence, stars: kinematics and dynamics, open clusters, and associations: individual: gamma2 Velorum, stars: formation
- in
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
- volume
- 563
- article number
- A94
- publisher
- EDP Sciences
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000333798000094
- scopus:84896332962
- ISSN
- 0004-6361
- DOI
- 10.1051/0004-6361/201323288
- project
- Gaia-ESO Survey
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8bae816a-051d-482d-991b-b370d25114f2 (old id 4439815)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 13:13:12
- date last changed
- 2022-12-11 17:00:50
@article{8bae816a-051d-482d-991b-b370d25114f2,
abstract = {{Context. A key science goal of the Gaia-ESO survey (GES) at the VLT is to use the kinematics of low-mass stars in young clusters and star forming regions to probe their dynamical histories and how they populate the field as they become unbound. The clustering of low-mass stars around the massive Wolf-Rayet binary system gamma(2) Velorum was one of the first GES targets. Aims. We empirically determine the radial velocity precision of GES data, construct a kinematically unbiased sample of cluster members and characterise their dynamical state. Methods. Targets were selected from colour-magnitude diagrams and intermediate resolution spectroscopy was used to derive radial velocities and assess membership from the strength of the Li I 6708 angstrom line. The radial velocity distribution was analysed using a maximum likelihood technique that accounts for unresolved binaries. Results. The GES radial velocity precision is about 0.25 km s(-1) and sufficient to resolve velocity structure in the low-mass population around gamma(2) Vel. The structure is well fitted by two kinematic components with roughly equal numbers of stars; the first has an intrinsic dispersion of 0.34 +/- 0.16 km s(-1), consistent with virial equilibrium. The second has a broader dispersion of 1.60 +/- 0.37 km s(-1) and is offset from the first by congruent to 2 kms(-1). The first population is older by 1-2 Myr based on a greater level of Li depletion seen among its M-type stars and is probably more centrally concentrated around gamma(2) Vel. Conclusions. We consider several formation scenarios, concluding that the two kinematic components are a bound remnant of the original, denser cluster that formed gamma(2) Vel, and a dispersed population from the wider Vela OB2 association, of which gamma(2) Vel is the most massive member. The apparent youth of gamma(2) Vel compared to the older (>= 10 Myr) low-mass population surrounding it suggests a scenario in which the massive binary formed in a clustered environment after the formation of the bulk of the low-mass stars.}},
author = {{Jeffries, R. D. and Jackson, R. J. and Cottaar, M. and Koposov, S. E. and Lanzafame, A. C. and Meyer, M. R. and Prisinzano, L. and Randich, S. and Sacco, G. G. and Brugaletta, E. and Caramazza, M. and Damiani, F. and Franciosini, E. and Frasca, A. and Gilmore, G. and Feltzing, Sofia and Micela, G. and Alfaro, E. and Bensby, Thomas and Pancino, E. and Recio-Blanco, A. and De laverny, P. and Lewis, J. and Magrini, L. and Morbidelli, L. and Costado, M. T. and Jofre, P. and Klutsch, A. and Lind, K. and Maiorca, E.}},
issn = {{0004-6361}},
keywords = {{stars: pre-main sequence; stars: kinematics and dynamics; open clusters; and associations: individual: gamma2 Velorum; stars: formation}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{EDP Sciences}},
series = {{Astronomy & Astrophysics}},
title = {{The Gaia-ESO Survey: Kinematic structure in the Gamma Velorum cluster}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201323288}},
doi = {{10.1051/0004-6361/201323288}},
volume = {{563}},
year = {{2014}},
}