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Preston, G. W.

Publications and source records attributed to Preston, G. W..

4 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

A survey of chromospheric Ca II H and K emission in field stars of the solar neighborhood

Fluxes in 1 A bands at the centers of the H and K lines are being measured in main-sequence F-G-K-M stars in the northern half of the Woolley et al. (1970) 'Catalog of stars within twenty-five parsecs of the sun', in a survey not yet completed. Results for 486 stars are presented in the form of flux-color diagrams and discussed in light of evidence that chromospheric activity declines with age in main-sequence stars. Support is noted for the reality of the Sirius moving group. The relative numbers of more-active (Hyades-like) and less-active (solar-like) F-G stars are tolerably in agreement with a nearly constant rate of formation, but there exists an apparent deficiency in the number of F-G stars exhibiting intermediate activity. The possibility that the gap is an accidental characteristic of the sample will be investigated by extending the survey to southern declinations and greater distances.

Vaughan, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Flux measurements of CA II H and K emission

A four-channel photon-counting spectrophotometer (designated HKP-2) is described which is designed for measuring stellar chromospheric calcium emission. The HKP-2 is calibrated, and its performance and accuracy evaluated, by observing 63 of Wilson's (1968) program stars on the same nights with both the HKP-2 and a coude scanner designated HKP-1. The results of the observations are discussed in terms of the calibration of mean H-K flux indices, variations in individual stellar fluxes, the flux ratio for H and K, and the instrument color index. It is shown that the HKP-2 provides satisfactory performance in the measurement of stellar chromospheric emission in a manner closely analogous to the method of Wilson and that a single observation yields a color index as well as flux indices for H and K that can be calibrated and transferred unambiguously to Wilson's system of measurement.

Vaughan, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Isotopic abundances of Hg in mercury stars inferred from the Hg II line at 3984 A

Wavelengths of the Hg II absorption feature at 3984 A in 30 Hg stars are distributed uniformly from the value for the terrestrial mix to a value that corresponds to nearly pure Hg-204. The wavelengths are correlated loosely with effective temperatures inferred from Q(UBV). Relative isotopic abundances derived from partially resolved profiles of the 3984-A line in iota CrB, chi Lup, and HR 4072 suggest that mass-dependent fractionation has occurred in all three stars. It is supposed that such fractionation occurs in all Hg stars, and a scheme whereby isotopic compositions can be inferred from a comparison of stellar wavelengths and equivalent widths with those calculated for a family of fractionated isotopic mixes. Theoretical profiles calculated for the derived isotopic composition agree well with high-resolution interferometric profiles obtained for three of the stars.

White, R. E.↗