Ross 128

Ross 128
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension 11h 47m 44.3964s[1]
Declination +00° 48′ 16″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 11.13[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type M4 V[3]
U−B color index 2.685[4]
B−V color index 1.59[5]
Variable type Flare star
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)-31.0[6][7] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 605.66[1] mas/yr
Dec.: -1219.32[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)298.2 ± 1.7[8] mas
Distance10.94 ± 0.06 ly
(3.35 ± 0.02 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)13.51[2]
Details
Mass0.15[9] M☉
Radius0.21[10] R☉
Luminosity0.00036[11] L☉
Luminosity (bolometric)0.0035[12] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)3.40[9] cgs
Temperature3,180[3] K
Other designations
FI Virginis, FI Vir, G 010-050, GCTP 2730, GJ 447, HIP 57548, LHS 315, Vyssotsky 286, LTT 13240, LFT 852.[1]

Ross 128 is a small star in the equatorial zodiac constellation of Virgo, the virgin. The apparent magnitude of Ross 128 is 11.13,[2] which is much too faint to be seen with the naked eye. Based upon parallax measurements, the distance of this star from Earth is 10.89 light-years (3.34 parsecs), making it the twelfth closest star to the Solar System. It was first cataloged in 1926 by American astronomer Frank Elmore Ross.[13]

This low mass star has a stellar classification of M4 V,[3] which places it among a category of stars known as red dwarfs. It has 15%[9] of the mass of the Sun and 21%[10] of the Sun's radius, but generates energy so slowly that it has only 0.036% of the Sun's visible luminosity.[11] However, most of the energy being radiated by the star is in the infrared band, with the bolometric luminosity being equal to 0.35% of solar.[12] This energy is being radiated from the star's outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 3,180 K.[3] This gives it the cool orange-red glow of an M-type star.

Ross 128 is an old disk star, which means it has a low abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium, what astronomers term the star's metallicity, and it orbits near the plane of the Milky Way galaxy.[14] It is classified as an active flare star since it can undergo unpredictable and dramatic increases in luminosity for a period of several minutes.[15] Because of the low rate of flare activity, it is thought to be a magnetically evolved star. That is, there is some evidence that the magnetic braking of the star's stellar wind has lowered the frequency of flares, but not the net yield.[16]

Distances of the nearest stars from 20,000 years ago until 80,000 years in the future. The approach of Ross 128 is represented by the light salmon-hued line.

On multiple occasions this star has been examined for the existence of a low stellar mass or brown dwarf companion orbiting at a distance of at least 1 astronomical unit from the primary. However, no companions have yet been discovered.[17][18] The star also lacks a strong excess of infrared radiation. An infrared excess is usually an indicator of a dust ring in orbit around the star.[19][20]

Ross 128 is orbiting through the Milky Way with an orbital eccentricity of 0.122, causing its distance from the Galactic Center to range between 26.8–34.2 kly (8.2–10.5 kpc).[21] This orbit will bring the star closer to the Solar System in the future. The nearest approach will occur in about 71,000 years, when it will come within 6.233 ± 0.085 ly (1.911 ± 0.026 pc).[7]

Distance

Ross 128 distance estimates

Source Parallax, mas Distance, pc Distance, ly Distance, Pm Ref.
Woolley et al. (1970) 301±5 3.32+0.06
−0.05		 10.84±0.18 102.5±1.7 [22]
Gliese & Jahreiß (1991) 301.1±1.9 3.321±0.021 10.83±0.07 102.5+0.7
−0.6		 [23]
van Altena et al. (1995) 298.2±1.7 3.353±0.019 10.94±0.06 103.5±0.6 [8]
Perryman et al. (1997) (Hipparcos) 299.58±2.20 3.338+0.025
−0.024		 10.89±0.08 103±0.8 [24]
Perryman et al. (1997) (Tycho) (absents) [25]
van Leeuwen (2007) 298.04±2.30 3.355±0.026 10.94+0.09
−0.08		 103.5±0.8 [26]
RECONS TOP100 (2012) 298.14±1.37[note 1] 3.354±0.015 10.94±0.05 103.5±0.5 [27]

Non-trigonometric distance estimates are marked in italic. The most precise estimate is marked in bold.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Perryman, M. A. C. et al. (1997), "The Hipparcos Catalogue", Astronomy & Astrophysics 323: L49–L52, Bibcode:1997A&A...323L..49P
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The One Hundred Nearest Star Systems, Research Consortium on Nearby Stars, 2009-01-01, retrieved 2009-09-03
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Gautier, Thomas N., III et al., "Far Infrared Properties of M Dwarfs", Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 36: 1431, Bibcode:2004AAS...205.5503G
  4. ↑ Rufener, F. (October 1976), "Second catalogue of stars measured in the Geneva Observatory photometric system", Astronomy & Astrophysics Supplement Series 26: 275–351, Bibcode:1976A&AS...26..275R
  5. ↑ Warren, W. H., Jr. (1978), "Photoelectric Photometric Catalogue of Homogeneous Means in the UBV System", Observatory (Geneva)
  6. ↑ Gontcharov, G. A. (2006), Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35493 Hipparcos Stars, retrieved 2010-04-18
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 García-Sánchez, J. et al. (2001), "Stellar encounters with the solar system", Astronomy and Astrophysics 379 (2): 634–659, Bibcode:2001A&A...379..634G, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20011330
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Van Altena W. F., Lee J. T., Hoffleit E. D. (1995). "GCTP 2730". The General Catalogue of Trigonometric Stellar Parallaxes (Fourth ed.). Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Rodonò, Marcello, "The Atmospheres of M Dwarfs: Observations", The M-Type Stars, Washington: NASA, pp. 409–453
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 White, Stephen M.; Jackson, Peter D.; Kundu, Mukul R. (December 1989), "A VLA survey of nearby flare stars", Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 71: 895–904, Bibcode:1989ApJS...71..895W, doi:10.1086/191401
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Zombeck, Martin V. (2007), Handbook of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics (Third ed.), Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, p. 109, ISBN 0-521-78242-2
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "HIP 57548", NASA Exoplanet Archive, retrieved 2012-03-06
  13. ↑ Ross, Frank E. (1926), "New proper-motion stars, (second list)", Astronomical Journal 36 (856): 124–128, Bibcode:1926AJ.....36..124R, doi:10.1086/104699
  14. ↑ Sánchez, F. (1990), Vazquez, M., ed., New windows to the universe 2, Cambridge University Press, p. 313, ISBN 0-521-38429-X
  15. ↑ Kunkel, W. E. (July 29 – August 4, 1974), "Solar neighborhood flare stars - A review", Variable stars and stellar evolution; Proceedings of the Symposium, Moscow, USSR: D. Reidel Publishing Co, pp. 15–46, Bibcode:1975IAUS...67...15K
  16. ↑ Skumanich, Andrew (1986-10-15), "Some evidence on the evolution of the flare mechanism in dwarf stars", Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 309: 858–863, Bibcode:1986ApJ...309..858S, doi:10.1086/164654
  17. ↑ Hinz, Joannah L. et al. (April 2002), "A Near-Infrared, Wide-Field, Proper-Motion Search for Brown Dwarfs", The Astronomical Journal 123 (4): 2027–2032, arXiv:astro-ph/0201140, Bibcode:2002AJ....123.2027H, doi:10.1086/339555
  18. ↑ Schroeder, Daniel J. et al. (2000), "A Search for Faint Companions to Nearby Stars Using the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2", The Astronomical Journal 119 (2): 906–922, Bibcode:2000AJ....119..906S, doi:10.1086/301227
  19. ↑ Jura, M. et al. (September 2004), "Mid-Infrared Spectra of Dust Debris around Main-Sequence Stars", The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 154 (1): 453–457, arXiv:astro-ph/0405632, Bibcode:2004ApJS..154..453J, doi:10.1086/422975
  20. ↑ Gautier, Thomas N., III et al. (September 2007), "Far-Infrared Properties of M Dwarfs", The Astrophysical Journal 667 (1): 527–536, arXiv:0707.0464, Bibcode:2007ApJ...667..527G, doi:10.1086/520667
  21. ↑ Allen, C.; Herrera, M. A. (1998), "The galactic orbits of nearby UV Ceti stars", Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica 34: 37–46, Bibcode:1998RMxAA..34...37A
  22. ↑ Woolley R.; Epps E. A.; Penston M. J.; Pocock S. B. (1970). "Woolley 447". Catalogue of stars within 25 parsecs of the Sun. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  23. ↑ Gliese, W. and Jahreiß, H. (1991). "Gl 447". Preliminary Version of the Third Catalogue of Nearby Stars. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  24. ↑ Perryman et al. (1997). "HIP 57548". The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  25. ↑ Perryman et al. (1997). "HIP 57548". The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  26. ↑ van Leeuwen F. (2007). "HIP 57548". Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  27. ↑ "RECONS TOP100". THE ONE HUNDRED NEAREST STAR SYSTEMS brought to you by RECONS (Research Consortium On Nearby Stars). 2012. Retrieved 2014-10-20.

Notes

  1. ↑ Weighted parallax based on parallaxes from van Altena et al. (1995) and van Leeuwen (2007).

External links

Coordinates: 11h 47m 44.4s, +00° 48′ 16″