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In this paper, we present a detailed spectroscopic study of the SB1 system HD 161660. New spectroscopic observations have been obtained by us with Catania Astrophysical Observatory Spectropolarimeter (CAOS@OAC). Combining these observations with archive data from HARPS@3.6ESO, we derived atmospheric parameters as temperature and gravity (from the fit of Balmer lines), microturbulence and rotational velocity (from metal lines), and chemical composition. We found underabundances of helium, carbon, magnesium, sulphur and chromium, overabundances of neon, phosphorus, argon, manganese, xenon, and mercury. All other elements have solar composition. In particular, mercury abundance is derived taking into account an isotopic mixture different from the terrestrial one (essentially pure 202Hg). Considering this chemical pattern, we definitively confirm HD 161660 is an HgMn star. Further, variability of equivalent widths points out a non-homogeneous distribution of helium and magnesium over stellar surface. As to iron and phosphorus, we found a non-constant abundance with the optical depth, a result currently considered an evidence of vertical stratification. Finally, we improved the fundamental parameters characterizing the HD 161660 orbit.

We present an UV spectrograph with an in-vacuum resolution R=λ/Δλ≈20000 covering the 70-400 nm wavelength range with an echelle configuration. The instrument is now in the assembly, test and verification phase, as a milestone of the project LAPSUS (LAboratory Plasma Spectroscopy for Ultraviolet Space) funded to the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics – Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (INFN-LNS) by the Italian Space Agency in 2020. The goal of the project is to build an experimental atomic database in the UV spectral range, useful to interpret astrophysical spectra acquired by space missions. For this purpose the LAPSUS spectrograph will be coupled to the plasma traps operating at INFN-LNS, in order to apply high resolution spectroscopy to the emission of laboratory plasmas resembling astrophysical environments.

Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) are the most important primary indicators of the extragalactic distance scale. Establishing the dependence on metallicity of their period--luminosity and period--Wesenheit ($PLZ$/$PWZ$) relations has deep consequences on the calibration of secondary distance indicators that lead to the final estimate of the Hubble constant (H$_0$). We collected high-resolution spectroscopy for 47 DCEPs plus 1 BL Her variables with HARPS-N@TNG and derived accurate atmospheric parameters, radial velocities and metal abundances. We measured spectral lines for 29 species and characterized their chemical abundances, finding very good agreement with previous results. We re-determined the ephemerides for the program stars and measured their intensity-averaged magnitudes in the $V,I,J,H,K_s$ bands. We complemented our sample with literature data and used the Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) to investigate the $PLZ$/$PWZ$ relations for Galactic DCEPs in a variety of filter combinations. We find that the solution without any metallicity term is ruled out at more than the 5 $\sigma$ level. Our best estimate for the metallicity dependence of the intercept of the $PLK_s$, $PWJK_s$, $PWVK_s$ and $PWHVI$ relations with three parameters, is $-0.456\pm$0.099, $-0.465\pm$0.071, $-0.459\pm$0.107 and $-0.366\pm$0.089 mag/dex, respectively. These values are significantly larger than the recent literature. The present data are still inconclusive to establish whether or not also the slope of the relevant relationships depends on metallicity. Applying a correction to the standard zero point offset of the Gaia parallaxes has the same effect of reducing by $\sim$22\% the size of the metallicity dependence on the intercept of the PLZ/PWZ relations., Comment: 31 pages, 17 Figures. Accepted for publication on MNRAS

Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) are the most important primary indicators for the extragalactic distance scale, but they are also important objects per se, allowing us to put constraints on the physics of intermediate-mass stars and the pulsation theories. We have investigated the peculiar DCEP HD 344787, which is known to exhibit the fastest positive period change among DCEPs along with a quenching amplitude of the light variation. We have used high-resolution spectra obtained with HARPS-N@TNG for HD 344787 and the more famous Polaris DCEP, to infer their detailed chemical abundances. Results from the analysis of new time-series photometry of HD 344787 obtained by the TESS satellite are also reported. The double mode nature of HD344787 pulsation is confirmed by analysis of the TESS light curve, although with rather tiny amplitudes of a few tens of millimag. This is an indication that HD344787 is on the verge of quenching the pulsation. Analysis of the HARPS-N@TNG spectra reveals an almost solar abundance and no depletion of carbon and oxygen. Hence, the star appears to have not gone through the first dredge-up. Similar results are obtained for Polaris. Polaris and HD344787 are confirmed to be both most likely at their first crossing of the instability strip (IS). The two stars are likely at the opposite borders of the IS for first overtone DCEPs with metal abundance Z=0.008. A comparison with other DCEPs which are also thought to be at their first crossing allows us to speculate that the differences we see in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram might be due to differences in the properties of the DCEP progenitors during the main sequence phase., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, Astronomy & Astrophysics in press. Version corrected by Language Editor

The LAMOST-\textit{K}2 (L\textit{K}2) project, initiated in 2015, aims to collect low-resolution spectra of targets in the \textit{K}2 campaigns, similar to LAMOST-\textit{Kepler} project. By the end of 2018, a total of 126 L\textit{K}2 plates had been observed by LAMOST. After cross-matching the catalog of the LAMOST data release 6 (DR6) with that of the \textit{K}2 approved targets, we found 160,619 usable spectra of 84,012 objects, most of which had been observed more than once. The effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, and radial velocity from 129,974 spectra for 70,895 objects are derived through the LAMOST Stellar Parameter Pipeline (LASP). The internal uncertainties were estimated to be 81 K, 0.15 dex, 0.09 dex and 5 kms$^{-1}$, respectively, when derived from a spectrum with a signal-to-noise ratio in the $g$ band (SNR$_g$) of 10. These estimates are based on results for targets with multiple visits. The external accuracies were assessed by comparing the parameters of targets in common with the APOGEE and GAIA surveys, for which we generally found linear relationships. A final calibration is provided, combining external and internal uncertainties for giants and dwarfs, separately. We foresee that these spectroscopic data will be used widely in different research fields, especially in combination with \textit{K}2 photometry., 31 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables, accepted by ApJS

The NASA $Kepler$ mission obtained long-term high-quality photometric observations for a large number of stars in its original field of view from 2009 to 2013. In order to provide reliable stellar parameters in a homogeneous way, the LAMOST telescope began to carry out low-resolution spectroscopic observations for as many stars as possible in the $Kepler$ field in 2012. By September 2018, 238,386 low-resolution spectra with SNR$_g \geq 6$ had been collected for 155,623 stars in the $Kepler$ field, enabling the determination of atmospheric parameters and radial velocities, as well as spectral classification of the target stars. This information has been used by astronomers to carry out research in various fields, including stellar pulsations and asteroseismology, exoplanets, stellar magnetic activity and flares, peculiar stars and the Milky Way, binary stars, etc. We summarize the research progress in these fields where the usage of data from the LAMOST-$Kepler$ (LK) project has played a role. In addition, time-domain medium-resolution spectroscopic observations have been carried out for about 12,000 stars in four central plates of the $Kepler$ field since 2018. The currently available results show that the LAMOST-$Kepler$ medium resolution (LK-MRS) observations provide qualified data suitable for research in additional science projects including binaries, high-amplitude pulsating stars, etc. As LAMOST is continuing to collect both low- and medium-resolution spectra of stars in the $Kepler$ field, we expect more data to be released continuously and new scientific results to appear based on the LK project data., 15 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, RAA accepted

If Gamma Dor-type pulsations are driven by the convective blocking mechanism, a convective envelope at a sufficient depth is essential. There are several hot Gamma Dor and hybrid star candidates in which there should not be an adequate convective envelope to excite the{\gamma}Dor-type oscillations. The existence of these hot objects needs an explanation. Therefore, we selected, observed and studied 24 hot{\gamma}Dor and hybrid candidates to investigate their properties. The atmospheric parameters, chemical abundances and vsini values of the candidates were obtained using medium-resolution (R= 46 000)spectra taken with the FIES instrument mounted at the NordicOptical Telescope. We also carried out frequency analyses of theKeplerlong- and short-cadence data to determine the exact pulsation contents. We found only five bona-fide hot{\gamma}Dor and three bona-fide hot hybrid stars in our sample. The other 16 stars were found to benormal{\gamma}Dor,{\delta}Sct, or hybrid variables. No chemical peculiarity was detected in the spectra of the bona-fide hot{\gamma}Dor and hybrid stars. We investigated the interplay between rotation and pulsational modes. We also found that the hot{\gamma}Dor stars havehigherGaialuminosities and larger radii compared to main-sequence A-F stars., Comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters

In this paper, we present a spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the suspected ellipsoidal variable star KIC 7599132. New spectroscopic observations have been obtained with Catania Astrophysical Observatory Spectropolarimeter. From the fit of Hα and Hβ, we determined the effective temperature and gravity of the primary component, Teff = 10200 ± 150 K and log g = 4.1 ± 0.1, while from a number of metal lines, we derive the rotational velocity, v esin i = 60 ± 2 km s-1. We found almost solar abundances with the exception of silicon (0.50 dex) overabundance. A Bayesian analysis, based on the comparison between observational data and theoretical predictions of PROSECCO evolutionary models, allows us to estimate the mass and the age of the primary. We obtained M1 = 2.4 ± 0.2 M☉ and τs = 3.8 _{-0.7}^{+0.9} Myr. A new model for the system was obtained combining Kepler photometric time series (Q0-Q17) and our radial velocities by using the code PHOEBE. As a result, the system appears to be a detached binary system with a mass ratio q = 0.30 ± 0.01, a semimajor axis a = 7.3 ± 0.1 R☉ and an inclination angle i = 35° ± 2°. This modelling allowed us to derive: M2 = 0.7 ± 0.1 M☉, R1 = 3.0 ± 0.2 R☉, and R2 = 1.5 ± 0.2 R☉. Numerical simulations show that if the secondary star had been hotter than 4000 K, we would have observed its spectral features in our spectra.

Phase \RNum{2} of the LAMOST-{\sl Kepler/K}2 survey (LK-MRS), initiated in 2018, aims at collecting medium-resolution spectra ($R\sim7,500$; hereafter MRS) for more than $50,000$ stars with multiple visits ($\sim60$ epochs) over a period of 5 years (2018 September to 2023 June). We selected 20 footprints distributed across the {\sl Kepler} field and six {\sl K}2 campaigns, with each plate containing a number of stars ranging from $\sim2,000$ to $\sim 3,000$. During the first year of observations, the LK-MRS has already collected $\sim280,000$ and $\sim369,000$ high-quality spectra in the blue and red wavelength range, respectively. The atmospheric parameters and radial velocities for $\sim259,000$ spectra of $21,053$ targets were successfully calculated by the LASP pipeline. The internal uncertainties for the effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, and radial velocity are found to be $100$\,K, $0.15$\,dex, $0.09$\,dex, and $1.00$\,km\,s$^{-1}$, respectively. We found $14,997$, $20,091$, and $1,514$ stars in common with the targets from the LAMOST low-resolution survey (LRS), GAIA and APOGEE, respectively, corresponding to a fraction of $\sim70\%$, $\sim95\%$ and $\sim7.2\%$. In general, the parameters derived from LK-MRS spectra are consistent with those obtained from the LRS and APOGEE spectra, but the scatter increases as the surface gravity decreases when comparing with the measurements from APOGEE. A large discrepancy is found with the GAIA values of the effective temperature. The comparisons of radial velocities of LK-MRS to GAIA and LK-MRS to APOGEE nearly follow an Gaussian distribution with a mean $\mu\sim1.10$ and $0.73$\,km\,s$^{-1}$, respectively., Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, 4 tables, ApJS, accepted

The non-thermal radio emission of main-sequence early-type stars is a signature of stellar magnetism. We present multi-wavelength (1.6-16.7 GHz) ATCA measurements of the early-type magnetic star rho OphC, which is a flat-spectrum non-thermal radio source. The rho OphC radio emission is partially circularly polarized with a steep spectral dependence: the fraction of polarized emission is about 60% at the lowest frequency sub-band (1.6 GHz) while is undetected at 16.7 GHz. This is clear evidence of coherent Auroral Radio Emission (ARE) from the rho OphC magnetosphere. Interestingly, the detection of the rho OphC's ARE is not related to a peculiar rotational phase. This is a consequence of the stellar geometry, which makes the strongly anisotropic radiation beam of the amplified radiation always pointed towards Earth. The circular polarization sign evidences mainly amplification of the ordinary mode of the electromagnetic wave, consistent with a maser amplification occurring within dense regions. This is indirect evidence of the plasma evaporation from the polar caps, a phenomenon responsible for the thermal X-ray aurorae. rho OphC is not the first early-type magnetic star showing the O-mode dominated ARE but is the first star with the ARE always on view., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; accepted to MNRAS Letter

We present new ATCA multi-wavelength radio measurements (range 2.1-21.2 GHz) of the early-type magnetic star rho Oph A, performed in March 2019 during 3 different observing sessions. These new ATCA observations evidence a clear rotational modulation of the stellar radio emission and the detection of coherent auroral radio emission from rho Oph A at 2.1 GHz. We collected high-resolution optical spectra of rho Oph A acquired by several instruments over a time span of about ten years. We also report new magnetic field measurements of rho Oph A that, together with the radio light curves and the temporal variation of the equivalent width of the HeI line (lambda=5015 Angstrom), were used to constrain the rotation period and the stellar magnetic field geometry. The above results have been used to model the stellar radio emission, modelling that allowed us to constrain the physical condition of rho Oph A's magnetosphere. Past XMM measurements showed periodic X-ray pulses from rho Oph A. We correlate the X-ray light curve with the magnetic field geometry of rho Oph A. The already published XMM data have been re-analyzed showing that the X-ray spectra of rho Oph A are compatible with the presence of a non-thermal X-ray component. We discuss a scenario where the emission phenomena occurring at the extremes of the electromagnetic spectrum, radio and X-ray, are directly induced by the same plasma process. We interpret the observed X-ray and radio features of rho Oph A as having an auroral origin., Comment: 20 pages, 13 figures; accepted to MNRAS

Context. Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) are important astrophysical objects not only as standard candles in the determination of the cosmic distance ladder, but also as a testbed for the stellar evolution theory. This is based on the strict connection between their pulsation (period(s) and amplitudes) and stellar parameters (luminosity, mass, effective temperature, and metallicity). Aims: We examine the nature of the Galactic DCEP V363 Cas and other DCEPs that show cosmic abundances of lithium in their atmospheres. Methods: We collected three epochs of high-resolution spectroscopy for V363 Cas with HARPS-N at the TNG. We measured accurate stellar parameters: the effective temperatures, gravities, microturbulences, radial velocities, and metal abundances. Results: We detected a lithium abundance of A(Li) = 2.86 ± 0.10 dex, along with iron, carbon, and oxygen abundances of [Fe/H] = -0.30 ± 0.12 dex, [C/H] = -0.06 ± 0.15 dex, and [O/H] = 0.00 ± 0.12 dex. V363 Cas is the fifth of the Milky Way DCEPs to exhibit a Li-rich feature. An analysis of historical time-series spanning a 100-year interval shows that the period of V363 Cas is increasing, with a sharp acceleration after HJD = 2 453 000 days. This is a clear indication of a first crossing of the instability strip. Conclusions: Our results favour the scenario in which the five Galactic Li-rich DCEPs are on their first crossing of the instability strip and have had slowly rotating progenitors during their main-sequence phase. Based on observations made with the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) operated by the Fundación Galileo Galilei (FGG) of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain).

Star clusters are key to understand the stellar and Galactic evolution. ASCC 123 is a little-studied, nearby and very sparse open cluster. We performed the first high-resolution spectroscopic study of this cluster in the framework of the SPA (Stellar Population Astrophysics) project with GIARPS at the TNG. We observed 17 stars, five of which turned out to be double-lined binaries. Three of the investigated sources were rejected as members on the basis of astrometry and lithium content. For the remaining single stars we derived the stellar parameters, extinction, radial and projected rotational velocities, and chemical abundances for 21 species with atomic number up to 40. From the analysis of single main-sequence stars we found an average extinction $A_V\simeq 0.13$ mag and a median radial velocity of about $-5.6$ km/s. The average metallicity we found for ASCC 123 is [Fe/H]$\simeq+0.14\pm 0.04$, which is in line with that expected for its Galactocentric distance. The chemical composition is compatible with the Galactic trends in the solar neighborhood within the errors. From the lithium abundance and chromospheric H$\alpha$ emission we found an age similar to that of the Pleiades, which agrees with that inferred from the Hertzsprung-Russell and color-magnitude diagrams., Comment: Accepted by A&A 19 pages, 16 figures

Context. Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) are the most important primary indicators for the extragalactic distance scale. Establishing the dependence on metallicity of their period–luminosity and period–Wesenheit (PL and PW) relations has deep consequences for the estimate of the Hubble constant (H0). Aims. We investigate the dependence on metal abundance ([Fe/H]) of the PL and PW relations for Galactic DCEPs. Methods. We combined proprietary and literature photometric and spectroscopic data, gathering a total sample of 413 Galactic DCEPs (372 fundamental mode, DCEP_F, and 41 first-overtone, DCEP_1O) and constructed new metallicity-dependent PL and PW relations in the near-infrared adopting the astrometry-based luminosity. Results. We find indications that the slopes of the PL(KS) and PW(J, KS) relations for Galactic DCEPs might depend on metallicity on the basis of the comparison with the Large Magellanic Cloud relationships. Therefore we used a generalized form of the PL and PW relations to simultaneously take the metallicity dependence of the slope and intercept of these relations into account. Conclusions. We calculated PL and PW relations that for the first time explicitly include a metallicity dependence of the slope and intercept terms. The quality of the available data is insufficient, however, and we cannot yet present conclusive results, but they are relevant from a methodological point of view. The new relations are linked to the geometric measurement of the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud and allowed us to estimate a Gaia DR2 parallax zero-point offset Δϖ = 0.0615 ± 0.004 mas from the dataset of DCEPs used in this work.

In this paper, we present a detailed revision of the orbital parameters and the first quantitative abundance analysis of the spectroscopic triple system HD 226766. By means of a simultaneous fit of the radial velocities of all the three components, we derived precise orbital parameters for the system, in particular inner pair has P(d) = 31.9187 ± 0.0001, e = 0.28 ± 0.01, and MA/MB = 1.03 ± 0.03, while the C component orbits around the inner pair with a period of P(d) = 1615 ± 59 in a very eccentric orbit (e = 0.54 ± 0.11). From the fit of the Hβ and Hα profiles, we determined the effective temperatures and surface gravities of each component of the inner pair: Teff = 8600 ± 500 K and log g = 3.8 ± 0.2 for HD 226766 A and Teff = 8500 ± 400 K and log g = 4.0 ± 0.2 for HD 226766 B. In the hypothesis that component C is a main sequence star (log g = 4.0) we derived Teff = 8000 ± 500 K. Rotational velocities have been estimated by modeling the profiles of metallic lines: v sin i = 13 ± 1 km s-1 for inner pair and v sin i = 150 ± 20 km s-1 for the C component. We find that the inner pair is heterogeneous from the point of view of the chemical composition: both stars are very similar and show chemical anomalies typical of Am stars. With some hypothesis about the masses of the components, we estimated the orbital inclination angle for the inner binary, i = (47 ± 1)○, and for the outer orbit, i = (54 ± 19)○.

In this paper, we present the results of a spectroscopic campaign devoted to ascertain the actual nature of a sample of 155 objects reported as uncertain peculiar stars in the General catalogue of Ap, Am, and HgMn stars. Spectroscopic observations have been obtained with Catania Astrophysical Observatory Spectropolarimeter. We derive for all the objects that appear to be single stars, effective temperature, gravity, rotational and radial velocities, and chemical abundances by spectral synthesis method, then by using an abundance-based criterion we selected 62 Am star candidates. Further, by using the positions of these stars within the theoretical instability strips for δ Sct and γ Dor in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, we selected 46 out of 62 candidates to be possible pulsating stars, in particular 42 are candidates δ Sct and four candidates hybrid stars.

The NASA Kepler satellite has provided unprecedented high duty-cycle, high-precision light curves for a large number of stars by continuously monitoring a field of view in Cygnus-Lyra region, leading to great progress in both discovering exoplanets and characterizing planet-hosting stars by means of asteroseismic methods. The asteroseismic survey allows the investigation of stars covering the whole H-R diagram. However, the low precision of effective temperatures and surface gravities in the KIC catalogue and the lack of information on chemical composition, metallicity and rotation rate prevent asteroseismic modeling, requiring spectroscopic observations for thousands of asteroseismic targets in the Kepler field in a homogeneous way.

The {\it Kepler} space mission and its {\it K2} extension provide photometric time series data with unprecedented accuracy. These data challenge our current understanding of the metallic-lined A stars (Am stars) for what concerns the onset of pulsations in their atmospheres. It turns out that the predictions of current diffusion models do not agree with observations. To understand this discrepancy, it is of crucial importance to obtain ground-based spectroscopic observations of Am stars in the {\it Kepler} and {\it K2} fields in order to determine the best estimates of the stellar parameters. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of high-resolution spectroscopic data for seven stars previously classified as Am stars. We determine the effective temperatures, surface gravities, projected rotational velocities, microturbulent velocities and chemical abundances of these stars using spectral synthesis. These spectra were obtained with {\it CAOS}, a new instrument recently installed at the observing station of the Catania Astrophysical Observatory on Mt. Etna. Three stars have already been observed during quarters Q0-Q17, namely: HD\,180347, HD\,181206, and HD\,185658, while HD\,43509 was already observed during {\it K2} C0 campaign. We confirm that HD\,43509 and HD\,180347 are Am stars, while HD 52403, HD\,50766, HD\,58246, HD\,181206 and HD\,185658 are marginal Am stars. By means of non-LTE analysis, we derived oxygen abundances from O{\sc I}$\lambda$7771--5{\AA} triplet and we also discussed the results obtained with both non-LTE and LTE approaches., Comment: accepted in MNRAS main journal 13 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1404.0954

We present new spectroscopic observations of the early type, double-lined eclipsing binary V1441\,Aql. The radial velocities and the available photometric data obtained by $ASAS$ is analysed for deriving the parameters of the components. The components of V1441\,Aql are shown to be a B3\,IV primary with a mass M$_p$=8.02$\pm$0.51 M$_{\odot}$ and radius R$_p$=7.33$\pm$0.19 R$_{\odot}$ and a B9 III secondary with a mass M$_s$=1.92$\pm$0.14 M$_{\odot}$ and radius R$_s$=4.22$\pm$0.11 R$_{\odot}$. Our analyses show that V1441\,Aql is a double-contact system with rapidly rotating components. Based on the position of the components plotted on the theoretical Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, we estimate that the ages of V1441\,Aql is about 30\,Myr, neglecting the effects of mass exchange between the components. Using the UBVJHK magnitudes and interstellar absorption we estimated the mean distance to the system V1441\,Aql as 550$\pm$25\,pc., 21 Pages, 4 Figures, Accepted by NEW Astronomy

A new investigation of the variability of the SPB-type star 53 Per is presented. The analysis of the BRITE photometry allowed us to determine eight independent frequencies and the combination one. Five of these frequencies and the combination one were not known before. In addition, we gathered more than 1800 new moderate and high-resolution spectra of 53 Per spread over approximately six months. Their frequency analysis revealed four independent frequencies and the combination one, all consistent with the BRITE results., 2 pages, accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the PAS (Proc. of the 2nd BRITE Science conference, Innsbruck)

In this paper we present a detailed analysis of a sample of eight Am stars, four of them are in the Kepler field of view. We derive fundamental parameters for all observed stars, effective temperature, gravity, rotational and radial velocities, and chemical abundances by spectral synthesis method. Further, to place these stars in the HR diagram, we computed their luminosity. Two objects among our sample, namely HD114839 and HD179458 do not present the typical characteristic of Am stars, while for the others six we confirm their nature. The behavior of lithium abundance as a function of the temperature with respect the normal A-type stars has been also investigated, we do not find any difference between metallic and normal A stars. All the pulsating Am stars present in our sample (five

The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) at the Xinglong observatory in China is a 4-m telescope equipped with 4,000 optical fibres. In 2010, we initiated the LAMOST-Kepler project which aimed at collecting low-resolution spectra of stars from the Kepler Input Catalog covering uniformly the Kepler field of view. The first round of the LAMOST-Kepler project has been completed in September 2014 resulting in more than 100,000 low-resolution spectra. We used those data to derive the effective temperature, the surface gravity, and the mean metallicity of our targets, as well as to detect fast rotators, and to identify emission-line stars. Our results are consistent with those reported in the literature and derived from high-resolution spectroscopy. The second round of the LAMOST-Kepler project will allow to improve the coverage of the Kepler field and to repeat observations of selected targets.

KIC 8677585 is a roAp star in the Kepler field which is unique in that there are four lowfrequency variations of unknown origin in addition to more than twenty high-frequency roAp modes. We analysed all available spectroscopy and conclude that the star has a constant radial velocity and most likely not a binary. We estimate its effective temperature to be Teff = 7300±200 K from high-dispersion spectra. We present an analysis of 829 d of Kepler short-cadence data which shows clear frequency and amplitude variations with a timescale of months. The dominant low-frequency peak at 3.142 d 1 has the same frequency and amplitude variation as one of the roAp modes. We therefore conclude that the low frequencies are oscillations in the roAp star itself, but the driving mechan ism is unknown. We find several frequency spacings among the roAp modes equal to the dominant low frequency, suggestive of nonlinear interactions. There is also a clear spacing of 37.2µHz which we interpret as the large separation and deduce that logg = 3.90 ± 0.03. Models with these parameters which take into account the effect of the magnetic field on the oscil lations are able to reproduce the observed range of roAp frequencies, but not the observed large separation. It is found that the properties of the oscillations are sensitive to the assumed stellar parameters and that a more detailed analysis is required. The fact that low frequencie s are closely coupled to the roAp frequencies calls into question our current understanding of pulsation in these stars.

In this paper we present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of the suspected marginal Am star HD\,71297. Our goal is to test the accuracy of two different approaches to determine the atmospheric parameters effective temperature, gravity, projected rotational velocity, and chemical abundances. The methods used in this paper are: classical spectral synthesis and the {\it Versatile Wavelength Analysis} ({\sl VWA}) software. Since our star is bright and very close to the Sun, we were able to determine its effective temperature and gravity directly through photometric, interferometric, and parallax measurements. The values found were taken as reference to which we compare the values derived by spectroscopic methods. Our analysis leads us to conclude that the spectroscopic methods considered in this study to derive fundamental parameters give consistent results, if we consider all the sources of experimental errors, that have been discussed in the text. In addition, our study shows that the spectroscopic results are quite as accurate as those derived from direct measurements. As for the specific object analyzed here, according to our analysis, HD\,71297 has chemical abundances not compatible with the previous spectral classification. We found moderate underabundances of carbon, sodium, magnesium, and iron-peak elements, while oxygen, aluminum, silicon, sulfur, and heavy elements (Z $\geq$ 39) are solar in content. This chemical pattern has been confirmed by the calculations performed with both methods., Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures. MNRAS Accepted

We summarize the results of the completed first round of the LAMOST-Kepler project, and describe the status of its on-going second round. As a result of the first round of this project, the atmospheric parameters (Teff, log g, and [Fe/H]), the spectral classification (spectral type and luminosity class), and the radial velocities (RV) have been measured for 51,385 stars. For 4031 stars, we were able to measure the projected rotational velocity, while the minimum detectable v sin i was 120 km s-1. For 8821 stars with more than one observation, we computed the χ-square probability that the detected RV variations have a random occurrence. Finally, we classified 442 stars as chromospherically active on the basis of the analysis of their Hα and Ca II-IRT fluxes. All our results have been obtained from the low-resolution (R ∼ 1800) spectroscopic observations acquired with the LAMOST instrument. Based on observations collected with the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) located at the Xinglong Observatory, China.

In this work we use the semi-empirical atmospheric modeling method to obtain the chro-mospheric temperature, pressure, density and magnetic field distribution versus height in the K2 primary component of the RS CVn binary system HR 7428. While temperature, pressure, density are the standard output of the semi-empirical modeling technique, the chromospheric magnetic field estimation versus height comes from considering the possibility of not im-posing hydrostatic equilibrium in the semi-empirical computation. The stability of the best non-hydrostatic equilibrium model, implies the presence of an additive (toward the center of the star) pressure, that decreases in strength from the base of the chromosphere toward the outer layers. Interpreting the additive pressure as magnetic pressure we estimated a magnetic field intensity of about 500 gauss at the base of the chromosphere., Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, 1 table

The sharp-line spectrum of the Bp star HR 6000 has peculiarities that distinguish it from those of the HgMn stars with which it is sometimes associated. The position of the star close to the center of the Lupus 3 molecular cloud, whose estimated age is on the order of 9.1 +/- 2.1 Myr, has lead to the hypothesis that the anomalous peculiarities of HR 6000 can be explained by the young age of the star. Observational material from HST provides the opportunity to extend the abundance analysis previously performed for the optical region and clarify the properties of this remarkable peculiar star. Our aim was to obtain the atmospheric abundances for all the elements observed in a broad region from 1250 to 10000 A. An LTE synthetic spectrum was compared with a high-resolution spectrum observed with STIS equipment in the 1250-3040 A interval. The adopted model is an ATLAS12 model already used for the abundance analysis of a high-resolution optical spectrum observed at ESO with UVES. The stellar parameters are Teff=13450K, logg=4.3, and zero microturbulent velocity. Abundances for 28 elements and 7 upper limits were derived from the ultraviolet spectrum. Adding results from previous work, we have now quantitative results for 37 elements, some of which show striking contrasts with those of a broad sample of HgMn stars. The analysis has pointed out ionization anomalies and line-to-line variation in the derived abundances, in particular for silicon. The inferred discrepancies could be explained by non-LTE effects and with the occurrence of diffusion and vertical abundance stratification. In the framework of the last hypothesis, we obtained, by means of trial and error, empirical step functions of abundance versus optical depth log(tau_5000) for carbon, silicon, manganese, and gold, while we failed to find such a function for phosphorous., Accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics for publication

The LAMOST-Kepler survey, whose spectra are analyzed in the present paper, is the first large spectroscopic project aimed at characterizing these sources. Our work is focused at selecting emission-line objects and chromospherically active stars and on the evaluation of the atmospheric parameters. We have used a version of the code ROTFIT that exploits a wide and homogeneous collection of real star spectra, i.e. the Indo US library. We provide a catalog with the atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, [Fe/H]), the radial velocity (RV) and an estimate of the projected rotation velocity (vsini). For cool stars (Teff, A&A accepted, 16 pages, 18 figures, 3 appendices

We show that the star KIC 4840675 observed by Kepler is composed of three stars with a rapidly rotating A-type star and two solar-type fainter companions. The A-type star is a δ Scuti variable with a dominant mode and many other modes of lower amplitude, including several low-frequency variations. The low-frequency variation with highest amplitude can be interpreted as rotational modulation with the light curve changing with time. However, the most interesting aspect of this star is a triplet of independent modes in the range 118–129 d −1 (1.4–1.5 mHz), which is far outside the range of typical δ Scuti frequencies. We discuss the possibility that these modes could be solar-like oscillations, oscillations of the roAp type or due to an unseen pulsating compact companion.

We analyze a high-resolution spectrum of the A3m star HD27411. We compare abundances derived from ATLAS9 model atmospheres with those using the more computationally-intensive ATLAS12 code. We found very little differences in the abundances, suggesting that ATLAS9 can be used for moderate chemical peculiarity. Our abundances agree well with the predictions of diffusion theory, though for some elements it was necessary to calculate line profiles in non-thermodynamic equilibrium to obtain agreement. We investigate the effective temperatures and luminosities of Am/Fm stars using synthetic Stromgren indices derived from calculated spectra with the atmospheric abundances of HD27411. We find that the effective temperatures of Am/Fm stars derived from Stromgren photometry are reliable, but the luminosities are probably too low. Caution is required when deriving the reddening of these stars owing to line blanketing effects. A comparison of the relative proportions of pulsating and non-pulsating Am stars with delta Scuti stars shows quite clearly that there is no significant decrease of helium in the driving zone, contrary to current models of diffusion.

We analyse Kepler observations of the high-amplitude δ Scuti (HADS) star V2367 Cyg (KIC 9408694). The variations are dominated by a mode with frequency f1= 5.6611 d−1. Two other independent modes with f2= 7.1490 d−1 and f3= 7.7756 d−1 have amplitudes an order of magnitude smaller than f1. Nearly all the light variation is due to these three modes and their combination frequencies, but several hundred other frequencies of very low amplitude are also present. The amplitudes of the principal modes may vary slightly with time. The star has twice the projected rotational velocity of any other HADS star, which makes it unusual. We find a correlation between the phases of the combination frequencies and their pulsation frequencies, which is not understood. Since modes of highest amplitude in HADS stars are normally radial modes, we assumed that this would also be true in this star. However, attempts to model the observed frequencies as radial modes without mode interaction were not successful. For a star with such a relatively high rotational velocity, it is important to consider the effect of mode interaction. Indeed, when this was done, we were able to obtain a model in which a good match with f1 and f2 is obtained, with f1 being the fundamental radial mode.

Delta Scuti (delta Sct) stars are opacity-driven pulsators with masses of 1.5-2.5M$_{\odot}$, their pulsations resulting from the varying ionization of helium. In less massive stars such as the Sun, convection transports mass and energy through the outer 30 per cent of the star and excites a rich spectrum of resonant acoustic modes. Based on the solar example, with no firm theoretical basis, models predict that the convective envelope in delta Sct stars extends only about 1 per cent of the radius, but with sufficient energy to excite solar-like oscillations. This was not observed before the Kepler mission, so the presence of a convective envelope in the models has been questioned. Here we report the detection of solar-like oscillations in the delta Sct star HD 187547, implying that surface convection operates efficiently in stars about twice as massive as the Sun, as the ad hoc models predicted., to appear as a Letter to Nature

We present the analysis of the time series observations of CoRoT\,102699796 obtained by the CoRoT satellite that show the presence of five independent oscillation frequencies in the range 3.6-5 c/d. Using spectra acquired with FLAMES@VLT, we derive the following stellar parameters: spectral type F1V, T$_{\rm eff}$=7000$\pm$200 K, log(g)=$3.8\pm0.4$, [M/H]=$-1.1\pm0.2$, $v$sin$i$=$50\pm5$ km/s, L/L$_{\odot}$=21$^{+21}_{-11}$. Thus, for the first time we report the existence of a metal poor, intermediate-mass PMS pulsating star. Ground-based and satellite data are used to derive the spectral energy distribution of CoRoT\,102699796 extending from the optical to mid-infrared wavelengths. The SED shows a significant IR excess at wavelengths greater than $\sim5 \mu$. We conclude that CoRoT\,102699796 is a young Herbig Ae (F1Ve) star with a transitional disk, likely associated to the HII region [FT96]213.1-2.2. The pulsation frequencies have been interpreted in the light of the non-radial pulsation theory, using the LOSC code in conjunction with static and rotational evolutionary tracks. A minimization algorithm was used to find the best-fit model with M=1.84 M$_{\odot}$, T$_{\rm eff}$=6900 K which imply an isochronal age of t$\sim$2.5 Myr. This result is based on the interpretation of the detected frequencies as $g$-modes of low-moderate $n$-value. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such modes are identified in a intermediate-mass PMS pulsating star. Since CoRoT\,102699796 lies in the region of the HR diagram where the $\delta$ Sct and $\gamma$ Dor instability strips intersect, we argue that the observed pulsation characteristics are intermediate between these classes of variables, i.e. CoRoT\,102699796 is likely the first PMS hybrid $\gamma$ Dor-$\delta$ Sct pulsator ever studied.

We present the results of the asteroseismic analysis of the red-giant star KIC 4351319 (TYC 3124-914-1), observed for 30 days in short-cadence mode with the Kepler satellite. The analysis has allowed us to determine the large and small frequency separations, and the frequency of maximum oscillation power. The high signal-to-noise ratio of the observations allowed us to identify 25 independent pulsation modes whose frequencies range approximately from 300 to 500 muHz. The observed oscillation frequencies together with the accurate determination of the atmospheric parameters (effective temperature, gravity and metallicity), provided by additional ground-based spectroscopic observations, enabled us to theoretically interpret the observed oscillation spectrum. KIC 4351319 appears to oscillate with a well defined solar-type p-modes pattern due to radial acoustic modes and non-radial nearly pure p modes. In addition, several non-radial mixed modes have been identified. Theoretical models well reproduce the observed oscillation frequencies and indicate that this star, located at the base of the ascending red-giant branch, is in the hydrogen-shell burning phase, with a mass of about 1.3 solar masses, a radius of about 3.4 solar radii and an age of about 5.6 Gyr. The main parameters of this star have been determined with an unprecedent level of precision for a red-giant star, with uncertainties of 2% for mass, 7% for age, 1% for radius, and 4% for luminosity.

In the faint star KIC 9700322 observed by the Kepler satellite, 76 frequencies with amplitudes from 14 to 29000 ppm were detected. The two dominant frequencies at 9.79 and 12.57 c/d (113.3 and 145.5 \mu Hz), interpreted to be radial modes, are accompanied by a large number of combination frequencies. A small additional modulation with a 0.16 c/d frequency is also seen; this is interpreted to be the rotation frequency of the star. The corresponding prediction of slow rotation is confirmed by a spectrum from which v sin i = 19 \pm 1 km/s is obtained. The analysis of the spectrum shows that the star is one of the coolest {\delta} Sct variables. We also determine Teff = 6700 \pm 100 K and log g = 3.7 \pm 0.1, compatible with the observed frequencies of the radial modes. Normal solar abundances are found. An \ell = 2 frequency quintuplet is also detected with a frequency separation consistent with predictions from the measured rotation rate. A remarkable result is the absence of additional independent frequencies down to an amplitude limit near 14 ppm, suggesting that the star is stable against most forms of nonradial pulsation. The frequency spectrum of this star emphasizes the need for caution in interpreting low frequencies in {\delta} Sct stars as independent gravity modes. A low frequency peak at 2.7763 c/d in KIC 9700322 is, in fact, the frequency difference between the two dominant modes and is repeated over and over in various frequency combinations involving the two dominant modes. The relative phases of the combination frequencies show a strong correlation with frequency, but the physical significance of this result is not clear.

We present an analysis of high-resolution spectra for two pulsating Am stars in the Kepler field. The stellar parameters derived in this way are important because parameters derived from narrow-band photometry may be affected by the strong metal lines in these stars. We analyse the Kepler time series of ten known Am stars and find that six of them clearly show δ Scuti pulsations. The other four appear to be non-pulsating. We derive fundamental parameters for all known pulsating Am stars from ground-based observations and also for the Kepler Am stars to investigate the location of the instability strip for pulsating Am stars. We find that there is not much difference between the Am-star instability strip and the δ Scuti instability strip. We find that the observed location of pulsating Am stars in the HR diagram does not agree with the location predicted from diffusion calculations.

Through the observational study of stellar pulsations, the internal structure of stars can be probed and theoretical models can be tested. The main sequence -γ Doradus (Dor) and δ Scuti (Sct) stars with masses 1.2–2.5 M⊙ are particularly interesting for asteroseismic study. The -γ Dor stars pulsate in high-order gravity (g) modes, with pulsational periods of order of one day. The δ Sct stars, on the other hand, show low-order g and pressure (p) modes with periods of order of 2 hours. Theory predicts the existence of ‘hybrid’ stars, i.e. stars pulsating in both types of modes, in an overlap region between the instability strips of -γ Dor and δ Sct stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Hybrid stars are particularly interesting as the two types of modes probe different regions of the stellar interior and hence provide complementary model constraints. Before the advent of Kepler, only a few hybrid stars had been confirmed. The Kepler satellite is providing a true revolution in the study of and search for hybrid stars. Analysis of the first 50 days of Kepler data of hundreds of -γ Dor and δ Sct candidates reveals extremely rich frequency spectra, with most stars showing frequencies in both the δ Sct and -γ Dor frequency range. As these results show that there are practically no pure δ Sct or -γ Dor pulsators, a new observational classification scheme is proposed by Grigahcene et al. (2010). We present their results and characterize 234 stars in terms of δ Sct, -γ Dor, δ Sct/-γ Dor or -γ Dor/δ Sct hybrids (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

We report spectroscopic observations for 19 $\delta$\,Sct candidates observed by the {\it Kepler} satellite both in long and short cadence mode. For all these stars, by using spectral synthesis, we derive the effective temperature, the surface gravity and the projected rotational velocity. An equivalent spectral type classification has been also performed for all stars in the sample. These determinations are fundamental for modelling the frequency spectra that will be extracted from the {\it Kepler} data for asteroseismic inference. For all the 19 stars, we present also periodograms obtained from {\it Kepler} data. We find that all stars show peaks in both low- ($\gamma$\,Dor; g mode) and high-frequency ($\delta$\,Sct; p mode) regions. Using the amplitudes and considering 5\,c/d as a boundary frequency, we classified 3 stars as pure $\gamma$\,Dor, 4 as $\gamma$\,Dor\,-\,$\delta$\ hybrid, Sct, 5 as $\delta$\,Sct\,-\,$\gamma$\,Dor hybrid, and 6 as pure $\delta$\,Sct. The only exception is the star KIC\,05296877 which we suggest could be a binary.

This study is an exploratory search to ascertain for the first time the detailed properties of σ Cas as a candidate pulsator of β Cephei type in view of future observing campaigns. This search is devoted to a precise characterization of the parameters of the star for verifying its location with respect to the β Cephei instability region and to a preliminary analysis of a possible spectral line-profile variability. The characterization of the parameters of the star was based both on spectroscopic observations carried out by us on October 2007 and literature data used to build its spectral energy distribution. The suspected pulsational variability of the star have been studied by analyzing the line-profile variability of the two spectral lines He i λ 5875.6 A and Si iii λ4552.6 A. The search for periodicity was performed by adopting the pixel-by-pixel method. From the analysis of the composite spectrum of σ Cas we derived the effective temperature and surface gravity. From literature values of distance, visual magnitude, bolometric correction and extinction we determined the luminosity and radius. By means of evolutionary tracks and isochrones we derived also mass and age. The values obtained pose σ Cas with a good certainty inside the β Cephei instability region. The line-profile variability analysis indicate a clear excess of oscillation power in the range 2–8 cycles d - 1 , with two prominent peaks at 3.00 and 5.32 cycles d - 1 , in the expected typical range of frequency of β Cephei pulsations. In this framework, it emerged that, besides the use of the canonical Si iii λ4552.6 A line for β Cephei pulsation studies, the He i λ5875.6 A line might be an additional suitable candidate for period and mode analysis in β Cephei stars.

Time resolved spectra of β Cep yield the following average results: T eff = 24000 ± 250 K, log g = 3.91 ± 0.05 and ζ =8.1 ± 0.9 km s -1 . Nitrogen, oxygen, neon, aluminium, silicon and sulfur abundances are solar while carbon, magnesium and iron are slightly underabundant. Pulsational amplitudes of ∇T eff ∼ 700 K and Alog g ∼ 0.2 dex are found from Hβ. The metal lines give similar amplitudes but centred on T eff ∼ 25 000 K. An upper limit of 1.0 km s -1 to the variability of the microturbulence is derived from the Si III triplet at 455 nm. The radial-velocity amplitude derived from the core of Hβ is ∼15 per cent greater than that from the metal lines.

Frequencies in oscillating $\beta$ Cephei stars are usually inferred by means of radial velocities measured from the SiIII triplet 4552-4574 A. These lines, relatively insensitive to the variation of Teff through a pulsation cycle, show small equivalent width variations. In this study we aimed to verify if the behavior of radial velocities and equivalent widths measured from other ions are compatible with the one observed from SiIII lines and than to verify the possible vertical stratification along the stellar atmosphere. For this reason we selected from our spectra a number of, unblended and well isolated, CII, NII and OII lines besides the famous SiIII triplet. All those lines cover the range in optical depth between -2.1 and -0.5. Unfortunately, we did not find any differences in the radial velocities behavior line-by-line and then we derived the frequency of the principal radial mode combining all the velocities derived from each spectral line separately. The inferred frequency was f1=5.249677+/-0.000007 c/d. Another important task we would like to accomplish with this paper is to make available to the community our large sample of spectroscopic data, that is 932 velocities and equivalent widths measured from our sample of C, N, O and Si lines. All the spectra were acquired at the 1-meter class telescope of the stellar station of the INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, in the period starting from July, the 27th 2005 to November, the 1st 2006., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, to be published in New Astronomy

We present the results of a study of a large sample of A and Am stars with spectral types from LAMOST and light curves from WASP. We find that, unlike normal A stars, $\delta$ Sct pulsations in Am stars are mostly confined to the effective temperature range 6900 $, Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 10 pages, 10 figures, 1 table

With the aim to test the present capability of the stellar surface lithium abundance in providing an estimation for the age of PMS stars, we analyze the case of the detached, double-lined, eclipsing binary system PAR 1802. For this system, the lithium age has been compared with the theoretical one, as estimated by applying a Bayesian analysis method on a large grid of stellar evolutionary models. The models have been computed for several values of chemical composition and mixing length, by means of the code FRANEC updated with the Trojan Horse reaction rates involving lithium burning.

In this paper, we present a multi-instrument analysis of the mercury-manganese star HD 49606. New spectroscopic observations have been obtained by us with Catania Astrophysical Observatory Spectropolarimeter (CAOS@OAC) and High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher-North@Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (HARPS-N@TNG). Combining these observations with archive data coming from other instruments, we performed a comprehensive analysis of this star. We highlight the motion around the centre of mass of a binary system of SB1 type, and we calculate the fundamental parameters characterizing its orbit. We also speculate on the nature of the unseen component. From the fit of H β and H γ, we determined the effective temperature and gravity, while from a number of metal lines, we derive the rotational and microturbulent velocities. Regarding chemical composition, we found underabundances of helium, oxygen, magnesium, sulfur and nickel, solar composition for carbon and overabundances for all the other elements. In particular, mercury abundance is derived taking into account an isotopic mixture different from the terrestrial one. As to magnesium, silicon and phosphorus, we found a non-constant abundance with the optical depth, a result currently considered an evidence of stratification. Spectropolarimetric observations have been performed in the attempt to highlight the presence of a magnetic field, but no detection has been found.

High-resolution spectroscopic observations of the rapidly rotating delta Scuti star gamma Bootis have been carried out on 2005, over 6 consecutive nights, in order to search for line-profile variability. Time series, consisting of flux measurements at each wavelength bin across the TiII 4571.917 A line profile as a function of time, have been Fourier analyzed. The results confirm the early detection reported by Kennelly et al. (1992) of a dominant periodic component at frequency 21.28 c/d in the observer's frame, probably due to a high azimuthal order sectorial mode. Moreover, we found other periodicities at 5.06 c/d, 12.09 c/d, probably present but not secure, and at 11.70 c/d and 18.09 c/d, uncertain. The latter frequency, if present, should be identifiable as another high azimuthal order sectorial mode and three additional terms, probably due to low-l modes, as proved by the analysis of the first three moments of the line. Owing to the short time baseline and the one-site temporal sampling we consider our results only preliminary but encouraging for a more extensive multisite campaign. A refinement of the atmospheric physical parameters of the star has been obtained from our spectroscopic data and adopted for preliminary computations of evolutionary models of gamma Bootis.

We present light curves and periodograms for 27 stars in the young Upper Scorpius association (age=$11 \pm 1$\,Myr) obtained with the Kepler spacecraft. This association is only the second stellar grouping to host several pulsating pre-main sequence (PMS) stars which have been observed from space. From an analysis of the periodograms, we identify six $\delta$~Scuti variables and one $\gamma$~Doradus star. These are most likely PMS stars or else very close to the zero-age main sequence. Four of the $\delta$~Scuti variables were observed in short-cadence mode, which allows us to resolve the entire frequency spectrum. For these four stars, we are able to infer some qualitative information concerning their ages. For the remaining two $\delta$~Scuti stars, only long-cadence data are available, which means that some of the frequencies are likely to be aliases. One of the stars appears to be a rotational variable in a hierarchical triple system. This is a particularly important object, as it allows the possibility of an accurate mass determination when radial velocity observations become available. We also report on new high-resolution echelle spectra obtained for some of the stars of our sample., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication on MNRAS

The abundance pattern of six stars classified as suspected chemically peculiar in the General Catalogue of Ap and Am stars by Renson has been derived to ascertain the real nature of these objects. Spectroscopic observations in the range λλ4800–5600 Å have been carried out at the stellar station of the INAF – Catania Astrophysical Observatory. Among the studied stars, for only three of them we confirmed their peculiarity, HD 155102 being a silicon star, HD 159082 a mercury–manganese star and HD 162132 a moderate metallic A-type star. The other three objects have chemical abundances not so different from the standard values derived in the literature for A-type stars and, furthermore, they do not show light variability. Hence, we suggest that they could be ruled out from Renson's catalogue.

We present a detailed study of the suspected Chemically Peculiar star HD 207538 based on high resolution spec- troscopy in the far Ultraviolet (1000-3350 A) and visible (4600-7000 A) ranges. The stellar abundance synthesis analysis was performed by using Kurucz's codes ATLAS9 and SYNTHE to compute the atmospheric model and the synthetic spectrum respectively. Observations were obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer ,t heInternational Ultraviolet Explorersatellites whereas the optical spectrum was collected with the ground-based Telescopio Nazionale Galileotelescope. With our analysis we refine the value of the rotational velocity to ve sin i = 42 3k m s 1 and the microturbulence velocity to = 8 1k m s 1 . The stellar abundances inferred in this study show that C, N, O, Al, Si, P, S and Mn are compatible with the standard solar abundances, within the experimental errors. On the other hand, Fe, Ni and Zn are definitively underabundant. We also show that the helium content is comparable to the typical abundance of B-type stars. Because this spectrum is rich in stellar and interstellar features, we computed simultaneously a synthetic spectrum of the stellar and interstellar lines in order to disentangle the dierent absorption contributions. We thus also determined the column densi- ties of several interstellar elements (Feii ,N i ,P ii ,H i ,H 2, HD, CO, Cli and Ari) present in the gas in front of the star. Although several components are present along this sightline, our results suggest the presence of some translucent interstellar gas among the diuse components. With this work, we demonstrate that it is possible to perform a stellar spectroscopic analysis from the far-UV to visible spectral range, with consistent results in both ranges within errors, based on one single atmosphere model.