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Context. The Villafranca project is combining Gaia data with ground-based surveys to analyze Galactic stellar groups (clusters, associations, or parts thereof) with OB stars. Aims. We want to analyze the poorly studied cluster Stock 18 within the Villafranca project, as it is a very young stellar cluster with a symmetrical and compact H II region around it, Sh 2-170, so it is likely to provide insights into the structure and dynamics of such objects at an early stage of their evolution. Methods. We used Gaia astrometry, photometry, spectrophotometry, and variability data as well as ground-based spectroscopy and imaging to determine the characteristics of Stock 18. We used these data to analyze its core, massive star population, extinction, distance, membership, internal dynamics, density profile, IMF, stellar variability, and Galactic location. Results. Stock 18 is a very young (∼1.0 Ma) cluster located at a distance of 2.91 ± 0.10 kpc and is dominated by the GLS 13 370 system, whose primary (Aa) is an O9 V star. We propose that Stock 18 was in a very compact state (∼0.1 pc) about 1.0 Ma ago and that most massive stars were ejected at that time without significantly affecting the less massive stars as a result of multi-body dynamical interactions. Different age estimates also point toward an age close to 1.0 Ma, indicating that the dynamical interactions took place very shortly after massive star formation. Well-defined expanding stellar clusters have been observed before, but none are as young as this one. If we include all of the stars, the initial mass function is top heavy, but if we discard the ejected ones, it becomes nearly canonical. Therefore, this is another example (in addition to the previous one we found – the Bermuda cluster) of (a) a very young cluster with an already evolved present day mass function (b) that has significantly contributed to the future population of free-floating compact objects. If confirmed in more clusters, the number of such compact objects may be higher in the Milky Way than previously thought. Stock 18 has a variable extinction with an average value of R5495 higher than the canonical one of 3.1. We have discovered a new visual component (Ab) in the GLS 13 370 system. The cluster is above our Galactic mid-plane, likely as a result of the Galactic warp, and it has a distinct motion with respect to its surrounding old population, which is possibly an influence of the Perseus spiral arm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The complex dynamics of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and the resulting stellar winds have a significant impact on the measurements of stellar parameters and amplify their uncertainties. Three-dimensional (3D) radiative hydrodynamic (RHD) simulations of convection suggest that convection-related structures at the surface of AGB star affect the photocentre displacement and the parallax uncertainty measured by Gaia. Aims. We explore the impact of the convection on the photocentre variability and aim to establish analytical laws between the photo-centre displacement and stellar parameters to retrieve such parameters from the parallax uncertainty. Methods. We used a selection of 31 RHD simulations with CO5BOLD and the post-processing radiative transfer code OPTIM3D to compute intensity maps in the Gaia G band [320–1050 nm]. From these maps, we calculated the photocentre position and temporal fluctuations. We then compared the synthetic standard deviation to the parallax uncertainty of a sample of 53 Mira stars observed with Gaia. Results. The simulations show a displacement of the photocentre across the surface ranging from 4 to 13% of the corresponding stellar radius, in agreement with previous studies. We provide an analytical law relating the pulsation period of the simulations and the photocentre displacement as well as the pulsation period and stellar parameters. By combining these laws, we retrieve the surface gravity, the effective temperature, and the radius for the stars in our sample. Conclusions. Our analysis highlights an original procedure to retrieve stellar parameters by using both state-of-the-art 3D numerical simulations of AGB stellar convection and parallax observations of AGB stars. This will help us refine our understanding of these giants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We use near-infrared, ground-based data from the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey to indirectly extend the astrometry provided by the Gaia catalog to objects in heavily extinct regions toward the Galactic bulge and plane that are beyond Gaia's reach. Methods. We made use of state-of-the-art techniques developed for high-precision astrometry and photometry with the Hubble Space Telescope to process the VVV data. We employed empirical, spatially variable, effective point spread functions and local transformations to mitigate the effects of systematic errors, like residual geometric distortion and image motion, and to improve measurements in crowded fields and for faint stars. We also anchored our astrometry to the absolute reference frame of Gaia Data Release 3. Results. We measure between 20 and 60 times more sources than Gaia in the region surrounding the Galactic center, obtaining a single-exposure precision of about 12 mas and a proper-motion precision of better than 1 mas yr−1 for bright, unsaturated sources. Our astrometry provides an extension of Gaia into the Galactic center. We publicly release the astro-photometric catalogs of the two VVV fields considered in this work, which contain a total of ~3.5 million sources. Our catalogs cover ~3 sq. deg, about 0.5% of the entire VVV survey area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Hypervelocity stars (HVSs) unbound to the Galaxy can be formed with extreme stellar interactions, for example close encounters with supermassive black holes or in massive star clusters, supernova explosions in binary systems, or the stripping of dwarf galaxies. Observational evidence comes from measurements of radial velocities (RVs) of objects crossing the outer Galactic halo and of tangential velocities based on high proper motions (HPMs) and distances of relatively nearby stars. Aims. I searched for new nearby HVS candidates and reviewed known objects using their Gaia astrometric measurements. Methods. Candidates were selected with significant Gaia parallaxes of >0.1mas, proper motions of >20 mas yr−1, and computed galactocentric tangential velocities vtan_g>500 km s−1. The DR2 and DR3 samples of several thousand HVS candidates were studied with respect to their proper motions, sky distribution, number of observations, location in crowded fields, colour-magnitude diagrams, selection effects with magnitude, and RVs in DR3. The 72 most extreme (vtan_g>700 km s−1) and nearest (within 4kpc) DR3 HVS candidates were investigated with respect to detected close neighbours, flags, and astrometric quality parameters of objects of similar magnitudes in DR3. The quality checks involved HPM objects in a global comparison and all objects in the vicinity of each target. Results. Spurious HPMs in the Galactic centre region led to false HVS interpretations in Gaia DR2 and are still present in DR3, although to a lesser extent. Otherwise there is good agreement between the HPMs of HVS candidates in DR2 and DR3. However, HVS candidates selected from DR2 tend to have larger parallaxes, and hence lower tangential velocities in DR3. Most DR3 RVs are much lower than the tangential velocities, indicating that the DR3 HVS candidates are still affected by underestimated parallaxes. None of the 72 extreme nearby DR3 HVS candidates, including three D6 stars, passed all the quality checks. Their tangential velocities may turn out to be lower, but at least some of them still appear unbound to the Galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaia EDR3 has provided unprecedented data that has generated a great deal of interest in the astrophysical community, even though systematics affect the reported parallaxes at the level of ∼10 μas. Independent distance measurements are available from asteroseismology of red-giant stars with measurable parallaxes, whose magnitude and colour ranges more closely reflect those of other stars of interest. In this paper we determine distances to nearly 12 500 red-giant-branch and red clump stars observed by Kepler, K2, and TESS. This was done via a grid-based modelling method, where global asteroseismic observables, and constraints on the photospheric chemical composition and on the unreddened photometry are used as observational inputs. This large catalogue of asteroseismic distances allows us to provide a first comparison with Gaia EDR3 parallaxes. Offset values estimated with asteroseismology show no clear trend with ecliptic latitude or magnitude, and the trend whereby they increase (in absolute terms) as we move towards redder colours is dominated by the brightest stars. The correction model proposed by Lindegren et al. (2021a) is not suitable for all the fields considered in this study. We find a good agreement between asteroseismic results and model predictions of the red clump magnitude. We discuss possible trends with the Gaia scan law statistics, and show that two magnitude regimes exist where either asteroseismology or Gaia provides the best precision in parallax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The early-third Gaia data release (EDR3) parallaxes constitute the most detailed and accurate dataset that currently can be used to determine stellar distances in the solar neighborhood. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement in their calibration and systematic effects can be further reduced in some circumstances. Aims. The aim of this paper is to determine an improved Gaia EDR3 parallax bias as a function of magnitude, color, and ecliptic latitude using a single method applied to stars in open clusters, globular clusters, the Large Magellanic Cloud, and the Small Magellanic Cloud. Methods. I study the behavior of the residuals or differences between the individual (stellar) parallaxes and the group parallaxes, which are assumed to be constant for the corresponding cluster or galaxy. This was done by first applying the Lindegren et al. (2021b, A&A, 649, A4) zero point and then calculating a new zero point from the residuals of the first analysis. Results. The Lindegren zero point shows very small residuals as a function of magnitude between individual and group parallaxes for G > 13 but significant ones for brighter stars, especially blue ones. The new zero point reduces those residuals, especially in the 9.2 < G < 13 range. The k factor that is used to convert from catalog parallax uncertainties to external uncertainties is small (1.1–1.7) for 9.2 < G < 11 and G > 13, intermediate (1.7–2.0) for 11 < G < 13, and large (>2.0) for G < 9.2. Therefore, significant corrections are needed to calculate distance uncertainties from Gaia EDR3 parallaxes for some stars. There is still room for improvement if future analyses add information from additional stellar clusters, especially for red stars with G < 11 and blue stars with G < 9.2. I also calculated k for stars with RUWE values between 1.4 and 8.0 and for stars with six-parameter solutions, allowing for a correct estiimation of their uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The high-precision parallax data of the Gaia mission allows for significant improvements in the distance determination to stellar clusters and their stars. In order to obtain accurate and precise distance determinations, systematics such as parallax spatial correlations need to be accounted for, especially with regard to stars in small sky regions. Aims. Our aim is to provide the astrophysical community with a free and open code designed to simultaneously infer cluster parameters (i.e., distance and size) and distances to the cluster stars using Gaia parallax measurements. The code includes cluster-oriented prior families and it is specifically designed to deal with the Gaia parallax spatial correlations. Methods. A Bayesian hierarchical model is created to allow for the inference of both the cluster parameters and distances to its stars. Results. Using synthetic data that mimics Gaia parallax uncertainties and spatial correlations, we observe that our cluster-oriented prior families result in distance estimates with smaller errors than those obtained with an exponentially decreasing space density prior. In addition, the treatment of the parallax spatial correlations minimizes errors in the estimated cluster size and stellar distances, and avoids the underestimation of uncertainties. Although neglecting the parallax spatial correlations has no impact on the accuracy of cluster distance determinations, it underestimates the uncertainties and may result in measurements that are incompatible with the true value (i.e., falling beyond the 2σ uncertainties). Conclusions. The combination of prior knowledge with the treatment of Gaia parallax spatial correlations produces accurate (error < 10%) and trustworthy estimates (i.e., true values contained within the 2σ uncertainties) of cluster distances for clusters up to ∼5 kpc, along with cluster sizes for clusters up to ∼1 kpc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Lupus is recognised as one of the closest star-forming regions, but the lack of trigonometric parallaxes in the pre-Gaia era hampered many studies on the kinematic properties of this region and led to incomplete censuses of its stellar population. Aims. We use the second data release of the Gaia space mission combined with published ancillary radial velocity data to revise the census of stars and investigate the 6D structure of the Lupus complex. Methods. We performed a new membership analysis of the Lupus association based on astrometric and photometric data over a field of 160 deg2 around the main molecular clouds of the complex and compared the properties of the various subgroups in this region. Results. We identified 137 high-probability members of the Lupus association of young stars, including 47 stars that had never been reported as members before. Many of the historically known stars associated with the Lupus region identified in previous studies are more likely to be field stars or members of the adjacent Scorpius-Centaurus association. Our new sample of members covers the magnitude and mass range from G ≃ 8 to G ≃ 18 mag and from 0.03 to 2.4 M⊙, respectively. We compared the kinematic properties of the stars projected towards the molecular clouds Lupus 1–6 and showed that these subgroups are located at roughly the same distance (about 160 pc) and move with the same spatial velocity. Our age estimates inferred from stellar models show that the Lupus subgroups are coeval (with median ages ranging from about 1 to 3 Myr). The Lupus association appears to be younger than the population of young stars in the Corona-Australis star-forming region recently investigated by our team using a similar methodology. The initial mass function of the Lupus association inferred from the distribution of spectral types shows little variation compared to other star-forming regions. Conclusions. In this paper, we provide an updated sample of cluster members based on Gaia data and construct the most complete picture of the 3D structure and 3D space motion of the Lupus complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Classical Cepheids provide the foundation for the empirical extragalactic distance ladder. Milky Way Cepheids are the only stars in this class accessible to trigonometric parallax measurements. However, the parallaxes of Cepheids from the second Gaia data release (GDR2) are affected by systematics because of the absence of chromaticity correction, and occasionally by saturation. Methods. As a proxy for the parallaxes of 36 Galactic Cepheids, we adopt either the GDR2 parallaxes of their spatially resolved companions or the GDR2 parallax of their host open cluster. This novel approach allows us to bypass the systematics on the GDR2 Cepheids parallaxes that is induced by saturation and variability. We adopt a GDR2 parallax zero-point (ZP) of −0.046 mas with an uncertainty of 0.015 mas that covers most of the recent estimates. Results. We present new Galactic calibrations of the Leavitt law in the V, J, H, KS, and Wesenheit WH bands. We compare our results with previous calibrations based on non-Gaia measurements and compute a revised value for the Hubble constant anchored to Milky Way Cepheids. Conclusions. From an initial Hubble constant of 76.18 ± 2.37 km s−1 Mpc−1 based on parallax measurements without Gaia, we derive a revised value by adopting companion and average cluster parallaxes in place of direct Cepheid parallaxes, and we find H0 = 72.8 ± 1.9 (statistical + systematics) ±1.9 (ZP) km s−1 Mpc−1 when all Cepheids are considered and H0 = 73.0 ± 1.9 (statistical + systematics) ±1.9 (ZP) km s−1 Mpc−1 for fundamental mode pulsators only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test the ability of two unsupervised machine learning algorithms, EnLink and Shared Nearest Neighbor (SNN), to identify stellar groupings in the Orion star-forming complex as an application to the 5D astrometric data from Gaia DR2. The algorithms represent two distinct approaches to limiting user bias when selecting parameter values and evaluating the relative weights among astrometric parameters. EnLink adopts a locally adaptive distance metric and eliminates the need for parameter tuning through automation. The original SNN relies only on human input for parameter tuning so we modified SNN to run in two stages. We first ran the original SNN 7000 times, each with a randomly generated sample according to within-source co-variance matrices provided in Gaia DR2 and random parameter values within reasonable ranges. During the second stage, we modified SNN to identify the most repeating stellar groups from the 25 798 we obtained in the first stage. We recovered 22 spatially and kinematically coherent groups in the Orion complex, 12 of which were previously unknown. The groups show a wide distribution of distances extending as far as about 150 pc in front of the star-forming Orion molecular clouds, to about 50 pc beyond them, where we, unexpectedly, find several groups. Our results reveal the wealth of sub-structure in the OB association, within and beyond the classical Blaauw Orion OBI sub-groups. A full characterization of the new groups is essential as it offers the potential to unveil how star formation proceeds globally in large complexes such as Orion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous star formation studies have, out of necessity, often defined a population of young stars confined to the proximity of a molecular cloud. Gaia allows us to examine a wider, three-dimensional structure of nearby star forming regions, leading to a new understanding of their history. We present a wide-area survey covering 494 deg2 of the Lupus complex, a prototypical low-mass star forming region. Our survey includes all known molecular clouds in this region as well as parts of the Upper Scorpius and Upper Centaurus Lupus (UCL) groups of the Sco-Cen complex. We combine Gaia DR2 proper motions and parallaxes as well as ALLWISE mid-infrared photometry to select young stellar objects (YSOs) with disks. The YSO ages are inferred from Gaia color-magnitude diagrams, and their evolutionary stages from the slope of the spectral energy distributions. We find 98 new disk-bearing sources. Our new sample includes objects with ages ranging from 1 to 15 Myr and masses ranging from 0.05 to 0.5 M⊙, and consists of 56 sources with thick disks and 42 sources with anemic disks. While the youngest members are concentrated in the clouds and at distances of 160 pc, there is a distributed population of slightly older stars that overlap in proper motion, spatial distribution, distance, and age with the Lupus and UCL groups. The spatial and kinematic properties of the new disk-bearing YSOs indicate that Lupus and UCL are not distinct groups. Our new sample comprises some of the nearest disks to Earth at these ages, and thus provides an important target for follow-up studies of disks and accretion in very low mass stars, for example with ALMA and ESO-VLT X-shooter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. In order to check the astrometric solution quality, dependences of parallaxes and proper motions on precision, reliability, and consistency of sample solutions are studied for the quasars in the celestial reference frame of the second release of Gaia data (Gaia- CRF2). Methods. Astrometric statistics (the number of visibility periods, the semi-major axis of the astrometric five-dimensional error ellipse 5d; max, the unit weight error u, the correlation coefficients μff• ;$ and μ°; $) were selected to serve as indicators of the solution qualities of quasars. The dependences of the astrometric parameters, parallaxes and proper motions, on these indicators are evaluated. We also investigated mean values of astrometric statistics in equal-area spherical cells to study the impact of the scanning law. Results. The astrometric parameters of quasars with fewer than 9 or more than 18 visibility periods show a departure from the global average. Moreover, the mean values of astrometric parameters of the most precise sources deviate from the others. Astrometric parameters are stable for those quasars fitting the five-parameter model well. The correlation coefficients, μff• ; $ and μ°; $ obtained from the astrometric solutions show a generally ideal distribution for the full sample. Spherical-cell mean values of these correlation coefficients are found to have a centrally asymmetric distribution. Distributions of two correlation coefficients are found to correlate with the number of visibility periods. The quasars with visibility periods in the domain [13; 16], with μff• ; $ and μ°; $ generally well-distributed have more reliable astrometric parameters. Magnitudes and colours are found to have little influence on the irregular patterns of the correlation coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The Orion complex is arguably the most studied star-forming region in the Galaxy. While stars are still being born in the Orion nebula, the oldest part was believed to be no more than 13 Myr old. Aims. In order to study the full hierarchy of star formation across the Orion complex, we perform a clustering analysis of the Ori OB1a region using new stellar surveys and derive robust ages for each identified stellar aggregate. Methods. We use Gaia DR2 parameters supplemented with radial velocities from the GALAH and APOGEE surveys to perform clustering of the Ori OB1a association. Five overdensities are resolved in a six-dimensional parameter space (positions, distance, proper motions, and radial velocity). Most correspond to previously known structures (ASCC 16, 25 Orionis, ASCC 20, ASCC 21). We use Gaia DR2, Pan-STARRS1 and 2MASS photometry to fit isochrones to the colour-magnitude diagrams of the identified clusters. The ages of the clusters can thus be measured with ∼10% precision. Results. While four of the clusters have ages between 11 and 13 Myr, the ASCC 20 cluster stands out at an age of 21 ± 3 Myr. This is significantly greater than the age of any previously known component of the Orion complex. To some degree, all clusters overlap in at least one of the six phase-space dimensions. Conclusions. We argue that the formation history of the Orion complex, and its relation to the Gould belt, must be reconsidered. A significant challenge in reconstructing the history of the Ori OB1a association is to understand the impact of the newly discovered 21 Myr old population on the younger parts of the complex, including their formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Recently published high-quality OmegaCAM photometry of the 3 × 3 deg around the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) in r, and i filters revealed three well-separated pre-main sequences in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). The objects belonging to the individual sequences are concentrated toward the center of the ONC. The authors concluded that there are two competitive scenarios: a population of unresolved binaries and triples with an exotic mass ratio distribution, or three stellar populations with different ages (≈1 Myr age differences). Aims. We use Gaia DR2 in combination with the photometric OmegaCAM catalog to test and confirm the presence of the putative three stellar populations. We also study multiple stellar systems in the ONC for the first time using Gaia DR2. Methods. We selected ONC members based on parallaxes and proper motions and take advantage from OmegaCAM photometry that performs better than Gaia DR2 photometry in crowded regions. We identify two clearly separated sequences with a third suggested by the data. We used Pisa stellar isochrones to estimate ages of the stellar populations with absolute magnitudes computed using Gaia parallaxes on a star by star basis. Results. (1) We confirm that the second and third sequence members are more centrally concentrated toward the center of the ONC. In addition we find an indication that the parallax and proper motion distributions are different among the members of the stellar sequences. The age difference among stellar populations is estimated to be 1−2 Myr. (2) We use Gaia proper motions and other measures to identify and remove as many unresolved multiple system candidates as possible. Nevertheless we are still able to recover two well-separated sequences with evidence for the third one, supporting the existence of the three stellar populations. (3) Due to having ONC members with negligible fore- or background contamination we were able to identify a substantial number of wide binary objects (separation between 1000 and 3000 au) and with relative proper motions of the binary components consistent with zero. This challenges previously inferred values that suggested no wide binary stars exist in the ONC. Our inferred wide-binary fraction is ≈5%. Conclusions. We confirm the three populations correspond to three separated episodes of star formation. Based on this result, we conclude that star formation is not happening in a single burst in this region. In addition we identify 5% of wide-binary stars in the ONC that were thought not to be present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The Sco OB2 association is the nearest OB association, extending over approximately 2000 square degrees on the sky. Only its brightest and most massive members are already known (from HIPPARCOS) across its entire size, while studies of its lower mass population refer only to small portions of its extent. Aims. In this work we exploit the capabilities of Gaia DR2 measurements to search for Sco OB2 members across its entire size and down to the lowest stellar masses. Methods. We used both Gaia astrometric (proper motions and parallaxes) and photometric measurements (integrated photometry and colors) to select association members, using minimal assumptions derived mostly from the HIPPARCOS studies. Gaia resolves small details in both the kinematics of individual Sco OB2 subgroups and their distribution with distance from the Sun. We developed methods to explore the 3D kinematics of a stellar population covering large sky areas. Results. We find nearly 11 000 pre-main-sequence (PMS) members of Sco OB2 (with less than 3% field-star contamination), plus ∼3600 main-sequence (MS) candidate members with a larger (10–30%) field-star contamination. A higher confidence subsample of ∼9200 PMS (and ∼1340 MS) members is also selected (<1% contamination for the PMS), however this group is affected by larger (∼15%) incompleteness. We separately classify stars in compact and diffuse populations. Most members belong to one of several kinematically distinct diffuse populations, whose ensemble clearly outlines the shape of the entire association. Upper Sco is the densest region of Sco OB2. It is characterized by a complex spatial and kinematical structure and has no global pattern of motion. Other dense subclusters are found in Lower Centaurus-Crux and in Upper Centaurus-Lupus; the richest example of the latter, which has been recently identified, is coincident with the group near V1062 Sco. Most of the clustered stars appear to be younger than the diffuse PMS population, suggesting star formation in small groups that rapidly disperse and are diluted, reaching space densities lower than field stars while keeping memory of their original kinematics. We also find that the open cluster IC 2602 has a similar dynamics to Sco OB2, and its PMS members are currently evaporating and forming a diffuse (size ∼10°) halo around its double-peaked core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. NGC 6530 is a young cluster, with a complex morphology and star-formation history. We present a statistical study of its global properties, using a new, large list of candidate members down to masses of 0.2−0.4 M⊙ and Gaia DR2 astrometry. Aims. We consider a larger sky region compared to previous studies, to investigate the entire cluster until its periphery, including any diffuse population all around the main cluster. We study the distribution of extinction and age across the different regions, and obtain constraints on the star-formation history. We also study the dynamics of cluster members. Methods. Cluster membership was determined on the basis of literature X-ray data, Hα emission, near-IR and UV excesses from the VPHAS+ and UKIDSS photometric surveys and published near-IR catalogs, and Gaia DR2 astrometry; moreover, we used a method for photometric selection of M-type pre-main-sequence cluster members, which we recently developed and used for other star-formation regions. The list of candidates includes nearly 3700 stars, of which we estimate approximately 2700 to be genuine NGC 6530 members. Results. Using Gaia parallaxes, the cluster distance is found to be 1325 pc, with errors of 0.5% (statistical) and 8.5% (systematic), in agreement with previous determinations. The cluster morphology and boundaries are established with great confidence, from the agreement between the subsamples of members selected using different criteria. There is no diffuse population of members around the cluster, but there are minor condensations of true members in addition to the two main groups in the cluster core and in the Hourglass nebula. Two such subgroups are spatially associated with the stars 7 Sgr (F2II-III) and HD 164536 (O7.5V). There is a definite pattern of sequential star formation across the cluster, within an age range from less than 0.5 Myr to ∼5 Myr. Extinction is spatially non-uniform, with part of the population still embedded or obscured by thick dust. The precise Gaia proper motion data indicate that the NGC 6530 parent cloud collided with the Galactic plane around 4 Myr ago, and we suggest that event as the trigger of the bulk of star formation in NGC 6530. The internal cluster dynamics is also partially resolved by the Gaia data, indicating expansion of the main cluster population with respect to its center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent study we analysed period–luminosity–metallicity (PLZ) relations for RR Lyrae stars using the Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) parallaxes. It built on a previous work that was based on the first Gaia Data Release (DR1), and also included period–luminosity (PL) relations for Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars. The method used to infer the relations from Gaia DR2 data and one of the methods used for Gaia DR1 data was based on a Bayesian model, the full description of which was deferred to a subsequent publication. This paper presents the Bayesian method for the inference of the parameters of PL(Z) relations used in those studies, the main feature of which is to manage the uncertainties on observables in a rigorous and well-founded way. The method encodes the probability relationships between the variables of the problem in a hierarchical Bayesian model and infers the posterior probability distributions of the PL(Z) relationship coefficients using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation techniques. We evaluate the method with several semi-synthetic data sets and apply it to a sample of 200 fundamental and first-overtone RR Lyrae stars for which Gaia DR1 parallaxes and literature Ks-band mean magnitudes are available. We define and test several hyperprior probabilities to verify their adequacy and check the sensitivity of the solution with respect to the prior choice. The main conclusion of this work, based on the test with semi-synthetic Gaia DR1 parallaxes, is the absolute necessity of incorporating the existing correlations between the period, metallicity, and parallax measurements in the form of model priors in order to avoid systematically biased results, especially in the case of non-negligible uncertainties in the parallaxes. The relation coefficients obtained here have been superseded by those presented in our recent paper that incorporates the findings of this work and the more recent Gaia DR2 measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Within a 200 pc sphere around the Sun, we search for the Hyades tidal tails in the Gaia DR2 dataset. Methods. We used a modified convergent-point method to search for stars with space velocities close to the space velocity of the Hyades cluster. Results. We find a clear indication for the existence of the Hyades tidal tails, a leading tail extending up to 170 pc from the centre of the Hyades with 292 stars (36 contaminants), and a trailing tail up to 70 pc with 237 stars (32 contaminants). A comparison with an N-body model of the cluster and its tails shows remarkably good coincidence. Five white dwarfs are found in the tails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the Gaia DR2 distances of about 700 mid-infrared selected young stellar objects in the benchmark giant molecular cloud Orion A to infer its 3D shape and orientation. We find that Orion A is not the fairly straight filamentary cloud that we see in (2D) projection, but instead a cometary-like cloud oriented toward the Galactic plane, with two distinct components: a denser and enhanced star-forming (bent) Head, and a lower density and star-formation quieter ∼75 pc long Tail. The true extent of Orion A is not the projected ∼40 pc but ∼90 pc, making it by far the largest molecular cloud in the local neighborhood. Its aspect ratio (∼30:1) and high column-density fraction (∼45%) make it similar to large-scale Milky Way filaments ("bones"), despite its distance to the galactic mid-plane being an order of magnitude larger than typically found for these structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. With our low-resolution spectroscopic observing programme for selected blue proper motion stars, we tried to find new white dwarfs (WDs) in the solar neighbourhood. Methods. We used the Lépine & Shara Proper Motion (LSPM) catalogue with a lower proper motion limit of 150 mas yr−1 and the Second US Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC2) for proper motions down to about 90 mas yr−1. The LSPM and UCAC2 photometry was combined with Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) near-infrared (NIR) photometry. Targets selected according to their blue optical-to-NIR and NIR colours were observed mainly at Calar Alto. The spectra were classified by comparison with a large number of already known comparison objects, including WDs, simultaneously observed within our programme. Gaia DR2 parallaxes and colours were used to confirm or reject spectroscopic WD candidates and to derive improved effective temperatures. Results. We found ten new WDs at distances between 24.4 pc and 79.8 pc, including six hot DA WDs: GD 221 (DA2.0), HD 166435 B (DA2.2), GD 277 (DA2.2), 2MASS J19293865+1117523 (DA2.4), 2MASS J05280449+4105253 (DA3.6), and 2MASS J05005185-0930549 (DA4.2). The latter is rather bright (G ≍ 12.6) and with its Gaia DR2 parallax of ≍14 mas it appears overluminous by about 3 mag compared to the WD sequence in the Gaia DR2 colour-magnitude diagram. It may be the closest extremely low mass (ELM) WD to the Sun. We further classified 2MASS J07035743+2534184 as DB4.1. With its distance of 25.6 pc it is the second nearest known representative of its class. With GD 28 (DA6.1), LP 740-47 (DA7.5), and LSPM J1919+4527 (DC10.3) three additional cool WDs were found. Gaia DR2 parallaxes show that four of our candidates, but also two previously supposed WDs (WD 1004+665 and LSPM J1445+2527) are in fact distant Galactic halo stars with high tangential velocities. Among our rejected WD candidates, we identified a bright (G = 13.4 mag) G-type carbon dwarf, LSPM J0937+2803, at a distance of 272 pc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We use parallax data from the Gaia second data release (GDR2), combined with parallax data based on HIPPARCOS and HST data, to derive the period–luminosity–metallicity (PLZ) relation for Galactic classical cepheids (CCs) in the V, K, and Wesenheit WVK bands. Methods. An initial sample of 452 CCs are extracted from the literature with spectroscopically derived iron abundances. Reddening values, classifications, pulsation periods, and mean V- and K-band magnitudes are taken from the literature. Based on nine CCs with a goodness-of-fit (GOF) statistic smaller than 8 and with an accurate non-Gaia parallax (σπ comparable to that in GDR2), a parallax zero-point offset of −0.049 ± 0.018 mas is derived. Selecting a GOF statistic smaller than 8 removes about 40% of the sample most likely related due to binarity. Excluding first overtone and multi-mode cepheids and applying some other criteria reduces the sample to about 200 stars. Results. The derived PL(Z) relations depend strongly on the parallax zero-point offset. The slope of the PL relation is found to be different from the relations in the LMC at the 3σ level. Fixing the slope to the value found in the LMC leads to a distance modulus (DM) to the LMC of order 18.7 mag, larger than the canonical distance. The canonical DM of around 18.5 mag would require a parallax zero-point offset of order −0.1 mas. Given the strong correlation between zero point, period and metallicity dependence of the PL relation, and the parallax zero-point offset there is no evidence for a metallicity term in the PLZ relation. Conclusions. The GDR2 release does not allow us to improve on the current distance scale based on CCs. The value of and the uncertainty on the parallax zero-point offset leads to uncertainties of order 0.15 mag on the distance scale. The parallax zero-point offset will need to be known at a level of 3 μas or better to have a 0.01 mag or smaller effect on the zero point of the PL relation and the DM to the LMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Chamaeleon I represents an ideal laboratory to study the cluster formation in a low-mass environment. Recently, two sub-clusters spatially located in the northern and southern parts of Chamaeleon I were found with different ages and radial velocities. Aims. In this Letter we report new insights into the structural properties, age, and distance of Chamaeleon I based on the astrometric parameters from Gaia data release 2 (DR2). Methods. We identified 140 sources with a reliable counterpart in the Gaia DR2 archive. We determined the median distance of the cluster using Gaia parallaxes and fitted the distribution of parallaxes and proper motions assuming the presence of two clusters. We derived the probability of each single source of belonging to the northern or southern sub-clusters, and compared the HR diagram of the most probable members to pre-main sequences isochrones. Results. The median distance of Chamaeleon I is ~190 pc. This is consistent with the revised estimate using the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution, but it is about 20 pc larger than the value commonly adopted in the literature. From a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test of the parallaxes and proper-motion distributions we conclude that the northern and southern clusters do not belong to the same parent population. The northern population has a distance dN = 192.7+0.4−0.4pc d N = 192.7 − 0.4 + 0.4 pc $ d_\mathrm N=192.7_{-0.4}^{+0.4}\text{pc} $ , while the southern one dS = 186.5+0.7−0.7pc d S = 186.5 − 0.7 + 0.7 pc $ \textstyle d_\mathrm S=186.5_{-0.7}^{+0.7}\text{pc} $. The two sub-clusters appear coeval, at variance with literature results, and most of the sources are younger than 3 Myr. The northern cluster is more elongated and extends towards the southern direction partially overlapping with the more compact cluster located in the south. A hint of a relative rotation between the two sub-clusters is also found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are characterised by complex stellar surface dynamics that affect the measurements and amplify the uncertainties on stellar parameters. The uncertainties in observed absolute magnitudes have been found to originate mainly from uncertainties in the parallaxes. The resulting motion of the stellar photocentre could have adverse effects on the parallax determination with Gaia. Aims. We explore the impact of the convection-related surface structure in AGBs on the photocentric variability. We quantify these effects to characterise the observed parallax errors and estimate fundamental stellar parameters and dynamical properties. Methods. We use three-dimensional (3D) radiative hydrodynamics simulations of convection with CO5BOLD and the post-processing radiative transfer code OPTIM3D to compute intensity maps in the Gaia G band [325–1030 nm]. From those maps, we calculate the intensity-weighted mean of all emitting points tiling the visible stellar surface (i.e. the photocentre) and evaluate its motion as a function of time. We extract the parallax error from Gaia data-release 2 (DR2) for a sample of semi-regular variables in the solar neighbourhood and compare it to the synthetic predictions of photocentre displacements. Results. AGB stars show a complex surface morphology characterised by the presence of few large-scale long-lived convective cells accompanied by short-lived and small-scale structures. As a consequence, the position of the photocentre displays temporal excursions between 0.077 and 0.198 AU (≈5 to ≈11% of the corresponding stellar radius), depending on the simulation considered. We show that the convection-related variability accounts for a substantial part of the Gaia DR2 parallax error of our sample of semi-regular variables. Finally, we present evidence for a correlation between the mean photocentre displacement and the stellar fundamental parameters: surface gravity and pulsation. We suggest that parallax variations could be exploited quantitatively using appropriate radiation-hydrodynamics (RHD) simulations corresponding to the observed star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a map of the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of dust in the Orion complex. Orion is the closest site of high-mass star formation, making it an excellent laboratory for studying the interstellar medium and star formation. We used data from the Gaia-TGAS catalogue combined with photometry from 2MASS and WISE to get the distances and extinctions of individual stars in the vicinity of the Orion complex. We use a Gaussian process and adopt a non-parametric method to infer the probability distribution function of the dust densities at arbitrary points throughout the region. We map the dust distribution towards different parts of the Orion complex. We find that the distance and depth of the cloud are compatible with other recent works, which show that the method can be applicable to local molecular clouds to map their 3D dust distribution. We also demonstrate the danger of only using colours of stars to derive their extinctions without considering further physical constraints, such as the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. V923 Sco is a bright (V = 5.91), nearby (π = 15.46 ± 0.40 mas) southern eclipsing binary. Because both components are slow rotators, the minimum masses of the components are known with 0.2% precision from spectroscopy. The system seems ideal for very precise mass, radius, and luminosity determinations and, owing to its proximity and long orbital period (~34.8 days), promises to be resolved with long-baseline interferometry. Aims. The principal aim is very accurate determinations of absolute stellar parameters for both components of the eclipsing binary and a model-independent determination of the distance. Methods. New high-precision photometry of both eclipses of V923 Sco with the MOST satellite was obtained. The system was spatially resolved with the VLTI AMBER, PIONIER, and GRAVITY instruments at nine epochs. Combining the projected size of the spectroscopic orbit (in km) and visual orbit (in mas) the distance to the system is derived. Simultaneous analysis of photometric, spectroscopic, and interferometric data was performed to obtain a robust determination of the absolute parameters. Results. Very precise absolute parameters of the components were derived in spite of the parameter correlations. The primary component is found to be overluminous for its mass. Combining spectroscopic and interferometric observations enabled us to determine the distance to V923 Sco with better than 0.2% precision, which provides a stringent test of Gaia parallaxes. Conclusions. It is shown that combining spectroscopic and interferometric observations of nearby eclipsing binaries can lead to extremely accurate parallaxes and stellar parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Using an accurate Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) 25 pc sample that is nearly complete for GK stars and selecting common proper motion (CPM) candidates from the 5th United States Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC5), we search for new white dwarf (WD) companions around nearby stars with relatively small proper motions. Methods. To investigate known CPM systems in TGAS and to select CPM candidates in TGAS+UCAC5, we took into account the expected effect of orbital motion on the proper motion and proper motion catalogue errors. Colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) MJ /J - Ks and MG /G - J were used to verify CPM candidates from UCAC5. Assuming their common distance with a given TGAS star, we searched for candidates that occupied similar regions in the CMDs as the few known nearby WDs (four in TGAS) and WD companions (three in TGAS+UCAC5). The CPM candidates with colours and absolute magnitudes corresponding neither to the main sequence nor to the WD sequence were considered as doubtful or subdwarf candidates. Results. With a minimum proper motion of 60 mas yr-1, we selected three WD companion candidates; two of which are also confirmed by their significant parallaxes measured in URAT data, whereas the third may also be a chance alignment of a distant halo star with a nearby TGAS star that has an angular separation of about 465 arcsec. One additional nearby WD candidate was found from its URAT parallax and GJKs photometry. With HD 166435 B orbiting a well-known G1 star at ≈24.6 pc with a projected physical separation of ≈700 AU, we discovered one of the hottest WDs, classified by us as DA2.0 ± 0.2, in the solar neighbourhood. We also found TYC 3980-1081-1 B, a strong cool WD companion candidate around a recently identified new solar neighbour with a TGAS parallax corresponding to a distance of ≈8.3 pc and our photometric classification as ≈M2 dwarf. This raises the question of whether previous assumptions on the completeness of the WD sample to a distance of 13 pc were correct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Parallaxes for 331 classical Cepheids, 31 Type II Cepheids, and 364 RR Lyrae stars in common between Gaia and the Hipparcos and Tycho-2 catalogues are published in Gaia Data Release 1 (DR1) as part of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS).Aims. In order to test these first parallax measurements of the primary standard candles of the cosmological distance ladder, which involve astrometry collected by Gaia during the initial 14 months of science operation, we compared them with literature estimates and derived new period-luminosity (PL), period-Wesenheit (PW) relations for classical and Type II Cepheids and infrared PL, PL-metallicity (PLZ), and optical luminosity-metallicity (MV-[Fe/H]) relations for the RR Lyrae stars, with zero points based on TGAS.Methods. Classical Cepheids were carefully selected in order to discard known or suspected binary systems. The final sample comprises 102 fundamental mode pulsators with periods ranging from 1.68 to 51.66 days (of which 33 with σϖ/ϖ< 0.5). The Type II Cepheids include a total of 26 W Virginis and BL Herculis stars spanning the period range from 1.16 to 30.00 days (of which only 7 with σϖ/ϖ< 0.5). The RR Lyrae stars include 200 sources with pulsation period ranging from 0.27 to 0.80 days (of which 112 with σϖ/ϖ< 0.5). The new relations were computed using multi-band (V,I,J,Ks) photometry and spectroscopic metal abundances available in the literature, and by applying three alternative approaches: (i) linear least-squares fitting of the absolute magnitudes inferred from direct transformation of the TGAS parallaxes; (ii) adopting astrometry-based luminosities; and (iii) using a Bayesian fitting approach. The last two methods work in parallax space where parallaxes are used directly, thus maintaining symmetrical errors and allowing negative parallaxes to be used. The TGAS-based PL,PW,PLZ, and MV- [Fe/H] relations are discussed by comparing the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud provided by different types of pulsating stars and alternative fitting methods.Results. Good agreement is found from direct comparison of the parallaxes of RR Lyrae stars for which both TGAS and HST measurements are available. Similarly, very good agreement is found between the TGAS values and the parallaxes inferred from the absolute magnitudes of Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars analysed with the Baade-Wesselink method. TGAS values also compare favourably with the parallaxes inferred by theoretical model fitting of the multi-band light curves for two of the three classical Cepheids and one RR Lyrae star, which were analysed with this technique in our samples. The K-band PL relations show the significant improvement of the TGAS parallaxes for Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars with respect to the Hipparcos measurements. This is particularly true for the RR Lyrae stars for which improvement in quality and statistics is impressive.Conclusions. TGAS parallaxes bring a significant added value to the previous Hipparcos estimates. The relations presented in this paper represent the first Gaia-calibrated relations and form a work-in-progress milestone report in the wait for Gaia-only parallaxes of which a first solution will become available with Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) in 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new proper motion and parallax measurements obtained with the European VLBI Network (EVN) at 5 GHz for the three isolated pulsars B1929+10, B2020+28, and B2021+51. For B1929+10 we combined our data with earlier VLBI measurements and confirm the robustness of the astrometric parameters of this pulsar. For pulsars B2020+28 and B2021+51 our observations indicate that both stars are almost a factor of two closer to the solar system than previously thought, placing them at a distance of 1:39-0.06+0.05 and 1:25-0.17+0.14 kpc. Using our new astrometry, we simulated the orbits of all three pulsars in the Galactic potential with the aim to confirm or reject previously proposed birth locations. Our observations ultimately rule out a claimed binary origin of B1929+10 and the runaway star ζ Ophiuchi in Upper Scorpius. A putative common binary origin of B2020+28 and B2021+51 in the Cygnus Superbubble is also very unlikely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The first release of astrometric data from Gaia will contain the mean stellar positions and magnitudes from the first year of observations, and proper motions from the combination of Gaia data with Hipparcos prior information (HTPM). Aims. We study the potential of using the positions from the Tycho-2 Catalogue as additional information for a joint solution with early Gaia data. We call this the Tycho-Gaia astrometric solution (TGAS). Methods. We adapt Gaia's Astrometric Global Iterative Solution (AGIS) to incorporate Tycho information, and use simulated Gaia observations to demonstrate the feasibility of TGAS and to estimate its performance. Results. Using six to twelve months of Gaia data, TGAS could deliver positions, parallaxes, and annual proper motions for the 2.5 million Tycho-2 stars, with sub-milliarcsecond accuracy. TGAS overcomes some of the limitations of the HTPM project and allows its execution half a year earlier. Furthermore, if the parallaxes from Hipparcos are not incorporated in the solution, they can be used as a consistency check of the TGAS/HTPM results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. High-precision astrometric and radial-velocity observations require accurate modelling of stellar motions in order to extrapolate measurements over long time intervals, and to detect deviations from uniform motion caused, for example, by unseen companions. Aims. We aim to explore the simplest possible kinematic model of stellar motions, namely that of uniform rectilinear motion relative to the solar system barycentre, in terms of observable quantities including error propagation. Methods. The apparent path equation for uniform rectilinear motion is solved analytically in a classical (special-relativistic) framework, leading to rigorous expressions that relate the (apparent) astrometric parameters and radial velocity to the (true) kinematic parameters of the star in the barycentric reference system. Results. We present rigorous and explicit formulae for the transformation of stellar positions, parallaxes, proper motions, and radial velocities from one epoch to another, assuming uniform rectilinear motion and taking light-time effects into account. The Jacobian matrix of the transformation is also given, allowing accurate and reversible propagation of errors over arbitrary time intervals. The light-time effects are generally very small, but exceed 0.1 mas or 0.1 m s-1 over 100 yr for at least 33 stars in the Hipparcos catalogue. For high-velocity stars within a few tens of pc from the Sun, light-time effects are generally more important than the effects of the curvature of their orbits in the Galactic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We describe the astrometric reduction of images obtained with the FORS2/VLT camera in the framework of an astrometric planet search around 20 M/L-transition dwarfs. We present the correction of systematic errors, the achieved astrometric performance, and a new astrometric catalogue containing the faint reference stars in 20 fields located close to the Galactic plane. Methods. Remote reference stars were used both to determine the astrometric trajectories of the nearby planet search targets and to identify and correct systematic errors. Results. We detected three types of systematic errors in the FORS2 astrometry: the relative motion of the camera’s two CCD chips, errors that are correlated in space, and an error contribution of as yet unexplained origin. The relative CCD motion probably has a thermal origin and typically is 0.001–0.010 px (∼0.1–1 mas), but sometimes amounts to 0.02–0.05 px (3–6 mas). This instability and space-correlated errors are detected and mitigated using reference stars. The third component of unknown origin has an amplitude of 0.03–0.14 mas and is independent of the observing conditions.We find that a consecutive sequence of 32 images of a well-exposed star over 40 min at 0.6" seeing results in a median rms of the epoch residuals of 0.126 mas. Overall, the epoch residuals are distributed according to a normal law with a χ2 value near unity. We compiled a catalogue of 12 000 stars with I-band magnitudes of 16–22 located in 20 fields, each covering ∼2' × 2'. It contains I-band magnitudes, ICRF positions with 40–70 mas precision, and relative proper motions and absolute trigonometric parallaxes with a precision of 0.1 mas/yr and 0.1 mas at the bright end, respectively. Conclusions. This work shows that an astrometric accuracy of ∼100 micro-arcseconds over two years can be achieved with a large optical telescope in a survey covering several targets and varying observing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Extrasolar-planet searches that target very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs are hampered by intrinsic or instrumental limitations. Time series of astrometric measurements with precisions better than one milli-arcsecond can yield new evidence on the planet occurrence around these objects. Aims. We present first results of an astrometric search for planets around 20 nearby dwarf stars with spectral types M8–L2. Methods. Over a time-span of two years, we obtained I-band images of the target fields with the FORS2 camera at the Very Large Telescope. Using background stars as references, we monitored the targets’ astrometric trajectories, which allowed us to measure parallax and proper motions, set limits on the presence of planets, and to discover the orbital motions of two binary systems. Results.We determined trigonometric parallaxes with an average accuracy of 0.09 mas ('0.2%), which resulted in a reference sample for the study of ultracool dwarfs at the M/L transition, whose members are located at distances of 9.5–40 pc. This sample contains two newly discovered tight binaries (DE0630􀀀18 and DE0823􀀀49) and one previously known wide binary (DE1520􀀀44). Only one target shows I-band variability >5 mmag rms. We derived planet exclusion limits that set an upper limit of 9% on the occurrence of giant planets with masses &5 MJ in intermediate-separation (0.01–0.8 AU) orbits around M8–L2 dwarfs. Conclusions. We demonstrate that astrometric observations with an accuracy of 120 as over two years are feasible from the ground and can be used for a planet-search survey. The detection of two tight very low-mass binaries shows that our search strategy is e cient and may lead to the detection of planetary-mass companions through follow-up observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using FORS2 on the Very Large Telescope, we have astrometrically monitored over a period of two months the two components of the brown dwarf system WISE J104915.57-531906.1, the closest one to the Sun. Our astrometric measurements - with a relative precision at the milli-arcsecond scale - allowed us to detect the orbital motion and derive more precisely the parallax of the system, leading to a distance of 2:020 ± 0:019 pc. The relative orbital motion of the two objects is found to be perturbed, which leads us to suspect the presence of a substellar companion around one of the two components. We also performed VRIz photometry of the two components and compared this with models. We confirm the flux reversal of the T dwarf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Accurate parallax measurements allow us to determine physical properties of brown dwarfs and help us constrain evolutionary and atmospheric models, break age-mass degeneracy, and reveal unresolved binaries. Aims. We measured absolute trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of six cool brown dwarfs using background galaxies to establish an absolute reference frame. We derive the absolute J-band magnitude. The six T brown dwarfs in our sample have spectral types between T2.5 and T8 and magnitudes between 13.9 and 18.0 in the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) with photometric distances below 25 pc. Methods. The observations were taken in the J-band with the Omega-2000 camera on the 3.5 m telescope at Calar Alto during a time period of 27 months between March 2011 and June 2013. The number of epochs varied between 11 and 12 depending on the object. The reduction of the astrometric measurements was carried out with respect to the field stars. The relative parallax and proper motions were transformed into absolute measurements using the background galaxies in our fields. Results. We obtained absolute parallaxes for our six brown dwarfs with a precision between 3 and 6 mas. We compared our results in a color-magnitude diagram with other brown dwarfs with determined parallax and with the BT-Settl 2012 atmospheric models. For four of the six targets, we found a good agreement in luminosity with objects of similar spectral types. We obtained an improved accuracy in the parallaxes and proper motions in comparison to previous works. The object 2MASS J11061197+2754225 is more than 1 mag overluminous in all bands, which point to binarity or high order multiplicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. A precise determination of the distance to individual stars is required to reliably determine the fundamental parameters (mass and age) of young stellar objects. This paper is dedicated to investigating the kinematic properties of the Lupus moving group of young stars with the primary objective of deriving individual parallaxes for each group member. Methods. We identify those stars in the Lupus star-forming region that define the comoving association of young stars by utilizing our new and improved convergent point search method that allows us to derive the precise position of the convergent point of the comoving association from the stars' proper motions. We used published proper motion catalogs and searched the literature for radial velocities, which are needed to compute individual parallaxes.We supplemented the radial velocity data with new measurements from spectroscopic observations performed with the FEROS spectrograph mounted on the MPG/ESO 2.2 m telescope at La Silla. Results. We identify a comoving group with 109 pre-main sequence stars and candidates that define the kinematic properties of the Lupus low-mass star-forming region. We derive individual parallaxes for stars with known radial velocity and tentative parallaxes for the remaining group members by assuming that all stars share the same space motion. The convergent point method, combined with the k-NN algorithm, makes it possible to distinguish the Lupus and Upper Centaurus Lupus stars from the adjacent Scorpius- Centaurus association. We find significant depth e ects in this region and show that the classical T Tauri stars, located in the close vicinity of the Lupus molecular clouds, form a background population, while the weak-emission line T Tauri stars are dispersed not only in angular extent but also in depth. Conclusions. The newly derived individual parallaxes will be used in a forthcoming paper to refine the masses and ages of Lupus T Tauri stars, with the aim of better constraining the lifetimes of their circumstellar, protoplanetary disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the existence of extrasolar planets around ultracool dwarfs. Furthermore, binary stars with Sun-like primaries and very low-mass binaries composed of ultracool dwarfs show differences in the distributions of mass ratio and orbital separation that can be indicative of distinct formation mechanisms. Using FORS2/VLT optical imaging for high precision astrometry we are searching for planets and substellar objects around these dwarfs to investigate their multiplicity properties for very low companion masses. Here we report astrometric measurements with an accuracy of two tenths of a milli-arcsecond over two years that reveal orbital motion of the nearby L1.5 dwarf DENIS-P J082303.1-491201 located at 20:77 ± 0:08 pc caused by an unseen companion that revolves about its host on an eccentric orbit in 246:4 ± 1:4 days. We estimate the L1.5 dwarf to have 7:5 ± 0:7% of the Sun's mass, which implies a companion mass of 28 ± 2 Jupiter masses. This new system has the lowest mass ratio (0:36 ± 0:02) of known very low-mass binaries with characterised orbits. With this discovery we demonstrate 200 micro-arcsecond astrometry over an arc-minute field and over several years that is sufficient for discovering sub-Jupiter mass planets around ultracool dwarfs. We also show that the achieved parallax accuracy of <0.4% makes it possible to remove distance as a dominant source of uncertainty in the modelling of ultracool dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]