τ4 Eridani
Location of τ4 Eridani (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0 (ICRS)
Constellation Eridanus
Right ascension 03h 19m 31.00224s[1]
Declination −21° 45′ 28.3049″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 3.65[2]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage asymptotic giant branch[3]
Spectral type M3/4 III[4]
U−B color index +1.79[2]
B−V color index +1.61[2]
Variable type Lb[5]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+41.7±0.7[6] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +51.89[1] mas/yr
Dec.: +32.92[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)10.6153 ± 0.3213 mas[7]
Distance307 ± 9 ly
(94 ± 3 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−0.79[8]
Details
Mass1.8±0.3[9] M☉
Radius106[10] R☉
Luminosity1,537[11] L☉
Temperature3,712[9] K
Other designations
τ4 Eridani, τ4 Eri, 16 Eridani, BD-22° 584, HD 20720, HIP 15474, HR 1003, SAO 168460.[12]
Database references
SIMBADdata

Tau4 Eridani (τ4 Eridani, τ4 Eri) is a binary star system in the constellation Eridanus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.65.[2] The distance to this star can be estimated using the parallax method, which yields a value of roughly 300 light years.[1]

A visual band light curve for Tau4 Eridani, plotted from data published by Tabur et al. (2009)[13]

This is an evolved red giant star currently on the asymptotic giant branch[3] with a stellar classification of M3/4 III.[4] It is a slow irregular variable star of type Lb, undergoing changes in magnitude over the range 3.57−3.72[5] with a periodicity of 23.8 d.[13] The measured angular diameter of Tau4 Eridani is 10.58±1.00 mas.[14] At its estimated distance, this yields a physical size of about 106 times the radius of the Sun.[10] It shines with 1,537[11] times the luminosity of the Sun from an outer atmosphere at an effective temperature of 3,712 K.[9]

This is most likely a binary star system.[15] The companion is a magnitude 9.5 star at an angular separation of 5.7″ along a position angle of 291°, as of 2013.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e van Leeuwen, F. (2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600.
  2. ^ a b c d Mermilliod, J.-C. (1986), "Compilation of Eggen's UBV data, transformed to UBV (unpublished)", Catalogue of Eggen's UBV Data, SIMBAD, Bibcode:1986EgUBV........0M.
  3. ^ a b Lebzelter, T.; Hron, J. (January 2008), "BRITE stars on the AGB" (PDF), Communications in Asteroseismology, 152: 178–181, Bibcode:2008CoAst.152..178L, doi:10.1553/cia152s178.
  4. ^ a b Houk, N.; Smith-Moore, M. (1988), Michigan Catalogue of Two-dimensional Spectral Types for the HD Stars, vol. 4, Bibcode:1988mcts.book.....H.
  5. ^ a b Ruban, E. V.; et al. (September 2006), "Spectrophotometric observations of variable stars", Astronomy Letters, 32 (9): 604–607, Bibcode:2006AstL...32..604R, doi:10.1134/S1063773706090052, S2CID 121747360.
  6. ^ Gontcharov, G. A. (November 2006), "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35 495 Hipparcos stars in a common system", Astronomy Letters, 32 (11): 759–771, arXiv:1606.08053, Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G, doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065, S2CID 119231169.
  7. ^ Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2021). "Gaia Early Data Release 3: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 649: A1. arXiv:2012.01533. Bibcode:2021A&A...649A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657. S2CID 227254300. (Erratum: doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657e). Gaia EDR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  8. ^ Cardini, D. (January 2005), "Mg II chromospheric radiative loss rates in cool active and quiet stars", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 430: 303–311, arXiv:astro-ph/0409683, Bibcode:2005A&A...430..303C, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041440, S2CID 12136256.
  9. ^ a b c Halabi, Ghina M.; Eid, Mounib El (2015). "Exploring masses and CNO surface abundances of red giant stars". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 451 (3): 2957. arXiv:1507.01517. Bibcode:2015MNRAS.451.2957H. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv1141. S2CID 118707332.
  10. ^ a b Lang, Kenneth R. (2006), Astrophysical formulae, Astronomy and astrophysics library, vol. 1 (3 ed.), Birkhäuser, ISBN 3-540-29692-1. The radius (R*) is given by:
  11. ^ a b McDonald, I.; et al. (2012), "Fundamental Parameters and Infrared Excesses of Hipparcos Stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 427 (1): 343–57, arXiv:1208.2037, Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427..343M, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21873.x, S2CID 118665352.
  12. ^ "tau04 Eri". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2016-10-13.((cite web)): CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  13. ^ a b Tabur, V.; et al. (December 2009), "Long-term photometry and periods for 261 nearby pulsating M giants", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 400 (4): 1945–1961, arXiv:0908.3228, Bibcode:2009MNRAS.400.1945T, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15588.x, S2CID 15358380.
  14. ^ Richichi, A.; Percheron, I. (May 2005), "First results from the ESO VLTI calibrators program", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 434 (3): 1201–1209, arXiv:astro-ph/0501532, Bibcode:2005A&A...434.1201R, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20042257, S2CID 2847613.
  15. ^ Eggleton, P. P.; Tokovinin, A. A. (September 2008), "A catalogue of multiplicity among bright stellar systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 389 (2): 869–879, arXiv:0806.2878, Bibcode:2008MNRAS.389..869E, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13596.x, S2CID 14878976.
  16. ^ Mason, B. D.; et al. (2014), "The Washington Visual Double Star Catalog", The Astronomical Journal, 122 (6): 3466–3471, Bibcode:2001AJ....122.3466M, doi:10.1086/323920, retrieved 2015-07-22
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