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Spectroscopic survey of the Galaxy with Gaia — II. The expected science yield from the Radial Velocity Spectrometer

Wilkinson, M. I. ; Vallenari, A. ; Turon, C. ; Munari, U. ; Katz, D. ; Bono, G. ; Cropper, M. ; Helmi, A. ; Robichon, N. ; Thévenin, F. ; Vidrih, S. ; Zwitter, T. ; Arenou, F. ; Baylac, M.-O ; Bertelli, G. ; Bijaoui, A. ; Boschi, F. ; Castelli, F. ; Crifo, F. ; David, M. ; Gomboc, A. ; Gómez, A. ; Haywood, M. ; Jauregi, U. ; de Laverny, P. ; Lebreton, Y. ; Marrese, P. ; Marsh, T. ; Mignot, S. ; Morin, D. ; Pasetto, S. ; Perryman, M. ; Prša, A. ; Recio-Blanco, A. ; Royer, F. ; Sellier, A. ; Siviero, A. ; Sordo, R. ; Soubiran, C. ; Tomasella, L. ; Viala, Y.

In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2005, vol. 359, no. 4, p. 1306-1335

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    Title
    • Spectroscopic survey of the Galaxy with Gaia — II. The expected science yield from the Radial Velocity Spectrometer
    Author
    • Wilkinson, M. I.. Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA
    • Vallenari, A.. INAF — Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
    • Turon, C.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Munari, U.. Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova INAF, sede di Asiago, 36012 Asiago (VI), Italy
    • Katz, D.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Bono, G.. INAF — Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
    • Cropper, M.. Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT
    • Helmi, A.. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, the Netherlands
    • Robichon, N.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Thévenin, F.. OCA, BP 4229, F-06304 Nice Cedex 4, France
    • Vidrih, S.. University of Ljubljana, Department of Physics, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
    • Zwitter, T.. University of Ljubljana, Department of Physics, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
    • Arenou, F.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Baylac, M.-O. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Bertelli, G.. INAF — Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
    • Bijaoui, A.. OCA, BP 4229, F-06304 Nice Cedex 4, France
    • Boschi, F.. Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova INAF, sede di Asiago, 36012 Asiago (VI), Italy
    • Castelli, F.. CNR — Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 00133, Roma, Italy
    • Crifo, F.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • David, M.. University of Antwerp, Middelheimlaan 1, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
    • Gomboc, A.. University of Ljubljana, Department of Physics, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
    • Gómez, A.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Haywood, M.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Jauregi, U.. University of Ljubljana, Department of Physics, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
    • de Laverny, P.. OCA, BP 4229, F-06304 Nice Cedex 4, France
    • Lebreton, Y.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Marrese, P.. Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova INAF, sede di Asiago, 36012 Asiago (VI), Italy
    • Marsh, T.. Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL
    • Mignot, S.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Morin, D.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Pasetto, S.. INAF — Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
    • Perryman, M.. Research and Scientific Support Department of ESA, ESTEC, Postbus 299, Keplerlaan 1, Noordwijk NL-2200 AG, the Netherlands
    • Prša, A.. University of Ljubljana, Department of Physics, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
    • Recio-Blanco, A.. OCA, BP 4229, F-06304 Nice Cedex 4, France
    • Royer, F.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Sellier, A.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    • Siviero, A.. Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova INAF, sede di Asiago, 36012 Asiago (VI), Italy
    • Sordo, R.. Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova INAF, sede di Asiago, 36012 Asiago (VI), Italy
    • Soubiran, C.. Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers, UMR 5804, 2 rue de l'Observatoire, 33270 Floirac, France
    • Tomasella, L.. Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova INAF, sede di Asiago, 36012 Asiago (VI), Italy
    • Viala, Y.. Observatoire de Paris, GEPI, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:292505
    Summary
    The Gaia mission is designed as a Galaxy explorer, and will measure simultaneously, in a survey mode, the five or six phase-space parameters of all stars brighter than 20th magnitude, as well as providing a description of their astrophysical characteristics. These measurements are obtained by combining an astrometric instrument with micro-arcsecond capabilities, a photometric system giving the magnitudes and colours in 15 bands and a medium-resolution spectrograph named the Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS). The latter instrument will produce spectra in the 848- to 874-nm wavelength range, with a resolving power R = 11 500, from which radial velocities, rotational velocities, atmospheric parameters and abundances can be derived. A companion paper has presented the characteristics of the RVS and its performance. The present paper details the outstanding scientific impact of this important part of the Gaia satellite on some key open questions in present-day astrophysics. The unbiased and simultaneous acquisition of multi-epoch radial velocities and individual abundances of key elements in parallel with the astrometric parameters is essential for the determination of the dynamical state and formation history of our Galaxy. Moreover, for stars brighter than V ≃ 15, the resolving power of the RVS will give information about most of the effects that influence the position of a star in the Hertzsprung—Russell diagram, placing unprecedented constraints on the age, internal structure and evolution of stars of all types. Finally, the RVS multi-epoch observations are ideally suited to the identification, classification and characterization of the many types of double, multiple and variable stars