Keck HIRES Spectroscopy of Four Candidate Solar Twins

Abstract

We use high signal-to-noise ratio, high-resolution Keck HIRES spectroscopy of four solar twin candidates (HIP 71813, 76114, 77718, and 78399) pulled from our Hipparcos-based Ca II H and K survey to carry out parameter and abundance analyses of these objects. Our spectroscopic Teff estimates are ~100 K hotter than the photometric scale of the recent Geneva-Copenhagen survey; several lines of evidence suggest the photometric temperatures are too cool at solar Teff. At the same time, our abundances for the three solar twin candidates included in the Geneva-Copenhagen survey are in outstanding agreement with the photometric metallicities; there is no sign of the anomalously low photometric metallicities derived for some late-G UMa group and Hyades dwarfs. A first radial velocity determination is made for HIP 78399 and UVW kinematics derived for all stars. HIP 71813 appears to be a kinematic member of the Wolf 630 moving group (a structure apparently reidentified in a recent analysis of late-type Hipparcos stars), but its metallicity is 0.1 dex higher than the most recent estimate of this group's metallicity. While certainly solar-type stars, HIP 76114 and 77718 are a few percent less massive, significantly older, and metal-poor compared to the Sun; they are neither good solar twin candidates nor solar analogs providing a look at the Sun at some other point in its evolution. HIP 71813 appears to be an excellent solar analog of ~8 Gyr age. Our results for HIP 78399 suggest the promise of this star as a solar twin may be equivalent to the closest ever solar twin, HR 6060; follow-up study of this star is encouraged.