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arXiv · 2609.19257

The T-GEX project. II. Chrono-chemo-dynamic signatures of UV-bright FGK stars

Abstract

We compare the ages, chemical abundances, Galactic orbits, and inferred birth environments of 37 T-GEX stars with strong (G1), normal (G2), and intermediate (G3) UV emission. The groups show distinct correlation structures: UV colours correlate with chemical and orbital quantities in G1; G2 has the largest number of significant (anti-)correlations; and no UV-colour correlation reaches the adopted threshold in G3. Most stars have prograde disc-like orbits, while both halo-like objects belong to G2. The groups overlap in the [Mg/Fe]-[Fe/H] plane, but G1 is shifted towards lower [Fe/H] and higher [Mg/Fe]. Among the 18 probable thin-disc members, G3 has a smaller median birth radius than G2 (5.70 versus 8.10 kpc), despite their nearly identical median guiding radii ($\langle R_g \rangle$; 8.23 versus 8.25 kpc). All five G1 stars are Ti-enriched compared to Fe, and four combine enhanced Co with comparatively low Mn and, in some cases, Cr. A related but less complete pattern occurs in G3, whereas Co enhancement in some G2 stars does not reproduce the joint signature. The UV-defined groups are heterogeneous and do not correspond to unique Galactic components. The convergence of $α$-enhancement (likely thick disc members), positive Ti ratios, and the Cr-Mn-Fe-Co-Ni chemical abundance pattern (clearest in G1 but present in related form in G3) supports high-energy core-collapse (i.e. hypernovae) enrichment of the natal material of some UV-excess stars. Additionally, the smaller G3 birth radii (for those in the Galactic thin disc) indicate more inward formation regions and provide a possible spatial link to UV-bright stellar populations in the bulges of spiral galaxies. Neither result establishes a single causal pathway. Whether mixture-dependent metal-line blanketing connects this enrichment to the UV emission requires tailored spectral modelling.

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D. Beltrán, M. L. L. Dantas, R. Smiljanic, P. B. Tissera. 2026-09-16. The T-GEX project. II. Chrono-chemo-dynamic signatures of UV-bright FGK stars. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.19257

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