arXiv subjects

M. T. Ruiz

Publications and source records attributed to M. T. Ruiz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Optical Spectroscopy of Type Ia Supernovae by the Carnegie Supernova Projects I and II

We present the second and final release of optical spectroscopy of Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) obtained during the first and second phases of the Carnegie Supernova Project (CSP-I and CSP-II). The newly released data consist of 148 spectra of 30 SNe Ia observed in the course of the CSP-I, and 234 spectra of 127 SNe Ia obtained during the CSP-II. We also present 216 optical spectra of 46 historical SNe Ia, including 53 spectra of 30 SNe Ia observed by the Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey. We combine these observations with previously published CSP data and publicly-available spectra to compile a large sample of measurements of spectroscopic parameters at maximum light, consisting of pseudo-equivalent widths and expansion velocities of selected features, for 232 CSP and historical SNe Ia (including more than 1000 spectra). Finally, we review some of the strongest correlations between spectroscopic and photometric properties of SNe Ia. Specifically, we define two samples: one consisting of SNe Ia discovered by targeted searches (most of them CSP-I objects) and the other composed of SNe Ia discovered by untargeted searches, which includes most of the CSP-II objects. The analysed correlations are similar for both samples. We find a larger incidence of SNe Ia belonging to the Cool (CL)and Broad Line (BL) Branch subtypes among the events discovered by targeted searches, Shallow Silicon (SS) SNe Ia are present with similar frequencies in both samples, while Core Normal (CN) SNe Ia are more frequent in untargeted searches.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Early phases in the stellar and substellar formation and evolution: Infrared and submillimeter data in the Barnard 30 dark cloud

The early evolutionary stage of brown dwarfs are not very well characterized, specially during the embedded phase. To gain insight into the dominant formation mechanism of very low-mass objects and brown dwarfs, we conducted deep observations at 870$μ$m with the LABOCA bolometer at the APEX telescope. Our goal was to identify young sub-mm sources in the Barnard 30 dark cloud. We complemented these data with multi-wavelength observations from the optical to the far-IR and. As a result, we have identified 34 submm sources and a substantial number of possible and probable Barnard 30 members within each individual APEX/LABOCA beam. They can be classified in three distinct groups. First, 15 out of these 34 have a clear optical or IR counterpart to the submm peak and nine of them are potential proto-BDs candidates. Moreover, a substantial number of them could be multiple systems. A second group of 13 sources comprises candidate members with significant infrared excesses located away from the central submm emission. All of them include brown dwarf candidates, some displaying IR excess, but their association with submm emission is unclear. In addition, we have found six starless cores and, based on the total dust mass estimate, three might be pre-substellar (or pre-BDs) cores. Finally, the complete characterization of our APEX/LABOCA sources, focusing on those detected at 24 and/or 70 $μ$m, indicates that in our sample of 34 submm sources there are, at least: two WTTs, four CTTs, five young stellar objects (YSOs), eight proto-BD candidates (with another three dubious cases), and one Very Low Luminosity object (VeLLO).

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arXiv2017

A search for pre- and proto-brown dwarfs in the dark cloud Barnard 30 with ALMA

In this work we present ALMA continuum observations at 880 $μ$m of 30 sub-mm cores previously identified with APEX/LABOCA at 870$μ$m in the Barnard 30 cloud. The main goal is to characterize the youngest and lowest mass population in the cloud. As a result, we report the detection of five (out of 30) spatially unresolved sources with ALMA, with estimated masses between 0.9 and 67 M$_{\rm Jup}$. From these five sources, only two show gas emission. The analysis of multi-wavelength photometry from these two objects, namely B30-LB14 and B30-LB19, is consistent with one Class II- and one Class I low-mass stellar object, respectively. The gas emission is consistent with a rotating disk in the case of B30-LB14, and with an oblate rotating envelope with infall signatures in the case of LB19. The remaining three ALMA detections do not have infrared counterparts and can be classified as either deeply embedded objects or as starless cores if B30 members. In the former case, two of them (LB08 and LB31) show internal luminosity upper limits consistent with Very Low Luminosity objects, while we do not have enough information for LB10. In the starless core scenario, and taking into account the estimated masses from ALMA and the APEX/LABOCA cores, we estimate final masses for the central objects in the substellar domain, so they could be classified as pre-BD core candidates.

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arXiv2017

Search for giant planets in M67 IV: survey results

We present the results of a seven-year-long radial velocity survey of a sample of 88 main-sequence and evolved stars to reveal signatures of Jupiter-mass planets in the solar-age and solar-metallicity open cluster M67. We aim at studying the frequency of giant planets in this cluster with respect to the field stars. In addition, our sample is also ideal to perform a long-term study to compare the chemical composition of stars with and without giant planets in detail. We analyzed precise radial velocity (RV) measurements obtained with five different instruments. We conducted Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the occurrence rate of giant planets in our radial velocity survey. All the planets previously announced in this RV campaign with their properties are summarized here: 3 hot Jupiters around the main-sequence stars YBP1194, YBP1514, and YBP401, and 1 giant planet around the evolved star S364. Two additional planet candidates around the stars YBP778 and S978 are also analyzed in the present work. We discuss stars that exhibit large RV variability or trends individually. For 2 additional stars, long-term trends are compatible with new binary candidates or substellar objects, which increases the total number of binary candidates detected in our campaign to 14. Based on the Doppler-detected planets discovered in this survey, we find an occurrence of giant planets of ~18.0%(+12.0/-8.0%) in the selected period-mass range. This frequency is slightly higher but consistent within the errors with the estimate for the field stars, which leads to the general conclusion that open cluster and field statistics agree. However, we find that the rate of hot Jupiters in the cluster (~5.7%(+5.5/-3.0%)) is substantially higher than in the field.

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arXiv2016

New Planetary Systems from the Calan-Hertfordshire Extrasolar Planet Search

We report the discovery of eight new giant planets, and updated orbits for four known planets, orbiting dwarf and subgiant stars using the CORALIE, HARPS, and MIKE instruments as part of the Calan-Hertfordshire Extrasolar Planet Search. The planets have masses in the range 1.1-5.4MJs, orbital periods from 40-2900 days, and eccentricities from 0.0-0.6. They include a double-planet system orbiting the most massive star in our sample (HD147873), two eccentric giant planets (HD128356b and HD154672b), and a rare 14 Herculis analogue (HD224538b). We highlight some population correlations from the sample of radial velocity detected planets orbiting nearby stars, including the mass function exponential distribution, confirmation of the growing body of evidence that low-mass planets tend to be found orbiting more metal-poor stars than giant planets, and a possible period-metallicity correlation for planets with masses >0.1MJ, based on a metallicity difference of 0.16 dex between the population of planets with orbital periods less than 100 days and those with orbital periods greater than 100 days.

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arXiv2016

Search for giant planets in M67 III: excess of hot Jupiters in dense open clusters

Since 2008 we used high-precision radial velocity (RV) measurements obtained with different telescopes to detect signatures of massive planets around main-sequence and evolved stars of the open cluster (OC) M67. We aimed to perform a long-term study on giant planet formation in open clusters and determine how this formation depends on stellar mass and chemical composition. A new hot Jupiter (HJ) around the main-sequence star YBP401 is reported in this work. An update of the RV measurements for the two HJ host-stars YBP1194 and YBP1514 is also discussed. Our sample of 66 main-sequence and turnoff stars includes 3 HJs, which indicates a high rate of HJs in this cluster (~5.6% for single stars and ~4.5% for the full sample ). This rate is much higher than what has been discovered in the field, either with RV surveys or by transits. High metallicity is not a cause for the excess of HJs in M67, nor can the excess be attributed to high stellar masses. When combining this rate with the non-zero eccentricity of the orbits, our results are qualitatively consistent with a HJ formation scenario dominated by strong encounters with other stars or binary companions and subsequent planet-planet scattering, as predicted by N-body simulations.

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arXiv2015

Discovery and spectroscopy of the young Jovian planet 51 Eri b with the Gemini Planet Imager

Directly detecting thermal emission from young extrasolar planets allows measurement of their atmospheric composition and luminosity, which is influenced by their formation mechanism. Using the Gemini Planet Imager, we discovered a planet orbiting the \$sim$20 Myr-old star 51 Eridani at a projected separation of 13 astronomical units. Near-infrared observations show a spectrum with strong methane and water vapor absorption. Modeling of the spectra and photometry yields a luminosity of L/LS=1.6-4.0 x 10-6 and an effective temperature of 600-750 K. For this age and luminosity, "hot-start" formation models indicate a mass twice that of Jupiter. This planet also has a sufficiently low luminosity to be consistent with the "cold- start" core accretion process that may have formed Jupiter.

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arXiv2015

Eta Carinae's 2014.6 Spectroscopic Event: Clues to the Long-term Recovery from its Great Eruption

Aims. Every 5.5 years eta Car's light curve and spectrum change remarkably across all observed wavelength bands. We compare the recent spectroscopic event in mid-2014 to the events in 2003 and 2009 and investigate long-term trends. Methods. Eta Car was observed with HST STIS, VLT UVES, and CTIO 1.5m CHIRON for a period of more than two years in 2012-2015. Archival observations with these instruments cover three orbital cycles. Results. Important spectroscopic diagnostics show significant changes in 2014 compared to previous events. While the timing of the first HeII 4686 flash was remarkably similar to previous events, the HeII equivalent widths were slightly larger and the line flux increased compared to 2003. The second HeII peak occurred at about the same phase as in 2009, but was stronger. The HeI line flux grew in 2009-2014 compared to 1998-2003. On the other hand, Halpha and FeII lines show the smallest emission strengths ever observed. Conclusions. The basic character of the spectroscopic events has changed in the past 2-3 cycles; ionizing UV radiation dramatically weakened during each pre-2014 event but not in 2014. The strengthening of HeI emission and the weakening of the lower-excitation wind features in our direct line of sight implies a substantial change in the physical parameters of the emitting regions. The polar spectrum at FOS4 shows less changes in the broad wind emission lines, which may be explained by the latitude-dependent wind structure of eta Car. The quick and strong recovery of the HeII emission in 2014 supports a scenario, in which the wind-wind shock may not have completely collapsed as was proposed for previous events. All this may be the consequence of just one elementary change, namely a strong decrease in the primary's mass-loss rate.

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arXiv2014

Binary frequency of planet-host stars at wide separations: A new brown dwarf companion to a planet-host star

The aim of the project is to improve our knowledge on the multiplicity of planet-host stars at wide physical separations. We cross-matched approximately 6200 square degree area of the Southern sky imaged by the Visible Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) Hemisphere Survey (VHS) with the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) to look for wide common proper motion companions to known planet-host stars. We complemented our astrometric search with photometric criteria. We confirmed spectroscopically the co-moving nature of seven sources out of 16 companion candidates and discarded eight, while the remaining one stays as a candidate. Among these new wide companions to planet-host stars, we discovered a T4.5 dwarf companion at 6.3 arcmin (~9000 au) from HIP70849, a K7V star which hosts a 9 Jupiter mass planet with an eccentric orbit. We also report two new stellar M dwarf companions to one G and one metal-rich K star. We infer stellar and substellar binary frequencies for our complete sample of 37 targets of 5.4+/-3.8% and 2.7+/-2.7% (1 sigma confidence level), respectively, for projected physical separations larger than ~60-160 au assuming the range of distances of planet-host stars (24-75 pc). These values are comparable to the frequencies of non planet-host stars. We find that the period-eccentricity trend holds with a lack of multiple systems with planets at large eccentricities (e > 0.2) for periods less than 40 days. However, the lack of planets more massive than 2.5 Jupiter masses and short periods (<40 days) orbiting single stars is not so obvious due to recent discoveries by ground-based transit surveys and space missions.

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arXiv2014

Discovery of a new Y dwarf: WISE J030449.03-270508.3

We present a new Y dwarf, WISE J030449.03-270508.3, confirmed from a candidate sample designed to pick out low temperature objects from the WISE database. The new object is typed Y0pec following a visual comparison with spectral standards, and lies at a likely distance of 10-17 pc. Its tangential velocity suggests thin disk membership, but it shows some spectral characteristics that suggest it may be metal-poor and/or older than previously identified Y0 dwarfs. Based on trends seen for warmer late type T dwarfs, the Y-band flux peak morphology is indicative of sub-solar metallicity, and the enhanced red wing of the J-band flux peak offers evidence for high gravity and/or low metallicity (with associated model trends suggesting an age closer to ~10 Gyr and mass in the range 0.02-0.03 Mo). This object may thus be extending the population parameter-space of the known Y0 dwarfs.

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arXiv2014

Kinematic study of planetary nebulae in NGC 6822

By measuring precise radial velocities of planetary nebulae (which belong to the intermediate age population), H II regions, and A-type supergiant stars (which are members of the young population) in NGC 6822, we aim to determine if both types of population share the kinematics of the disk of H I found in this galaxy. Spectroscopic data for four planetary nebulae were obtained with the high spectral resolution spectrograph Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle (MIKE) on the Magellan telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. Data for other three PNe and one H II region were obtained from the SPM Catalog of Extragalactic Planetary Nebulae which employed the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer attached to the 2.1m telescope at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, México. In the wavelength calibrated spectra, the heliocentric radial velocities were measured with a precision better than 5-6 km s$^{-1}$. Data for three additional H II regions and a couple of A-type supergiant stars were collected from the literature. The heliocentric radial velocities of the different objects were compared to the velocities of the H i disk at the same position. From the analysis of radial velocities it is found that H II regions and A-type supergiants do share the kinematics of the H I disk at the same position, as expected for these young objects. On the contrary, planetary nebula velocities differ significantly from that of the H I at the same position. The kinematics of planetary nebulae is independent from the young population kinematics and it is closer to the behavior shown by carbon stars, which are intermediate-age members of the stellar spheroid existing in this galaxy. Our results are confirming that there are at least two very different kinematical systems in NGC 6822.

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arXiv2014

2MASS J154043.42-510135.7: a new addition to the 5 pc population

The aim of the project is to find the stars nearest to the Sun and to contribute to the completion of the stellar and substellar census of the solar neighbourhood. We identified a new late-M dwarf within 5 pc, looking for high proper motion sources in the 2MASS-WISE cross-match. We collected astrometric and photometric data available from public large-scale surveys. We complemented this information with low-resolution optical and near-infrared spectroscopy with instrumentation on the ESO NTT to confirm the nature of our candidate. We also present a high-quality medium-resolution VLT/X-shooter spectrum covering the 400 to 2500 nm wavelength range. We classify this new neighbour as an M7.0$\pm$0.5 dwarf using spectral templates from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and spectral indices. Lithium absorption at 670.8 nm is not detected in the X-shooter spectrum, indicating that the M7 dwarf is older than 600 Myr and more massive than 0.06 M$_{\odot}$. We also derive a trigonometric distance of 4.4 pc, in agreement with the spectroscopic distance estimate, making 2MASS\,J154043.42$-$510135.7 the nearest M7 dwarf to the Sun. This trigonometric distance is somewhat closer than the $\sim$6 pc distance reported by the ALLWISE team, who independently identified this object recently. This discovery represents an increase of 25\% in the number of M7--M8 dwarfs already known at distances closer than 8\,pc from our Sun. We derive a density of $ρ$\,=\,1.9$\pm$0.9$\times$10$^{-3}$\,pc$^{-3}$ for M7 dwarfs in the 8 pc volume, a value similar to those quoted in the literature. This new ultracool dwarf is among the 50 nearest systems to the Sun, demonstrating that our current knowledge of the stellar census within the 5 pc sample remains incomplete. 2M1540 represents a unique opportunity to search for extrasolar planets around ultracool dwarfs due to its proximity and brightness.

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arXiv2014

Three planetary companions around M67 stars

For the past six years we have carried out a search for massive planets around main sequence and evolved stars in the open cluster (OC) M67, using radial velocity (RV) measurements obtained with HARPS at ESO (La Silla), SOPHIE at OHP and HRS at HET. Additional RV data come from CORALIE at the Euler Swiss Telescope. We aim to perform a long-term study on giant planet formation in open clusters and determine how it depends on stellar mass and chemical composition. We report the detection of three new extrasolar planets: two in orbit around the two G dwarfs YBP1194 and YBP1514, and one around the evolved star S364. The orbital solution for YBP1194 yields a period of 6.9 days, an eccentricity of 0.24, and a minimum mass of 0.34 Mj. YBP1514 shows periodic RV variations of 5.1 days, a minimum mass of 0.40 Mj, and an eccentricity of 0.39. The best Keplerian solution for S364 yields a period of 121.7 days, an eccentricity of 0.35 and a minimum mass of 1.54 Mj. An analysis of H_alpha core flux measurements as well as of the line bisectors spans revealed no correlation with the RV periods, indicating that the RV variations are best explained by the presence of a planetary companion. Remarkably, YBP1194 is one of the best solar twins identified so far, and YBP1194b is the first planet found around a solar twin that belongs to a stellar cluster. In contrast with early reports and in agreement with recent findings, our results show that massive planets around stars of open clusters are as frequent as those around field stars.

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arXiv2013

Analysis of chemical abundances in planetary nebulae with [WC] central stars. II. Chemical abundances and the abundance discrepancy factor

(Abridged) We present the abundance analysis of 12 PNe ionized by [WC]-type stars and wels obtained from high-resolution spectrophotometric data. Our main aims are to determine the chemical composition of the PNe and to study the behaviour of the abundance discrepancy problem (ADF) in this type of planetary nebulae. The detection of a large number of optical recombination lines (ORLs) and collisionally excited lines (CELs) from different ions were presented previously. Most of the ORLs were reported for the first time in these PNe. Ionic abundances were derived from the available CELs and ORLs, using previously determined physical conditions. Based on these two sets of ionic abundances, we derived the total chemical abundances in the nebulae using suitable ICFs (when available). In spite of the [WC] nature of the central stars, moderate ADF(O^++), in the range from 1.2 to 4, were found for all the objects. We found that when the quality of the spectra is high enough the ORLs O^++/H^+ abundance ratios obtained from different multiplets excited mainly by recombination are very similar. Possible dependence of ADFs with some nebular characteristics were analysed, finding no correlation. Abundances derived from CELs were corrected by determining the t^2 parameter. O abundances for PNe, derived from ORLs, are in general larger than the solar abundance. We derived the C/O ratio from ORLs and N/O and alpha-element/O ratios from CELs and found that these PNe are, in average, N-and C-richer than the average of large PN samples. About half of our sample is C-rich (C/O>1). The alpha-elements grow in lockstep with O abundance. Comparing the N/O and C /O ratios with those derived from stellar evolution models, we estimate that about half of our PNe have progenitors with initial masses > 4 M_sun. No correlation was found between the stellar [WC]-type and the nebular abundances.

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arXiv2013

A deep WISE search for very late type objects and the discovery of two halo/thick-disk T dwarfs: WISE 0013+0634 and WISE 0833+0052

A method is defined for identifying late T and Y dwarfs in WISE down to low values of signal-to-noise. This requires a WISE detection only in the W2-band and uses the statistical properties of the WISE multi-frame measurements and profile fit photometry to reject contamination resulting from non-point-like objects, variables and moving sources. To trace our desired parameter space we use a control sample of isolated non-moving non-variable point sources from the SDSS, and identify a sample of 158 WISE W2-only candidates down to a signal-to-noise limit of 8. For signal-to-noise ranges >10 and 8-10 respectively, ~45% and ~90% of our sample fall outside the selection criteria published by the WISE team (Kirkpatrick et al. 2012), due mainly to the type of constraints placed on the number of individual W2 detections. We present follow-up of eight candidates and identify WISE 0013+0634 and WISE 0833+0052, T8 and T9 dwarfs with high proper motion (~1.3 and ~1.8 arcsec/yr). Both objects show a mid-infrared/near-infrared excess of ~1-1.5 magnitudes, and are K-band suppressed. Distance estimates lead to space motion constraints that suggest halo (or at least thick disk) kinematics. We then assess the reduced proper motion diagram of WISE ultracool dwarfs, which suggests that late T and Y dwarfs may have a higher thick-disk/halo population fraction than earlier objects.

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arXiv2013

The sub-stellar birth rate from UKIDSS

We present a new sample of mid L to mid T dwarfs with effective temperatures of 1100 to 1700K selected from the UKIDSS Large Area Survey and confirmed with infrared spectra from X-Shooter/VLT. This effective temperature range is especially sensitive to the formation history of Galactic brown dwarfs and allows us to constrain the form of the sub-stellar birth rate, with sensitivity to differentiate between a flat (stellar like) birth rate, and an exponentially declining form. We present the discovery of 63 new L and T dwarfs from the UKIDSS LAS DR7, including the identification of 12 likely unresolved binaries, which form the first complete sub-set from our program, covering 495 sq degrees of sky, complete to J=18.1. We compare our results for this sub-sample with simulations of differing birth rates for objects of mass 0.10-0.03Msol and ages 1-10Gyrs. We find that the more extreme birth rates (e.g. a halo type form) can likely be excluded as the true form of the birth rate. In addition we find that although there is substantial scatter we find a preference for a mass function, with a power-law index, alpha in the range -1 < alpha < 0 that is consistent (within the errors) with the studies of late T dwarfs.

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arXiv2012

First T dwarfs in the VISTA Hemisphere Survey

The aim of the project is to improve our current knowledge of the density of T dwarfs and the shape of the substellar initial mass function by identifying a magnitude-limited sample of T dwarfs in the full southern sky. We present the results of a photometric search aimed at discovering cool brown dwarfs in the Southern sky imaged at infrared wavelengths by the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) and the Wide Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite mission. We combined the first data release (DR1) of the VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS) and the WISE preliminary data release to extract candidates with red mid-infrared colours and near- to mid-infrared colours characteristics of cool brown dwarfs. The VHS DR1 vs WISE search returned tens of T dwarf candidates, 13 of which are presented here, including two previously published in the literature and five new ones confirmed spectroscopically with spectral types between T4.5 and T8. We estimate that the two T6 dwarfs lie within 16 pc and the T4.5 within 25 pc. The remaining three are 30-50 pc distant. The only T7 dwarf in our sample is the faintest of its spectral class with J=19.28 mag. The other six T dwarf candidates remain without spectroscopic follow-up. We also improve our knowledge on the proper motion accuracy for three bright T dwarfs by combining multi-epoch data from public databases (DENIS, 2MASS, VHS, WISE, Spitzer).

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arXiv2012

Search for giant planets in M67 I. Overview

Precise stellar radial velocities are used to search for massive (Jupiter masses or higher) exoplanets around the stars of the open cluster M67. We aim to obtain a census of massive exoplanets in a cluster of solar metallicity and age in order to study the dependence of planet formation on stellar mass and to compare in detail the chemical composition of stars with and without planets. This first work presents the sample and the observations, discusses the cluster characteristics and the radial velocity (RV) distribution of the stars, and individuates the most likely planetary host candidates. We observed a total of 88 main-sequence stars, subgiants, and giants all highly probable members of M67, using four telescopes and instrument combinations. We investigate whether exoplanets are present by obtaining radial velocities with precisions as good as 10 m/s. To date, we have performed 680 single observations (Dec. 2011) and a preliminary analysis of data, spanning a period of up to eight years. Although the sample was pre-selected to avoid the inclusion of binaries, we identify 11 previously unknown binary candidates. Eleven stars clearly displayed larger RV variability and these are candidates to host long-term substellar companions. The average RV is also independent of the stellar magnitude and evolutionary status, confirming that the difference in gravitational redshift between giants and dwarfs is almost cancelled by the atmospheric motions. We use the subsample of solar-type stars to derive a precise true RV for this cluster. We finally create a catalog of binaries and use it to clean the color magnitude diagram (CMD). As conclusion, by pushing the search for planets to the faintest possible magnitudes, it is possible to observe solar analogues in open clusters, and we propose 11 candidates to host substellar companions.

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