A study of Li-rich stars discovered by ROSAT in Taurus-Auriga ?
In recent years, large numbers of lithium-rich stars were discovered near several nearby star forming regions (SFRs). We present a detailed study of those stars discovered in and near the central region of the Taurus-Auriga T Tauri associ- ation, based on high-resolution echelle spectroscopy and proper motion data. We find that about 60 per cent of our sample can be regarded as pre-main sequence (PMS) stars, while the remain- ing stars likely are foreground zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) stars. We conclude that the PMS stars are likely associated with the Taurus-Auriga SFR, while the ZAMS stars may represent a population of somewhat older Gould Belt stars. The fraction of ZAMS stars in the Taurus-Auriga sample studied in this work is larger than in a similar sample in the Lupus SFR, and we argue that this may be explained by the spatial structure of the Gould Belt and the Sun's location within it.
The ACT Reference Catalog
The US Naval Observatory has completed the compilation of the ACT Reference Catalog, containing 988,758 stars covering the entire sky. The motivation behind the ACT was to provide accurate proper motions for the majority of the stars in the Tycho Catalogue. To do this, positions from new reductions of the Astrographic Catalogue (AC 2000) were combined with those of the Tycho Catalogue. The large epoch span between the two catalogs yields proper motions about an order of magnitude more accurate than those found in the Tycho Catalogue. The astrometric data contained in the ACT Reference Catalog include positions and proper motions and their corresponding errors. These are on the Hipparcos system (ICRS) for epoch J2000.0. Photometric and variability data from Tycho are included. In addition, cross-references to the Tycho, AC 2000, Bonner Durchmusterung (BD), Cordoba Durchmusterung (CD), Cape Durchmusterung (CPD), Henry Draper (HD), and Hipparcos catalogs are given. The ACT is now available at the international data centers and by contacting the authors via electronic mail.
Initial Teacher Training: the French view
ABSTRACT This paper, against the background of trends in the development of initial teacher training in Europe as a whole, identifies and explains some of the recent, radical reforms which were introduced in France by a socialist government. These include the need to raise the status and the competence of the teaching profession; the creation of new teacher‐training institutions of university status (Instituts universitaires de formation des maitres); the introduction of common entry qualifications at degree level for both primary and secondary levels; the harmonisation and the extension to 2 years of the post‐degree teacher‐training course and the increase in emphasis placed on professional training, both theoretical and practical. These reforms provoked a storm of protest and an examination of the reasons for this reveals a multiplicity of crucial questions which have far‐reaching implications.