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6 Conclusions

We have selected a sample of 58 Be stars of spectral types O9 to B8.5 and luminosity classes III to V. We have classified the spectra by comparison with standards observed at the same time and derived $v \sin i$ values by measuring the

FWHM of 4 HeI lines. Although our initial criteria were designed to select equal numbers of dwarfs and giants, in fact our sample is dominated by dwarfs. The few giants within the sample tend to have lower rotational velocities than the dwarfs. By comparison with a volume limited subsample we have shown that this is not a selection effect.

The sample defined in this paper has also been observed at other optical and infrared wavelengths. The results of those observations will be presented in future papers, where the line emission detected will be used in an attempt to correlate the properties of the circumstellar disk with those derived in this paper.

Acknowledgements

This research has made use of the SIMBAD database of the CDS, Strasbourg. The Isaac Newton Telescope is operated on the Island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. IN and JSC were supported by PPARC.


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