- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/540/A135
- Title:
- AGB population of NGC 6822
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/540/A135
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- NGC 6822 is an irregular dwarf galaxy and part of the Local Group. Its close proximity and apparent isolation provide a unique opportunity to study galactic evolution without any obvious strong external influences. This paper aims to study the spatial distribution of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) population and metallicity in NGC 6822. Using deep, high quality JHK photometry, taken with WFCAM on UKIRT, carbon- and oxygen-rich AGB stars have been isolated. The ratio between their number, the C/M ratio, has then been used to derive the [Fe/H] abundance across the galaxy.
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- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/530/A58
- Title:
- AGB stars in Cen A dwarf galaxies
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/530/A58
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We investigate the resolved stellar content of early-type dwarf galaxies in the Centaurus A group, to estimate their intermediate-age population fractions. We use near-infrared photometric data taken with the VLT/ISAAC instrument, together with previously analyzed archival HST/ACS data. The combination of the optical and infrared wavelength range permits us to firmly identify luminous asymptotic giant branch stars, which are indicative of an intermediate-age population in these galaxies. We consider one dwarf spheroidal (CenA-dE1) and two dwarf elliptical (SGC1319.1-4216 and ESO269-066) galaxies that are dominated by an old population. The most recent periods of star formation are estimated to have taken place between 2 and 5Gyr ago for SGC1319.1-4216 and ESO269-066, and approximately 9Gyr ago for CenA-dE1. For ESO269-066, we find that the intermediate-age populations are significantly more centrally concentrated than the predominantly old underlying stars. The intermediate-age population fraction is found to be small in the target galaxies, consistent with fractions of up to 15% of the total population. These values might be larger by a factor of two or three, if we considered the observational limitations and the recent discussion about the uncertainties in theoretical models. We suggest that there is a correlation between intermediate-age population fraction and proximity to the dominant group galaxy, with closer dwarfs having slightly smaller fractions, although our sample is too small to draw firm conclusions. Even when considering our results as lower limits, the intermediate-age population fractions for the studied dwarfs are clearly much smaller than those found in similar dwarfs around the Milky Way, but comparable to what is seen for the low-mass M31 companions. Our results confirm our previous work about early-type dwarfs in the Centaurus A group.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/394/795
- Title:
- AGB stars in Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/394/795
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We report on a multi-epoch study of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy, made with the Infrared Survey Facility, over an area of about 42x42arcmin^2^. The colour-magnitude diagram shows a broad well-populated giant branch with a tip that slopes downwards from red to blue, as might be expected given Fornax's known range of age and metallicity. The extensive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) includes seven Mira variables and 10 periodic semiregular variables. Five of the seven Miras are known to be carbon rich. Their pulsation periods range from 215 to 470d, indicating a range of initial masses. Three of the Fornax Miras are redder than typical Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) Miras of similar period, probably indicating particularly heavy mass-loss rates. Many, but not all, of the characteristics of the AGB are reproduced by isochrones from Marigo et al. (2008A&A...482..883M) for a 2Gyr population with a metallicity of Z=0.0025.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/841/33
- Title:
- AGB stars with GALEX observations
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/841/33
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We have performed a comprehensive study of the UV emission detected from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). Of the 468 AGB stars in our sample, 316 were observed by GALEX. In the near-UV (NUV) bandpass ({lambda}_eff_~2310{AA}), 179 AGB stars were detected and 137 were not detected. Only 38 AGB stars were detected in the far-UV (FUV) bandpass ({lambda}_eff_~1528{AA}). We find that NUV emission is correlated with optical to near-infrared emission, leading to higher detection fractions among the brightest, and hence closest, AGB stars. Comparing the AGB time-variable visible phased light curves to corresponding GALEX NUV phased light curves, we find evidence that for some AGB stars the NUV emission varies in phase with the visible light curves. We also find evidence that the NUV emission and possibly the FUV emission are anticorrelated with the circumstellar envelope density. These results suggest that the origin of the GALEX-detected UV emission is an inherent characteristic of the AGB stars that can most likely be traced to a combination of photospheric and chromospheric emission. In most cases, UV detections of AGB stars are not likely to be indicative of the presence of binary companions.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/475/257
- Title:
- AGB subpopulations in NGC 6397
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/475/257
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- It has been well established that Galactic Globular clusters (GCs) harbour more than one stellar population, distinguishable by the anticorrelations of light-element abundances (C-N, Na-O, and Mg-Al). These studies have been extended recently to the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Here, we investigate the AGB of NGC 6397 for the first time. We have performed an abundance analysis of high-resolution spectra of 47 red giant branch (RGB) and eight AGB stars, deriving Fe, Na, O, Mg, and Al abundances. We find that NGC 6397 shows no evidence of a deficit in Na-rich AGB stars, as reported for some other GCs - the subpopulation ratios of the AGB and RGB in NGC 6397 are identical, within uncertainties. This agrees with expectations from stellar theory. This GC acts as a control for our earlier work on the AGB of M4 (with contrasting results), since the same tools and methods were used.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/787/108
- Title:
- Age estimates for massive SFR stellar populations
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/787/108
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- A major impediment to understanding star formation in massive star-forming regions (MSFRs) is the absence of a reliable stellar chronometer to unravel their complex star formation histories. We present a new estimation of stellar ages using a new method that employs near-infrared (NIR) and X-ray photometry, Age_JX_. Stellar masses are derived from X-ray luminosities using the L_X_-M relation from the Taurus cloud. J-band luminosities are compared to mass-dependent pre-main-sequence (PMS) evolutionary models to estimate ages. Age_JX_ is sensitive to a wide range of evolutionary stages, from disk-bearing stars embedded in a cloud to widely dispersed older PMS stars. The Massive Young Star-Forming Complex Study in Infrared and X-ray (MYStIX) project characterizes 20 OB-dominated MSFRs using X-ray, mid-infrared, and NIR catalogs. The Age_JX_ method has been applied to 5525 out of 31784 MYStIX Probable Complex Members. We provide a homogeneous set of median ages for over 100 subclusters in 15 MSFRs; median subcluster ages range between 0.5 Myr and 5 Myr. The important science result is the discovery of age gradients across MYStIX regions. The wide MSFR age distribution appears as spatially segregated structures with different ages. The Age_JX_ ages are youngest in obscured locations in molecular clouds, intermediate in revealed stellar clusters, and oldest in distributed populations. The NIR color index J-H, a surrogate measure of extinction, can serve as an approximate age predictor for young embedded clusters.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/751/122
- Title:
- Ages and masses for 920 LMC clusters
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/751/122
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present new age and mass estimates for 920 stellar clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) based on previously published broadband photometry and the stellar cluster analysis package, MASSCLEANage. Expressed in the generic fitting formula, d^2^N/dMdt{prop.to}M^{alpha}^t^{beta}^, the distribution of observed clusters is described by {alpha}=-1.5 to -1.6 and {beta}=-2.1 to -2.2. For 288 of these clusters, ages have recently been determined based on stellar photometric color-magnitude diagrams, allowing us to gauge the confidence of our ages. The results look very promising, opening up the possibility that this sample of 920 clusters, with reliable and consistent age, mass, and photometric measures, might be used to constrain important characteristics about the stellar cluster population in the LMC. We also investigate a traditional age determination method that uses a {chi}^2^ minimization routine to fit observed cluster colors to standard infinite-mass limit simple stellar population models. This reveals serious defects in the derived cluster age distribution using this method. The traditional {chi}^2^ minimization method, due to the variation of U, B, V, R colors, will always produce an overdensity of younger and older clusters, with an underdensity of clusters in the log(age/yr)=[7.0,7.5] range. Finally, we present a unique simulation aimed at illustrating and constraining the fading limit in observed cluster distributions that includes the complex effects of stochastic variations in the observed properties of stellar clusters.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/870/9
- Title:
- Ages & masses for GPS1 WD-MS binary systems
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/870/9
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Observational tests of stellar and Galactic chemical evolution call for the joint knowledge of a star's physical parameters, detailed element abundances, and precise age. For cool main-sequence (MS) stars the abundances of many elements can be measured from spectroscopy, but ages are very hard to determine. The situation is different if the MS star has a white dwarf (WD) companion and a known distance, as the age of such a binary system can then be determined precisely from the photometric properties of the cooling WD. As a pilot study for obtaining precise age determinations of field MS stars, we identify nearly 100 candidates for such wide binary systems: a faint WD whose Gaia-PS1-SDSS (GPS1) proper motion (Tian+ 2017, I/343) matches that of a brighter MS star in Gaia/TGAS (Gaia Collaboration 2016, I/337) with a good parallax ({sigma}_{rho}_/{rho}=<0.05). We model the WD's multi-band photometry with the BASE-9 code using this precise distance (assumed to be common for the pair) and infer ages for each binary system. The resulting age estimates are precise to =<10% (=<20%) for 42 (67) MS-WD systems. Our analysis more than doubles the number of MS-WD systems with precise distances known to date, and it boosts the number of such systems with precise age determination by an order of magnitude. With the advent of the Gaia DR2 (Gaia Collaboration, 2018, I/345) data, this approach will be applicable to a far larger sample, providing ages for many MS stars (that can yield detailed abundances for over 20 elements), especially in the age range of 2-8Gyr, where there are only few known star clusters.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/253/58
- Title:
- Ages of field stars from white dwarf comp. in Gaia
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/253/58
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We analyze 4050 wide binary star systems involving a white dwarf (WD) and usually a main-sequence (MS) star, drawn from the large sample assembled by Tian+ (2020, J/ApJS/246/4). Using the modeling code BASE-9, we determine the system's ages, the WD progenitors' zero-age MS masses, the extinction values (AV), and the distance moduli. Discarding the cases with poor age convergences, we obtain ages for 3551 WDs, with a median age precision of {sigma}{tau}/{tau}=20%, and system ages typically in the range of 1-6Gyr. We validated these ages against the very few known clusters and through cross validation of 236 WD-WD binaries. Under the assumption that the components are coeval in a binary system, this provides precise age constraints on the usually low-mass MS companions, mostly inaccessible by any other means.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/200/8
- Title:
- AGES: the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/200/8
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES) is a redshift survey covering, in its standard fields, 7.7deg^2^ of the Bootes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey. The final sample consists of 23745 redshifts. There are well-defined galaxy samples in 10 bands (the B_W_, R, I, J, K, IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0um, and MIPS 24um bands) to a limiting magnitude of I<20mag for spectroscopy. For these galaxies, we obtained 18163 redshifts from a sample of 35200 galaxies, where random sparse sampling was used to define statistically complete sub-samples in all 10 photometric bands. The median galaxy redshift is 0.31, and 90% of the redshifts are in the range 0.085<z<0.66. Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) were selected as radio, X-ray, IRAC mid-IR, and MIPS 24um sources to fainter limiting magnitudes (I<22.5mag for point sources). Redshifts were obtained for 4764 quasars and galaxies with AGN signatures, with 2926, 1718, 605, 119, and 13 above redshifts of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. We detail all the AGES selection procedures and present the complete spectroscopic redshift catalogs and spectral energy distribution decompositions. Photometric redshift estimates are provided for all sources in the AGES samples.
