- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/197/33
- Title:
- The M87 globular cluster system
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/197/33
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the most extensive combined photometric and spectroscopic study to date of the enormous globular cluster (GC) system around M87, the central giant elliptical galaxy in the nearby Virgo Cluster. Using observations from DEIMOS and the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer at Keck, and Hectospec on the Multiple Mirror Telescope, we derive new, precise radial velocities for 451 GCs around M87, with projected radii from ~5 to 185kpc. We combine these measurements with literature data for a total sample of 737 objects, which we use for a re-examination of the kinematics of the GC system of M87. The velocities are analyzed in the context of archival wide-field photometry and a novel Hubble Space Telescope catalog of half-light radii, which includes sizes for 344 spectroscopically confirmed clusters. We use this unique catalog to identify 18 new candidate ultracompact dwarfs and to help clarify the relationship between these objects and true GCs.
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- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/762/25
- Title:
- The most metal-poor stars in HES and SDSS. I.
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/762/25
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We report the discovery of 34 stars in the Hamburg/ESO Survey (HES) for metal-poor stars and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that have [Fe/H]<~-3.0. Their median and minimum abundances are [Fe/H]=-3.1 and -4.1, respectively, while 10 stars have [Fe/H]<-3.5. High-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectroscopic data --equivalent widths and radial velocities-- are presented for these stars, together with an additional four objects previously reported or currently being investigated elsewhere. We have determined the atmospheric parameters, effective temperature (T_eff_), and surface gravity (logg), which are critical in the determination of the chemical abundances and the evolutionary status of these stars. Three techniques were used to derive these parameters. Spectrophotometric fits to model atmosphere fluxes were used to derive T_eff_, logg, and an estimate of E(B-V); H{alpha}, H{beta}, and H{gamma} profile fitting to model atmosphere results provided the second determination of T_eff_and logg; and finally, we used an empirical T_eff_-calibrated H{delta} index, for the third, independent T_eff_determination. The three values of T_eff_ are in good agreement, although the profile fitting may yield systematically cooler T_eff_values, by ~100K. This collective data set will be analyzed in future papers in the present series to utilize the most metal-poor stars as probes of conditions in the early universe.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/784/3
- Title:
- The PAWS catalogs of GMCs and islands in M51
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/784/3
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Using data from the PdBI Arcsecond Whirlpool Survey (PAWS), we have generated the largest extragalactic giant molecular cloud (GMC) catalog to date, containing 1507 individual objects. GMCs in the inner M51 disk account for only 54% of the total ^12^CO(1-0) luminosity of the survey, but on average they exhibit physical properties similar to Galactic GMCs. We do not find a strong correlation between the GMC size and velocity dispersion, and a simple virial analysis suggests that ~30% of GMCs in M51 are unbound. We have analyzed the GMC properties within seven dynamically motivated galactic environments, finding that GMCs in the spiral arms and in the central region are brighter and have higher velocity dispersions than inter-arm clouds. Globally, the GMC mass distribution does not follow a simple power-law shape. Instead, we find that the shape of the mass distribution varies with galactic environment: the distribution is steeper in inter-arm region than in the spiral arms, and exhibits a sharp truncation at high masses for the nuclear bar region. We propose that the observed environmental variations in the GMC properties and mass distributions are a consequence of the combined action of large-scale dynamical processes and feedback from high-mass star formation. We describe some challenges of using existing GMC identification techniques for decomposing the ^12^CO(1-0) emission in molecule-rich environments, such as M51's inner disk.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJS/230/28
- Title:
- The populations of Carina. II. Abundances
- Short Name:
- J/ApJS/230/28
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Chemical abundances are presented for 19 elements in a sample of 63 red giants in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph), based on homogeneous 1D/LTE model atmosphere analyses of our own observations (32 stars) and data available in the literature (a further 31 independent stars). The (Fe) metallicity and [{alpha}/Fe] distribution functions have mean values and dispersions of -1.59 and 0.33dex ([Fe/H] range: -2.68 to -0.64) and 0.07 and 0.13dex ([{alpha}/Fe] range: -0.27 to 0.25), respectively. We confirm the finding of Venn+ (2012, J/ApJ/751/102) that a small percentage (some 10% in the present investigation) of the sample shows clear evidence for significant enrichment by Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) ejecta. Calcium, with the most accurately determined abundance of the {alpha}-elements, shows an asymmetric distribution toward smaller values of [Ca/Fe] at all [Fe/H], most significantly over -2.0<[Fe/H]<-1.0, suggestive of incomplete mixing of the ejecta of SNe Ia with the ambient medium of each of Carina's generations. Approximate color-magnitude diagram age estimates are presented for the sample, and together with our chemical abundances, compared with the results of our previous synthetic color-magnitude diagram analysis, which reported the details of Carina's four well-defined populations. We searched for the Na-O anticorrelation universally reported in the Galaxy's globular clusters and confirm that this phenomenon does not exist in Carina. We also found that one of the 32 stars in our sample has an extremely enhanced lithium abundance-A(Li)_NLTE_=+3.36, consistent with membership of the ~1% group of Li-rich stars in dSph described by Kirby+ (2012ApJ...752L..16K).
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/784/170
- Title:
- The SEGUE K giant survey. II. Distances of 6036 stars
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/784/170
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present an online catalog of distance determinations for 6036 K giants, most of which are members of the Milky Way's stellar halo. Their medium-resolution spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey/Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration are used to derive metallicities and rough gravity estimates, along with radial velocities. Distance moduli are derived from a comparison of each star's apparent magnitude with the absolute magnitude of empirically calibrated color-luminosity fiducials, at the observed (g-r)_0_ color and spectroscopic [Fe/H]. We employ a probabilistic approach that makes it straightforward to properly propagate the errors in metallicities, magnitudes, and colors into distance uncertainties. We also fold in prior information about the giant-branch luminosity function and the different metallicity distributions of the SEGUE K-giant targeting sub-categories. We show that the metallicity prior plays a small role in the distance estimates, but that neglecting the luminosity prior could lead to a systematic distance modulus bias of up to 0.25mag, compared to the case of using the luminosity prior. We find a median distance precision of 16%, with distance estimates most precise for the least metal-poor stars near the tip of the red giant branch. The precision and accuracy of our distance estimates are validated with observations of globular and open clusters. The stars in our catalog are up to 125kpc from the Galactic center, with 283 stars beyond 50kpc, forming the largest available spectroscopic sample of distant tracers in the Galactic halo.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/156/49
- Title:
- The solar neighborhood. XLIII. New nearby stars
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/156/49
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We have conducted a novel search of most of the southern sky for nearby red dwarfs having low proper motions, with specific emphasis on those with {mu}<0.18"/yr, the lower cutoff of Luyten's classic proper-motion catalog. We used a tightly constrained search of the SuperCOSMOS database and a suite of photometric distance relations for photographic BRI and 2MASS JHK_s_ magnitudes to estimate distances to more than 14 million red dwarf candidates. Here we discuss 29 stars in 26 systems estimated to be within 25 pc, all of which have {mu}<0.18"/yr, that we have investigated using milliarcsecond astrometry, VRI photometry, and low-resolution spectroscopy. In total, we present the first parallaxes of 20 star systems, 9 of which are within 25 pc. We have additionally identified 14 young M dwarfs, of which 3 are new members of the nearby young moving groups, and 72 new giants, including two new carbon stars. We also present the entire catalog of 1215 sources we have identified by this means.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AN/334/673
- Title:
- The stellar content of Trumpler 37
- Short Name:
- J/AN/334/673
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- With an apparent cluster diameter of 1.5deg and an age of ~4Myr, Trumpler 37 is an ideal target for photometric monitoring of young stars as well as for the search of planetary transits, eclipsing binaries and other sources of variability. The YETI consortium has monitored Trumpler 37 throughout 2010 and 2011 to obtain a comprehensive view of variable phenomena in this region. In this first paper we present the cluster properties and membership determination as derived from an extensive investigation of the literature. We also compared the coordinate list to some YETI images. For 1872 stars we found literature data. Among them 774 have high probability of being member and 125 a medium probability. Based on infrared data we re-calculate a cluster extinction of 0.9-1.2mag. We can confirm the age and distance to be 3-5Myr and ~870pc. Stellar masses are determined from theoretical models and the mass function is fitted with a power-law index of {alpha}=1.90 (0.1-0.4M_{sun}_) and {alpha}=1.12 (1-10M_{sun}_).
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/156/271
- Title:
- The stellar membership of the Taurus SFR
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/156/271
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The high-precision astrometry from the second data release of the Gaia mission (Cat. I/345) has made it possible to greatly improve the census of members of nearby clusters and associations. I have applied the Gaia data to the Taurus star-forming region, refining the sample of known members and identifying candidates for undiscovered members. The resulting samples of members and candidates provide the best constraints to date on the distribution of ages and the initial mass function (IMF) in Taurus. Several studies over the last 30 years have proposed the existence of a population of older stars (>~10 Myr) that is associated with the Taurus clouds. The data from Gaia demonstrate that such a population does not exist. Meanwhile, previous IMF estimates for small fields surrounding the Taurus aggregates have exhibited a surplus of K7-M0 stars (0.7-0.8 M_{sun}_) relative to star-forming clusters such as IC 348 and the Orion Nebula Cluster. However, that difference disappears when the new census of the entire region is considered, which should be complete for spectral types earlier than M6-M7 at A_J_<1. Thus, there is little variation in the stellar IMF across the 3-4 orders of magnitude in stellar density that are present in nearby star-forming regions. Finally, I note that the proper motions of two previously known members, KPNO 15 and 2MASS J04355209+2255039, indicate that they may have been ejected from the same location within the L1536 cloud ~7200 years ago.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/113/634
- Title:
- The survival of Sagittarius dwarf galaxy
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/113/634
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy, the closest satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, has survived for many orbits about the Galaxy. Extent numerical calculations modeled this galaxy as a system with a centrally-concentrated mass profile, following the light, and found that it should lose more than one-half of its mass every 2-4 orbits and be completely disrupted long before now. Apparently the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal, and by implication other dSph galaxies, do not have a centrally-concentrated profile for their dark matter. We develop a model in which the stars of the Sgr dwarf are embedded in a constant-density dark matter halo, representing the core of a tidally-limited system, and show that this is consistent with its survival. We present new photometric and kinematic observations of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal and show these data are consistent with this explanation for the continued existence of this galaxy. The Sagittarius dwarf is being tidally distorted and is tidally limited, but is not disrupted as yet. The corresponding minimum total mass is 10^9^M_{sun}_, while the central mass to visual light ratio is ~50 in Solar units. Our new photographic photometry allows the detection of main-sequence stars of the Sagittarius dwarf over an area of 22x8{deg}. The Sagittarius dwarf is prolate, with axis ratios ~3:1:1. For an adopted distance of 16+/-2kpc from the Galactic center on the opposite side of the Galaxy to the Sun, the major axis is >~9kpc long and is aligned approximately normal to the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy, roughly following the coordinate line l=5{deg}. The central velocity dispersion of giant stars which are members of the Sagittarius dwarf is 11.4+/-0.7km/s and is consistent with being constant over the face of the galaxy. The gradient in mean line-of-sight velocity with position along the major axis, dv/db, is ~0km/s/degree in the central regions and increases in amplitude to dv/db=-3km/s/degree over the outermost three degrees for which we have data. A first measurement of the proper motion of the Sagittarius dwarf determines the component of its space velocity parallel to its major axis to be 250+/-90km/s, directed towards the Galactic Plane. We model these kinematic data to determine the orbit of the Sagittarius dwarf. Our best fit model has an orbital period of <~1Gyr and has the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal close to perigalacticon. This period is shorter, by about a factor of >~10, than the age of the bulk of its stellar population. (Copyright) 1997 American Astronomical Society.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/838/150
- Title:
- The Taurus-Auriga ecosystem. I.
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/838/150
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The census of Taurus-Auriga has been assembled over seven decades and inherited the biases and incompleteness of the input studies. The unusual shape of its inferred initial mass function (IMF) and the existence of isolated disk-bearing stars suggest that additional (likely disk-free) members remain to be discovered. We therefore have begun a global reassessment of the census of Taurus-Auriga that exploits new data and better definitions of youth and kinematic membership. As a first step, we reconsider the membership of all disk-free candidate members from the literature with spectral type >=F0, 3h50min<{alpha}5h40min, and 14{deg}<{delta}<34{deg}. We combine data from the literature with Keck/HIRES and UH88/SNIFS spectra to test the membership of these candidates using the positions in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram, proper motions, radial velocities, H{alpha}, lithium, and surface gravity. We find 218 confirmed or likely Taurus members, 160 confirmed or likely interlopers, and only 18 that lack sufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions. A significant fraction of these stars (81/218=37%) are not included in the most recent canonical member lists. There are few additional members to the immediate vicinity of the molecular clouds, preserving the IMFs that have been deemed anomalous in past work. Many of the likely Taurus members are instead distributed broadly across the search area. When combined with the known disk hosts, our updated census reveals two regimes: a high-density population with a high disk fraction (indicative of youth) that broadly traces the molecular clouds, and a low-density population with low disk fraction (hence likely older) that most likely represents previous generations of star formation.
