High-synchrotron peaked blazars (HSPs or HBLs) play a central role in very high-energy (VHE) {gamma}-ray astronomy, and likely in neutrino astronomy. Currently, the largest compilation of HSP blazars, the 2WHSP sample, includes 1691 sources, but it is not complete in the radio or in the X-ray band. In order to provide a larger and more accurate set of HSP blazars that is useful for future statistical studies and to plan for VHE/TeV observations, we present the 3HSP catalogue, the largest sample of extreme and high-synchrotron peaked (EHSP; HSP) blazars and blazar candidates. We implemented several ways to improve the size and the completeness of the 2WHSP catalogue and reduced the selection biases to be taken into consideration in population studies. By discarding the IR constraint and relaxing the radio-IR and IR-X-ray slope criteria, we were able to select more sources with peak close to the 10^15^Hz threshold and objects where the host galaxy dominates the flux. The selection of extra sources now commences with a crossmatching between radio and X-ray surveys, applying a simple flux ratio cut. We also considered Fermi-LAT catalogues to find reasonable HSP-candidates that are detected in the {gamma}-ray band but are not included in X-ray or radio source catalogues. The new method, and the use of newly available multi-frequency data, allowed us to add 395 sources to the sample, to remove 73 2WHSP sources that were previously agged as uncertain and could not be confirmed as genuine HSP blazars, and to update parameters obtained by fitting the synchrotron component. The 3HSP catalogue includes 2013 sources, 88% of which with a redshift estimation, a much higher percentage than in any other list of HSP blazars. All new {gamma}-ray detections are described in the First and Second Brazil ICRANet {gamma}-ray blazar catalogues (1BIGB & 2BIGB) also taking into account the 4FGL list of {gamma}-ray sources published by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) team. Moreover, the cross-matching between the 2WHSP, 2FHL HSP, and IceCube neutrino positions suggests that HSPs are likely counterparts of neutrino events, which implies the 3HSP catalogue is also useful in that respect. The 3HSP catalogue shows improved completeness compared to its predecessors, the 1WHSP and 2WHSP catalogues, and follows the track of their increasing relevance for VHE astronomy.
We present the atlas of protoplanetary disks in the Orion Nebula based on the Wide Field Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS/WFC) images obtained for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Treasury Program on the Orion Nebula Cluster. The observations have been carried out in five photometric filters nearly equivalent to the standard B, V, H{alpha}, I, and z passbands. Our master catalog lists 178 externally ionized protoplanetary disks (proplyds), 28 disks seen only in absorption against the bright nebular background (silhouette disks), eight disks seen only as dark lanes at the midplane of extended polar emission (bipolar nebulae or reflection nebulae), and five sources showing jet emission with no evidence of either external ionized gas emission or dark silhouette disks.
The Coma cluster, Abell 1656, was the target of an HST-ACS Treasury program designed for deep imaging in the F475W and F814W passbands. Although our survey was interrupted by the ACS instrument failure in early 2007, the partially completed survey still covers ~50% of the core high-density region in Coma. Observations were performed for 25 fields that extend over a wide range of cluster-centric radii (1.75Mpc or 1{deg}) with a total coverage area of 274arcmin^2^. The majority of the fields are located near the core region of Coma (19/25 pointings) with six additional fields in the southwest region of the cluster. In this paper, we present reprocessed images and SEXTRACTOR source catalogs for our survey fields, including a detailed description of the methodology used for object detection and photometry, the subtraction of bright galaxies to measure faint underlying objects, and the use of simulations to assess the photometric accuracy and completeness of our catalogs. We also use simulations to perform aperture corrections for the SEXTRACTOR Kron magnitudes based only on the measured source flux and its half-light radius. We have performed photometry for 73,000 unique objects; approximately one-half of our detections are brighter than the 10{sigma} point-source detection limit at F814W=25.8mag(AB). The slight majority of objects (60%) are unresolved or only marginally resolved by ACS. We estimate that Coma members are 5%-10% of all source detections, which consist of a large population of unresolved compact sources (primarily globular clusters but also ultra-compact dwarf galaxies) and a wide variety of extended galaxies from a cD galaxy to dwarf low surface brightness galaxies. The red sequence of Coma member galaxies has a color-magnitude relation with a constant slope and dispersion over 9mag (-21<M_I_<-13). The initial data release for the HST-ACS Coma Treasury program was made available to the public in 2008 August. The images and catalogs described in this study relate to our second data release.
Using deep, high-spatial-resolution imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) Coma Cluster Treasury Survey, we determine colour profiles of early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster. From 176 galaxies brighter than MF814W(AB)=-15mag that are either spectroscopically confirmed members of Coma or identified by eye as likely members from their low surface brightness, data are provided for 142 early-type galaxies. Typically, colour profiles are linear against log (R), sometimes with a nuclear region of distinct, often bluer colour associated with nuclear clusters. Colour gradients are determined for the regions outside the nuclear components. We find that almost all colour gradients are negative, both for elliptical and for lenticular galaxies. Most likely, earlier studies that report positive colour gradients in dwarf galaxies are affected by the bluer colours of the nuclear clusters, underlining that high-resolution data are essential to disentangle the colour properties of the different morphological components in galaxies. Colour gradients of dwarf galaxies form a continuous sequence with those of elliptical galaxies, becoming shallower towards fainter magnitudes. Interpreting the colours as metallicity tracers, our data suggest that dwarfs as well as giant early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster are less metal rich in their outer parts. We do not find evidence for environmental influence on the gradients, although we note that most of our galaxies are found in the central regions of the cluster. For a subset of galaxies with known morphological types, S0 galaxies have less steep gradients than elliptical galaxies.
We present scaling relations between structural properties of nuclear star clusters and their host galaxies for a sample of early-type dwarf galaxies observed as part of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Coma Cluster Survey. We have analysed the light profiles of 200 early-type dwarf galaxies in the magnitude range 16.0<m_F814W_<22.6mag, corresponding to -19.0<M_F814W_<-12.4mag. Nuclear star clusters are detected in 80 percent of the galaxies, thus doubling the sample of HST-observed early-type dwarf galaxies with nuclear star clusters. We confirm that the nuclear star cluster detection fraction decreases strongly towards faint magnitudes. The luminosities of nuclear star clusters do not scale linearly with host galaxy luminosity. A linear fit yields L_nuc_~L_gal_^0.57^+/-0.05. The nuclear star cluster-host galaxy luminosity scaling relation for low-mass early-type dwarf galaxies is consistent with formation by globular cluster (GC) accretion. We find that at similar luminosities, galaxies with higher Sersic indices have slightly more luminous nuclear star clusters. Rounder galaxies have on average more luminous clusters. Some of the nuclear star clusters are resolved, despite the distance of Coma. We argue that the relation between nuclear star cluster mass and size is consistent with both formation by GC accretion and in situ formation. Our data are consistent with GC inspiralling being the dominant mechanism at low masses, although the observed trend with Sersic index suggests that in situ star formation is an important second-order effect.
A census of the satellite population around dwarf galaxy primary hosts in environments outside the Local Group is essential to understanding {Lambda} cold dark matter galaxy formation and evolution on the smallest scales. We present deep optical Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the gas-rich, faint dwarf galaxy Antlia B (M_V_=-9.4) --a likely satellite of NGC 3109 (D=1.3Mpc)-- discovered as part of our ongoing survey of primary host galaxies similar to the Magellanic Clouds. We derive a new tip of the red giant branch distance of D=1.35+/-0.06Mpc (m-M=25.65+/-0.10), consistent with membership in the nearby NGC 3109 dwarf association. The color-magnitude diagram (CMD) shows both a prominent old, metal-poor stellar component and confirms a small population of young, blue stars with ages <~1Gyr. We use the CMD fitting algorithm MATCH to derive the star formation history (SFH) and find that it is consistent with the typical dwarf irregular or transitional dwarf galaxy (dTrans) in the Local Group. Antlia B shows relatively constant stellar mass growth for the first ~10-11Gyr and almost no growth in the last ~2-3Gyr. Despite being gas-rich, Antlia B shows no evidence of active star formation (i.e., no H{alpha} emission) and should therefore be classified as a dTrans dwarf. Both Antlia B and the Antlia dwarf (dTrans) are likely satellites of NGC3109, suggesting that the cessation of ongoing star formation in these galaxies may be environmentally driven. Future work studying the gas kinematics and distribution in Antlia B will explore this scenario in greater detail. Our work highlights the fact that detailed studies of nearby dwarf galaxies in a variety of environments may continue to shed light on the processes that drive the SFH and evolution of dwarf galaxies more generally.
We present a photometric study of the star-forming region NGC 346 and its surrounding field in the Small Magellanic Cloud, using data taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The data set contains both short and long exposures for increased dynamic range, and photometry was performed using the ACS module of the stellar photometry package DOLPHOT. We detected almost 100,000 stars over a magnitude range of V~11 to V~28 mag, including all stellar types from the most massive young stars to faint lower main-sequence and pre-main-sequence stars. We find that this region, which is characterized by a plethora of stellar systems and interesting objects, is an outstanding example of mixed stellar populations. We take into account different features of the color-magnitude diagram of all the detected stars to distinguish the two dominant stellar systems: the stellar association NGC 346 and the old spherical star cluster BS 90. These observations provide a complete stellar sample of a field about 5'x5' around the most active star-forming region in this galaxy. Considering the importance of these data for various investigations in the area, we provide the full stellar catalog from our photometry. This paper is the first part of an ongoing study to investigate in detail the two dominant stellar systems in the area and their surrounding field.
Stellar photometric variability offers a novel probe of the interior structure and evolutionary state of stars. Here we present a census of stellar variability on day to decade timescales across the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) for 73000 stars brighter than M_I,814_=-5 in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). Our Cycle 24 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) program acquired V606- and I814-band images over 34 epochs spanning 1 year with pseudo-random cadences enabling sensitivity to periods from days to months. We supplement these data with archival V- and I-band HST data obtained in 1995 and 2005, providing sensitivity to variability on decade timescales. At least 50% of stars brighter than M_I,814_=-7 show strong evidence for variability within our Cycle 24 data; among stars with V_606_-I_814_>2 the variability fraction rises to ~100%. Large amplitude variability (>0.3mag) on decade timescales is restricted to red supergiants (RSGs) and very luminous blue stars. Both populations display fairly smooth variability on month-year timescales. The Cepheid instability strip is clearly visible in our data, although the variability fraction within this region never exceeds ~10%. The location of variable stars across the CMD broadly agrees with theoretical sources of variability, including the instability strip, RSG pulsational instabilities, long-period fundamental mode pulsations, and radiation-dominated envelopes in massive stars. Our data can be used to place stringent constraints on the precise onset of these various instabilities and their lifetimes and growth rates.
We present our photometric study of the stellar association NGC 602 in the wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The data were taken in the filters F555W and F814W using the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Photometry was performed using the ACS module of the stellar photometry package DOLPHOT. We detected more than 5500 stars with a magnitude range of 14<~m_555_<~28mag. Three prominent stellar concentrations are identified with star counts in the observed field, the association NGC 602 itself, and two clusters, one of them not being currently in any known catalog. The color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of both clusters show features typical for young open clusters, while that of the association reveals bright main-sequence (MS) and faint pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars as the members of the system.
We present observations with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope of the nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxy KKH 22 = LEDA 2807114 in the vicinity of massive spiral galaxy IC 342. We derived its distance of 3.12+/-0.19Mpc using the Tip of Red Giant Branch method. We also use the 6-m BTA spectroscopy to measure a heliocentric radial velocity of globular cluster in KKH 22 to be +30+/-10km/s. The dSph galaxy KKH 22 has the V-band absolute magnitude of -12.19mag and the central surface brightness {mu}_v,0_=24.1mag/arcsec^2^. Both the velocity and the distance of KKH 22 are consistent with the dSph galaxy being gravitationally bound to IC 342. Another nearby dIr galaxy, KKH 34, with a low heliocentric velocity of +106km/s has the TRGB distance of 7.28+/-0.36Mpc residing in the background respect to the IC 342 group. KKH 34 has surprisinly high negative peculiar velocity of -236+/-26km/s.