- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/833/270
- Title:
- HI-selected-Lyman limit system metallicities
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/833/270
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We measured metallicities for 33 z=3.4-4.2 absorption line systems drawn from a sample of HI-selected-Lyman limit systems (LLSs) identified in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar spectra and stratified based on metal line features. We obtained higher-resolution spectra with the Keck Echellette Spectrograph and Imager, selecting targets according to our stratification scheme in an effort to fully sample the LLS population metallicity distribution. We established a plausible range of HI column densities and measured column densities (or limits) for ions of carbon, silicon, and aluminum, finding ionization-corrected metallicities or upper limits. Interestingly, our ionization models were better constrained with enhanced {alpha}-to-aluminum abundances, with a median abundance ratio of [{alpha}/Al]=0.3. Measured metallicities were generally low, ranging from [M/H]=-3 to -1.68, with even lower metallicities likely for some systems with upper limits. Using survival statistics to incorporate limits, we constructed the cumulative distribution function (CDF) for LLS metallicities. Recent models of galaxy evolution propose that galaxies replenish their gas from the low-metallicity intergalactic medium (IGM) via high-density HI "flows" and eject enriched interstellar gas via outflows. Thus, there has been some expectation that LLSs at the peak of cosmic star formation (z~3) might have a bimodal metallicity distribution. We modeled our CDF as a mix of two Gaussian distributions, one reflecting the metallicity of the IGM and the other representative of the interstellar medium of star-forming galaxies. This bimodal distribution yielded a poor fit. A single Gaussian distribution better represented the sample with a low mean metallicity of [M/H]~-2.5.
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- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/833/283
- Title:
- HI-selected Lyman limit systems metallicities
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/833/283
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the first results from our KODIAQ Z survey aimed at determining the metallicity distribution and physical properties of the z>~2 partial and full Lyman limit systems (pLLSs and LLSs; 16.2<=logN_HI_<19), which are probed of the interface regions between the intergalactic medium (IGM) and galaxies. We study 31 HI-selected pLLSs and LLSs at 2.3<z<3.3 observed with Keck/HIRES in absorption against background QSOs. We compare the column densities of metal ions to HI and use photoionization models to assess the metallicity. The metallicity distribution of the pLLSs/LLSs at 2.3<z<3.3 is consistent with a unimodal distribution peaking at [X/H]~-2. The metallicity distribution of these absorbers therefore evolves markedly with z since at z<~1 it is bimodal with peaks at [X/H]~-1.8 and -0.3. There is a substantial fraction (25%-41%) of pLLSs/LLSs with metallicities well below those of damped Ly{alpha} absorbers (DLAs) at any studied z from z<~1 to z~2-4, implying reservoirs of metal-poor, cool, dense gas in the IGM/galaxy interface at all z. However, the gas probed by pLLSs and LLSs is rarely pristine, with a fraction of 3%-18% for pLLSs/LLSs with [X/H]<=-3. We find C/{alpha} enhancement in several pLLSs and LLSs in the metallicity range -2<~[X/H]<~-0.5, where C/{alpha} is 2-5 times larger than observed in Galactic metal-poor stars or high-redshift DLAs at similar metallicities. This is likely caused by preferential ejection of carbon from metal-poor galaxies into their surroundings.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/832/99
- Title:
- HK', CN & CH chemical indexes in NGC 362 & NGC 6723
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/832/99
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Most globular clusters (GCs) are now known to host multiple stellar populations with different abundances of light elements. Here we use narrow-band photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy for NGC 362 and NGC 6723 to investigate their chemical properties and radial distributions of subpopulations. We confirm that NGC 362 and NGC 6723 are among the GCs with multiple populations showing bimodal CN distribution and CN-CH anticorrelation without a significant spread in calcium abundance. These two GCs show more centrally concentrated CN-weak, earlier generation stars compared to the CN-strong, later generation stars. These trends are reversed with respect to those found in previous studies for many other GCs. Our findings, therefore, seem contradictory to the current scenario for the formation of multiple stellar populations, but mass segregation acting on the two subpopulations might be a possible solution to explain this reversed radial trend.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/547/A13
- Title:
- Homogeneous sample of F6-K4 Hyades stars
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/547/A13
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Stellar kinematic groups are kinematical coherent groups of stars that might have a common origin. These groups are dispersed throughout the Galaxy over time by the tidal effects of both Galactic rotation and disc heating, although their chemical content remains unchanged. The aim of chemical tagging is to establish that the abundances of every element in the analysis are homogeneous among the members. We study the case of the Hyades Supercluster to compile a reliable list of members (FGK stars) based on our chemical tagging analysis. For a total of 61 stars from the Hyades Supercluster, stellar atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, {ksi}, and [Fe/H]) are determined using our code called StePar, which is based on the sensitivity to the stellar atmospherics parameters of the iron EWs measured in the spectra. We derive the chemical abundances of 20 elements and find that their [X/Fe] ratios are consistent with Galactic abundance trends reported in previous studies. The chemical tagging method is applied with a carefully developed differential abundance analysis of each candidate member of the Hyades Supercluster, using a well-known member of the Hyades cluster as a reference (vB 153). We find that only 28 stars (26 dwarfs and 2 giants) are members, i.e. that 46% of our candidates are members based on the differential abundance analysis. This result confirms that the Hyades Supercluster cannot originate solely from the Hyades cluster.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/563/A13
- Title:
- Horizontal branch stars in M22
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/563/A13
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We obtained high-resolution spectra for 94 candidate stars belonging to the HB of M 22 with FLAMES. Previous works have indicated that this cluster has split subgiant (SGB) and red giant branches (RGB) and hosts two different stellar populations, differing in overall metal abundance and both exhibiting a Na-O anti-correlation. The HB stars we observed span a restricted temperature range (7800<Teff<11000K), where about 60% of the HB stars of M 22 are. Within our sample, we can distinguish three groups of stars segregated (though contiguous) in colours: Group 1 (49 stars) is metal-poor, N-normal, Na-poor and O-rich: our abundances for this (cooler) group match very well those determined for the primordial group of RGB stars (a third of the total) from previous studies. Group 2 (23 stars) is still metal-poor, but it is N- and Na-rich, though only very mildly depleted in O. We can identify this intermediate group as the progeny of the metal-poor RGB stars that occupy an intermediate location along the Na-O anti-correlation and include about 10% of the RGB stars. The third group (20 stars) is metal-rich, Na-rich, and O-rich. This hotter group likely corresponds to the most O-rich component of the previously found metal-rich RGB population (a quarter of the total). We did not observe any severely O-depleted stars and we think that the progeny of these stars falls on the hotter part of the HB. Furthermore, we found that the metal-rich population is also over-abundant in Sr, in agreement with results for corresponding RGB and SGB stars. However, we do not find any significant variation in the ratio between the sum of N and O abundances to Fe. We do not have C abundances for our stars. There is some evidence of an enhancement of He content for Groups 2 and 3 stars (Y=0.338+/-0.014+/-0.05); the error bar due to systematics is large, but a consistent analysis of data for several GCs confirms that stars in these groups within M22 are likely overabundant in He. We conclude that on the whole, our results agree with the proposition that chemical composition drives the location of stars along the HB of a GC. Furthermore, we found a number of fast rotators. They are concentrated in a restricted temperature range along the HB of M22. Fast rotating stars might be slightly less massive and bluer than slowly rotating ones, but other interpretations are possible.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/539/A19
- Title:
- Horizontal branch stars in NGC 1851
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/539/A19
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The chemical composition of horizontal branch (HB) stars might help to clarify the formation history of individual globular clusters (GCs). We studied the Na-O anti-correlation from moderately high resolution spectra for 91 stars on the bimodal HB of NGC 1851; in addition we observed 13 stars on the lower red giant branch (RGB). In our HB sample, 35 stars are on the blue HB (BHB), one is an RR Lyrae, and 55 stars are on the red HB (RHB). The ratio of BHB to RHB stars is close to the total in the cluster (35 and 54%, respectively), while RR Lyrae variables are under-represented, (they are ~12% of the NGC 1851 stars). We also derived abundances for He and N in BHB stars.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/573/A92
- Title:
- Horizontal branch stars in NGC 6723
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/573/A92
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We used FLAMES+GIRAFFE (Medusa mode) at the VLT to obtain moderately high resolution spectra for 30 red horizontal branch (RHB) stars, 4 RR Lyrae variables, and 17 blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars in the low-concentration, moderately metal-rich globular cluster NGC 6723 ([Fe/H]=-1.22+/-0.08 from our present sample). The spectra were optimized to derive O and Na abundances. In addition, we obtained abundances for other elements, including N, Fe, Mg, Ca, Ni, and Ba. We used these data to discuss the evidence of a connection between the distribution of stars along the horizontal branch (HB) and the multiple populations that are typically present in globular clusters. We found that all RHB and most (13 out of 17) BHB stars are O-rich, Na-poor, and N-poor; these stars probably belong to the first stellar generation in this cluster. Only the four warmest observed stars are (moderately) O-poor, Na-rich, and N-rich, and they probably belong to the second generation. While our sample is not fully representative of the whole HB population in NGC 6723, our data suggest that in this cluster only HB stars warmer than ~9000K, that is one fourth of the total, belong to the second generation, if at all. Since in many other clusters this fraction is about two thirds, we conclude that the fraction of first/second generation in globular clusters may be strongly variable. In addition, the wide range in colour of chemically homogeneous first-generation HB stars requires a considerable spread in mass loss (>0.10M_{sun}_). The reason for this spread is yet to be understood. Finally, we found a high Ba abundance, with a statistically significant radial abundance gradient.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/549/A41
- Title:
- Horizontal branch stars in 47 Tuc and M5
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/549/A41
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- To check the impact of the multiple population scenario for globular clusters on their horizontal branch (HB), we present an analysis of the composition of 110 red HB (RHB) stars in 47 Tucanae and of 61 blue HB (BHB) and 30 RHB stars in M5. In 47 Tuc we found tight relations between the colours of the stars and their abundances of p-capture elements. This strongly supports the idea that the He content - which is expected to be closely correlated with the abundances of p-capture elements - is the third parameter (after overall metallicity and age) that determines the colour of HB stars. However, the range in He abundance must be small ({Delta}Y<0.03) in 47 Tuc to reproduce our observations; this agrees with previous analyses. There is possibly a correlation between the abundances of p- and n-capture elements in 47 Tuc. If confirmed, this might suggest that asymptotic giant branch stars of moderate mass contributed to the gas from which second-generation stars formed. Considering the selection effects in our sample (which does not include stars warmer than 11000K and RR Lyrae variables, which were excluded because we could not obtain accurate abundances with the adopted observing procedure) is important to understand our results for M5. In this case, we find that, as expected, RHB stars are Na-poor and O-rich, and likely belong to the primordial population. There is a clear correlation of the [Na/O] ratio and N abundance with colour along the BHB. A derivation of the He abundance for these stars yields a low value of Y=0.22+/-0.03. This is expected because HB stars of a putative He-rich population in this cluster should be warmer than 11000K, and would accordingly not have been sampled by our analysis. However, we need some additional source of scatter in the total mass loss of stars climbing up the red giant branch to reproduce our results for M5. Finally, we found a C-star on the HB of 47Tuc and a Ba-rich, fast-rotating, likely binary star on the HB of M5. These stars are among the brightest and coolest HB stars.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/VI/54
- Title:
- Horizontal Branch Stellar Model Calculations
- Short Name:
- VI/54
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- This data set consists of evolutionary sequences from the Zero Age Horizontal Branch (ZAHB) to the point where log L/Lsun reaches 2.25 on the lower AGB. These calculations have enhanced oxygen abundance according to a relation used by VandenBerg (1992ApJ...391..685V) and Bergbusch and VandenBerg (1992ApJS...81..163B) for main sequence and red-giant branch models. Also, zero age sequences for oxygen enhanced and scaled-solar compositions are given.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/830/13
- Title:
- Host-galaxy NUV-NIR data of 32 superluminous SNe
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/830/13
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present ultraviolet through near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of the host galaxies of all superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory prior to 2013 and derive measurements of their luminosities, star formation rates, stellar masses, and gas-phase metallicities. We find that Type I (hydrogen-poor) SLSNe (SLSNe I) are found almost exclusively in low-mass (M_*_<2x10^9^M_{sun}_) and metal-poor (12+log_10_[O/H]<8.4) galaxies. We compare the mass and metallicity distributions of our sample to nearby galaxy catalogs in detail and conclude that the rate of SLSNe I as a fraction of all SNe is heavily suppressed in galaxies with metallicities >~0.5Z_{sun}_. Extremely low metallicities are not required and indeed provide no further increase in the relative SLSN rate. Several SLSN I hosts are undergoing vigorous starbursts, but this may simply be a side effect of metallicity dependence: dwarf galaxies tend to have bursty star formation histories. Type II (hydrogen-rich) SLSNe (SLSNe II) are found over the entire range of galaxy masses and metallicities, and their integrated properties do not suggest a strong preference for (or against) low-mass/low-metallicity galaxies. Two hosts exhibit unusual properties: PTF 10uhf is an SLSN I in a massive, luminous infrared galaxy at redshift z=0.29, while PTF 10tpz is an SLSN II located in the nucleus of an early-type host at z=0.04.