- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/880/65
- Title:
- LAMOST K giants in Galactic halo substructures
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/880/65
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We construct a large halo K-giant sample by combining the positions, distances, radial velocities, and metallicities of over 13000 LAMOST DR5 halo K giants with the Gaia DR2 proper motions, which covers a Galactocentric distance range of 5-120kpc. Using a position-velocity clustering estimator (the 6Distance), we statistically quantify the presence of position-velocity substructure at high significance: K giants have more close pairs in position-velocity space than a smooth stellar halo. We find that the amount of substructure in the halo increases with increasing distance and metallicity. With a percolation algorithm named friends-of-friends to identify groups, we identify members belonging to Sagittarius (Sgr) Streams, Monoceros Ring, Virgo Overdensity, Hercules-Aquila Cloud, Orphan Streams, and other unknown substructures and find that the Sgr streams account for a large part of grouped stars beyond 20kpc and enhance the increase of substructure with distance and metallicity. For the first time, we identify spectroscopic members of Monoceros Ring in the southern and northern Galactic hemispheres, which presents a rotation of about 185km/s and a mean metallicity of -0.66dex.
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Search Results
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/708/717
- Title:
- Light curve templates of RR Lyrae stars
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/708/717
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present an improved analysis of halo substructure traced by RR Lyrae stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) stripe 82 region. With the addition of SDSS-II data, a revised selection method based on new ugriz light curve templates results in a sample of 483 RR Lyrae stars that is essentially free of contamination. The main result from our first study persists: the spatial distribution of halo stars at galactocentric distances 5-100kpc is highly inhomogeneous. At least 20% of halo stars within 30kpc from the Galactic center can be statistically associated with substructure. We present strong direct evidence, based on both RR Lyrae stars and main-sequence stars, that the halo stellar number density profile significantly steepens beyond a Galactocentric distance of ~30kpc, and a larger fraction of the stars are associated with substructure. By using a novel method that simultaneously combines data for RR Lyrae and main-sequence stars, and using photometric metallicity estimates for main-sequence stars derived from deep co-added u-band data, we measure the metallicity of the Sagittarius dSph tidal stream (trailing arm) toward RA~2h-3h and DE~0{deg} to be 0.3dex higher ([Fe/H]=-1.2) than that of surrounding halo field stars.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/146/21
- Title:
- LINEAR. II. Catalog of RR Lyrae stars
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/146/21
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present a sample of ~5000 RR Lyrae stars selected from the recalibrated LINEAR data set and detected at heliocentric distances between 5kpc and 30kpc over ~8000 deg^2^ of sky. The coordinates and light curve properties, such as period and Oosterhoff type, are made publicly available. We analyze in detail the light curve properties and Galactic distribution of the subset of ~4000 type ab RR Lyrae (RRab) stars, including a search for new halo substructures and the number density distribution as a function of Oosterhoff type. We find evidence for the Oosterhoff dichotomy among field RR Lyrae stars, with the ratio of the type II and I subsamples of about 1:4, but with a weaker separation than for globular cluster stars. The wide sky coverage and depth of this sample allow unique constraints for the number density distribution of halo RRab stars as a function of galactocentric distance: it can be described as an oblate ellipsoid with an axis ratio q=0.63 and with either a single or a double power law with a power-law index in the range -2 to -3. Consistent with previous studies, we find that the Oosterhoff type II subsample has a steeper number density profile than the Oosterhoff type I subsample. Using the group-finding algorithm EnLink, we detected seven candidate halo groups, only one of which is statistically spurious. Three of these groups are near globular clusters (M53/NGC 5053, M3, M13), and one is near a known halo substructure (Virgo Stellar Stream); the remaining three groups do not seem to be near any known halo substructures or globular clusters and seem to have a higher ratio of Oosterhoff type II to Oosterhoff type I RRab stars than what is found in the halo. The extended morphology and the position (outside the tidal radius) of some of the groups near globular clusters are suggestive of tidal streams possibly originating from globular clusters. Spectroscopic follow-up of detected halo groups is encouraged.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/678/865
- Title:
- LONEOS-I RR Lyrae stars
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/678/865
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present 838 ab-type RR Lyrae stars from the Lowell Observatory Near Earth Objects Survey Phase I (LONEOS-I). These objects cover 1430deg^2^ and span distances ranging from 3 to 30kpc from the Galactic center. Object selection is based on phased, photometric data with 28-50 epochs. We use this large sample to explore the bulk properties of the stellar halo, including the spatial distribution. The period-amplitude distribution of this sample shows that the majority of these RR Lyrae stars resemble Oosterhoff type I, but there is a significant fraction (26%) which have longer periods and appear to be Oosterhoff type II. We find that the radial distributions of these two populations have significantly different profiles ({rho}_OoI_~R^-2.26+/-0.07^ and {rho}_OoII_~R^-2.88+/-0.11^). This suggests that the stellar halo was formed by at least two distinct accretion processes and supports dual-halo models.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/AJ/141/131
- Title:
- Mapping the asymmetric thick disk. III.
- Short Name:
- J/AJ/141/131
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- In the first two papers of this series, Larsen et al. (1996ApJ...468L..99L) describe our faint CCD survey in the inner Galaxy and map the overdensity of thick disk stars in Quadrant 1 (Q1) to 5kpc or more along the line of sight. The regions showing the strongest excess are above the density contours of the bar in the Galactic disk. In this third paper on the asymmetric thick disk, we report on radial velocities and derived metallicity parameters for over 4000 stars in Q1, above and below the plane, and in Quadrant 4 (Q4) above the plane.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/874/148
- Title:
- Metal-poor star RAVE J093730.5-062655 abundances
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/874/148
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- A new moderately r-process-enhanced metal-poor star, RAVEJ093730.5-062655, has been identified in the Milky Way halo as part of an ongoing survey by the R-Process Alliance. The temperature and surface gravity indicate that J0937-0626 is likely a horizontal branch star. At [Fe/H]=-1.86, J0937-0626 is found to have subsolar [X/Fe] ratios for nearly every light, {alpha}, and Fe-peak element. The low [{alpha}/Fe] ratios can be explained by an ~0.6dex excess of Fe; J0937-0626 is therefore similar to the subclass of "iron-enhanced" metal-poor stars. A comparison with Milky Way field stars at [Fe/H]=-2.5 suggests that J0937-0626 was enriched in material from an event, possibly a Type Ia supernova, that created a significant amount of Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni and smaller amounts of Ca, Sc, Ti, and Zn. The r-process enhancement of J0937-0626 is likely due to a separate event, which suggests that its birth environment was highly enriched in r-process elements. The kinematics of J0937-0626, based on Gaia DR2 data, indicate a retrograde orbit in the Milky Way halo; J0937-0626 was therefore likely accreted from a dwarf galaxy that had significant r-process enrichment.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/781/40
- Title:
- Metal-poor stars from HES survey. II. Spectroscopy
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/781/40
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We report on the discovery of seven low-metallicity stars selected from the Hamburg/ESO Survey, six of which are extremely metal-poor (EMP, [Fe/H]{<=}-3.0), with four having [Fe/H]{<=}-3.5. Chemical abundances or upper limits are derived for these stars based on high-resolution (R~35000) Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy, and are in general agreement with those of other very and extremely metal-poor stars reported in the literature. Accurate metallicities and abundance patterns for stars in this metallicity range are of particular importance for studies of the shape of the metallicity distribution function of the Milky Way's halo system, in particular for probing the nature of its low-metallicity tail. In addition, taking into account suggested evolutionary mixing effects, we find that six of the program stars (with [Fe/H]{<=}-3.35) possess atmospheres that were likely originally enriched in carbon, relative to iron, during their main-sequence phases. These stars do not exhibit overabundances of their s-process elements, and hence may be, within the error bars, additional examples of the so-called CEMP-no class of objects.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/882/27
- Title:
- Metal-poor stars with APF obs. II. MW halo stars
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/882/27
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- In this work, we study the chemical compositions and kinematic properties of six metal-poor stars with [Fe/H]{<}-2.5 in the Galactic halo. From high-resolution (R~110000) spectroscopic observations obtained with the Lick/Automated Planet Finder, we determined individual abundances for up to 23 elements, to quantitatively evaluate our sample. We identify two carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars (J1630+0953 and J2216+0246) without enhancement in neutron-capture elements (CEMP-no stars), while the rest of our sample stars are carbon-intermediate. By comparing the light-element abundances of the CEMP stars with predicted yields from nonrotating zero-metallicity massive-star models, we find that the possible progenitors of J1630+0953 and J2216+0246 could be in the 13-25M_{sun}_ mass range, with explosion energies (0.3-1.8)x10^51^erg. In addition, the detectable abundance ratios of light and heavy elements suggest that our sample stars are likely formed from a well-mixed gas cloud, which is consistent with previous studies. We also present a kinematic analysis, which suggests that most of our program stars likely belong to the inner-halo population, with orbits passing as close as ~2.9kpc from the Galactic center. We discuss the implications of these results on the critical constraints on the origin and evolution of CEMP stars, as well as the nature of the Population III progenitors of the lowest-metallicity stars in our Galaxy.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/MNRAS/493/5195
- Title:
- Milky Way halo stars ages and kinematics
- Short Name:
- J/MNRAS/493/5195
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We exploit the [Mg/Mn]-[Al/Fe] chemical abundance plane to help identify nearby halo stars in the 14th data release from the APOGEE survey that have been accreted on to the Milky Way. Applying a Gaussian Mixture Model, we find a 'blob' of 856 likely accreted stars, with a low disc contamination rate of about 7 percent. Cross-matching the sample with the second data release from Gaia gives us access to parallaxes and apparent magnitudes, which place constraints on distances and intrinsic luminosities. Using a Bayesian isochrone pipeline, this enables us to estimate new ages for the accreted stars, with typical uncertainties of 20 percent. Our new catalogue is further supplemented with estimates of orbital parameters. The blob stars span a metallicities between -0.5 to -2.5, and [Mg/Fe] between -0.1 to 0.5. They constitute 30 percent of the metal-poor ([Fe/H]<-0.8) halo at metallicities of -1.4. Our new ages are mainly range between 8 to 13Gyr, with the oldest stars the metal-poorest, and with the highest [Mg/Fe] abundance. If the blob stars are assumed to belong to a single progenitor, the ages imply that the system merged with our Milky Way around 8 Gyr ago and that star formation proceeded for 5Gyr. Dynamical arguments suggest that such a single progenitor would have a total mass of 10^11^M_{sun}_, similar to that found by other authors using chemical evolution models and simulations. Comparing the scatter in the [Mg/Fe]-[Fe/H] plane of the blob stars to that measured for stars belonging to the Large Magellanic Cloud suggests that the blob does indeed contain stars from only one progenitor.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/751/55
- Title:
- MMT hypervelocity star survey. II.
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/751/55
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We present the discovery of five new unbound hypervelocity stars (HVSs) in the outer Milky Way halo. Using a conservative estimate of Galactic escape velocity, our targeted spectroscopic survey has now identified 16 unbound HVSs as well as a comparable number of HVSs ejected on bound trajectories. A Galactic center origin for the HVSs is supported by their unbound velocities, the observed number of unbound stars, their stellar nature, their ejection time distribution, and their Galactic latitude and longitude distribution. Other proposed origins for the unbound HVSs, such as runaway ejections from the disk or dwarf galaxy tidal debris, cannot be reconciled with the observations. An intriguing result is the spatial anisotropy of HVSs on the sky, which possibly reflects an anisotropic potential in the central 10-100pc region of the Galaxy. Further progress requires measurement of the spatial distribution of HVSs over the southern sky. Our survey also identifies seven B supergiants associated with known star-forming galaxies; the absence of B supergiants elsewhere in the survey implies there are no new star-forming galaxies in our survey footprint to a depth of 1-2Mpc.
