Showing papers by "Mike Irwin published in 2011"

A luminous quasar at a redshift of z = 7.085

Abstract: Quasars have historically been identified in optical surveys, which are insensitive to sources at z > 6.5. Infrared deep-sky survey data now make it possible to explore higher redshifts, with the result that a luminous quasar (ULAS J1120+0641) with a redshift z = 7.085, beyond the previous high of z = 6.44, has now been identified. Further observations of this and other distant quasars should reveal the ionization state of the Universe as it was only about 0.75 billion years after the Big Bang. The intergalactic medium was not completely reionized until approximately a billion years after the Big Bang, as revealed1 by observations of quasars with redshifts of less than 6.5. It has been difficult to probe to higher redshifts, however, because quasars have historically been identified2,3,4 in optical surveys, which are insensitive to sources at redshifts exceeding 6.5. Here we report observations of a quasar (ULAS J112001.48+064124.3) at a redshift of 7.085, which is 0.77 billion years after the Big Bang. ULAS J1120+0641 has a luminosity of 6.3 × 1013L⊙ and hosts a black hole with a mass of 2 × 109M⊙ (where L⊙ and M⊙ are the luminosity and mass of the Sun). The measured radius of the ionized near zone around ULAS J1120+0641 is 1.9 megaparsecs, a factor of three smaller than is typical for quasars at redshifts between 6.0 and 6.4. The near-zone transmission profile is consistent with a Lyα damping wing5, suggesting that the neutral fraction of the intergalactic medium in front of ULAS J1120+0641 exceeded 0.1.

The VMC Survey - I. Strategy and First Data

Abstract: Context. The new VISual and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) has started operations. Over its first five years it will be col lecting data for six Public Surveys, one of which is the near-infrared Y JKs VISTA survey of the Magellanic Clouds system (VMC). This survey comprises the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), the Small Magellanic Cloud, the Magellanic Bridge connecting the two galaxies and two fields in the Magellanic Stream. Aims. This paper provides an overview of the VMC survey strategy and presents first science results. The main goals of the VMC sur vey are the determination of the spatially-resolved star-form ation history and the three-dimensional structure of the Magellanic system. The VMC survey is therefore designed to reach stars as faint as the ol dest main sequence turn-off point and to constrain the mean magnitude of pulsating variables such as RR Lyrae stars and Cepheids. This paper focuses on observations of VMC fields in the LMC obtained between November 2009 and March 2010. These observations correspond to a completeness of 7% of the planned LMC fields. Methods. The VMC data are comprised of multi-epoch observations which are executed following specific time constraints. The data were reduced using the VISTA Data Flow System pipeline with source catalogues, including astrometric and photometric corrections, produced and made available via the VISTA Science Archive. The VMC data will be released to the astronomical community following the European Southern Observatory’s Public Survey policy. The analysis of the data shows that the sensitivity in each wave band agrees with expectations. Uncertainties and completeness of the data are also derived. Results. The first science results, aimed at assessing the scientific q uality of the VMC data, include an overview of the distribution of stars in colour-magnitude and colour-colour diagrams, the detection of planetary nebulae and stellar clusters, and the Ks band light-curves of variable stars. Conclusions. The VMC survey represents a tremendous improvement, in spatial resolution and sensitivity, on previous panoramic observations of the Magellanic system in the near-infrared, providing a powerful complement to deep observations at other wavelengths.

PAndAS' PROGENY: EXTENDING THE M31 DWARF GALAXY CABAL

Abstract: We present the discovery of five new dwarf galaxies, Andromeda XXIII-XXVII, located in the outer halo of M31. These galaxies were discovered during the second year of data from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS), a photometric survey of the M31/M33 subgroup conducted with the MegaPrime/MegaCam wide-field camera on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The current PAndAS survey now provides an almost complete panoramic view of the M31 halo out to an average projected radius of {approx}150 kpc. Here we present for the first time the metal-poor stellar density map for this whole region, not only as an illustration of the discovery space for satellite galaxies, but also as a birds-eye view of the ongoing assembly process of an L{sub *} disk galaxy. Four of the newly discovered satellites appear as well-defined spatial overdensities of stars lying on the expected locus of metal-poor (-2.5 < [Fe/H] < -1.3) red giant branch stars at the distance of M31. The fifth overdensity, And XXVII, is embedded in an extensive stream of such stars and is possibly the remnant of a strong tidal disruption event. Based on distance estimates from horizontal branch magnitudes, all five have metallicities typical of dwarf spheroidal galaxies ranging from [Fe/H] =-1.7more » {+-} 0.2 to [Fe/H] =-1.9 {+-} 0.2 and absolute magnitudes ranging from M{sub V} = -7.1 {+-} 0.5 to M{sub V} = -10.2 {+-} 0.5. These five additional satellites bring the number of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in this region to 25 and continue the trend whereby the brighter dwarf spheroidal satellites of M31 generally have much larger half-light radii than their Milky Way counterparts. With an extended sample of M31 satellite galaxies, we also revisit the spatial distribution of this population and in particular we find that, within the current projected limits of the PAndAS survey, the surface density of satellites is essentially constant out to 150 kpc. This corresponds to a radial density distribution of satellites varying as r{sup -1}, a result seemingly in conflict with the predictions of cosmological simulations.« less

Study of the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy from the DART Ca II triplet survey

Abstract: We use Very Large Telescope (VLT)/Fibre Large Array Multi Element Spectrograph (FLAMES) intermediate-resolution (R˜ 6500) spectra of individual red giant branch stars in the near-infrared Ca II triplet (CaT) region to investigate the wide-area metallicity properties and internal kinematics of the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph). Our final sample consists of 174 probable members of Sextans with accurate line-of-sight velocities (±2 km s-1) and CaT [Fe/H] measurements (±0.2 dex). We use the Mg I line at 8806.8 A as an empirical discriminator for distinguishing between probable members of the dSph (giant stars) and probable Galactic contaminants (dwarf stars). Sextans shows a similar chemodynamical behaviour to other Milky Way dSphs, with its central regions being more metal rich than the outer parts and with the more metal-rich stars displaying colder kinematics than the more metal-poor stars. Hints of a velocity gradient are found along the projected major axis and along an axis at position angle (PA) = 191°, however, a larger and more spatially extended sample may be necessary to pin down the amplitude and direction of this gradient. We detect a cold kinematic substructure at the centre of Sextans, consistent with being the remnant of a disrupted very metal poor stellar cluster. We derive the most extended line-of-sight velocity dispersion profile for Sextans, out to a projected radius of 1?6. From Jeans modelling of the observed line-of-sight velocity dispersion profile we find that this is consistent with both a cored dark matter halo with large core radius and cuspy halo with low concentration. The mass within the last measured point is in the range 2-4 × 108 M⊙, giving very large mass-to-light ratios, from 460 to 920 (M/L)V, ⊙. Based on FLAMES observations collected at the ESO, proposal 171.B-0588.

A catalog of chandra x-ray sources in the carina nebula

Abstract: We present a catalog of ~14,000 X-ray sources observed by the ACIS instrument on the Chandra X-ray Observatory within a 1.42?deg2 survey of the Great Nebula in Carina, known as the Chandra Carina Complex Project (CCCP). This study appears in a special issue devoted to the CCCP. Here, we describe the data reduction and analysis procedures performed on the X-ray observations, including calibration and cleaning of the X-ray event data, point-source detection, and source extraction. The catalog appears to be complete across most of the field to an absorption-corrected total-band luminosity of ~1030.7?erg?s?1 for a typical low-mass pre-main-sequence star. Counterparts to the X-ray sources are identified in a variety of visual, near-infrared, and mid-infrared surveys. The X-ray and infrared source properties presented here form the basis of many CCCP studies of the young stellar populations in Carina.

VLT/FLAMES spectroscopy of Red Giant Branch stars in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy

Abstract: The ages of individual Red Giant Branch stars (RGB) can range from 1 Gyr old to the age of the Universe, and it is believed that the abundances of most chemical elements in their photospheres remain unchanged with time (those that are not affected by the 1st dredge-up). This means that they trace the ISM in the galaxy at the time the star formed, and hence the chemical enrichment history of the galaxy. CMD analysis has shown the Carina dwarf spheroidal (dSph) to have had an unusually episodic star formation history (SFH) which is expected to be reflected in the abundances of different chemical elements. We use the VLT-FLAMES spectrograph in HR mode (R~20000) to measure the abundances of several chemical elements in a sample of 35 RGB stars in Carina. We also combine these abundances with photometry to derive age estimates for these stars. This allows us to determine which of two distinct star formation (SF) episodes the stars in our sample belong to, and thus to define the relationship between SF and chemical enrichment during these two episodes. As is expected from the SFH, Carina contains two distinct populations of RGB stars: one old (>10 Gyr), which we have found to be metal-poor ([Fe/H] 0.0); the other intermediate age (~2-6 Gyr), which we have found to have a metallicity range (-1.8 ~0.3). We show that the chemical enrichment history of the Carina dSph was different for each SF episode. The earliest was short (~2-3 Gyr) and resulted in the rapid chemical enrichment of the whole galaxy to [Fe/H] ~ -1.5 with both SNe II and SNe Ia contributions. The subsequent episode occured after a gap of ~3-4 Gyr and appears to have resulted in relatively little evolution in either [Fe/H] or [alpha/Fe].

Near-infrared Properties of the X-ray-emitting Young Stellar Objects in the Carina Nebula

Abstract: The Great Nebula in Carina (NGC 3372) is the best target to study in detail the process of violent massive star formation and the resulting feedback effects of cloud dispersal and triggered star formation. While the population of massive stars is rather well studied, the associated low-mass stellar population was largely unknown up to now. The near-infrared study in this paper builds on the results of the Chandra Carina Complex Project, that detected 14,368 X-ray sources in the 1.4 deg2 survey region, an automatic source classification study that classified 10,714 of these X-ray sources as very likely young stars in Carina, and an analysis of the clustering properties of the X-ray-selected Carina members. In order to determine physical properties of the X-ray-selected stars, most of which were previously unstudied, we used HAWK-I at the ESO Very Large Telescope to conduct a very deep near-IR survey with subarcsecond angular resolution, covering an area of about 1280 arcmin2. The HAWK-I images reveal more than 600,000 individual infrared sources, whereby objects as faint as J 23, H 22, and K s 21 are detected at signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) ≥3. While less than half of the Chandra X-ray sources have counterparts in the Two Micron All Sky Survey catalog, the ~5 mag deeper HAWK-I data reveal infrared counterparts to 6636 (=88.8%) of the 7472 Chandra X-ray sources in the HAWK-I field. We analyze near-infrared color-color and color-magnitude diagrams to derive information about the extinctions, infrared excesses (as tracers for circumstellar disks), ages, and masses of the X-ray-selected objects. The near-infrared properties agree well with the results of the automatic X-ray source classification, showing that the remaining contamination in the X-ray-selected sample of Carina members is very low (7%). The shape of the K-band luminosity function of the X-ray-selected Carina members agrees well with that derived for the Orion Nebula Cluster, suggesting that, down to the X-ray detection limit around 0.5-1 M ☉, the shape of the initial mass function (IMF) in Carina is consistent with that in Orion (and thus the field IMF). The fraction of stars with near-infrared excesses is rather small, 10%, but shows considerable variations between individual parts of the complex. The distribution of extinctions for the diskless stars ranges from ~1.6 mag to ~6.2 mag (central 80th percentile), clearly showing a considerable range of differential extinction between individual stars in the complex.

Exploring the properties of the M31 halo globular cluster system

Abstract: Following on from our discovery of a significant population of M31 outer halo globularclusters (GCs), and updates to the Revised Bologna Catalogue of M31 GCs, we inves-tigate the GC system of M31 out to an unprecedented radius (≈ 120 kpc). We derivevarious ensemble properties, including the magnitude, colour and metallicity distribu-tions, as well as the GC number density profile. One of our most significant findingsis evidence for a flattening in the radial GC number density profile in the outer halo.Intriguingly, this occurs at a galactocentric radius of ∼ 2 degrees (∼ 30 kpc) which isthe radius at which the underlying stellar halo surface density has also been shown toflatten. The GCs which lie beyond this radius are remarkably uniform in terms of theirblue (V−I) 0 colours, consistent with them belonging to an ancient population withlittle to no metallicity gradient. Structural parameters are also derived for a sample of13 newly-discovered extended clusters (ECs) and we find the lowest luminosity ECshave magnitudes and sizes similar to Palomar-type GCs in the Milky Way halo. Weargue that our findings provide strong support for a scenario in which a significantfraction of the outer halo GC population of M31 has been accreted.Key words: galaxies: star clusters – galaxies: interactions – galaxies: formation –galaxies: evolution – galaxies: individual (M31) – galaxies: haloes

Deep wide-field near-infrared survey of the Carina Nebula ⋆

Abstract: Context. The Great Nebula in Carina is a giant H ii region and a superb location in which to study the physics of violent massive star formation, but the population of the young low-mass stars remained very poorly studied until recently. Aims. Our aim was to produce a near-infrared survey that is deep enough to detect the full low-mass stellar population (i.e. down to ≈0.1 Mand for extinctions up to AV ≈ 15 mag) and wide enough to cover all important parts of the Carina Nebula complex (CNC), including the clusters Tr 14, 15, and 16 as well as the South Pillars region. Methods. We used HAWK-I at the ESO VLT to survey the central ≈0.36 deg 2 area of the Carina Nebula. These data reveal more than 600 000 individual infrared sources down to magnitudes as faint as J ≈ 23, H ≈ 22, and Ks ≈ 21. The results of a recent deep X-ray survey (which is complete down to stellar masses of ∼0.5−1 M� ) are used to distinguish between young stars in Carina and background contaminants. We analyze color−magnitude diagrams (CMDs) to derive information about the ages and masses of the low-mass stars. Results. The ages of the low-mass stars agree with previous age estimates for the massive stars. The CMD suggests that ≈3200 of the X-ray selected stars have masses of M∗ ≥ 1 M� ; this number is in good agreement with extrapolations of the field IMF based on the number of high-mass (M∗ ≥ 20 M� ) stars and shows that there is no deficit of low-mass stars in the CNC. The HAWK-I images confirm that about 50% of all young stars in Carina are in a widely distributed, non-clustered spatial configuration. Narrow- band images reveal six molecular hydrogen emission objects (MHOs) that trace jets from embedded protostars. However, none of the optical HH objects shows molecular hydrogen emission, suggesting that the jet-driving protostars are located very close to the edges of the globules in which they are embedded. Conclusions. The near-infrared excess fractions for the stellar population in Carina are lower than typical for other, less massive clusters of similar age, suggesting that the process of circumstellar disk dispersal proceeds on a faster timescale in the CNC than in the more quiescent regions, most likely due to the very high level of massive star feedback in the CNC. The location of all but one of the known jet-driving protostars at the edges of the globules adds strong support to the scenario that their formation was triggered by the advancing ionization fronts.

The kinematic identification of a thick stellar disc in M31

Abstract: We present the first characterization of a thick disc component in the Andromeda galaxy (M31) using kinematic data from the DEIMOS multi-object spectrograph in- strument on Keck II. Using 19 fields in the South West of the galaxy, we measure the lag of this component with respect to the thin disc, as well as the dispersion, metallicity and scale length of the component. We find an average lag between the two components of hvi = 45.2 � 4.5kms −1 . The velocity dispersion of the thick disc isthick = 50.6 � 1.9kms −1 , greater than the value of dispersion we determine for the thin disc, �thin = 31.6 � 1.1kms −1 . The thick disc is more metal poor than the thin disc, with (Fe/H)spec = −1.0 � 0.1 compared to (Fe/H)spec = −0.7 � 0.05 for the thin disc. We measure a radial scale length of the thin and thick discs of hr = 7.3 � 1.0 kpc and hr = 8.0 � 1.2 kpc. From this, we infer scale heights for both discs of 1.1� 0.2 kpc and 2.8� 0.6 kpc, both of which are � 2-3 times larger than those observed in the Milky Way. We estimate a mass range for the thick disc component of 2.4� 10 10 M� < M�,thick < 4.1 � 10 10 M� . This value provides a useful constraint on possible formation mechanisms, as any proposed method for forming a thick disc must be able to heat (or deposit) at least this amount of material.

The star formation history in the far outer disc of M33

Abstract: The outer regions of disc galaxies are becoming increasingly recognized as key testing sites for models of disc assembly and evolution. Important issues are the epoch at which the bulk of the stars in these regions formed and how discs grow radially over time. To address these issues, we use Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging to study the star formation history (SFH) of two fields at 9.1 and 11.6 kpc along M33’s northernmajor axis. These fields lie at ∼4 and 5 V-band disc scalelengths and straddle the break in M33’s surface brightness profile. The colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) reach the ancient main-sequence turn-off with a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼5. From detailed modelling of the CMDs, we find that the majority of stars in both fields combined formed at z < 1. The mean age in the inner field, S1, is ∼3 ± 1 Gyr and the mean metallicity is [M/H]∼−0.5 ± 0.2 dex. The SFH of S1 unambiguously reveals how the inside-out growth previously measured for M33’s inner disc out to∼6 kpc extends out to the disc edge at∼9 kpc. In comparison, the outer field, S2, is older (mean age ∼7±2 Gyr), more metal-poor (mean [M/H]∼−0.8±0.3 dex), and contains ∼30 times less stellar mass. These results provide the most compelling evidence yet that M33’s age gradient reverses at large radii near the disc break and that this reversal is accompanied by a break in stellar mass surface density. We discuss several possible interpretations of this behaviour including radial stellar mixing, warping of the gaseous disc, a change in star formation efficiency and a transition to another structural component. These results offer one of the most detailed views yet of the peripheral regions of any disc galaxy and provide a much needed observational constraint on the last major epoch of star formation in the outer disc.

A bayesian approach to locating the red giant branch tip magnitude. i.

Abstract: We present a new approach for identifying the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) which, as we show, works robustly even on sparsely populated targets. Moreover, the approach is highly adaptable to the available data for the stellar population under study, with prior information readily incorporable into the algorithm. The uncertainty in the derived distances is also made tangible and easily calculable from posterior probability distributions. We provide an outline of the development of the algorithm and present the results of tests designed to characterize its capabilities and limitations. We then apply the new algorithm to three M31 satellites: Andromeda I, Andromeda II, and the fainter Andromeda XXIII, using data from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS), and derive their distances as 731(+ 5) + 18 (– 4) – 17 kpc, 634(+ 2) + 15 (– 2) – 14 kpc, and 733(+ 13) + 23 (– 11) – 22 kpc, respectively, where the errors appearing in parentheses are the components intrinsic to the method, while the larger values give the errors after accounting for additional sources of error. These results agree well with the best distance determinations in the literature and provide the smallest uncertainties to date. This paper is an introduction to the workings and capabilities of our new approach in its basic form, while a follow-up paper shall make full use of the method's ability to incorporate priors and use the resulting algorithm to systematically obtain distances to all of M31's satellites identifiable in the PAndAS survey area.

Deep wide-field imaging down to the oldest main sequence turn-offs in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

Abstract: We present wide-field photometry of resolved stars in the nearby Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy using CTIO/MOSAIC, going down to the oldest main sequence turn-off The accurately flux calibrated wide field colour-magnitude diagrams can be used to constrain the ages of different stellar populations, and also their spatial distribution The Sculptor dSph contains a predominantly ancient stellar population (>10 Gyr old) which can be easily resolved into individual stars A galaxy dominated by an old population provides a clear view of ancient processes of galaxy formation unimpeded by overlying younger populations By using spectroscopic metallicities of RGB stars in combination with our deep main sequence turn-off photometry we can constrain the ages of different stellar populations with particular accuracy We find that the known metallicity gradient in Sculptor is well matched to an age gradient This is the first time that this link with age has been directly quantified This gradient has been previously observed as a variation in horizontal branch properties and is now confirmed to exist for main sequence turn-offs as well It is likely the Sculptor dSph first formed an extended metal-poor population at the oldest times, and subsequent more metal-rich, younger stars were formed more towards the centre until the gas was depleted or lost roughly 7 Gyr ago The fact that these clear radial gradients have been preserved up to the present day is consistent with the apparent lack of signs of recent tidal interactions

Deep wide-field near-infrared survey of the Carina Nebula

Abstract: (abbreviated) We used HAWK-I at the ESO VLT to produce a near-infrared survey of the Carina Nebula that is deep enough to detect the full low-mass stellar population. The results of a recent deep X-ray survey are used to distinguish between young stars in Carina and background contaminants. We find that the ages of the low-mass stars (derived from color-magnitude diagrams of the invidual cluster in the Carina Nebula) agree with previous age estimates for the massive stars. About 3200 of the X-ray selected stars have masses >= 1 Msun; this number is in good agreement with extrapolations of the field IMF based on the number of high-mass stars and shows that there is no deficit of low-mass stars. The near-infrared excess fractions for the stellar populations in Carina are lower than typical for other, less massive clusters of similar age, suggesting a faster timescale of circumstellar disk dispersal than in the more quiescent regions, most likely due to the very high level of massive star feedback. Narrow-band images reveal six molecular hydrogen jets. However, none of the optical HH objects shows molecular hydrogen emission, suggesting that the jet-driving protostars are located very close to the edges of the globules in which they are embedded. This adds strong support to the scenario that their formation was triggered by the advancing ionization fronts.

A Bayesian Approach to Locating the Red Giant Branch Tip Magnitude (Part I)

Abstract: We present a new approach for identifying the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) which, as we show, works robustly even on sparsely populated targets. Moreover, the approach is highly adaptable to the available data for the stellar population under study, with prior information readily incorporable into the algorithm. The uncertainty in the derived distances is also made tangible and easily calculable from posterior probability distributions. We provide an outline of the development of the algorithm and present the results of tests designed to characterize its capabilities and limitations. We then apply the new algorithm to three M31 satellites: Andromeda I, Andromeda II and the fainter Andromeda XXIII, using data from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS), and derive their distances as $731^{(+ 5) + 18}_{(- 4) - 17}$ kpc, $634^{(+ 2) + 15}_{(- 2) - 14}$ kpc and $733^{(+ 13)+ 23}_{(- 11) - 22}$ kpc respectively, where the errors appearing in parentheses are the components intrinsic to the method, while the larger values give the errors after accounting for additional sources of error. These results agree well with the best distance determinations in the literature and provide the smallest uncertainties to date. This paper is an introduction to the workings and capabilities of our new approach in its basic form, while a follow-up paper shall make full use of the method's ability to incorporate priors and use the resulting algorithm to systematically obtain distances to all of M31's satellites identifiable in the PAndAS survey area.

Deep Wide-Field Imaging down to the oldest Main Sequence Turnoffs in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

Abstract: We present wide-field photometry of resolved stars in the nearby Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy using CTIO/MOSAIC, going down to the oldest Main Sequence Turn-Off. The accurately flux calibrated wide field Colour-Magnitude Diagrams can be used to constrain the ages of different stellar populations, and also their spatial distribution. The Sculptor dSph contains a predominantly ancient stellar population (>10 Gyr old) which can be easily resolved into individual stars. A galaxy dominated by an old population provides a clear view of ancient processes of galaxy formation unimpeded by overlying younger populations. By using spectroscopic metallicities of RGB stars in combination with our deep Main Sequence Turn-Off photometry we can constrain the ages of different stellar populations with particular accuracy. We find that the known metallicity gradient in Sculptor is well matched to an age gradient. This is the first time that this link with age has been directly quantified. This gradient has been previously observed as a variation in Horizontal Branch properties and is now confirmed to exist for Main Sequence Turn-Offs as well. It is likely the Sculptor dSph first formed an extended metal-poor population at the oldest times, and subsequent more metal-rich, younger stars were formed more towards the centre until the gas was depleted or lost roughly 7 Gyr ago. The fact that these clear radial gradients have been preserved up to the present day is consistent with the apparent lack of signs of recent tidal interactions.

No evidence for internal rotation in the remnant core of the Sagittarius dwarf

Abstract: We have conducted a spectroscopic survey of the inner regions of the Sagittarius (Sgr) dwarf galaxy using the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. We determine radial velocities for over 1800 Sgr star members in six fields that cover an area 18.84 deg{sup 2}, with a typical accuracy of {approx}2 km s{sup -1}. Motivated by recent numerical models of the Sgr tidal stream that predict a substantial amount of rotation in the dwarf remnant core, we compare the kinematic data against N-body models that simulate the stream progenitor as (1) a pressure-supported, mass-follows-light system and (2) a late-type, rotating disk galaxy embedded in an extended dark matter halo. We find that the models with little or no intrinsic rotation clearly yield a better match to the mean line-of-sight velocity in all surveyed fields, but fail to reproduce the shape of the line-of-sight velocity distribution. This result rules out models wherein the prominent bifurcation observed in the leading tail of the Sgr stream was caused by a transfer from intrinsic angular momentum from the progenitor satellite into the tidal stream. It also implies that the trajectory of the young tidal tails has not been affected by internal rotation in the progenitormore » system. Our finding indicates that new, more elaborate dynamical models, in which the dark and luminous components are treated independently, are necessary for simultaneously reproducing both the internal kinematics of the Sgr dwarf and the available data for the associated tidal stream.« less

Density variations in the nw star stream of m31

Abstract: The Pan Andromeda Archeological Survey (PAndAS) CFHT Megaprime survey of the M31-M33 system has found a star stream which extends about 120 kpc NW from the center of M31. The great length of the stream, and the likelihood that it does not significantly intersect the disk of M31, means that it is unusually well suited for a measurement of stream gaps and clumps along its length as a test for the predicted thousands of dark matter sub-halos. The main result of this paper is that the density of the stream varies between zero and about three times the mean along its length on scales of 2-20 kpc. The probability that the variations are random fluctuations in the star density is less than 10–5. As a control sample, we search for density variations at precisely the same location in stars with metallicity higher than the stream [Fe/H] = [0, –0.5] and find no variations above the expected shot noise. The lumpiness of the stream is not compatible with a low mass star stream in a smooth galactic potential, nor is it readily compatible with the disturbance caused by the visible M31 satellite galaxies. The stream's density variations appear to be consistent with the effects of a large population of steep mass function dark matter sub-halos, such as found in LCDM simulations, acting on an approximately 10 Gyr old star stream. The effects of a single set of halo substructure realizations are shown for illustration, reserving a statistical comparison for another study.

The M33 Globular Cluster System with PAndAS Data: The Last Outer Halo Cluster?

Abstract: We use CFHT/MegaCam data to search for outer halo star clusters in M33 as part of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey. This work extends previous studies out to a projected radius of 50 kpc and covers over 40 deg{sup 2}. We find only one new unambiguous star cluster in addition to the five previously known in the M33 outer halo (10 kpc {<=} r {<=} 50 kpc). Although we identify 2440 cluster candidates of various degrees of confidence from our objective image search procedure, almost all of these are likely background contaminants, mostly faint unresolved galaxies. We measure the luminosity, color, and structural parameters of the new cluster in addition to the five previously known outer halo clusters. At a projected radius of 22 kpc, the new cluster is slightly smaller, fainter, and redder than all but one of the other outer halo clusters, and has g' {approx} 19.9, (g' - i') {approx} 0.6, concentration parameter c {approx} 1.0, a core radius r{sub c} {approx} 3.5 pc, and a half-light radius r{sub h} {approx} 5.5 pc. For M33 to have so few outer halo clusters compared to M31 suggests either tidal stripping of M33's outer halo clusters by M31, or amore » very different, much calmer accretion history of M33.« less

Wide-field optical imaging on ELAIS N1, ELAIS N2, First Look Survey and Lockman Hole : Observations and source catalogues

Abstract: We present u-, g-, r-, i- and z-band optical images and associated catalogues taken primarily with the Isaac Newton Telescope Wide Field Camera on the European Large Area ISO Survey (ELAIS) N1 and N2, First Look Survey and Lockman Hole fields comprising a total of 1000 h of integration time over 80 deg^2 and approximately 4.3 million objects. In this paper we outline the observations and data processing and characterize the completeness, reliability, photometric and astrometric accuracy of this data set. All images have been photometrically calibrated using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and a uniform and homogeneous data set is composed over all the observed fields. Magnitude limits are u, g, r, i, z of 23.9, 24.5, 24.0, 23.3, 22.0 (AB, 5σ). These data have been used for optical identification of past and ongoing projects including the surveys ELAIS, Spitzer Wide-Area Infrared Extragalactic Survey, Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey and Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey.

Detailed Chemical Abundances of Four Stars in the Unusual Globular Cluster, Palomar 1

Abstract: Detailed chemical abundances for twenty one elements are presented for four red giants in the anomalous outer halo globular cluster Palomar 1 (RGC = 17.2 kpc, Z = 3.6 kpc) using high-resolution (R = 36000) spectra from the High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS) on the Subaru Telescope. Pal 1 has long been considered unusual because of its low surface brightness, sparse red giant branch, young age, and its possible association with two extragalactic streams of stars—this paper shows that its chemistry further confirms its unusual nature. The mean metallicity of the four stars, [Fe/H] = 0.60±0.01, is high for a globular cluster so far from the Galactic center, but is low for a typical open cluster. The [α/Fe] ratios, though in agreement with the Galactic stars within the 1σ errors, agree best with the lower values in dwarf galaxies. No signs of the Na/O anticorrelation are detected in Pal 1, though Na appears to be marginally high in all four stars. Pal 1’s neutron capture elements are also unusual: its high [Ba/Y] ratio agrees best with dwarf galaxies, implying an excess of second-peak over first-peak s-process elements, while its [Eu/α] and [Ba/Eu] ratios show that Pal 1’s contributions from the rprocess must have differed in some way from normal Galactic stars. Therefore, Pal 1 is chemically unusual, as well in its other properties. Pal 1 shares some of its unusual abundance characteristics with the young clusters associated with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy remnant and the intermediateage LMC clusters, and could be chemically associated with the Canis Majoris overdensity; however it does not seem to be similar to the Monoceros/Galactic Anticenter Stellar Stream. Subject headings: galaxies: dwarf — globular clusters: general — globular clusters: individual(Pal 1)

VVV DR1: The First Data Release of the Milky Way Bulge and Southern Plane from the Near-Infrared ESO Public Survey VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea

Abstract: The ESO Public Survey VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) started in 2010. VVV targets 562 sq. deg in the Galactic bulge and an adjacent plane region and is expected to run for ~5 years. In this paper we describe the progress of the survey observations in the first observing season, the observing strategy and quality of the data obtained. The observations are carried out on the 4-m VISTA telescope in the ZYJHKs filters. In addition to the multi-band imaging the variability monitoring campaign in the Ks filter has started. Data reduction is carried out using the pipeline at the Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit. The photometric and astrometric calibration is performed via the numerous 2MASS sources observed in each pointing. The first data release contains the aperture photometry and astrometric catalogues for 348 individual pointings in the ZYJHKs filters taken in the 2010 observing season. The typical image quality is ~0.9-1.0". The stringent photometric and image quality requirements of the survey are satisfied in 100% of the JHKs images in the disk area and 90% of the JHKs images in the bulge area. The completeness in the Z and Y images is 84% in the disk, and 40% in the bulge. The first season catalogues contain 1.28x10^8 stellar sources in the bulge and 1.68x10^8 in the disk area detected in at least one of the photometric bands. The combined, multi-band catalogues contain more than 1.63x10^8 stellar sources. About 10% of these are double detections due to overlapping adjacent pointings. These overlapping multiple detections are used to characterise the quality of the data. The images in the JHKs bands extend typically ~4 mag deeper than 2MASS. The magnitude limit and photometric quality depend strongly on crowding in the inner Galactic regions. The astrometry for Ks=15-18 mag has rms ~35-175 mas.

The scatter about the ‘Universal’ dwarf spheroidal mass profile: a kinematic study of the M31 satellites And V and And VI

Abstract: While the satellites of the Milky Way (MW) have been shown to be largely consistent in terms of their mass contained within one half-light radius (M_half) with a ‘universal’ mass profile, a number of M31 satellites are found to be inconsistent with these relations, and seem kinematically colder in their central regions than their MW cousins. In this work, we present new kinematic and updated structural properties for two M31 dwarf spheroidals (dSph), And V and And VI, using data from the Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (LRIS) and the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) instruments and the Subaru Suprime-Cam imager. We measure systemic velocities of v_r=−393.1 ± 4.2 and −344.8 ± 2.5 km s^(−1), and dispersions of σ_v= 11.5^(+5.3)_(−4.4) and 9.4^(+3.2)_(−2.4) km s^(−1) for And V and And VI, respectively, meaning these two objects are consistent with the trends in σv and r_half set by their MW counterparts. We also investigate the nature of this scatter about the MW dSph mass profiles for the ‘classical’ (i.e. M_V < −8) MW and M31 dSph. When comparing both the ‘classical’ MW and M31 dSph to the best-fitting mass profiles in the size–velocity dispersion plane, we find general scatter in both the positive (i.e. hotter) and negative (i.e. colder) directions from these profiles. However, barring one exception (CVnI) only the M31 dSph are found to scatter towards a colder regime, and, excepting the And I dSph, only MW objects scatter to hotter dispersions. The scatter for the combined population is greater than expected from measurement errors alone. We assess this divide in the context of the differing disc-to-halo mass (i.e. stars and baryons to total virial mass) ratios of the two hosts and argue that the underlying mass profiles for dSph differ from galaxy to galaxy, and are modified by the baryonic component of the host.

The scatter about the "Universal" dwarf spheroidal mass profile: A kinematic study of the M31 satellites, And V and And VI

Abstract: While the satellites of the Milky Way (MW) have been shown to be largely consistent in terms of their mass contained within one half--light radius (M_{half}) with a "Universal" mass profile, a number of M31 satellites are found to be inconsistent with such relations, and seem kinematically colder in their central regions than their MW cousins. In this work, we present new kinematic and updated structural properties for two M31 dSphs, And V and And VI using data from the Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (LRIS) and the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) instruments and the Subaru Suprime-Cam imager. We measure systemic velocities of v_r=-393.1+/-4.2km/s and -344.8+/-2.5km/s, and dispersions of sigma_v=11.5{+5.3}{-4.4}km/s and sigma_v=9.4{+3.2}{-2.4}km/s for And V and And VI respectively, meaning these two objects are consistent with the trends in sigma_v and r_{half} set by their MW counterparts. We also investigate the nature of this scatter about the MW dSph mass profiles for the "Classical" (i.e. M_V<-8) MW and M31 dSphs. When comparing both the "classical" MW and M31 dSphs to the best--fit mass profiles in the size--velocity dispersion plane, we find general scatter in both the positive (i.e. hotter) and negative (i.e. colder) directions from these profiles. However, barring one exception (CVnI) only the M31 dSphs are found to scatter towards a colder regime, and, excepting the And I dSph, only MW objects scatter to hotter dispersions. We also note that the scatter for the combined population is greater than expected from measurement errors alone. We assess this divide in the context of the differing disc-to-halo mass (i.e. stars and baryons to total virial mass) ratios of the two hosts and argue that the underlying mass profiles for dSphs differ from galaxy to galaxy, and are modified by the baryonic component of the host.

Modelling of the Complex CASSOWARY/SLUGS Gravitational Lenses

Abstract: We present the first high-resolution images of CSWA 31, a gravitational lens system observed as part of the SLUGS (Sloan Lenses Unravelled by Gemini Studies) program. These systems exhibit complex image structure with the potential to strongly constrain the mass distribution of the massive lens galaxies, as well as the complex morphology of the sources. In this paper, we describe the strategy used to reconstruct the unlensed source profile and the lens galaxy mass profiles. We introduce a prior distribution over multi-wavelength sources that is realistic as a representation of our knowledge about the surface brightness profiles of galaxies and groups of galaxies. To carry out the inference computationally, we use Diffusive Nested Sampling, an efficient variant of Nested Sampling that uses Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to sample the complex posterior distributions and compute the normalising constant. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach with the reconstruction of the group-group gravitational lens system CSWA 31, finding the source to be composed of five merging spiral galaxies magnified by a factor of 13.

A deep photometric look at two of andromeda's dwarf spheroidals: x and xvii

Abstract: We use deep wide-field photometry from the Large Binocular Camera to study the stellar and structural properties of the recently discovered Andromeda X and Andromeda XVII (And X and And XVII) dwarf galaxies. Using the mean apparent magnitude of the horizontal branch (HB), we derive distances of 621 ± 20 kpc to And X and 734 ± 23 kpc to And XVII, closer by >60 kpc than the previous estimates which were based on red giant branch (RGB) observations. Thus, our results warrant against the use of the RGB tip method for determining distances to systems with sparsely populated RGBs and show how crucial HB observations are in obtaining accurate distances in systems such as these. We find that And X is a relatively faint (MV = –7.36), highly elongated ( = 0.48) system at a distance of 174 ± 62 kpc from Andromeda. And XVII is brighter (MV = –8.61) with an M31-centric distance of 73 kpc which makes it one of the closest satellites to Andromeda. Both galaxies are metal-poor: we derive = –2.2 for And X, while And XVII shows , consistent with the relation of higher luminosity dwarfs being more metal-rich. Additionally, both galaxies show considerable intrinsic spreads in metallicity (0.2 and 0.3 dex for And X and And XVII, respectively), consistent with multiple stellar populations.

The Sagittarius Streams in the Southern Galactic Hemisphere

Abstract: The structure of the Sagittarius stream in the Southern Galactic hemisphere is analysed with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8. Parallel to the Sagittarius tidal track, but ~ 10deg away, there is another fainter and more metal-poor stream. We provide evidence that the two streams follow similar distance gradients but have distinct morphological properties and stellar populations. The brighter stream is broader, contains more metal-rich stars and has a richer colour-magnitude diagram with multiple turn-offs and a prominent red clump as compared to the fainter stream. Based on the structural properties and the stellar population mix, the stream configuration is similar to the Northern "bifurcation". In the region of the South Galactic Cap, there is overlapping tidal debris from the Cetus Stream, which crosses the Sagittarius stream. Using both photometric and spectroscopic data, we show that the blue straggler population belongs mainly to Sagittarius and the blue horizontal branch stars belong mainly to the Cetus stream in this confused location in the halo.

A Catalog of Chandra X-ray Sources in the Carina Nebula

Abstract: We present a catalog of ~14,000 X-ray sources observed by the ACIS instrument on the Chandra X-ray Observatory within a 1.42 square degree survey of the Great Nebula in Carina, known as the Chandra Carina Complex Project (CCCP). This study appears in a Special Issue of the ApJS devoted to the CCCP. Here, we describe the data reduction and analysis procedures performed on the X-ray observations, including calibration and cleaning of the X-ray event data, point source detection, and source extraction. The catalog appears to be complete across most of the field to an absorption-corrected total-band luminosity of ~10^{30.7} erg/s for a typical low-mass pre-main sequence star. Counterparts to the X-ray sources are identified in a variety of visual, near-infrared, and mid-infrared surveys. The X-ray and infrared source properties presented here form the basis of many CCCP studies of the young stellar populations in Carina.

Extremely metal-poor stars in classical dwarf spheroidal galaxies: Fornax, Sculptor, and Sextans (Corrigendum)

Abstract: Keywords: stars: abundances ; Galaxy: evolution ; Galaxy: stellar content ; Galaxies: star formation ; errata, addenda Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-171703doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201014733eView record in Web of Science Record created on 2011-12-16, modified on 2017-05-12

The Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) ESO Public Survey: Current Status and First Results

Abstract: Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) is an ESO Public Survey that is performing a variability survey of the Galactic bulge and part of the inner disk using ESO's Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA). The survey covers 520 deg^2 of sky area in the ZYJHK_S filters, for a total observing time of 1929 hours, including ~ 10^9 point sources and an estimated ~ 10^6 variable stars. Here we describe the current status of the VVV Survey, in addition to a variety of new results based on VVV data, including light curves for variable stars, newly discovered globular clusters, open clusters, and associations. A set of reddening-free indices based on the ZYJHK_S system is also introduced. Finally, we provide an overview of the VVV Templates Project, whose main goal is to derive well-defined light curve templates in the near-IR, for the automated classification of VVV light curves.