Showing papers by "Mike Irwin published in 2012"

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: Context The ESO public survey VISTA variables in the V�a L�ctea (VVV) started in 2010 VVV targets 562 sq deg in the Galactic bulge and an adjacent plane region and is expected to run for about five years Aims: We describe the progress of the survey observations in the first observing season, the observing strategy, and quality of the data obtained Methods: The observations are carried out on the 4-m VISTA telescope in the ZYJHK s filters In addition to the multi-band imaging the variability monitoring campaign in the K s 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 Results: The first data release contains the aperture photometry and astrometric catalogues for 348 individual pointings in the ZYJHK s filters taken in the 2010 observing season The typical image quality is 09 arcsec {-10 arcsec} The stringent photometric and image quality requirements of the survey are satisfied in 100% of the JHK s images in the disk area and 90% of the JHK s 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 128 � 10 8 stellar sources in the bulge and 168 � 10 8 in the disk area detected in at least one of the photometric bands The combined, multi-band catalogues contain more than 163 � 10 8 stellar sources About 10% of these are double detections because of overlapping adjacent pointings These overlapping multiple detections are used to characterise the quality of the data The images in the JHK s 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 K s = 15-18 mag has rms 35-175 mas Conclusions: The VVV Survey data products offer a unique dataset to map the stellar populations in the Galactic bulge and the adjacent plane and provide an exciting new tool for the study of the structure, content, and star-formation history of our Galaxy, as well as for investigations of the newly discovered star clusters, star-forming regions in the disk, high proper motion stars, asteroids, planetary nebulae, and other interesting objects Based on observations taken within the ESO VISTA Public Survey VVV, Programme ID 179B-2002

Nucleosynthesis and the inhomogeneous chemical evolution of the carina dwarf galaxy

Abstract: The detailed abundances of 23 chemical elements in nine bright red giant branch stars in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy are presented based on high-resolution spectra gathered at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Magellan telescopes. A spherical model atmospheres analysis is applied using standard methods (local thermodynamic equilibrium and plane-parallel radiative transfer) to spectra ranging from 380 to 680 nm. Stellar parameters are found to be consistent between photometric and spectroscopic analyses, both at moderate and high resolution. The stars in this analysis range in metallicity from –2.9 < [Fe/H] <–1.3, and adopting the ages determined by Lemasle et al., we are able to examine the chemical evolution of Carina's old and intermediate-aged populations. One of the main results from this work is the evidence for inhomogeneous mixing in Carina and therefore for a poor statistical sampling of the supernova contributions when forming stars; a large dispersion in [Mg/Fe] indicates poor mixing in the old population, an offset in the [α/Fe] ratios between the old and intermediate-aged populations (when examined with previously published results) suggests that the second star formation event occurred in α-enriched gas, and one star, Car-612, seems to have formed in a pocket enhanced in SN Ia/II products. This latter star provides the first direct link between the formation of stars with enhanced SN Ia/II ratios in dwarf galaxies to those found in the outer Galactic halo (Ivans et al.). Another important result is the potential evidence for SN II driven winds. We show that the very metal-poor stars in Carina have not been enhanced in asymptotic giant branch or SN Ia products, and therefore their very low ratios of [Sr/Ba] suggests the loss of contributions from the early SNe II. Low ratios of [Na/Fe], [Mn/Fe], and [Cr/Fe] in two of these stars support this scenario, with additional evidence from the low [Zn/Fe] upper limit for one star. It is interesting that the chemistry of the metal-poor stars in Carina is not similar to those in the Galaxy, most of the other dwarf spheroidal galaxies, or the ultra faint dwarfs, and suggests that Carina may be at the critical mass where some chemical enrichments are lost through SN II driven winds.

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.

WEAVE: the next generation wide-field spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope

Abstract: We present the preliminary design of the WEAVE next generation spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), principally targeting optical ground-based follow up of upcoming ground-based (LOFAR) and spacebased (Gaia) surveys. WEAVE is a multi-object and multi-IFU facility utilizing a new 2 degree prime focus field of view at the WHT, with a buffered pick and place positioner system hosting 1000 multi-object (MOS) fibres or up to 30 integral field units for each observation. The fibres are fed to a single spectrograph, with a pair of 8k(spectral) x 6k (spatial) pixel cameras, located within the WHT GHRIL enclosure on the telescope Nasmyth platform, supporting observations at R~5000 over the full 370-1000nm wavelength range in a single exposure, or a high resolution mode with limited coverage in each arm at R~20000.

4MOST - 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope

Abstract: The 4MOST consortium is currently halfway through a Conceptual Design study for ESO with the aim to develop a wide-field (>3 square degree, goal >5 square degree), high-multiplex (>1500 fibres, goal 3000 fibres) spectroscopic survey facility for an ESO 4m-class telescope (VISTA). 4MOST will run permanently on the telescope to perform a 5 year public survey yielding more than 20 million spectra at resolution R~5000 ({\lambda}=390-1000 nm) and more than 2 million spectra at R~20,000 (395-456.5 nm & 587-673 nm). The 4MOST design is especially intended to complement three key all-sky, space-based observatories of prime European interest: Gaia, eROSITA and Euclid. Initial design and performance estimates for the wide-field corrector concepts are presented. We consider two fibre positioner concepts, a well-known Phi-Theta system and a new R-Theta concept with a large patrol area. The spectrographs are fixed configuration two-arm spectrographs, with dedicated spectrographs for the high- and low-resolution. A full facility simulator is being developed to guide trade-off decisions regarding the optimal field-of-view, number of fibres needed, and the relative fraction of high-to-low resolution fibres. Mock catalogues with template spectra from seven Design Reference Surveys are simulated to verify the science requirements of 4MOST. The 4MOST consortium aims to deliver the full 4MOST facility by the end of 2018 and start delivering high-level data products for both consortium and ESO community targets a year later with yearly increments.

A Bayesian Approach to Locating the Red Giant Branch Tip Magnitude. II. Distances to the Satellites of M31

Abstract: In "A Bayesian Approach to Locating the Red Giant Branch Tip Magnitude (Part I)," a new technique was introduced for obtaining distances using the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) standard candle. Here we describe a useful complement to the technique with the potential to further reduce the uncertainty in our distance measurements by incorporating a matched-filter weighting scheme into the model likelihood calculations. In this scheme, stars are weighted according to their probability of being true object members. We then re-test our modified algorithm using random-realization artificial data to verify the validity of the generated posterior probability distributions (PPDs) and proceed to apply the algorithm to the satellite system of M31, culminating in a three-dimensional view of the system. Further to the distributions thus obtained, we apply a satellite-specific prior on the satellite distances to weight the resulting distance posterior distributions, based on the halo density profile. Thus in a single publication, using a single method, a comprehensive coverage of the distances to the companion galaxies of M31 is presented, encompassing the dwarf spheroidals Andromedas I-III, V, IX-XXVII, and XXX along with NGC 147, NGC 185, M33, and M31 itself. Of these, the distances to Andromedas XXIV-XXVII and Andromeda XXX have never before been derived using the TRGB. Object distances are determined from high-resolution tip magnitude posterior distributions generated using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique and associated sampling of these distributions to take into account uncertainties in foreground extinction and the absolute magnitude of the TRGB as well as photometric errors. The distance PPDs obtained for each object both with and without the aforementioned prior are made available to the reader in tabular form. The large object coverage takes advantage of the unprecedented size and photometric depth of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey. Finally, a preliminary investigation into the satellite density distribution within the halo is made using the obtained distance distributions. For simplicity, this investigation assumes a single power law for the density as a function of radius, with the slope of this power law examined for several subsets of the entire satellite sample.

A Bayesian Approach to Locating the Red Giant Branch Tip Magnitude (Part II); Distances to the Satellites of M31

Abstract: In `A Bayesian Approach to Locating the Red Giant Branch Tip Magnitude (PART I),' a new technique was introduced for obtaining distances using the TRGB standard candle. Here we describe a useful complement to the technique with the potential to further reduce the uncertainty in our distance measurements by incorporating a matched-filter weighting scheme into the model likelihood calculations. In this scheme, stars are weighted according to their probability of being true object members. We then re-test our modified algorithm using random-realization artificial data to verify the validity of the generated posterior probability distributions (PPDs) and proceed to apply the algorithm to the satellite system of M31, culminating in a 3D view of the system. Further to the distributions thus obtained, we apply a satellite-specific prior on the satellite distances to weight the resulting distance posterior distributions, based on the halo density profile. Thus in a single publication, using a single method, a comprehensive coverage of the distances to the companion galaxies of M31 is presented, encompassing the dwarf spheroidals Andromedas I - III, V, IX-XXVII and XXX along with NGC147, NGC 185, M33 and M31 itself. Of these, the distances to Andromeda XXIV - XXVII and Andromeda XXX have never before been derived using the TRGB. Object distances are determined from high-resolution tip magnitude posterior distributions generated using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique and associated sampling of these distributions to take into account uncertainties in foreground extinction and the absolute magnitude of the TRGB as well as photometric errors. The distance PPDs obtained for each object both with, and without the aforementioned prior are made available to the reader in tabular form...

The Resolved Structure and Dynamics of an Isolated Dwarf Galaxy: A VLT and Keck Spectroscopic Survey of WLM

Abstract: We present spectroscopic data for 180 red giant branch (RGB) stars in the isolated dwarf irregular galaxy Wolf-Lundmark-Mellote (WLM). Observations of the calcium II triplet lines in spectra of RGB stars covering the entire galaxy were obtained with FORS2 at the Very Large Telescope and DEIMOS on Keck II, allowing us to derive velocities, metallicities, and ages for the stars. With accompanying photometric and radio data we have measured the structural parameters of the stellar and gaseous populations over the full galaxy. The stellar populations show an intrinsically thick configuration with 0.39 ≤ q_0 ≤ 0.57. The stellar rotation in WLM is measured to be 17 ± 1 km s^(–1); however, the ratio of rotation to pressure support for the stars is V/σ ~ 1, in contrast to the gas, whose ratio is seven times larger. This, along with the structural data and alignment of the kinematic and photometric axes, suggests we are viewing WLM as a highly inclined oblate spheroid. Stellar rotation curves, corrected for asymmetric drift, are used to compute a dynamical mass of (4.3 ± 0.3) × 10^8 M_☉ at the half-light radius (r_h = 1656 ± 49 pc). The stellar velocity dispersion increases with stellar age in a manner consistent with giant molecular cloud and substructure interactions producing the heating in WLM. Coupled with WLM's isolation, this suggests that the extended vertical structure of its stellar and gaseous components and increase in stellar velocity dispersion with age are due to internal feedback, rather than tidally driven evolution. These represent some of the first observational results from an isolated Local Group dwarf galaxy that can offer important constraints on how strongly internal feedback and secular processes modulate star formation and dynamical evolution in low-mass isolated objects.

VLT/FLAMES spectroscopy of red giant branch stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy

Abstract: Context. Fornax is one of the most massive dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group. The Fornax field star population is dominated by intermediate age stars but star formation was going on over almost its entire history. It has been proposed that Fornax experienced a minor merger event. Aims. Despite recent progress, only the high metallicity end of Fornax field stars ([Fe/H] > -1.2 dex) has been sampled in larger number via high resolution spectroscopy. We want to better understand the full chemical evolution of this galaxy by better sampling the whole metallicity range, including more metal poor stars. Methods. We use the VLT-FLAMES multi-fibre spectrograph in high-resolution mode to determine the abundances of several a, iron-peak and neutron-capture elements in a sample of 47 individual red giant branch stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We combine these abundances with accurate age estimates derived from the age probability distribution from the colour-magnitude diagram of Fornax. Results. Similar to other dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the old, metal-poor stars of Fornax are typically alpha-rich while the young metal-rich stars are a-poor. In the classical scenario of the time delay between Type II (SNe II) and Type Ia Supernovae (SNe la), we confirm that SNe la started to contribute to the chemical enrichment at [Fe/H] between -2.0 and -1.8 dex. We find that the onset of SNe Ia took place between 12-10 Gyr ago. The high values of [Ba/Fe], [La/Fe] reflect the influence of SNe Ia and AGB stars in the abundance pattern of the younger stellar population of Fornax. Conclusions. Our findings of low [alpha/Fe] and enhanced [Eu/Mg] are compatible with an initial mass function that lacks the most massive stars and with star formation that kept going on throughout the whole history of Fornax. We find that massive stars kept enriching the interstellar medium in alpha-elements, although they were not the main contributor to the iron enrichment.

The extremely low-metallicity tail of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

Abstract: We present abundances for seven stars in the (extremely) low-metallicity tail of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy, from spectra taken with X-shooter on the ESO VLT. Targets were selected from the Ca II triplet (CaT) survey of the Dwarf Abundances and Radial Velocities Team (DART) using the latest calibration. Of the seven extremely metal-poor candidates, five stars are confirmed to be extremely metal-poor (i.e., [Fe/H]<-3 dex), with [Fe/H]=-3.47 +/- 0.07 for our most metal-poor star. All are around or below [Fe/H]=-2.5 dex from the measurement of individual Fe lines. These values are in agreement with the CaT predictions to within error bars. None of the seven stars is found to be carbon-rich. We estimate a 2-13% possibility of this being a pure chance effect, which could indicate a lower fraction of carbon-rich extremely metal-poor stars in Sculptor compared to the Milky Way halo. The [alpha/Fe] ratios show a range from +0.5 to -0.5, a larger variation than seen in Galactic samples although typically consistent within 1-2sigma. One star seems mildly iron-enhanced. Our program stars show no deviations from the Galactic abundance trends in chromium and the heavy elements barium and strontium. Sodium abundances are, however, below the Galactic values for several stars. Overall, we conclude that the CaT lines are a successful metallicity indicator down to the extremely metal-poor regime and that the extremely metal-poor stars in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy are chemically more similar to their Milky Way halo equivalents than the more metal-rich population of stars.

4MOST-4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope

Abstract: 4MOST is a wide-field, high-multiplex spectroscopic survey facility under development for the VISTA telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Its main science drivers are in the fields of galactic archeology, high-energy physics, galaxy evolution and cosmology. 4MOST will in particular provide the spectroscopic complements to the large area surveys coming from space missions like Gaia, eROSITA, Euclid, and PLATO and from ground-based facilities like VISTA, VST, DES, LSST and SKA. The 4MOST baseline concept features a 2.5 degree diameter field-of-view with similar to 2400 fibres in the focal surface that are configured by a fibre positioner based on the tilting spine principle. The fibres feed two types of spectrographs; similar to 1600 fibres go to two spectrographs with resolution R> 5000 (lambda similar to 390-930 nm) and similar to 800 fibres to a spectrograph with R> 18,000 (lambda similar to 392-437 nm & 515-572 nm & 605-675 nm). Both types of spectrographs are fixed-configuration, three-channel spectrographs. 4MOST will have an unique operations concept in which 5 year public surveys from both the consortium and the ESO community will be combined and observed in parallel during each exposure, resulting in more than 25 million spectra of targets spread over a large fraction of the southern sky. The 4MOST Facility Simulator (4FS) was developed to demonstrate the feasibility of this observing concept. 4MOST has been accepted for implementation by ESO with operations expected to start by the end of 2020. This paper provides a top-level overview of the 4MOST facility, while other papers in these proceedings provide more detailed descriptions of the instrument concept[1], the instrument requirements development[2], the systems engineering implementation[3], the instrument model[4], the fibre positioner concepts[5], the fibre feed[6], and the spectrographs[7].

Initial data release of the Kepler-INT survey

Abstract: This paper describes the first data release of the Kepler-INT Survey (KIS), that covers a 116 deg2 region of the Cygnus and Lyra constellations. The Kepler field is the target of the most intensive search for transiting planets to date. Despite the fact that the Kepler mission provides superior time series photometry, with an enormous impact on all areas of stellar variability, its field lacks optical photometry complete to the confusion limit of the Kepler instrument necessary for selecting various classes of targets. For this reason, we follow the observing strategy and data reduction method used in the IPHAS and UVEX galactic plane surveys in order to produce a deep optical survey of the Kepler field. This initial release concerns data taken between May and August 2011, using the Isaac Newton Telescope on the island of La Palma. Four broadband filters were used, U, g, r, i, as well as one narrowband one, Halpha, reaching down to a 10-sigma limit of around 20th mag in the Vega system. Observations covering around 50 deg2, thus about half of the field, passed our quality control thresholds and constitute this first data release. We derive a global photometric calibration by placing the KIS magnitudes as close as possible to the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC) photometry. The initial data release catalogue containing around 6 million sources from all the good photometric fields is available for download from the KIS webpage, as well as via MAST.

The Star Formation History and Dust Content in the Far Outer Disc of M31

Abstract: We present a detailed analysis of two fields located 26 kpc (∼5 radial scalelengths) from the centre of M31 along the south-west semimajor axis of the disc. One field samples the major axis populations – the Outer Disc field – while the other is offset by ∼18 arcmin and samples the warp in the stellar disc – the warp field. The colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) based on Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging reach old main-sequence turn-offs (∼12.5 Gyr). We apply the CMD-fitting technique to the warp field to reconstruct the star formation history (SFH). We find that after undergoing roughly constant star formation until about 4.5 Gyr ago, there was a rapid decline in activity and then a ∼1.5 Gyr lull, followed by a strong burst lasting 1.5 Gyr and responsible for 25 per cent of the total stellar mass in this field. This burst appears to be accompanied by a decline in global metallicity which could be a signature of the inflow of metal-poor gas. The onset of the burst (∼3 Gyr ago) corresponds to the last close passage of M31 and M33 as predicted by detailed N-body modelling, and may have been triggered by this event. We reprocess the deep M33 outer disc field data of Barker et al. in order to compare consistently derived SFHs. This reveals a similar duration burst that is exactly coeval with that seen in the M31 warp field, lending further support to the interaction hypothesis. We reliably trace star formation as far back as 12–13 Gyr ago in the outer disc of M31, while the onset of star formation occurred about 2 Gyr later in M33, with median stellar ages of 7.5 and 4.5 Gyr, respectively. The complex SFHs derived, as well as the smoothly varying age–metallicity relations, suggest that the stellar populations observed in the far outer discs of both galaxies have largely formed in situ rather than migrated from smaller galactocentric radii. The strong differential reddening affecting the CMD of the Outer Disc field prevents derivation of the SFH using the same method. Instead, we quantify this reddening and find that the fine-scale distribution of dust precisely follows that of the H i gas. This indicates that the outer H i disc of M31 contains a substantial amount of dust and therefore suggests significant metal enrichment in these parts, consistent with inferences from our CMD analysis.

Quantifying the faint structure of galaxies: the late-type spiral NGC 2403

Abstract: Ground-based surveys have mapped the stellar outskirts of Local Group disc galaxies in unprecedented detail, but extending this work to other galaxies is necessary in order to overcome stochastic variations in evolutionary history and provide more stringent constraints on cosmological galaxy formation models. As part of our continuing programme of ultra-deep imagery of galaxies beyond the Local Group, we present a wide-field analysis of the isolated late-type spiral NGC 2403 using data obtained with Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope. The surveyed area reaches a maximum projected radius of 30 kpc or a deprojected radius of R-dp similar to 60 kpc. The colourmagnitude diagram reaches 1.5 mag below the tip of the metal-poor red giant branch (RGB) at a completeness rate >50 per cent for R-dp greater than or similar to 12 kpc. Using the combination of diffuse light photometry and resolved star counts, we are able to trace the radial surface brightness (SB) profile over a much larger range of radii and SB than is possible with either technique alone. The exponential disc as traced by RGB stars dominates the SB profile out to greater than or similar to 8 disc scalelengths, or R-dp similar to 18 kpc, and reaches a V-band SB of mu V similar to 29 mag arcsec(-2). Beyond this radius, we find evidence for an extended structural component with a significantly flatter SB profile than the inner disc and which we trace to R-dp similar to 40 kpc and mu V similar to 32 mag arcsec(-2). This component can be fit with a power-law index of gamma similar to 3, has an axial ratio consistent with that of the inner disc and has a V-band luminosity integrated over all radii of 1-7 per cent that of the whole galaxy. At R-dp similar to 20-30 kpc, we estimate a peak metallicity [M/H] =-1.0 +/- 0.3 assuming an age of 10 Gyr and zero alpha-element enhancement. Although the extant data are unable to discriminate between stellar halo or thick disc interpretations of this component, our results support the notion that faint, extended stellar structures are a common feature of all disc galaxies, even isolated, low-mass systems.

The extensive age gradient of the carina dwarf galaxy

Abstract: The evolution of small systems such as dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) is likely to have been a balance between external environmental effects and internal processes within their own relatively shallow potential wells. Assessing how strong such environmental interactions may have been is therefore an important element in understanding the baryonic evolution of dSphs and their derived dark matter distribution. Here we present results from a wide-area CTIO/MOSAIC II photometric survey of the Carina dSph, reaching down to about two magnitudes below the oldest main-sequence turnoff (MSTO). This data set enables us to trace the structure of Carina in detail out to very large distances from its center, and as a function of stellar age. We observe the presence of an extended structure made up primarily of ancient MSTO stars, at distances between 25' and 60' from Carina's center, confirming results in the literature that Carina extends well beyond its nominal tidal radius. The large number statistics of our survey reveals features such as isophote twists and tails that were undetected in other previous, shallower surveys. This is the first time that such unambiguous signs of tidal disruption have been found in a Milky Way "classical" dwarf other than Sagittarius. We also demonstrate the presence of a negative age gradient in Carina directly from its MSTOs, and trace it out to very large distances from the galaxy center. The signs of interaction with the Milky Way make it unclear whether the age gradient was already in place before Carina underwent tidal disruption.

Manganese in dwarf spheroidal galaxies

Abstract: We provide manganese abundances (corrected for the effect of the hyperfine structure) for a large number of stars in the dwarf spheroidal galaxies Sculptor and Fornax, and for a smaller number in the Carina and Sextans dSph galaxies Abundances had already been determined for a number of other elements in these galaxies, including alpha and iron-peak ones, which allowed us to build [Mn/Fe] and [Mn/alpha] versus [Fe/H] diagrams The Mn abundances imply sub-solar [Mn/Fe] ratios for the stars in all four galaxies examined In Sculptor, [Mn/Fe] stays roughly constant between [Fe/H] similar to -18 and -14 and decreases at higher iron abundance In Fornax, [Mn/Fe] does not vary in any significant way with [Fe/H] The relation between [Mn/alpha] and [Fe/H] for the dSph galaxies is clearly systematically offset from that for the Milky Way, which reflects the different star formation histories of the respective galaxies The [Mn/alpha] behavior can be interpreted as a result of the metal-dependent Mn yields of Type II and Type Ia supernovae We also computed chemical evolution models for star formation histories matching those determined empirically for Sculptor, Fornax, and Carina, and for the Mn yields of SNe Ia, which were assumed to be either constant or variable with metallicity The observed [Mn/Fe] versus [Fe/H] relation in Sculptor, Fornax, and Carina can be reproduced only by the chemical evolution models that include a metallicity-dependent Mn yield from the SNe Ia

The AGB population of NGC 6822: distribution and the C/M ratio from JHK photometry

Abstract: Context. NGC 6822 is an irregular dwarf galaxy and part of the Local Group. Its close proximity and apparent isolation provide a unique opportunity to study galactic evolution without any obvious strong external influences. Aims. This paper aims to study the spatial distribution of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) population and metallicity in NGC 6822. Methods. Using deep, high quality JHK photometry, taken with WFCAM on UKIRT, carbon- and oxygen-rich AGB stars have been isolated. The ratio between their number, the C/M ratio, has then been used to derive the [Fe/H] abundance across the galaxy. Results. The tip of the red giant branch is located at K0 = 17.41± 0.11 mag and the colour separation between carbon- and oxygenrich AGB stars is at (J− K)0 = 1.20± 0.03 mag (i.e. (J− K)2MAS S ∼ 1.28 mag). A C/M ratio of 0.62± 0.03 has been derived in the inner 4 kpc of the galaxy, which translates into an iron abundance of [Fe/H] =−1.29± 0.07 dex. Variations of these parameters were investigated as a function of distance from the galaxy centre and azimuthal angle. Conclusions. The AGB population of NGC 6822 has been detected out to a radius of 4 kpc giving a diameter of 56 arcmin. It is metal-poor, but there is no obvious gradient in metallicity with either radial distance from the centre or azimuthal angle. The detected spread in the TRGB magnitude is consistent with that of a galaxy surrounded by a halo of old stars. The C/M ratio has the potential to be a very useful tool for the determination of metallicity in resolved galaxies but a better calibration of the C/M vs. [Fe/H] relation and a better understanding of the sensitivities of the C/M ratio to stellar selection criteria is first required. ⋆⋆

Slicing the monoceros overdensity with suprime-cam

Abstract: We derive distance, density, and metallicity distribution of the stellar Monoceros Overdensity (MO) in the outer Milky Way, based on deep imaging with the Subaru Telescope. We applied color-magnitude diagram fitting techniques in three stripes at galactic longitudes, l ~ 130°, 150°, 170°, and galactic latitudes, +15° ≤ b ≤ +25°. The MO appears as a wall of stars at a heliocentric distance of ~10.1 ± 0.5 kpc across the observed longitude range with no distance change. The MO stars are more metal-rich ([Fe/H] ~ –1.0) than the nearby stars at the same latitude. These data are used to test three different models for the origin of the MO: a perturbed disk model, which predicts a significant drop in density adjacent to the MO that is not seen; a basic flared disk model, which can give a good match to the density profile but the MO metallicity implies the disk is too metal-rich to source the MO stars; and a tidal stream model, which, from the literature, brackets the distances and densities we derive for the MO, suggesting that a model can be found that would fully fit the MO data. Further data and modeling will be required to confirm or rule out the MO feature as a stream or as a flaring of the disk.

The structure of star clusters in the outer halo of M31

Abstract: We present a structural analysis of halo star clusters in M31 based on deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) imaging. The clusters in our sample span a range in galactocentric projected distance from 13 to 100 kpc and thus reside in rather remote environments. Ten of the clusters are classical globulars, whilst four are from the Huxor et al. population of extended, old clusters. For most clusters, contamination by M31 halo stars is slight, and so the profiles can be mapped reliably to large radial distances from their centres. We find that the extended clusters are well fit by analytic King profiles with similar to 20 parsec core radii and similar to 100 parsec photometric tidal radii, or by Sersic profiles of index similar to 1 (i.e. approximately exponential). Most of the classical globulars also have large photometric tidal radii in the range 50-100 parsec; however, the King profile is a less good fit in some cases, particularly at small radii. We find 60 per cent of the classical globular clusters exhibit cuspy cores which are reasonably well described by Sersic profiles of index similar to 2-6. Our analysis also reinforces the finding that luminous classical globulars, with half-light radii <10 parsec, are present out to radii of at least 100 kpc in M31, which is in contrast to the situation in the Milky Way where such clusters (other than the unusual object NGC 2419) are absent beyond 40 kpc. (Less)

The periodic spectroscopic variability of FU Orionis

Abstract: FU Orionis systems are young stars undergoing outbursts of disc accretion and where the optical spectrum contains lines associated with both the di sc photosphere and a wind component. Previous observations of the prototype FU Orionis have suggested that the wind lines and the photospheric lines are modulated with periods of 14.54 and 3.54 days respectively (Herbig et al. 2003). We have re-observed the system at higher spectral resolution, by monitoring variations of optical line profiles over 21 nights in 2007 and have found periods of 13.48 and 3.6 days in the wind and disc components, consistent with the above: this implies variability mechanisms that are stable over at least a decad e. In addition we have found: i) that the variations in the photospheric absorption lines ar e confined to the blue wing of the line (centred on velocity � 9 km s 1 ): we tentatively ascribe this to an orbiting hotspot in the disc which is obscured by a disc warp during its recedin g phase. ii) The wind period

Slicing The Monoceros Overdensity with Suprime-Cam

Abstract: We derive distance, density and metallicity distribution of the stellar Monoceros Overdensity (MO) in the outer Milky Way, based on deep imaging with the Subaru Telescope. We applied CMD fitting techniques in three stripes at galactic longitudes: l=130 deg, 150 deg, 170 deg; and galactic latitudes: +15 < b [deg] < +25 . The MO appears as a wall of stars at a heliocentric distance of ~ 10.1\pm0.5 kpc across the observed longitude range with no distance change. The MO stars are more metal rich ([Fe/H] ~ -1.0) than the nearby stars at the same latitude. These data are used to test three different models for the origin of the MO: a perturbed disc model, which predicts a significant drop in density adjacent to the MO that is not seen; a basic flared disc model, which can give a good match to the density profile but the MO metallicity implies the disc is too metal rich to source the MO stars; and a tidal stream model, which bracket the distances and densities we derive for the MO, suggesting that a model can be found that would fully fit the MO data. Further data and modeling will be required to confirm or rule out the MO feature as a stream or as a flaring of the disc.

A wide-area view of the Phoenix dwarf galaxy from Very Large Telescope/FORS imaging

Abstract: We present results from a wide-area photometric survey of the Phoenix dwarf galaxy, one of the rare dwarf irregular/dwarf spheroidal transition-type galaxies (dTs) of the Local Group (LG). These objects offer the opportunity to study the existence of possible evolutionary links between the late- and early-type LG dwarf galaxies, since the properties of dTs suggest that they may be dwarf irregulars in the process of transforming into dwarf spheroidals. Using FORS at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), we have acquired VI photometry of Phoenix. The data reach a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) ˜ 10 just below the horizontal branch of the system and consist of a mosaic of images that covers an area of 26 × 26 arcmin2 centred on the coordinates of the optical centre of the galaxy. Examination of the colour-magnitude diagram and luminosity function revealed the presence of a bump above the red clump, consistent with being a red giant branch bump. The deep photometry combined with the large area covered allows us to put on a secure ground the determination of the overall structural properties of the galaxy and to derive the spatial distribution of stars in different evolutionary phases and age ranges, from 0.1 Gyr to the oldest stars. The best-fitting profile to the overall stellar population is a Sersic profile of Sersic radius RS= 1.82 ± 0.06 arcmin and m= 0.83 ± 0.03. We confirm that the spatial distribution of stars is found to become more and more centrally concentrated the younger the stellar population, as reported in previous studies. This is similar to the stellar population gradients found for close-by Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We quantify such spatial variations by analysing the surface number density profiles of stellar populations in different age ranges; the parameters of the best-fitting profiles are derived, and these can provide useful constraints to models exploring the evolution of dwarf galaxies in terms of their star formation. The disc-like distribution previously found in the central regions in Phoenix appears to be present mainly among stars younger than 1 Gyr, and absent for the stars >rsim5 Gyr old, which on the other hand show a regular distribution also in the centre of the galaxy. This argues against a disc-halo structure of the type found in large spirals such as the Milky Way. Based on FORS observations collected at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), proposal 083.B-0252.

A deep, wide‐field study of Holmberg II with Suprime‐Cam: evidence for ram pressure stripping

Abstract: We present a deep, wide-field optical study of the M81 group dwarf galaxy Holmberg II (HoII) based on Subaru/Suprime-Cam imaging. Individual stars are resolved down to I similar to 25.2, that is, about 1.5?mag below the tip of the red giant branch (RGB). We use resolved star counts in the outskirts of the galaxy to measure the radial surface brightness profile down to mu V similar to 32?mag arcsec-2, from which we determine a projected exponential scalelength of 0.70 +/- 0.01?arcmin (i.e. 0.69 +/- 0.01?kpc). The composite profile, ranging from the cored centre out to R = 7?arcmin, is best fitted by an ElsonFallFreeman profile which gives a half-light radius of 1.41 +/- 0.04?arcmin (i.e. 1.39 +/- 0.04?kpc), and an absolute magnitude MV = -16.3. The low surface brightness stellar component of HoII is regular and symmetric and has an extent much smaller than the vast H?i cloud in which it is embedded. We compare the spatial distribution of the young, intermediate-age and old stellar populations, and find that the old RGB stars are significantly more centrally concentrated than the young stellar populations, contrary to what is observed in most dwarf galaxies of the local Universe. We discuss these properties in the context of the comet-like distribution of H?i gas around HoII, and argue for the presence of a hot intragroup medium in the vicinity of HoII to explain the contrasting morphologies of gas and stars.

Spectroscopic follow-up of ultraviolet-excess objects selected from the UVEX survey

Abstract: We present the results of the first spectroscopic follow-up of 132 optically blue ultraviolet (UV)-excess sources selected from the UV-Excess Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (UVEX). The UV-excess spectra are classified into different populations and grids of model spectra are fitted to determine spectral types, temperatures, surface gravities and reddening. From this initial spectroscopic follow-up 95 per cent of the UV-excess candidates turn out to be genuine UV-excess sources such as white dwarfs, white dwarf binaries, subdwarf types O and B, emission-line stars and quasi stellar objects. The remaining sources are classified as slightly reddened main-sequence stars with spectral types later than A0V. The fraction of DA white dwarfs is 47 per cent with reddening smaller than E(B − V) ≤ 0.7 mag. Relations between the different populations and their UVEX photometry, Galactic latitude and reddening are shown. A larger fraction of UVEX white dwarfs is found at magnitudes fainter than g > 17 and Galactic latitude smaller than |b| < 4 compared to main-sequence stars, blue horizontal branch stars and subdwarfs.

A first catalogue of automatically selected ultraviolet-excess sources from the UVEX survey

Abstract: We present the first catalogue of point-source ultraviolet (UV)-excess sources selected from the UV-Excess Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (UVEX). UVEX images the Northern Galactic Plane in the U, g, r and He Iota lambda 5875 bands in the Galactic latitude range -5 degrees < b < +5 degrees. Through an automated algorithm, which works on a field-to-field basis, we select blue UV-excess sources in 211 square degrees from the (U-g) versus (g-r) colour-colour diagram and the g versus (U-g) and g versus (g-r) colour-magnitude diagrams. The UV-excess catalogue covers the magnitude range 14 < g < 22.5, contains 2170 sources and consists of a mix of white dwarfs, post-common-envelope objects, interacting binaries, quasars and active galactic nuclei. Two other samples of outliers were found during the selection: (i) a subdwarf sample, consisting of no less than 9872 candidate metal-poor stars or lightly reddened main-sequence stars, and (ii) a purple sample consisting of 803 objects, most likely a mix of reddened late M giants, T Tauri stars, planetary nebulae, symbiotic stars and carbon stars. Cross-matching the selected UV-excess catalogue with other catalogues aids with the first classification of the different populations and shows that more than 99 per cent of our selected sources are unidentified sources.

Second data release of the Kepler-INT Survey

Abstract: This short document reports on the second data release of the Kepler-INT Survey (KIS, Greiss et al. 2012). The Kepler field, a 116 sq.deg region of the Cygnus and Lyra constellations, is the target of the most intensive search for transiting planets to date. The Kepler mission provides superior time series photometry, with an enormous impact on all areas of stellar variability. The initial release catalogue (Greiss et al. 2012) concerned data taken between May and August 2011, using the Isaac Newton Telescope on the island of La Palma. Four broadband filters were used, U, g, r, i, as well as one narrowband one, H-alpha, reaching down to a limit of ~20th mag in the Vega system. Observations covering ~50 sq.deg passed our quality control thresholds and constituted the first data release. Here we report on the second data release, covering an additional ~63 sq.deg of the Kepler field. We apply the exact same quality control criteria and photometric calibration as in the initial release catalogue (see Greiss et al. (2012) for further details). The global photometric calibration was derived by placing the KIS magnitudes as close as possible to the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC) ones. The second data release catalogue containing ~14.5 million sources from all the good photometric KIS fields is available for download from the KIS webpage, as well as from the Kepler Target Search page at MAST. It includes all the objects from the initial data release catalogue and covers ~97% of the Kepler field. Therefore this release adds ~8.5 million sources to the initial data release catalogue, all observed between May and August 2012. The remaining ~3% of the field will be completed once the Kepler field is visible in 2013.

The Inhomogeneous Chemical Evolution of the Carina Dwarf Galaxy

Abstract: The detailed abundances of 23 chemical elements in nine bright red giant branch stars in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy are presented based on high-resolution spectra gathered at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Magellan telescopes. A spherical model atmospheres analysis is applied using standard methods (local thermodynamic equilibrium and plane-parallel radiative transfer) to spectra ranging from 380 to 680 nm. Stellar parameters are found to be consistent between photometric and spectroscopic analyses, both at moderate and high resolution. The stars in this analysis range in metallicity from –2.9 < [Fe/H] <–1.3, and adopting the ages determined by Lemasle et al., we are able to examine the chemical evolution of Carina's old and intermediate-aged populations. One of the main results from this work is the evidence for inhomogeneous mixing in Carina and therefore for a poor statistical sampling of the supernova contributions when forming stars; a large dispersion in [Mg/Fe] indicates poor mixing in the old population, an offset in the [α/Fe] ratios between the old and intermediate-aged populations (when examined with previously published results) suggests that the second star formation event occurred in α-enriched gas, and one star, Car-612, seems to have formed in a pocket enhanced in SN Ia/II products. This latter star provides the first direct link between the formation of stars with enhanced SN Ia/II ratios in dwarf galaxies to those found in the outer Galactic halo (Ivans et al.). Another important result is the potential evidence for SN II driven winds. We show that the very metal-poor stars in Carina have not been enhanced in asymptotic giant branch or SN Ia products, and therefore their very low ratios of [Sr/Ba] suggests the loss of contributions from the early SNe II. Low ratios of [Na/Fe], [Mn/Fe], and [Cr/Fe] in two of these stars support this scenario, with additional evidence from the low [Zn/Fe] upper limit for one star. It is interesting that the chemistry of the metal-poor stars in Carina is not similar to those in the Galaxy, most of the other dwarf spheroidal galaxies, or the ultra faint dwarfs, and suggests that Carina may be at the critical mass where some chemical enrichments are lost through SN II driven winds.

A Deep, Wide-Field Study of Holmberg II with Suprime-Cam: Evidence for Ram Pressure Stripping

Abstract: We present a deep, wide-field optical study of the M81 group dwarf galaxy Holmberg II (HoII) based on Subaru/Suprime-Cam imaging. Individual stars are resolved down to I~25.2, i.e. about 1.5 mag below the tip of the red giant branch (RGB). We use resolved star counts in the outskirts of the galaxy to measure the radial surface brightness profile down to \mu_V~32 mag arcsec^-2, from which we determine a projected exponential scalelength of 0.70'+-0.01' (i.e. 0.69+-0.01 kpc). The composite profile, ranging from the cored centre out to R=7', is best fit by an EFF profile which gives a half-light radius of 1.41'+-0.04' (i.e. 1.39+-0.04 kpc), and an absolute magnitude M_V=-16.3. The low surface-brightness stellar component of HoII is regular and symmetric and has an extent much smaller than the vast HI cloud in which it is embedded. We compare the spatial distribution of the young, intermediate age, and old stellar populations, and find that the old RGB stars are significantly more centrally concentrated than the young stellar populations, contrary to what is observed in most dwarf galaxies of the Local Universe. We discuss these properties in the context of the comet-like distribution of HI gas around HoII, and argue for the presence of a hot intragroup medium in the vicinity of HoII to explain the contrasting morphologies of the gas and stars.

Initial data release of the Kepler-INT Survey

Abstract: This paper describes the first data release of the Kepler-INT Survey (KIS), that covers a 116 deg2 region of the Cygnus and Lyra constellations. The Kepler field is the target of the most intensive search for transiting planets to date. Despite the fact that the Kepler mission provides superior time series photometry, with an enormous impact on all areas of stellar variability, its field lacks optical photometry complete to the confusion limit of the Kepler instrument necessary for selecting various classes of targets. For this reason, we follow the observing strategy and data reduction method used in the IPHAS and UVEX galactic plane surveys in order to produce a deep optical survey of the Kepler field. This initial release concerns data taken between May and August 2011, using the Isaac Newton Telescope on the island of La Palma. Four broadband filters were used, U, g, r, i, as well as one narrowband one, Halpha, reaching down to a 10-sigma limit of around 20th mag in the Vega system. Observations covering around 50 deg2, thus about half of the field, passed our quality control thresholds and constitute this first data release. We derive a global photometric calibration by placing the KIS magnitudes as close as possible to the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC) photometry. The initial data release catalogue containing around 6 million sources from all the good photometric fields is available for download from the KIS webpage, as well as via MAST.