Space Telescope Science Institute

About: Space Telescope Science Institute is a facility organization based out in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Galaxy & Stars. The organization has 2448 authors who have published 14154 publications receiving 947296 citations. The organization is also known as: STScI.

The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters: M54 and Young Populations in the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy*

Abstract: As part of the ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters, we present new Hubble Space Telescope photometry of the massive globular cluster M54 (NGC 6715) and the superposed core of the tidally disrupted Sagittarius (Sgr) dSph galaxy. Our deep (F606W ~ 26.5), high-precision photometry yields an unprecedentedly detailed color-magnitude diagram showing the extended blue horizontal branch and multiple main sequences of the M54+Sgr system. The distance and reddening to M54 are revised using both isochrone and main-sequence fitting to (m - M)0 = 17.27 and E(B - V) = 0.15. Preliminary assessment finds the M54+Sgr field to be dominated by the old metal-poor populations of Sgr and the globular cluster. Multiple turnoffs indicate the presence of at least two intermediate-aged star formation epochs with 4 and 6 Gyr ages and [Fe/H] = -0.4 to -0.6. We also clearly show, for the first time, a prominent, ~2.3 Gyr old Sgr population of near-solar abundance. A trace population of even younger (~0.1-0.8 Gyr old), more metal-rich ([Fe/H] ~ 0.6) stars is also indicated. The Sgr age-metallicity relation is consistent with a closed-box model and multiple (4-5) star formation bursts over the entire life of the satellite, including the time since Sgr began disrupting.

Initial Characteristics of Kepler Long Cadence Data For Detecting Transiting Planets

Abstract: The Kepler Mission seeks to detect Earth-size planets transiting solar-like stars in its ~115 deg^2 field of view over the course of its 3.5 year primary mission by monitoring the brightness of each of ~156,000 Long Cadence stellar targets with a time resolution of 29.4 minutes. We discuss the photometric precision achieved on timescales relevant to transit detection for data obtained in the 33.5-day long Quarter 1 (Q1) observations that ended 2009 June 15. The lower envelope of the photometric precision obtained at various timescales is consistent with expected random noise sources, indicating that Kepler has the capability to fulfill its mission. The Kepler light curves exhibit high precision over a large dynamic range, which will surely permit their use for a large variety of investigations in addition to finding and characterizing planets. We discuss the temporal characteristics of both the raw flux time series and the systematic error-corrected flux time series produced by the Kepler Science Pipeline, and give examples illustrating Kepler's large dynamic range and the variety of light curves obtained from the Q1 observations.

The Kinematic Connection between absorbing Gas toward QSOs and Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift

Abstract: We present complementary data on five intermediate-redshift (0.44 ? z ? 0.66) Mg II-absorbing galaxies, combining high spatial resolution imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope, high-resolution quasi-stellar object (QSO) spectroscopy from the Keck High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer, and galaxy kinematics from intermediate-resolution spectroscopy using the Keck Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer. These data allow a direct comparison of the kinematics of gas at large galactocentric impact parameters with the galaxy kinematics obtained from the faint galaxy spectroscopy. All five galaxies appear to be relatively normal spirals, with measured rotation curves yielding circular velocities in the range 100 ? vc ? 260 km s-1. The QSO sight lines have projected impact parameters to the absorbing galaxies in the range 14.5 h-1 kpc ? d ? 75 h-1 kpc; the galaxies have inclination angles with respect to the line of sight ranging from 40? to 75?. We find that in four of the five cases examined, the velocities of all of the Mg II-absorption components lie entirely to one side of the galaxy systemic redshift. The fifth case, for which the galaxy is much less luminous than the other four, has narrow absorption centered at zero velocity with respect to systemic, despite having the largest disk inclination angle in the sample. These observations are consistent with rotation being dominant for the absorbing-gas kinematics; however, the total range of velocities observed is inconsistent with simple disk rotation in every case. Simple kinematic models that simultaneously explain both the systemic offset of the absorbing material relative to the galaxy redshifts and the total velocity width spanned by the absorption require either extremely thick rotating gas layers, rotation velocities that vary with z-height above the extrapolation of the galactic plane, or both. In any case, our small sample suggests that rotating halo gas is a common feature of intermediate-redshift spiral galaxies and that the kinematic signature of rotation dominates over radial infall or outflow even for gas well away from the galactic plane. We discuss possible explanations for this behavior and compare our observations with possible local analogs.

An energetic stellar outburst accompanied by circumstellar light echoes.

Abstract: Some classes of stars, including novae and supernovae, undergo explosive outbursts that eject stellar material into space. In 2002, the previously unknown variable star V838 Monocerotis brightened suddenly by a factor of approximately 10(4). Unlike a supernova or nova, it did not explosively eject its outer layers; rather, it simply expanded to become a cool supergiant with a moderate-velocity stellar wind. Superluminal light echoes were discovered as light from the outburst propagated into the surrounding, pre-existing circumstellar dust. Here we report high-resolution imaging and polarimetry of those light echoes, which allow us to set direct geometric distance limits to the object. At a distance of >6 kpc, V838 Mon at its maximum brightness was temporarily the brightest star in the Milky Way. The presence of the circumstellar dust implies that previous eruptions have occurred, and spectra show it to be a binary system. When combined with the high luminosity and unusual outburst behaviour, these characteristics indicate that V838 Mon represents a hitherto unknown type of stellar outburst, for which we have no completely satisfactory physical explanation.

The STAGES view of red spirals and dusty red galaxies: Mass-dependent quenching of star formation in cluster infall

Abstract: We investigate the properties of optically passive spirals and dusty red galaxies in the A901/2 cluster complex at redshift ∼0.17 using rest-frame near-ultraviolet–optical spectral energy distributions, 24-μm infrared data and Hubble Space Telescope morphologies from the STAGES data set. The cluster sample is based on COMBO-17 redshifts with an rms precision of σcz ≈ 2000 km s −1 . We find that ‘dusty red galaxies’ and ‘optically passive spirals’ in A901/2 are largely the same phenomenon, and that they form stars at a substantial rate, which is only four times lower than that in blue spirals at fixed mass. This star formation is more obscured than in blue galaxies and its optical signatures are weak. They appear predominantly in the stellar mass range of log M∗/M� = [10, 11] where they constitute over half of the star-forming galaxies in the cluster; they are thus a vital ingredient for understanding the overall picture of star formation quenching in clusters. We find that the mean specific star formation rate (SFR) of star-forming galaxies in the cluster is clearly lower than in the field, in contrast to the specific SFR properties of blue galaxies alone, which appear similar in cluster and field. Such a rich red spiral population is best explained if quenching is a slow process and morphological transformation is delayed even more. At log M∗/M� < 10, such galaxies are rare, suggesting that their quenching is fast and accompanied by morphological change. We note that edge-on