New variable stars discovered in the fields of three Galactic open clusters using the VVV Survey

This project is a massive near-infrared (NIR) search for variable stars in highly reddened and obscured open cluster (OC) fields projected on regions of the Galactic bulge and disk. The search is performed using photometric NIR data in the $J$-, $H$- and $K_s$- bands obtained from the Vista Variables in the V\'ia L\'actea (VVV) Survey. We performed in each cluster field a variability search using Stetson's variability statistics to select the variable candidates. Later, those candidates were subjected to a frequency analysis using the Generalized Lomb-Scargle and the Phase Dispersion Minimization algorithms. The number of independent observations range between 63 and 73. The newly discovered variables in this study, 157 in total in three different known OCs, are classified based on their light curve shapes, periods, amplitudes and their location in the corresponding color-magnitude $(J-K_s,K_s)$ and color-color $(H-K_s,J-H)$ diagrams. We found 5 possible Cepheid stars which, based on the period-luminosity relation, are very likely type II Cepheids located behind the bulge. Among the newly discovered variables, there are eclipsing binaries, $\delta$ Scuti, as well as background RR Lyrae stars. Using the new version of the Wilson & Devinney code as well as the "Physics Of Eclipsing Binaries" (PHOEBE) code, we analyzed some of the best eclipsing binaries we discovered. Our results show that these studied systems turn out to be ranging from detached to double-contact binaries, with low eccentricities and high inclinations of approximately $80^{\circ}$. Their surface temperatures range between $3500$K and $8000$K.Comment: 34 pages, 10 figures, 7 tables. Accepted for publication in New Astronom

Globular Cluster Systems of Relic Galaxies

We analyse the globular cluster (GC) systems of a sample of 15 massive, compact early-type galaxies (ETGs), 13 of which have already been identified as good relic galaxy candidates on the basis of their compact morphologies, old stellar populations and stellar kinematics. These relic galaxy candidates are likely the nearby counterparts of high redshift red nugget galaxies. Using F814W (~I) and F160W (~H) data from the WFC3 camara onboard the Hubble Space Telescope we determine the total number, luminosity function, specific frequency, colour and spatial distribution of the GC systems. We find lower specific frequencies (SN<2.5 with a median of SN=1) than ETGs of comparable mass. This is consistent with a scenario of rapid, early dissipative formation, with relatively low levels of accretion of low-mass, high-SN satellites. The GC half-number radii are compact, but follow the relations found in normal ETGs. We identify an anticorrelation between the specific angular momentum (lambda_R) of the host galaxy and the (I-H) colour distribution width of their GC systems. Assuming that lambda_R provides a measure of the degree of dissipation in massive ETGs, we suggest that the (I-H) colour distribution width can be used as a proxy for the degree of complexity of the accretion histories in these systems.Comment: MNRAS accepte

FSR 1716: A New Milky Way Globular Cluster Confirmed Using VVV RR Lyrae Stars

We use deep multi-epoch near-IR images of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) Survey to search for RR Lyrae stars toward the Southern Galactic plane. Here, we report the discovery of a group of RR Lyrae stars close together in VVV tile d025. Inspection of the VVV images and PSF photometry reveals that most of these stars are likely to belong to a globular cluster that matches the position of the previously known star cluster FSR 1716. The stellar density map of the field yields a >100? detection for this candidate globular cluster that is centered at equatorial coordinates R.A. J2000 = 16:10:30.0, decl. J2000 = ?53:44:56 and galactic coordinates l = 329.77812, b = ?1.59227. The color–magnitude diagram of this object reveals a well-populated red giant branch, with a prominent red clump at K s = 13.35 ± 0.05, and J ? K s = 1.30 ± 0.05. We present the cluster RR Lyrae positions, magnitudes, colors, periods, and amplitudes. The presence of RR Lyrae indicates an old globular cluster, with an age >10 Gyr. We classify this object as an Oosterhoff type I globular cluster, based on the mean period of its RR Lyrae type ab, $\langle P\rangle =0.540$ days, and argue that this is a relatively metal-poor cluster with [Fe/H] = ?1.5 ± 0.4 dex. The mean extinction and reddening for this cluster are ${A}_{{K}_{s}}=0.38\pm 0.02$ and E(J ? K s ) = 0.72 ± 0.02 mag, respectively, as measured from the RR Lyrae colors and the near-IR color–magnitude diagram. We also measure the cluster distance using the RR Lyrae type ab stars. The cluster mean distance modulus is (m ? M)0 = 14.38 ± 0.03 mag, implying a distance D = 7.5 ± 0.2 kpc and a Galactocentric distance R G = 4.3 kpc

Nuclear activity and stellar population of a sample of interacting galaxies

In this paper we investigate the nuclear activity and stellar population in a sample of 27 physical galaxy pairs. Equivalent widths of absorption features are used to characterise the nuclear stellar population according to templates: most galaxies of the sample have important flux contributions from stars younger than 108 years. According to classical diagnosticdiagrams the galaxies in our sample are either classified as H II regions or have emission line ratios near the transition zone between H II regions and LINERs. Based on the observed spectra, only 4 galaxies show LINER properties and 1 nucleus is a Seyfert 2. We found that the spectrum of a transition object (38% of the sample) can be described by a combination of an AGN with an HII region. As a result, 20 galaxies of the present sample may host a low-luminosity active nucleus

Nuclear activity and stellar population of a sample of interacting galaxies

In this paper we investigate the nuclear activity and stellar population in a sample of 27 physical galaxy pairs. Equivalent widths of absorption features are used to characterise the nuclear stellar population according to templates: most galaxies of the sample have important flux contributions from stars younger than 108 years. According to classical diagnosticdiagrams the galaxies in our sample are either classified as H II regions or have emission line ratios near the transition zone between H II regions and LINERs. Based on the observed spectra, only 4 galaxies show LINER properties and 1 nucleus is a Seyfert 2. We found that the spectrum of a transition object (38% of the sample) can be described by a combination of an AGN with an HII region. As a result, 20 galaxies of the present sample may host a low-luminosity active nucleus

Anchoring the distence scale via x-ray/infrared data for Cepheid clusters : SU Cas

New X-ray (XMM-Newton) and JHKs (Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic) observations for members of the star cluster Alessi 95, which Turner et al. discovered hosts the classical Cepheid SU Cas, were used in tandem with UCAC3 (proper motion) and Two Micron All Sky Survey observations to determine precise cluster parameters: E(J −H) = 0.08±0.02 and d = 405±15 pc. The ensuing consensus among cluster, pulsation, and trigonometric distances (d = 414±5(σ¯x )±10(σ) pc) places SU Cas in a select group of nearby fundamental Cepheid calibrators (δ Cep, ζ Gem). High-resolution X-ray observations may be employed to expand that sample as the data proved pertinent for identifying numerous stars associated with SU Cas. Acquiring X-ray observations of additional fields may foster efforts to refine Cepheid calibrations used to constrain H0

On the crucial cluster Andrews-Lindsay 1 and a 4% distance solution for its planetary nebula

Andrews-Lindsay 1 is a pertinent open cluster because it may host the planetary nebula (PN) PHR 1315-6555, yet ambiguities linger concerning its fundamental parameters (>50% scatter). New multiband BVJHW1−4 photometry for cluster and field stars, in concert with observations of recently discovered classical Cepheids, were used to constrain the reddening and velocity-distance profiles along the sightline. That analysis yielded the following parameters for the cluster: E(J − H) = 0.24 ± 0.03, d = 10.0 ± 0.4 kpc (dJH = 9.9 ± 0.6 kpc, dBV = 10.1 ± 0.5 kpc), and log τ = 8.90 ± 0.15. The steep velocity-distance gradient along ∼ 305◦ indicates that two remote objects sharing spatial and kinematic parameters (i.e., PHR 1315-6555 and Andrews-Lindsay 1) are associated, thus confirming claims that the PN is a cluster member. The new distance for PHR 1315-6555 is among the most precise established yet for a Galactic PN (σ/d = 4%)

J-PLUS: wide-field study of M15

<p>Presentation of the work done on M15 with J-PLUS photometry.</p