484 research outputs found
The star-forming environment of a ULX in NGC 4559: an optical study
We have studied the candidate optical counterparts and the stellar population
in the star-forming complex around a bright ULX in NGC4559, using HST/WFPC2,
XMM-Newton/OM, and ground-based data. We find that the ULX is located near a
small group of OB stars. The brightest point source in the Chandra error circle
is consistent with a single blue supergiant of mass ~ 20 M_sun and age ~ 10
Myr. A few other stars are resolved inside the error circle: mostly blue and
red supergiants with masses ~ 10-15 M_sun and ages ~ 20 Myr. This is consistent
with the interpretation of this ULX as a black hole (BH) accreting from a
high-mass donor star in its supergiant phase, via Roche-lobe overflow. The
observed optical colors and the blue-to-red supergiant ratio suggest a low
metal abundance: 0.2 <~ Z/Z_sun <~ 0.4 (Padua tracks), or 0.05 <~ Z/Z_sun <~
0.2 (Geneva tracks). The age of the star-forming complex is <~ 30 Myr. H-alpha
images show that this region has a ring-like appearance. We propose that it is
an expanding wave of star formation, triggered by an initial density
perturbation, in a region where the gas was only marginally stable to
gravitational collapse. A possible trigger was the collision with a satellite
dwarf galaxy, visible a few arcsec north-west of the complex, going through the
gas-rich outer disk of NGC4559. The X-ray data favour a BH more massive (M > 50
M_sun) than typical Milky Way BH candidates. The optical data favour a
``young'' BH originating in the recent episode of massive star formation;
however, they also rule out an association with young massive star clusters. We
speculate that other mechanisms may lead to the formation of relatively massive
BHs (~ 50-100 M_sun) from stellar evolution processes in low-metallicity
environments, or when star formation is triggered by galactic collisions.Comment: MNRAS accepted, 19 pages. Contact the first author for
full-resolution picture
Can filamentary accretion explain the orbital poles of the Milky Way satellites?
Several scenarios have been suggested to explain the phase-space distribution
of the Milky Way (MW) satellite galaxies in a disc of satellites (DoS). To
quantitatively compare these different possibilities, a new method analysing
angular momentum directions in modelled data is presented. It determines how
likely it is to find sets of angular momenta as concentrated and as close to a
polar orientation as is observed for the MW satellite orbital poles. The method
can be easily applied to orbital pole data from different models. The observed
distribution of satellite orbital poles is compared to published angular
momentum directions of subhalos derived from six cosmological state-of-the-art
simulations in the Aquarius project. This tests the possibility that
filamentary accretion might be able to naturally explain the satellite orbits
within the DoS. For the most likely alignment of main halo and MW disc spin,
the probability to reproduce the MW satellite orbital pole properties turns out
to be less than 0.5 per cent in Aquarius models. Even an isotropic distribution
of angular momenta has a higher likelihood to produce the observed
distribution. The two Via Lactea cosmological simulations give results similar
to the Aquarius simulations. Comparing instead with numerical models of
galaxy-interactions gives a probability of up to 90 per cent for some models to
draw the observed distribution of orbital poles from the angular momenta of
tidal debris. This indicates that the formation as tidal dwarf galaxies in a
single encounter is a viable, if not the only, process to explain the
phase-space distribution of the MW satellite galaxies.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Uncertainties of Synthetic Integrated Colors as Age Indicators
We investigate the uncertainties in the synthetic integrated colors of simple
stellar populations. Three types of uncertainties are from the stellar models,
the population synthesis techniques, and from the spectral libraries. Despite
some skepticism, synthetic colors appear to be reliable age indicators when
used for select age ranges. Rest-frame optical colors are good age indicators
at ages 2 -- 7Gyr. At ages sufficiently large to produce hot HB stars, the
UV-to-optical colors provide an alternative means for measuring ages. This UV
technique may break the age-metallicity degeneracy because it separates old
populations from young ones even in the lack of metallicity information. One
can use such techniques on extragalactic globular clusters and perhaps even for
high redshift galaxies that are passively evolving to study galaxy evolution
history.Comment: 38 pages, 21 figures, LaTex, 2003, ApJ, 582 (Jan 1), in pres
The Star Formation History of the Local Group dwarf galaxy Leo I
We present a quantitative analysis of the star formation history (SFH) of the
Local Group dSph galaxy Leo I, from the information in its HST [(V-I),I]
color-magnitude diagram (CMD). The method we use is based in comparing, via
synthetic CMDs, the expected distribution of stars in the CMD for different
evolutionary scenarios, with the observed distribution. We consider the SFH to
be composed by the SFR(t), the Z(t), the IMF, and a function ,
controlling the fraction and mass ratio distribution of binary stars.
The comparison between the observed CMD and the model CMDs is done through
chi-square minimization of the differences in the number of stars in a set of
regions of the CMD.
Our solution for the SFH of Leo I defines a minimum of chi-square in a well
defined position of the parameter space, and the derived SFR(t) is robust, in
the sense that its main characteristics are unchanged for different
combinations of the remaining parameters. However, only a narrow range of
assumptions for Z(t), IMF and result in a good agreement between
the data and the models, namely: Z=0.0004, a Kroupa et al. (1993) IMF or
slightly steeper, and a relatively large fraction of binary stars. Most star
formation activity (70% to 80%) occurred between 7 and 1 Gyr ago. At 1 Gyr ago,
it abruptly dropped to a negligible value, but seems to have been active until
at least ~ 300 Myr ago. Our results don't unambiguously answer the question of
whether Leo I began forming stars around 15 Gyr ago, but it appears that the
amount of this star formation, if existing at all, would be small.Comment: 25 pages + 14 figures. Accepted by The Astronomical Journa
Constraints on Early Nucleosynthesis from the Abundance Pattern of a Damped Ly-alpha System at z = 2.626
We have investigated chemical evolution in the young universe by analysing
the detailed chemical enrichment pattern of a metal-rich galaxy at high
redshift. The recent detection of over 20 elements in the gas-phase of a damped
Lyman-alpha absorber (DLA) at z = 2.626 represents an exciting new avenue for
exploring early nucleosynthesis. Given a strict upper age of ~2.5 Gyr and a
gas-phase metallicity about one third solar, we have shown the DLA abundance
pattern to be consistent with the predictions of a chemical evolution model in
which the interstellar enrichment is dominated by massive stars with a small
contribution from Type Ia supernovae. Discrepancies between the empirical data
and the models are used to highlight outstanding issues in nucleosynthesis
theory, including a tendency for Type II supernovae models to overestimate the
magnitude of the "odd-even" effect at subsolar metallicities. Our results
suggest a possible need for supplemental sources of magnesium and zinc, beyond
that provided by massive stars.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figs. Accepted for publication in ApJ (The Astrophysical
Journal
Breathing in Low Mass Galaxies: A Study of Episodic Star Formation
We simulate the collapse of isolated dwarf galaxies using SPH + N-Body
simulations including a physically motivated description of the effects of
supernova feedback. As the gas collapses and stars form, the supernova feedback
disrupts enough gas to temporarily quench star formation. The gas flows outward
into a hot halo, where it cools until star formation can continue once more and
the cycle repeats. The star formation histories of isolated Local Group dwarf
galaxies exhibit similar episodic bursts of star formation. We examine the mass
dependence of the stellar velocity dispersions and find that they are no less
than half the velocity of the halos measured at the virial radius.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted ApJ. Full resolution figures and movies
available at http://hpcc.astro.washington.edu/feedbac
The spatial and age distribution of stellar populations in DDO 190
The spatial distribution of stellar populations, the star formation history,
and other properties of the dIrr galaxy DDO 190 have been analyzed using
color--magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of about 3900 resolved stars and the Ha fluxes
of HII regions. From the mean color index of the red giant branch, a mean
metallicity [Fe/H]=-2.0 is obtained. The I magnitude of the TRGB has been used
to estimate the distance. DDO 190 is 2.9+/-0.2 Mpc from the Milky Way, 2.1 Mpc
from the M 94 group (CnV-I), 2.4 Mpc from the M 81 group and 2.9 Mpc from the
barycenter of the Local Group, all indicating that it is an isolated, field
galaxy. The surface-brightness distribution of the galaxy is well fitted by
ellipses of ellipticity e=1-a/b=0.1 and P.A.=82deg. The radial star density
distribution follows an exponential law of scale length a=43."4, corresponding
to 611 pc. The Holmberg semi-major axis to mu_B=26.5 is estimated to be
r^B_(26.5)=3.'0. Stellar populations of different ages in DDO 190 show strong
spatial decoupling, the oldest population appearing much more extended than the
youngest. Stars younger than 0.1 Gyr occupy only the central 40'' (0.55 kpc);
stars younger than a few (~4) Gyr extend out to ~80'' (125 kpc), and for larger
galactocentric distances only older stars seem to be present. This behavior is
found in all the dIrr galaxies for which spatially extended studies have been
performed and could be related with the kinematical history of the galaxy.Comment: To be published in the AJ. 29 pages, 13 figure
What fraction of stars formed in infrared galaxies at high redshift?
Star formation happens in two types of environment: ultraviolet-bright
starbursts (like 30 Doradus and HII galaxies at low redshift and Lyman-break
galaxies at high redshift) and infrared-bright dust-enshrouded regions (which
may be moderately star-forming like Orion in the Galaxy or extreme like the
core of Arp 220). In this work I will estimate how many of the stars in the
local Universe formed in each type of environment, using observations of
star-forming galaxies at all redshifts at different wavelengths and of the
evolution of the field galaxy population.Comment: 7 pages, 0 figs, to appear in proceedings of "Starbursts - From 30
Doradus to Lyman break galaxies", edited by Richard de Grijs and Rosa M.
Gonzalez Delgado, published by Kluwe
A Photometric Study of the Young Stellar Population Throughout the lambda Orionis Star-Forming Region
We present VRI photometry of 320,917 stars with 11 < R < 18 throughout the
lambda Orionis star-forming region. We statistically remove the field stars and
identify a representative PMS population throughout the interior of the
molecular ring. The spatial distribution of this population shows a
concentration of PMS stars around lambda Ori and in front of the B35 dark
cloud. Few PMS stars are found outside these pockets of high stellar density,
suggesting that star formation was concentrated in an elongated cloud extending
from B35 through lambda Ori to the B30 cloud. We find a lower limit for the
global stellar mass of about 500 Mo. We find that the global ratio of low- to
high-mass stars is similar to that predicted by the field initial mass
function, but this ratio varies strongly as a function of position in the
star-forming region. Locally, the star-formation process does not produce a
universal initial mass function. We construct a history of the star-forming
complex. This history incorporates a recent supernova to explain the
distribution of stars and gas today.Comment: 42 pages, 11 figures; to appear in the Astronomical Journa
An ASCA Study of the Heavy Element Distribution in Clusters of Galaxies
We perform a spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopic study of a set of 11
relaxed clusters of galaxies observed by the ROSAT/PSPC and ASCA/SIS. Using a
method which corrects for the energy dependent effects of the ASCA PSF based on
ROSAT images, we constrain the spatial distribution of Ne, Si, S and Fe in each
cluster. Theoretical prescriptions for the chemical yields of Type Ia and II
supernovae, then allow determination of the Fe enrichment from both types of
supernovae as a function of radius within each cluster. Using optical
measurements from the literature, we also determine the iron mass-to-light
ratio (IMLR) separately for Fe synthesized in both types of supernovae. For
clusters with the best photon statistics, we find that the total Fe abundance
decreases significantly with radius, while the Si abundance is either flat or
decreases less rapidly, resulting in an increasing Si/Fe ratio with radius.
This result indicates a greater predominance of Type II SNe enrichment at large
radii in clusters. We suggest that the high Si/Fe ratios in the outskirts of
rich clusters may arise from enrichment by Type II SNe released to ICM via
galactic star burst driven winds. Abridged.Comment: 17 pages, ApJ in press (Nov. 2000), a study of systematics is adde
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