Ultraviolet Radiation from Evolved Stellar Populations: II. The Ultraviolet Upturn Phenomenon in Elliptical Galaxies

We present an analysis of the far-ultraviolet upturn phenomenon (UVX) observed in elliptical galaxies and spiral galaxy bulges. Our premise is that the UV radiation from these systems emanates primarily from extreme horizontal branch (EHB) stars and their progeny. We re-derive the broad-band UV colors $1500-V$ and $2500-V$ for globular clusters and elliptical galaxies from the available satellite data and investigate color-color and color-line strength correlations. We also provide the ingredients necessary for constructing models with arbitrary HB morphologies.Comment: uuencoded compressed postscript file, 60pp. (revisions on pp. 7,8,22,33,37 & 57

UV Properties of Galactic Globular Clusters with GALEX II. Integrated colors

We present ultraviolet (UV) integrated colors of 44 Galactic globular clusters (GGCs) observed with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) in both FUV and NUV bands. This data-base is the largest homogeneous catalog of UV colors ever published for stellar systems in our Galaxy. The proximity of GGCs makes it possible to resolve many individual stars even with the somewhat low spatial resolution of GALEX. This allows us to determine how the integrated UV colors are driven by hot stellar populations, primarily horizontal branch stars and their progeny. The UV colors are found to be correlated with various parameters commonly used to define the horizontal branch morphology. We also investigate how the UV colors vary with parameters like metallicity, age, helium abundance and concentration. We find for the first time that GCs associated with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy have (FUV-V) colors systematically redder than GGCs with the same metallicity. Finally, we speculate about the presence of an interesting trend, suggesting that the UV color of GCs may be correlated with the mass of the host galaxy, in the sense that more massive galaxies possess bluer clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication by The Astronomical Journal. 36 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl

A Superwind from Early Post-Red Giant Stars?

We suggest that the gap observed at 20,000 K in the horizontal branches of several Galactic globular clusters is caused by a small amount of extra mass loss which occurs when stars start to "peel off" the red giant branch (RGB), i.e., when their effective temperature starts to increase, even though they may still be on the RGB. We show that the envelope structure of RGB stars which start to peel off is similar to that of late asymptotic giant branch stars known to have a super-wind phase. An analogous super-wind in the RGB peel-off stars could easily lead to the observed gap in the distribution of the hottest HB stars.Comment: 9 pages; Accepted by ApJ Letters; Available also at http://www.astro.puc.cl/~mcatelan

The Origin of Extreme Horizontal Branch Stars

Strong mass loss on the red giant branch (RGB) can result in the formation of extreme horizontal branch (EHB) stars. The EHB stars spend most of their He core and shell burning phase at high temperatures and produce copious ultraviolet flux. They have very small hydrogen envelopes and occupy a small range in mass. We have computed evolutionary RGB models with mass loss for stars with a range of metallicities at initial masses < 1.1 Msun corresponding to populations ages between 12.5 and 14.5 Gyr. We used the Reimers formula to characterize mass loss, but investigated a larger range of the mass loss efficiency parameter, eta, than is common. To understand how the number of EHB stars varies with metallicity in a stellar population we considered how the zero-age horizontal branch (ZAHB) is populated. The range in eta producing EHB stars is comparable to that producing `mid-HB' stars. Somewhat surprisingly, neither the range nor magnitude of eta producing EHB stars varies much metallicity. In contrast, the range of eta producing mid-HB stars decreases with increasing metallicity. Hence the HB of populations with solar metallicity and higher, such as expected in elliptical galaxies and spiral bulges, will be bimodal if the distribution covers a sufficiently large range in eta.Comment: AASLaTeX v.4, 29pp., postscript available at http://shemesh.gsfc.nasa.gov/~dorman/Ben.htm

Ultraviolet Imaging of the Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae

We have used the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope to obtain deep far-UV (1620 Angstrom), 40' diameter images of the prototypical metal-rich globular cluster 47 Tucanae. We find a population of about 20 hot (Teff > 9000 K) objects near or above the predicted UV luminosity of the hot horizontal branch (HB) and lying within two half-light radii of the cluster center. We believe these are normal hot HB or post-HB objects rather than interacting binaries or blue stragglers. IUE spectra of two are consistent with post-HB phases. These observations, and recent HST photometry of two other metal-rich clusters, demonstrate that populations with rich, cool HB's can nonetheless produce hot HB and post-HB stars. The cluster center also contains an unusual diffuse far-UV source which is more extended than its V-band light. It is possible that this is associated with an intracluster medium, for which there was earlier infrared and X-ray evidence, and is produced by C IV emission or scattered light from grains.Comment: 13 pages AASLaTeX including one postscript figure and one bitmapped image, JPEG format. Submitted to the Astronomical Jorunal. Full Postscript version available at http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~bd4r

What's The Problem With ^3He?

We consider the galactic evolutionary history of \he3 in models which deplete deuterium by as much as a factor of 2 to $\sim$ 15 from its primordial value to its present day observed value in the ISM. We show that when \he3 production in low mass stars (1 -- 3 $M_\odot$) is included over the history of the galaxy, \he3 is greatly over-produced and exceeds the inferred solar values and the abundances determined in galactic \hii regions. Furthermore, the ISM abundances show a disturbing dispersion which is difficult to understand from the point of view of standard chemical evolution models. In principle, resolution of the problem may lie in either 1) the calculated \he3 production in low mass stars; 2) the observations of the \he3 abundance; or 3) an observational bias towards regions of depleted \he3. Since \he3 observations in planetary nebula support the calculated \he3 production in low mass stars, option (1) is unlikely. We will argue for option (3) since the \he3 interstellar observations are indeed made in regions dominated by massive stars in which \he3 is destroyed. In conclusion, we note that the problem with \he3 seems to be galactic and not cosmological.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX, 5 postscript figures available upon reques

Blue Straggler Stars: The Spectacular Population in M80

Using HST-WFPC2 observations in two ultraviolet (UV) filters (F225W and F336W) of the central region of the high density Galactic Globular cluster (GGC) M80 we have identified 305 Blue Straggler Stars (BSS) which represents the largest and most concentrated population of BSS ever observed in a GGC. We also identify the largest, clean sample of evolved BSS yet found. The high stellar density alone cannot explain the BSS, and we suggest that in M80 we are witnessing a transient dynamical state, during which stellar interactions are delaying the core-collapse process leading to an exceptionally large population of collisional-BSS.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, Astrophysical Journal Letters, in pres

Note and Comment

The Work of the Commissioners on Uniform State Laws; Some Difficulties of Code Pleading; Applicability of Ordinances to the Distribution of Liquors by Social Clubs; Capias in Execution Without Prior Order or Arrest; The Degree of Care Required in the Operation of a Scenic Railway; Who Can Complain of Ultra Vires Acquisition of Real Estate by a Corporation?; The Heinrich Brunner Memorial

Deep HST-WFPC2 photometry of NGC 288. II. The Main Sequence Luminosity Function

The Main Sequence Luminosity Function (LF) of the Galactic globular cluster NGC 288 has been obtained using deep WFPC2 photometry. We have employed a new method to correct for completeness and fully account for bin-to-bin migration due to blending and/or observational scatter. The effect of the presence of binary systems in the final LF is quantified and is found to be negligible. There is a strong indication of the mass segregation of unevolved single stars and clear signs of a depletion of low mass stars in NGC 288 with respect to other clusters. The results are in good agreement with the prediction of theoretical models of the dynamical evolution of NGC 288 that take into account the extreme orbital properties of this cluster.Comment: 16 pages, 6 .ps figures. Low resolution version of fig. 1; full resolution figure soon available at http://www.bo.astro.it/bap/BAPhome.html l. Latex. emulateapj5.sty macro included. Accepted for publication by The Astronomical Journa