5,143 research outputs found
The extended structure of the dwarf irregular galaxy Sagittarius
We present a detailed study of the stellar and HI structure of the dwarf
irregular galaxy Sagittarius. We use new deep and wide field photometry to
trace the surface brightness profile of the galaxy out to ~5.0' (corresponding
to ~1600 pc) and down to mag/arcsec, thus showing that
the stellar body of the galaxy is much more extended than previously believed,
and it is similarly (or more) extended than the overall HI distribution. The
whole major-axis profile is consistent with a pure exponential, with a scale
radius of pc. The surface density maps reveal that the
distribution of old and intermediate-age stars is smooth and remarkably
flattened out to its edges, while the associated HI has a much rounder shape,
is off-centred and presents multiple density maxima and a significant hole. No
clear sign of systemic rotation is detectable in the complex HI velocity field.
No metallicity gradient is detected in the old and intermediate age population
of the galaxy, and we confirm that this population has a much more extended
distribution than young stars (age Gyr).Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication on A&A. arXiv admin
note: text overlap with arXiv:1404.169
The extended structure of the dwarf irregular galaxies Sextans A and Sextans B. Signatures of tidal distortion in the outskirts of the Local Group
We present a detailed study of the stellar and HI structure of the dwarf
irregular galaxies SextansA and SextansB, members of the NGC3109 association.
We use newly obtained deep (r~26.5) and wide field g,r photometry to extend the
Surface Brightness (SB) profiles of the two galaxies down to mu_V~ 31.0
mag/arcsec^2. We find that both galaxies are significantly more extended than
what previously traced with surface photometry, out to ~4 kpc from their
centers along their major axis. Older stars are found to have more extended
distribution with respect to younger populations. We obtain the first estimate
of the mean metallicity for the old stars in SexB, from the color distribution
of the Red Giant Branch, =-1.6. The SB profiles show significant
changes of slope and cannot be fitted with a single Sersic model. Both galaxies
have HI discs as massive as their respective stellar components. In both cases
the HI discs display solid-body rotation with maximum amplitude of ~50 km/s
(albeit with significant uncertainty due to the poorly constrained
inclination), implying a dynamical mass ~10^{9}~M_sun, a mass-to-light ratio
M/L_V~25 and a dark-to-barionic mass ratio of ~10. The distribution of the
stellar components is more extended than the gaseous disc in both galaxies. We
find that the main, approximately round-shaped, stellar body of Sex~A is
surrounded by an elongated low-SB stellar halo that can be interpreted as a
tidal tail, similar to that found in another member of the same association
(Antlia). We discuss these, as well as other evidences of tidal disturbance, in
the framework of a past passage of the NGC3109 association close to the Milky
Way, that has been hypothesized by several authors and is also supported by the
recently discovered filamentary configuration of the association itself.Comment: Accepted for publication by A&A. PdfLateX, 16 pages, 11 figures, 2
appendice
Evidence of vacuum birefringence from the polarisation of the optical emission from an Isolated Neutron Star
Isolated Neutron Stars are some of the most exciting stellar objects known to
astronomers: they have the most extreme magnetic fields, with values up to
G, and, with the exception of stellar-mass black holes, they are the
most dense stars, with densities of g cm. As such,
they are perfect laboratories to test theories of electromagnetism and nuclear
physics under conditions of magnetic field and density unattainable on Earth.
In particular, the interaction of radiation with strong magnetic fields is the
cause of the {\em vacuum birefringence}, an effect predicted by quantum
electrodynamics in 1936 but that lacked an observational evidence until now.
Here, we show how the study of the polarisation of the optical radiation from
the surface of an isolated neutron star yielded such an observational evidence,
opening exciting perspectives for similar studies at other wavelengths.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, Contributed to the 13th Patras Workshop on Axions,
WIMPs and WISPs, Thessaloniki, May 15 to 19, 201
On X-ray Optical Depth in the Coronae of Active Stars
We have investigated the optical thickness of the coronal plasma through the
analysis of high-resolution X-ray spectra of a large sample of active stars
observed with the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer on Chandra. In
particular, we probed for the presence of significant resonant scattering in
the strong Lyman series lines arising from hydrogen-like oxygen and neon ions.
The active RS CVn-type binaries II Peg and IM Peg and the single M dwarf EV Lac
show significant optical depth. For these active coronae, the Lya/Lyb ratios
are significantly depleted as compared with theoretical predictions and with
the same ratios observed in similar active stars. Interpreting these decrements
in terms of resonance scattering of line photons out of the line-of-sight, we
are able to derive an estimate for the typical size of coronal structures, and
from these we also derive estimates of coronal filling factors. For all three
sources we find that the both the photon path length as a fraction of the
stellar radius, and the implied surface filling factors are very small and
amount to a few percent at most. The measured Lya/Lyb ratios are in good
agreement with APED theoretical predictions, thus indicating negligible optical
depth, for the other sources in our sample. We discuss the implications for
coronal structuring and heating flux requirements. For the stellar sample as a
whole, the data suggest increasing quenching of Lya relative to Lyb as function
of both L_x/L_bol and the density-sensitive MgXI forbidden to intercombination
line ratio, as might generally be expected.Comment: Accepted for publication on the Astrophysical Journa
Formation and evolution of clumpy tidal tails around globular clusters
We present some results of numerical simulations of a globular cluster
orbiting in the central region of a triaxial galaxy on a set of 'loop' orbits.
Tails start forming after about a quarter of the globular cluster orbital
period and develop, in most cases, along the cluster orbit, showing clumpy
substructures as observed, for example, in Palomar 5. If completely detectable,
clumps can contain about 7,000 solar masses each, i.e. about 10% of the cluster
mass at that epoch. The morphology of tails and clumps and the kinematical
properties of stars in the tails are studied and compared with available
observational data. Our finding is that the stellar velocity dispersion tends
to level off at large radii, in agreement to that found for M15 and Omega
Centauri.Comment: LaTeX 2e, uses AASTeX v5.x, 40 pages with 18 figures. Submitted to
The Astronomical Journa
Evidence for Accretion in the High-resolution X-ray Spectrum of the T Tauri Star System Hen 3-600
We present high-resolution X-ray spectra of the multiple T Tauri star system
Hen 3-600, obtained with the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrograph on
the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Two binary components were detected in the
zeroth-order image. Hen 3-600-A, which has a large mid-infrared excess, is a
2-3 times fainter in X-rays than Hen 3-600-B, due to a large flare on B. The
dispersed X-ray spectra of the two primary components overlap spatially;
spectral analysis was performed on the combined system. Analysis of the
individual spectra was limited to regions where the contributions of A and B
can be disentangled. This analysis results in two lines of evidence indicating
that the X-ray emission from Hen 3-600 is derived from accretion processes:
line ratios of O VII indicate that the characteristic density of its
X-ray-emitting plasma is large; a significant component of low-temperature
plasma is present and is stronger in component A. These results are consistent
with results obtained from X-ray gratings spectroscopy of more rapidly
accreting systems. All of the signatures of Hen 3-600 that are potential
diagnostics of accretion activity -- X-ray emission, UV excess, H-alpha
emission, and weak infrared excess -- suggest that its components represent a
transition phase between rapidly accreting, classical T Tauri stars and
non-accreting, weak-lined T Tauri stars.Comment: latex, 27 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables; accepted by Ap
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