Draco -- A Failure of the Tidal Model

We test whether the structural properties of the nearby dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy Draco, a well-studied Milky Way companion, can be reconciled with the suggestion that dSphs are unbound tidal remnants with a large depth extent along the line of sight. In order to apply the observational test of this hypothesis suggested by Klessen & Zhao, we use public photometric data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to explore the width of Draco's blue horizontal branch over a range of areas covering 0.06 square degrees to 6.25 square degrees centered on Draco. The SDSS database is the only currently existing database with sufficient depth and area coverage to permit a stringent test of the tidal models. We show that blue horizontal branch stars extend beyond the previously inferred limiting radii of Draco, consistent with the observed absence of a truncated stellar surface density profile of this dSph. We calculate new models for a galaxy without dark matter, using Draco's morphological properties as constraints. The resulting models are unable to reproduce the narrow observed horizontal branch width of Draco, which stays roughly constant regardless of the field of view. We conclude that Draco cannot be the remnant of a tidally disrupted satellite, but is probably strongly dark-matter dominated. (ABSTRACT ABBREVIATED)Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures included, accepted for publication in ApJ, high-resolution version available at http://www.aip.de./~ralf/Publications/p22.abstract.htm

SP_Ace: a new code to derive stellar parameters and elemental abundances

Aims: We developed a new method of estimating the stellar parameters Teff, log g, [M/H], and elemental abundances. This method was implemented in a new code, SP_Ace (Stellar Parameters And Chemical abundances Estimator). This is a highly automated code suitable for analyzing the spectra of large spectroscopic surveys with low or medium spectral resolution (R=2,000-20,000). Methods: After the astrophysical calibration of the oscillator strengths of 4643 absorption lines covering the wavelength ranges 5212-6860\AA\ and 8400-8924\AA, we constructed a library that contains the equivalent widths (EW) of these lines for a grid of stellar parameters. The EWs of each line are fit by a polynomial function that describes the EW of the line as a function of the stellar parameters. The coefficients of these polynomial functions are stored in a library called the "$GCOG$ library". SP_Ace, a code written in FORTRAN95, uses the GCOG library to compute the EWs of the lines, constructs models of spectra as a function of the stellar parameters and abundances, and searches for the model that minimizes the $\chi^2$ deviation when compared to the observed spectrum. The code has been tested on synthetic and real spectra for a wide range of signal-to-noise and spectral resolutions. Results: SP_Ace derives stellar parameters such as Teff, log g, [M/H], and chemical abundances of up to ten elements for low to medium resolution spectra of FGK-type stars with precision comparable to the one usually obtained with spectra of higher resolution. Systematic errors in stellar parameters and chemical abundances are presented and identified with tests on synthetic and real spectra. Stochastic errors are automatically estimated by the code for all the parameters. A simple Web front end of SP_Ace can be found at http://dc.g-vo.org/SP_ACE, while the source code will be published soon.Comment: 36 pages, 34 figures, A&A accepte

R-process and alpha-elements in the Galactic disk: Kinematic correlations

Recent studies of elemental abundances in the Galactic halo and in the Galactic disk have underscored the possibility to kinematically separate different Galactic subcomponents. Correlations between the galactocentric rotation velocity and various element ratios were found, providing an important means to link different tracers of star formation and metal enrichment to the Galactic components of different origin (collapse vs. accretion). In the present work we determine stellar kinematics for a sample of 124 disk stars, which we derive from their orbits based on radial velocities and proper motions from the the literature. Our stars form a subsample of the Edvardsson et al. (1993) sample and we concentrate on three main tracers: (i) Europium as an r-process element is predominantly produced in Supernovae of type II. (ii) Likewise, alpha-elements, such as Ca, Si, Mg, are synthesised in SNe II, contrary to iron, which is being produced preferentially in SNe Ia. (iii) The s-process element Barium is a measure of the relative contribution of AGB stars to the Galaxy's enrichment history and has been shown to be an indicator for distinguishing between thin and thick disk stars. All such studies reveal, basically, that stars with low galactocentric rotational velocity tend to have high abundances of alpha-elements and Eu, but lower abundances of, e.g., Ba.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Poster contribution to appear in "Planets To Cosmology: Essential Science In Hubble's Final Years", proceedings of the May 2004 STScI Symposium, M. Livio (ed.), (Cambridge University Press

Hubble Space Telescope Photometry of Hodge 301: An "Old" Star Cluster in 30 Doradus

We present Hubble Space Telescope Planetary Camera UVI data for the little-studied cluster Hodge 301 3' northwest of 30 Doradus' central ionizing cluster R136. The average reddening of Hodge 301 is found to be = (0.28+-0.05) mag from published infrared and ultraviolet photometry. Using two different sets of evolutionary models, we derive an age of ~ 20-25 Myr for Hodge 301, which makes it roughly 10 times as old as R136. Hodge 301 is the most prominent representative of the oldest population in the 30 Dor starburst region; a region that has undergone multiple star formation events. This range of ages is an important consideration for the modelling of starburst regions. Hodge 301 shows a widened upper main sequence largely caused by Be stars. We present a list of Be star candidates. The slope of the initial mass function for intermediate-mass main sequence stars ranging from 10 to 1.3 solar masses is found to be -1.4+-0.1 in good agreement with a Salpeter law. There is no indication for a truncation or change of slope of the IMF within this mass range. In accordance with the age of Hodge 301 no obvious pre-main-sequence stars are seen down to 1 solar mass. We estimate that up to 41+-7 stars with more than 12 solar masses may have turned into supernovae since the formation of the cluster. Multiple supernova explosions are the most likely origin of the extremely violent gas motions and the diffuse X-ray emission observed in the cluster surroundings.Comment: To appear in the Astronomical Journal (Feb 2000 issue). 16 pages in two-column style. 9 separate figures, in part in significantly reduced resolution for space reasons (bitmapped postscript or jpg

New calibrations for abundance determinations in HII regions

Simple relations for deriving the oxygen abundance in HII regions with intensities of the three strong emission lines R_2, R_3, and N_2 (R calibration) or S_2, R_3, and N_2 (S calibration) in their spectra are suggested. A sample of 313 reference HII regions of the counterpart method is used as calibrating data points. Relations for the determination of nitrogen abundances, the R calibration, are also constructed. We find that the oxygen and nitrogen abundances in high-metallicity HII regions can be estimated using the intensities of the two strong lines R_2 and N_2 (or S_2 and N_2 for oxygen) only. The corresponding two-dimensional relations are provided. There are considerable advantages of the suggested calibration relations as compared to the existing ones. First, the oxygen and nitrogen abundances estimated through the suggested calibrations agree with the Te-based abundances within ~0.1 dex over the whole metallicity range, i.e., the relative accuracy of the calibration-based abundances is 0.1 dex. Although we constructed distinct relations for high- and low-metallicity objects, the separation between these two can be simply obtained from the intensity of the N_2 line. Moreover, the applicability ranges of the high- and low-metallicity relations overlap for adjacent metallicities, i.e., the transition zone disappears. Second, the oxygen abundances produced by the two suggested calibrations are in remarkable agreement with each other. In fact, the R-based and S-based oxygen abundances agree within ~0.05 dex in the majority of cases for more than three thousand HII region spectra.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figues, accepted to MNRA

Impact of Reionization on the Stellar Populations of Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

Cold dark matter models for galaxy formation predict that low-mass systems will be the first sites of star formation. As these objects have shallow gravitational potential wells, the subsequent growth of their stellar populations may be halted by heating and gas loss due to reionization. This effect has been suggested to have profoundly influenced properties of present-day dwarf galaxies, including their stellar populations and even survival as visible galaxies. In this Letter we draw on results from quantitative studies of Local Group dwarf galaxy star formation histories, especially for Milky Way satellites, to show that no clear signature exists for a widespread evolutionary impact from reionization. All nearby dwarf galaxies studied in sufficient detail contain ancient populations indistinguishable in age from the oldest Galactic globular clusters. Ancient star formation activity proceeded over several Gyr, and some dwarf spheroidal galaxies even experienced fairly continuous star formation until just a few Gyr ago. Despite their uniformly low masses, their star formation histories differ considerably. The evolutionary histories of nearby dwarf galaxies appear to reflect influences from a variety of local processes rather than a dominant effect from reionization.Comment: Accepted by The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 5 pages, one figur