1,863 research outputs found
The Sagittarius Dwarf spheroidal Galaxy Survey (SDGS) II: The stellar content and constraints on the star formation history
A detailed study of the Star Formation History of the Sgr dSph galaxy is
performed through the analysis of the data from the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy
Survey (SDGS; Bellazzini, Ferraro & Buonanno 1999). Accurate statistical
decontamination of the SDGS Color - Magnitude diagrams allow us to obtain many
useful constraints on the age and metal content of the Sgr stellar populations
in three different region of the galaxy.
A coarse metallicity distribution of Sgr stars is derived, ranging from
[Fe/H]~ -2.0 to [Fe/H]~ -0.7, the upper limit being somewhat higher in the
central region of the galaxy. A qualitative global fit to all the observed CMD
features is attempted, and a general scheme for the Star Formation History of
the Sgr is derived. According to this scheme, star formation began at very
early time from a low metal content Inter Stellar Medium and lasted for several
Gyr, coupled with progressive chemical enrichment. The Star Formation Rate
(SFR) had a peak from 8 to 10 gyr ago when the mean metallicity was in the
range -1.3<= [Fe/H] <= -0.7. After that maximum, the SFR rapidly decreased and
very low rate star formation took place until ~1-0.5 Gyr ago.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, figg. 1,2,3,5,6,10 and 11 provided in lower
resolution format. For full resolution versions see
http://www.bo.astro.it/bap/BAPhome.html Accepted by MNRA
The Red Giant Branch Tip and Bump of the Leo II dwarf spheroidal galaxy
We present V and I photometry of a 9.4' X 9.4' field centered on the dwarf
spheroidal galaxy Leo II. The Tip of the Red Giant Branch is identified at
I^{TRGB}=17.83 +/- 0.03 and adopting = -1.53 +/- 0.2 from the
comparison of RGB stars with Galactic templates, we obtain a distance modulus
(m-M)_0=21.84 +/- 0.13, corresponding to a distance D=233 +/- 15 Kpc. Two
significant bumps have been detected in the Luminosity Function of the Red
Giant Branch. The fainter bump (B1, at V=21.76 +/- 0.05) is the RGB bump of the
dominant stellar population, while the actual nature of the brightest one (B2,
at V=21.35 +/- 0.05) cannot be firmly assessed on the basis of the available
data, it can be due to the Asymptotic Giant Branch Clump of the main population
or it may be a secondary RGB bump. The luminosity of the main RGB bump (B1)
suggests that the majority of RGB stars in Leo II belongs to a population that
is ~4 gyr younger than the classical Galactic globular clusters. The stars
belonging to the He-burning Red Clump are shown to be significantly more
centrally concentrated than RR Lyrae and Blue Horizontal Branch stars, probing
the existence of an age/metallicity radial gradient in this remote dwarf
spheroidal.Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS. Latex, 10 pages, 8 .ps figure
Quantum wire junctions breaking time reversal invariance
We explore the possibility to break time reversal invariance at the junction
of quantum wires. The universal features in the bulk of the wires are described
by the anyon Luttinger liquid. A simple necessary and sufficient condition for
the breaking of time reversal invariance is formulated in terms of the
scattering matrix at the junction. The phase diagram of a junction with generic
number of wires is investigated in this framework. We give an explicit
classification of those critical points which can be reached by bosonization
and study the interplay between their stability and symmetry content.Comment: Extended version (Appendices C and D and some references added, typos
corrected) to appear in Phys. Rev.
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