scholarly journals The HST Key Project galaxies NGC 1326A, NGC 1425, and NGC 4548: New variable stars and massive star population

2019 ◽  
Vol 629 ◽  
pp. A3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. T. Spetsieri ◽  
A. Z. Bonanos ◽  
M. Yang ◽  
M. Kourniotis ◽  
D. Hatzidimitriou
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Massive Star ◽  
Absolute Magnitude ◽  
Variable Stars ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Absolute Deviation ◽  
Solar Metallicity ◽  
Red Supergiants ◽  
Candidate Variable

Studies of the massive star population in galaxies beyond the Local Group are the key to understanding the link between their numbers and modes of star formation in different environments. We present the analysis of the massive star population of the galaxies NGC 1326A, NGC 1425, and NGC 4548 using archival images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in the F555W and F814W filters. Through high-precision point spread function fitting photometry for all sources in the three fields, we identified 7640 candidate blue supergiants, 2314 candidate yellow supergiants, and 4270 candidate red supergiants. We provide an estimate of the ratio of blue to red supergiants for each field as a function of galactocentric radius. Using Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) at solar metallicity, we defined the luminosity function and estimated the star formation history of each galaxy. We carried out a variability search in the V and I filters using three variability indexes: the median absolute deviation, the interquartile range, and the inverse von Neumann ratio. This analysis yielded 243 new variable candidates with absolute magnitudes ranging from MV = −4 to −10 mag. We classified the variable stars based on their absolute magnitude and their position on the color–magnitude diagram using the MESA evolutionary tracks at solar metallicity. Our analysis yielded 8 candidate variable blue supergiants, 12 candidate variable yellow supergiants, 21 candidate variable red supergiants, and 4 candidate periodic variables.

scholarly journals Massive star population of the Virgo Cluster galaxy NGC4535

2018 ◽  
Vol 618 ◽  
pp. A185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. T. Spetsieri ◽  
A. Z. Bonanos ◽  
M. Kourniotis ◽  
M. Yang ◽  
S. Lianou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Massive Star ◽  
Absolute Magnitude ◽  
Virgo Cluster ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Absolute Deviation ◽  
Cluster Galaxy ◽  
Solar Metallicity ◽  
Red Supergiants ◽  
Candidate Variable

We analyzed the massive star population of the Virgo Cluster galaxy NGC 4535 using archival Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images in filters F555W and F814W, equivalent to Johnson V and Kron-Cousins I. We performed high precision point spread function fitting photometry of 24353 sources including 3762 candidate blue supergiants, 841 candidate yellow supergiants, and 370 candidate red supergiants. We estimated the ratio of blue to red supergiants as a decreasing function of galactocentric radius. Using Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) isochrones at solar metallicity, we defined the luminosity function and estimated the star formation history of the galaxy over the last 60 Myr. We conducted a variability search in the V and I filters using three variability indexes: the median absolute deviation, the interquartile range, and the inverse von-Neumann ratio. This analysis yielded 120 new variable candidates with absolute magnitudes ranging from MV = −4 to −11 mag. We used the MESA evolutionary tracks at solar metallicity to classify the variables based on their absolute magnitude and their position on the color-magnitude diagram. Among the new candidate variable sources are eight candidate variable red supergiants, three candidate variable yellow supergiants and one candidate luminous blue variable, which we suggest for follow-up observations.

scholarly journals The historical record of massive star formation in Cygnus

2020 ◽  
Vol 644 ◽  
pp. A62
Author(s):  
F. Comerón ◽  
A. A. Djupvik ◽  
N. Schneider ◽  
A. Pasquali
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Massive Star ◽  
Historical Record ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Visible Range ◽  
Stellar Content ◽  
Massive Star Formation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Red Supergiants ◽  
History Of

Context. The Cygnus region, which dominates the local spiral arm of the Galaxy, is one of the nearest complexes of massive star formation, extending over several hundred parsecs. Its massive stellar content, regions of ongoing star formation, and molecular gas have been studied in detail at virtually all wavelengths. However, little is known of the history of the region beyond the past 10 Myr. Aims. We use the correlations between age, mass and luminosity of red supergiants to explore the history of star formation in Cygnus previous to the formation of the present-day associations. The brightness and spectroscopic characteristics of red supergiants make it easy to identify them and build up a virtually complete sample of such stars at the distance of the Cygnus region, thus providing a record of massive star formation extending several tens of Myr into the past, a period inaccessible through the O and early B stars observable at present. Methods. We have made a selection based on the 2MASS colors of a sample of bright, red stars in an area of 84 square degrees covering the whole present extension of the Cygnus association in the Local Arm. We have obtained spectroscopy in the red visible range allowing an accurate, homogeneous spectral classification as well as a reliable separation between supergiants and other cool stars. Our data are complemented with Gaia Data Release 2 astrometric data. Results. We have identified 29 red supergiants in the area, 17 of which had not been previously classified as supergiants. Twenty-four of the 29 most likely belong to the Cygnus region and four of the remaining to the Perseus arm. We have used their derived luminosities and masses to infer the star formation history of the region. Intense massive star formation activity is found to have started approximately 15 Myr ago, and we find evidence for two other episodes, one taking place between 20 and 30 Myr ago and another one having ended approximately 40 Myr ago. There are small but significant differences between the kinematic properties of red supergiants younger or older then 20 Myr, hinting that stars of the older group were formed outside the precursor of the present Cygnus complex, possibly in the Sagittarius-Carina arm.

scholarly journals Recovering the Star Formation History of IC1613 Dwarf Galaxy Using Evolved Stars

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (S344) ◽  
pp. 77-80
Author(s):  
Seyed Azim Hashemi ◽  
Atefeh Javadi ◽  
Jacco Th. van Loon
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Stellar Populations ◽  
Asymptotic Giant Branch ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Evolved Stars ◽  
Formation History ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Red Supergiants ◽  
Period Variable

AbstractDetermining the star formation history (SFH) is key to understand the formation and evolution of dwarf galaxies. Recovering the SFH in resolved galaxies is mostly based on deep colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs), which trace the signatures of multiple evolutionary stages of their stellar populations. In distant and unresolved galaxies, the integrated light of the galaxy can be decomposed, albeit made difficult by an age–metallicity degeneracy. Another solution to determine the SFH of resolved galaxies is based on evolved stars; these luminous stars are the most accessible tracers of the underlying stellar populations and can trace the entire SFH. Here we present a novel method based on long period variable (LPV) evolved asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and red supergiants (RSGs). We applied this method to reconstruct the SFH for IC1613, an irregular dwarf galaxy at a distance of 750 kpc. Our results provide an independent confirmation that no major episode of star formation occurred in IC1613 over the past 5 Gyr.

scholarly journals Spatial variations in the star formation history of the Large Magellanic Cloud

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S256) ◽  
pp. 281-286
Author(s):  
Carme Gallart ◽  
Ingrid Meschin ◽  
Antonio Aparicio ◽  
Peter B. Stetson ◽  
Sebastián L. Hidalgo
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Outer Part ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Galactocentric Distance ◽  
Formation History ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
History Of ◽  
Star Formation Histories

AbstractBased on the quantitative analysis of a set of wide-field color—magnitude diagrams reaching the old main sequence-turnoffs, we present new LMC star-formation histories, and their variation with galactocentric distance. Some coherent features are found, together with systematic variations of the star-formation history among the three fields analyzed. We find two main episodes of star formation in all three fields, from 1 to 4 and 7 to 13 Gyr ago, with relatively low star formation around ≃ 4–7 Gyr ago. The youngest age in each field gradually increases with galactocentric radius; in the innermost field, LMC 0514–6503, an additional star formation event younger than 1 Gyr is detected, with star formation declining, however, in the last ≃ 200 Myr. The population is found to be older on average toward the outer part of the galaxy, although star formation in all fields seems to have started around 13 Gyr ago.

scholarly journals A Photometric Survey of Field Stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud: Probing its Star-Formation History

1999 ◽  
Vol 190 ◽  
pp. 343-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Smecker-Hane ◽  
J. S. Gallagher ◽  
Andrew Cole ◽  
P. B. Stetson ◽  
E. Tolstoy
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Stellar Population ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Magnitude Diagram

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is unique among galaxies in the Local Group in that it is the most massive non-spiral, is relatively gas-rich, and is actively forming stars. Determining its star-formation rate (SFR) as a function of time will be a cornerstone in our understanding of galaxy evolution. The best method of deriving a galaxy's past SFR is to compare the densities of stars in a color-magnitude diagram (CMD), a Hess diagram, with model Hess diagrams. The LMC has a complex stellar population with ages ranging from 0 to ~ 14 Gyr and metallicities from −2 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ −0.4, and deriving its SFR and simultaneously constraining model input parameters (distance, age-metallicity relation, reddening, and stellar models) requires well-populated CMDs that span the magnitude range 15 ≤ V ≤ 24. Although existing CMDs of field stars in the LMC show tantalizing evidence for a significant burst of star formation that occurred ~ 3 Gyr ago (for examples, see Westerlund et al. 1995; Vallenari et al. 1996; Elson, et al. 1997; Gallagher et al. 1999, and references therein), estimates of the enhancement in the SFR vary from factors of 3 to 50. This uncertainty is caused by the relatively large photometric errors that plague crowded ground-based images, and the small number statistics that plague CMDs created from single Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) images.

scholarly journals Metallicity studies of the Galactic center: evidence for a top-heavy star formation history?

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S303) ◽  
pp. 252-253
Author(s):  
Francisco Najarro ◽  
Diego de la Fuente ◽  
Tom R. Geballe ◽  
Don F. Figer
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Massive Star ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Massive Stars ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Formation History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Stellar Properties

AbstractThe Galactic center (GC) region hosts three of the most massive resolved young clusters in the Local Group and constitutes a test bed for studying the star formation history of the region and inferring the possibility of a top-heavy scenario. Further, recent detection of a large number of apparently isolated massive stars within the inner 80 pc of the Galactic center has raised fundamental questions regarding massive star formation in a such a dense and harsh environment. Noting that most of the isolated massive stars have spectral analogs in the Quintuplet cluster, we have undertaken a combined analysis of the infrared spectra of both selected Quintuplet stars and the isolated objects using Gemini spectroscopy. We present preliminary results, aiming at α-elements versus iron abundances, stellar properties, ages and radial velocities which will differentiate the top-heavy and star-formation scenarios.

scholarly journals The Massive stellar Population at the Galactic Center

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S329) ◽  
pp. 287-291
Author(s):  
Francisco Najarro ◽  
Diego de la Fuente ◽  
Tom R. Geballe ◽  
Don F. Figer ◽  
D. John Hillier
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Massive Star ◽  
Stellar Population ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Spectroscopic Studies ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Stellar Content ◽  
Formation History

AbstractWe present results from our ongoing infrared spectroscopic studies of the massive stellar content at the Center of the Milky Way. This region hosts a large number of apparently isolated massive stars as well as three of the most massive resolved young clusters in the Local Group. Our survey seeks to infer the presence of a possible top-heavy recent star formation history and to test massive star formation channels: clusters vs isolation.

scholarly journals Stellar population of the superbubble N 206 in the LMC

2018 ◽  
Vol 615 ◽  
pp. A40 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Ramachandran ◽  
W.-R. Hamann ◽  
R. Hainich ◽  
L. M. Oskinova ◽  
T. Shenar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Massive Star ◽  
Massive Stars ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Photon Flux ◽  
Stellar Winds ◽  
Spectral Analyses ◽  
Ob Stars ◽  
Hot Gas

Context. Clusters or associations of early-type stars are often associated with a “superbubble” of hot gas. The formation of such superbubbles is caused by the feedback from massive stars. The complex N 206 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) exhibits a superbubble and a rich massive star population. Aims. Our goal is to perform quantitative spectral analyses of all massive stars associated with the N 206 superbubble in order to determine their stellar and wind parameters. We compare the superbubble energy budget to the stellar energy input and discuss the star formation history of the region. Methods. We observed the massive stars in the N 206 complex using the multi-object spectrograph FLAMES at ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). Available ultra-violet (UV) spectra from archives are also used. The spectral analysis is performed with Potsdam Wolf–Rayet (PoWR) model atmospheres by reproducing the observations with the synthetic spectra. Results. We present the stellar and wind parameters of the OB stars and the two Wolf–Rayet (WR) binaries in the N 206 complex. Twelve percent of the sample show Oe/Be type emission lines, although most of them appear to rotate far below critical. We found eight runaway stars based on their radial velocity. The wind-momentum luminosity relation of our OB sample is consistent with the expectations. The Hertzsprung–Russell diagram (HRD) of the OB stars reveals a large age spread (1–30 Myr), suggesting different episodes of star formation in the complex. The youngest stars are concentrated in the inner part of the complex, while the older OB stars are scattered over outer regions. We derived the present day mass function for the entire N 206 complex as well as for the cluster NGC 2018. The total ionizing photon flux produced by all massive stars in the N 206 complex is Q0 ≈ 5 × 1050 s−1, and the mechanical luminosity of their stellar winds amounts to Lmec = 1.7 × 1038 erg s−1. Three very massive Of stars are found to dominate the feedback among 164 OB stars in the sample. The two WR winds alone release about as much mechanical luminosity as the whole OB star sample. The cumulative mechanical feedback from all massive stellar winds is comparable to the combined mechanical energy of the supernova explosions that likely occurred in the complex. Accounting also for the WR wind and supernovae, the mechanical input over the last five Myr is ≈ 2.3 × 1052 erg. Conclusions. The N206 complex in the LMC has undergone star formation episodes since more than 30 Myr ago. From the spectral analyses of its massive star population, we derive a current star formation rate of 2.2 × 10−3 M⊙ yr−1. From the combined input of mechanical energy from all stellar winds, only a minor fraction is emitted in the form of X-rays. The corresponding input accumulated over a long time also exceeds the current energy content of the complex by more than a factor of five. The morphology of the complex suggests a leakage of hot gas from the superbubble.

scholarly journals The whole picture of the large-scale structure of the CL1604 supercluster at z ∼ 0.9

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masao Hayashi ◽  
Yusei Koyama ◽  
Tadayuki Kodama ◽  
Yutaka Komiyama ◽  
Yen-Ting Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Stellar Population ◽  
Large Scale Structure ◽  
Scale Structure ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
The North ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Red Sequence

Abstract We present the large-scale structure over a more than 50 comoving Mpc scale at $z \sim 0.9$ where the CL1604 supercluster, which is one of the largest structures ever known at high redshifts, is embedded. The wide-field deep imaging survey by the Subaru Strategic Program with the Hyper Suprime-Cam reveals that the already-known CL1604 supercluster is a mere part of larger-scale structure extending to both the north and the south. We confirm that there are galaxy clusters at three slightly different redshifts in the northern and southern sides of the supercluster by determining the redshifts of 55 red-sequence galaxies and 82 star-forming galaxies in total via follow-up spectroscopy with Subaru/FOCAS and Gemini-N/GMOS. This suggests that the structure known as the CL1604 supercluster is the tip of the iceberg. We investigate the stellar population of the red-sequence galaxies using 4000 Å break and Balmer H$\delta$ absorption lines. Almost all of the red-sequence galaxies brighter than $21.5\:$mag in the z band show an old stellar population of $\gtrsim\! 2\:$Gyr. The comparison of composite spectra of the red-sequence galaxies in the individual clusters show that the galaxies at a similar redshift have a similar stellar population age, even if they are located $\sim\! 50\:$Mpc apart from each other. However, there could be a large variation in the star formation history. Therefore, it is likely that galaxies associated with the large-scale structure on a 50 Mpc scale formed at almost the same time, have assembled into the denser regions, and then have evolved with different star formation history along the hierarchical growth of the cosmic web.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document