scholarly journals Ages and kinematics of chemically selected, accreted Milky Way halo stars

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (4) ◽  
pp. 5195-5207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Payel Das ◽  
Keith Hawkins ◽  
Paula Jofré
Keyword(s):  
Total Mass ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Gaussian Mixture ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Chemical Abundance ◽  
Orbital Parameters ◽  
Halo Stars ◽  
Systematic Uncertainties ◽  
Data Release ◽  
Cross Matching

ABSTRACT We exploit the [Mg/Mn]-[Al/Fe] chemical abundance plane to help identify nearby halo stars in the 14th data release from the APOGEE survey that have been accreted on to the Milky Way. Applying a Gaussian Mixture Model, we find a ‘blob’ of 856 likely accreted stars, with a low disc contamination rate of ∼7 per cent. Cross-matching the sample with the second data release from Gaia gives us access to parallaxes and apparent magnitudes, which place constraints on distances and intrinsic luminosities. Using a Bayesian isochrone pipeline, this enables us to estimate new ages for the accreted stars, with typical uncertainties of ∼20 per cent. This does not account for systematic uncertainties. Our new catalogue is further supplemented with estimates of orbital parameters. The blob stars span [Fe/H] between −2.5 to −0.5, and [Mg/Fe] between −0.1 to 0.5. They constitute ∼30 per cent of the metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −0.8) halo at [Fe/H] ∼ −1.4. Our new ages mainly range between 8 to 13 Gyr, with the oldest stars the metal-poorest, and with the highest [Mg/Fe] abundance. If the blob stars are assumed to belong to a single progenitor, the ages imply that star formation lasted 5 Gyr after which the system merged with our Milky Way around 8 Gyr ago. Dynamical arguments suggest that such a single progenitor would have had a total mass of $\sim 10^{11}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$, similar to that found by other authors using chemical evolution models and simulations.

scholarly journals CN Anomalies in the Halo System

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (H16) ◽  
pp. 282-283
Author(s):  
Daniela Carollo
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Strong Field ◽  
Significant Source ◽  
Red Giants ◽  
Orbital Parameters ◽  
Halo Stars ◽  
Halo Population ◽  
Absorption Features ◽  
Kinematic Properties

AbstractI present an evaluation of the kinematic properties of halo red giants thought to have formed in globular clusters based on the strength of their UV/blue CN and CH absorption features. The sample has been selected from the catalog of Martell et al. (2011). The orbital parameters of CN-strong halo stars are compared to those of the inner and outer halo populations, and to the orbital parameters of globular clusters with well-studied Galactic orbits. It has been found that both the clusters and the CN-strong field stars exhibit kinematic and orbital properties similar to the inner halo population, indicating that globular clusters could be a significant source of inner halo field stars, and suggesting that both globular clusters and CN-strong stars could belong primarily to the inner halo population of the Milky Way.

scholarly journals Gaia Data Release 2

2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A12 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
A. Helmi ◽  
F. van Leeuwen ◽  
P. J. McMillan ◽  
D. Massari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Proper Motions ◽  
Single Plane ◽  
Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies ◽  
Orbital Parameters ◽  
Data Release ◽  
Using Data

Context. Aims. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the outstanding quality of the second data release of the Gaia mission and its power for constraining many different aspects of the dynamics of the satellites of the Milky Way. We focus here on determining the proper motions of 75 Galactic globular clusters, nine dwarf spheroidal galaxies, one ultra-faint system, and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Methods. Using data extracted from the Gaia archive, we derived the proper motions and parallaxes for these systems, as well as their uncertainties. We demonstrate that the errors, statistical and systematic, are relatively well understood. We integrated the orbits of these objects in three different Galactic potentials, and characterised their properties. We present the derived proper motions, space velocities, and characteristic orbital parameters in various tables to facilitate their use by the astronomical community. Results. Our limited and straightforward analyses have allowed us for example to (i) determine absolute and very precise proper motions for globular clusters; (ii) detect clear rotation signatures in the proper motions of at least five globular clusters; (iii) show that the satellites of the Milky Way are all on high-inclination orbits, but that they do not share a single plane of motion; (iv) derive a lower limit for the mass of the Milky Way of 9.1-2.6+6.2 × 1011 M⊙ based on the assumption that the Leo I dwarf spheroidal is bound; (v) derive a rotation curve for the Large Magellanic Cloud based solely on proper motions that is competitive with line-of-sight velocity curves, now using many orders of magnitude more sources; and (vi) unveil the dynamical effect of the bar on the motions of stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Conclusions. All these results highlight the incredible power of the Gaia astrometric mission, and in particular of its second data release.

scholarly journals Chemical abundances of field halo stars - Implications for the building blocks of the Milky Way

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (S351) ◽  
pp. 24-33
Author(s):  
Miho N. Ishigaki
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Chemical Information ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Chemical Abundance ◽  
Chemical Abundances ◽  
Halo Stars ◽  
Dimensional Phase Space ◽  
Stellar Halo ◽  
Detailed Chemical

AbstractI would like to review recent efforts of detailed chemical abundance measurements for field Milky Way halo stars. Thanks to the advent of wide-field spectroscopic surveys up to a several kpc from the Sun, large samples of field halo stars with detailed chemical measurements are continuously expanding. Combination of the chemical information and full six dimensional phase-space information is now recognized as a powerful tool to identify cosmological accretion events that have built a sizable fraction of the present-day stellar halo. Future observational prospects with wide-field spectroscopic surveys and theoretical prospects with supernova nucleosynthetic yields are also discussed.

scholarly journals The Galactic Disk-Halo Transition – Evidence from Stellar Abundances

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S254) ◽  
pp. 103-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poul Erik Nissen ◽  
William J. Schuster
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Disk ◽  
Thin Disk ◽  
Thick Disk ◽  
Chemical Abundance ◽  
Elemental Abundances ◽  
Halo Stars ◽  
New Information ◽  
First Results ◽  
Satellite Galaxies

AbstractNew information on the relations between the Galactic disks, the halo, and satellite galaxies is being obtained from elemental abundances of stars having metallicities in the range −1.5 < [Fe/H] < −0.5. The first results for a sample of 26 halo stars and 13 thick-disk stars observed with the ESO VLT/UVES spectrograph are presented. The halo stars fall in two distinct groups: one group (9 stars) has [α/Fe] = 0.30 ± 0.03 like the thick-disk stars. The other group (17 stars) shows a clearly deviating trend ranging from [α/Fe] = 0.20 at [Fe/H] = −1.3 to [α/Fe] = 0.08 at [Fe/H] = −0.8. The kinematics of the stars are discussed and the abundance ratios Na/Fe, Ni/Fe, Cu/Fe and Ba/Y are applied to see if the “low-alpha” stars are connected to the thin disk or to Milky Way satellite galaxies. Furthermore, we compare our data with simulations of chemical abundance distributions in hierarchically formed stellar halos in a ΛCDM Universe.

scholarly journals The Mass Distribution of the Milky Way Deduced from Globular Cluster Dynamics

1996 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 697-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Dauphole ◽  
J. Colin ◽  
M. Geffert ◽  
M. Odenkirchen ◽  
H.-J. Tucholke
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Mass Distribution ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Total Mass ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Proper Motions ◽  
Orbital Parameters ◽  
Galactic Potential

We present here a new analytical Galactic potential. We used the constraint of galactic globular cluster dynamics compared to their spatial distribution. This was done with the help of the globular clusters' proper motions. The result for the clusters dynamics show a better agreement between orbital parameters and statistical distribution of the studied globular clusters than in previous published potentials. The globular cluster dynamics constrain the mass distribution on a large scale, until 40 kpc from the centre. In this model, the total mass for the Milky Way is 7.9 1011 M⊙.

scholarly journals Another relic bulge globular cluster: ESO 456-SC38 (Djorgovski 2)

2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. A145 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ortolani ◽  
E. V. Held ◽  
D. Nardiello ◽  
S. O. Souza ◽  
B. Barbuy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Stellar Population ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Horizontal Branch ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Orbital Parameters ◽  
Data Release ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Bulge Formation

Context. The object ESO 456-SC38 (Djorgovski 2) is one of the globular clusters that is closest to the Galactic center. It is on the blue horizontal branch and has a moderate metallicity of [Fe/H] ∼ −1.0. It is thus similar to the very old inner bulge globular clusters NGC 6522, NGC 6558, and HP 1, and therefore appears to be part of the primeval formation stages of the Milky Way. Aims. The aim of this work is to determine an accurate distance and metallicity for ESO 456-SC38, as well as orbital parameters, in order to check similarities with other clusters in the inner bulge that have previously been well studied in terms of spectroscopy and photometry. This is a considerably fainter cluster that is contaminated by a rich stellar field; it is also quite absorbed by the dusty foreground. Methods. We analyzed ESO 456-SC38 based on HST photometry, with the filters F606W from ACS, F110W and F160W from WFC3, and photometry in V and I from FORS2 at the VLT. We combined this with identified stars that are covered by Gaia Data Release 2. Results. The isochrone fitting was carried out with the statistical Markov chain Monte Carlo method. We derive an accurate distance of d⊙ = 8.75 ± 0.12 kpc and a reddening of E(B−V) = 0.81+0.02−0.02. The best-fitting BaSTI isochrones correspond to an age of 12.70+0.72−0.69 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = −1.11+0.03−0.03. Conclusions. ESO 456-SC38 adds to the list of moderately metal-poor globular clusters located in the inner bulge. It has a blue horizontal branch and is very old. The cluster is confined to the bulge and bar region, but it does not support the Galactic bar structure. The old stellar population represented by clusters like this has to be taken into account in models of Galactic bulge formation. Studying them also provides indications on the formation times of the globular clusters themselves.

scholarly journals Chemical abundance analysis of extremely metal-poor stars in the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. A111 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Aoki ◽  
W. Aoki ◽  
P. François
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Halo ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
High Resolution Spectroscopy ◽  
High Dispersion ◽  
Chemical Abundance ◽  
Halo Structure ◽  
Halo Stars

Context. Metal-poor components of dwarf galaxies around the Milky Way could be remnants of the building blocks of the Galactic halo structure. Low-mass stars that are currently observed as metal-poor stars are expected to have formed in chemically homogeneous clusters in the early phases of galaxy formation. They should have already disintegrated and should exhibit large scatter in abundance ratios of some sets of elements (e.g., Sr/Ba) in the Milky Way field stars. However, chemical abundance ratios are expected to cluster in very metal-poor stars in dwarf galaxies because the number of clusters formed in individual galaxies in the very early phase is expected to be quite limited. Aims. We examine the possible clustering of abundance ratios of Sr and Ba in the Sextans dwarf galaxy to test for the clustering star formation scenario. Methods. We investigate a total of 11 elements (C, Mg, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Ni, Zn, Sr, Ba) in five stars in the Sextans dwarf galaxy. Previous studies suggest that these have similar abundance ratios. In this study, we focus on the abundance ratio of Sr to Ba. The observations are based on high-resolution spectroscopy (R = 40 000) using the Subaru Telescope High Dispersion Spectrograph. Results. The distribution of α/Fe abundance ratios of the Sextans dwarf galaxy stars is slightly lower than the average of the values of stars in the Galactic halo. The Sr/Ba abundance ratios for the five metal-poor stars are in good agreement, and this clumping is distinctive compared to the [Sr/Ba] spread seen in the metal-poor halo stars. We find that the probability of such clumping is very small if the Sextans stars have distributions of Sr and Ba abundances similar to halo stars. Conclusions. In the Sextans dwarf galaxy, five out of six of the extremely metal-poor stars for which abundance ratios are well studied so far show clear clustering in abundance ratios including Sr/Ba. These observations tend to support the hypothesis that these stars were formed from a cloud of homogeneous chemical composition.

scholarly journals What is the Milky Way outer halo made of?

2017 ◽  
Vol 608 ◽  
pp. A145 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Battaglia ◽  
P. North ◽  
P. Jablonka ◽  
M. Shetrone ◽  
D. Minniti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Solar Neighborhood ◽  
Asymptotic Giant Branch ◽  
Chemical Abundance ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Halo Stars ◽  
Stellar Halo ◽  
Giant Branch Stars

In a framework where galaxies form hierarchically, extended stellar haloes are predicted to be an ubiquitous feature around Milky Way-like galaxies and to consist mainly of the shredded stellar component of smaller galactic systems. The type of accreted stellar systems are expected to vary according to the specific accretion and merging history of a given galaxy, and so is the fraction of stars formed in situ versus accreted. Analysis of the chemical properties of Milky Way halo stars out to large Galactocentric radii can provide important insights into the properties of the environment in which the stars that contributed to the build-up of different regions of the Milky Way stellar halo formed. In this work we focus on the outer regions of the Milky Way stellar halo, by determining chemical abundances of halo stars with large present-day Galactocentric distances, >15 kpc. The data-set we acquired consists of high resolution HET/HRS, Magellan/MIKE and VLT/UVES spectra for 28 red giant branch stars covering a wide metallicity range, −3.1 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲−0.6. We show that the ratio of α-elements over Fe as a function of [Fe/H] for our sample of outer halo stars is not dissimilar from the pattern shown by MW halo stars from solar neighborhood samples. On the other hand, significant differences appear at [Fe/H] ≳−1.5 when considering chemical abundance ratios such as [Ba/Fe], [Na/Fe], [Ni/Fe], [Eu/Fe], [Ba/Y]. Qualitatively, this type of chemical abundance trends are observed in massive dwarf galaxies, such as Sagittarius and the Large Magellanic Cloud. This appears to suggest a larger contribution in the outer halo of stars formed in an environment with high initial star formation rate and already polluted by asymptotic giant branch stars with respect to inner halo samples.

scholarly journals The mass of the Milky Way out to 100 kpc using halo stars

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alis J Deason ◽  
Denis Erkal ◽  
Vasily Belokurov ◽  
Azadeh Fattahi ◽  
Facundo A Gómez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Distribution Function ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Cosmological Simulations ◽  
Halo Stars ◽  
Systematic Effects ◽  
Mass Estimate

Abstract We use a distribution function analysis to estimate the mass of the Milky Way out to 100 kpc using a large sample of halo stars. These stars are compiled from the literature, and the vast majority ($\sim \! 98\%$) have 6D phase-space information. We pay particular attention to systematic effects, such as the dynamical influence of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and the effect of unrelaxed substructure. The LMC biases the (pre-LMC infall) halo mass estimates towards higher values, while realistic stellar halos from cosmological simulations tend to underestimate the true halo mass. After applying our method to the Milky Way data we find a mass within 100 kpc of M( &lt; 100kpc) = 6.07 ± 0.29(stat.) ± 1.21(sys.) × 1011M⊙. For this estimate, we have approximately corrected for the reflex motion induced by the LMC using the Erkal et al. model, which assumes a rigid potential for the LMC and MW. Furthermore, stars that likely belong to the Sagittarius stream are removed, and we include a 5% systematic bias, and a 20% systematic uncertainty based on our tests with cosmological simulations. Assuming the mass-concentration relation for Navarro-Frenk-White haloes, our mass estimate favours a total (pre-LMC infall) Milky Way mass of M200c = 1.01 ± 0.24 × 1012M⊙, or (post-LMC infall) mass of M200c = 1.16 ± 0.24 × 1012 M⊙ when a 1.5 × 1011M⊙ mass of a rigid LMC is included.

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