scholarly journals RR Lyrae Stars in the Newly Discovered Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxy Centaurus I*

2021 ◽  
Vol 162 (6) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
C. E. Martínez-Vázquez ◽  
W. Cerny ◽  
A. K. Vivas ◽  
A. Drlica-Wagner ◽  
A. B. Pace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galactic Halo ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Relative Rate ◽  
Distance Modulus ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Full Sample ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
The One ◽  
Lyrae Stars

Abstract We report the detection of three RR Lyrae (RRL) stars (two RRc and one RRab) in the ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxy Centaurus I (Cen I) and two Milky Way (MW) δ Scuti/SX Phoenicis stars based on multi-epoch giz DECam observations. The two RRc stars are located within two times the half-light radius (r h ) of Cen I, while the RRab star (CenI-V3) is at ∼6 r h . The presence of three distant RRL stars clustered this tightly in space represents a 4.7σ excess relative to the smooth distribution of RRL in the Galactic halo. Using the newly detected RRL stars, we obtain a distance modulus to Cen I of μ 0 = 20.354 ± 0.002 mag (σ = 0.03 mag), a heliocentric distance of D ⊙ = 117.7 ± 0.1 kpc (σ = 1.6 kpc), with systematic errors of 0.07 mag and 4 kpc. The location of the Cen I RRL stars in the Bailey diagram is in agreement with other UFD galaxies (mainly Oosterhoff II). Finally, we study the relative rate of RRc+RRd (RRcd) stars (f cd) in UFD and classical dwarf galaxies. The full sample of MW dwarf galaxies gives a mean of f cd = 0.28. While several UFD galaxies, such as Cen I, present higher RRcd ratios, if we combine the RRL populations of all UFD galaxies, the RRcd ratio is similar to the one obtained for the classical dwarfs (f cd ∼ 0.3). Therefore, there is no evidence for a different fraction of RRcd stars in UFD and classical dwarf galaxies.

scholarly journals A DECam view of the diffuse dwarf galaxy Crater II – Variable stars

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (1) ◽  
pp. 1061-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Katherina Vivas ◽  
Alistair R Walker ◽  
Clara E Martínez-Vázquez ◽  
Matteo Monelli ◽  
Giuseppe Bono ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Position Angle ◽  
Variable Stars ◽  
Distance Modulus ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Binary Evolution ◽  
Lyrae Stars

ABSTRACT Time series observations of a single dithered field centred on the diffuse dwarf satellite galaxy Crater II were obtained with the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) at the 4m Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile, uniformly covering up to two half-light radii. Analysis of the g and i time series results in the identification and characterization of 130 periodic variable stars, including 98 RR Lyrae stars, 7 anomalous Cepheids, and 1 SX Phoenicis star belonging to the Crater II population, and 24 foreground variables of different types. Using the large number of ab-type RR Lyrae stars present in the galaxy, we obtained a distance modulus to Crater II of (m − M)0 = 20.333 ± 0.004 (stat) ±0.07 (sys). The distribution of the RR Lyrae stars suggests an elliptical shape for Crater II, with an ellipticity of 0.24 and a position angle of 153°. From the RR Lyrae stars, we infer a small metallicity dispersion for the old population of Crater II of only 0.17 dex. There are hints that the most metal-poor stars in that narrow distribution have a wider distribution across the galaxy, while the slightly more metal-rich part of the population is more centrally concentrated. Given the features in the colour–magnitude diagram of Crater II, the anomalous Cepheids in this galaxy must have formed through a binary evolution channel of an old population.

scholarly journals Search for RR Lyrae stars in DES ultrafaint systems: Grus I, Kim 2, Phoenix II, and Grus II

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (2) ◽  
pp. 2183-2199 ◽  
Author(s):  
C E Martínez-Vázquez ◽  
A K Vivas ◽  
M Gurevich ◽  
A R Walker ◽  
M McCarthy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galactic Halo ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Horizontal Branch ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Dark Energy Survey ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Magnitude Diagram ◽  
Lyrae Stars ◽  
Energy Survey ◽  
D 43

ABSTRACT This work presents the first search for RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) in four of the ultrafaint systems imaged by the Dark Energy Survey using SOAR/Goodman and Blanco/DECam imagers. We have detected two RRLs in the field of Grus I, none in Kim 2, one in Phoenix II, and four in Grus II. With the detection of these stars, we accurately determine the distance moduli for these ultrafaint dwarf satellite galaxies; μ0 = 20.51 ± 0.10 mag (D⊙ = 127 ± 6 kpc) for Grus I and μ0 = 20.01 ± 0.10 mag (D⊙ = 100 ± 5 kpc) for Phoenix II. These measurements are larger than previous estimations by Koposov et al. and Bechtol et al., implying larger physical sizes; 5 per cent for Grus I and 33 per cent for Phoenix II. For Grus II, of the four RRLs detected, one is consistent with being a member of the galactic halo (D⊙ = 24 ± 1 kpc, μ0 = 16.86 ± 0.10 mag), another is at D⊙ = 55 ± 2 kpc (μ0 = 18.71 ± 0.10 mag), which we associate with Grus II, and the two remaining at D⊙ = 43 ± 2 kpc (μ0 = 18.17 ± 0.10 mag). Moreover, the appearance of a subtle red horizontal branch in the colour–magnitude diagram of Grus II at the same brightness level of the latter two RRLs, which are at the same distance and in the same region, suggests that a more metal-rich system may be located in front of Grus II. The most plausible scenario is the association of these stars with the Chenab/Orphan Stream. Finally, we performed a comprehensive and updated analysis of the number of RRLs in dwarf galaxies. This allows us to predict that the method of finding new ultrafaint dwarf galaxies using two or more clumped RRLs will work only for systems brighter than MV ∼ −6 mag.

scholarly journals Variable Stars in the Sculptor Dwarf Galaxy

1993 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 358-358
Author(s):  
C. G. Goldsmith
Keyword(s):  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Variable Stars ◽  
University Of Washington ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Lyrae Stars ◽  
Plate Collection

This project was initiated in 1985 by James Nemec (University of Washington) and Nicholas Suntzeff (C.T.I.O.). The goal was to study the system of ∼600 variable stars in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy. In 1987 the author became the recipient of the plate collection, which formed the basis for his Ph.D. dissertation. In this paper preliminary results are presented. Briefly, 612 stars were studied, of which 432 are van Agt (1978) stars and 180 are newly discovered variable stars. A total of 381 stars are confirmed variables. Most of these are RR Lyraes, but many anomalous Cepheids and some candidate eclipsing variables were also found. Several candidate double-mode RR Lyrae stars were also identified. The mean period of the ab-type RR Lyrae stars is 0.60±0.08 day, and the mean period of the c-type stars is 0.35±0.03 day, not unlike the mean periods of other nearby dwarf galaxies.

scholarly journals WEAK GALACTIC HALO-DWARF SPHEROIDAL CONNECTION FROM RR LYRAE STARS

2014 ◽  
Vol 798 (1) ◽  
pp. L12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliana Fiorentino ◽  
Giuseppe Bono ◽  
Matteo Monelli ◽  
Peter B. Stetson ◽  
Eline Tolstoy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galactic Halo ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Lyrae Stars

scholarly journals Standard Galactic field RR Lyrae II: a Gaia DR2 calibration of the period–Wesenheit–metallicity relation

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (3) ◽  
pp. 4254-4270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian R Neeley ◽  
Massimo Marengo ◽  
Wendy L Freedman ◽  
Barry F Madore ◽  
Rachael L Beaton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Distance Modulus ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Galactic Field ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Lyrae Stars ◽  
Distance Indicators ◽  
Made In

ABSTRACT RR Lyrae stars have long been popular standard candles, but significant advances in methodology and technology have been made in recent years to increase their precision as distance indicators. We present multiwavelength (optical UBVRcIc and Gaia G, BP, RP; near-infrared JHKs; mid-infrared [3.6], [4.5]) period–luminosity–metallicity (PLZ), period–Wesenheit–metallicity (PWZ) relations, calibrated using photometry obtained from the Carnegie RR Lyrae Program and parallaxes from the Gaia second data release for 55 Galactic field RR Lyrae stars. The metallicity slope, which has long been predicted by theoretical relations, can now be measured in all passbands. The scatter in the PLZ relations is on the order of 0.2 mag, and is still dominated by uncertainties in the parallaxes. As a consistency check of our PLZ relations, we also measure the distance modulus to the globular cluster M4, the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud, and our results are in excellent agreement with estimates from previous studies.

RR Lyrae stars in the Carina dwarf galaxy

1986 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 302 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Saha ◽  
D. G. Monet ◽  
P. Seitzer
Keyword(s):  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Lyrae Stars

scholarly journals RR Lyrae to understand the Galactic halo

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S317) ◽  
pp. 77-82
Author(s):  
Giuliana Fiorentino
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Galactic Halo ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Halo Structure ◽  
Intrinsic Nature ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Dwarf Spheroidals ◽  
Lyrae Stars

AbstractWe present recent results obtained using old variable RR Lyrae stars on the Galactic halo structure and its connection with nearby dwarf galaxies. We compare the period and period-amplitude distributions for a sizeable sample of fundamental mode RR Lyrae stars (RRab) in dwarf spheroidals (~1300 stars) with those in the Galactic halo (~16'000 stars) and globular clusters (~1000 stars). RRab in dwarfs –as observed today– do not appear to follow the pulsation properties shown by those in the Galactic halo, nor they have the same properties as RRab in globulars. Thanks to the OGLE experiment we extended our comparison to massive metal–rich satellites like the dwarf irregular Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Sagittarius (Sgr) dwarf spheroidal. These massive and more metal–rich stellar systems likely have contributed to the Galactic halo formation more than classical dwarf spheroidals.Finally, exploiting the intrinsic nature of RR Lyrae as distance indicators we were able to study the period and period amplitude distributions of RRab within the Halo. It turned out that the inner and the outer Halo do show a difference that may suggest a different formation scenario (in situ vs accreted).

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