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Sample records for dwarf irregular galaxies

  1. Formation of dwarf ellipticals and dwarf irregular galaxies by interaction of giant galaxies under environmental influence

    OpenAIRE

    Chattopadhyay, Tanuka; Debsarma, Suma; Karmakar, Pradip; Davoust, Emmanuel

    2014-01-01

    A model is proposed for the formation of gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxies and gas-poor, rotating dwarf elliptical galaxies following the interaction between two giant galaxies as a function of space density. The formation of dwarf galaxies is considered to depend on a random variable, the tidal index theta, an environmental parameter defined by Karachentsev et al. (2004), such that for theta less than zero, the formation of dwarf irregular galaxy is assured whereas for theta greater than zer...

  2. Irregular Dwarf Galaxy IC 1613

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-01-01

    Ultraviolet image (left) and visual image (right) of the irregular dwarf galaxy IC 1613. Low surface brightness galaxies, such as IC 1613, are more easily detected in the ultraviolet because of the low background levels compared to visual wavelengths.

  3. Solo dwarfs I: survey introduction and first results for the Sagittarius dwarf irregular galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higgs, C. R.; McConnachie, A. W.; Irwin, M.; Bate, N. F.; Lewis, G. F.; Walker, M. G.; Côté, P.; Venn, K.; Battaglia, G.

    2016-05-01

    We introduce the Solitary Local dwarfs survey (Solo), a wide-field photometric study targeting every isolated dwarf galaxy within 3 Mpc of the Milky Way. Solo is based on (u)gi multiband imaging from Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/MegaCam for northern targets, and Magellan/Megacam for southern targets. All galaxies fainter than MV ≃ -18 situated beyond the nominal virial radius of the Milky Way and M31 (≳300 kpc) are included in this volume-limited sample, for a total of 42 targets. In addition to reviewing the survey goals and strategy, we present results for the Sagittarius dwarf irregular galaxy (Sag DIG), one of the most isolated, low-mass galaxies, located at the edge of the Local Group. We analyse its resolved stellar populations and their spatial distributions. We provide updated estimates of its central surface brightness and integrated luminosity, and trace its surface brightness profile to a level fainter than 30 mag arcsec-2. Sag DIG is well described by a highly elliptical (disc-like) system following a single component Sérsic model. However, a low-level distortion is present at the outer edges of the galaxy that, were Sag DIG not so isolated, would likely be attributed to some kind of previous tidal interaction. Further, we find evidence of an extremely low level, extended distribution of stars beyond ˜5 arcmin (>1.5 kpc) that suggests Sag DIG may be embedded in a very low-density stellar halo. We compare the stellar and H I structures of Sag DIG, and discuss results for this galaxy in relation to other isolated, dwarf irregular galaxies in the Local Group.

  4. Star Formation in Irregular Galaxies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Deidre; Wolff, Sidney

    1985-01-01

    Examines mechanisms of how stars are formed in irregular galaxies. Formation in giant irregular galaxies, formation in dwarf irregular galaxies, and comparisons with larger star-forming regions found in spiral galaxies are considered separately. (JN)

  5. Star Formation Histories of Dwarf Irregular Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skillman, Evan

    1995-07-01

    We propose to obtain deep WFPC2 `BVI' color-magnitude diagrams {CMDs} for the dwarf irregular {dI} Local Group galaxies GR 8, Leo A, Pegasus, and Sextans A. In addition to resolved stars, we will use star clusters, and especially any globulars, to probe the history of intense star formation. These data will allow us to map the Pop I and Pop II stellar components, and thereby construct the first detailed star formation histories for non-interacting dI galaxies. Our results will bear on a variety of astrophysical problems, including the evolution of small galaxies, distances in the Local Group, age-metallicity distributions in small galaxies, ages of dIs, and the physics of star formation. The four target galaxies are typical dI systems in terms of luminosity, gas content, and H II region abundance, and represent a range in current star forming activity. They are sufficiently near to allow us to reach to stars at M_V = 0, have 0.1 of the luminosity of the SMC and 0.25 of its oxygen abundance. Unlike the SMC, these dIs are not near giant galaxies. This project will allow the extension of our knowledge of stellar populations in star forming galaxies from the spirals in the Local Group down to its smallest members. We plan to take maximum advantage of the unique data which this project will provide. Our investigator team brings extensive and varied experience in studies of dwarf galaxies, stellar populations, imaging photometry, and stellar evolution to this project.

  6. First stellar abundances in the dwarf irregular galaxy Sextans A

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kaufer, A; Venn, KA; Tolstoy, E; Pinte, C; Kudritzki, RP

    We present the abundance analyses of three isolated A-type supergiant stars in the dwarf irregular galaxy Sextans A (= DDO 75) from high-resolution spectra obtained with the Ultraviolet-Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) on the Kueyen telescope (UT2) of the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). Detailed

  7. Massive stars in the Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Miriam

    2018-02-01

    Low metallicity massive stars hold the key to interpret numerous processes in the past Universe including re-ionization, starburst galaxies, high-redshift supernovae, and γ-ray bursts. The Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy [SagDIG, 12+log(O/H) = 7.37] represents an important landmark in the quest for analogues accessible with 10-m class telescopes. This Letter presents low-resolution spectroscopy executed with the Gran Telescopio Canarias that confirms that SagDIG hosts massive stars. The observations unveiled three OBA-type stars and one red supergiant candidate. Pending confirmation from high-resolution follow-up studies, these could be the most metal-poor massive stars of the Local Group.

  8. The Westerbork HI survey of spiral and irregular galaxies - I. HI imaging of late-type dwarf galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Swaters, RA; Van Albada, TS; van der Hulst, JM; Sancisi, R

    Neutral hydrogen observations with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope are presented for a sample of 73 late-type dwarf galaxies. These observations are part of the WHISP project (Westerbork Hi Survey of Spiral and Irregular Galaxies). Here we present Hi maps, velocity fields, global profiles

  9. A study of the H I and optical properties of Low Surface Brightness galaxies: spirals, dwarfs, and irregulars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honey, M.; van Driel, W.; Das, M.; Martin, J.-M.

    2018-06-01

    We present a study of the H I and optical properties of nearby (z ≤ 0.1) Low Surface Brightness galaxies (LSBGs). We started with a literature sample of ˜900 LSBGs and divided them into three morphological classes: spirals, irregulars, and dwarfs. Of these, we could use ˜490 LSBGs to study their H I and stellar masses, colours, and colour-magnitude diagrams, and local environment, compare them with normal, High Surface Brightness (HSB) galaxies and determine the differences between the three morphological classes. We found that LSB and HSB galaxies span a similar range in H I and stellar masses, and have a similar M_{H I}/M⋆-M⋆ relationship. Among the LSBGs, as expected, the spirals have the highest average H I and stellar masses, both of about 109.8 M⊙. The LSGBs' (g - r) integrated colour is nearly constant as function of H I mass for all classes. In the colour-magnitude diagram, the spirals are spread over the red and blue regions whereas the irregulars and dwarfs are confined to the blue region. The spirals also exhibit a steeper slope in the M_{H I}/M⋆-M⋆ plane. Within their local environment, we confirmed that LSBGs are more isolated than HSB galaxies, and LSB spirals more isolated than irregulars and dwarfs. Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical tests on the H I mass, stellar mass, and number of neighbours indicate that the spirals are a statistically different population from the dwarfs and irregulars. This suggests that the spirals may have different formation and H I evolution than the dwarfs and irregulars.

  10. The Westerbork HI survey of spiral and irregular galaxies - II. R-band surface photometry of late-type dwarf galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Swaters, RA; Balcells, M

    R-band surface photometry is presented for 171 late-type dwarf and irregular galaxies. For a subsample of 46 galaxies B-band photometry is presented as well. We present surface brightness profiles as well as isophotal and photometric parameters including magnitudes, diameters and central surface

  11. IC 3475: A stripped dwarf galaxy in the Virgo cluster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vigroux, L.; Thuan, T.X.; Vader, J.P.; Lachieze-Rey, M.

    1986-01-01

    We have obtained B and R CCD and H I observations of the Virgo dwarf galaxy IC 3475. The galaxy is remarkable for its very large diameter (approx.10 kpc for a Virgo distance modulus of 31) and is comparable in size to the large dwarfs discussed by Sandage and Binggeli. Its light profile is best fitted by an exponential law, characteristic of a dwarf Magellanic irregular galaxy. It possesses a central bar with many knots and inclusions concentrated toward the center of the galaxy. These knots and inclusions have the same color (B-Rapprox.1.5) as the rest of the galaxy and are best explained as intermediate-age (1--7 x 10 9 yr) star clusters such as those found in the Magellanic Clouds. Despite possessing the photometric structure of a dwarf Magellanic irregular galaxy, IC 3475 contains less than 5.3 x 10 6 M/sub sun/ of neutral hydrogen. Its hydrogen mass to blue light ratio is less than 0.01, approx.60 times less than the mean value observed for dwarf Magellanic irregulars. It is most likely that IC 3475, which is located near the core of the Virgo cluster, is a stripped dwarf galaxy. The very large size of the galaxy (its diameter is approx.1.8 times larger than that of ''normal'' dwarfs) appears to rule out evolution of IC 3475 from a normal dwarf irregular or to a normal dwarf elliptical

  12. Extended Schmidt law holds for faint dwarf irregular galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roychowdhury, Sambit; Chengalur, Jayaram N.; Shi, Yong

    2017-12-01

    Context. The extended Schmidt law (ESL) is a variant of the Schmidt which relates the surface densities of gas and star formation, with the surface density of stellar mass added as an extra parameter. Although ESL has been shown to be valid for a wide range of galaxy properties, its validity in low-metallicity galaxies has not been comprehensively tested. This is important because metallicity affects the crucial atomic-to-molecular transition step in the process of conversion of gas to stars. Aims: We empirically investigate for the first time whether low metallicity faint dwarf irregular galaxies (dIrrs) from the local universe follow the ESL. Here we consider the "global" law where surface densities are averaged over the galactic discs. dIrrs are unique not only because they are at the lowest end of mass and star formation scales for galaxies, but also because they are metal-poor compared to the general population of galaxies. Methods: Our sample is drawn from the Faint Irregular Galaxy GMRT Survey (FIGGS) which is the largest survey of atomic hydrogen in such galaxies. The gas surface densities are determined using their atomic hydrogen content. The star formation rates are calculated using GALEX far ultraviolet fluxes after correcting for dust extinction, whereas the stellar surface densities are calculated using Spitzer 3.6 μm fluxes. The surface densities are calculated over the stellar discs defined by the 3.6 μm images. Results: We find dIrrs indeed follow the ESL. The mean deviation of the FIGGS galaxies from the relation is 0.01 dex, with a scatter around the relation of less than half that seen in the original relation. In comparison, we also show that the FIGGS galaxies are much more deviant when compared to the "canonical" Kennicutt-Schmidt relation. Conclusions: Our results help strengthen the universality of the ESL, especially for galaxies with low metallicities. We suggest that models of star formation in which feedback from previous generations

  13. Stars at Low Metallicity in Dwarf Galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tolstoy, Eline; Battaglia, Giuseppina; Cole, Andrew; Hunt, LK; Madden, S; Schneider, R

    2008-01-01

    Dwarf galaxies offer an opportunity to understand the properties of low metallicity star formation both today and at the earliest times at the, epoch of the formation of the first stars. Here we concentrate on two galaxies in the Local Group: the dwarf irregular galaxy Leo A, which has been the

  14. A Study of Two Dwarf Irregular Galaxies with Asymmetrical Star Formation Distributions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Deidre A.; Gallardo, Samavarti; Zhang, Hong-Xin; Adamo, Angela; Cook, David O.; Oh, Se-Heon; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Kim, Hwihyun; Kahre, Lauren; Ubeda, Leonardo; Bright, Stacey N.; Ryon, Jenna E.; Fumagalli, Michele; Sacchi, Elena; Kennicutt, R. C.; Tosi, Monica; Dale, Daniel A.; Cignoni, Michele; Messa, Matteo; Grebel, Eva K.; Gouliermis, Dimitrios A.; Sabbi, Elena; Grasha, Kathryn; Gallagher, John S., III; Calzetti, Daniela; Lee, Janice C.

    2018-03-01

    Two dwarf irregular galaxies, DDO 187 and NGC 3738, exhibit a striking pattern of star formation: intense star formation is taking place in a large region occupying roughly half of the inner part of the optical galaxy. We use data on the H I distribution and kinematics and stellar images and colors to examine the properties of the environment in the high star formation rate (HSF) halves of the galaxies in comparison with the low star formation rate halves. We find that the pressure and gas density are higher on the HSF sides by 30%–70%. In addition we find in both galaxies that the H I velocity fields exhibit significant deviations from ordered rotation and there are large regions of high-velocity dispersion and multiple velocity components in the gas beyond the inner regions of the galaxies. The conditions in the HSF regions are likely the result of large-scale external processes affecting the internal environment of the galaxies and enabling the current star formation there.

  15. Delayed star formation in isolated dwarf galaxies: Hubble space telescope star formation history of the Aquarius dwarf irregular

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cole, Andrew A. [School of Physical Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 37, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001 Australia (Australia); Weisz, Daniel R. [Department of Astronomy, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon, 1151 East Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85706 (United States); Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55441 (United States); McConnachie, Alan W. [NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Victoria, BC, V9E 2E7 Canada (Canada); Brooks, Alyson M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States); Leaman, Ryan, E-mail: andrew.cole@utas.edu.au, E-mail: drw@ucsc.edu, E-mail: adolphin@raytheon.com, E-mail: skillman@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: alan.mcconnachie@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca, E-mail: abrooks@physics.rutgers.edu, E-mail: rleaman@iac.es [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

    2014-11-01

    We have obtained deep images of the highly isolated (d = 1 Mpc) Aquarius dwarf irregular galaxy (DDO 210) with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys. The resulting color-magnitude diagram (CMD) reaches more than a magnitude below the oldest main-sequence turnoff, allowing us to derive the star formation history (SFH) over the entire lifetime of the galaxy with a timing precision of ≈10% of the lookback time. Using a maximum likelihood fit to the CMD we find that only ≈10% of all star formation in Aquarius took place more than 10 Gyr ago (lookback time equivalent to redshift z ≈ 2). The star formation rate increased dramatically ≈6-8 Gyr ago (z ≈ 0.7-1.1) and then declined until the present time. The only known galaxy with a more extreme confirmed delay in star formation is Leo A, a galaxy of similar M {sub H} {sub I}/M {sub *}, dynamical mass, mean metallicity, and degree of isolation. The delayed stellar mass growth in these galaxies does not track the mean dark matter accretion rate from CDM simulations. The similarities between Leo A and Aquarius suggest that if gas is not removed from dwarf galaxies by interactions or feedback, it can linger for several gigayears without cooling in sufficient quantity to form stars efficiently. We discuss possible causes for the delay in star formation including suppression by reionization and late-time mergers. We find reasonable agreement between our measured SFHs and select cosmological simulations of isolated dwarfs. Because star formation and merger processes are both stochastic in nature, delayed star formation in various degrees is predicted to be a characteristic (but not a universal) feature of isolated small galaxies.

  16. The Nature of Turbulence in the LITTLE THINGS Dwarf Irregular Galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maier, Erin; Chien, Li-Hsin; Hollyday, Gigja [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northern Arizona University, NAU Box 6010, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 (United States); Elmegreen, Bruce G. [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, New York, NY 10598 (United States); Hunter, Deidre A. [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Simpson, Caroline E. [Department of Physics, Florida International University, CP 204, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199 (United States)

    2017-04-01

    We present probability density functions and higher order (skewness and kurtosis) analyses of the galaxy-wide and spatially resolved distributions of H i column density in the LITTLE THINGS sample of dwarf irregular galaxies. This analysis follows that of Burkhart et al. for the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). About 60% of our sample have galaxy-wide values of kurtosis that are similar to that found for the SMC, with a range up to much higher values, and kurtosis increases with integrated star formation rate. Kurtosis and skewness were calculated for radial annuli and for a grid of 32 pixel × 32 pixel kernels across each galaxy. For most galaxies, kurtosis correlates with skewness. For about half of the galaxies, there is a trend of increasing kurtosis with radius. The range of kurtosis and skewness values is modeled by small variations in the Mach number close to the sonic limit and by conversion of H i to molecules at high column density. The maximum H i column densities decrease with increasing radius in a way that suggests molecules are forming in the weak-field limit, where H{sub 2} formation balances photodissociation in optically thin gas at the edges of clouds.

  17. The stellar content of the isolated transition dwarf galaxy DDO210

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    McConnachie, Alan W.; Arimoto, Nobuo; Irwin, Mike; Tolstoy, Eline

    2006-01-01

    We use Subaru Suprime-Cam and VLT FORS1 photometry of the dwarf galaxy DDO210 to study the global stellar content and structural properties of a transition-type galaxy (with properties intermediate between dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal systems). This galaxy is sufficiently isolated that tidal

  18. The unique structural parameters of the underlying host galaxies in blue compact dwarfs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janowiecki, Steven; Salzer, John J.

    2014-01-01

    The nature of possible evolutionary pathways between various types of dwarf galaxies is still not fully understood. Blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) provide a unique window into dwarf galaxy formation and evolution and are often thought of as an evolutionary stage between different classes of dwarf galaxies. In this study we use deep optical and near-infrared observations of the underlying hosts of BCDs in order to study the structural differences between different types of dwarf galaxies. When compared with dwarf irregular galaxies of similar luminosities, we find that the underlying hosts of BCDs have significantly more concentrated light distributions, with smaller scale lengths and brighter central surface brightnesses. We demonstrate here that the underlying hosts of BCDs are distinct from the broad continuum of typical dwarf irregular galaxies, and that it is unlikely that most dwarf irregular galaxies can transform into a BCD or vice versa. Furthermore, we find that the starburst in a BCD only brightens it on average by ∼0.8 mag (factor of two), in agreement with other studies. It appears that a BCD is a long-lived and distinct type of dwarf galaxy that exhibits an exceptionally concentrated matter distribution. We suggest that it is this compact mass distribution that enables the strong star formation events that characterize this class of dwarf galaxy, that the compactness of the underlying host can be used as a distinguishing parameter between BCDs and other dwarf galaxies, and that it can also be used to identify BCDs which are not currently experiencing an intense starburst event.

  19. Near-IR TRGB Distance Modulus of Dwarf Irregular Galaxy IC 1613

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Y. Jung

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The JHKs magnitudes of the red giant branch tip (TRGB and the distance moduli of the nearby dwarf irregular galaxy IC 1613 have been determined from the nearinfrared luminosity functions (LFs of the resolved stars in the galaxy. Applying a Savitzky-Golay filtering, we derived the second derivatives of the LFs, and estimated the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB as mJ = 19.1, mH = 18.4, and mKs = 18:0. The mean values of the theoretical absolute magnitudes of the TRGB were measured by using the Yonsei-Yale isochrones with a metallicity range of -2.1 < [Fe/H] < -0.5 and age of 12 Gyr. The derived values of near-infrared TRGB distance moduli for IC 1613 are (m-M = 24.12±0:25, 24.20±0.44, and 24.00±0.52 for J;H, and Ks bands, respectively.

  20. HII regions in IC 1613: The ISM in a nearby dwarf irregular galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Jill S.; Mason, Stephen F.; Gullixson, Craig A.

    1990-01-01

    IC 1613, a nearby (725 kpc distant) dwarf irregular galaxy, has always been known to contain large, ring-shaped HII regions in its northeast corner. A new H alpha image has been obtained using the Bell Labs Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera, an RCA 320 X 512 pixel-thinned, back-illuminated CCD, an H alpha filter of central wavelength 6562 A and width (full width half maximum) of 30 A, and the 42 inch telescope at Lowell Observatory. The low resolution images exhibit many new, faint features.

  1. The Evolution of Dwarf-Irregular Galaxy NGC 1569: A Kinematic Study of the Stars and Gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Megan C.

    2011-12-01

    The evolution and formation of dwarf galaxies has great importance to our knowledge of cosmological history from the Big Bang through the present day structure we observe in our local universe. Dwarf galaxies are believed to be the "building blocks" of larger galaxies, which implies that interactions and mergers of these small systems must have occurred frequently in the early universe. There is a population of starburst dwarf irregular (dIm) galaxies that seem to have characteristics indicative of interactions or mergers. One of these dIm galaxies is the nearby post-starburst NGC 1569. This dissertation project explores the stellar and gas kinematics of NGC 1569 as well as examines a deep neutral Hydrogen (HI) map made using the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). From these observations, this dissertation analyzes the evolution of NGC 1569 by understanding the three-dimensional shape of this dIm system for the first time. The structure of dIm galaxies is an important fundamental, physical property necessary to understand the evolution and formation of these common systems. However, the intrinsic shape of dIm galaxies remains controversial. Projected minor-to-major axis ratios provide insufficient data to determine the shapes of dIm galaxies. Fortunately, there is another method by which accurate structures can be measured. The stellar velocity dispersion, coupled with the maximum rotational velocity derived from HI observations, gives a measure of how kinematically hot a system is, and, therefore, indicates its structure. In this dissertation, we present the stellar kinematics, including the stellar velocity dispersion, of NGC 1569 obtained using the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) Mayall 4-m+Echelle spectrograph. These data are combined with an in depth analysis of high resolution HI data and a discussion of the nature of this starburst dwarf system. The dissertation concludes with a deep HI map of NGC 1569 and three of its nearest neighbors in the

  2. Genesis of dwarf galaxies in interacting system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duc, Pierre-Alain

    1995-01-01

    This research thesis addresses the study of interacting and merging galaxies, and more particularly the associated stellar formation episodes. The author first reports an analysis of the central regions of these objects by studying a specific class among them, i.e. galaxies discovered by the IRAS satellite which are ultra-luminous in the far infrared. The author presents results obtained by optical and infrared imagery and spectroscopy of a complete sample of objects located in the southern hemisphere. In the second part, the author focusses on outside regions of interacting galaxies, discusses the observation of filaments formed under the influence of tidal forces acting during galactic collisions, and of condensations which are as luminous as dwarf galaxies. Then a multi-wavelength study of several neighbouring systems revealed the existence of a specific class of objects, the tidal dwarf galaxies, which are formed from stellar and gaseous material snatched from the disk of interacting galaxies. Gas-rich tidal dwarf galaxies contain, like dwarf irregular galaxies or blue compact galaxies, newly formed stars. But, in opposition with these ones, they are richer in heavy elements: this is one of the consequences of a specific mode of galactic formation based on a cosmic recycling [fr

  3. The stellar content of the isolated transition dwarf galaxy DDO210

    OpenAIRE

    McConnachie, Alan W.; Arimoto, Nobuo; Irwin, Mike; Tolstoy, Eline

    2006-01-01

    We use Subaru Suprime-Cam and VLT FORS1 photometry of the dwarf galaxy DDO210 to study the global stellar content and structural properties of a transition-type galaxy (with properties intermediate between dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal systems). This galaxy is sufficiently isolated that tidal interactions are not likely to have affected its evolution in any way. The colour-magnitude diagrams of DDO210 show a red giant branch (RGB) population (with an RGB bump), a bright asymptotic gian...

  4. DWARF GALAXY STARBURST STATISTICS IN THE LOCAL VOLUME

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Janice C.; Kennicutt, Robert C.; Akiyama, Sanae; Funes, S. J. Jose G.; Sakai, Shoko

    2009-01-01

    An unresolved question in galaxy evolution is whether the star formation histories (SFHs) of low-mass systems are preferentially dominated by starbursts or modes that are more quiescent and continuous. Here, we quantify the prevalence of global starbursts in dwarf galaxies at the present epoch and infer their characteristic durations and amplitudes. The analysis is based on the Hα component of the 11 Mpc Hα UV Galaxy Survey (11HUGS), which provides Hα and Galaxy Evolution Explorer UV imaging for an approximately volume-limited sample of ∼ 300 star-forming galaxies within 11 Mpc. We first examine the completeness properties of the sample, and then directly tally the number of bursting dwarfs and compute the fraction of star formation that is concentrated in such systems. To identify starbursting dwarfs, we use an integrated Hα equivalent width (EW) threshold of 100 A, which corresponds to a stellar birthrate of ∼ 2.5, and also explore the use of empirical starburst definitions based on σ thresholds of the observed logarithmic EW distributions. Our results are robust to the exact choice of the threshold, and are consistent with a picture where dwarfs that are currently experiencing massive global bursts are just the ∼ 6% tip of a low-mass galaxy iceberg. Moreover, bursts are only responsible for about a quarter of the total star formation in the overall dwarf population, so the majority of stars in low-mass systems are not formed in this mode today. Spirals and irregulars devoid of Hα emission are rare, indicating that the complete cessation of star formation generally does not occur in such galaxies and is not characteristic of the interburst state, at least for the more luminous systems with M B < -15. The starburst statistics presented here directly constrain the duty cycle and the average burst amplitude under the simplest assumptions where all dwarf irregulars share a common SFH and undergo similar burst cycles with equal probability. Uncertainties

  5. Far-infrared line images of dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poglitsch, A.; Geis, N.; Herrmann, F.; Madden, S. C.; Stacey, G. J.; Townes, C. H.; Genzel, R.

    1993-01-01

    Irregular dwarf galaxies are about ten times more widespread in the universe than regular spiral galaxies. They are characterized by a relatively low metallicity, i.e., lower abundance of the heavier elements (metals) with respect to hydrogen than in the solar neighborhood. These heavier elements in the form of molecules, atoms, or ions, which have radiative transitions in the infrared play a decisive role in the energy balance of the ISM and thereby for the formation of stars. Dwarf galaxies are thus model cases for the physical conditions in the early phase of the universe. Large Magellanic Cloud: 30 Doradus. The two nearest dwarf galaxies are the Magellanic clouds at a distance approximately 50 kpc. The LMC contains 30 Dor, a region with young, extremely massive stars which strongly interact with the surrounding ISM on account of their stellar winds and intense UV radiation. 30 Dor is the brightest object in the LMC at almost all wavelengths.

  6. AN OPTICALLY OBSCURED AGN IN A LOW MASS, IRREGULAR DWARF GALAXY: A MULTI-WAVELENGTH ANALYSIS OF J1329+3234

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Secrest, N. J.; Satyapal, S.; Gliozzi, M.; Rothberg, B.; Mowry, W. S.; Rosenberg, J. L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, MS 3F3, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Ellison, S. L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 1A1 (Canada); Fischer, J.; Schmitt, H. [Naval Research Laboratory, Remote Sensing Division, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are found ubiquitously in large, bulge-dominated galaxies throughout the local universe, yet little is known about their presence and properties in bulgeless and low-mass galaxies. This is a significant deficiency, since the mass distribution and occupation fraction of nonstellar black holes provide important observational constraints on SMBH seed formation theories and many dwarf galaxies have not undergone major mergers that would erase information on their original black hole population. Using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, we discovered hundreds of bulgeless and dwarf galaxies that display mid-infrared signatures of extremely hot dust highly suggestive of powerful accreting massive black holes, despite having no signatures of black hole activity at optical wavelengths. Here we report, in our first follow-up X-ray investigation of this population, that the irregular dwarf galaxy J132932.41+323417.0 (z = 0.0156) contains a hard, unresolved X-ray source detected by XMM-Newton with luminosity L {sub 2-10} {sub keV} = 2.4 × 10{sup 40} erg s{sup –1}, over two orders of magnitude greater than that expected from star formation, strongly suggestive of the presence of an accreting massive black hole. While enhanced X-ray emission and hot dust can be produced in extremely low metallicity environments, J132932.41+323417.0 is not extremely metal poor (≈40% solar). With a stellar mass of 2.0 × 10{sup 8} M {sub ☉}, this galaxy is similar in mass to the Small Magellanic Cloud, and is one of the lowest mass galaxies with evidence for a massive nuclear black hole currently known.

  7. Near-IR TRGB Distance to Nearby Dwarf Irregular Galaxy NGC 6822

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y.-J. Sohn

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available We report the distance modulus of nearby dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822 estimated from the so-called Tip of Red-giant Branch (TRGB method. To detect the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB we use the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs and luminosity functions (LFs in the near-infrared JHK bands. Foreground stars, main-sequence stars, and supergiant stars have been classified on the (g - K, g plane and removed on the near-infrared CMDs, from which only RGB and AGB stars are remained on the CMDs and LFs. By applying the Savitzky-Golay filter to the obtained LFs and detecting the peak in the second derivative of the observed LFs, we determined the apparent magnitudes of the TRGB. Theoretical absolute magnitudes of the TRGB are estimated from Yonsei-Yale isochrones with the age of 12Gyr and the metallicity range of -2.0 <[Fe/H]< -0.5. The derived values of distance modulus to NGC 6822 are (m - M

  8. Carbon monoxide in clouds at low metallicity in the dwarf irregular galaxy WLM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmegreen, Bruce G; Rubio, Monica; Hunter, Deidre A; Verdugo, Celia; Brinks, Elias; Schruba, Andreas

    2013-03-28

    Carbon monoxide (CO) is the primary tracer for interstellar clouds where stars form, but it has never been detected in galaxies in which the oxygen abundance relative to hydrogen is less than 20 per cent of that of the Sun, even though such 'low-metallicity' galaxies often form stars. This raises the question of whether stars can form in dense gas without molecules, cooling to the required near-zero temperatures by atomic transitions and dust radiation rather than by molecular line emission; and it highlights uncertainties about star formation in the early Universe, when the metallicity was generally low. Here we report the detection of CO in two regions of a local dwarf irregular galaxy, WLM, where the metallicity is 13 per cent of the solar value. We use new submillimetre observations and archival far-infrared observations to estimate the cloud masses, which are both slightly greater than 100,000 solar masses. The clouds have produced stars at a rate per molecule equal to 10 per cent of that in the local Orion nebula cloud. The CO fraction of the molecular gas is also low, about 3 per cent of the Milky Way value. These results suggest that in small galaxies both star-forming cores and CO molecules become increasingly rare in molecular hydrogen clouds as the metallicity decreases.

  9. NGC 5291: Implications for the Formation of Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malphrus, Benjamin K.; Simpson, Caroline E.; Gottesman, S. T.; Hawarden, Timothy G.

    1997-01-01

    The possible formation and evolution of dwarf irregular galaxies from material derived from perturbed evolved galaxies is addressed via an H I study of a likely example, the peculiar system NGC 5291. This system, located in the western outskirts of the cluster Abell 3574, contains the lenticular galaxy NGC 5291 which is in close proximity to a disturbed companion and is flanked by an extensive complex of numerous knots extending roughly 4 min north and 4 min south of the galaxy. In an initial optical and radio study, Longmore et al. (1979, MNRAS, 188, 285) showed that these knots have the spectra of vigorous star-forming regions, and suggested that some may in fact be young dwarf irregular galaxies. High resolution 21-cm line observations taken with the VLA are presented here and reveal that the H I distribution associated with this system encompasses not only the entire N-S complex of optical knots, but also forms an incomplete ring or tail that extends approximately 3 min to the west. The H I associated with NGC 5291 itself shows a high velocity range; the Seashell is not detected. The formation mechanism for this unusual system is unclear and two models - a large, low-luminosity ram-swept disk, and a ram-swept interaction-are discussed. The H I in the system contains numerous concentrations, mostly along the N-S arc of the star-forming complexes, which generally coincide with one or more optical knots; the larger H I features contain several x 10(exp 9) solar mass of gas. Each of the knots is compared to a set of criteria designed to determine if these objects are bound against their own internal kinetic energy and are tidally stable relative to the host galaxy. An analysis of the properties of the H I concentrations surrounding the optical star-forming complexes indicates that at least the largest of these is a bound system; it also possesses a stellar component. It is suggested that this object is a genuinely young dwarf irregular galaxy that has evolved from

  10. The Universal Stellar Mass-Stellar Metallicity Relation for Dwarf Galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Kirby, Evan N.; Cohen, Judith G.; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Cheng, Lucy; Bullock, James S.; Gallazzi, Anna

    2013-01-01

    We present spectroscopic metallicities of individual stars in seven gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxies (dIrrs), and we show that dIrrs obey the same massmetallicity relation as the dwarf spheroidal (dSph) satellites of both the Milky Way and M31: Z * σ M * 0.30±0. 02 . The uniformity of the relation is in contradiction to previous estimates of metallicity based on photometry. This relationship is roughly continuous with the stellar massstellar metallicity relation for galaxies as massive asM*...

  11. Nebular metallicities in two isolated local void dwarf galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicholls, David C.; Jerjen, Helmut; Dopita, Michael A. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Cotter Rd., Weston ACT 2611 (Australia); Basurah, Hassan, E-mail: David.Nicholls@anu.edu.au [Astronomy Department, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

    2014-01-01

    Isolated dwarf galaxies, especially those situated in voids, may provide insight into primordial conditions in the universe and the physical processes that govern star formation in undisturbed stellar systems. The metallicity of H II regions in such galaxies is key to investigating this possibility. From the SIGRID sample of isolated dwarf galaxies, we have identified two exceptionally isolated objects, the Local Void galaxy [KK98]246 (ESO 461-G036) and another somewhat larger dwarf irregular on the edge of the Local Void, MCG-01-41-006 (HIPASS J1609-04). We report our measurements of the nebular metallicities in these objects. The first object has a single low luminosity H II region, while the second is in a more vigorous star forming phase with several bright H II regions. We find that the metallicities in both galaxies are typical for galaxies of this size, and do not indicate the presence of any primordial gas, despite (for [KK98]246) the known surrounding large reservoir of neutral hydrogen.

  12. Nebular Metallicities in Two Isolated Local Void Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholls, David C.; Jerjen, Helmut; Dopita, Michael A.; Basurah, Hassan

    2014-01-01

    Isolated dwarf galaxies, especially those situated in voids, may provide insight into primordial conditions in the universe and the physical processes that govern star formation in undisturbed stellar systems. The metallicity of H II regions in such galaxies is key to investigating this possibility. From the SIGRID sample of isolated dwarf galaxies, we have identified two exceptionally isolated objects, the Local Void galaxy [KK98]246 (ESO 461-G036) and another somewhat larger dwarf irregular on the edge of the Local Void, MCG-01-41-006 (HIPASS J1609-04). We report our measurements of the nebular metallicities in these objects. The first object has a single low luminosity H II region, while the second is in a more vigorous star forming phase with several bright H II regions. We find that the metallicities in both galaxies are typical for galaxies of this size, and do not indicate the presence of any primordial gas, despite (for [KK98]246) the known surrounding large reservoir of neutral hydrogen.

  13. Angular momentum of dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurapati, Sushma; Chengalur, Jayaram N.; Pustilnik, Simon; Kamphuis, Peter

    2018-05-01

    Mass and specific angular momentum are two fundamental physical parameters of galaxies. We present measurements of the baryonic mass and specific angular momentum of 11 void dwarf galaxies derived from neutral hydrogen (HI) synthesis data. Rotation curves were measured using 3D and 2D tilted ring fitting routines, and the derived curves generally overlap within the error bars, except in the central regions where, as expected, the 3D routines give steeper curves. The specific angular momentum of void dwarfs is found to be high compared to an extrapolation of the trends seen for higher mass bulge-less spirals, but comparable to that of other dwarf irregular galaxies that lie outside of voids. As such, our data show no evidence for a dependence of the specific angular momentum on the large scale environment. Combining our data with the data from the literature, we find a baryonic threshold of ˜109.1 M⊙ for this increase in specific angular momentum. Interestingly, this threshold is very similar to the mass threshold below which the galaxy discs start to become systematically thicker. This provides qualitative support to the suggestion that the thickening of the discs, as well as the increase in specific angular momentum, are both results of a common physical mechanism, such as feedback from star formation. Quantitatively, however, the amount of star formation observed in our dwarfs appears insufficient to produce the observed increase in specific angular momentum. It is hence likely that other processes, such as cold accretion of high angular momentum gas, also play a role in increasing the specific angular momentum.

  14. Prospects of the "WSO-UV" Project for Star Formation Study in Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarova, L. N.; Makarov, D. I.

    2017-12-01

    In the present work we consider the questions of star formation and evolution of nearby dwarf galaxies. We describe the method of star formation history determination based on multicolor photometry of resolved stars and models of color-magnitude diagrams of the galaxies. We present the results of star formation rate determination and its dependence on age and metallicity for dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the two nearby galaxy groups M81 and Cen A. Similar age of the last episode of star formation in the central part of the M81 group and also unusually high level of metal enrichment in the several galaxies of the Cen A group are mentioned. We pay special attention to the consideration of perspectives of star formation study in nearby dwarf galaxies with he new WSO-UV observatory.

  15. CHEMICAL ABUNDANCES OF SEVEN IRREGULAR AND THREE TIDAL DWARF GALAXIES IN THE M81 GROUP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Croxall, Kevin V.; Van Zee, Liese; Lee, Henry; Miller, Bryan W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Lee, Janice C.; Cote, Stephanie; Kennicutt, Robert C.

    2009-01-01

    We have derived nebular abundances for 10 dwarf galaxies belonging to the M81 Group, including several galaxies which do not have abundances previously reported in the literature. For each galaxy, multiple H II regions were observed with GMOS-N at the Gemini Observatory in order to determine abundances of several elements (oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, neon, and argon). For seven galaxies, at least one H II region had a detection of the temperature sensitive [O III] λ4363 line, allowing a 'direct' determination of the oxygen abundance. No abundance gradients were detected in the targeted galaxies, and the observed oxygen abundances are typically in agreement with the well-known metallicity-luminosity relation. However, three candidate 'tidal dwarf' galaxies lie well off this relation: UGC 5336, Garland, and KDG 61. The nature of these systems suggests that UGC 5336 and Garland are indeed recently formed systems, whereas KDG 61 is most likely a dwarf spheroidal galaxy which lies along the same line of sight as the M81 tidal debris field. We propose that these H II regions formed from previously enriched gas which was stripped from nearby massive galaxies (e.g., NGC 3077 and M81) during a recent tidal interaction.

  16. Structure and stellar content of dwarf elliptical galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caldwell, N.

    1983-01-01

    A small number of low-luminosity elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster and around other prominent galaxies have been studied using photoelectric and photographic techniques. The color-magnitude relation for ellipticals now extends from M/sub v/ = -23 to -15, and is linear over that range with a slope of 0.10 in U-V per visual magnitude. Galaxies which are known to contain a large number of young stars (''extreme cases'') are from 0.10 to 0.20 mag bluer in U-V than the lower envelope of the dwarf elliptical color-magnitude relation. This difference can be accounted for if the dwarf elliptical galaxies are young, but do not contain the massive blue stars that probably exist in the young populations of the extreme cases. Surface brightness profiles of the dwarfs have revealed some interesting distinctions between themselves and the brighter E's. In general, their intensity profiles are shallower than those of the bright E's, meaning they are of lower mean density. These mean densities are also a function of the total luminosity. Unlike the bright E's, the surface brightnesses near the centers are also a strong function of the total luminosity. The presence of a nucleation, which can be as much as 2 mag brighter than what the outer envelope would predict, does not appear to depend on any other measurable property of the galaxies. The variation in surface brightness profiles at the same total luminosity is suggestive that the low-luminosity dwarfs formed in more than one way. The flattening distribution of the dwarfs is like that of the bright ellipticals, and is also similar to the flattening distribution of field irregular galaxies

  17. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies: Keystones of galaxy evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, John S., III; Wyse, Rosemary F. G.

    1994-01-01

    Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are the most insignificant extragalactic stellar systems in terms of their visibility, but potentially very significant in terms of their role in the formation and evolution of much more luminous galaxies. We discuss the present observational data and their implications for theories of the formation and evolution of both dwarf and giant galaxies. The putative dark-matter content of these low-surface-brightness systems is of particular interest, as is their chemical evolution. Surveys for new dwarf spheroidals hidden behind the stars of our Galaxy and those which are not bound to giant galaxies may give new clues as to the origins of this unique class of galaxy.

  18. METALLICITY DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS OF FOUR LOCAL GROUP DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ross, Teresa L.; Holtzman, Jon [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, P.O. Box 30001, MSC 4500, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001 (United States); Saha, Abhijit [NOAO, 950 Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85726-6732 (United States); Anthony-Twarog, Barbara J., E-mail: rosst@nmsu.edu, E-mail: holtz@nmsu.edu, E-mail: bjat@ku.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045-7582 (United States)

    2015-06-15

    We present stellar metallicities in Leo I, Leo II, IC 1613, and Phoenix dwarf galaxies derived from medium (F390M) and broad (F555W, F814W) band photometry using the Wide Field Camera 3 instrument on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We measured metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) in two ways, (1) matching stars to isochrones in color–color diagrams and (2) solving for the best linear combination of synthetic populations to match the observed color–color diagram. The synthetic technique reduces the effect of photometric scatter and produces MDFs 30%–50% narrower than the MDFs produced from individually matched stars. We fit the synthetic and individual MDFs to analytical chemical evolution models (CEMs) to quantify the enrichment and the effect of gas flows within the galaxies. Additionally, we measure stellar metallicity gradients in Leo I and II. For IC 1613 and Phoenix our data do not have the radial extent to confirm a metallicity gradient for either galaxy. We find the MDF of Leo I (dwarf spheroidal) to be very peaked with a steep metal-rich cutoff and an extended metal-poor tail, while Leo II (dwarf spheroidal), Phoenix (dwarf transition), and IC 1613 (dwarf irregular) have wider, less peaked MDFs than Leo I. A simple CEM is not the best fit for any of our galaxies; therefore we also fit the “Best Accretion Model” of Lynden-Bell. For Leo II, IC 1613, and Phoenix we find similar accretion parameters for the CEM even though they all have different effective yields, masses, star formation histories, and morphologies. We suggest that the dynamical history of a galaxy is reflected in the MDF, where broad MDFs are seen in galaxies that have chemically evolved in relative isolation and narrowly peaked MDFs are seen in galaxies that have experienced more complicated dynamical interactions concurrent with their chemical evolution.

  19. The Metallicity of Void Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreckel, K.; Croxall, K.; Groves, B.; van de Weygaert, R.; Pogge, R. W.

    2015-01-01

    The current ΛCDM cosmological model predicts that galaxy evolution proceeds more slowly in lower density environments, suggesting that voids are a prime location to search for relatively pristine galaxies that are representative of the building blocks of early massive galaxies. To test the assumption that void galaxies are more pristine, we compare the evolutionary properties of a sample of dwarf galaxies selected specifically to lie in voids with a sample of similar isolated dwarf galaxies in average density environments. We measure gas-phase oxygen abundances and gas fractions for eight dwarf galaxies (Mr > -16.2), carefully selected to reside within the lowest density environments of seven voids, and apply the same calibrations to existing samples of isolated dwarf galaxies. We find no significant difference between these void dwarf galaxies and the isolated dwarf galaxies, suggesting that dwarf galaxy chemical evolution proceeds independent of the large-scale environment. While this sample is too small to draw strong conclusions, it suggests that external gas accretion is playing a limited role in the chemical evolution of these systems, and that this evolution is instead dominated mainly by the internal secular processes that are linking the simultaneous growth and enrichment of these galaxies.

  20. Satellite dwarf galaxies in a hierarchical universe: the prevalence of dwarf-dwarf major mergers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deason, Alis; Wetzel, Andrew; Garrison-Kimmel, Shea

    2014-01-01

    Mergers are a common phenomenon in hierarchical structure formation, especially for massive galaxies and clusters, but their importance for dwarf galaxies in the Local Group remains poorly understood. We investigate the frequency of major mergers between dwarf galaxies in the Local Group using the ELVIS suite of cosmological zoom-in dissipationless simulations of Milky Way- and M31-like host halos. We find that ∼10% of satellite dwarf galaxies with M star > 10 6 M ☉ that are within the host virial radius experienced a major merger of stellar mass ratio closer than 0.1 since z = 1, with a lower fraction for lower mass dwarf galaxies. Recent merger remnants are biased toward larger radial distance and more recent virial infall times, because most recent mergers occurred shortly before crossing within the virial radius of the host halo. Satellite-satellite mergers also occur within the host halo after virial infall, catalyzed by the large fraction of dwarf galaxies that fell in as part of a group. The merger fraction doubles for dwarf galaxies outside of the host virial radius, so the most distant dwarf galaxies in the Local Group are the most likely to have experienced a recent major merger. We discuss the implications of these results on observable dwarf merger remnants, their star formation histories, the gas content of mergers, and massive black holes in dwarf galaxies.

  1. A spatially resolved radio spectral index study of the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1569

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westcott, Jonathan; Brinks, Elias; Hindson, Luke; Beswick, Robert; Heesen, Volker

    2018-04-01

    We study the resolved radio continuum spectral energy distribution of the dwarf irregular galaxy, NGC 1569, on a beam-by-beam basis to isolate and study its spatially resolved radio emission characteristics. Utilizing high-quality NRAO Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations that densely sample the 1-34 GHz frequency range, we adopt a Bayesian fitting procedure, where we use H α emission that has not been corrected for extinction as a prior, to produce maps of how the separated thermal emission, non-thermal emission, and non-thermal spectral index vary across NGC 1569's main disc. We find a higher thermal fraction at 1 GHz than is found in spiral galaxies (26^{+2}_{-3} {per cent}) and find an average non-thermal spectral index α = -0.53 ± 0.02, suggesting that a young population of cosmic ray electrons is responsible for the observed non-thermal emission. By comparing our recovered map of the thermal radio emission with literature H α maps, we estimate the total reddening along the line of sight to NGC 1569 to be E(B - V) = 0.49 ± 0.05, which is in good agreement with other literature measurements. Spatial variations in the reddening indicate that a significant portion of the total reddening is due to internal extinction within NGC 1569.

  2. Satellite dwarf galaxies in a hierarchical universe: the prevalence of dwarf-dwarf major mergers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deason, Alis [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA (United States); Wetzel, Andrew [TAPIR, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Garrison-Kimmel, Shea, E-mail: alis@ucolick.org [Center for Cosmology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA (United States)

    2014-10-20

    Mergers are a common phenomenon in hierarchical structure formation, especially for massive galaxies and clusters, but their importance for dwarf galaxies in the Local Group remains poorly understood. We investigate the frequency of major mergers between dwarf galaxies in the Local Group using the ELVIS suite of cosmological zoom-in dissipationless simulations of Milky Way- and M31-like host halos. We find that ∼10% of satellite dwarf galaxies with M {sub star} > 10{sup 6} M {sub ☉} that are within the host virial radius experienced a major merger of stellar mass ratio closer than 0.1 since z = 1, with a lower fraction for lower mass dwarf galaxies. Recent merger remnants are biased toward larger radial distance and more recent virial infall times, because most recent mergers occurred shortly before crossing within the virial radius of the host halo. Satellite-satellite mergers also occur within the host halo after virial infall, catalyzed by the large fraction of dwarf galaxies that fell in as part of a group. The merger fraction doubles for dwarf galaxies outside of the host virial radius, so the most distant dwarf galaxies in the Local Group are the most likely to have experienced a recent major merger. We discuss the implications of these results on observable dwarf merger remnants, their star formation histories, the gas content of mergers, and massive black holes in dwarf galaxies.

  3. Bars in dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy discs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marasco, A.; Oman, K. A.; Navarro, J. F.; Frenk, C. S.; Oosterloo, T.

    2018-05-01

    We study the shape and kinematics of simulated dwarf galaxy discs in the APOSTLE suite of Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We find that a large fraction of these gas-rich, star-forming discs show weak bars in their stellar component, despite being dark-matter-dominated systems. The bar pattern shape and orientation reflect the ellipticity of the dark matter potential, and its rotation is locked to the slow figure rotation of the triaxial dark halo. The bar-like nature of the potential induces non-circular motions in the gas component, including strong bisymmetric flows that can be readily seen as m = 3 harmonic perturbations in the H I line-of-sight velocity fields. Similar bisymmetric flows are seen in many galaxies of The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) and Local Irregulars That Trace Luminosity Extremes THINGS (LITTLE THINGS), although on average their amplitudes are a factor of ˜2 weaker than in our simulated discs. Our results indicate that bar-like patterns may arise even when baryons are not dominant, and that they are common enough to warrant careful consideration when analysing the gas kinematics of dwarf galaxy discs.

  4. Star Formation Histories of Dwarf Galaxies from the Colour-Magnitude Diagrams of Their Resolved Stellar Populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele Cignoni

    2010-01-01

    build synthetic CMDs and to exploit them to derive the SF histories (SFHs are described, as well as the corresponding uncertainties. The SFHs of resolved dwarf galaxies of all morphological types, obtained from the application of the synthetic CMD method, are reviewed and discussed. To summarize: (1 only early-type galaxies show evidence of long interruptions in the SF activity; late-type dwarfs present rather continuous, or gasping, SF regimes; (2 a few early-type dwarfs have experienced only one episode of SF activity concentrated at the earliest epochs, whilst many others show extended or recurrent SF activity; (3 no galaxy experiencing now its first SF episode has been found yet; (4 no frequent evidence of strong SF bursts is found; (5 there is no significant difference in the SFH of dwarf irregulars and blue compact dwarfs, except for the current SF rates. Implications of these results on the galaxy formation scenarios are briefly discussed.

  5. POX 186: A Dwarf Galaxy Under Construction?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbin, M. R.; Vacca, W. D.

    2000-12-01

    We have obtained deep images of the ultracompact ( ~ 3'') blue compact dwarf galaxy POX 186 in the F336W, F555W, and F814W filters of the Planetary Camera of the Hubble Space Telescope. We have additionally obtained a low-resolution near ultraviolet spectrum of the object with STIS and combine this with a ground-based spectrum covering the visible continuum and emission lines. Our images confirm this object to be highly compact, with a maximum projected size of only ~ 240 pc, making it one of the smallest galaxies known. We also confirm that the outer regions of the galaxy consist of an evolved stellar population, ruling out earlier speculations that POX 186 is a protogalaxy. However, the PC images reveal the galaxy to have a highly irregular morphology, with a pronounced tidal arm on its western side. This morphology is strongly suggestive of a recent collision between two smaller components which has in turn triggered the central starburst. The F336W image also shows that the material in this tidal stream is actively star forming. Given the very small ( ~ 100 pc) sizes of the colliding components, POX 186 may be a dwarf galaxy in the early stages of formation, which would be consistent with current ``downsizing'' models of galaxy formation in which the least massive objects are the last to form. This work is supported by NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

  6. The Hunt for Missing Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2015-11-01

    Theories of galaxy formation and evolution predict that there should be significantly more dwarf galaxies than have been observed. Are our theories wrong? Or are dwarf galaxies just difficult to detect? Recent results from a survey of a galaxy cluster 62 million light-years away suggest there may be lots of undiscovered dwarf galaxies hiding throughout the universe!Hiding in FaintnessThe missing dwarf problem has had hints of a resolution with the recent discovery of Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies (UDGs) in the Coma and Virgo galaxy clusters. UDGs have low masses and large radii, resulting in a very low surface brightness that makes them extremely difficult to detect. If many dwarfs are UDGs, this could well explain why weve been missing them!But the Coma and Virgo galaxy clusters are similar in that theyre both very massive. Are there UDGs in other galaxy clusters as well? To answer this question, an international team of scientists is running the Next Generation Fornax Survey (NGFS), a survey searching for faint dwarf galaxies in the central 30 square degrees of the Fornax galaxy cluster.The NGFS uses near-UV and optical observations from the Dark Energy Camera mounted on the 4m Blanco Telescope in Chile. The survey is still underway, but in a recent publication led by Roberto P. Muoz (Institute of Astrophysics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile), the team has released an overview of the first results from only the central 3 square degrees of the NGFS field.Surprising DetectionGalaxy radii vs. their absolute i-band magnitudes, for the dwarfs found in NGFS as well as other stellar systems in the nearby universe. The NGFS dwarfs are similar to the ultra-diffuse dwarfs found in the Virgo and Coma clusters, but are several orders of magnitude fainter. [Muoz et al. 2015]In just this small central field, the team has found an astounding 284 low-surface-brightness dwarf galaxy candidates 158 of them previously undetected. At the bright end of this sample are dwarf

  7. Star Formation Histories of Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Grebel, Eva K.

    2000-01-01

    Properties of nearby dwarf galaxies are briefly discussed. Dwarf galaxies vary widely in their star formation histories, the ages of their subpopulations, and in their enrichment history. Furthermore, many dwarf galaxies show evidence for spatial variations in their star formation history; often in the form of very extended old populations and radial gradients in age and metallicity. Determining factors in dwarf galaxy evolution appear to be both galaxy mass and environment. We may be observi...

  8. Surprise: Dwarf Galaxy Harbors Supermassive Black Hole

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    The surprising discovery of a supermassive black hole in a small nearby galaxy has given astronomers a tantalizing look at how black holes and galaxies may have grown in the early history of the Universe. Finding a black hole a million times more massive than the Sun in a star-forming dwarf galaxy is a strong indication that supermassive black holes formed before the buildup of galaxies, the astronomers said. The galaxy, called Henize 2-10, 30 million light-years from Earth, has been studied for years, and is forming stars very rapidly. Irregularly shaped and about 3,000 light-years across (compared to 100,000 for our own Milky Way), it resembles what scientists think were some of the first galaxies to form in the early Universe. "This galaxy gives us important clues about a very early phase of galaxy evolution that has not been observed before," said Amy Reines, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Supermassive black holes lie at the cores of all "full-sized" galaxies. In the nearby Universe, there is a direct relationship -- a constant ratio -- between the masses of the black holes and that of the central "bulges" of the galaxies, leading them to conclude that the black holes and bulges affected each others' growth. Two years ago, an international team of astronomers found that black holes in young galaxies in the early Universe were more massive than this ratio would indicate. This, they said, was strong evidence that black holes developed before their surrounding galaxies. "Now, we have found a dwarf galaxy with no bulge at all, yet it has a supermassive black hole. This greatly strengthens the case for the black holes developing first, before the galaxy's bulge is formed," Reines said. Reines, along with Gregory Sivakoff and Kelsey Johnson of the University of Virginia and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and Crystal Brogan of the NRAO, observed Henize 2-10 with the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array radio telescope and

  9. Morphology and Structures of Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Mira; Ann, HongBae

    2015-08-01

    We performed an analysis of the structure of nearby dwarf galaxies based on a 2-dimensional decomposition of galaxy images using GALFIT. The present sample consists of ~1,100 dwarf galaxies with redshift less than z = 0.01, which is is derived from the morphology catalog of the Visually classified galaxies in the local universe (Ann, Seo, and Ha 2015). In this catalog, dwarf galaxies are divided into 5 subtypes: dS0, dE, dSph, dEbc, dEblue with distinction of the presence of nucleation in dE, dSph, and dS0. We found that dSph and dEblue galaxies are fainter than other subtypes of dwarf galaxies. In most cases, single component, represented by the Sersic profile with n=1~1.5, well describes the luminosity distribution of dwarf galaxies in the present sample. However, a significant fraction of dS0, dEbc, and dEbue galaxies show sub-structures such as spiral arms and rings. We will discuss the morphology dependent evolutionary history of the local dwarf galaxies.

  10. Observations of Superwinds in Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marlowe, A. T.; Heckman, T. M.; Wyse, R.; Schommer, R.

    1993-12-01

    Dwarf galaxies are important in developing our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies, and of the structure in the universe. The concept of supernova-driven mass outflows is a vital ingredient in theories of the structure and evolution of dwarfs galaxies. We have begun a detailed multi-waveband search for outflows in starbursting dwarf galaxies, and have obtained Fabry-Perot images and Echelle spectra of 20 nearby actively-star-forming dwarf galaxies. In about half the sample, the Fabry-Perot Hα images show loops and filaments with sizes of one to a few kpc. The Echelle spectra taken through the loops and filaments show kinematics consistent with expanding bubble-like structures. We describe these data, and present seven dwarfs in our sample that have the strongest evidence of outflows.

  11. Starbursts in Blue compact dwarf galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thuan, T.X.

    1987-01-01

    We summarize all the arguments for a bursting mode of star formation in blue compact dwarf galaxies. We show in particular how spectral synthesis of far ultraviolet spectra of Blue compact dwarf galaxy constitutes a powerful way for studying the star formation history in these galaxies. Blue compact dwarf galaxy luminosity functions show jumps and discontinuities. These jumps act like fossil records of the star-forming bursts, helping us to count and date the bursts

  12. A violent interaction between the dwarf galaxy UGC 7636 and the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4472

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcnamara, Brian R.; Sancisi, Renzo; Henning, Patricia A.; Junor, William

    1994-01-01

    We present new U, B, R, and H I imagery of the Virgo Cluster giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 and its interacting dwarf companion galaxy UGC 7636. Using a composite image reconstruction technique, we show that a trail of debris approx. 5 arcmin in length and approx. 1 arcmin in width (30x6 kpc for a Virgo cluster distance of 20 Mpc) is projected northward from the dwarf galaxy. A cloud of H I is projected along the northwest edge of the debris between the dwarf and gE. The dwarf's nuclear morphology is irregular and bow-shaped on what appears to be its leading edge. Apart from a number of isolated blue regions, most of of the trailing debris is similar in color to the dwarf's nucleus. Only a modest enhancement of star formation appears to have been induced by the interaction. Although separated by 15 kpc, the H I and stellar morphologies are remarkably similar. The stars and H I appear to have been tidally distorted in situ, prior to the cloud's removal by ram pressure. If the H I has maintained its shape by magnetic support, a magnetic field strength an order of magnitude larger than the galaxy's is required. Ram pressure deceleration due to the cloud's motion through NGC 4472's x-ray-emitting interstellar medium shold be sufficient for the cloud to become gravitationally bound to NGC 4472. The H I cloud is not self-gravitating and may fragment and be destroyed in the interaction. UGC 7636 will probably be disrupted by NGC 4472's strong tidal forces; the stellar debris will disperse into the Virgo cluster or become bound to NGC 4472's halo on eccentric orbits. The debris captured in the collision will have a negligible impact on NGC 4472's stellar and gaseous content. On the other hand, if similar interactions are common in giant elliptical galaxies, they could alter or deplete surrounding dwarf galaxy populations, fuel bursts of nuclear activity, and perhaps provide a source of magnetic energy to their interstellar media.

  13. Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibata, R.; Murdin, P.

    2000-11-01

    The Sagittarius DWARF GALAXY is the closest member of the Milky Way's entourage of satellite galaxies. Discovered by chance in 1994, its presence had previously been overlooked because it is largely hidden by the most crowded regions of our own Galaxy with which it is merging....

  14. SATELLITE DWARF GALAXIES IN A HIERARCHICAL UNIVERSE: THE PREVALENCE OF DWARF-DWARF MAJOR MERGERS

    OpenAIRE

    Deason, A; Wetzel, A; Garrison-Kimmel, S

    2014-01-01

    Mergers are a common phenomenon in hierarchical structure formation, especially for massive galaxies and clusters, but their importance for dwarf galaxies in the Local Group remains poorly understood. We investigate the frequency of major mergers between dwarf galaxies in the Local Group using the ELVIS suite of cosmological zoom-in dissipationless simulations of Milky Way- and M31-like host halos. We find that ~10% of satellite dwarf galaxies with M_star > 10^6 M_sun that are within the host...

  15. THE ACS LCID PROJECT: ON THE ORIGIN OF DWARF GALAXY TYPES—A MANIFESTATION OF THE HALO ASSEMBLY BIAS?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallart, Carme; Monelli, Matteo; Aparicio, Antonio; Battaglia, Giuseppina; Drozdovsky, Igor; Hidalgo, Sebastian L.; Mayer, Lucio; Bernard, Edouard J.; Cassisi, Santi; Cole, Andrew A.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Navarro, Julio F.; Salvadori, Stefania; Skillman, Evan D.; Stetson, Peter B.; Weisz, Daniel R.

    2015-01-01

    We discuss how knowledge of the whole evolutionary history of dwarf galaxies, including details on the early star formation events, can provide insight on the origin of the different dwarf galaxy types. We suggest that these types may be imprinted by the early conditions of formation rather than only being the result of a recent morphological transformation driven by environmental effects. We present precise star formation histories of a sample of Local Group dwarf galaxies, derived from color–magnitude diagrams reaching the oldest main-sequence turnoffs. We argue that these galaxies can be assigned to two basic types: fast dwarfs that started their evolution with a dominant and short star formation event and slow dwarfs that formed a small fraction of their stars early and have continued forming stars until the present time (or almost). These two different evolutionary paths do not map directly onto the present-day morphology (dwarf spheroidal versus dwarf irregular). Slow and fast dwarfs also differ in their inferred past location relative to the Milky Way and/or M31, which hints that slow dwarfs were generally assembled in lower-density environments than fast dwarfs. We propose that the distinction between a fast and slow dwarf galaxy primarily reflects the characteristic density of the environment where they form. At a later stage, interaction with a large host galaxy may play a role in the final gas removal and ultimate termination of star formation

  16. THE ACS LCID PROJECT: ON THE ORIGIN OF DWARF GALAXY TYPES—A MANIFESTATION OF THE HALO ASSEMBLY BIAS?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gallart, Carme; Monelli, Matteo; Aparicio, Antonio; Battaglia, Giuseppina; Drozdovsky, Igor; Hidalgo, Sebastian L. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Mayer, Lucio [Institut für Theoretische Physik, University of Zurich, Zürich (Switzerland); Bernard, Edouard J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Cassisi, Santi [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Collurania, Teramo (Italy); Cole, Andrew A. [School of Physical Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 37, Hobart, TAS 7005 (Australia); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85706 (United States); Navarro, Julio F. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6 (Canada); Salvadori, Stefania [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, Landleven 12, NL-9747 AD Groningen (Netherlands); Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States); Stetson, Peter B. [Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics, National Research Council Canada, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada); Weisz, Daniel R., E-mail: monelli@iac.es [Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA (United States)

    2015-10-01

    We discuss how knowledge of the whole evolutionary history of dwarf galaxies, including details on the early star formation events, can provide insight on the origin of the different dwarf galaxy types. We suggest that these types may be imprinted by the early conditions of formation rather than only being the result of a recent morphological transformation driven by environmental effects. We present precise star formation histories of a sample of Local Group dwarf galaxies, derived from color–magnitude diagrams reaching the oldest main-sequence turnoffs. We argue that these galaxies can be assigned to two basic types: fast dwarfs that started their evolution with a dominant and short star formation event and slow dwarfs that formed a small fraction of their stars early and have continued forming stars until the present time (or almost). These two different evolutionary paths do not map directly onto the present-day morphology (dwarf spheroidal versus dwarf irregular). Slow and fast dwarfs also differ in their inferred past location relative to the Milky Way and/or M31, which hints that slow dwarfs were generally assembled in lower-density environments than fast dwarfs. We propose that the distinction between a fast and slow dwarf galaxy primarily reflects the characteristic density of the environment where they form. At a later stage, interaction with a large host galaxy may play a role in the final gas removal and ultimate termination of star formation.

  17. Star Formation Histories of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies. (Ludwig Biermann Award Lecture 1996)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grebel, E. K.

    The star formation histories of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group are reviewed. First the question of Local Group membership is considered based on various criteria. The properties of 31 (36) galaxies are consistent with likely (potential) Local Group membership. To study the star formation histories of these galaxies, a multi-parameter problem needs to be solved: Ages, metallicities, population fractions, and spatial variations must be determined, which depend crucially on the knowledge of reddening and distance. The basic methods for studying resolvable stellar populations are summarized. One method is demonstrated using the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. A comprehensive compilation of the star formation histories of dwarf irregulars, dwarf ellipticals, and dwarf spheroidals in the Local Group is presented and visualized through Hodge's population boxes. All galaxies appear to have differing fractions of old and intermediate-age populations, and those sufficiently massive and undisturbed to retain and recycle their gas are still forming stars today. Star formation has occurred either in distinct episodes or continuously over long periods of time. Metallicities and enrichment vary widely. Constraints on merger and remnant scenarios are discussed, and a unified picture based on the current knowledge is presented. Primary goals for future observations are: accurate age determinations based on turnoff photometry, detection of subpopulations distinct in age, metallicity, and/or spatial distribution; improved distances; and astrometric studies to derive orbits and constrain past and future interactions.

  18. SURFACE BRIGHTNESS PROFILES OF DWARF GALAXIES. I. PROFILES AND STATISTICS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrmann, Kimberly A.; Hunter, Deidre A.; Elmegreen, Bruce G.

    2013-01-01

    Radial surface brightness profiles of spiral galaxies are classified into three types: (I) single exponential, or the light falls off with one exponential to a break before falling off (II) more steeply, or (III) less steeply. Profile breaks are also found in dwarf disks, but some dwarf Type IIs are flat or increasing out to a break before falling off. Here we re-examine the stellar disk profiles of 141 dwarfs: 96 dwarf irregulars (dIms), 26 Blue Compact Dwarfs (BCDs), and 19 Magellanic-type spirals (Sms). We fit single, double, or even triple exponential profiles in up to 11 passbands: GALEX FUV and NUV, ground-based UBVJHK and Hα, and Spitzer 3.6 and 4.5 μm. We find that more luminous galaxies have brighter centers, larger inner and outer scale lengths, and breaks at larger radii; dwarf trends with M B extend to spirals. However, the V-band break surface brightness is independent of break type, M B , and Hubble type. Dwarf Type II and III profiles fall off similarly beyond the breaks but have different interiors and IIs break ∼twice as far as IIIs. Outer Type II and III scale lengths may have weak trends with wavelength, but pure Type II inner scale lengths clearly decrease from the FUV to visible bands whereas Type III inner scale lengths increase with redder bands. This suggests the influence of different star formation histories on profile type, but nonetheless the break location is approximately the same in all passbands. Dwarfs continue trends between profile and Hubble types such that later-type galaxies have more Type II but fewer Type I and III profiles than early-type spirals. BCDs and Sms are over-represented as Types III and II, respectively, compared to dIms

  19. Sweating the small stuff: simulating dwarf galaxies, ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, and their own tiny satellites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheeler, Coral; Oñorbe, Jose; Bullock, James S.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Elbert, Oliver D.; Garrison-Kimmel, Shea; Hopkins, Philip F.; Kereš, Dušan

    2015-10-01

    We present Feedback in Realistic Environment (FIRE)/GIZMO hydrodynamic zoom-in simulations of isolated dark matter haloes, two each at the mass of classical dwarf galaxies (Mvir ≃ 1010 M⊙) and ultra-faint galaxies (Mvir ≃ 109 M⊙), and with two feedback implementations. The resulting central galaxies lie on an extrapolated abundance matching relation from M⋆ ≃ 106 to 104 M⊙ without a break. Every host is filled with subhaloes, many of which form stars. Each of our dwarfs with M⋆ ≃ 106 M⊙ has 1-2 well-resolved satellites with M⋆ = 3-200 × 103 M⊙. Even our isolated ultra-faint galaxies have star-forming subhaloes. If this is representative, dwarf galaxies throughout the Universe should commonly host tiny satellite galaxies of their own. We combine our results with the Exploring the Local Volume in Simulations (ELVIS) simulations to show that targeting ˜ 50 kpc regions around nearby isolated dwarfs could increase the chances of discovering ultra-faint galaxies by ˜35 per cent compared to random pointings, and specifically identify the region around the Phoenix dwarf galaxy as a good potential target. The well-resolved ultra-faint galaxies in our simulations (M⋆ ≃ 3-30 × 103 M⊙) form within Mpeak ≃ 0.5-3 × 109 M⊙ haloes. Each has a uniformly ancient stellar population ( > 10 Gyr) owing to reionization-related quenching. More massive systems, in contrast, all have late-time star formation. Our results suggest that Mhalo ≃ 5 × 109 M⊙ is a probable dividing line between haloes hosting reionization `fossils' and those hosting dwarfs that can continue to form stars in isolation after reionization.

  20. LOW CO LUMINOSITIES IN DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schruba, Andreas; Walter, Fabian; Sandstrom, Karin; Leroy, Adam K.; Bigiel, Frank; Brinks, Elias; De Blok, W. J. G.; Kramer, Carsten; Rosolowsky, Erik; Schuster, Karl; Usero, Antonio; Weiss, Axel; Wiesemeyer, Helmut

    2012-01-01

    We present maps of 12 COJ = 2-1 emission covering the entire star-forming disks of 16 nearby dwarf galaxies observed by the IRAM HERACLES survey. The data have 13'' angular resolution, ∼250 pc at our average distance of D = 4 Mpc, and sample the galaxies by 10-1000 resolution elements. We apply stacking techniques to perform the first sensitive search for CO emission in dwarf galaxies outside the Local Group ranging from individual lines of sight, stacking over IR-bright regions of embedded star formation, and stacking over the entire galaxy. We detect five galaxies in CO with total CO luminosities of L CO2-1 = (3-28) × 10 6 K km s –1 pc 2 . The other 11 galaxies remain undetected in CO even in the stacked images and have L CO2-1 ∼ 6 K km s –1 pc 2 . We combine our sample of dwarf galaxies with a large sample of spiral galaxies from the literature to study scaling relations of L CO with M B and metallicity. We find that dwarf galaxies with metallicities of Z ≈ 1/2-1/10 Z ☉ have L CO of 2-4 orders of magnitude smaller than massive spiral galaxies and that their L CO per unit L B is 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller. A comparison with tracers of star formation (FUV and 24 μm) shows that L CO per unit star formation rate (SFR) is 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller in dwarf galaxies. One possible interpretation is that dwarf galaxies form stars much more efficiently: we argue that the low L CO /SFR ratio is due to the fact that the CO-to-H 2 conversion factor, α CO , changes significantly in low-metallicity environments. Assuming that a constant H 2 depletion time of τ dep = 1.8 Gyr holds in dwarf galaxies (as found for a large sample of nearby spirals) implies α CO values for dwarf galaxies with Z ≈ 1/2-1/10 Z ☉ that are more than one order of magnitude higher than those found in solar metallicity spiral galaxies. Such a significant increase of α CO at low metallicity is consistent with previous studies, in particular those of Local Group dwarf

  1. Dwarf Galaxies in the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Civano, Francesca Maria; Mezcua, Mar; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Marchesi, Stefano; Suh, Hyewon; Volonteri, Marta; cyrille

    2018-01-01

    The existence of intermediate mass black holes (100 7. While detecting these seed black holes in the young Universe is observationally challenging, the nuclei of local dwarf galaxies are among the best places where to look for them as these galaxies resemble in mass and metallicity the first galaxies and they have not significantly grown through merger and accretion processes. We present a sample of 40 AGN in dwarf galaxies (107 0.5, our sample constitutes the highest-redshift discovery of AGN in dwarf galaxies. One of the dwarf galaxies is the least massive galaxy (M* = 6.6x107 Msun) found so far to host an active BH. We also present for the first time the evolution of the AGN fraction with stellar mass, X-ray luminosity, and redshift in dwarf galaxies out to z = 0.7, finding that it decreases with X-ray luminosity and stellar mass. Unlike massive galaxies, the AGN fraction is found to decrease with redshift, suggesting that AGN in dwarf galaxies evolve differently than those in high-mass galaxies.

  2. A Starburst in the Core of a Galaxy Cluster: the Dwarf Irregular NGC 1427A in Fornax

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mora, Marcelo D.; Chanamé, Julio; Puzia, Thomas H.

    2015-09-01

    Gas-rich galaxies in dense environments such as galaxy clusters and massive groups are affected by a number of possible types of interactions with the cluster environment, which make their evolution radically different than that of field galaxies. The dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1427A, presently infalling toward the core of the Fornax galaxy cluster for the first time, offers a unique opportunity to study those processes at a level of detail not possible to achieve for galaxies at higher redshifts, when galaxy-scale interactions were more common. Using the spatial resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys and auxiliary Very Large Telescope/FORS1 ground-based observations, we study the properties of the most recent episodes of star formation in this gas-rich galaxy, the only one of its type near the core of the Fornax cluster. We study the structural and photometric properties of young star cluster complexes in NGC 1427A, identifying 12 bright such complexes with exceptionally blue colors. The comparison of our broadband near-UV/optical photometry with simple stellar population models yields ages below ˜ 4× {10}6 years and stellar masses from a few 1000 up to ˜ 3× {10}4{M}⊙ , slightly dependent on the assumption of cluster metallicity and initial mass function. Their grouping is consistent with hierarchical and fractal star cluster formation. We use deep Hα imaging data to determine the current star formation rate in NGC 1427A and estimate the ratio, Γ, of star formation occurring in these star cluster complexes to that in the entire galaxy. We find Γ to be among the largest such values available in the literature, consistent with starburst galaxies. Thus a large fraction of the current star formation in NGC 1427A is occurring in star clusters, with the peculiar spatial arrangement of such complexes strongly hinting at the possibility that the starburst is being triggered by the passage of the galaxy through the cluster environment

  3. METAL ABUNDANCES OF 12 DWARF IRREGULARS FROM THE ADBS SURVEY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haurberg, Nathalie C.; Salzer, John J. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 E. Third St., Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Rosenberg, Jessica, E-mail: nhaurber@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: slaz@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: jrosenb4@gmu.edu [School of Physics, Astronomy and Computational Science, George Mason University, MS 3F3, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States)

    2013-03-01

    We have analyzed long-slit spectra of 12 dwarf irregular galaxies from the Arecibo Dual Beam Survey (ADBS). These galaxies represent a heterogeneous sample of objects detected by ADBS, but on average are relatively gas-rich, low-surface-brightness, and low-mass, thus represent a region of the galaxian population that is not commonly included in optical surveys. The metallicity-luminosity relationship for these galaxies is analyzed; the galaxies discussed in this paper appear to be under-abundant at a given luminosity when compared to a sample from the literature. We attempt to identify a 'second parameter' responsible for the intrinsic scatter and apparent under-abundance of our galaxies. We do not find a definitive second parameter but note the possible indication that infall or mixing of pristine gas may be responsible. We derive oxygen abundances for multiple H II regions in many of our galaxies but do not find any strong indications of metallicity variation within the galaxies except in one case where we see variation between an isolated H II region and the rest of the galaxy. Our data set includes the galaxy with the largest known H I-to-optical size ratio, ADBS 113845+2008. Our abundance analysis of this galaxy reveals that it is strongly over-enriched compared to galaxies of similar luminosity, indicating it is not a young object and confirming the result from Cannon et al. that this galaxy appears to be intrinsically rare in the local universe.

  4. The RSA survey of dwarf galaxies, 1: Optical photometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vader, J. Patricia; Chaboyer, Brian

    1994-01-01

    We present detailed surface photometry, based on broad B-band charge coupled device (CCD) images, of about 80 dwarf galaxies. Our sample represents approximately 10% of all dwarf galaxies identified in the vicinity of Revised Shapley-Ames (RSA) galaxies on high resolution blue photographic plates, referred to as the RSA survey of dwarf galaxies. We derive global properties and radial surface brightness profiles, and examine the morphologies. The radial surface brightness profiles of dwarf galaxies, whether early or late type, display the same varieties in shape and complexity as those of classical giant galaxies. Only a few are well described by a pure r(exp 1/4) law. Exponential profiles prevail. Features typical of giant disk galaxies, such as exponential profiles with a central depression, lenses, and even, in one case (IC 2041), a relatively prominent bulge are also found in dwarf galaxies. Our data suggest that the central region evolves from being bulge-like, with an r(exp 1/4) law profile, in bright galaxies to a lens-like structure in dwarf galaxies. We prove detailed surface photometry to be a helpful if not always sufficient tool in investigating the structure of dwarf galaxies. In many cases kinematic information is needed to complete the picture. We find the shapes of the surface brightness profiles to be loosely associated with morphological type. Our sample contains several new galaxies with properties intermediate between those of giant and dwarf ellipticals (but no M32-like objects). This shows that such intermediate galaxies exist so that at least a fraction of early-type dwarf ellipticals is structurally related to early-type giants instead of belonging to a totally unrelated, disjunct family. This supports an origin of early-type dwarf galaxies as originally more massive systems that acquired their current morphology as a result of substantial, presumable supernova-driven, mass loss. On the other hand, several early-type dwarfs in our sample are

  5. POX 4 and Tol 35: Two Peculiar Wolf-Rayet Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Méndez, David I.; Esteban, César

    1999-12-01

    We present results of narrowband (Hα and adjacent continuum) and broadband (U, B, and V) optical CCD imaging together with high-resolution Hα spectroscopy of the blue compact Wolf-Rayet dwarf galaxies POX 4 and Tol 35. POX 4 has a fainter, irregular, and diffuse companion located 20.5" (4.7 kpc) along the minor axis of the galaxy, which is visible also in the Hα emission. The difference in recession velocity between the galaxy and the companion is about 130 km s-1. The observational results lead us to propose that POX 4 could be interpreted as a low-mass ring galaxy, produced by a head-on intrusion of the fainter companion. Regarding the other object, a spectrum taken along the major axis of Tol 35 shows the coexistence of systems of motion with a velocity difference of about 50 km s-1. Moreover, the deep continuum-subtracted Hα image of the galaxy shows very faint features that resemble the beginning of crossed tidal tails or gaseous filaments powered by the mechanical action of the young stellar population. In this sense, Tol 35 could be interpreted either as an object in an intermediate-stage merging process between two gas-rich dwarf galaxies or as an object suffering the effect of a galactic wind.

  6. The mass dependence of dwarf satellite galaxy quenching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slater, Colin T.; Bell, Eric F.

    2014-01-01

    We combine observations of the Local Group with data from the NASA-Sloan Atlas to show the variation in the quenched fraction of satellite galaxies from low-mass dwarf spheroidals and dwarf irregulars to more massive dwarfs similar to the Magellanic Clouds. While almost all of the low-mass (M * ≲ 10 7 M ☉ ) dwarfs are quenched, at higher masses the quenched fraction decreases to approximately 40%-50%. This change in the quenched fraction is large and suggests a sudden change in the effectiveness of quenching that correlates with satellite mass. We combine this observation with models of satellite infall and ram pressure stripping to show that the low-mass satellites must quench within 1-2 Gyr of pericenter passage to maintain a high quenched fraction, but that many more massive dwarfs must continue to form stars today even though they likely fell into their host >5 Gyr ago. We also characterize how the susceptibility of dwarfs to ram pressure must vary as a function of mass if it is to account for the change in quenched fractions. Though neither model predicts the quenching effectiveness a priori, this modeling illustrates the physical requirements that the observed quenched fractions place on possible quenching mechanisms.

  7. Tidal Dwarf Galaxies and Missing Baryons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frederic Bournaud

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Tidal dwarf galaxies form during the interaction, collision, or merger of massive spiral galaxies. They can resemble “normal” dwarf galaxies in terms of mass, size, and become dwarf satellites orbiting around their massive progenitor. They nevertheless keep some signatures from their origin, making them interesting targets for cosmological studies. In particular, they should be free from dark matter from a spheroidal halo. Flat rotation curves and high dynamical masses may then indicate the presence of an unseen component, and constrain the properties of the “missing baryons,” known to exist but not directly observed. The number of dwarf galaxies in the Universe is another cosmological problem for which it is important to ascertain if tidal dwarf galaxies formed frequently at high redshift, when the merger rate was high, and many of them survived until today. In this paper, “dark matter” is used to refer to the nonbaryonic matter, mostly located in large dark halos, that is, CDM in the standard paradigm, and “missing baryons” or “dark baryons” is used to refer to the baryons known to exist but hardly observed at redshift zero, and are a baryonic dark component that is additional to “dark matter”.

  8. A Widespread, Clumpy Starburst in the Isolated Ongoing Dwarf Galaxy Merger dm1647+21

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Privon, G. C. [Instituto de Astrofśica, Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago 22 (Chile); Stierwalt, S.; Johnson, K. E.; Kallivayalil, N.; Liss, S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, 530 McCormick Road, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Patton, D. R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2 (Canada); Besla, G. [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Pearson, S.; Putman, M., E-mail: gprivon@astro.puc.cl [Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Collaboration: TiNy Titans

    2017-09-01

    Interactions between pairs of isolated dwarf galaxies provide a critical window into low-mass hierarchical, gas-dominated galaxy assembly and the build-up of stellar mass in low-metallicity systems. We present the first Very Large Telescope/Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (VLT/MUSE) optical integral field unit (IFU) observations of the interacting dwarf pair dm1647+21 selected from the TiNy Titans survey. The H α emission is widespread and corresponds to a total unobscured star formation rate (SFR) of 0.44 M {sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}, which is 2.7 times higher than the SFR inferred from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data. The implied specific SFR (sSFR) for the system is elevated by more than an order of magnitude above non-interacting dwarfs in the same mass range. This increase is dominated by the lower-mass galaxy, which has a sSFR enhancement of >50. Examining the spatially resolved maps of classic optical line diagnostics, we find that the interstellar medium (ISM) excitation can be fully explained by star formation. The velocity field of the ionized gas is not consistent with simple rotation. Dynamical simulations indicate that the irregular velocity field and the stellar structure is consistent with the identification of this system as an ongoing interaction between two dwarf galaxies. The widespread, clumpy enhancements in the star formation in this system point to important differences in the effect of mergers on dwarf galaxies, compared to massive galaxies; rather than the funneling of gas to the nucleus and giving rise to a nuclear starburst, starbursts in low-mass galaxy mergers may be triggered by large-scale ISM compression, and thus may be more distributed.

  9. CCD photometry of apparent dwarf galaxies in Fornax

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phillipps, S.; Grimley, P.L.; Disney, M.J.; Cawson, M.G.M.; Kibblewhite, E.J.

    1986-01-01

    Blue and red CCD surface photometry of two apparent dwarf galaxies in the Fornax cluster region is presented. Luminosity profiles are derived and their form discussed. The fainter galaxy resembles an archetypal diffuse dwarf elliptical but the brighter of the pair is either an unusual red dwarf or a background galaxy in chance juxtaposition. (author)

  10. ALFALFA DISCOVERY OF THE NEARBY GAS-RICH DWARF GALAXY LEO P. III. AN EXTREMELY METAL DEFICIENT GALAXY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Skillman, Evan D.; Berg, Danielle A.; Olive, Keith A.; McQuinn, Kristen B. W., E-mail: skillman@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: berg@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: olive@physics.umn.edu, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); and others

    2013-07-01

    We present KPNO 4 m and LBT/MODS spectroscopic observations of an H II region in the nearby dwarf irregular galaxy Leo P discovered recently in the Arecibo ALFALFA survey. In both observations, we are able to accurately measure the temperature sensitive [O III] {lambda}4363 line and determine a ''direct'' oxygen abundance of 12 + log(O/H) = 7.17 {+-} 0.04. Thus, Leo P is an extremely metal deficient (XMD) galaxy, and, indeed, one of the most metal deficient star-forming galaxies ever observed. For its estimated luminosity, Leo P is consistent with the relationship between luminosity and oxygen abundance seen in nearby dwarf galaxies. Leo P shows normal {alpha} element abundance ratios (Ne/O, S/O, and Ar/O) when compared to other XMD galaxies, but elevated N/O, consistent with the ''delayed release'' hypothesis for N/O abundances. We derive a helium mass fraction of 0.2509{sup +0.0184}{sub -0.0123}, which compares well with the WMAP + BBN prediction of 0.2483 {+-} 0.0002 for the primordial helium abundance. We suggest that surveys of very low mass galaxies compete well with emission line galaxy surveys for finding XMD galaxies. It is possible that XMD galaxies may be divided into two classes: the relatively rare XMD emission line galaxies which are associated with starbursts triggered by infall of low-metallicity gas and the more common, relatively quiescent XMD galaxies like Leo P, with very low chemical abundances due to their intrinsically small masses.

  11. GHOSTS I: A new faint very isolated dwarf galaxy at D = 12 ± 2 Mpc

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monachesi, Antonela; Bell, Eric F.; Radburn-Smith, David J.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; De Jong, Roelof S.; Streich, David; Vlajić, Marija; Bailin, Jeremy; Holwerda, Benne W.; Alyson Ford, H.; Zucker, Daniel B.

    2014-01-01

    We report the discovery of a new faint dwarf galaxy, GHOSTS I, using HST/ACS data from one of our GHOSTS (Galaxy Halos, Outer disks, Substructure, Thick disk, and Star clusters) fields. Its detected individual stars populate an approximately 1 mag range of its luminosity function (LF). Using synthetic color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) to compare with the galaxy's CMD, we find that the colors and magnitudes of GHOSTS I's individual stars are most consistent with being young helium-burning and asymptotic giant branch stars at a distance of ∼12 ± 2 Mpc. Morphologically, GHOSTS I appears to be actively forming stars, so we tentatively classify it as a dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxy, although future Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations deep enough to resolve a larger magnitude range in its LF are required to make a more secure classification. GHOSTS I's absolute magnitude is M V ∼−9.85 −0.33 +0.40 , making it one of the least luminous dIrr galaxies known, and its metallicity is lower than [Fe/H] = –1.5 dex. The half-light radius of GHOSTS I is 226 ± 38 pc and its ellipticity is 0.47 ± 0.07, similar to Milky Way and M31 dwarf satellites at comparable luminosity. There are no luminous massive galaxies or galaxy clusters within ∼4 Mpc from GHOSTS I that could be considered as its host, making it a very isolated dwarf galaxy in the local universe.

  12. Seeing Baby Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Visible/DSS Click on image for larger version Ultraviolet/GALEX Click on image for larger version Poster Version Click on image for larger version The unique ultraviolet vision of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer reveals, for the first time, dwarf galaxies forming out of nothing more than pristine gas likely leftover from the early universe. Dwarf galaxies are relatively small collections of stars that often orbit around larger galaxies like our Milky Way. The forming dwarf galaxies shine in the far ultraviolet spectrum, rendered as blue in the call-out on the right hand side of this image. Near ultraviolet light, also obtained by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, is displayed in green, and visible light from the blue part of the spectrum here is represented by red. The clumps (in circles) are distinctively blue, indicating they are primarily detected in far ultraviolet light. The faint blue overlay traces the outline of the Leo Ring, a huge cloud of hydrogen and helium that orbits around two massive galaxies in the constellation Leo (left panel). The cloud is thought likely to be a primordial object, an ancient remnant of material that has remained relatively unchanged since the very earliest days of the universe. Identified about 25 years ago by radio waves, the ring cannot be seen in visible light. Only a portion of the Leo Ring has been imaged in the ultraviolet, but this section contains the telltale ultraviolet signature of recent massive star formation within this ring of pristine gas. Astronomers have previously only seen dwarf galaxies form out of gas that has already been cycled through a galaxy and enriched with metals elements heavier than helium produced as stars evolve. The visible data come from the Digitized Sky Survey of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md. The Leo Ring visible image (left

  13. Infrared Colors of Dwarf-Dwarf Galaxy Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liss, Sandra; Stierwalt, Sabrina; Johnson, Kelsey; Patton, Dave; Kallivayalil, Nitya

    2015-10-01

    We request Spitzer Warm Mission IRAC Channel 1 & 2 imaging for a sample of 60 isolated dwarf galaxy pairs as a key component of a larger, multi-wavelength effort to understand the role low-mass mergers play in galaxy evolution. A systematic study of dwarf-dwarf mergers has never been done, and we wish to characterize the impact such interactions have on fueling star formation in the nearby universe. The Spitzer imaging proposed here will allow us to determine the extent to which the 3.6 and 4.5 mum bands are dominated by stellar light and investigate a) the extent to which interacting pairs show IR excess and b) whether the excess is related to the pair separation. Second, we will use this IR photometry to constrain the processes contributing to the observed color excess and scatter in each system. We will take advantage of the wealth of observations available in the Spitzer Heritage Archive for 'normal' non-interacting dwarfs by comparing the stellar populations of those dwarfs with the likely interacting dwarfs in our sample. Ultimately, we can combine the Spitzer imaging proposed here with our current, ongoing efforts to obtain groundbased optical photometry to model the star formation histories of these dwarfs and to help constrain the timescales and impact dwarf-dwarf mergers have on fueling star formation. The sensitivity and resolution offered by Spitzer are necessary to determine the dust properties of these interacting systems, and how these properties vary as a function of pair separation, mass ratio, and gas fraction.

  14. Marvel-ous Dwarfs: Results from Four Heroically Large Simulated Volumes of Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munshi, Ferah; Brooks, Alyson; Weisz, Daniel; Bellovary, Jillian; Christensen, Charlotte

    2018-01-01

    We present results from high resolution, fully cosmological simulations of cosmic sheets that contain many dwarf galaxies. Together, they create the largest collection of simulated dwarf galaxies to date, with z=0 stellar masses comparable to the LMC or smaller. In total, we have simulated almost 100 luminous dwarf galaxies, forming a sample of simulated dwarfs which span a wide range of physical (stellar and halo mass) and evolutionary properties (merger history). We show how they can be calibrated against a wealth of observations of nearby galaxies including star formation histories, HI masses and kinematics, as well as stellar metallicities. We present preliminary results answering the following key questions: What is the slope of the stellar mass function at extremely low masses? Do halos with HI and no stars exist? What is the scatter in the stellar to halo mass relationship as a function of dwarf mass? What drives the scatter? With this large suite, we are beginning to statistically characterize dwarf galaxies and identify the types and numbers of outliers to expect.

  15. DEEP RADIO CONTINUUM IMAGING OF THE DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXY IC 10: TRACING STAR FORMATION AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heesen, V.; Brinks, E.; Rau, U.; Rupen, M. P.; Hunter, D. A.

    2011-01-01

    We exploit the vastly increased sensitivity of the Expanded Very Large Array to study the radio continuum and polarization properties of the post-starburst, dwarf irregular galaxy IC 10 at 6 cm, at a linear resolution of ∼50 pc. We find close agreement between radio continuum and Hα emission, from the brightest H II regions to the weaker emission in the disk. A quantitative analysis shows a strictly linear correlation, where the thermal component contributes 50% to the total radio emission, the remainder being due to a non-thermal component with a surprisingly steep radio spectral index of between -0.7 and -1.0 suggesting substantial radiation losses of the cosmic-ray electrons. We confirm and clearly resolve polarized emission at the 10%-20% level associated with a non-thermal superbubble, where the ordered magnetic field is possibly enhanced due to the compression of the expanding bubble. A fraction of the cosmic-ray electrons has likely escaped because the measured radio emission is a factor of three lower than what is suggested by the Hα-inferred star formation rate.

  16. Variable stars in the Pegasus dwarf galaxy (DDO 216)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoessel, J.G.; Abbott, M.J.; Saha, A.; Mossman, A.E.; Danielson, G.E. (Washburn Observatory, Madison, WI (USA) Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA) Palomar Observatory, Pasadena, CA (USA))

    1990-10-01

    Observations obtained over a period of five years of the resolved stars in the Pegasus dwarf irregular galaxy (DDO 216) have been searched for variable stars. Thirty-one variables were found, and periods established for 12. Two of these variable stars are clearly eclipsing variables, seven are very likely Cepheid variables, and the remaining three are probable Cepheids. The period-luminosity relation for the Cepheids indicates a distance modulus for Pegasus of m - M = 26.22 + or - 0.20. This places Pegasus very near the zero-velocity surface of the Local Group. 25 refs.

  17. Dwarf Galaxies Swimming in Tidal Tails

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-01-01

    This false-color infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows little 'dwarf galaxies' forming in the 'tails' of two larger galaxies that are colliding together. The big galaxies are at the center of the picture, while the dwarfs can be seen as red dots in the red streamers, or tidal tails. The two blue dots above the big galaxies are stars in the foreground. Galaxy mergers are common occurrences in the universe; for example, our own Milky Way galaxy will eventually smash into the nearby Andromeda galaxy. When two galaxies meet, they tend to rip each other apart, leaving a trail, called a tidal tail, of gas and dust in their wake. It is out of this galactic debris that new dwarf galaxies are born. The new Spitzer picture demonstrates that these particular dwarfs are actively forming stars. The red color indicates the presence of dust produced in star-forming regions, including organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These carbon-containing molecules are also found on Earth, in car exhaust and on burnt toast, among other places. Here, the molecules are being heated up by the young stars, and, as a result, shine in infrared light. This image was taken by the infrared array camera on Spitzer. It is a 4-color composite of infrared light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange), and 8.0 microns (red). Starlight has been subtracted from the orange and red channels in order to enhance the dust features.

  18. Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldwell, N.; Murdin, P.

    2000-11-01

    DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXIES were first identified by Shapley, who had noticed two very diffuse collections of stars on Harvard patrol plates. Although these systems had about as many stars as a GLOBULAR CLUSTER, they were of much lower density, and hence much larger radius, and thus were considered distinct galaxies. These two, named Fornax and Sculptor after the constellations in which they ap...

  19. EVIDENCE FOR AN INTERACTION IN THE NEAREST STARBURSTING DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXY IC 10

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nidever, David L.; Slater, Colin T.; Bell, Eric F.; Ashley, Trisha; Simpson, Caroline E.; Ott, Jürgen; Johnson, Megan; Stanimirović, Snežana; Putman, Mary; Majewski, Steven R.; Jütte, Eva; Oosterloo, Tom A.; Burton, W. Butler

    2013-01-01

    Using deep 21 cm H I data from the Green Bank Telescope we have detected an ≳18.3 kpc long gaseous extension associated with the starbursting dwarf galaxy IC 10. The newly found feature stretches 1.°3 to the northwest and has a large radial velocity gradient reaching to ∼65 km s –1 lower than the IC 10 systemic velocity. A region of higher column density at the end of the extension that possesses a coherent velocity gradient (∼10 km s –1 across ∼26') transverse to the extension suggests rotation and may be a satellite galaxy of IC 10. The H I mass of IC 10 is 9.5 × 10 7 (d/805 kpc) 2 M ☉ and the mass of the new extension is 7.1 × 10 5 (d/805 kpc) 2 M ☉ . An IC 10-M31 orbit using known radial velocity and proper motion values for IC 10 show that the H I extension is inconsistent with the trailing portion of the orbit so that an M31-tidal or ram pressure origin seems unlikely. We argue that the most plausible explanation for the new feature is that it is the result of a recent interaction (and possible late merger) with another dwarf galaxy. This interaction could not only have triggered the origin of the recent starburst in IC 10, but could also explain the existence of previously found counter-rotating H I gas in the periphery of the IC 10 which was interpreted as originating from primordial gas infall

  20. The Unexpected Past of a Dwarf Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    1996-08-01

    New Light on Cannibalism in the Local Group of Galaxies The Local Group of Galaxies consists of a few large spiral galaxies - for instance the Milky Way galaxy in which we live, and the Andromeda galaxy that is visible to the unaided eye in the northern constellation of the same name - as well as two dozen much smaller galaxies of mostly irregular shape. Whereas the larger galaxies have extended halos of very old stars, no such halos have ever been seen around the smaller ones. Now, however, Dante Minniti and Albert Zijlstra [1], working at the ESO 3.5-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT), have found a large halo of old and metal-poor stars around one of the dwarf galaxies in the Local Group. This finding is quite unexpected. It revises our understanding of star formation in these galaxies and provides important information about the past evolution of galaxies [2]. Galaxy halos The Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by a large, roughly spherical halo of old stars. The diameter is about 100,000 light years and the stars therein, known as Population II stars, are among the oldest known, with ages of 10 billion years or even more. They also differ from the younger stars nearer to the main plane of the Milky Way (in which our 4.7 billion year old Sun is located) by being very metal-poor. Many of the halo stars consist almost solely of hydrogen and helium, reflecting the composition of matter in the young Universe. This halo is important for our understanding of the processes that led to the formation of the Milky Way galaxy. It is believed that many of the halo stars and those of the same type found in globular clusters existed already before the Milky Way had fully formed. Galaxy cannibalism Many astronomers suspect that galaxies evolve and gradually grow larger and heavier by practising cannibalism on their own kind. In this picture, when two galaxies collide in space, the stars and nebulae in the smaller one will disperse and soon be taken over by the larger one, which

  1. CALIBRATING UV STAR FORMATION RATES FOR DWARF GALAXIES FROM STARBIRDS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Mitchell, Noah P. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E., E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States)

    2015-08-01

    Integrating our knowledge of star formation (SF) traced by observations at different wavelengths is essential for correctly interpreting and comparing SF activity in a variety of systems and environments. This study compares extinction corrected integrated ultraviolet (UV) emission from resolved galaxies with color–magnitude diagram (CMD) based star formation rates (SFRs) derived from resolved stellar populations and CMD fitting techniques in 19 nearby starburst and post-starburst dwarf galaxies. The data sets are from the panchromatic Starburst Irregular Dwarf Survey and include deep legacy GALEX UV imaging, Hubble Space Telescope optical imaging, and Spitzer MIPS imaging. For the majority of the sample, the integrated near-UV fluxes predicted from the CMD-based SFRs—using four different models—agree with the measured, extinction corrected, integrated near-UV fluxes from GALEX images, but the far-UV (FUV) predicted fluxes do not. Furthermore, we find a systematic deviation between the SFRs based on integrated FUV luminosities and existing scaling relations, and the SFRs based on the resolved stellar populations. This offset is not driven by different SF timescales, variations in SFRs, UV attenuation, nor stochastic effects. This first comparison between CMD-based SFRs and an integrated FUV emission SFR indicator suggests that the most likely cause of the discrepancy is the theoretical FUV–SFR calibration from stellar evolutionary libraries and/or stellar atmospheric models. We present an empirical calibration of the FUV-based SFR relation for dwarf galaxies, with uncertainties, which is ∼53% larger than previous relations.

  2. Metal-poor dwarf galaxies in the SIGRID galaxy sample. I. H II region observations and chemical abundances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nicholls, David C.; Dopita, Michael A.; Sutherland, Ralph S.; Jerjen, Helmut; Kewley, Lisa J.; Basurah, Hassan

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we present the results of observations of 17 H II regions in thirteen galaxies from the SIGRID sample of isolated gas-rich irregular dwarf galaxies. The spectra of all but one of the galaxies exhibit the auroral [O III] 4363 Å line, from which we calculate the electron temperature, T e , and gas-phase oxygen abundance. Five of the objects are blue compact dwarf galaxies, of which four have not previously been analyzed spectroscopically. We include one unusual galaxy which exhibits no evidence of the [N II] λλ 6548,6584 Å lines, suggesting a particularly low metallicity (< Z ☉ /30). We compare the electron temperature based abundances with those derived using eight of the new strong-line diagnostics presented by Dopita et al. Using a method derived from first principles for calculating total oxygen abundance, we show that the discrepancy between the T e -based and strong-line gas-phase abundances have now been reduced to within ∼0.07 dex. The chemical abundances are consistent with what is expected from the luminosity-metallicity relation. We derive estimates of the electron densities and find them to be between ∼5 and ∼100 cm –3 . We find no evidence for a nitrogen plateau for objects in this sample with metallicities 0.5 > Z ☉ > 0.15.

  3. Metal-poor dwarf galaxies in the SIGRID galaxy sample. I. H II region observations and chemical abundances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicholls, David C.; Dopita, Michael A.; Sutherland, Ralph S.; Jerjen, Helmut; Kewley, Lisa J. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Cotter Road, Weston ACT 2611 (Australia); Basurah, Hassan, E-mail: David.Nicholls@anu.edu.au [Astronomy Department, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203 Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

    2014-05-10

    In this paper we present the results of observations of 17 H II regions in thirteen galaxies from the SIGRID sample of isolated gas-rich irregular dwarf galaxies. The spectra of all but one of the galaxies exhibit the auroral [O III] 4363 Å line, from which we calculate the electron temperature, T{sub e} , and gas-phase oxygen abundance. Five of the objects are blue compact dwarf galaxies, of which four have not previously been analyzed spectroscopically. We include one unusual galaxy which exhibits no evidence of the [N II] λλ 6548,6584 Å lines, suggesting a particularly low metallicity (< Z {sub ☉}/30). We compare the electron temperature based abundances with those derived using eight of the new strong-line diagnostics presented by Dopita et al. Using a method derived from first principles for calculating total oxygen abundance, we show that the discrepancy between the T{sub e} -based and strong-line gas-phase abundances have now been reduced to within ∼0.07 dex. The chemical abundances are consistent with what is expected from the luminosity-metallicity relation. We derive estimates of the electron densities and find them to be between ∼5 and ∼100 cm{sup –3}. We find no evidence for a nitrogen plateau for objects in this sample with metallicities 0.5 > Z {sub ☉} > 0.15.

  4. Dusty Dwarfs Galaxies Occulting A Bright Background Spiral

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holwerda, Benne

    2017-08-01

    The role of dust in shaping the spectral energy distributions of low mass disk galaxies remains poorly understood. Recent results from the Herschel Space Observatory imply that dwarf galaxies contain large amounts of cool (T 20K) dust, coupled with very modest optical extinctions. These seemingly contradictory conclusions may be resolved if dwarfs harbor a variety of dust geometries, e.g., dust at larger galactocentric radii or in quiescent dark clumps. We propose HST observations of six truly occulting dwarf galaxies drawn from the Galaxy Zoo catalog of silhouetted galaxy pairs. Confirmed, true occulting dwarfs are rare as most low-mass disks in overlap are either close satellites or do not have a confirmed redshift. Dwarf occulters are the key to determining the spatial extent of dust, the small scale structure introduced by turbulence, and the prevailing dust attenuation law. The recent spectroscopic confirmation of bona-fide low mass occulting dwarfs offers an opportunity to map dust in these with HST. What is the role of dust in the SED of these dwarf disk galaxies? With shorter feedback scales, how does star-formation affect their morphology and dust composition, as revealed from their attenuation curve? The resolution of HST allows us to map the dust disks down to the fine scale structure of molecular clouds and multi-wavelength imaging maps the attenuation curve and hence dust composition in these disks. We therefore ask for 2 orbits on each of 6 dwarf galaxies in F275W, F475W, F606W, F814W and F125W to map dust from UV to NIR to constrain the attenuation curve.

  5. THE STELLAR AND GAS KINEMATICS OF THE LITTLE THINGS DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXY NGC 1569

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, Megan; Hunter, Deidre A.; Zhang, Hong-Xin; Herrmann, Kimberly; Oh, Se-Heon; Elmegreen, Bruce; Brinks, Elias; Tollerud, Erik

    2012-01-01

    In order to understand the formation and evolution of Magellanic-type dwarf irregular (dIm) galaxies, one needs to understand their three-dimensional structure. We present measurements of the stellar velocity dispersion in NGC 1569, a nearby post-starburst dIm galaxy. The stellar vertical velocity dispersion, σ z , coupled with the maximum rotational velocity derived from H I observations, V max , gives a measure of how kinematically hot the galaxy is, and, therefore, indicates its structure. We conclude that the stars in NGC 1569 are in a thick disk with a V max /σ z = 2.4 ± 0.7. In addition to the structure, we analyze the ionized gas kinematics from O III observations along the morphological major axis. These data show evidence for outflow from the inner starburst region and a potential expanding shell near supermassive star cluster (SSC) A. When compared to the stellar kinematics, the velocity dispersion of the stars increases in the region of SSC A supporting the hypothesis of an expanding shell. The stellar kinematics closely follow the motion of the gas. Analysis of high-resolution H I data clearly reveals the presence of an H I cloud that appears to be impacting the eastern edge of NGC 1569. Also, an ultra-dense H I cloud can be seen extending to the west of the impacting H I cloud. This dense cloud is likely the remains of a dense H I bridge that extended through what is now the central starburst area. The impacting H I cloud was the catalyst for the starburst, thus turning the dense gas into stars over a short timescale, ∼1 Gyr. We performed a careful study of the spectral energy distribution using infrared, optical, and ultraviolet photometry, producing a state-of-the-art mass model for the stellar disk. This mass modeling shows that stars dominate the gravitational potential in the inner 1 kpc. The dynamical mass of NGC 1569, derived from V max , shows that the disk may be dark matter deficient in the inner region, although, when compared to the

  6. Kinematically Decoupled Cores in Dwarf (Elliptical) Galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toloba, E.; Peletier, R. F.; Guhathakurta, P.; van de Ven, G.; Boissier, S.; Boselli, A.; Brok, M. d.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Hensler, G.; Janz, J.; Laurikainen, E.; Lisker, T.; Paudel, S.; Ryś, A.; Salo, H.

    An overview is given of what we know about the frequency of kinematically decoupled cores in dwarf elliptical galaxies. New observations show that kinematically decoupled cores happen just as often in dwarf elliptical as in ordinary early-type galaxies. This has important consequences for the

  7. DWARF GALAXY CLUSTERING AND MISSING SATELLITES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlberg, R. G.; Sullivan, M.; Le Borgne, D.

    2009-01-01

    At redshifts around 0.1 the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey Deep fields contain some 6 x 10 4 galaxies spanning the mass range from 10 5 to 10 12 M sun . We measure the stellar mass dependence of the two-point correlation using angular measurements to largely bypass the errors, approximately 0.02 in the median, of the photometric redshifts. Inverting the power-law fits with Limber's equation we find that the autocorrelation length increases from a very low 0.4 h -1 Mpc at 10 5.5 M sun to the conventional 4.5 h -1 Mpc at 10 10.5 M sun . The power-law fit to the correlation function has a slope which increases from γ ≅ 1.6 at high mass to γ ≅ 2.3 at low mass. The spatial cross-correlation of dwarf galaxies with more massive galaxies shows fairly similar trends, with a steeper radial dependence at low mass than predicted in numerical simulations of subhalos within galaxy halos. To examine the issue of 'missing satellites' we combine the cross-correlation measurements with our estimates of the low-mass galaxy number density. We find on the average there are 60 ± 20 dwarfs in subhalos with M(total)>10 7 M sun for a typical Local Group M(total)/M(stars) = 30, corresponding to M/L V ≅ 100 for a galaxy with no recent star formation. The number of dwarfs per galaxy is about a factor of 2 larger than currently found for the Milky Way. Nevertheless, the average dwarf counts are about a factor of 30 below lambda cold dark matter (LCDM) simulation results. The divergence from LCDM predictions is one of the slope of the relation, approximately dN/dln M ≅ -0.5 rather than the predicted -0.9, not sudden onset at some characteristic scale. The dwarf galaxy star formation rates span the range from passive to bursting, which suggests that there are few completely dark halos.

  8. The Leoncino Dwarf: The Lowest Metallicity Star-Forming Galaxy in the Nearby Universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    McQuinn, Kristen

    2017-08-01

    Extremely metal-poor (XMP) galaxies are dwarf irregular galaxies with very low metallicities, traced by their gas-phase oxygen abundance. Galaxy evolution scenarios suggest three pathways to form an XMP: (1) secular evolution at low galaxy masses, (2) slow evolution in voids, or (3) dilution of measured abundances from infall of pristine gas. These scenarios have proven challenging to test because, despite concerted efforts, XMP galaxies in the nearby universe have proven hard to find. A notable exception is the recently discovered dwarf galaxy Leoncino. Leoncino has the lowest gas-phase oxygen abundance ever measured in a galaxy in the local Universe. From optical spectroscopy, the oxygen abundance is 12+log(O/H)=7.02+/-0.03, more than 40% lower than the iconic low-metallicity galaxy I Zw 18 and less than 2% Z_sun. Despite a precision oxygen abundance measurement, the evolutionary context of Leoncino remains uncertain without a secure distance. We propose HST WFC3 high-resolution optical imaging of Leoncino to accurately measure the distance to the galaxy using the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method. The distance will determine whether Leoncino is located in a typical field environment or in a void, and whether the galaxy is consistent with the luminosity-metallicity relation at low galaxy masses. The detailed study of Leoncino will provide benchmark results for future XMP discoveries in the nearby Universe, and an exceptionally timely comparison for studies of chemically primitive, high-redshift galaxies that will be observable in the JWST era.

  9. Star Formation Histories of the LEGUS Dwarf Galaxies. II. Spatially Resolved Star Formation History of the Magellanic Irregular NGC 4449

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sacchi, E.; Cignoni, M.; Aloisi, A.; Tosi, M.; Calzetti, D.; Lee, J. C.; Adamo, A.; Annibali, F.; Dale, D. A.; Elmegreen, B. G.; Gouliermis, D. A.; Grasha, K.; Grebel, E. K.; Hunter, D. A.; Sabbi, E.; Smith, L. J.; Thilker, D. A.; Ubeda, L.; Whitmore, B. C.

    2018-04-01

    We present a detailed study of the Magellanic irregular galaxy NGC 4449 based on both archival and new photometric data from the Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey, obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3. Thanks to its proximity (D = 3.82 ± 0.27 Mpc), we reach stars 3 mag fainter than the tip of the red giant branch in the F814W filter. The recovered star formation history (SFH) spans the whole Hubble time, but due to the age–metallicity degeneracy of the red giant branch stars, it is robust only over the lookback time reached by our photometry, i.e., ∼3 Gyr. The most recent peak of star formation (SF) is around 10 Myr ago. The average surface density SF rate over the whole galaxy lifetime is 0.01 M ⊙ yr‑1 kpc‑2. From our study, it emerges that NGC 4449 has experienced a fairly continuous SF regime in the last 1 Gyr, with peaks and dips whose SF rates differ only by a factor of a few. The very complex and disturbed morphology of NGC 4449 makes it an interesting galaxy for studies of the relationship between interactions and starbursts, and our detailed and spatially resolved analysis of its SFH does indeed provide some hints on the connection between these two phenomena in this peculiar dwarf galaxy. Based on observations obtained with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

  10. Implications of the dwarfs spheroidal galaxy mass-metallicity relation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, G.H.

    1985-01-01

    The properties of the mass-metallicity relation among dwarf spheroidal galaxies are discussed in terms of a model which assumes that the internal chemical evolution of the dwarf spheroidals was promoted by supernova activity. The model can be used to explain the observed dwarf spheroidal mass-metallicity relation assuming the present mass of these systems M sub s is proportional to their initial masses M as M sub s varies according to a power-law index of exp 7/4. It is inferred from the power-law dependence of M on the proto-cloud radius that the most massive dwarf spheroids were formed from the densest clouds. The observed slope of the mass-metallicity relation for dwarf spheroidal galaxies is found to be significantly different from theoretical estimates of this slope for elliptical galaxies. It is suggested that the difference may imply that spheroidal dwarfs and elliptical galaxies had different formation histories, confirming Kormendy's (1985) observations of differences in the brightness and luminosity trends. 54 references

  11. CHEMODYNAMIC EVOLUTION OF DWARF GALAXIES IN TIDAL FIELDS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williamson, David; Martel, Hugo [Département de physique, de génie physique et d’optique, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6 (Canada); Romeo, Alessandro B., E-mail: david-john.williamson.1@ulaval.ca [Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg (Sweden)

    2016-11-01

    The mass–metallicity relation shows that the galaxies with the lowest mass have the lowest metallicities. As most dwarf galaxies are in group environments, interaction effects such as tides could contribute to this trend. We perform a series of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of dwarf galaxies in external tidal fields to examine the effects of tides on their metallicities and metallicity gradients. In our simulated galaxies, gravitational instabilities drive gas inwards and produce centralized star formation and a significant metallicity gradient. Strong tides can contribute to these instabilities, but their primary effect is to strip the outer low-metallicity gas, producing a truncated gas disk with a large metallicity. This suggests that the effect of tides on the mass–metallicity relation is to move dwarf galaxies to higher metallicities.

  12. THE FORNAX DWARF GALAXY AS A REMNANT OF RECENT DWARF-DWARF MERGING IN THE LOCAL GROUP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yozin, C.; Bekki, K.

    2012-01-01

    We present results from the first numerical analysis to support the hypothesis, first proposed in Coleman et al., that the Fornax dwarf galaxy was formed from the minor merging of two dwarfs about 2 Gyr ago. Using orbits for the Fornax dwarf that are consistent with the latest proper motion measurements, our dynamical evolution models show that the observed asymmetric shell-like substructures can be formed from the remnant of a smaller dwarf during minor merging. These models also predict the formation of diffuse stellar streams. We discuss how these stellar substructures depend on model parameters of dwarf-dwarf merging, and how the intermediate-age subpopulations found in the vicinity of these substructures may be formed from gas accretion in past merger events. We also suggest that one of Fornax's globular clusters originates from a merged dwarf companion, and demonstrate where as yet undetected tidal streams or H I gas formed from the dwarf merging may be found in the outer halo of the Galaxy.

  13. THE STELLAR AND GAS KINEMATICS OF THE LITTLE THINGS DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXY NGC 1569

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Megan [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV 24944 (United States); Hunter, Deidre A.; Zhang, Hong-Xin; Herrmann, Kimberly [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Oh, Se-Heon [International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Elmegreen, Bruce [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Hts., NY 10598 (United States); Brinks, Elias [Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB (United Kingdom); Tollerud, Erik, E-mail: mjohnson@nrao.edu, E-mail: dah@lowell.edu, E-mail: hxzhang@lowell.edu, E-mail: herrmann@lowell.edu, E-mail: se-heon.oh@uwa.edu.au, E-mail: bge@us.ibm.com, E-mail: E.Brinks@herts.ac.uk, E-mail: etolleru@uci.edu [Center For Cosmology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4129 Frederick Reines Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)

    2012-11-01

    In order to understand the formation and evolution of Magellanic-type dwarf irregular (dIm) galaxies, one needs to understand their three-dimensional structure. We present measurements of the stellar velocity dispersion in NGC 1569, a nearby post-starburst dIm galaxy. The stellar vertical velocity dispersion, {sigma}{sub z}, coupled with the maximum rotational velocity derived from H I observations, V{sub max}, gives a measure of how kinematically hot the galaxy is, and, therefore, indicates its structure. We conclude that the stars in NGC 1569 are in a thick disk with a V{sub max}/{sigma}{sub z} = 2.4 {+-} 0.7. In addition to the structure, we analyze the ionized gas kinematics from O III observations along the morphological major axis. These data show evidence for outflow from the inner starburst region and a potential expanding shell near supermassive star cluster (SSC) A. When compared to the stellar kinematics, the velocity dispersion of the stars increases in the region of SSC A supporting the hypothesis of an expanding shell. The stellar kinematics closely follow the motion of the gas. Analysis of high-resolution H I data clearly reveals the presence of an H I cloud that appears to be impacting the eastern edge of NGC 1569. Also, an ultra-dense H I cloud can be seen extending to the west of the impacting H I cloud. This dense cloud is likely the remains of a dense H I bridge that extended through what is now the central starburst area. The impacting H I cloud was the catalyst for the starburst, thus turning the dense gas into stars over a short timescale, {approx}1 Gyr. We performed a careful study of the spectral energy distribution using infrared, optical, and ultraviolet photometry, producing a state-of-the-art mass model for the stellar disk. This mass modeling shows that stars dominate the gravitational potential in the inner 1 kpc. The dynamical mass of NGC 1569, derived from V{sub max}, shows that the disk may be dark matter deficient in the inner

  14. Evolution of dwarf galaxies in the Centaurus A group

    OpenAIRE

    Makarova, L.; Makarov, D.

    2007-01-01

    We consider star formation properties of dwarf galaxies in Cen A group observed within our HST/ACS projects number 9771 and 10235. We model color-magnitude diagrams of the galaxies under consideration and measure star formation rate and metallicity dependence on time. We study environmental dependence of the galaxy evolution and probable origin of the dwarf galaxies in the group.

  15. Confirmation of Faint Dwarf Galaxies in the M81 Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiboucas, Kristin; Jacobs, Bradley A.; Tully, R. Brent; Karachentsev, Igor D.

    2013-11-01

    We have followed up on the results of a 65 deg2 CFHT/MegaCam imaging survey of the nearby M81 Group searching for faint and ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. The original survey turned up 22 faint candidate dwarf members. Based on two-color HST ACS/WFC and WFPC2 photometry, we now confirm 14 of these as dwarf galaxy members of the group. Distances and stellar population characteristics are discussed for each. To a completeness limit of M_{r^{\\prime }} = -10, we find a galaxy luminosity function slope of -1.27 ± 0.04 for the M81 Group. In this region, there are now 36 M81 Group members known, including 4 blue compact dwarfs; 8 other late types including the interacting giants M81, NGC 3077, and M82; 19 early type dwarfs; and at least 5 potential tidal dwarf galaxies. We find that the dSph galaxies in M81 appear to lie in a flattened distribution, similar to that found for the Milky Way and M31. One of the newly discovered dSph galaxies has properties similar to the ultra-faint dwarfs being found in the Local Group with a size Re ~ 100 pc and total magnitude estimates M_{r^{\\prime }} = -6.8 and MI ~ -9.1.

  16. EVOLUTIONARY TRACKS OF TIDALLY STIRRED DISKY DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lokas, Ewa L.; Kazantzidis, Stelios; Mayer, Lucio

    2011-01-01

    Using collisionless N-body simulations, we investigate the tidal evolution of late-type, rotationally supported dwarfs inside Milky Way sized host galaxies. Our study focuses on a wide variety of dwarf orbital configurations and initial structures. During the evolution, the disky dwarfs undergo strong mass loss, the stellar disks are transformed into spheroids, and rotation is replaced by random motions of the stars. Thus, the late-type progenitors are transformed into early-type dwarfs as envisioned by the tidal stirring model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies in the Local Group. We determine the photometric properties of the dwarfs, including the total visual magnitude, the half-light radius, and the central surface brightness as they would be measured by an observer near the galactic center. Special emphasis is also placed on studying their kinematics and shapes. We demonstrate that the measured values are biased by a number of observational effects including the increasing angle of the observation cone near the orbital pericenter, the fact that away from the pericenter the tidal tails are typically oriented along the line of sight, and the fact that for most of the evolution the stellar components of the dwarfs are triaxial ellipsoids whose major axis tumbles with respect to the line of sight. Finally, we compare the measured properties of the simulated dwarfs to those of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group. The evolutionary tracks of the dwarfs in different parameter planes and the correlations between their different properties, especially the total magnitude and the surface brightness, strongly suggest that present-day dSph galaxies may have indeed formed from late-type progenitors as proposed by the tidal stirring scenario.

  17. Galactic Outflows, Star Formation Histories, and Timescales in Starburst Dwarf Galaxies from STARBIRDS

    Science.gov (United States)

    McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Heilman, Taryn N.; Mitchell, Noah P.; Kelley, Tyler

    2018-03-01

    Winds are predicted to be ubiquitous in low-mass, actively star-forming galaxies. Observationally, winds have been detected in relatively few local dwarf galaxies, with even fewer constraints placed on their timescales. Here, we compare galactic outflows traced by diffuse, soft X-ray emission from Chandra Space Telescope archival observations to the star formation histories derived from Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the resolved stellar populations in six starburst dwarfs. We constrain the longevity of a wind to have an upper limit of 25 Myr based on galaxies whose starburst activity has already declined, although a larger sample is needed to confirm this result. We find an average 16% efficiency for converting the mechanical energy of stellar feedback to thermal, soft X-ray emission on the 25 Myr timescale, somewhat higher than simulations predict. The outflows have likely been sustained for timescales comparable to the duration of the starbursts (i.e., 100's Myr), after taking into account the time for the development and cessation of the wind. The wind timescales imply that material is driven to larger distances in the circumgalactic medium than estimated by assuming short, 5-10 Myr starburst durations, and that less material is recycled back to the host galaxy on short timescales. In the detected outflows, the expelled hot gas shows various morphologies which are not consistent with a simple biconical outflow structure. The sample and analysis are part of a larger program, the STARBurst IRregular Dwarf Survey (STARBIRDS), aimed at understanding the lifecycle and impact of starburst activity in low-mass systems.

  18. Carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars in dwarf galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Salvadori, Stefania; Skuladottir, Asa; Tolstoy, Eline

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the frequency and origin of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars in Local Group dwarf galaxies by means of a statistical, data-calibrated cosmological model for the hierarchical build-up of the Milky Way and its dwarf satellites. The model self-consistently explains the variation with dwarf galaxy luminosity of the observed: i) frequency and [Fe/H] range of CEMP stars; ii) metallicity distribution functions; iii) star formation histories. We show that if primordial faint sup...

  19. CONFIRMATION OF FAINT DWARF GALAXIES IN THE M81 GROUP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chiboucas, Kristin [Gemini Observatory, 670 North A' ohoku Pl, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Jacobs, Bradley A.; Tully, R. Brent [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96821 (United States); Karachentsev, Igor D., E-mail: kchibouc@gemini.edu, E-mail: bjacobs@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: tully@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: ikar@luna.sao.ru [Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachai-Cherkessian Republic 369167 (Russian Federation)

    2013-11-01

    We have followed up on the results of a 65 deg{sup 2} CFHT/MegaCam imaging survey of the nearby M81 Group searching for faint and ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. The original survey turned up 22 faint candidate dwarf members. Based on two-color HST ACS/WFC and WFPC2 photometry, we now confirm 14 of these as dwarf galaxy members of the group. Distances and stellar population characteristics are discussed for each. To a completeness limit of M{sub r{sup '}}= -10, we find a galaxy luminosity function slope of –1.27 ± 0.04 for the M81 Group. In this region, there are now 36 M81 Group members known, including 4 blue compact dwarfs; 8 other late types including the interacting giants M81, NGC 3077, and M82; 19 early type dwarfs; and at least 5 potential tidal dwarf galaxies. We find that the dSph galaxies in M81 appear to lie in a flattened distribution, similar to that found for the Milky Way and M31. One of the newly discovered dSph galaxies has properties similar to the ultra-faint dwarfs being found in the Local Group with a size R{sub e} ∼ 100 pc and total magnitude estimates M{sub r{sup '}}= -6.8 and M{sub I} ∼ –9.1.

  20. Feedback by Massive Black Holes in Gas-rich Dwarf Galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silk, Joseph [Institut d’Astrophysique, UMR 7095 CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 98bis Blvd Arago, F-75014 Paris (France); AIM-Paris-Saclay, CEA/DSM/IRFU, CNRS, Univ Paris 7, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Homewood Campus, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Beecroft Institute of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom)

    2017-04-10

    Could there be intermediate-mass black holes in essentially all old dwarf galaxies? I argue that current observations of active galactic nuclei in dwarfs allow such a radical hypothesis that provides early feedback during the epoch of galaxy formation and potentially provides a unifying explanation for many, if not all, of the dwarf galaxy anomalies, such as the abundance, core-cusp, “too-big-to-fail,” ultra-faint, and baryon-fraction issues. I describe the supporting arguments, which are largely circumstantial, and discuss a number of tests. There is no strong motivation for modifying the nature of cold dark matter in order to explain any of the dwarf galaxy “problems.”.

  1. An Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in the Dwarf Galaxy Pox 52

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, Aaron

    Do dwarf elliptical and dwarf spiral galaxies contain central black holes with masses below 106 solar masses? Beyond the Local Group dynamical searches for black holes in this mass range are very difficult but the detection of accretion-powered nuclear activity could be used to infer the presence of a black hole. The nearby dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 4395 hosts a faint Seyfert 1 nucleus with a likely black hole mass in the range 104-105 solar masses and for more than a decade it has been the only known example of a Seyfert 1 nucleus in a dwarf galaxy. I will present new Keck spectra of the dwarf galaxy POX 52 which demonstrate that it has a Seyfert 1 spectrum nearly identical to that of NGC 4395. Its velocity dispersion is 37 km/s suggesting a possible black hole mass of order 105 solar masses. I will discuss the prospects for systematic searches for nuclear activity in dwarf galaxies and the implications for black hole demographics.

  2. Extended dust in dwarf galaxies - solving an energy-budget paradox?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keel, William C.; Holwerda, Benne; Lintott, Chris; Schawinski, Kevin

    2012-02-01

    The role of dust in shaping the emerging spectral energy distributions of galaxies remains poorly understood; recent Herschel results suggest large amounts of cold dust coupled with only modest optical extinction for much of the galaxy population. Previous work has used the discovery of a silhouetted-galaxy pair of a backlit dwarf galaxy with dust features extending beyond the de Vaucouleurs radius to investigate this question. We propose to examine a larger set of galaxies of this type drawn from the Galaxy Zoo catalog of silhouetted-galaxy pairs, to see whether a significant fraction of dwarfs have such extensive dust distributions. The catalog contains ~ 150 candidate backlit dwarfs; if such dust distributions are common enough to account for the Herschel results, we would see many additional cases of silhouetted dust beyond their stellar disks.

  3. Dark matter searches with Cherenkov telescopes: nearby dwarf galaxies or local galaxy clusters?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sánchez-Conde, Miguel A. [SLAC National Laboratory and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Cannoni, Mirco; Gómez, Mario E. [Dpto. Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, 21071 Huelva (Spain); Zandanel, Fabio; Prada, Francisco, E-mail: masc@stanford.edu, E-mail: mirco.cannoni@dfa.uhu.es, E-mail: fabio@iaa.es, E-mail: mario.gomez@dfa.uhu.es, E-mail: fprada@iaa.es [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), E-18008, Granada (Spain)

    2011-12-01

    In this paper, we compare dwarf galaxies and galaxy clusters in order to elucidate which object class is the best target for gamma-ray DM searches with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). We have built a mixed dwarfs+clusters sample containing some of the most promising nearby dwarf galaxies (Draco, Ursa Minor, Wilman 1 and Segue 1) and local galaxy clusters (Perseus, Coma, Ophiuchus, Virgo, Fornax, NGC 5813 and NGC 5846), and then compute their DM annihilation flux profiles by making use of the latest modeling of their DM density profiles. We also include in our calculations the effect of DM substructure. Willman 1 appears as the best candidate in the sample. However, its mass modeling is still rather uncertain, so probably other candidates with less uncertainties and quite similar fluxes, namely Ursa Minor and Segue 1, might be better options. As for galaxy clusters, Virgo represents the one with the highest flux. However, its large spatial extension can be a serious handicap for IACT observations and posterior data analysis. Yet, other local galaxy cluster candidates with more moderate emission regions, such as Perseus, may represent good alternatives. After comparing dwarfs and clusters, we found that the former exhibit annihilation flux profiles that, at the center, are roughly one order of magnitude higher than those of clusters, although galaxy clusters can yield similar, or even higher, integrated fluxes for the whole object once substructure is taken into account. Even when any of these objects are strictly point-like according to the properties of their annihilation signals, we conclude that dwarf galaxies are best suited for observational strategies based on the search of point-like sources, while galaxy clusters represent best targets for analyses that can deal with rather extended emissions. Finally, we study the detection prospects for present and future IACTs in the framework of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model. We

  4. Dark Matter Searches with Cherenkov Telescopes: Nearby Dwarf Galaxies or Local Galaxy Clusters?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez-Conde, Miguel A.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park /SLAC /IAC, La Laguna /Laguna U., Tenerife; Cannoni, Mirco; /Huelva U.; Zandanel, Fabio; /IAA, Granada; Gomez, Mario E.; /Huelva U.; Prada, Francisco; /IAA, Granada

    2012-06-06

    In this paper, we compare dwarf galaxies and galaxy clusters in order to elucidate which object class is the best target for gamma-ray DM searches with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). We have built a mixed dwarfs+clusters sample containing some of the most promising nearby dwarf galaxies (Draco, Ursa Minor, Wilman 1 and Segue 1) and local galaxy clusters (Perseus, Coma, Ophiuchus, Virgo, Fornax, NGC 5813 and NGC 5846), and then compute their DM annihilation flux profiles by making use of the latest modeling of their DM density profiles. We also include in our calculations the effect of DM substructure. Willman 1 appears as the best candidate in the sample. However, its mass modeling is still rather uncertain, so probably other candidates with less uncertainties and quite similar fluxes, namely Ursa Minor and Segue 1, might be better options. As for galaxy clusters, Virgo represents the one with the highest flux. However, its large spatial extension can be a serious handicap for IACT observations and posterior data analysis. Yet, other local galaxy cluster candidates with more moderate emission regions, such as Perseus, may represent good alternatives. After comparing dwarfs and clusters, we found that the former exhibit annihilation flux profiles that, at the center, are roughly one order of magnitude higher than those of clusters, although galaxy clusters can yield similar, or even higher, integrated fluxes for the whole object once substructure is taken into account. Even when any of these objects are strictly point-like according to the properties of their annihilation signals, we conclude that dwarf galaxies are best suited for observational strategies based on the search of point-like sources, while galaxy clusters represent best targets for analyses that can deal with rather extended emissions. Finally, we study the detection prospects for present and future IACTs in the framework of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model. We

  5. Gas, Stars, and Star Formation in Alfalfa Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shan; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Brinchmann, Jarle; Stierwalt, Sabrina; Neff, Susan G.

    2012-01-01

    We examine the global properties of the stellar and Hi components of 229 low H i mass dwarf galaxies extracted from the ALFALFA survey, including a complete sample of 176 galaxies with H i masses ALFALFA dwarfs are faint and of low surface brightness; only 56% of those within the SDSS footprint have a counterpart in the SDSS spectroscopic survey. A large fraction of the dwarfs have high specific star formation rates (SSFRs), and estimates of their SFRs and M* obtained by SED fitting are systematically smaller than ones derived via standard formulae assuming a constant SFR. The increased dispersion of the SSFR distribution at M* approximately less than10(exp 8)M(sub 0) is driven by a set of dwarf galaxies that have low gas fractions and SSFRs; some of these are dE/dSphs in the Virgo Cluster. The imposition of an upper Hi mass limit yields the selection of a sample with lower gas fractions for their M* than found for the overall ALFALFA population. Many of the ALFALFA dwarfs, particularly the Virgo members, have H i depletion timescales shorter than a Hubble time. An examination of the dwarf galaxies within the full ALFALFA population in the context of global star formation (SF) laws is consistent with the general assumptions that gas-rich galaxies have lower SF efficiencies than do optically selected populations and that Hi disks are more extended than stellar ones.

  6. Abundance ratios in dwarf elliptical galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Şen, Ş.; Peletier, R. F.; Boselli, A.; den Brok, M.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Hensler, G.; Janz, J.; Laurikainen, E.; Lisker, T.; Mentz, J. J.; Paudel, S.; Salo, H.; Sybilska, A.; Toloba, E.; van de Ven, G.; Vazdekis, A.; Yesilyaprak, C.

    2018-04-01

    We determine abundance ratios of 37 dwarf ellipticals (dEs) in the nearby Virgo cluster. This sample is representative of the early-type population of galaxies in the absolute magnitude range -19.0 originate from late-type dwarfs or small spirals. Na-yields appear to be very metal-dependent, in agreement with studies of giant ellipticals, probably due to the large dependence on the neutron-excess in stars. We conclude that dEs have undergone a considerable amount of chemical evolution, they are therefore not uniformly old, but have extended SFH, similar to many of the Local Group galaxies.

  7. Exploring the making of a galactic wind in the starbursting dwarf irregular galaxy IC 10 with LOFAR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heesen, V.; Rafferty, D. A.; Horneffer, A.; Beck, R.; Basu, A.; Westcott, J.; Hindson, L.; Brinks, E.; ChyŻy, K. T.; Scaife, A. M. M.; Brüggen, M.; Heald, G.; Fletcher, A.; Horellou, C.; Tabatabaei, F. S.; Paladino, R.; Nikiel-Wroczyński, B.; Hoeft, M.; Dettmar, R.-J.

    2018-05-01

    Low-mass galaxies are subject to strong galactic outflows, in which cosmic rays may play an important role; they can be best traced with low-frequency radio continuum observations, which are less affected by spectral ageing. We present a study of the nearby starburst dwarf irregular galaxy IC 10 using observations at 140 MHz with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), at 1580 MHz with the Very Large Array (VLA), and at 6200 MHz with the VLA and the 100-m Effelsberg telescope. We find that IC 10 has a low-frequency radio halo, which manifests itself as a second component (thick disc) in the minor axis profiles of the non-thermal radio continuum emission at 140 and 1580 MHz. These profiles are then fitted with 1D cosmic ray transport models for pure diffusion and advection. We find that a diffusion model fits best, with a diffusion coefficient of D = (0.4-0.8) × 1026(E/GeV)0.5 cm2 s-1, which is at least an order of magnitude smaller than estimates both from anisotropic diffusion and the diffusion length. In contrast, advection models, which cannot be ruled out due to the mild inclination, while providing poorer fits, result in advection speeds close to the escape velocity of ≈ 50 km s- 1, as expected for a cosmic ray-driven wind. Our favoured model with an accelerating wind provides a self-consistent solution, where the magnetic field is in energy equipartition with both the warm neutral and warm ionized medium with an important contribution from cosmic rays. Consequently, cosmic rays can play a vital role for the launching of galactic winds in the disc-halo interface.

  8. Kinematics and stellar populations of 17 dwarf early-type galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Thomas, D.; Bender, R.; Hopp, U.; Maraston, C.; Greggio, L.

    2002-01-01

    We present kinematics and stellar population properties of 17 dwarf early-type galaxies in the luminosity range -14> M_B> -19. Our sample fills the gap between the intensively studied giant elliptical and Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The dwarf ellipticals of the present sample have constant velocity dispersion profiles within their effective radii and do not show significant rotation, hence are clearly anisotropic. The dwarf lenticulars, instead, rotate faster and are, at least part...

  9. Star formation histories of irregular galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallagher, J.S. III; Hunter, D.A.; Tutukov, A.V.

    1984-01-01

    We explore the star formation histories of a selection of irregular and spiral galaxies by using three parameters that sample the star formation rate (SFR) at different epochs: (1) the mass of a galaxy in the form of stars measures the SFR integrated over a galaxy's lifetime; (2) the blue luminosity is dominated primarily by stars formed over the past few billion years; and (3) Lyman continuum photon fluxes derived from Hα luminosities give the current ( 8 yr) SFR

  10. ON THE STAR FORMATION LAW FOR SPIRAL AND IRREGULAR GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elmegreen, Bruce G., E-mail: bge@us.ibm.com [IBM Research Division, T.J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States)

    2015-12-01

    A dynamical model for star formation on a galactic scale is proposed in which the interstellar medium is constantly condensing to star-forming clouds on the dynamical time of the average midplane density, and the clouds are constantly being disrupted on the dynamical timescale appropriate for their higher density. In this model, the areal star formation rate scales with the 1.5 power of the total gas column density throughout the main regions of spiral galaxies, and with a steeper power, 2, in the far outer regions and in dwarf irregular galaxies because of the flaring disks. At the same time, there is a molecular star formation law that is linear in the main and outer parts of disks and in dIrrs because the duration of individual structures in the molecular phase is also the dynamical timescale, canceling the additional 0.5 power of surface density. The total gas consumption time scales directly with the midplane dynamical time, quenching star formation in the inner regions if there is no accretion, and sustaining star formation for ∼100 Gyr or more in the outer regions with no qualitative change in gas stability or molecular cloud properties. The ULIRG track follows from high densities in galaxy collisions.

  11. Chemical Abundances of Metal-poor stars in Dwarf Galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Venn, Kim A.; Jablonka, Pascale; Hill, Vanessa; Starkenburg, Else; Lemasle, Bertrand; Shetrone, Matthew; Irwin, Mike; Norris, John; Yong, David; Gilmore, Gerry; Salvadori, Stephania; Skuladottir, Asa; Tolstoy, Eline; Bragaglia, A.; Arnaboldi, M.; Rejkuba, M.; Romano, D.

    2016-01-01

    Stars in low-mass dwarf galaxies show a larger range in their chemical properties than those in the Milky Way halo. The slower star formation efficiency make dwarf galaxies ideal systems for testing nucleosynthetic yields. Not only are alpha-poor stars found at lower metallicities, and a higher

  12. Dwarf Spheroidal Satellite Formation in a Reionized Local Group

    OpenAIRE

    Milosavljevic, Milos; Bromm, Volker

    2013-01-01

    Dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies have emerged a powerful probe of small-scale dark matter clustering and of cosmic reionization. They exhibit structural and chemical continuity with dwarf irregular galaxies in the field and with spheroidal galaxies in high-density environments. By combining empirical constraints derived for star formation at low gas column densities and metallicities in the local universe with a model for dark matter and baryonic mass assembly, we provide an analytical des...

  13. The star formation histories of local group dwarf galaxies. I. Hubble space telescope/wide field planetary camera 2 observations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weisz, Daniel R.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Skillman, Evan D.; Holtzman, Jon; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Williams, Benjamin F.

    2014-01-01

    We present uniformly measured star formation histories (SFHs) of 40 Local Group (LG) dwarf galaxies based on color-magnitude diagram (CMD) analysis from archival Hubble Space Telescope imaging. We demonstrate that accurate SFHs can be recovered from CMDs that do not reach the oldest main sequence turn-off (MSTO), but emphasize that the oldest MSTO is critical for precisely constraining the earliest epochs of star formation. We find that: (1) the average lifetime SFHs of dwarf spheroidals (dSphs) can be approximated by an exponentially declining SFH with τ ∼ 5 Gyr; (2) lower luminosity dSphs are less likely to have extended SFHs than more luminous dSphs; (3) the average SFHs of dwarf irregulars (dIrrs), transition dwarfs, and dwarf ellipticals can be approximated by the combination of an exponentially declining SFH (τ ∼ 3-4 Gyr) for lookback ages >10-12 Gyr ago and a constant SFH thereafter; (4) the observed fraction of stellar mass formed prior to z = 2 ranges considerably (80% for galaxies with M < 10 5 M ☉ to 30% for galaxies with M > 10 7 M ☉ ) and is largely explained by environment; (5) the distinction between 'ultra-faint' and 'classical' dSphs is arbitrary; (6) LG dIrrs formed a significantly higher fraction of stellar mass prior to z = 2 than the Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies from Leitner and the SFHs from the abundance matching models of Behroozi et al. This may indicate higher than expected star formation efficiencies at early times in low mass galaxies. Finally, we provide all the SFHs in tabulated electronic format for use by the community.

  14. The star formation histories of local group dwarf galaxies. I. Hubble space telescope/wide field planetary camera 2 observations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weisz, Daniel R. [Department of Astronomy, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 East Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Holtzman, Jon [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Box 30001, 1320 Frenger Street, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Gilbert, Karoline M.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Williams, Benjamin F., E-mail: drw@ucsc.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)

    2014-07-10

    We present uniformly measured star formation histories (SFHs) of 40 Local Group (LG) dwarf galaxies based on color-magnitude diagram (CMD) analysis from archival Hubble Space Telescope imaging. We demonstrate that accurate SFHs can be recovered from CMDs that do not reach the oldest main sequence turn-off (MSTO), but emphasize that the oldest MSTO is critical for precisely constraining the earliest epochs of star formation. We find that: (1) the average lifetime SFHs of dwarf spheroidals (dSphs) can be approximated by an exponentially declining SFH with τ ∼ 5 Gyr; (2) lower luminosity dSphs are less likely to have extended SFHs than more luminous dSphs; (3) the average SFHs of dwarf irregulars (dIrrs), transition dwarfs, and dwarf ellipticals can be approximated by the combination of an exponentially declining SFH (τ ∼ 3-4 Gyr) for lookback ages >10-12 Gyr ago and a constant SFH thereafter; (4) the observed fraction of stellar mass formed prior to z = 2 ranges considerably (80% for galaxies with M < 10{sup 5} M{sub ☉} to 30% for galaxies with M > 10{sup 7} M{sub ☉}) and is largely explained by environment; (5) the distinction between 'ultra-faint' and 'classical' dSphs is arbitrary; (6) LG dIrrs formed a significantly higher fraction of stellar mass prior to z = 2 than the Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies from Leitner and the SFHs from the abundance matching models of Behroozi et al. This may indicate higher than expected star formation efficiencies at early times in low mass galaxies. Finally, we provide all the SFHs in tabulated electronic format for use by the community.

  15. Alfalfa discovery of the nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxy Leo P. IV. Distance measurement from LBT optical imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Berg, Danielle [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, 116 Church Street, S.E., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Cannon, John M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Salzer, John J.; Rhode, Katherine L. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Adams, Elizabeth A. K.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha P. [Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: skillman@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: berg@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: jcannon@macalester.edu, E-mail: rhode@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: slaz@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: betsey@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: riccardo@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: haynes@astro.cornell.edu [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States)

    2013-12-01

    Leo P is a low-luminosity dwarf galaxy discovered through the blind H I Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey. The H I and follow-up optical observations have shown that Leo P is a gas-rich dwarf galaxy with both active star formation and an underlying older population, as well as an extremely low oxygen abundance. Here, we measure the distance to Leo P by applying the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distance method to photometry of the resolved stellar population from new Large Binocular Telescope V and I band imaging. We measure a distance modulus of 26.19{sub −0.50}{sup +0.17} mag corresponding to a distance of 1.72{sub −0.40}{sup +0.14} Mpc. Although our photometry reaches 3 mag below the TRGB, the sparseness of the red giant branch yields higher uncertainties on the lower limit of the distance. Leo P is outside the Local Group with a distance and velocity consistent with the local Hubble flow. While located in a very low-density environment, Leo P lies within ∼0.5 Mpc of a loose association of dwarf galaxies which include NGC 3109, Antlia, Sextans A, and Sextans B, and 1.1 Mpc away from its next nearest neighbor, Leo A. Leo P is one of the lowest metallicity star-forming galaxies known in the nearby universe, comparable in metallicity to I Zw 18 and DDO 68, but with stellar characteristics similar to dwarf spheriodals (dSphs) in the Local Volume such as Carina, Sextans, and Leo II. Given its physical properties and isolation, Leo P may provide an evolutionary link between gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxies and dSphs that have fallen into a Local Group environment and been stripped of their gas.

  16. Dwarf galaxies : Important clues to galaxy formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tolstoy, E

    2003-01-01

    The smallest dwarf galaxies are the most straight forward objects in which to study star formation processes on a galactic scale. They are typically single cell star forming entities, and as small potentials in orbit around a much larger one they are unlikely to accrete much (if any) extraneous

  17. GAS, STARS, AND STAR FORMATION IN ALFALFA DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang Shan; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo [Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Brinchmann, Jarle [Sterrewacht Leiden, Leiden University, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Stierwalt, Sabrina [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Neff, Susan G., E-mail: shan@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: haynes@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: riccardo@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: jarle@strw.leidenuniv.nl, E-mail: sabrina@ipac.caltech.edu, E-mail: susan.g.neff@nasa.gov [NASA GSFC, Code 665, Observational Cosmology Lab, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

    2012-06-15

    We examine the global properties of the stellar and H I components of 229 low H I mass dwarf galaxies extracted from the ALFALFA survey, including a complete sample of 176 galaxies with H I masses <10{sup 7.7} M{sub Sun} and H I line widths <80 km s{sup -1}. Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data are combined with photometric properties derived from Galaxy Evolution Explorer to derive stellar masses (M{sub *}) and star formation rates (SFRs) by fitting their UV-optical spectral energy distributions (SEDs). In optical images, many of the ALFALFA dwarfs are faint and of low surface brightness; only 56% of those within the SDSS footprint have a counterpart in the SDSS spectroscopic survey. A large fraction of the dwarfs have high specific star formation rates (SSFRs), and estimates of their SFRs and M{sub *} obtained by SED fitting are systematically smaller than ones derived via standard formulae assuming a constant SFR. The increased dispersion of the SSFR distribution at M{sub *} {approx}< 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun} is driven by a set of dwarf galaxies that have low gas fractions and SSFRs; some of these are dE/dSphs in the Virgo Cluster. The imposition of an upper H I mass limit yields the selection of a sample with lower gas fractions for their M{sub *} than found for the overall ALFALFA population. Many of the ALFALFA dwarfs, particularly the Virgo members, have H I depletion timescales shorter than a Hubble time. An examination of the dwarf galaxies within the full ALFALFA population in the context of global star formation (SF) laws is consistent with the general assumptions that gas-rich galaxies have lower SF efficiencies than do optically selected populations and that H I disks are more extended than stellar ones.

  18. GAS, STARS, AND STAR FORMATION IN ALFALFA DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Shan; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Brinchmann, Jarle; Stierwalt, Sabrina; Neff, Susan G.

    2012-01-01

    We examine the global properties of the stellar and H I components of 229 low H I mass dwarf galaxies extracted from the ALFALFA survey, including a complete sample of 176 galaxies with H I masses 7.7 M ☉ and H I line widths –1 . Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data are combined with photometric properties derived from Galaxy Evolution Explorer to derive stellar masses (M * ) and star formation rates (SFRs) by fitting their UV-optical spectral energy distributions (SEDs). In optical images, many of the ALFALFA dwarfs are faint and of low surface brightness; only 56% of those within the SDSS footprint have a counterpart in the SDSS spectroscopic survey. A large fraction of the dwarfs have high specific star formation rates (SSFRs), and estimates of their SFRs and M * obtained by SED fitting are systematically smaller than ones derived via standard formulae assuming a constant SFR. The increased dispersion of the SSFR distribution at M * ∼ 8 M ☉ is driven by a set of dwarf galaxies that have low gas fractions and SSFRs; some of these are dE/dSphs in the Virgo Cluster. The imposition of an upper H I mass limit yields the selection of a sample with lower gas fractions for their M * than found for the overall ALFALFA population. Many of the ALFALFA dwarfs, particularly the Virgo members, have H I depletion timescales shorter than a Hubble time. An examination of the dwarf galaxies within the full ALFALFA population in the context of global star formation (SF) laws is consistent with the general assumptions that gas-rich galaxies have lower SF efficiencies than do optically selected populations and that H I disks are more extended than stellar ones.

  19. Gas-rich dwarfs and accretion phenomena in early-type galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silk, J.; Norman, C.

    1979-01-01

    Recent constraints on intergalactic H I clouds suggest that allowable accretion rates by several luminous early-type galaxies are too low to account for their observed H I content. We have therefore developed an alternative model, wherein gas-rich dwarf galaxies are accreted into galactic halos. This process is significant in groups of galaxies only when a sufficiently high density of gas-rich dwarfs (approx.30 Mpc -3 ) is present. The dwarf galaxy gas content plays a crucial role in enabling the galaxy to be trapped in the halo by interaction with a galactic wind or extensive gaseous corona. Gas stripping occurs, resulting in the formation of dwarf spheroidal systems that populate the outer halos of massive galaxies and in the injection of a system of clouds into the halo. If the clouds are initially confined by the pressure of the ambient halo medium, dissipation and continuing infall enable the clouds to accrete into the central regions of galaxies before becoming gravitationally unstable and presumably forming stars. Consequences of this scenario include the production of a radial abundance gradient and infall of adequate amounts of neutral gas to account for the observations of H I in early-type galaxies. This gas accretion rate is also sufficient to feed active nuclei and radio sources. An important cosmological implication of our model is that, because the characteristic time scale of a gas-rich dwarf galaxy to be accreted and lose its gas is comparable to a Hubble time, there many have been a far more extensive primordial distribution of such systems at earlier epochs. This implies that accretion rates were greatly enhanced at relatively recent epochs (z> or approx. =0.5) and could account both for the rapid cosmological evolution inferred for radio galaxies and quasars, and for the observed frequency of occurrence of quasar absorption-line systems

  20. DWARF GALAXIES AND THE COSMIC WEB

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benítez-Llambay, Alejandro; Abadi, Mario G.; Navarro, Julio F.; Gottlöber, Stefan; Steinmetz, Matthias; Yepes, Gustavo; Hoffman, Yehuda

    2013-01-01

    We use a cosmological simulation of the formation of the Local Group of Galaxies to identify a mechanism that enables the removal of baryons from low-mass halos without appealing to feedback or reionization. As the Local Group forms, matter bound to it develops a network of filaments and pancakes. This moving web of gas and dark matter drifts and sweeps a large volume, overtaking many halos in the process. The dark matter content of these halos is unaffected but their gas can be efficiently removed by ram pressure. The loss of gas is especially pronounced in low-mass halos due to their lower binding energy and has a dramatic effect on the star formation history of affected systems. This 'cosmic web stripping' may help to explain the scarcity of dwarf galaxies compared with the numerous low-mass halos expected in ΛCDM and the large diversity of star formation histories and morphologies characteristic of faint galaxies. Although our results are based on a single high-resolution simulation, it is likely that the hydrodynamical interaction of dwarf galaxies with the cosmic web is a crucial ingredient so far missing from galaxy formation models.

  1. Dwarf Galaxies and the Cosmic Web

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benítez-Llambay, Alejandro; Navarro, Julio F.; Abadi, Mario G.; Gottlöber, Stefan; Yepes, Gustavo; Hoffman, Yehuda; Steinmetz, Matthias

    2013-02-01

    We use a cosmological simulation of the formation of the Local Group of Galaxies to identify a mechanism that enables the removal of baryons from low-mass halos without appealing to feedback or reionization. As the Local Group forms, matter bound to it develops a network of filaments and pancakes. This moving web of gas and dark matter drifts and sweeps a large volume, overtaking many halos in the process. The dark matter content of these halos is unaffected but their gas can be efficiently removed by ram pressure. The loss of gas is especially pronounced in low-mass halos due to their lower binding energy and has a dramatic effect on the star formation history of affected systems. This "cosmic web stripping" may help to explain the scarcity of dwarf galaxies compared with the numerous low-mass halos expected in ΛCDM and the large diversity of star formation histories and morphologies characteristic of faint galaxies. Although our results are based on a single high-resolution simulation, it is likely that the hydrodynamical interaction of dwarf galaxies with the cosmic web is a crucial ingredient so far missing from galaxy formation models.

  2. DWARF GALAXIES AND THE COSMIC WEB

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Benitez-Llambay, Alejandro; Abadi, Mario G. [Observatorio Astronomico, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Cordoba X5000BGR (Argentina); Navarro, Julio F. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2 (Canada); Gottloeber, Stefan; Steinmetz, Matthias [Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics, An der Sternwarte 16, D-14482 Potsdam (Germany); Yepes, Gustavo [Departamento de Fisica Teorica, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Hoffman, Yehuda [Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel)

    2013-02-01

    We use a cosmological simulation of the formation of the Local Group of Galaxies to identify a mechanism that enables the removal of baryons from low-mass halos without appealing to feedback or reionization. As the Local Group forms, matter bound to it develops a network of filaments and pancakes. This moving web of gas and dark matter drifts and sweeps a large volume, overtaking many halos in the process. The dark matter content of these halos is unaffected but their gas can be efficiently removed by ram pressure. The loss of gas is especially pronounced in low-mass halos due to their lower binding energy and has a dramatic effect on the star formation history of affected systems. This 'cosmic web stripping' may help to explain the scarcity of dwarf galaxies compared with the numerous low-mass halos expected in {Lambda}CDM and the large diversity of star formation histories and morphologies characteristic of faint galaxies. Although our results are based on a single high-resolution simulation, it is likely that the hydrodynamical interaction of dwarf galaxies with the cosmic web is a crucial ingredient so far missing from galaxy formation models.

  3. Star Formation History of Dwarf Galaxies in Cosmological Hydrodynamic Simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kentaro Nagamine

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available We examine the past and current work on the star formation (SF histories of dwarf galaxies in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. The results obtained from different numerical methods are still somewhat mixed, but the differences are understandable if we consider the numerical and resolution effects. It remains a challenge to simulate the episodic nature of SF history in dwarf galaxies at late times within the cosmological context of a cold dark matter model. More work is needed to solve the mysteries of SF history of dwarf galaxies employing large-scale hydrodynamic simulations on the next generation of supercomputers.

  4. Kinematic properties and dark matter fraction of Virgo dwarf early-type galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toloba, E.; Boselli, A.; Peletier, R.; Gorgas, J.

    2012-01-01

    What happens to dwarf galaxies as they enter the cluster potential well is one of the main unknowns in studies of galaxy evolution. Several evidence suggests that late-type galaxies enter the cluster and are transformed to dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs). We study the Virgo cluster to understand

  5. Abundances as Tracers of the Formation and Evolution of (Dwarf) Galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Tolstoy, Eline

    2004-01-01

    This aims to be an overview of what detailed observations of individual stars in nearby dwarf galaxies may teach us about galaxy evolution. This includes some early results from the DART (Dwarf Abundances and Radial velocity Team) Large Programme at ESO. This project has used 2.2m/WFI and VLT/FLAMES to obtain spectra of large samples of individual stars in nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies and determine accurate abundances and kinematics. These results can be used to trace the formation and ev...

  6. The Andromeda Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Armandroff, Taft E.; Da Costa, Gary S.

    1998-01-01

    Our current knowledge of M31's dwarf spheroidal companions is reviewed. Two topics of recent interest constitute the bulk of this review. First, color-magnitude diagrams reaching below the horizontal branch have been constructed for two M31 dwarf spheroidals based on images from HST/WFPC2. The horizontal branches are predominantly red in both galaxies, redder than expected for their metallicity based on Galactic globular clusters. Thus, the second parameter effect is seen in the M31 halo. Sec...

  7. Halo carbon stars associated with dwarf spheroidal galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Van Den Bergh, S.; Lafontaine, A.

    1984-11-01

    Star counts have been performed for rings centered on the carbon star at 1 69 degrees, b + 55 degrees at a distance of 60 kpc. The counts were performed in order to determine whether halo carbon stars might be situated in dwarf spheroidal galaxies which are too star-poor to have been recognized as galaxies. The counts were made on a IIIa-J plate baked in forming gas that was exposed for 40 minutes through a 2C filter with the Palomar 1.2-m Schmidt telescope. It is shown that the carbon star is not situated in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy brighter than M(V) 5.7.

  8. Star Formation in Dwarf Galaxies: Life in a Rough Neighborhood

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murray, S

    2003-10-16

    Star formation within dwarf galaxies is governed by several factors. Many of these factors are external, including ram-pressure stripping, tidal stripping, and heating by external UV radiation. The latter, in particular, may prevent star formation in the smallest systems. Internal factors include negative feedback in the form of UV radiation, winds and supernovae from massive stars. These act to reduce the star formation efficiency within dwarf systems, which may, in turn, solve several theoretical and observational problems associated with galaxy formation. In this contribution, we discuss our recent work being done to examine the importance of the many factors in the evolution of dwarf galaxies.

  9. Metals and ionizing photons from dwarf galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salvadori, S.; Tolstoy, E.; Ferrara, A.; Zaroubi, S.

    We estimate the potential contribution of M <10(9)M(circle dot) dwarf galaxies to the reionization and early metal enrichment of the Milky Way environment, or circum-Galactic medium. Our approach is to use the observed properties of ancient stars ()under tilde>12 Gyr old) measured in nearby dwarf

  10. HOW TO MAKE AN ULTRA-FAINT DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY: TIDAL STIRRING OF DISKY DWARFS WITH SHALLOW DARK MATTER DENSITY PROFILES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Łokas, Ewa L.; Kazantzidis, Stelios; Mayer, Lucio

    2012-01-01

    In recent years the Sloan Digital Sky Survey has unraveled a new population of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) whose origin remains a puzzle in the vicinity of the Milky Way (MW). Using a suite of collisionless N-body simulations, we investigate the formation of UFDs in the context of the tidal stirring model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group (LG). Our simulations are designed to reproduce the tidal interactions between MW-sized host galaxies and rotationally supported dwarfs embedded in 10 9 M ☉ dark matter (DM) halos. We explore a variety of inner density slopes ρ∝r –α for the dwarf DM halos, ranging from core-like (α = 0.2) to cuspy (α = 1), and different dwarf orbital configurations. Our experiments demonstrate that UFDs can be produced via tidal stirring of disky dwarfs on relatively tight orbits, consistent with a redshift of accretion by the host galaxy of z ∼ 1, and with intermediate values for the halo inner density slopes (ρ∝r –0.6 ). The inferred slopes are in excellent agreement with those resulting from both the modeling of the rotation curves of dwarf galaxies and recent cosmological simulations of dwarf galaxy formation. Comparing the properties of observed UFDs with those of their simulated counterparts, we find remarkable similarities in terms of basic observational parameters. We conclude that tidal stirring of rotationally supported dwarfs represents a viable mechanism for the formation of UFDs in the LG environment.

  11. Dwarf galaxies in the coma cluster: Star formation properties and evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammer, Derek M.

    The infall regions of galaxy clusters are unique laboratories for studying the impact of environment on galaxy evolution. This intermediate region links the low-density field environment and the dense core of the cluster, and is thought to host recently accreted galaxies whose star formation is being quenched by external processes associated with the cluster. In this dissertation, we measure the star formation properties of galaxies at the infall region of the nearby rich cluster of galaxies, Coma. We rely primarily on Ultraviolet (UV) data owing to its sensitivity to recent star formation and we place more emphasis on the properties of dwarf galaxies. Dwarf galaxies are good tracers of external processes in clusters but their evolution is poorly constrained as they are intrinsically faint and hence more challenging to detect. We make use of deep GALEX far-UV and near-UV observations at the infall region of the Coma cluster. This area of the cluster has supporting photometric coverage at optical and IR wavelengths in addition to optical spectroscopic data that includes deep redshift coverage of dwarf galaxies in Coma. Our GALEX observations were the deepest exposures taken for a local galaxy cluster. The depth of these images required alternative data analysis techniques to overcome systematic effects that limit the default GALEX pipeline analysis. Specifically, we used a deblending method that improved detection efficiency by a factor of ˜2 and allowed reliable photometry a few magnitudes deeper than the pipeline catalog. We performed deep measurements of the total UV galaxy counts in our field that were used to measure the source confusion limit for crowded GALEX fields. The star formation properties of Coma members were studied for galaxies that span from starbursts to passive galaxies. Star-forming galaxies in Coma tend to have lower specific star formation rates, on average, as compared to field galaxies. We show that the majority of these galaxies are likely

  12. Gas-rich dwarfs and accretion phenomena in early-type galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silk, J.; Norman, C.

    1979-01-01

    An analysis is presented of the combined effects of cloud accretion and galactic winds and coronae. An accretion model is developed wherein gas-rich dwarf galaxies are accreted into galactic halos, which provides an adequate source of H I to account for observations of neutral gas in early-type galaxies. Accretion is found to fuel the wind, thereby regulating the accretion flow and yielding a time-dependent model for star formation, enrichment, and nuclear activity. The permissible parameter range for intergalactic gas clouds and galaxy groups is discussed, along with the frequency of gas-rich dwarfs and their large ratios of gas mass to luminosity. Also considered is the occurrence of gas stripping and the consequent formation of dwarf spheroidal systems that remain in the halo, and gas clouds that dissipate and suffer further infall. A cosmological implication of the model is that, because the characteristic time scale of a gas-rich dwarf galaxy to be accreted and lose its gas is comparable to a Hubble time, there may have been a far more extensive primordial distribution of such systems at earlier epochs.

  13. An Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in the Dwarf Seyfert 1 Galaxy POX 52

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, A.; Ho, L.; Sargent, W.

    2004-06-01

    We describe new observations of POX 52, a previously known but nearly forgotten example of a dwarf galaxy with an active nucleus. While POX 52 was originally thought to be a Seyfert 2 galaxy, the new data reveal an emission-line spectrum very similar to that of the dwarf Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4395, with clear broad components to the permitted line profiles. The host galaxy appears to be a dwarf elliptical; this is the only known case of a Seyfert nucleus in a galaxy of this type. Applying scaling relations to estimate the black hole mass from the broad Hβ linewidth and continuum luminosity, we find MBH ≈ 1.6×105 M⊙. The stellar velocity dispersion in the host galaxy is 36 km s-1, also suggestive of a black hole mass of order 105 M⊙. Further searches for AGNs in dwarf galaxies can provide crucial constraints on the demographics of black holes in the mass range below 106 M⊙.

  14. DETERMINING THE LARGE-SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL DEPENDENCE OF GAS-PHASE METALLICITY IN DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Douglass, Kelly A.; Vogeley, Michael S.

    2017-01-01

    We study how the cosmic environment affects galaxy evolution in the universe by comparing the metallicities of dwarf galaxies in voids with dwarf galaxies in more dense regions. Ratios of the fluxes of emission lines, particularly those of the forbidden [O iii] and [S ii] transitions, provide estimates of a region’s electron temperature and number density. From these two quantities and the emission line fluxes [O ii] λ 3727, [O iii] λ 4363, and [O iii] λλ 4959, 5007, we estimate the abundance of oxygen with the direct T e  method. We estimate the metallicity of 42 blue, star-forming void dwarf galaxies and 89 blue, star-forming dwarf galaxies in more dense regions using spectroscopic observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, as reprocessed in the MPA-JHU value-added catalog. We find very little difference between the two sets of galaxies, indicating little influence from the large-scale environment on their chemical evolution. Of particular interest are a number of extremely metal-poor dwarf galaxies that are less prevalent in voids than in the denser regions.

  15. Carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars in dwarf galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salvadori, Stefania; Skúladóttir, Ása; Tolstoy, Eline

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the frequency and origin of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars in Local Group dwarf galaxies by means of a statistical, data-calibrated cosmological model for the hierarchical build-up of the Milky Way and its dwarf satellites. The model self-consistently explains the variation

  16. Chemical analysis of the Fornax Dwarf galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Letarte, Bruno

    2007-01-01

    This thesis is entitled “Chemical Analysis of the Fornax Dwarf Galaxy”, and it’s main goal is to determine what are the chemical elements present in the stars of this galaxy in order to try and understand it’s evolution. Galaxies are not “static” objects, they move, form stars and can interact with

  17. Galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    The size and nature of any large-scale anisotropy in the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies is still little understood. Recent studies have indicated that large fluctuations in the matter distribution on a scale from tens up to several hundreds of megaparsecs may exist. Work at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in recent years has made major contributions to studies of the large scale distribution of galaxies, as well as to solving the problems of the galactic and extragalactic distance scale. Other studies of galaxies undertaken at SAAO include: quasars in the fields of nearby galaxies; dwarf irregular galaxies; IRAS galaxies; Seyfert galaxies; 'hot spot' galaxies; supernovae in NGC 5128 and NGC 1559 and superclusters. 4 figs

  18. The hELENa project - II. Abundance distribution trends of early-type galaxies: from dwarfs to giants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sybilska, A.; Kuntschner, H.; van de Ven, G.; Vazdekis, A.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Peletier, R. F.; Lisker, T.

    2018-06-01

    In this second paper of The role of Environment in shaping Low-mass Early-type Nearby galaxies (hELENa) series we study [Mg/Fe] abundance distribution trends of early-type galaxies (ETGs) observed with the Spectrographic Areal Unit for Research on Optical Nebulae integral field unit, spanning a wide range in mass and local environment densities: 20 low-mass early types (dEs) of Sybilska et al. and 258 massive early types (ETGs) of the ATLAS3D project, all homogeneously reduced and analysed. We show that the [Mg/Fe] ratios scale with velocity dispersion (σ) at fixed [Fe/H] and that they evolve with [Fe/H] along similar paths for all early types, grouped in bins of increasing local and global σ, as well as the second velocity moment Vrms, indicating a common inside-out formation pattern. We then place our dEs on the [Mg/Fe] versus [Fe/H] diagram of Local Group galaxies and show that dEs occupy the same region and show a similar trend line slope in the diagram as the high-metallicity stars of the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud. This finding extends the similar trend found for dwarf spheroidal versus dwarf irregular galaxies and supports the notion that dEs have evolved from late-type galaxies that have lost their gas at a point of their evolution, which likely coincided with them entering denser environments.

  19. Bulgeless dwarf galaxies and dark matter cores from supernova-driven outflows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Governato, F; Brook, C; Mayer, L; Brooks, A; Rhee, G; Wadsley, J; Jonsson, P; Willman, B; Stinson, G; Quinn, T; Madau, P

    2010-01-14

    For almost two decades the properties of 'dwarf' galaxies have challenged the cold dark matter (CDM) model of galaxy formation. Most observed dwarf galaxies consist of a rotating stellar disk embedded in a massive dark-matter halo with a near-constant-density core. Models based on the dominance of CDM, however, invariably form galaxies with dense spheroidal stellar bulges and steep central dark-matter profiles, because low-angular-momentum baryons and dark matter sink to the centres of galaxies through accretion and repeated mergers. Processes that decrease the central density of CDM halos have been identified, but have not yet reconciled theory with observations of present-day dwarfs. This failure is potentially catastrophic for the CDM model, possibly requiring a different dark-matter particle candidate. Here we report hydrodynamical simulations (in a framework assuming the presence of CDM and a cosmological constant) in which the inhomogeneous interstellar medium is resolved. Strong outflows from supernovae remove low-angular-momentum gas, which inhibits the formation of bulges and decreases the dark-matter density to less than half of what it would otherwise be within the central kiloparsec. The analogues of dwarf galaxies-bulgeless and with shallow central dark-matter profiles-arise naturally in these simulations.

  20. The dwarf spheroidal galaxies around the milky way

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tolstoy, E.; Battaglia, G.; Helmi, A.; Irwin, M. J.; Hill, V.; Vallenari, A; Tantalo, R; Portinari, L; Moretti, A

    2007-01-01

    We review the progress of ESO/WFI Imaging and VLT/FLAMES spectroscopy of large numbers of individual stars in nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies by the Dwarf Abundances and Radial-velocities Team (DART). These observations have allowed us to show that neither the kinematics nor the abundance nor the

  1. HOW THE FIRST STARS SHAPED THE FAINTEST GAS-DOMINATED DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verbeke, R.; Vandenbroucke, B.; Rijcke, S. De

    2015-01-01

    Low-mass dwarf galaxies are very sensitive test-beds for theories of cosmic structure formation since their weak gravitational fields allow the effects of the relevant physical processes to clearly stand out. Up to now, no unified account has existed of the sometimes seemingly conflicting properties of the faintest isolated dwarfs in and around the Local Group, such as Leo T and the recently discovered Leo P and Pisces A systems. Using new numerical simulations, we show that this serious challenge to our understanding of galaxy formation can be effectively resolved by taking into account the regulating influence of the ultraviolet radiation of the first population of stars on a dwarf’s star formation rate while otherwise staying within the standard cosmological paradigm for structure formation. These simulations produce faint, gas-dominated, star-forming dwarf galaxies that lie on the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation and that successfully reproduce a broad range of chemical, kinematical, and structural observables of real late-type dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we stress the importance of obtaining properties of simulated galaxies in a manner as close as possible to the typically employed observational techniques

  2. HOW THE FIRST STARS SHAPED THE FAINTEST GAS-DOMINATED DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verbeke, R.; Vandenbroucke, B.; Rijcke, S. De, E-mail: robbert.verbeke@UGent.be [Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S9, 9000 Gent (Belgium)

    2015-12-20

    Low-mass dwarf galaxies are very sensitive test-beds for theories of cosmic structure formation since their weak gravitational fields allow the effects of the relevant physical processes to clearly stand out. Up to now, no unified account has existed of the sometimes seemingly conflicting properties of the faintest isolated dwarfs in and around the Local Group, such as Leo T and the recently discovered Leo P and Pisces A systems. Using new numerical simulations, we show that this serious challenge to our understanding of galaxy formation can be effectively resolved by taking into account the regulating influence of the ultraviolet radiation of the first population of stars on a dwarf’s star formation rate while otherwise staying within the standard cosmological paradigm for structure formation. These simulations produce faint, gas-dominated, star-forming dwarf galaxies that lie on the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation and that successfully reproduce a broad range of chemical, kinematical, and structural observables of real late-type dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we stress the importance of obtaining properties of simulated galaxies in a manner as close as possible to the typically employed observational techniques.

  3. Detailed Studies of the Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy in the Milky Way halo

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tolstoy, Eline

    In and around the Milky Way halo there are a number of low mass low luminosity dwarf galaxies. Several of these systems have been studied in great detail. I describe recent photometric and spectroscopic studies of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy made as part of the DART survey of nearby dwarf

  4. Understanding r-process nucleosynthesis with dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Alexander P.

    2018-06-01

    The Milky Way's faintest dwarf galaxy satellites each sample short, independent bursts of star formation from the first 1-2 Gyr of the universe. Their simple formation history makes them ideal systems to understand how rare events like neutron star mergers contribute to early enrichment of r-process elements. I will focus on the ultra-faint galaxy Reticulum II, which experienced a single prolific r-process event that left ~80% of its stars extremely enriched in r-process elements. I will present abundances of ~40 elements derived from the highest signal-to-noise high-resolution spectrum ever taken for an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy star. Precise measurements of elements from all three r-process peaks reaffirm the universal nature of the r-process abundance pattern from Ba to Ir. The first r-process peak is significantly lower than solar but matches other r-process enhanced stars. This constrains the neutron-richness of r-process ejecta in neutron star mergers. The radioactive element thorium is detected with a somewhat low abundance. Naive application of currently predicted initial production ratios could imply an age >20 Gyr, but more likely indicates that the initial production ratios require revision. The abundance of lighter elements up to Zn are consistent with extremely metal-poor Milky Way halo stars. These elements may eventually provide a way to test for other hypothesized r-process sites, but only after a more detailed understanding of the chemical evolution in this galaxy. Reticulum II provides a clean view of early r-process enrichment that can be used to understand the increasing number of r-process measurements in other dwarf galaxies.

  5. Suites of dwarfs around Nearby giant galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karachentsev, Igor D.; Kaisina, Elena I.; Makarov, Dmitry I.

    2014-01-01

    The Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (UNGC) contains the most comprehensive summary of distances, radial velocities, and luminosities for 800 galaxies located within 11 Mpc from us. The high density of observables in the UNGC makes this sample indispensable for checking results of N-body simulations of cosmic structures on a ∼1 Mpc scale. The environment of each galaxy in the UNGC was characterized by a tidal index Θ 1 , depending on the separation and mass of the galaxy's main disturber (MD). We grouped UNGC galaxies with a common MD in suites, and ranked suite members according to their Θ 1 . All suite members with positive Θ 1 are assumed to be physical companions of the MD. About 58% of the sample are members of physical groups. The distribution of suites by the number of members, n, follows a relation N(n) ∼ n –2 . The 20 most populated suites contain 468 galaxies, i.e., 59% of the UNGC sample. The fraction of MDs among the brightest galaxies is almost 100% and drops to 50% at M B = –18 m . We discuss various properties of MDs, as well as galaxies belonging to their suites. The suite abundance practically does not depend on the morphological type, linear diameter, or hydrogen mass of the MD, the tightest correlation being with the MD dynamical mass. Dwarf galaxies around MDs exhibit well-known segregation effects: the population of the outskirts has later morphological types, richer H I contents, and higher rates of star formation activity. Nevertheless, there are some intriguing cases where dwarf spheroidal galaxies occur at the far periphery of the suites, as well as some late-type dwarfs residing close to MDs. Comparing simulation results with galaxy groups, most studies assume the Local Group is fairly typical. However, we recognize that the nearby groups significantly differ from each other and there is considerable variation in their properties. The suites of companions around the Milky Way and M31, consisting of the Local Group, do not

  6. Abundances as tracers of the formation and evolution of (Dwarf) galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tolstoy, E.; Randich, S; Pasquini, L

    2006-01-01

    This aims to be an overview of what detailed observations of individual stars in nearby dwarf galaxies may teach us about galaxy evolution. This includes some early results from the DART (Dwarf Abundances and Radial velocity Team) Large Programme at ESO. This project has used 2.2m/WFI and VLT/FLAMES

  7. Evidence for dwarf stars at D of about 100 kiloparsecs near the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gould, Andrew; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Richstone, Douglas; Flynn, Chris

    1992-01-01

    A method is presented for detecting individual, metal-poor, dwarf stars at distances less than about 150 kpc - a method specifically designed to filter out stars from among the much more numerous faint background field galaxies on the basis of broad-band colors. This technique is applied to two fields at high Galactic latitude, for which there are deep CCD data in four bands ranging from 3600 to 9000 A. The field in Sextans probably contains more than about five dwarf stars with BJ not greater than 25.5. These are consistent with being at a common distance about 100 kpc and lie about 1.7 deg from the newly discovered dwarf galaxy in Sextans whose distance is about 85 +/- 10 kpc. The stars lie near the major axis of the galaxy and are near or beyond the tidal radius. The second field, toward the south Galactic pole, may contain up to about five extra-Galactic stars, but these show no evidence for being at a common distance. Possible applications of this type technique are discussed, and it is shown that even very low surface brightness star clusters or dwarf galaxies may be detected at distances less than about 1 Mpc.

  8. Dark Satellites and the Morphology of Dwarf Galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Helmi, Amina; Sales, L. V.; Starkenburg, E.; Starkenburg, T. K.; Vera Ciro, C.; De Lucia, G.; Li, Y. -S.

    2012-01-01

    One of the strongest predictions of the Delta CDM cosmological model is the presence of dark satellites orbiting all types of galaxies. We focus here on the dynamical effects of such satellites on disky dwarf galaxies, and demonstrate that these encounters can be dramatic. Although mergers with

  9. Manganese in Dwarf Galaxies as a Probe of Type Ia Supernovae

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Los Reyes, Mithi; Kirby, Evan N.

    2018-06-01

    Despite the importance of thermonuclear or Type Ia supernovae (SNe) as standard candles in astrophysics, the physical mechanisms behind Type Ia SNe are still poorly constrained. Theoretically, the nucleosynthetic yields from Type Ia SNe can distinguish among different models of Type Ia explosions. For example, neutron-rich elements such as manganese (Mn) are sensitive probes of the physics of Type Ia SNe because their abundances are correlated to the density of the progenitor white dwarf. Since dwarf galaxies' chemical evolution is dominated by Type Ia SNe at late times, Type Ia nucleosynthetic yields can be indirectly inferred from stellar abundances in dwarf galaxies. However, previous measurements of Mn in dwarf galaxies are too incomplete to draw definitive conclusions on the Type Ia explosion mechanism. In this work, we therefore use medium-resolution stellar spectroscopy from Keck/DEIMOS to measure Mn abundances in red giants in several Milky Way satellite galaxies. We report average Type Ia Mn yields computed from these abundances, and we discuss the implications for Type Ia supernova physics.

  10. The Taxonomy of Blue Amorphous Galaxies. I. Hα and UBVI Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marlowe, Amanda T.; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Heckman, Timothy M.; Schommer, Robert

    1997-10-01

    Dwarf galaxies play an important role in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. We have embarked on a systematic study of 12 nearby dwarf galaxies (most of which have been classified as amorphous) selected preferentially by their blue colors. The properties of the galaxies in the sample suggest that they are in a burst or postburst state. It seems likely that these amorphous galaxies are closely related to other ``starburst'' dwarfs such as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) and H II galaxies but are considerably closer and therefore easier to study. If so, these galaxies may offer important insights into dwarf galaxy evolution. In an effort to clarify the role of starbursts in evolutionary scenarios for dwarf galaxies, we present Hα and UBVI data for our sample. Blue amorphous galaxies, like BCDs and H II galaxies, have surface brightness profiles that are exponential in the outer regions (r >~ 1.5re) but have a predominantly blue central excess, which suggests a young burst in an older, redder galaxy. Seven of the galaxies have the bubble or filamentary Hα morphology and double-peaked emission lines that are the signature of superbubbles or superwind activity. These galaxies are typically the ones with the strongest central excesses. The underlying exponential galaxies are very similar to those found in BCDs and H II galaxies. How amorphous galaxies fit into the dwarf irregular-``starburst dwarf''-dwarf elliptical evolutionary debate is less clear. In this paper, we present our data and make some preliminary comparisons between amorphous galaxies and other classes of dwarf galaxies. In a future companion paper, we will compare this sample more quantitatively with other dwarf galaxy samples in an effort to determine if amorphous galaxies are a physically different class of object from other starburst dwarfs such as BCDs and H II galaxies and also investigate their place in dwarf galaxy evolution scenarios.

  11. X-ray pulsars in nearby irregular galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jun

    2018-01-01

    The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Irregular Galaxy IC 10 are valuable laboratories to study the physical, temporal and statistical properties of the X-ray pulsar population with multi-satellite observations, in order to probe fundamental physics. The known distance of these galaxies can help us easily categorize the luminosity of the pulsars and their age difference can be helpful for for studying the origin and evolution of compact objects. Therefore, a complete archive of 116 XMM-Newton PN, 151 Chandra (Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer) ACIS, and 952 RXTE PCA observations for the pulsars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) were collected and analyzed, along with 42 XMM-Newton and 30 Chandra observations for the Large Magellanic Cloud, spanning 1997-2014. From a sample of 67 SMC pulsars we generate a suite of products for each pulsar detection: spin period, flux, event list, high time-resolution light-curve, pulse-profile, periodogram, and X-ray spectrum. Combining all three satellites, I generated complete histories of the spin periods, pulse amplitudes, pulsed fractions and X-ray luminosities. Many of the pulsars show variations in pulse period due to the combination of orbital motion and accretion torques. Long-term spin-up/down trends are seen in 28/25 pulsars respectively, pointing to sustained transfer of mass and angular momentum to the neutron star on decadal timescales. The distributions of pulse detection and flux as functions of spin period provide interesting findings: mapping boundaries of accretion-driven X-ray luminosity, and showing that fast pulsars (P<10 s) are rarely detected, which yet are more prone to giant outbursts. In parallel we compare the observed pulse profiles to our general relativity (GR) model of X-ray emission in order to constrain the physical parameters of the pulsars.In addition, we conduct a search for optical counterparts to X-ray sources in the local dwarf galaxy IC 10 to form a comparison

  12. The extent of chemically enriched gas around star-forming dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Sean

    2018-01-01

    Supernovae driven winds are often invoked to remove chemically enriched gas from galaxies to match the low metallicities of dwarf galaxies. In such shallow potential wells, outflows may produce massive amounts of enriched halo gas (circum-galactic medium or CGM) and pollute the intergalactic medium (IGM). I will present a survey of the CGM and IGM around 18 star-forming field dwarf galaxies with stellar masses of log M*/M⊙ ≈ 8 ‑ 9 at z ≈ 0.2. Eight of these have CGM probed by quasar absorption spectra at projected distances, d, less than the host virial radius, Rh. Ten are probed at d/Rh = 1 ‑ 3 to study the surrounding IGM. The absorption measurements include neutral hydrogen (H I), the dominant silicon ions for diffuse cool gas (T ∼ 104 K; Si II, Si III, and Si IV), more highly ionized carbon (C IV), and highly ionized oxygen (O VI). The metal absorption from the CGM of the dwarf galaxies is less common and ≈ 4× weaker compared to massive star-forming galaxies though O VI absorption is still common. None of the dwarfs probed at d/Rh = 1 ‑ 3 have definitive metal-line detections. Combining the available silicon ions, we estimate that the cool CGM accounts for only 2 ‑ 6% of the expected silicon budget. CGM absorption from O VI can account for ≈ 8% of the expected oxygen budget. As O VI traces an ion with expected equilibrium ion fractions of 0.2, this highly ionized phase of the CGM may represent a significant metal reservoir even for dwarf galaxies not expected to maintain gravitationally shock heated hot halos.

  13. The disk averaged star formation relation for Local Volume dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Sánchez, Á. R.; Lagos, C. D. P.; Young, T.; Jerjen, H.

    2018-05-01

    Spatially resolved H I studies of dwarf galaxies have provided a wealth of precision data. However these high-quality, resolved observations are only possible for handful of dwarf galaxies in the Local Volume. Future H I surveys are unlikely to improve the current situation. We therefore explore a method for estimating the surface density of the atomic gas from global H I parameters, which are conversely widely available. We perform empirical tests using galaxies with resolved H I maps, and find that our approximation produces values for the surface density of atomic hydrogen within typically 0.5 dex of the true value. We apply this method to a sample of 147 galaxies drawn from modern near-infrared stellar photometric surveys. With this sample we confirm a strict correlation between the atomic gas surface density and the star formation rate surface density, that is vertically offset from the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation by a factor of 10 - 30, and significantly steeper than the classical N = 1.4 of Kennicutt (1998). We further infer the molecular fraction in the sample of low surface brightness, predominantly dwarf galaxies by assuming that the star formation relationship with molecular gas observed for spiral galaxies also holds in these galaxies, finding a molecular-to-atomic gas mass fraction within the range of 5-15%. Comparison of the data to available models shows that a model in which the thermal pressure balances the vertical gravitational field captures better the shape of the ΣSFR-Σgas relationship. However, such models fail to reproduce the data completely, suggesting that thermal pressure plays an important role in the disks of dwarf galaxies.

  14. THE ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH AND THE TIP OF THE RED GIANT BRANCH AS PROBES OF STAR FORMATION HISTORY: THE NEARBY DWARF IRREGULAR GALAXY KKH 98

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melbourne, J.; Williams, B.; Dalcanton, J.; Ammons, S. M.; Max, C.; Koo, D. C.; Girardi, Leo; Dolphin, A.

    2010-01-01

    We investigate the utility of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and the red giant branch (RGB) as probes of the star formation history (SFH) of the nearby (D = 2.5 Mpc) dwarf irregular galaxy, KKH 98. Near-infrared (near-IR) Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (AO) images resolve 592 IR-bright stars reaching over 1 mag below the tip of the RGB. Significantly deeper optical (F475W and F814W) Hubble Space Telescope images of the same field contain over 2500 stars, reaching to the red clump and the main-sequence turnoff for 0.5 Gyr old populations. Compared to the optical color-magnitude diagram (CMD), the near-IR CMD shows significantly tighter AGB sequences, providing a good probe of the intermediate-age (0.5-5 Gyr) populations. We match observed CMDs with stellar evolution models to recover the SFH of KKH 98. On average, the galaxy has experienced relatively constant low-level star formation (5 x 10 -4 M sun yr -1 ) for much of cosmic time. Except for the youngest main-sequence populations (age <0.1 Gyr), which are typically fainter than the AO data flux limit, the SFH estimated from the 592 IR-bright stars is a reasonable match to that derived from the much larger optical data set. Differences between the optical- and IR-derived SFHs for 0.1-1 Gyr populations suggest that current stellar evolution models may be overproducing the AGB by as much as a factor of 3 in this galaxy. At the depth of the AO data, the IR-luminous stars are not crowded. Therefore, these techniques can potentially be used to determine the stellar populations of galaxies at significantly further distances.

  15. KECK/LRIS SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION OF COMA CLUSTER DWARF GALAXY MEMBERSHIP ASSIGNMENTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiboucas, Kristin; Tully, R. Brent; Marzke, Ronald O.; Trentham, Neil; Ferguson, Henry C.; Hammer, Derek; Carter, David; Khosroshahi, Habib

    2010-01-01

    Keck/LRIS multi-object spectroscopy has been carried out on 140 of some of the lowest and highest surface brightness faint (19 < R < 22) dwarf galaxy candidates in the core region of the Coma Cluster. These spectra are used to measure redshifts and establish membership for these faint dwarf populations. The primary goal of the low surface brightness sample is to test our ability to use morphological and surface brightness criteria to distinguish between Coma Cluster members and background galaxies using high resolution Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys images. Candidates were rated as expected members, uncertain, or expected background. From 93 spectra, 51 dwarf galaxy members and 20 background galaxies are identified. Our morphological membership estimation success rate is ∼100% for objects expected to be members and better than ∼90% for galaxies expected to be in the background. We confirm that low surface brightness is a very good indicator of cluster membership. High surface brightness galaxies are almost always background with confusion arising only from the cases of the rare compact elliptical (cE) galaxies. The more problematic cases occur at intermediate surface brightness. Many of these galaxies are given uncertain membership ratings, and these were found to be members about half of the time. Including color information will improve membership determination but will fail for some of the same objects that are already misidentified when using only surface brightness and morphology criteria. cE galaxies with B-V colors ∼0.2 mag redward of the red sequence in particular require spectroscopic follow up. In a sample of 47 high surface brightness, ultracompact dwarf candidates, 19 objects have redshifts which place them in the Coma Cluster, while another 6 have questionable redshift measurements but may also prove to be members. Redshift measurements are presented and the use of indirect means for establishing cluster membership is

  16. The evolution of C/O in dwarf galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope FOS observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garnett, D. R.; Skillman, E. D.; Dufour, R. J.; Peimbert, M.; Torres-Peimbert, S.; Terlevich, R.; Terlevich, E.; Shields, G. A.

    1995-01-01

    We present UV observations of seven H II regions in low-luminosity dwarf irregular galaxies and the Magellanic Clouds obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in order to measure the C/O abundance ratio in the interstellar medium (ISM) of those galaxies. We measure both O III 1666 A and C III 1909 A in our spectra, enabling us to determine C(+2)/O(+2) with relatively small uncertainties. The results from our HST observations show a continuous increase in C/O with increasing O/H, consistent with a power law having an index of 0.43 +/- 0.09 over the range -4.7 to -3.6 in log (O/H). One possible interpretation of this trend is that the most metal-poor galaxies are the youngest and dominated by the products of early enrichment by massive stars, while more metal-rich galaxies show increasing, delayed contributions of carbon from intermediate-mass stars. Our results also suggest that it may not be appropiate to combine abundances in irregular galaxies with those in spiral galaxies to study the evolution of chemical abundances. Our measured C/O ratios in the most metal-poor galaxies are consistent with predictions of nucleosynthesis from massive stars for Weaver & Woosley's best estimate for the 12C(alpha, gamma) 16O nuclear reaction rate, assuming negligible contanmination from carbon produced in intermediate-mass stars in these galaxies. We detect a weak N III 1750 A multiplet in SMC N88A and obtain interesting upper limits for two other objects. Our 2 sigma uppr limits on the 1750 A feature indicate that the N(+2)/O(+2) ratios in these objects are not significantly larger than the N(+)/O(+) ratios measured from optical spectra. This behavior is consistent with predictions of photionization models, although better detections of N III are needed to confirm the results.

  17. Photometric analyses of abundances in dwarf spheroidal galaxies and globular clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Light, R.M.

    1988-01-01

    This study investigated the abundance characteristics of several dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The chemical properties of stars in these galaxies are tracers of the origin and evolution of their stellar populations, and thus can provide constraints on the theories of their formation. To derive this abundance information, photometric observations of stars in a sample of globular clusters, covering a large range in metallicity, were analyzed. Parameters describing the position of the red giant branch were found to correlate very well with cluster metallicity over a large range in abundance. These measurements, made in the Thuan-Gunn photometry system, provide ranking schemes which are, with accurate photometry, more sensitive to changes in metallicity than similar broadband BV parameters. The relations were used to derive an improved estimate of the metallicity of cluster NGC 5053. These metallicity relations were used to analyze the Thuan-Gunn system photometry produced for the Sculptor, Ursa Minor, and Carina galaxies. The excellent agreement between their metallicities and those from other previous studies indicates that globular cluster red giant branch parameters are very useful in ranking dwarf spheroidal populations by metallicity. Together with other galaxian data, strong correlations can be seen between the mean metallicities and dispersions in metallicity and the luminosities of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies. These trends also seem to apply to members of the dwarf elliptical class of galaxies. The ramifications that these correlations and the existence of a metallicity gradient in Sculptor have on the formation of the dwarf spheroidals are discussed

  18. SN 2008jb: A 'LOST' CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVA IN A STAR-FORMING DWARF GALAXY AT ∼10 Mpc

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prieto, J. L.; Lee, J. C.; Drake, A. J.; Djorgovski, S. G.; McNaught, R.; Garradd, G.; Beacom, J. F.; Beshore, E.; Catelan, M.; Pojmanski, G.; Stanek, K. Z.; Szczygieł, D. M.

    2012-01-01

    We present the discovery and follow-up observations of SN 2008jb, a core-collapse supernova in the southern dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 302–14 (M B = –15.3 mag) at 9.6 Mpc. This nearby transient was missed by galaxy-targeted surveys and was only found in archival optical images obtained by the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey and the All-Sky Automated Survey. The well-sampled archival photometry shows that SN 2008jb was detected shortly after explosion and reached a bright optical maximum, V max ≅ 13.6 mag (M V,max ≅ –16.5). The shape of the light curve shows a plateau of ∼100 days, followed by a drop of ∼1.4 mag in the V band to a slow decline with an approximate 56 Co decay slope. The late-time light curve is consistent with 0.04 ± 0.01 M ☉ of 56 Ni synthesized in the explosion. A spectrum of the supernova obtained two years after explosion shows a broad, boxy Hα emission line, which is unusual for normal Type II-Plateau supernovae at late times. We detect the supernova in archival Spitzer and WISE images obtained 8-14 months after explosion, which show clear signs of warm (600-700 K) dust emission. The dwarf irregular host galaxy, ESO 302–14, has a low gas-phase oxygen abundance, 12 + log(O/H) = 8.2 (∼1/5 Z ☉ ), similar to those of the Small Magellanic Cloud and the hosts of long gamma-ray bursts and luminous core-collapse supernovae. This metallicity is one of the lowest among local (∼ 5 M ☉ for the star formation complex, assuming a single-age starburst. These properties are consistent with the expanding Hα supershells observed in many well-studied nearby dwarf galaxies, which are tell-tale signs of feedback from the cumulative effect of massive star winds and supernovae. The age estimated for the star-forming region where SN 2008jb exploded suggests a relatively high-mass progenitor star with an initial mass M ∼ 20 M ☉ and warrants further study. We discuss the implications of these findings in the study of core

  19. The influence of the merger history of dwarf galaxies in a reionized universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verbeke, Robbert; Vandenbroucke, Bert; De Rijcke, Sven; Koleva, Mina

    2015-08-01

    In the ΛCDM model, cosmic structure forms in a hierarchical fashion. According to this paradigm, even low-mass dwarf galaxies grow via smooth accretion and mergers. Given the low masses of dwarf galaxies and their even smaller progenitors, the UV background is expected to have a significant influence on their gas content and, consequently, their star formation histories. Generally, cosmological simulations predict that most dwarf systems with circular velocities below ~30 km/s should not be able to form significant amounts of stars or contain gas and be, in effect, "dark" galaxies (Sawala et al. 2013, 2014; Hopkins et al. 2014; Shen et al. 2014). This is in contradiction with the recent discovery of low-mass yet gas-rich dwarf galaxies, such as Leo P (Skillman et al. 2013), Pisces A (Tollerud et al. 2014), and SECCO 1 (Bellazzini et al. 2015). Moreover, Tollerud et al. (2014) point out that most isolated dark-matter halos down to circular velocities of ~15 km/s contain neutral gas, in contradiction with the predictions of current simulations.Based on a suite of simulations of the formation and evolution of dwarf galaxies we show that, by reducing the first peak of star formation by including Pop-III stars in the simulations, the resulting dwarf galaxies have severely suppressed SFRs and can hold on to their gas reservoirs. Moreover, we show that the majority of the zero-metallicity stars are ejected during mergers, resulting in an extended, low-metallicity stellar halo. This results in a marked difference between a galaxy's "total" star-formation history and the one read from the stars in the center of the galaxy at z=0. This mechanism leads to the formation of realistic low-mass, gas-rich dwarfs with a broad range of SFHs and which adhere to the observed scaling relations, such as the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation.In short, the simulations presented here are for the first time able to reproduce the observed properties of low-mass, gas-rich dwarfs such as DDO 210

  20. A supermassive black hole in an ultra-compact dwarf galaxy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seth, Anil C; van den Bosch, Remco; Mieske, Steffen; Baumgardt, Holger; den Brok, Mark; Strader, Jay; Neumayer, Nadine; Chilingarian, Igor; Hilker, Michael; McDermid, Richard; Spitler, Lee; Brodie, Jean; Frank, Matthias J; Walsh, Jonelle L

    2014-09-18

    Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies are among the densest stellar systems in the Universe. These systems have masses of up to 2 × 10(8) solar masses, but half-light radii of just 3-50 parsecs. Dynamical mass estimates show that many such dwarfs are more massive than expected from their luminosity. It remains unclear whether these high dynamical mass estimates arise because of the presence of supermassive black holes or result from a non-standard stellar initial mass function that causes the average stellar mass to be higher than expected. Here we report adaptive optics kinematic data of the ultra-compact dwarf galaxy M60-UCD1 that show a central velocity dispersion peak exceeding 100 kilometres per second and modest rotation. Dynamical modelling of these data reveals the presence of a supermassive black hole with a mass of 2.1 × 10(7) solar masses. This is 15 per cent of the object's total mass. The high black hole mass and mass fraction suggest that M60-UCD1 is the stripped nucleus of a galaxy. Our analysis also shows that M60-UCD1's stellar mass is consistent with its luminosity, implying a large population of previously unrecognized supermassive black holes in other ultra-compact dwarf galaxies.

  1. UVES Abundances of Stars in Nearby Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolstoy, Eline; Venn, Kim; Shetrone, Matt; Primas, Francesca; Hill, Vanessa; Kaufer, Andreas; Szeifert, Thomas

    2002-07-01

    It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a galaxy in possession of a good quantity of gas must want to form stars. It is the details of how and why that baffle us all. The simplest theories either would have this process a carefully self-regulated affair, or one that goes completely out of control and is capable of wrecking the galaxy which hosts it. Of course the majority of galaxies seem to amble along somewhere between these two extremes, and the mean properties tend to favour a quiescent self-regulated evolutionary scenario. But there area variety of observations which require us to invoke transitory ‘bursts’ of star-formation at one time or another in most galaxy types. Several nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies have clearly determined star-formation histories with apparent periods of zero star formation followed by periods of fairly active star formation. If we are able to understand what separated these bursts we would understand several important phenomena in galaxy evolution. Were these galaxies able to clear out their gas reservoir in a burst of star formation? How did this gas return? or did it? Have these galaxies receieved gas from the IGM instead? Could stars from these types of galaxy contribute significantly to the halo population in our Galaxy? To answer these questions we need to combine accurate stellar photometry and Colour-Magnitude Diagram interpretation with detailed metal abundances to combine a star-formation rate versus time with a range of element abundances with time. Different elements trace different evolutionary process (e.g., relative contributions of type I and II supernovae). We often aren't even sure of the abundance spread in these galaxies. We have collected detailed high resolution UVES spectra of four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies (Sculptor, Fornax, Leo I & Carina) to begin to answer these questions. This is a precursor study to a more complete study with FLAMES. We presented at this meeting the initial results for

  2. POX 52: A Dwarf Seyfert 1 Galaxy with an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, Aaron J.; Ho, Luis C.; Rutledge, Robert E.; Sargent, Wallace L. W.

    2004-05-01

    We describe new optical images and spectra of POX 52, a dwarf galaxy with an active nucleus that was originally detected in the POX objective-prism survey. While POX 52 was originally thought to be a Seyfert 2 galaxy, the new data reveal an emission-line spectrum very similar to that of the dwarf Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4395, with broad components to the permitted line profiles, and we classify POX 52 as a Seyfert 1 galaxy. The host galaxy appears to be a dwarf elliptical, and its brightness profile is best fit by a Sérsic model with an index of 3.6+/-0.2 and a total magnitude of MV=-17.6. Applying mass-luminosity-line width scaling relations to estimate the black hole mass from the broad Hβ line width and nonstellar continuum luminosity, we find MBH~1.6×105Msolar. The stellar velocity dispersion in the host galaxy, measured from the Ca II λ8498, 8542 lines, is 36+/-5 km s-1, also suggestive of a black hole mass of order 105Msolar. Further searches for active nuclei in dwarf galaxies can provide unique constraints on the demographics of black holes in the mass range below 106Msolar.

  3. Dark influences: imprints of dark satellites on dwarf galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Starkenburg, T. K.; Helmi, A.

    Context. In the context of the current Λ cold dark matter cosmological model small dark matter halos are abundant and satellites of dwarf galaxies are expected to be predominantly dark. Since low mass galaxies have smaller baryon fractions, interactions with these satellites may leave particularly

  4. COMPARING THE OBSERVABLE PROPERTIES OF DWARF GALAXIES ON AND OFF THE ANDROMEDA PLANE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Collins, Michelle L. M.; Martin, Nicolas F. [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Rich, R. M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States); Ibata, Rodrigo A. [Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11, Rue de l' Université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France); Chapman, Scott C. [Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Coburg Road, Halifax B3H1A6 (Canada); McConnachie, Alan W. [NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, British Columbia, Victoria V9E 2E7 (Canada); Ferguson, Annette M. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Irwin, Michael J. [Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Rise, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Lewis, Geraint F., E-mail: michelle.collins@yale.edu [Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, A28, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

    2015-01-20

    The thin, extended planes of satellite galaxies detected around both the Milky Way and Andromeda are not a natural prediction of the Λ-cold dark matter paradigm. Galaxies in these distinct planes may have formed and evolved in a different way (e.g., tidally) from their off-plane neighbors. If this were the case, one would expect the on- and off-plane dwarf galaxies in Andromeda to have experienced different evolutionary histories, which should be reflected by the chemistries, dynamics, and star formation histories of the two populations. In this work, we present new, robust kinematic observations for two on-plane M31 dwarf spheroidal galaxies (And XVI and XVII) and compile and compare all available observational metrics for the on- and off-plane dwarfs to search for a signal that would corroborate such a hypothesis. We find that, barring their spatial alignment, the on- and off-plane Andromeda dwarf galaxies are indistinguishable from one another, arguing against vastly different formative and evolutionary histories for these two populations.

  5. COMPARING THE OBSERVABLE PROPERTIES OF DWARF GALAXIES ON AND OFF THE ANDROMEDA PLANE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collins, Michelle L. M.; Martin, Nicolas F.; Rich, R. M.; Ibata, Rodrigo A.; Chapman, Scott C.; McConnachie, Alan W.; Ferguson, Annette M.; Irwin, Michael J.; Lewis, Geraint F.

    2015-01-01

    The thin, extended planes of satellite galaxies detected around both the Milky Way and Andromeda are not a natural prediction of the Λ-cold dark matter paradigm. Galaxies in these distinct planes may have formed and evolved in a different way (e.g., tidally) from their off-plane neighbors. If this were the case, one would expect the on- and off-plane dwarf galaxies in Andromeda to have experienced different evolutionary histories, which should be reflected by the chemistries, dynamics, and star formation histories of the two populations. In this work, we present new, robust kinematic observations for two on-plane M31 dwarf spheroidal galaxies (And XVI and XVII) and compile and compare all available observational metrics for the on- and off-plane dwarfs to search for a signal that would corroborate such a hypothesis. We find that, barring their spatial alignment, the on- and off-plane Andromeda dwarf galaxies are indistinguishable from one another, arguing against vastly different formative and evolutionary histories for these two populations

  6. Chemical evolution of Local Group dwarf galaxies in a cosmological context - I. A new modelling approach and its application to the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, Donatella; Starkenburg, Else

    2013-09-01

    We present a new approach for chemical evolution modelling, specifically designed to investigate the chemical properties of dwarf galaxies in a full cosmological framework. In particular, we focus on the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy, for which a wealth of observational data exists, as a test bed for our model. We select four candidate Sculptor-like galaxies from the satellite galaxy catalogue generated by implementation of a version of the Munich semi-analytic model for galaxy formation on the level 2 Aquarius dark matter simulations and use the mass assembly and star formation histories predicted for these four systems as an input for the chemical evolution code. We follow explicitly the evolution of several chemical elements, both in the cold gas out of which the stars form and in the hot medium residing in the halo. We take into account in detail the lifetimes of stars of different initial masses, the distribution of the delay times for Type Ia supernova explosions and the dependence of the stellar yields from the initial metallicity of the stars. We allow large fractions of metals to be deposited into the hot phase, either directly as stars die or through reheated gas flows powered by supernova explosions. We find that, in order to reproduce both the observed metallicity distribution function and the observed abundance ratios of long-lived stars of Sculptor, large fractions of the reheated metals must never re-enter regions of active star formation. With this prescription, all the four analogues to the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy extracted from the simulated satellites catalogue on the basis of luminosity and stellar population ages are found to reasonably match the detailed chemical properties of real Sculptor stars. However, all model galaxies do severely underestimate the fraction of very metal poor stars observed in Sculptor. Our analysis thus sets further constraints on the semi-analytical models and, at large, on possible metal enrichment

  7. The Merger History, AGN and Dwarf Galaxies of Hickson Compact Group 59

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Gallagher, S. C.; Fedotov, K.; Durrell, P. R.; Tzanavaris, P.; Hill, A. R.; Zabludoff, A. I.; Maier, M. L.; Elmegreen, D. M.; Charlton, J. C.; hide

    2011-01-01

    Compact group galaxies often appear unaffected by their unusually dense environment. Closer examination can, however, reveal the subtle, cumulative effects of multiple galaxy interactions. Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 59 is an excellent example of this situation. We present a photometric study of this group in the optical (HST), infrared (Spitzer) and X-ray (Chandra) regimes aimed at characterizing the star formation and nuclear activity in its constituent galaxies and intra-group medium. We associate five dwarf galaxies with the group and update the velocity dispersion, leading to an increase in the dynamical mass of the group of up to a factor of 10 (to 2.8 x 10(exp 13) Stellar Mass), and a subsequent revision of its evolutionary stage. Star formation is proceeding at a level consistent with the morphological types of the four main galaxies, of which two are star-forming and the other two quiescent. Unlike in some other compact groups, star-forming complexes across HCG 59 closely follow mass-radius scaling relations typical of nearby galaxies. In contrast, the ancient globular cluster populations in galaxies HCG 59A and B show intriguing irregularities, and two extragalactic HII regions are found just west of B. We age-date a faint stellar stream in the intra-group medium at approx. 1 Gyr to examine recent interactions. We detect a likely low-luminosity AGN in HCG 59A by its approx. 10(exp 40) erg/s X-ray emission; the active nucleus rather than star formation can account for the UV+IR SED. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of galaxy evolution in dense environments.

  8. EXPLORING THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIA OF OPTICALLY COMPACT DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Most, Hans P.; Cannon, John M.; Engstrom, Eric; Fliss, Palmer [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Salzer, John J. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Rosenberg, Jessica L., E-mail: hmost@macalester.edu, E-mail: jcannon@macalester.edu, E-mail: slaz@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: jrosenb4@gmu.edu [School of Physics, Astronomy, and Computational Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States)

    2013-06-15

    We present new Very Large Array H I spectral line, archival Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and archival Spitzer Space Telescope imaging of eight star-forming blue compact dwarf galaxies that were selected to be optically compact (optical radii <1 kpc). These systems have faint blue absolute magnitudes (M{sub B} {approx}> -17), ongoing star formation (based on emission-line selection by the H{alpha} or [O III] lines), and are nearby (mean velocity = 3315 km s{sup -1} {approx_equal} 45 Mpc). One galaxy in the sample, ADBS 113845+2008, is found to have an H I halo that extends 58 r-band scale lengths from its stellar body. In contrast, the rest of the sample galaxies have H I radii to optical-scale-length ratios ranging from 9.3 to 26. The size of the H I disk in the 'giant disk' dwarf galaxy ADBS 113845+2008 appears to be unusual as compared with similarly compact stellar populations.

  9. Observations of the impact of starbursts on the interstellar medium in dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marlowe, Amanda T.; Heckman, Timothy M.; Wyse, Rosemary F. G.; Schommer, Robert

    1995-01-01

    Dwarf galaxies play a crucial role in our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies, and the concept of supernova-driven mass outflows is a vital ingredient in theories of the structure and evolution of dwarf galaxies. Despite the theoretical importance of these outflows, there is a very limited amount of direct observational evidence for their existence. We have therefore begun a detailed multi-wave-band search for outflows in dwarf (MB greater than or = -18) galaxies with extensive recent or ongoing centrally concentrated star formation. We report the first results of this search in the present paper. Observations of the ionized gas in dwarf amorphous galaxies with centrally concentrated populations of massive stars provide evidence for the large-scale expansion of their expansion of their ionized interstellar media. Fabry-Perot H alpha images reveal the presence of kiloparsec-scale 'superbubbles' and filaments which tend to be oriented along the galaxy minor axis. These structures are comparable in size to the chracteristic optical sizes of the galaxies, and dominate the morphology of the galaxies at low surface brightness in H alpha. Since expanding structure of this size and velocity are not observed in all low-mass galaxies with recent or ongoing star formation, we suggest that we are witnessing transient events that likely have a relatively low 'duty cycle' in such galaxies. That is, we argue that the particular galaxies in the present paper have had significantly elevated star formation rates over the past 107-108 yr (i.e., these are starburst or young poststarburst systems). This interpretation is consistent with the optical colors and emission-line properties of these galaxies.

  10. The physical properties in the interstellar medium of low-metallicity dwarf galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cormier, Diane

    2012-01-01

    In the framework of galaxy evolution, local star-forming dwarf galaxies are ideal laboratories to study star formation processes at low metallicity and the role of metal enrichment on the physical conditions. My thesis has focused on the study of the gas properties of the dwarf galaxies from 'The Herschel Dwarf Galaxy Survey', combining observations and modeling efforts. I have investigated the role of the most important tracers of the multi-phase the interstellar medium (ISM), in the mid-infrared to submillimeter range. Particular attention was paid to the ionized and neutral gas coolants observed with Herschel Space Observatory (e.g. [OIII] 88, [OI] 63, [CII] 157 micron lines), and to the CO molecule, probing the molecular phase, with complementary ground-based observations. The data are interpreted in physical terms (density, radiation field, filling factors) with radiative transfer models. This work has helped elucidate the structure and conditions of the low-metallicity ISM. It highlights the porosity of the ISM of dwarf galaxies, with ultraviolet photons from the massive star-forming regions exciting the gas out to large distances. This results in the presence of large volume filling factor diffuse ionized/neutral gas, clumpy photodissociation regions, and little observed molecular gas due to large-scale photodissociation. (author) [fr

  11. Anomalous evolution of the dwarf galaxy HIPASS J1321-31

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pritzl, BJ; Knezek, PM; Gallagher, JS; Grossi, M; Disney, MJ; Minchin, RF; Freeman, KC; Tolstoy, E; Saha, A

    2003-01-01

    We present Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2 observations of the dwarf galaxy HIPASS J1321-31. This unusual galaxy lies in the direction of the Centaurus A group of galaxies and has a color-magnitude diagram with a distinctive red plume of luminous stars. This feature could arise from (1) a red giant

  12. Chemical composition of extremely metal-poor stars in the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Aoki, W.; Arimoto, N.; Sadakane, K.; Tolstoy, E.; Battaglia, G.; Jablonka, P.; Shetrone, M.; Letarte, B.; Irwin, M.; Hill, V.; Francois, P.; Venn, K.; Primas, F.; Helmi, A.; Kaufer, A.

    2009-01-01

    Context. Individual stars in dwarf spheroidal galaxies around the Milky Way Galaxy have been studied both photometrically and spectroscopically. Extremely metal-poor stars among them are very valuable because they should record the early enrichment in the Local Group. However, our understanding of these stars is very limited because detailed chemical abundance measurements are needed from high resolution spectroscopy. Aims. To constrain the formation and chemical evolution of dwarf galaxi...

  13. Model-independent constraints on dark matter annihilation in dwarf spheroidal galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Boddy, Kimberly K.; Kumar, Jason; Marfatia, Danny; Sandick, Pearl

    2018-01-01

    We present a general, model-independent formalism for determining bounds on the production of photons in dwarf spheroidal galaxies via dark matter annihilation, applicable to any set of assumptions about dark matter particle physics or astrophysics. As an illustration, we analyze gamma-ray data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to constrain a variety of nonstandard dark matter models, several of which have not previously been studied in the context of dwarf galaxy searches.

  14. Constraining the Stellar Populations and Star Formation Histories of Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies with SED Fits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janowiecki, Steven [International Center for Radio Astronomy Research, M468, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009 (Australia); Salzer, John J.; Zee, Liese van [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Rosenberg, Jessica L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Skillman, Evan, E-mail: steven.janowiecki@uwa.edu.au [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street, SE Minneapolis, MN, 55455 (United States)

    2017-02-10

    We discuss and test possible evolutionary connections between blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) and other types of dwarf galaxies. BCDs provide ideal laboratories to study intense star formation episodes in low-mass dwarf galaxies, and have sometimes been considered a short-lived evolutionary stage between types of dwarf galaxies. To test these connections, we consider a sample of BCDs as well as a comparison sample of nearby galaxies from the Local Volume Legacy (LVL) survey for context. We fit the multi-wavelength spectral energy distributions (SED, far-ultra-violet to far-infrared) of each galaxy with a grid of theoretical models to determine their stellar masses and star formation properties. We compare our results for BCDs with the LVL galaxies to put BCDs in the context of normal galaxy evolution. The SED fits demonstrate that the star formation events currently underway in BCDs are at the extreme of the continuum of normal dwarf galaxies, both in terms of the relative mass involved and in the relative increase over previous star formation rates. Today’s BCDs are distinctive objects in a state of extreme star formation that is rapidly transforming them. This study also suggests ways to identify former BCDs whose star formation episodes have since faded.

  15. HERSCHEL SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF LITTLE THINGS DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cigan, Phil; Young, Lisa; Cormier, Diane; Lebouteiller, Vianney; Madden, Suzanne; Hunter, Deidre; Brinks, Elias; Elmegreen, Bruce; Schruba, Andreas; Heesen, Volker

    2016-01-01

    We present far-infrared (FIR) spectral line observations of five galaxies from the Little Things sample: DDO 69, DDO 70, DDO 75, DDO 155, and WLM. While most studies of dwarfs focus on bright systems or starbursts due to observational constraints, our data extend the observed parameter space into the regime of low surface brightness dwarf galaxies with low metallicities and moderate star formation rates. Our targets were observed with Herschel at the [C ii] 158 μm, [O i] 63 μm, [O iii] 88 μm, and [N ii] 122 μm emission lines using the PACS Spectrometer. These high-resolution maps allow us for the first time to study the FIR properties of these systems on the scales of larger star-forming complexes. The spatial resolution in our maps, in combination with star formation tracers, allows us to identify separate photodissociation regions (PDRs) in some of the regions we observed. Our systems have widespread [C ii] emission that is bright relative to continuum, averaging near 0.5% of the total infrared (TIR) budget—higher than in solar-metallicity galaxies of other types. [N ii] is weak, suggesting that the [C ii] emission in our galaxies comes mostly from PDRs instead of the diffuse ionized interstellar medium (ISM). These systems exhibit efficient cooling at low dust temperatures, as shown by ([O i]+[C ii])/TIR in relation to 60 μm/100 μm, and low [O i]/[C ii] ratios which indicate that [C ii] is the dominant coolant of the ISM. We observe [O iii]/[C ii] ratios in our galaxies that are lower than those published for other dwarfs, but similar to levels noted in spirals

  16. HERSCHEL SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF LITTLE THINGS DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cigan, Phil; Young, Lisa [Physics Department, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Cormier, Diane [Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Albert-Ueberle Str. 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Lebouteiller, Vianney; Madden, Suzanne [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM—CNRS—Université Paris Diderot, Irfu/Service d’Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Hunter, Deidre [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Brinks, Elias [Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB (United Kingdom); Elmegreen, Bruce [IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Hts., NY 10598 (United States); Schruba, Andreas [Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Heesen, Volker, E-mail: pcigan@alumni.nmt.edu [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Collaboration: LITTLE THINGS Team

    2016-01-15

    We present far-infrared (FIR) spectral line observations of five galaxies from the Little Things sample: DDO 69, DDO 70, DDO 75, DDO 155, and WLM. While most studies of dwarfs focus on bright systems or starbursts due to observational constraints, our data extend the observed parameter space into the regime of low surface brightness dwarf galaxies with low metallicities and moderate star formation rates. Our targets were observed with Herschel at the [C ii] 158 μm, [O i] 63 μm, [O iii] 88 μm, and [N ii] 122 μm emission lines using the PACS Spectrometer. These high-resolution maps allow us for the first time to study the FIR properties of these systems on the scales of larger star-forming complexes. The spatial resolution in our maps, in combination with star formation tracers, allows us to identify separate photodissociation regions (PDRs) in some of the regions we observed. Our systems have widespread [C ii] emission that is bright relative to continuum, averaging near 0.5% of the total infrared (TIR) budget—higher than in solar-metallicity galaxies of other types. [N ii] is weak, suggesting that the [C ii] emission in our galaxies comes mostly from PDRs instead of the diffuse ionized interstellar medium (ISM). These systems exhibit efficient cooling at low dust temperatures, as shown by ([O i]+[C ii])/TIR in relation to 60 μm/100 μm, and low [O i]/[C ii] ratios which indicate that [C ii] is the dominant coolant of the ISM. We observe [O iii]/[C ii] ratios in our galaxies that are lower than those published for other dwarfs, but similar to levels noted in spirals.

  17. A possible formation scenario for dwarf spheroidal galaxies - III. Adding star formation histories to the fiducial model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alarcón Jara, A. G.; Fellhauer, M.; Matus Carrillo, D. R.; Assmann, P.; Urrutia Zapata, F.; Hazeldine, J.; Aravena, C. A.

    2018-02-01

    Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are regarded as the basic building blocks in the formation of larger galaxies and are the most dark matter dominated systems in the Universe, known so far. There are several models that attempt to explain their formation and evolution, but they have problems modelling the formation of isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Here, we will explain a possible formation scenario in which star clusters form inside the dark matter halo of a dwarf spheroidal galaxy. These star clusters suffer from low star formation efficiency and dissolve while orbiting inside the dark matter halo. Thereby, they build the faint luminous components that we observe in dwarf spheroidal galaxies. In this paper, we study this model by adding different star formation histories to the simulations and compare the results with our previous work and observational data to show that we can explain the formation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

  18. Dwarf Galaxies with Gentle Star Formation and the Counts of Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field

    OpenAIRE

    Campos, Ana

    1997-01-01

    In this paper the counts and colors of the faint galaxies observed in the Hubble Deep Field are fitted by means of simple luminosity evolution models that incorporate a numerous population of fading dwarfs. The observed color distribution of the very faint galaxies now allows us to put constraints on the star formation history in dwarfs. It is shown that the star-forming activity in these small systems has to proceed in a gentle way, i.e., through episodes where each one lasts much longer tha...

  19. PAndAS' CUBS: DISCOVERY OF TWO NEW DWARF GALAXIES IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF THE ANDROMEDA AND TRIANGULUM GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Nicolas F.; McConnachie, Alan W.; Irwin, Mike; Chapman, Scott; Widrow, Lawrence M.; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Ibata, Rodrigo A.; Dubinski, John; Babul, Arif; Navarro, Julio; Fardal, Mark; Lewis, Geraint F.; Rich, R. Michael

    2009-01-01

    We present the discovery of two new dwarf galaxies, Andromeda XXI and Andromeda XXII, located in the surroundings of the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies (M31 and M33). These discoveries stem from the first year data of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey, a photometric survey of the M31/M33 group conducted with the Megaprime/MegaCam Wide-Field Camera mounted on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Both satellites appear as spatial overdensities of stars which, when plotted in a color-magnitude diagram, follow metal-poor, [Fe/H] = -1.8, red giant branches at the distance of M31/M33. Andromeda XXI is a moderately bright dwarf galaxy (M V = -9.9 ± 0.6), albeit with low surface brightness, emphasizing again that many relatively luminous M31 satellites still remain to be discovered. It is also a large satellite, with a half-light radius close to 1 kpc, making it the fourth largest Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxy after the recently discovered Andromeda XIX, Andromeda II, and Sagittarius around the Milky Way, and supports the trend that M31 satellites are larger than their Milky Way counterparts. Andromeda XXII is much fainter (M V = -6.5 ± 0.8) and lies a lot closer in projection to M33 than it does to M31 (42 versus 224 kpc), suggesting that it could be the first Triangulum satellite to be discovered. Although this is a very exciting possibility in the context of a past interaction of M33 with M31 and the fate of its satellite system, a confirmation will have to await a good distance estimate to confirm its physical proximity to M33. Along with the dwarf galaxies found in previous surveys of the M31 surroundings, these two new satellites bring the number of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in this region to 20.

  20. n-capture elements in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skúladóttir, Ása

    2018-06-01

    Sculptor is a well studied dwarf galaxy in the Local Group, which is dominated by an old stellar population (>10 Gyr) and is therefore an ideal system to study early chemical evolution. With high-resolution VLT/FLAMES spectra, R~20,000, we are able to get accurate abundances of several n-capture elements in ~100 stars, from both the lighter n-capture elements (Y) as well as the heavier ones, both tracers of the s-process (e.g. Ba) and the r-process (e.g. Eu). I will discuss the similarities and differences in the n-capture elements in Sculptor and the Milky Way, as well as other dwarf galaxies.

  1. Chemical Evolution and the Formation of Dwarf Galaxies in the Early Universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cote, Benoit; JINA-CEE, NuGrid, ChETEC

    2018-06-01

    Stellar abundances in local dwarf galaxies offer a unique window into the nature and nucleosynthesis of the first stars. They also contain clues regarding how galaxies formed and assembled in the early stages of the universe. In this talk, I will present our effort to connect nuclear astrophysics with the field of galaxy formation in order to define what can be learned about galaxy evolution using stellar abundances. In particular, I will describe the current state of our numerical chemical evolution pipeline which accounts for the mass assembly history of galaxies, present how we use high-redshift cosmological hydrodynamic simulations to calibrate our models and to learn about the formation of dwarf galaxies, and address the challenge of identifying the dominant r-process site(s) using stellar abundances.

  2. 3He, red dwarf stars and future trillion years of the Galaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solpiter, Eh.Eh.

    1986-01-01

    Certain problems of red dwarf evolution are considered. On the basis of the observed upper limit of 3 He content in interstellar medium the evaluation of the limit of average rate of a dwarf star mass loss is given. For a typical dwarf of the age approximately equal to half of the Galaxy age the upper limit for the average part of the star mass, which has been lost in 10 10 years by means of stellar wind, constitutes g≤0.04. If g is near its upper limit, equal to 0.04, energy inflow to the interstellar medium from dwarfs is small, as compared with supernovae in the Galaxy, but not negligible

  3. No Assembly Required: Mergers are Mostly Irrelevant for the Growth of Low-mass Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitts, Alex; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Bullock, James S.; Weisz, Daniel R.; El-Badry, Kareem; Wheeler, Coral; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Quataert, Eliot; Hopkins, Philip F.; Kereš, Dušan; Wetzel, Andrew; Hayward, Christopher C.

    2018-06-01

    We investigate the merger histories of isolated dwarf galaxies based on a suite of 15 high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations, all with masses of Mhalo ≈ 1010 M⊙ (and M⋆ ˜ 105 - 107 M⊙) at z = 0, from the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project. The stellar populations of these dwarf galaxies at z = 0 are formed essentially entirely "in situ": over 90% of the stellar mass is formed in the main progenitor in all but two cases, and all 15 of the galaxies have >70% of their stellar mass formed in situ. Virtually all galaxy mergers occur prior to z ˜ 3, meaning that accreted stellar populations are ancient. On average, our simulated dwarfs undergo 5 galaxy mergers in their lifetimes, with typical pre-merger galaxy mass ratios that are less than 1:10. This merger frequency is generally comparable to what has been found in dissipationless simulations when coupled with abundance matching. Two of the simulated dwarfs have a luminous satellite companion at z = 0. These ultra-faint dwarfs lie at or below current detectability thresholds but are intriguing targets for next-generation facilities. The small contribution of accreted stars make it extremely difficult to discern the effects of mergers in the vast majority of dwarfs either photometrically or using resolved-star color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). The important implication for near-field cosmology is that star formation histories of comparably massive galaxies derived from resolved CMDs should trace the build-up of stellar mass in one main system across cosmic time as opposed to reflecting the contributions of many individual star formation histories of merged dwarfs.

  4. THE NUMBER OF TIDAL DWARF SATELLITE GALAXIES IN DEPENDENCE OF BULGE INDEX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    López-Corredoira, Martín; Kroupa, Pavel

    2016-01-01

    We show that a significant correlation (up to 5σ) emerges between the bulge index, defined to be larger for a larger bulge/disk ratio, in spiral galaxies with similar luminosities in the Galaxy Zoo 2 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the number of tidal-dwarf galaxies in the catalog by Kaviraj et al. In the standard cold or warm dark matter cosmological models, the number of satellite galaxies correlates with the circular velocity of the dark matter host halo. In generalized gravity models without cold or warm dark matter, such a correlation does not exist, because host galaxies cannot capture infalling dwarf galaxies due to the absence of dark-matter-induced dynamical friction. However, in such models, a correlation is expected to exist between the bulge mass and the number of satellite galaxies because bulges and tidal-dwarf satellite galaxies form in encounters between host galaxies. This is not predicted by dark matter models in which bulge mass and the number of satellites are a priori uncorrelated because higher bulge/disk ratios do not imply higher dark/luminous ratios. Hence, our correlation reproduces the prediction of scenarios without dark matter, whereas an explanation is not found readily from the a priori predictions of the standard scenario with dark matter. Further research is needed to explore whether some application of the standard theory may explain this correlation

  5. INSIGHTS INTO PRE-ENRICHMENT OF STAR CLUSTERS AND SELF-ENRICHMENT OF DWARF GALAXIES FROM THEIR INTRINSIC METALLICITY DISPERSIONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leaman, Ryan

    2012-01-01

    Star clusters are known to have smaller intrinsic metallicity spreads than dwarf galaxies due to their shorter star formation timescales. Here we use individual spectroscopic [Fe/H] measurements of stars in 19 Local Group dwarf galaxies, 13 Galactic open clusters, and 49 globular clusters to show that star cluster and dwarf galaxy linear metallicity distributions are binomial in form, with all objects showing strong correlations between their mean linear metallicity Z-bar and intrinsic spread in metallicity σ(Z) 2 . A plot of σ(Z) 2 versus Z-bar shows that the correlated relationships are offset for the dwarf galaxies from the star clusters. The common binomial nature of these linear metallicity distributions can be explained with a simple inhomogeneous chemical evolution model, where the star cluster and dwarf galaxy behavior in the σ(Z) 2 - Z-bar diagram is reproduced in terms of the number of enrichment events, covering fraction, and intrinsic size of the enriched regions. The inhomogeneity of the self-enrichment sets the slope for the observed dwarf galaxy σ(Z) 2 - Z-bar correlation. The offset of the star cluster sequence from that of the dwarf galaxies is due to pre-enrichment, and the slope of the star cluster sequence represents the remnant signature of the self-enriched history of their host galaxies. The offset can be used to separate star clusters from dwarf galaxies without a priori knowledge of their luminosity or dynamical mass. The application of the inhomogeneous model to the σ(Z) 2 - Z-bar relationship provides a numerical formalism to connect the self-enrichment and pre-enrichment between star clusters and dwarf galaxies using physically motivated chemical enrichment parameters. Therefore we suggest that the σ(Z) 2 - Z-bar relationship can provide insight into what drives the efficiency of star formation and chemical evolution in galaxies, and is an important prediction for galaxy simulation models to reproduce.

  6. The Variable Stars of the Draco Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy: Revisited

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinemuchi, K.; Harris, H. C.; Smith, Horace A.; Silbermann, N. A.; Snyder, L. A.; La Cluyzé, A. P.; Clark, C. L.

    2008-11-01

    We present a CCD survey of variable stars in the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy. This survey, which has the largest areal coverage since the original variable star survey by Baade & Swope, includes photometry for 270 RR Lyrae (RRL) stars, 9 anomalous Cepheids (ACs), 2 eclipsing binaries, and 12 slow, irregular red variables, as well as 30 background QSOs. Twenty-six probable double-mode RRL stars were identified. Observed parameters, including mean V and I magnitudes, V amplitudes, and periods, have been derived. Photometric metallicities of the ab-type RRL stars were calculated according to the method of Jurcsik & Kovacs, yielding a mean metallicity of lang[Fe/H]rang = -2.19 ± 0.03. The well-known Oosterhoff intermediate nature of the RRL stars in Draco is reconfirmed, although the double-mode RRL stars, with one exception, have properties similar to those found in Oosterhoff type II globular clusters. The period-luminosity relation of the ACs is rediscussed with the addition of the new Draco ACs.

  7. R-process enrichment from a single event in an ancient dwarf galaxy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Alexander P; Frebel, Anna; Chiti, Anirudh; Simon, Joshua D

    2016-03-31

    Elements heavier than zinc are synthesized through the rapid (r) and slow (s) neutron-capture processes. The main site of production of the r-process elements (such as europium) has been debated for nearly 60 years. Initial studies of trends in chemical abundances in old Milky Way halo stars suggested that these elements are produced continually, in sites such as core-collapse supernovae. But evidence from the local Universe favours the idea that r-process production occurs mainly during rare events, such as neutron star mergers. The appearance of a plateau of europium abundance in some dwarf spheroidal galaxies has been suggested as evidence for rare r-process enrichment in the early Universe, but only under the assumption that no gas accretes into those dwarf galaxies; gas accretion favours continual r-process enrichment in these systems. Furthermore, the universal r-process pattern has not been cleanly identified in dwarf spheroidals. The smaller, chemically simpler, and more ancient ultrafaint dwarf galaxies assembled shortly after the first stars formed, and are ideal systems with which to study nucleosynthesis events such as the r-process. Reticulum II is one such galaxy. The abundances of non-neutron-capture elements in this galaxy (and others like it) are similar to those in other old stars. Here, we report that seven of the nine brightest stars in Reticulum II, observed with high-resolution spectroscopy, show strong enhancements in heavy neutron-capture elements, with abundances that follow the universal r-process pattern beyond barium. The enhancement seen in this 'r-process galaxy' is two to three orders of magnitude higher than that detected in any other ultrafaint dwarf galaxy. This implies that a single, rare event produced the r-process material in Reticulum II. The r-process yield and event rate are incompatible with the source being ordinary core-collapse supernovae, but consistent with other possible sources, such as neutron star mergers.

  8. FCC046: A CANDIDATE GASEOUS POLAR RING DWARF ELLIPTICAL GALAXY IN THE FORNAX CLUSTER

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Rijcke, S.; Buyle, P.; Koleva, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S9, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium)

    2013-06-20

    FCC046 is a Fornax Cluster dwarf elliptical galaxy. Optical observations have shown that this galaxy, besides an old and metal-poor stellar population, also contains a very young centrally concentrated population and is actively forming stars, albeit at a very low level. Here, we report on 21 cm observations of FCC046 with the Australia Telescope Compact Array which we conducted in the course of a small survey of Fornax Cluster early-type dwarf galaxies. We have discovered a {approx}10{sup 7} M{sub Sun} H I cloud surrounding FCC046. We show that the presence of this significant gas reservoir offers a concise explanation for this galaxy's optical morphological and kinematical properties. Surprisingly, the H I gas, as evidenced by its morphology and its rotational motion around the galaxy's optical major axis, is kinematically decoupled from the galaxy's stellar body. This is the first time such a ring of gaseous material in minor-axis rotation is discovered around a dwarf galaxy.

  9. Reconstructing the Dwarf Galaxy Progenitor from Tidal Streams Using MilkyWay@home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newberg, Heidi; Shelton, Siddhartha

    2018-04-01

    We attempt to reconstruct the mass and radial profile of stars and dark matter in the dwarf galaxy progenitor of the Orphan Stream, using only information from the stars in the Orphan Stream. We show that given perfect data and perfect knowledge of the dwarf galaxy profile and Milky Way potential, we are able to reconstruct the mass and radial profiles of both the stars and dark matter in the progenitor to high accuracy using only the density of stars along the stream and either the velocity dispersion or width of the stream in the sky. To perform this test, we simulated the tidal disruption of a two component (stars and dark matter) dwarf galaxy along the orbit of the Orphan Stream. We then created a histogram of the density of stars along the stream and a histogram of either the velocity dispersion or width of the stream in the sky as a function of position along the stream. The volunteer supercomputer MilkyWay@home was given these two histograms, the Milky Way potential model, and the orbital parameters for the progenitor. N-body simulations were run, varying dwarf galaxy parameters and the time of disruption. The goodness-of-fit of the model to the data was determined using an Earth-Mover Distance algorithm. The parameters were optimized using Differential Evolution. Future work will explore whether currently available information on the Orphan Stream stars is sufficient to constrain its progenitor, and how sensitive the optimization is to our knowledge of the Milky Way potential and the density model of the dwarf galaxy progenitor, as well as a host of other real-life unknowns.

  10. A GALEX ULTRAVIOLET IMAGING SURVEY OF GALAXIES IN THE LOCAL VOLUME

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Janice C.; Gil de Paz, Armando; Kennicutt, Robert C. Jr; Bothwell, Matthew; Johnson, Benjamin D.; Dalcanton, Julianne; Funes S. J., Jose G.; Sakai, Shoko; Skillman, Evan; Tremonti, Christy; Van Zee, Liese

    2011-01-01

    We present results from a GALEX ultraviolet (UV) survey of a complete sample of 390 galaxies within ∼11 Mpc of the Milky Way. The UV data are a key component of the composite Local Volume Legacy, an ultraviolet-to-infrared imaging program designed to provide an inventory of dust and star formation in nearby spiral and irregular galaxies. The ensemble data set is an especially valuable resource for studying star formation in dwarf galaxies, which comprise over 80% of the sample. We describe the GALEX survey programs that obtained the data and provide a catalog of far-UV (∼1500 A) and near-UV (∼2200 A) integrated photometry. General UV properties of the sample are briefly discussed. We compute two measures of the global star formation efficiency, the star formation rate (SFR) per unit H I gas mass, and the SFR per unit stellar mass, to illustrate the significant differences that can arise in our understanding of dwarf galaxies when the FUV is used to measure the SFR instead of Hα. We find that dwarf galaxies may not be as drastically inefficient in converting gas into stars as suggested by prior Hα studies. In this context, we also examine the UV properties of late-type dwarf galaxies that appear to be devoid of star formation because they were not detected in previous Hα narrowband observations. Nearly all such galaxies in our sample are detected in the FUV and have FUV SFRs that fall below the limit where the Hα flux is robust to Poisson fluctuations in the formation of massive stars. Otherwise, the UV colors and star formation efficiencies of Hα-undetected, UV-bright dwarf irregulars appear to be relatively unremarkable with respect to those exhibited by the general population of star-forming galaxies.

  11. TIDAL INTERACTION AS THE ORIGIN OF EARLY-TYPE DWARF GALAXIES IN GROUP ENVIRONMENTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paudel, Sanjaya; Ree, Chang H.

    2014-01-01

    We present a sample of dwarf galaxies that suffer ongoing disruption by the tidal forces of nearby massive galaxies. By analyzing structural and stellar population properties using the archival imaging and spectroscopic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we find that they are likely a ''smoking gun'' example of the formation through tidal stirring of early-type dwarf galaxies (dEs) in the galaxy group environment. The inner cores of these galaxies are fairly intact and the observed light profiles are well fit by the Sérsic functions while the tidally stretched stellar halos are prominent in the outer parts. They are all located within a sky-projected distance of 50 kpc from the centers of the host galaxies and no dwarf galaxies have relative line-of-sight velocities larger than 205 km s –1 to their hosts. We derive the Composite Stellar Population properties of these galaxies by fitting the SDSS optical spectra to a multiple-burst composite stellar population model. We find that these galaxies accumulate a significant fraction of stellar mass within the last 1 Gyr and contain a majority stellar population with an intermediate age of 2 to 4 Gyr. Based on this evidence, we argue that tidal stirring, particularly through the galaxy-galaxy interaction, might have an important role in the formation and evolution of dEs in the group environment where the influence of other gas stripping mechanism might be limited

  12. CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE FROM THE PALOMAR TRANSIENT FACTORY: INDICATIONS FOR A DIFFERENT POPULATION IN DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arcavi, Iair; Gal-Yam, Avishay; Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Quimby, Robert M.; Ofek, Eran O.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.; Law, Nicholas; Cooke, Jeff; Nugent, Peter E.; Poznanski, Dovi; Cenko, S. Bradley; Bloom, Joshua S.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Sullivan, Mark; Hook, Isobel; Joensson, Jakob; Blake, Sarah; Howell, D. Andrew; Dekany, Richard; Rahmer, Gustavo

    2010-01-01

    We use the first compilation of 72 core-collapse supernovae (SNe) from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) to study their observed subtype distribution in dwarf galaxies compared to giant galaxies. Our sample is the largest single-survey, untargeted, spectroscopically classified, homogeneous collection of core-collapse events ever assembled, spanning a wide host-galaxy luminosity range (down to M r ∼ -14 mag) and including a substantial fraction (>20%) of dwarf (M r ≥ -18 mag) hosts. We find more core-collapse SNe in dwarf galaxies than expected and several interesting trends emerge. We use detailed subclassifications of stripped-envelope core-collapse SNe and find that all Type I core-collapse events occurring in dwarf galaxies are either SNe Ib or broad-lined SNe Ic (SNe Ic-BL), while 'normal' SNe Ic dominate in giant galaxies. We also see a significant excess of SNe IIb in dwarf hosts. We hypothesize that in lower metallicity hosts, metallicity-driven mass loss is reduced, allowing massive stars that would have appeared as 'normal' SNe Ic in metal-rich galaxies to retain some He and H, exploding as Ib/IIb events. At the same time, another mechanism allows some stars to undergo extensive stripping and explode as SNe Ic-BL (and presumably also as long-duration gamma-ray bursts). Our results are still limited by small-number statistics, and our measurements of the observed N(Ib/c)/N(II) number ratio in dwarf and giant hosts (0.25 +0.3 -0.15 and 0.23 +0.11 -0.08 , respectively; 1σ uncertainties) are consistent with previous studies and theoretical predictions. As additional PTF data accumulate, more robust statistical analyses will be possible, allowing the evolution of massive stars to be probed via the dwarf-galaxy SN population.

  13. Linking dwarf galaxies to halo building blocks with the most metal-poor star in Sculptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frebel, Anna; Kirby, Evan N; Simon, Joshua D

    2010-03-04

    Current cosmological models indicate that the Milky Way's stellar halo was assembled from many smaller systems. On the basis of the apparent absence of the most metal-poor stars in present-day dwarf galaxies, recent studies claimed that the true Galactic building blocks must have been vastly different from the surviving dwarfs. The discovery of an extremely iron-poor star (S1020549) in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy based on a medium-resolution spectrum cast some doubt on this conclusion. Verification of the iron-deficiency, however, and measurements of additional elements, such as the alpha-element Mg, are necessary to demonstrate that the same type of stars produced the metals found in dwarf galaxies and the Galactic halo. Only then can dwarf galaxy stars be conclusively linked to early stellar halo assembly. Here we report high-resolution spectroscopic abundances for 11 elements in S1020549, confirming its iron abundance of less than 1/4,000th that of the Sun, and showing that the overall abundance pattern follows that seen in low-metallicity halo stars, including the alpha-elements. Such chemical similarity indicates that the systems destroyed to form the halo billions of years ago were not fundamentally different from the progenitors of present-day dwarfs, and suggests that the early chemical enrichment of all galaxies may be nearly identical.

  14. Stellar Abundances for Galactic Archaeology Database. IV. Compilation of stars in dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suda, Takuma; Hidaka, Jun; Aoki, Wako; Katsuta, Yutaka; Yamada, Shimako; Fujimoto, Masayuki Y.; Ohtani, Yukari; Masuyama, Miyu; Noda, Kazuhiro; Wada, Kentaro

    2017-10-01

    We have constructed a database of stars in Local Group galaxies using the extended version of the SAGA (Stellar Abundances for Galactic Archaeology) database that contains stars in 24 dwarf spheroidal galaxies and ultra-faint dwarfs. The new version of the database includes more than 4500 stars in the Milky Way, by removing the previous metallicity criterion of [Fe/H] ≤ -2.5, and more than 6000 stars in the Local Group galaxies. We examined the validity of using a combined data set for elemental abundances. We also checked the consistency between the derived distances to individual stars and those to galaxies as given in the literature. Using the updated database, the characteristics of stars in dwarf galaxies are discussed. Our statistical analyses of α-element abundances show that the change of the slope of the [α/Fe] relative to [Fe/H] (so-called "knee") occurs at [Fe/H] = -1.0 ± 0.1 for the Milky Way. The knee positions for selected galaxies are derived by applying the same method. The star formation history of individual galaxies is explored using the slope of the cumulative metallicity distribution function. Radial gradients along the four directions are inspected in six galaxies where we find no direction-dependence of metallicity gradients along the major and minor axes. The compilation of all the available data shows a lack of CEMP-s population in dwarf galaxies, while there may be some CEMP-no stars at [Fe/H] ≲ -3 even in the very small sample. The inspection of the relationship between Eu and Ba abundances confirms an anomalously Ba-rich population in Fornax, which indicates a pre-enrichment of interstellar gas with r-process elements. We do not find any evidence of anti-correlations in O-Na and Mg-Al abundances, which characterizes the abundance trends in the Galactic globular clusters.

  15. Formation of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies from supergiant molecular clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Morgan; Bekki, Kenji

    2018-05-01

    The origin of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) is not yet clear. One possible formation path of UCDs is the threshing of a nucleated elliptical dwarf galaxy (dE, N), however, it remains unclear how such massive nuclear stellar systems were formed in dwarf galaxies. To better establish the early history of UCDs, we investigate the formation of UCD progenitor clusters from super giant molecular clouds (SGMCs), using hydrodynamical simulations. In this study we focus on SGMCs with masses 107 - 108 M_{\\odot } that can form massive star clusters that display physical properties similar to UCDs. We find that the clusters have extended star formation histories with two phases, producing multiple distinct stellar populations, and that the star formation rate is dependent on the feedback effects of SNe and AGB stars. The later generations of stars formed in these clusters are more compact, leading to a clearly nested structure, and these stars will be more He-rich than those of the first generation, leading to a slight colour gradient. The simulated clusters demonstrate scaling relations between Reff and M and σv and M consistent with those observed in UCDs and strongly consistent with those of the original SGMC. We discuss whether SGMCs such as these can be formed through merging of self-gravitating molecular clouds in galaxies at high-z.

  16. Variable Stars in (Not Only) Dwarf Galaxies : Key Tools to Constrain Distances and Stellar Content

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fiorentino, G.; Koleva, M; Prugniel, P; Vauglin,

    2011-01-01

    The important role of Cepheid and RR Lyrae variable stars and what they teach us about dwarf galaxies is discussed. Despite ever improving star formation histories of Local Group dwarf galaxies uncertainties remain, in particular in the identification and characterisation of the oldest stellar

  17. FORMATION OF ULTRA-COMPACT BLUE DWARF GALAXIES AND THEIR EVOLUTION INTO NUCLEATED DWARFS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bekki, Kenji

    2015-01-01

    We propose that there is an evolutionary link between ultra-compact blue dwarf galaxies (UCBDs) with active star formation and nucleated dwarfs based on the results of numerical simulations of dwarf–dwarf merging. We consider the observational fact that low-mass dwarfs can be very gas-rich, and thereby investigate the dynamical and chemical evolution of very gas-rich, dissipative dwarf–dwarf mergers. We find that the remnants of dwarf–dwarf mergers can be dominated by new stellar populations formed from the triggered starbursts and consequently can have blue colors and higher metallicities (Z ∼ [0.2–1]Z ⊙ ). We also find that the remnants of these mergers can have rather high mass densities (10 4 M ⊙ pc −3 ) within the central 10 pc and small half-light radii (40−100 pc). The radial stellar structures of some merger remnants are similar to those of nucleated dwarfs. Star formation can continue in nuclear gas disks (R < 100 pc) surrounding stellar galactic nuclei (SGNs) so that the SGNs can finally have multiple stellar populations with different ages and metallicities. These very compact blue remnants can be identified as UCBDs soon after merging and as nucleated dwarfs after the young stars fade. We discuss these results in the context of the origins of metal-rich ultra-compact dwarfs and SGNs

  18. FORMATION OF ULTRA-COMPACT BLUE DWARF GALAXIES AND THEIR EVOLUTION INTO NUCLEATED DWARFS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bekki, Kenji [ICRAR, M468, The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley Western Australia, 6009 (Australia)

    2015-10-10

    We propose that there is an evolutionary link between ultra-compact blue dwarf galaxies (UCBDs) with active star formation and nucleated dwarfs based on the results of numerical simulations of dwarf–dwarf merging. We consider the observational fact that low-mass dwarfs can be very gas-rich, and thereby investigate the dynamical and chemical evolution of very gas-rich, dissipative dwarf–dwarf mergers. We find that the remnants of dwarf–dwarf mergers can be dominated by new stellar populations formed from the triggered starbursts and consequently can have blue colors and higher metallicities (Z ∼ [0.2–1]Z{sub ⊙}). We also find that the remnants of these mergers can have rather high mass densities (10{sup 4} M{sub ⊙} pc{sup −3}) within the central 10 pc and small half-light radii (40−100 pc). The radial stellar structures of some merger remnants are similar to those of nucleated dwarfs. Star formation can continue in nuclear gas disks (R < 100 pc) surrounding stellar galactic nuclei (SGNs) so that the SGNs can finally have multiple stellar populations with different ages and metallicities. These very compact blue remnants can be identified as UCBDs soon after merging and as nucleated dwarfs after the young stars fade. We discuss these results in the context of the origins of metal-rich ultra-compact dwarfs and SGNs.

  19. Using photometrically selected metal-poor stars to study dwarf galaxies and the Galactic stellar halo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youakim, Kris; Starkenburg, Else; Martin, Nicolas; Pristine Team

    2018-06-01

    The Pristine survey is a narrow-band photometric survey designed to efficiently search for extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars. In the first three years of the survey, it has demonstrated great efficiency at finding EMP stars, and also great promise for increasing the current, small sample of the most metal-poor stars. The present sky coverage is ~2500 square degrees in the Northern Galactic Halo, including several individual fields targeting dwarf galaxies. By efficiently identifying member stars in the outskirts of known faint dwarf galaxies, the dynamical histories and chemical abundance patterns of these systems can be understood in greater detail. Additionally, with reliable photometric metallicities over a large sky coverage it is possible to perform a large scale clustering analysis in the Milky Way halo, and investigate the characteristic scale of substructure at different metallicities. This can reveal important details about the process of building up the halo through dwarf galaxy accretion, and offer insight into the connection between dwarf galaxies and the Milky Way halo. In this talk I will outline our results on the search for the most pristine stars, with a focus on how we are using this information to advance our understanding of dwarf galaxies and their contribution to the formation of the Galactic stellar halo.

  20. Evolution of LMC/M33-mass dwarf galaxies in the EAGLE simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Shi; Cautun, Marius; Deason, Alis J.; Frenk, Carlos S.; Theuns, Tom

    2018-06-01

    We investigate the population of dwarf galaxies with stellar masses similar to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and M33 in the EAGLE galaxy formation simulation. In the field, galaxies reside in haloes with stellar-to-halo mass ratios of 1.03^{+0.50}_{-0.31}× 10^{-2} (68% confidence level); systems like the LMC, which have an SMC-mass satellite, reside in haloes about 1.3 times more massive, which suggests an LMC halo mass at infall, M_{200}=3.4^{+1.8}_{-1.2}× 10^{11}{ M_⊙ } (68% confidence level). The colour distribution of dwarfs is bimodal, with the red galaxies (g - r > 0.6) being mostly satellites. The fraction of red LMC-mass dwarfs is 15% for centrals, and for satellites this fraction increases rapidly with host mass: from 10% for satellites of Milky Way (MW)-mass haloes to nearly 90% for satellites of groups and clusters. The quenching timescale, defined as the time after infall when half of the satellites have acquired red colours, decreases with host mass from >5 Gyrs for MW-mass hosts to 2.5 Gyrs for cluster mass hosts. The satellites of MW-mass haloes have higher star formation rates and bluer colours than field galaxies. This is due to enhanced star formation triggered by gas compression shortly after accretion. Both the LMC and M33 have enhanced recent star formation that could be a manifestation of this process. After infall into their MW-mass hosts, the g - r colours of LMC-mass dwarfs become bluer for the first 2 Gyrs, after which they rapidly redden. LMC-mass dwarfs fell into their MW-mass hosts only relatively recently, with more than half having an infall time of less than 3.5 Gyrs.

  1. Impact of Lyman alpha pressure on metal-poor dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimm, Taysun; Haehnelt, Martin; Blaizot, Jérémy; Katz, Harley; Michel-Dansac, Léo; Garel, Thibault; Rosdahl, Joakim; Teyssier, Romain

    2018-04-01

    Understanding the origin of strong galactic outflows and the suppression of star formation in dwarf galaxies is a key problem in galaxy formation. Using a set of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of an isolated dwarf galaxy embedded in a 1010 M⊙ halo, we show that the momentum transferred from resonantly scattered Lyman-α (Lyα) photons is an important source of stellar feedback which can shape the evolution of galaxies. We find that Lyα feedback suppresses star formation by a factor of two in metal-poor galaxies by regulating the dynamics of star-forming clouds before the onset of supernova explosions (SNe). This is possible because each Lyα photon resonantly scatters and imparts ˜10-300 times greater momentum than in the single scattering limit. Consequently, the number of star clusters predicted in the simulations is reduced by a factor of ˜5, compared to the model without the early feedback. More importantly, we find that galactic outflows become weaker in the presence of strong Lyα radiation feedback, as star formation and associated SNe become less bursty. We also examine a model in which radiation field is arbitrarily enhanced by a factor of up to 10, and reach the same conclusion. The typical mass-loading factors in our metal-poor dwarf system are estimated to be ˜5-10 near the mid-plane, while it is reduced to ˜1 at larger radii. Finally, we find that the escape of ionizing radiation and hence the reionization history of the Universe is unlikely to be strongly affected by Lyα feedback.

  2. The Effects of Ram-pressure Stripping and Supernova Winds on the Tidal Stirring of Disky Dwarfs: Enhanced Transformation into Dwarf Spheroidals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazantzidis, Stelios; Mayer, Lucio; Callegari, Simone; Dotti, Massimo; Moustakas, Leonidas A.

    2017-02-01

    A conclusive model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies still remains elusive. Owing to their proximity to the massive spirals Milky Way (MW) and M31, various environmental processes have been invoked to explain their origin. In this context, the tidal stirring model postulates that interactions with MW-sized hosts can transform rotationally supported dwarfs, resembling present-day dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, into systems with the kinematic and structural properties of dSphs. Using N-body+SPH simulations, we investigate the dependence of this transformation mechanism on the gas fraction, f gas, in the disk of the progenitor dwarf. Our numerical experiments incorporate for the first time the combined effects of radiative cooling, ram-pressure stripping, star formation, supernova (SN) winds, and a cosmic UV background. For a given orbit inside the primary galaxy, rotationally supported dwarfs with gas fractions akin to those of observed dIrrs (f gas ≳ 0.5), demonstrate a substantially enhanced likelihood and efficiency of transformation into dSphs relative to their collisionless (f gas = 0) counterparts. We argue that the combination of ram-pressure stripping and SN winds causes the gas-rich dwarfs to respond more impulsively to tides, augmenting their transformation. When f gas ≳ 0.5, disky dwarfs on previously unfavorable low-eccentricity or large-pericenter orbits are still able to transform. On the widest orbits, the transformation is incomplete; the dwarfs retain significant rotational support, a relatively flat shape, and some gas, naturally resembling transition-type systems. We conclude that tidal stirring constitutes a prevalent evolutionary mechanism for shaping the structure of dwarf galaxies within the currently favored CDM cosmological paradigm.

  3. The Effects of Ram-pressure Stripping and Supernova Winds on the Tidal Stirring of Disky Dwarfs: Enhanced Transformation into Dwarf Spheroidals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kazantzidis, Stelios [Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Zografos, Athens (Greece); Mayer, Lucio [Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich (Switzerland); Callegari, Simone [Anthropology Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich (Switzerland); Dotti, Massimo [Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Moustakas, Leonidas A., E-mail: skazantzidis@phys.uoa.gr [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

    2017-02-10

    A conclusive model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies still remains elusive. Owing to their proximity to the massive spirals Milky Way (MW) and M31, various environmental processes have been invoked to explain their origin. In this context, the tidal stirring model postulates that interactions with MW-sized hosts can transform rotationally supported dwarfs, resembling present-day dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, into systems with the kinematic and structural properties of dSphs. Using N -body+SPH simulations, we investigate the dependence of this transformation mechanism on the gas fraction, f {sub gas}, in the disk of the progenitor dwarf. Our numerical experiments incorporate for the first time the combined effects of radiative cooling, ram-pressure stripping, star formation, supernova (SN) winds, and a cosmic UV background. For a given orbit inside the primary galaxy, rotationally supported dwarfs with gas fractions akin to those of observed dIrrs ( f {sub gas} ≳ 0.5), demonstrate a substantially enhanced likelihood and efficiency of transformation into dSphs relative to their collisionless ( f {sub gas} = 0) counterparts. We argue that the combination of ram-pressure stripping and SN winds causes the gas-rich dwarfs to respond more impulsively to tides, augmenting their transformation. When f {sub gas} ≳ 0.5, disky dwarfs on previously unfavorable low-eccentricity or large-pericenter orbits are still able to transform. On the widest orbits, the transformation is incomplete; the dwarfs retain significant rotational support, a relatively flat shape, and some gas, naturally resembling transition-type systems. We conclude that tidal stirring constitutes a prevalent evolutionary mechanism for shaping the structure of dwarf galaxies within the currently favored CDM cosmological paradigm.

  4. Anomalous Evolution of the Dwarf Galaxy HIPASS J1321-31

    OpenAIRE

    Pritzl, Barton J.; Knezek, Patricia M.; Gallagher III, John S.; Grossi, Marco; Disney, Mike J.; Minchin, Robert F.; Freeman, Kenneth C.; Tolstoy, Eline; Saha, Abi

    2003-01-01

    We present HST/WFPC2 observations of the dwarf galaxy HIPASS J1321-31. This unusual galaxy lies in the direction of the Centaurus A group of galaxies, and has a color-magnitude diagram with a distinctive red plume of luminous stars. This feature could arise from (a) a red giant branch if the galaxy were much nearer than previously recognized, (b) a peculiar asymptotic giant branch, or, (c) an ~1 Gigayear old population of intermediate mass red supergiants, which we find to be the most likely ...

  5. An actively accreting massive black hole in the dwarf starburst galaxy Henize 2-10.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reines, Amy E; Sivakoff, Gregory R; Johnson, Kelsey E; Brogan, Crystal L

    2011-02-03

    Supermassive black holes are now thought to lie at the heart of every giant galaxy with a spheroidal component, including our own Milky Way. The birth and growth of the first 'seed' black holes in the earlier Universe, however, is observationally unconstrained and we are only beginning to piece together a scenario for their subsequent evolution. Here we report that the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy Henize 2-10 (refs 5 and 6) contains a compact radio source at the dynamical centre of the galaxy that is spatially coincident with a hard X-ray source. From these observations, we conclude that Henize 2-10 harbours an actively accreting central black hole with a mass of approximately one million solar masses. This nearby dwarf galaxy, simultaneously hosting a massive black hole and an extreme burst of star formation, is analogous in many ways to galaxies in the infant Universe during the early stages of black-hole growth and galaxy mass assembly. Our results confirm that nearby star-forming dwarf galaxies can indeed form massive black holes, and that by implication so can their primordial counterparts. Moreover, the lack of a substantial spheroidal component in Henize 2-10 indicates that supermassive black-hole growth may precede the build-up of galaxy spheroids.

  6. KINEMATIC PROPERTIES AS PROBES OF THE EVOLUTION OF DWARF GALAXIES IN THE VIRGO CLUSTER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toloba, E.; Gorgas, J.; De Paz, A. Gil; Boselli, A.; Peletier, R. F.; Yildiz, U.; Cenarro, A. J.; Gadotti, D. A.; Pedraz, S.

    2009-01-01

    We present new observational results on the kinematical, morphological, and stellar population properties of a sample of 21 dEs located both in the Virgo Cluster and in the field, which show that 52% of the dEs (1) are rotationally supported, (2) exhibit structural signs of typical rotating systems such as disks, bars, or spiral arms, (3) are younger (∼3 Gyr) than non-rotating dEs, and (4) are preferentially located either in the outskirts of Virgo or in the field. This evidence is consistent with the idea that rotationally supported dwarfs are late-type spirals or irregulars that recently entered the cluster and lost their gas through a ram pressure stripping event, quenching their star formation and becoming dEs through passive evolution. We also find that all, but one, galaxies without photometric hints for hosting disks are pressure supported and are all situated in the inner regions of the cluster. This suggests a different evolution from the rotationally supported systems. Three different scenarios for these non-rotating galaxies are discussed (in situ formation, harassment, and ram pressure stripping).

  7. EXTENDED STAR CLUSTERS IN THE REMOTE HALO OF THE INTRIGUING DWARF GALAXY NGC 6822

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Narae; Lee, Myung Gyoon; Lee, Jong Chul; Park, Hong Soo; Park, Won-Kee; Kim, Sang Chul; Park, Jang-Hyun

    2011-01-01

    We present a study on four new star clusters discovered in the halo of the intriguing dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822 from a wide-field survey covering 3 0 x 3 0 area carried out with MegaCam at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The star clusters have extended structures with half-light radii R h ∼ 7.5-14.0 pc, larger than typical Galactic globular clusters and other known globular clusters in NGC 6822. The integrated colors and color-magnitude diagrams of resolved stars suggest that the new star clusters are 2-10 Gyr old and relatively metal poor with Z = 0.0001-0.004 based on the comparison with theoretical models. The projected distance of each star cluster from the galaxy center ranges from 10.'7 (∼1.5 kpc) to 77' (∼11 kpc), far beyond the optical body of the galaxy. Interestingly, the new star clusters are aligned along the elongated old stellar halo of NGC 6822, which is almost perpendicular to the H I gas distribution where young stellar populations exist. We also find that the colors and half-light radii of the new clusters are correlated with the galactocentric distance: clusters farther from the galaxy center are larger and bluer than those closer to the galaxy center. We discuss the stellar structure and evolution of NGC 6822 implied by these new extended star clusters in the halo. We also discuss the current status of observational and theoretical understandings regarding the origin of extended star clusters in NGC 6822 and other galaxies.

  8. The Horizontal Branch of the Sculptor Dwarf galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salaris, Maurizio; de Boer, Thomas; Tolstoy, Eline; Fiorentino, Giuliana; Cassisi, Santi

    2013-01-01

    We have performed the first detailed simulation of the horizontal branch of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy by means of synthetic modelling techniques, taking consistently into account the star formation history and metallicity evolution as determined from the main sequence and red giant branch

  9. DWARFS GOBBLING DWARFS: A STELLAR TIDAL STREAM AROUND NGC 4449 AND HIERARCHICAL GALAXY FORMATION ON SMALL SCALES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martínez-Delgado, David; Rix, Hans-Walter; Macciò, Andrea V.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Arnold, Jacob A.; Brodie, Jean P.; Jay Gabany, R.; Annibali, Francesca; Fliri, Jürgen; Zibetti, Stefano; Van der Marel, Roeland P.; Aloisi, Alessandra; Chonis, Taylor S.; Carballo-Bello, Julio A.; Gallego-Laborda, J.; Merrifield, Michael R.

    2012-01-01

    A candidate diffuse stellar substructure was previously reported in the halo of the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 4449 by Karachentsev et al. We map and analyze this feature using a unique combination of deep integrated-light images from the BlackBird 0.5 m telescope, and high-resolution wide-field images from the 8 m Subaru Telescope, which resolve the nebulosity into a stream of red giant branch stars, and confirm its physical association with NGC 4449. The properties of the stream imply a massive dwarf spheroidal progenitor, which after complete disruption will deposit an amount of stellar mass that is comparable to the existing stellar halo of the main galaxy. The stellar mass ratio between the two galaxies is ∼1:50, while the indirectly measured dynamical mass ratio, when including dark matter, may be ∼1:10-1:5. This system may thus represent a 'stealth' merger, where an infalling satellite galaxy is nearly undetectable by conventional means, yet has a substantial dynamical influence on its host galaxy. This singular discovery also suggests that satellite accretion can play a significant role in building up the stellar halos of low-mass galaxies, and possibly in triggering their starbursts.

  10. The Taxonomy of Blue Amorphous Galaxies. II. Structure and Evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marlowe, Amanda T.; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Heckman, Timothy M.

    1999-09-01

    Dwarf galaxies play an important role in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, and starbursts are believed to affect the structure and evolution of dwarf galaxies strongly. We have therefore embarked on a systematic study of 12 of the nearest dwarf galaxies thought to be undergoing bursts of star formation. These were selected primarily by their morphological type (blue ``amorphous'' galaxies). We show that these blue amorphous galaxies are not physically distinguishable from dwarfs selected as starbursting by other methods, such as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) and H II galaxies. All these classes exhibit surface brightness profiles that are exponential in the outer regions (r>~1.5re) but often have a predominantly central blue excess, suggesting a young burst in an older, redder galaxy. Typically, the starbursting ``cores'' are young (~107-108 yr) events compared to the older (~109-1010 yr) underlying galaxy (the ``envelope''). The ratio of the core to envelope in blue light ranges from essentially zero to about 2. These starbursts are therefore modest events involving only a few percent of the stellar mass. The envelopes have surface brightnesses that are much higher than typical dwarf irregular (dI) galaxies, so it is unlikely that there is a straightforward evolutionary relation between typical dIs and dwarf starburst galaxies. Instead we suggest that amorphous galaxies may repeatedly cycle through starburst and quiescent phases, corresponding to the galaxies with strong and weak/absent cores, respectively. Once amorphous galaxies use up the available gas (either through star formation or galactic winds) so that star formation is shut off, the faded remnants would strongly resemble dwarf elliptical galaxies. However, in the current cosmological epoch, this is evidently a slow process that is the aftermath of a series of many weak, recurring bursts. Present-day dE's must have experienced more rapid and intense evolution than this in the distant past.

  11. Environmental effects on stellar populations of star clusters and dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasetto, Stefano; Cropper, Mark; Fujita, Yutaka; Chiosi, Cesare; Grebel, Eva K.

    2017-03-01

    We investigate the competitive role of the different dissipative phenomena acting on the onset of star formation of gravitationally bound systems in an external environment. Ram pressure, Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities, and tidal forces are accounted for separately in an analytical framework and compared in their role in influencing the star forming regions. We present an analytical criterion to elucidate the dependence of star formation in a spherical stellar system on its surrounding environment. We consider the different signatures of these phenomena in synthetically realized colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the orbiting system thus investigating the detectability limits of these different effects for future observational projects and their relevance. The developed theoretical framework has direct applications to the cases of massive star clusters, dwarf galaxies in galaxy clusters and dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way system, as well as any primordial gas-rich cluster of stars orbiting within its host galaxy.

  12. Environmental effects on stellar populations of dwarf galaxies and star clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasetto, Stefano; Cropper, Mark; fujita, Yutaka; Chiosi, Cesare; Grebel, Eva K.

    2015-08-01

    We investigate the competitive role of the different dissipative phenomena acting on the onset of star formation history of gravitationally bound system in an external environment. Ram pressure, Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, Rayleigh-Taylor, and tidal forces are accounted separately in an analytical framework and compared in their role in influencing the star forming regions. We present an analytical criterion to elucidate the dependence of star formation in a spherical stellar system on its surrounding environment useful in observational applications as well as theoretical interpretations of numerical results.We consider the different signatures of these phenomena in synthetically realized colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the orbiting system thus investigating the detectability limits of these different effects for future observational projects and their relevance.The theoretical framework developed has direct applications to the cases of dwarf galaxies in galaxy clusters and dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way system, as well as any primordial gas-rich cluster of stars orbiting within its host galaxy.

  13. Formation and evolution of dwarf early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster I. Internal kinematics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toloba, E.; Boselli, A.; Cenarro, A. J.; Peletier, R. F.; Gorgas, J.; Gil de Paz, A.; Munoz-Mateos, J. C.

    We present new medium resolution kinematic data for a sample of 21 dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) mainly in the Virgo cluster, obtained with the WHT and INT telescopes at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma, Spain). These data are used to study the origin of the dwarf elliptical galaxy

  14. Intermediate-mass black holes in dwarf galaxies out to redshift ˜ 2.4 in the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mezcua, M.; Civano, F.; Marchesi, S.; Suh, H.; Fabbiano, G.; Volonteri, M.

    2018-05-01

    We present a sample of 40 AGN in dwarf galaxies at redshifts z ≲ 2.4. The galaxies are drawn from the Chandra COSMOS-Legacy survey as having stellar masses 107 ≤ M* ≤ 3 × 109 M⊙. Most of the dwarf galaxies are star-forming. After removing the contribution from star formation to the X-ray emission, the AGN luminosities of the 40 dwarf galaxies are in the range L0.5-10keV ˜ 1039 - 1044 erg s-1. With 12 sources at z > 0.5, our sample constitutes the highest-redshift discovery of AGN in dwarf galaxies. The record-holder is cid_1192, at z = 2.39 and with L0.5-10keV ˜ 1044 erg s-1. One of the dwarf galaxies has M* = 6.6 × 107 M⊙ and is the least massive galaxy found so far to host an AGN. All the AGN are of type 2 and consistent with hosting intermediate-mass black holes (BHs) with masses ˜104 - 105 M⊙ and typical Eddington ratios >1%. We also study the evolution, corrected for completeness, of AGN fraction with stellar mass, X-ray luminosity, and redshift in dwarf galaxies out to z = 0.7. We find that the AGN fraction for 109 < M* ≤ 3 × 109 M⊙ and LX ˜ 1041 - 1042 erg s-1 is ˜0.4% for z ≤ 0.3 and that it decreases with X-ray luminosity and decreasing stellar mass. Unlike massive galaxies, the AGN fraction seems to decrease with redshift, suggesting that AGN in dwarf galaxies evolve differently than those in high-mass galaxies. Mindful of potential caveats, the results seem to favor a direct collapse formation mechanism for the seed BHs in the early Universe.

  15. Dark-ages Reionization and Galaxy Formation Simulation - XIV. Gas accretion, cooling, and star formation in dwarf galaxies at high redshift

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Yuxiang; Duffy, Alan R.; Mutch, Simon J.; Poole, Gregory B.; Geil, Paul M.; Mesinger, Andrei; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

    2018-06-01

    We study dwarf galaxy formation at high redshift (z ≥ 5) using a suite of high-resolution, cosmological hydrodynamic simulations and a semi-analytic model (SAM). We focus on gas accretion, cooling, and star formation in this work by isolating the relevant process from reionization and supernova feedback, which will be further discussed in a companion paper. We apply the SAM to halo merger trees constructed from a collisionless N-body simulation sharing identical initial conditions to the hydrodynamic suite, and calibrate the free parameters against the stellar mass function predicted by the hydrodynamic simulations at z = 5. By making comparisons of the star formation history and gas components calculated by the two modelling techniques, we find that semi-analytic prescriptions that are commonly adopted in the literature of low-redshift galaxy formation do not accurately represent dwarf galaxy properties in the hydrodynamic simulation at earlier times. We propose three modifications to SAMs that will provide more accurate high-redshift simulations. These include (1) the halo mass and baryon fraction which are overestimated by collisionless N-body simulations; (2) the star formation efficiency which follows a different cosmic evolutionary path from the hydrodynamic simulation; and (3) the cooling rate which is not well defined for dwarf galaxies at high redshift. Accurate semi-analytic modelling of dwarf galaxy formation informed by detailed hydrodynamical modelling will facilitate reliable semi-analytic predictions over the large volumes needed for the study of reionization.

  16. Dark-ages Reionization and Galaxy Formation Simulation - XIV. Gas accretion, cooling and star formation in dwarf galaxies at high redshift

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Yuxiang; Duffy, Alan R.; Mutch, Simon J.; Poole, Gregory B.; Geil, Paul M.; Mesinger, Andrei; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

    2018-03-01

    We study dwarf galaxy formation at high redshift (z ≥ 5) using a suite of high-resolution, cosmological hydrodynamic simulations and a semi-analytic model (SAM). We focus on gas accretion, cooling and star formation in this work by isolating the relevant process from reionization and supernova feedback, which will be further discussed in a companion paper. We apply the SAM to halo merger trees constructed from a collisionless N-body simulation sharing identical initial conditions to the hydrodynamic suite, and calibrate the free parameters against the stellar mass function predicted by the hydrodynamic simulations at z = 5. By making comparisons of the star formation history and gas components calculated by the two modelling techniques, we find that semi-analytic prescriptions that are commonly adopted in the literature of low-redshift galaxy formation do not accurately represent dwarf galaxy properties in the hydrodynamic simulation at earlier times. We propose 3 modifications to SAMs that will provide more accurate high-redshift simulations. These include 1) the halo mass and baryon fraction which are overestimated by collisionless N-body simulations; 2) the star formation efficiency which follows a different cosmic evolutionary path from the hydrodynamic simulation; and 3) the cooling rate which is not well defined for dwarf galaxies at high redshift. Accurate semi-analytic modelling of dwarf galaxy formation informed by detailed hydrodynamical modelling will facilitate reliable semi-analytic predictions over the large volumes needed for the study of reionization.

  17. Modelling chemical abundance distributions for dwarf galaxies in the Local Group: the impact of turbulent metal diffusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escala, Ivanna; Wetzel, Andrew; Kirby, Evan N.; Hopkins, Philip F.; Ma, Xiangcheng; Wheeler, Coral; Kereš, Dušan; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Quataert, Eliot

    2018-02-01

    We investigate stellar metallicity distribution functions (MDFs), including Fe and α-element abundances, in dwarf galaxies from the Feedback in Realistic Environment (FIRE) project. We examine both isolated dwarf galaxies and those that are satellites of a Milky Way-mass galaxy. In particular, we study the effects of including a sub-grid turbulent model for the diffusion of metals in gas. Simulations that include diffusion have narrower MDFs and abundance ratio distributions, because diffusion drives individual gas and star particles towards the average metallicity. This effect provides significantly better agreement with observed abundance distributions in dwarf galaxies in the Local Group, including small intrinsic scatter in [α/Fe] versus [Fe/H] of ≲0.1 dex. This small intrinsic scatter arises in our simulations because the interstellar medium in dwarf galaxies is well mixed at nearly all cosmic times, such that stars that form at a given time have similar abundances to ≲0.1 dex. Thus, most of the scatter in abundances at z = 0 arises from redshift evolution and not from instantaneous scatter in the ISM. We find similar MDF widths and intrinsic scatter for satellite and isolated dwarf galaxies, which suggests that environmental effects play a minor role compared with internal chemical evolution in our simulations. Overall, with the inclusion of metal diffusion, our simulations reproduce abundance distribution widths of observed low-mass galaxies, enabling detailed studies of chemical evolution in galaxy formation.

  18. VLA-ANGST: A HIGH-RESOLUTION H I SURVEY OF NEARBY DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ott, Jürgen; Stilp, Adrienne M.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Warren, Steven R.; Skillman, Evan D.; Walter, Fabian; De Blok, W. J. G.; Koribalski, Bärbel; West, Andrew A.

    2012-01-01

    We present the 'Very Large Array survey of Advanced Camera for Surveys Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury galaxies (VLA-ANGST)'. VLA-ANGST is a National Radio Astronomy Observatory Large Program consisting of high spectral (0.6-2.6 km s –1 ) and spatial (∼6'') resolution observations of neutral, atomic hydrogen (H I) emission toward 35 nearby dwarf galaxies from the ANGST survey. ANGST is a systematic Hubble Space Telescope survey to establish a legacy of uniform multi-color photometry of resolved stars for a volume-limited sample of nearby galaxies (D ∼ –1 for the majority of the galaxies). The VLA-ANGST data products are made publicly available through a dedicated Web site (https://science.nrao.edu/science/surveys/vla-angst). With available star formation histories from resolved stellar populations and lower resolution ancillary observations from the far-infrared to the ultraviolet, VLA-ANGST will enable detailed studies of the relationship between the ISM and star formation in dwarf galaxies on a ∼100 pc scale.

  19. The Effects of Ram-pressure Stripping and Supernova Winds on the Tidal Stirring of Disky Dwarfs: Enhanced Transformation into Dwarf Spheroidals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazantzidis, Stelios; Mayer, Lucio; Callegari, Simone; Dotti, Massimo; Moustakas, Leonidas A.

    2017-01-01

    A conclusive model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies still remains elusive. Owing to their proximity to the massive spirals Milky Way (MW) and M31, various environmental processes have been invoked to explain their origin. In this context, the tidal stirring model postulates that interactions with MW-sized hosts can transform rotationally supported dwarfs, resembling present-day dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, into systems with the kinematic and structural properties of dSphs. Using N -body+SPH simulations, we investigate the dependence of this transformation mechanism on the gas fraction, f _g_a_s, in the disk of the progenitor dwarf. Our numerical experiments incorporate for the first time the combined effects of radiative cooling, ram-pressure stripping, star formation, supernova (SN) winds, and a cosmic UV background. For a given orbit inside the primary galaxy, rotationally supported dwarfs with gas fractions akin to those of observed dIrrs ( f _g_a_s ≳ 0.5), demonstrate a substantially enhanced likelihood and efficiency of transformation into dSphs relative to their collisionless ( f _g_a_s = 0) counterparts. We argue that the combination of ram-pressure stripping and SN winds causes the gas-rich dwarfs to respond more impulsively to tides, augmenting their transformation. When f _g_a_s ≳ 0.5, disky dwarfs on previously unfavorable low-eccentricity or large-pericenter orbits are still able to transform. On the widest orbits, the transformation is incomplete; the dwarfs retain significant rotational support, a relatively flat shape, and some gas, naturally resembling transition-type systems. We conclude that tidal stirring constitutes a prevalent evolutionary mechanism for shaping the structure of dwarf galaxies within the currently favored CDM cosmological paradigm.

  20. COLOR-MAGNITUDE RELATIONS OF EARLY-TYPE DWARF GALAXIES IN THE VIRGO CLUSTER: AN ULTRAVIOLET PERSPECTIVE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Suk; Rey, Soo-Chang; Lisker, Thorsten; Sohn, Sangmo Tony

    2010-01-01

    We present ultraviolet (UV) color-magnitude relations (CMRs) of early-type dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster, based on Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) optical imaging data. We find that dwarf lenticular galaxies (dS0s), including peculiar dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) with disk substructures and blue centers, show a surprisingly distinct and tight locus separated from that of ordinary dEs, which is not clearly seen in previous CMRs. The dS0s in UV CMRs follow a steeper sequence than dEs and show bluer UV-optical color at a given magnitude. We also find that the UV CMRs of dEs in the outer cluster region are slightly steeper than that of their counterparts in the inner region, due to the existence of faint, blue dEs in the outer region. We explore the observed CMRs with population models of a luminosity-dependent delayed exponential star formation history. We confirm that the feature of delayed star formation of early-type dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster is strongly correlated with their morphology and environment. The observed CMR of dS0s is well matched by models with relatively long delayed star formation. Our results suggest that dS0s are most likely transitional objects at the stage of subsequent transformation of late-type progenitors to ordinary red dEs in the cluster environment. In any case, UV photometry provides a powerful tool to disentangle the diverse subpopulations of early-type dwarf galaxies and uncover their evolutionary histories.

  1. A VIOLENT INTERACTION BETWEEN THE DWARF GALAXY UGC-7636 AND THE GIANT ELLIPTIC GALAXY NGC-4472

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    MCNAMARA, BR; SANCISI, R; HENNING, PA; JUNOR, W

    We present new U, B, R, and H I imagery of the Virgo Cluster giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4472 and its interacting dwarf companion galaxy UGC 7636. Using a composite image reconstruction technique, we show that a trail of debris similar to 5 arcmin in length and similar to 1 arcmin in width (30x6 kpc

  2. A near-infrared census of the multicomponent stellar structure of early-type dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janz, J.; Laurikainen, E.; Salo, H.; Lisker, T.; Hansson, K. S. A.; Meyer, H. T.; Paudel, S.; Peletier, R. F.; Den Brok, M.; Niemi, S.-M.; Toloba, E.; Hensler, G.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Ryś, A.; Boselli, A.

    2014-01-01

    The fraction of star-forming to quiescent dwarf galaxies varies from almost infinity in the field to zero in the centers of rich galaxy clusters. What is causing this pronounced morphology-density relation? What do quiescent dwarf galaxies look like when studied in detail, and what conclusions can be drawn about their formation mechanism? Here we study a nearly magnitude-complete sample (–19 < M r < –16 mag) of 121 Virgo cluster early types with deep near-infrared images from the SMAKCED project. We fit two-dimensional models with optional inner and outer components, as well as bar and lens components (in ∼15% of the galaxies), to the galaxy images. While a single Sérsic function may approximate the overall galaxy structure, it does not entirely capture the light distribution of two-thirds of our galaxies, for which multicomponent models provide a better fit. This fraction of complex galaxies shows a strong dependence on luminosity, being larger for brighter objects. We analyze the global and component-specific photometric scaling relations of early-type dwarf galaxies and discuss similarities with bright early and late types. The dwarfs' global galaxy parameters show scaling relations that are similar to those of bright disk galaxies. The inner components are mostly fitted with Sérsic n values close to 1. At a given magnitude, they are systematically larger than the bulges of spirals, suggesting that they are not ordinary bulges. We argue that the multicomponent structures in early-type dwarfs are mostly a phenomenon inherent to the disks and may indeed stem from environmental processing.

  3. SURFACE BRIGHTNESS PROFILES OF DWARF GALAXIES. II. COLOR TRENDS AND MASS PROFILES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herrmann, Kimberly A. [Penn State Mont Alto, 1 Campus Drive, Mont Alto, PA 17237 (United States); Hunter, Deidre A. [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Elmegreen, Bruce G., E-mail: kah259@psu.edu, E-mail: dah@lowell.edu, E-mail: bge@us.ibm.com [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States)

    2016-06-01

    In this second paper of a series, we explore the B  −  V , U  −  B , and FUV−NUV radial color trends from a multi-wavelength sample of 141 dwarf disk galaxies. Like spirals, dwarf galaxies have three types of radial surface brightness profiles: (I) single exponential throughout the observed extent (the minority), (II) down-bending (the majority), and (III) up-bending. We find that the colors of (1) Type I dwarfs generally become redder with increasing radius, unlike spirals which have a blueing trend that flattens beyond ∼1.5 disk scale lengths, (2) Type II dwarfs come in six different “flavors,” one of which mimics the “U” shape of spirals, and (3) Type III dwarfs have a stretched “S” shape where the central colors are flattish, become steeply redder toward the surface brightness break, then remain roughly constant beyond, which is similar to spiral Type III color profiles, but without the central outward bluing. Faint (−9 >  M{sub B}  > −14) Type II dwarfs tend to have continuously red or “U” shaped colors and steeper color slopes than bright (−14 >  M{sub B}  > −19) Type II dwarfs, which additionally have colors that become bluer or remain constant with increasing radius. Sm dwarfs and BCDs tend to have at least some blue and red radial color trend, respectively. Additionally, we determine stellar surface mass density (Σ) profiles and use them to show that the break in Σ generally remains in Type II dwarfs (unlike Type II spirals) but generally disappears in Type III dwarfs (unlike Type III spirals). Moreover, the break in Σ is strong, intermediate, and weak in faint dwarfs, bright dwarfs, and spirals, respectively, indicating that Σ may straighten with increasing galaxy mass. Finally, the average stellar surface mass density at the surface brightness break is roughly 1−2  M {sub ⊙} pc{sup −2} for Type II dwarfs but higher at 5.9  M {sub ⊙} pc{sup −2} or 27  M {sub ⊙} pc{sup −2} for

  4. Dark matter annihilations search in dwarf spheroidal galaxies with fermi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farnier, C.; Nuss, E.; Cohen-Tanugi, J.

    2011-01-01

    Launched in June 2008, the Fermi Gamma-ray Telescope includes a pair conversion detector designed for the 20 MeV to ∼300GeV gamma-ray sky study, the Large Area Telescope (LAT). Operating in all-sky survey mode, its excellent sensitivity and angular resolution will allow either to discover or constrain a signal coming through the annihilation of dark matter particles. Predicted by cold dark matter scenarios as the largest clumps, dwarf spheroidal galaxies are amongst the most attractive targets for indirect search of dark matter by gamma-ray experiments. We present here an overview of the Fermi LAT Dark Matter and New Physics Working Group efforts in the searches of gamma-ray fluxes coming from WIMP pair annihilations in dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

  5. Star-Formation Histories, Abundances, and Kinematics of Dwarf Galaxies in the Local Group

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tolstoy, Eline; Hill, Vanessa; Tosi, Monica; Blandford, R; Kormendy, J; VanDishoeck, E

    2009-01-01

    Within the Local Universe galaxies can be studied in great detail star by star, and here we review the results of quantitative studies in nearby dwarf galaxies. The color-magnitude diagram synthesis method is well established as the most accurate way to determine star-formation histories of galaxies

  6. Infrared studies of Seyfert galaxies and of the irregular galaxy M82

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez Espinosa, J.M.

    1985-01-01

    Middle and far infrared studies of the irregular galaxy M82 and of Seyfert galaxies are presented. M 82 was observed spectrophotometrically from 8 to 13 microns at 6 different positions selected across its 10μm emitting region. The observations show that the mid-IR emitting region is fairly homogeneous and that similar physical processes are responsible for the emission observed throughout the central region of M82. A model is proposed to explain the 8 to 13μm spectrum of M82. A model accumulates 10 5 orion units in the central region of M82. The proposed model explains satisfactorily most of the observed properties of M82 from x-ray to radio wavelengths. It is also suggested that a similar model may be applied to other active nuclei, like the emission line galaxy NGC 1614 and the classical Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 7469. For Seyfert galaxies, the dat analyzed are drawn from the recently released IRAS catalog. It is found that Seyfert galaxies are strong far infrared sources but, unlike the near and mid-IR emission from these sources, the far-IR emission does not appear to be produced by the active nucleus. Rather it is shown that the observed far-IR properties of Seyfert galaxies are consistent with their far-IR emission being produced in intense episodes of star formation taking place in or near the central regions of these galaxies

  7. Tidal stripping and the structure of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattahi, Azadeh; Navarro, Julio F.; Frenk, Carlos S.; Oman, Kyle A.; Sawala, Till; Schaller, Matthieu

    2018-05-01

    The shallow faint-end slope of the galaxy mass function is usually reproduced in Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) galaxy formation models by assuming that the fraction of baryons that turn into stars drops steeply with decreasing halo mass and essentially vanishes in haloes with maximum circular velocities Vmax value, unless they are small enough to probe only the rising part of the halo circular velocity curve (i.e. half-mass radii, r1/2 ≪ 1 kpc). Many dwarfs have properties in disagreement with this prediction: they are large enough to probe their halo Vmax but their characteristic velocities are well below 20 km s-1. These `cold faint giants' (an extreme example is the recently discovered Crater 2 Milky Way satellite) can only be reconciled with our ΛCDM models if they are the remnants of once massive objects heavily affected by tidal stripping. We examine this possibility using the APOSTLE cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of the Local Group. Assuming that low-velocity-dispersion satellites have been affected by stripping, we infer their progenitor masses, radii, and velocity dispersions, and find them in remarkable agreement with those of isolated dwarfs. Tidal stripping also explains the large scatter in the mass discrepancy-acceleration relation in the dwarf galaxy regime: tides remove preferentially dark matter from satellite galaxies, lowering their accelerations below the amin ˜ 10-11 m s-2 minimum expected for isolated dwarfs. In many cases, the resulting velocity dispersions are inconsistent with the predictions from Modified Newtonian Dynamics, a result that poses a possibly insurmountable challenge to that scenario.

  8. Dynamics of Dwarf Galaxies Disfavor Stellar-Mass Black Holes as Dark Matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koushiappas, Savvas M; Loeb, Abraham

    2017-07-28

    We study the effects of black hole dark matter on the dynamical evolution of stars in dwarf galaxies. We find that mass segregation leads to a depletion of stars in the center of dwarf galaxies and the appearance of a ring in the projected stellar surface density profile. Using Segue 1 as an example we show that current observations of the projected surface stellar density rule out at the 99.9% confidence level the possibility that more than 6% of the dark matter is composed of black holes with a mass of few tens of solar masses.

  9. POX 186: the ultracompact blue compact dwarf galaxy reveals its nature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doublier, V.; Kunth, D.; Courbin, F.; Magain, P.

    2000-01-01

    High resolution, ground based R and I band observations of the ultra compact dwarf galaxy POX 186 are presented. The data, obtained with the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT), are analyzed using a new deconvolution algorithm which allows one to resolve the innermost regions of this stellar-like object into three Super-Star Clusters (SSC). Upper limits to both masses (M ~ 105 Msun) and physical sizes (<=60pc) of the SSCs are set. In addition, and maybe most importantly, extended light emission underlying the compact star-forming region is clearly detected in both bands. The R-I color rules out nebular Hα contamination and is consistent with an old stellar population. This casts doubt on the hypothesis that Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies (BCDG) are young galaxies. based on observations carried out at NTT in La Silla, operated by the European Southern Observatory, during Director's Discretionary Time.

  10. Metallic Winds in Dwarf Galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robles-Valdez, F.; Rodríguez-González, A.; Hernández-Martínez, L.; Esquivel, A.

    2017-01-01

    We present results from models of galactic winds driven by energy injected from nuclear (at the galactic center) and non-nuclear starbursts. The total energy of the starburst is provided by very massive young stellar clusters, which can push the galactic interstellar medium and produce an important outflow. Such outflow can be a well or partially mixed wind, or a highly metallic wind. We have performed adiabatic 3D N -Body/Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics simulations of galactic winds using the gadget-2 code. The numerical models cover a wide range of parameters, varying the galaxy concentration index, gas fraction of the galactic disk, and radial distance of the starburst. We show that an off-center starburst in dwarf galaxies is the most effective mechanism to produce a significant loss of metals (material from the starburst itself). At the same time, a non-nuclear starburst produces a high efficiency of metal loss, in spite of having a moderate to low mass loss rate.

  11. Metallicity of Young and Old Stars in Irregular Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tikhonov, N. A.

    2018-01-01

    Based on archived images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope, stellar photometry for 105 irregular galaxies has been conducted. We have shown the red supergiant and giant branches in the obtained Hertzsprung-Russel diagrams. Using the TRGB method, distances to galaxies and metallicity of red giants have been determined. The color index ( V - I) of the supergiant branch at the luminosity level M I = -7 was chosen as the metallicity index of red supergiants. For the galaxies under study, the diagrams have been built, in which the correlation can be seen between the luminosity of galaxies ( M B ) and metallicity of red giants and supergiants. The main source of variance of the results in the obtained diagrams is, in our opinion, uncertainty inmeasurements of galaxy luminosities and star-forming outburst. The relation between metallicity of young and old stars shows that main enrichment of galaxies with metals has taken place in the remote past. Deviations of some galaxies in the obtained relation can possibly be explained with the fall of the intergalactic gas on them, although, this inconsiderably affects metallicities of the stellar content.

  12. On The gamma-ray emission from Reticulum II and other dwarf galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hooper, Dan; Linden, Tim

    2015-09-01

    The recent discovery of ten new dwarf galaxy candidates by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) could increase the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope's sensitivity to annihilating dark matter particles, potentially enabling a definitive test of the dark matter interpretation of the long-standing Galactic Center gamma-ray excess. In this paper, we compare the previous analyses of Fermi data from the directions of the new dwarf candidates (including the relatively nearby Reticulum II) and perform our own analysis, with the goal of establishing the statistical significance of any gamma-ray signal from these sources. We confirm the presence of an excess from Reticulum II, with a spectral shape that is compatible with the Galactic Center signal. The significance of this emission is greater than that observed from 99.84% of randomly chosen high-latitude blank-sky locations, corresponding to a local detection significance of 3.2σ. We caution that any dark matter interpretation of this excess must be validated through observations of additional dwarf spheroidal galaxies, and improved calculations of the relative J-factor of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We improve upon the standard blank-sky calibration approach through the use of multi-wavelength catalogs, which allow us to avoid regions that are likely to contain unresolved gamma-ray sources.

  13. ON THE POPULATION OF H-I DWARF GALAXIES

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    WEINBERG, DH; SZOMORU, A; GUHATHAKURTA, P; VANGORKOM, JH

    1991-01-01

    We report results from a 21 cm survey of fields in the Perseus-Pisces supercluster and a foreground void, which was designed to find gas-rich dwarf galaxies or optically faint H I clouds with masses M(HI) greater-than-or-similar-to 10(8) M.. We detected 16 objects in the supercluster, nine of them

  14. CHEMODYNAMICS OF COMPACT STELLAR SYSTEMS IN NGC 5128: HOW SIMILAR ARE GLOBULAR CLUSTERS, ULTRA-COMPACT DWARFS, AND DWARF GALAXIES?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, Matthew A.; Puzia, Thomas H.; Harris, Gretchen L.; Harris, William E.; Kissler-Patig, Markus; Hilker, Michael

    2010-01-01

    Velocity dispersion measurements are presented for several of the most luminous globular clusters (GCs) in NGC 5128 (Centaurus A) derived from high-resolution spectra obtained with the UVES echelle spectrograph on the 8.2 m ESO/Very Large Telescope. The measurements are made utilizing a penalized pixel-fitting method that parametrically recovers line-of-sight velocity dispersions. Combining the measured velocity dispersions with surface photometry and structural parameter data from the Hubble Space Telescope enables both dynamical masses and mass-to-light ratios to be derived. The properties of these massive stellar systems are similar to those of both massive GCs contained within the Local Group and nuclear star clusters and ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). The fundamental plane relations of these clusters are investigated in order to fill the apparent gap between the relations of Local Group GCs and more massive early-type galaxies. It is found that the properties of these massive stellar systems match those of nuclear clusters in dwarf elliptical galaxies and UCDs better than those of Local Group GCs, and that all objects share similarly old (∼>8 Gyr) ages, suggesting a possible link between the formation and evolution of nuclear star clusters in dwarf elliptical galaxies (dE,Ns), UCDs, and massive GCs. We find a very steep correlation between dynamical mass-to-light ratio and dynamical mass of the form Υ V dyn ∝ M dyn 0.24±0.02 above M dyn ∼ 2x10 6 M sun . Formation scenarios are investigated with a chemical abundance analysis using absorption-line strengths calibrated to the Lick/IDS index system. The results lend support to two scenarios contained within a single general formation scheme. Old, massive, super-solar [α/Fe] systems are formed on short (∼ 13 -10 15 M sun potential wells of massive galaxies and galaxy clusters.

  15. Sulphur, zinc and carbon in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Skúladóttir, Ása

    2016-01-01

    The Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy is a Milky Way satellite with predominantly old stellar population, and therefore the ideal target to study early chemical evolution. The chemical abundances of photospheres of stars reveal the composition of their birth environment; studying stars of different ages, therefore, provides insight into the chemical enrichment history of the galaxy in which they dwell. High-resolution spectra of 100 stars were used to further explore the chemical enrichment hi...

  16. Chemical composition of extremely metal-poor stars in the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aoki, W.; Arimoto, N.; Sadakane, K.; Tolstoy, E.; Battaglia, G.; Jablonka, P.; Shetrone, M.; Letarte, B.; Irwin, M.; Hill, V.; Francois, P.; Venn, K.; Primas, F.; Helmi, A.; Kaufer, A.; Tafelmeyer, M.; Szeifert, T.; Babusiaux, C.

    Context. Individual stars in dwarf spheroidal galaxies around the Milky Way Galaxy have been studied both photometrically and spectroscopically. Extremely metal-poor stars among them are very valuable because they should record the early enrichment in the Local Group. However, our understanding of

  17. Ultracompact Blue Dwarfs: Galaxy Formation in the Local Universe?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbin, Michael

    2004-07-01

    Recent observations suggest that very low-mass galaxies in the local universe are still in the process of formation. To investigate this issue we propose to obtain deep ACS HRC images in the U, V and I bands of a sample of 11 "ultracompact" blue dwarf galaxies {UCBDs} identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. These objects are nearby {z small angular and physical sizes {d POX 186, reveal this tiny object to have a highly disturbed morphlogy indicative of a recent {within 10^8 yr} collision between two small { 100 pc} clumps of stars that could represent the long-sought building blocks predicted by the Press-Schechter model of hierarchical galaxy formation. This collision has also triggered the formation of a "super" star cluster {SSC} at the object's core that may be the progenitor of a globular cluster. POX 186 thus appears to be a very small dwarf galaxy in the process of formation. This exciting discovery strongly motivates HST imaging of a full sample of UCBDs in order to determine if they have morphologies similar to POX 186. HST images are essential for resolving the structure of these objects, including establishing the presence of SSCs. HST also offers the only way to determine their morphologies in the near UV. The spectra of the objects available from the SDSS will also allow us to measure their star formation rates, dust content and metallicities. In addition to potentially providing the first direct evidence of Press-Schechter building blocks, these data could yield insight into the relationship between galaxy and globular cluster formation, and will serve as a test of the recent "downsizing" model of galaxy formation in which the least massive objects are the last to form.

  18. REVERSAL OF FORTUNE: INCREASED STAR FORMATION EFFICIENCIES IN THE EARLY HISTORIES OF DWARF GALAXIES?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madau, Piero; Weisz, Daniel R.; Conroy, Charlie

    2014-01-01

    On dwarf galaxy scales, the different shapes of the galaxy stellar mass function and the dark halo mass function require a star-formation efficiency (SFE) in these systems that is currently more than 1 dex lower than that of Milky Way-size halos. Here, we argue that this trend may actually be reversed at high redshift. Specifically, by combining the resolved star-formation histories of nearby isolated dwarfs with the simulated mass-growth rates of dark matter halos, we show that the assembly of these systems occurs in two phases: (1) an early, fast halo accretion phase with a rapidly deepening potential well, characterized by a high SFE; and (2) a late, slow halo accretion phase where, perhaps as a consequence of reionization, the SFE is low. Nearby dwarfs have more old stars than predicted by assuming a constant or decreasing SFE with redshift, a behavior that appears to deviate qualitatively from the trends seen among more massive systems. Taken at face value, the data suggest that at sufficiently early epochs, dwarf galaxy halos above the atomic cooling mass limit can be among the most efficient sites of star formation in the universe

  19. Reversal of Fortune: Increased Star Formation Efficiencies in the Early Histories of Dwarf Galaxies?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madau, Piero; Weisz, Daniel R.; Conroy, Charlie

    2014-08-01

    On dwarf galaxy scales, the different shapes of the galaxy stellar mass function and the dark halo mass function require a star-formation efficiency (SFE) in these systems that is currently more than 1 dex lower than that of Milky Way-size halos. Here, we argue that this trend may actually be reversed at high redshift. Specifically, by combining the resolved star-formation histories of nearby isolated dwarfs with the simulated mass-growth rates of dark matter halos, we show that the assembly of these systems occurs in two phases: (1) an early, fast halo accretion phase with a rapidly deepening potential well, characterized by a high SFE; and (2) a late, slow halo accretion phase where, perhaps as a consequence of reionization, the SFE is low. Nearby dwarfs have more old stars than predicted by assuming a constant or decreasing SFE with redshift, a behavior that appears to deviate qualitatively from the trends seen among more massive systems. Taken at face value, the data suggest that at sufficiently early epochs, dwarf galaxy halos above the atomic cooling mass limit can be among the most efficient sites of star formation in the universe.

  20. The dynamical and chemical evolution of dwarf spheroidal galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Revaz, Y.; Jablonka, P.; Sawala, T.; Hill, V.; Letarte, B.; Irwin, M.; Battaglia, G.; Helmi, A.; Shetrone, M. D.; Tolstoy, E.; Venn, K. A.

    We present a large sample of fully self-consistent hydrodynamical Nbody/Tree-SPH simulations of isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). It has enabled us to identify the key physical parameters and mechanisms at the origin of the observed variety in the Local Group dSph properties. The initial

  1. On the Nature of Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxy Candidates. II. The Case of Cetus II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conn, Blair C.; Jerjen, Helmut; Kim, Dongwon; Schirmer, Mischa

    2018-04-01

    We obtained deep Gemini GMOS-S g, r photometry of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy candidate Cetus II with the aim of providing stronger constraints on its size, luminosity, and stellar population. Cetus II is an important object in the size–luminosity plane, as it occupies the transition zone between dwarf galaxies and star clusters. All known objects smaller than Cetus II (r h ∼ 20 pc) are reported to be star clusters, while most larger objects are likely dwarf galaxies. We found a prominent excess of main-sequence stars in the color–magnitude diagram of Cetus II, best described by a single stellar population with an age of 11.2 Gyr, metallicity of [Fe/H] = ‑1.28 dex, an [α/Fe] = 0.0 dex at a heliocentric distance of 26.3 ± 1.2 kpc. As well as being spatially located within the Sagittarius dwarf tidal stream, these properties are well matched to the Sagittarius galaxy’s Population B stars. Interestingly, like our recent findings on the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy candidate Tucana V, the stellar field in the direction of Cetus II shows no evidence of a concentrated overdensity despite tracing the main sequence for over six magnitudes. These results strongly support the picture that Cetus II is not an ultra-faint stellar system in the Milky Way halo, but made up of stars from the Sagittarius tidal stream.

  2. WFPC2 Observations of the URSA Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mighell, Kenneth J.; Burke, Christopher J.

    1999-01-01

    We present our analysis of archival Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) observations in F555W (approximately V) and F814W (approximately I) of the central region of the Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The V versus V - I color-magnitude diagram features a sparsely populated blue horizontal branch, a steep thin red giant branch, and a narrow subgiant branch. The main sequence reaches approximately 2 magnitudes below the main-sequence turnoff (V(sup UMi, sub TO) approximately equals 23.27 +/- 0.11 mag) of the median stellar population. We compare the fiducial sequence of the Galactic globular cluster M92 (NGC 6341). The excellent match between Ursa Minor and M92 confirms that the median stellar population of the UMi dSph galaxy is metal poor ([Fe/H](sub UMi) approximately equals [Fe/H](sub M92) approximately equals -2.2 dex) and ancient (age(sub UMi)approximately equalsage(sub M92) approximately equals 14 Gyr). The B - V reddening and the absorption in V are estimated to be E(B - V) = 0.03 +/- 0.01 mag and A(sup UMi, sub V) = 0.09 +/- 0.03 mag. A new estimate of the distance modulus of Ursa Minor, (m - M)(sup UMi, sub 0) = 19.18 +/- 0.12 mag, has been derived based on fiducial-sequence fitting M92 [DELTA.V(sub UMi - M92) = 4.60 +/- 0.03 mag and DELTA(V - I)(sub UMi - M92) = 0.010 +/- 0.005 mag] and the adoption of the apparent V distance modulus for M92 of (m - M)(sup M92, sub V) = 14.67 +/- 0.08 mag (Pont et al. 1998, A&A, 329, 87). The Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidal galaxy is then at a distance of 69 +/- 4 kpc from the Sun. These HST observations indicate that Ursa Minor has had a very simple star formation history consisting mainly of a single major burst of star formation about 14 Gyr ago which lasted approximately stars in the central region Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidal galaxy are ancient. If the ancient Galactic globular clusters, like M92, formed concurrently with the early formation of the Milky Way galaxy itself, then the Ursa Minor

  3. Internal kinematics and dynamical models of dwarf spheroidal galaxies around the Milky Way

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Battaglia, Giuseppina; Helmi, Amina; Breddels, Maarten

    We review our current understanding of the internal dynamical properties of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies surrounding the Milky Way. These are the most dark matter dominated galaxies, and as such may be considered ideal laboratories to test the current concordance cosmological model, and in

  4. Star formation rate in Holmberg IX dwarf galaxy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anđelić M.M.

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we use previously determined Hα fluxes for dwarf galaxy Holmberg IX (Arbutina et al. 2009 to calculate star formation rate (SFR in this galaxy. We discuss possible contaminations of Hα flux and, for the first time, we take into account optical emission from supernova remnants (SNRs as a possible source of contamination of Hα flux. Derived SFR for Holmberg IX is 3:4 x 10-4M.yr-1. Our value is lower then in previous studies, due to luminous shock-heated source M&H 9-10, possible hypernova remnant, which we excluded from the total Hα flux in our calculation of SFR.

  5. The ACS LCID Project: On the Origin of Dwarf Galaxy Types—A Manifestation of the Halo Assembly Bias?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallart, Carme; Monelli, Matteo; Mayer, Lucio; Aparicio, Antonio; Battaglia, Giuseppina; Bernard, Edouard J.; Cassisi, Santi; Cole, Andrew A.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Drozdovsky, Igor; Hidalgo, Sebastian L.; Navarro, Julio F.; Salvadori, Stefania; Skillman, Evan D.; Stetson, Peter B.; Weisz, Daniel R.

    2015-01-01

    We discuss how knowledge of the whole evolutionary history of dwarf galaxies, including details on the early star formation events, can provide insight on the origin of the different dwarf galaxy types. We suggest that these types may be imprinted by the early conditions of formation rather than

  6. MULTI-ELEMENT ABUNDANCE MEASUREMENTS FROM MEDIUM-RESOLUTION SPECTRA. II. CATALOG OF STARS IN MILKY WAY DWARF SATELLITE GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirby, Evan N.; Cohen, Judith G.; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Rockosi, Constance M.; Simon, Joshua D.; Geha, Marla C.; Sneden, Christopher; Sohn, Sangmo Tony; Majewski, Steven R.; Siegel, Michael

    2010-01-01

    We present a catalog of Fe, Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti abundances for 2961 stars in eight dwarf satellite galaxies of the Milky Way (MW): Sculptor, Fornax, Leo I, Sextans, Leo II, Canes Venatici I, Ursa Minor, and Draco. For the purposes of validating our measurements, we also observed 445 red giants in MW globular clusters and 21 field red giants in the MW halo. The measurements are based on Keck/DEIMOS medium-resolution spectroscopy (MRS) combined with spectral synthesis. We estimate uncertainties in [Fe/H] by quantifying the dispersion of [Fe/H] measurements in a sample of stars in monometallic globular clusters (GCs). We estimate uncertainties in Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti abundances by comparing to high-resolution spectroscopic abundances of the same stars. For this purpose, a sample of 132 stars with published high-resolution spectroscopy in GCs, the MW halo field, and dwarf galaxies has been observed with MRS. The standard deviations of the differences in [Fe/H] and ([α/Fe]) (the average of [Mg/Fe], [Si/Fe], [Ca/Fe], and [Ti/Fe]) between the two samples is 0.15 and 0.16, respectively. This catalog represents the largest sample of multi-element abundances in dwarf galaxies to date. The next papers in this series draw conclusions on the chemical evolution, gas dynamics, and star formation histories from the catalog presented here. The wide range of dwarf galaxy luminosity reveals the dependence of dwarf galaxy chemical evolution on galaxy stellar mass.

  7. Sulphur, zinc and carbon in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Skúladóttir, Ása

    2016-01-01

    The Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy is a Milky Way satellite with predominantly old stellar population, and therefore the ideal target to study early chemical evolution. The chemical abundances of photospheres of stars reveal the composition of their birth environment; studying stars of different

  8. Two Cepheid variables in the Fornax dwarf galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Light, R. M.; Armandroff, T. E.; Zinn, R.

    1986-01-01

    Two fields surrounding globular clusters 2 and 3 in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy have been searched for short-period variable stars that are brighter than the horizontal branch. This survey confirmed as variable the two suspected suprahorizontal-branch variables discovered by Buonanno et al. (1985) in their photometry of the clusters. The observations show that the star in cluster 2 is a W Virginis variable of 14.4 day period. It is the first W Vir variable to be found in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy, and its proximity to the center of cluster 2 suggests that it is a cluster member. The other star appears to be an anomalous Cephpeid of 0.78 day period. It lies outside or very near the boundary of cluster 3, and is therefore probably a member of the field population of Fornax. Although no other suprahorizontal-branch variables were discovered in the survey, it did confirm as variable two of the RR Lyrae candidates of Buonanno et al., which appeared at the survey limit. The implications of these observations for the understanding of the stellar content at Fornax are discussed.

  9. Exploring the Origin of Kinematically Irregular Galaxies with MaNGA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, David Vincent; Bundy, Kevin; Westfall, Kyle; Bershady, Matthew; Cheung, Edmond; Soler, Juan; Brinchmann, Jarle; Abraham, Roberto; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Masters, Karen; Weijmans, Anne-Marie; Chen, Yanmei; Jin, Yifei; Drory, Niv; Lopes, Alexandre Roman; Law, David

    2018-01-01

    Deviations from normal rotation in galaxies may have a number of potential drivers, including tidal interactions, gas inflows/outflows, spiral structure, bar/oval distortions, or other internally generated instabilities. Thanks to new massive IFU surveys like MaNGA, we can now characterize the gas and stellar kinematics of thousands of galaxies in the local universe, enabling statistical analyses on the frequency of disturbed kinematics, their origin, and their impact on their host galaxies. We present a census of kinematics in MaNGA using a modified version of the Radon transform to map radial variations in kinematic position angles (PA). We discuss the frequency of kinematically irregular disks, and describe commonly observed patterns in radial PA profiles. In order to constrain the drivers of these kinematic signatures, we analyze how they correlate with galaxy mass, environment, star formation history, and gas-phase metallicity.

  10. Extreme Emission Line Galaxies in CANDELS: Broad-Band Selected, Star-Bursting Dwarf Galaxies at Z greater than 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    vanderWel, A.; Straughn, A. N.; Rix, H.-W.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Weiner, B. J.; Wuyts, S.; Bell, E. F.; Faber, S. M.; Trump, J. R.; hide

    2012-01-01

    We identify an abundant population of extreme emission line galaxies (EELGs) at redshift z approx. 1.7 in the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) imaging from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3). 69 EELG candidates are selected by the large contribution of exceptionally bright emission lines to their near-infrared broad-band magnitudes. Supported by spectroscopic confirmation of strong [OIII] emission lines . with rest-frame equivalent widths approx. 1000A in the four candidates that have HST/WFC3 grism observations, we conclude that these objects are galaxies with approx.10(exp 8) Solar Mass in stellar mass, undergoing an enormous starburst phase with M*/M* of only approx. 15 Myr. These bursts may cause outflows that are strong enough to produce cored dark matter profiles in low-mass galaxies. The individual star formation rates and the co-moving number density (3.7x10(exp -4) Mpc(sup -3) can produce in approx.4 Gyr much of the stellar mass density that is presently contained in 10(exp 8) - 10(exp 9) Solar Mass dwarf galaxies. Therefore, our observations provide a strong indication that many or even most of the stars in present-day dwarf galaxies formed in strong, short-lived bursts, mostly at z > 1.

  11. Formation of massive clouds and dwarf galaxies during tidal encounters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufman, Michele; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Thomasson, Magnus; Elmegreen, Debra M.

    1993-01-01

    Gerola et al. (1983) propose that isolated dwarf galaxies can form during galaxy interactions. As evidence of this process, Mirabel et al. (1991) find 10(exp 9) solar mass clouds and star formation complexes at the outer ends of the tidal arms in the Antennae and Superantennae galaxies. We describe observations of HI clouds with mass greater than 10(exp 8) solar mass in the interacting galaxy pair IC 2163/NGC 2207. This pair is important because we believe it represents an early stage in the formation of giant clouds during an encounter. We use a gravitational instability model to explain why the observed clouds are so massive and discuss a two-dimensional N-body simulation of an encounter that produces giant clouds.

  12. Tidal disruption of dwarf spheroidal galaxies: the strange case of Crater II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Jason L.; Evans, N. W.; Dehnen, W.

    2018-05-01

    Dwarf spheroidal galaxies of the Local Group obey a relationship between the line-of-sight velocity dispersion and half-light radius, although there are a number of dwarfs that lie beneath this relation with suppressed velocity dispersion. The most discrepant of these (in the Milky Way) is the `feeble giant' Crater II. Using analytic arguments supported by controlled numerical simulations of tidally-stripped flattened two-component dwarf galaxies, we investigate interpretations of Crater II within standard galaxy formation theory. Heavy tidal disruption is necessary to explain the velocity-dispersion suppression which is plausible if the proper motion of Crater II is (μα*, μδ) = ( - 0.21 ± 0.09, -0.24 ± 0.09)mas yr-1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the velocity dispersion of tidally-disrupted systems is solely a function of the total mass loss even for weakly-embedded and flattened systems. The half-light radius evolution depends more sensitively on orbital phase and the properties of the dark matter profile. The half-light radius of weakly-embedded cusped systems rapidly decreases producing some tension with the Crater II observations. This tension is alleviated by cored dark matter profiles, in which the half-light radius can grow after tidal disruption. The evolution of flattened galaxies is characterised by two competing effects: tidal shocking makes the central regions rounder whilst tidal distortion produces a prolate tidally-locked outer envelope. After ˜70% of the central mass is lost, tidal distortion becomes the dominant effect and the shape of the central regions of the galaxy tends to a universal prolate shape irrespective of the initial shape.

  13. The Importance of Preventive Feedback: Inference from Observations of the Stellar Masses and Metallicities of Milky Way Dwarf Galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Lu, Yu; Benson, Andrew; Wetzel, Andrew; Mao, Yao-Yuan; Tonnesen, Stephanie; Peter, Annika H. G.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Wechsler, Risa H.

    2017-01-01

    © 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Dwarf galaxies are known to have remarkably low star formation efficiency due to strong feedback. Adopting the dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way (MW) as a laboratory, we explore a flexible semi-analytic galaxy formation model to understand how the feedback processes shape the satellite galaxies of the MW. Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo, we exhaustively search a large parameter space of the model and rigorously show that the general...

  14. THE STELLAR STRUCTURE AND KINEMATICS OF DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXIES FORMED BY TIDAL STIRRING

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lokas, Ewa L.; Klimentowski, Jaroslaw; Kazantzidis, Stelios; Mayer, Lucio; Callegari, Simone

    2010-01-01

    Using high-resolution N-body simulations, we study the stellar properties of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies resulting from the tidally induced morphological transformation of disky dwarfs on a cosmologically motivated eccentric orbit around the Milky Way. The dwarf galaxy models initially consist of an exponential stellar disk embedded in an extended spherical dark matter halo. Depending on the initial orientation of the disk with respect to the orbital plane, different final configurations are obtained. The least evolved dwarf is triaxial and retains a significant amount of rotation. The more evolved dwarfs are prolate spheroids with little rotation. We show that in this scenario the final density distribution of stars can be approximated by a simple modification of the Plummer law. The kinematics of the dwarfs is significantly different depending on the line of sight which has important implications for mapping the observed stellar velocity dispersions of dwarfs to subhalo circular velocities. When the dwarfs are observed along the long axis, the measured velocity dispersion is higher and decreases faster with radius. In the case where rotation is significant, when viewed perpendicular to the long axis, the effect of minor axis rotation is detected, as expected for triaxial systems. We model the velocity dispersion profiles and rotation curves of the dwarfs under the assumption of constant mass-to-light ratio by solving the Jeans equations for spherical and axisymmetric systems and adjusting different sets of free parameters, including the total mass. We find that the mass is typically overestimated when the dwarf is seen along the long axis and underestimated when the observation is along the short or intermediate axis. For the studied cases, the effect of non-sphericity cannot, however, bias the inferred mass by more than 60% in either direction, even for the most strongly stripped dwarf which is close to disruption.

  15. A window on first-stars models from studies of dwarf galaxies and galactic halo stars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkatesan, Aparna

    2018-06-01

    Dwarf galaxies dominate the local universe by number and are predicted to be even more dominant at early times, with many having large star formation rates per unit mass. The cosmological role of dwarf galaxies in the metal enrichment and the reionization of the universe is an important but unresolved problem at present. Nearby low-mass galaxies are much more accessible observationally for detailed study and may be local analogs of the types of galaxies that hosted the first-light sources relevant for reionization. I will share recent results on UV studies of the escaping radiation from nearby low-mass starforming galaxies, as well as the tantalizing similarities in element abundance patterns between local dwarf galaxies and the latest data compilations on extremely metal-poor stars in galactic halos. I will highlight trends of interest in a variety of individual elements at values of [Fe/H] between -7 and -3, including alpha-elements, elements originating mostly in intermediate-mass stars, lithium, titanium, and r-process elements. These trends constrain not only models of the first stars and their supernovae, but provide a window into the physical conditions in early galaxies and when metal-free star formation may have ceased in the early universe.This work was supported by the University of San Francisco Faculty Development Fund, and NSF grant AST-1637339. We thank the Aspen Center for Physics, where some of this work was conducted, and which is supported by National Science Foundation grant PHY-1607611.

  16. Black holes at the centers of nearby dwarf galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moran, Edward C.; Shahinyan, Karlen; Sugarman, Hannah R.; Vélez, Darik O. [Astronomy Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Eracleous, Michael [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

    2014-12-01

    Using a distance-limited portion of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7, we have identified 28 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in nearby (d⩽80 Mpc) low-mass, low-luminosity dwarf galaxies. The accreting objects at the galaxy centers are expected to be intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) with M{sub BH}⩽10{sup 6} M{sub ⊙}. The AGNs were selected using several optical emission-line diagnostics after careful modeling of the continuum present in the spectra. We have limited our survey to objects with spectral characteristics similar to those of Seyfert nuclei, excluding emission-line galaxies with ambiguous spectra that could be powered by stellar processes. Thus, as a set, the host galaxies in our sample are the least massive objects in the very local universe certain to contain central black holes. Our sample is dominated by narrow-line (type 2) AGNs, and it appears to have a much lower fraction of broad-line objects than that observed for luminous, optically selected Seyfert galaxies. Given our focus on the nearest objects included in the SDSS, our survey is more sensitive to low-luminosity emission than previous optical searches for AGNs in low-mass galaxies. The [O iii] λ5007 luminosities of the Seyfert nuclei in our sample have a median value of L{sub 5007}=2×10{sup 5} L{sub ⊙} and extend down to ∼10{sup 4} L{sub ⊙}. Using published data for broad-line IMBH candidates, we have derived an [O iii] bolometric correction of log(L{sub bol}/L{sub 5007})=3.0±0.3, which is significantly lower than values obtained for high-luminosity AGNs. Applying this correction to our sample, we obtain minimum black hole mass estimates that fall mainly in the 10{sup 3} M{sub ⊙}–10{sup 4} M{sub ⊙} range, which is roughly where the predicted mass functions for different black hole seed formation scenarios overlap the most. In the stellar mass range that includes the bulk of the AGN host galaxies in our sample, we derive a lower limit on the AGN fraction

  17. Detailed abundances in stars belonging to ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    François, P.; Monaco, L.; Villanova, S.; Catelan, M.; Bonifacio, P.; Bellazzini, M.; Bidin, C. Moni; Marconi, G.; Geisler, D.; Sbordone, L.

    2012-01-01

    We report preliminary results concerning the detailed chemical composition of metal poor stars belonging to close ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (hereafter UfDSphs). The abundances have been determined thanks to spectra obtained with X-Shooter, a high efficiency spectrograph installed on one of the ESO VLT units. The sample of ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal stars have abundance ratios slightly lower to what is measured in field halo star of the same metallicity.We did not find extreme abundances in...

  18. THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF ISOLATED DWARF UGC 4879

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobs, Bradley A.; Tully, R. Brent; Rizzi, Luca; Karachentsev, Igor D.; Chiboucas, Kristin; Held, Enrico V.

    2011-01-01

    Recent observations of UGC 4879 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope confirm that it is a nearby isolated dwarf irregular galaxy. We measure a distance of 1.36 ± 0.03 Mpc using the tip of the red giant branch method. This distance puts UGC 4879 beyond the radius of first turnaround of the Local Group and ∼700 kpc from its nearest neighbor Leo A. This isolation makes this galaxy an ideal laboratory for studying pristine star formation uncomplicated by interactions with other galaxies. We present the star formation history of UGC 4879 derived from simulated color-magnitude diagrams.

  19. Main-sequence turnoff of the Draco dwarf galaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stetson, P.B.; Mcclure, R.D.; Vandenberg, D.A.; Victoria Univ., Canada)

    1985-01-01

    Deep photometry on the B,V system for 182 stars in the dwarf spheroidal galaxy in Draco was obtained with a CCD camera at the Cassegrain focus of the Canada-France-Hawaii 3.6-m telescope. Draco's main-sequence turnoff if found near V(to) = 23.5, which is about 3.4 magnitudes below the galaxy's horizontal branch. This leads to the interpretation that Draco is not measurably younger than the clusters or Ursa Minor: the age of Draco is about 18 Gyr according to current star-revolution chronologies. No blue stragglers are definitely detected in Draco, and it is concluded that any young population in Draco probably represents less than 10 percent of the total. 30 references

  20. VLT/UVES abundances in four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies. II. Implications for understanding galaxy evolution

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tolstoy, E; Venn, KA; Shetrone, M; Primas, F; Hill, [No Value; Kaufer, A; Szeifert, T

    We have used the Ultraviolet Visual-Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) on Kueyen (UT2) of the Very Large Telescope to take spectra of 15 individual red giant stars in the centers of four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph's) : Sculptor, Fornax, Carina, and Leo I. We measure the abundance variations of

  1. Ultra-faint dwarfs: The living fossils of the first galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salvadori, Stefania

    The nature of the faintest dwarf galaxies and their connection with the recently discovered very metal-poor Damped Lyα Absorption systems (DLAs) is investigate in the context of the Milky Way formation. By using a cosmological model I will discuss the theoretical implications of the observed

  2. THE PAndAS VIEW OF THE ANDROMEDA SATELLITE SYSTEM. I. A BAYESIAN SEARCH FOR DWARF GALAXIES USING SPATIAL AND COLOR-MAGNITUDE INFORMATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Nicolas F.; Ibata, Rodrigo A.; McConnachie, Alan W.; Mackey, A. Dougal; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Irwin, Michael J.; Lewis, Geraint F.; Fardal, Mark A.

    2013-01-01

    We present a generic algorithm to search for dwarf galaxies in photometric catalogs and apply it to the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS). The algorithm is developed in a Bayesian framework and, contrary to most dwarf galaxy search codes, makes use of both the spatial and color-magnitude information of sources in a probabilistic approach. Accounting for the significant contamination from the Milky Way foreground and from the structured stellar halo of the Andromeda galaxy, we recover all known dwarf galaxies in the PAndAS footprint with high significance, even for the least luminous ones. Some Andromeda globular clusters are also recovered and, in one case, discovered. We publish a list of the 143 most significant detections yielded by the algorithm. The combined properties of the 39 most significant isolated detections show hints that at least some of these trace genuine dwarf galaxies, too faint to be individually detected. Follow-up observations by the community are mandatory to establish which are real members of the Andromeda satellite system. The search technique presented here will be used in an upcoming contribution to determine the PAndAS completeness limits for dwarf galaxies. Although here tuned to the search of dwarf galaxies in the PAndAS data, the algorithm can easily be adapted to the search for any localized overdensity whose properties can be modeled reliably in the parameter space of any catalog

  3. Is Sextans dwarf galaxy in a scalar field dark matter halo?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lora, V.; Magaña, Juan

    2014-01-01

    The Bose-Einstein condensate/scalar field dark matter model, considers that the dark matter is composed by spinless-ultra-light particles which can be described by a scalar field. This model is an alternative model to the Λ-cold dark matter paradigm, and therefore should be studied at galactic and cosmological scales. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies have been very useful when studying any dark matter theory, because the dark matter dominates their dynamics. In this paper we study the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy, embedded in a scalar field dark matter halo. We explore how the dissolution time-scale of the stellar substructures in Sextans, constrain the mass, and the self-interacting parameter of the scalar field dark matter boson. We find that for masses in the range (0.12< m φ <8) ×10 -22 eV, scalar field dark halos without self-interaction would have cores large enough to explain the longevity of the stellar substructures in Sextans, and small enough mass to be compatible with dynamical limits. If the self-interacting parameter is distinct to zero, then the mass of the boson could be as high as m φ ≈2×10 -21 eV, but it would correspond to an unrealistic low mass for the Sextans dark matter halo . Therefore, the Sextans dwarf galaxy could be embedded in a scalar field/BEC dark matter halo with a preferred self-interacting parameter equal to zero

  4. Fast radio burst tied to distant dwarf galaxy (Image 2)

    National Science Foundation

    2017-06-07

    Full Text Available Radio telescope at Arecibo only localized the fast radio burst to the area inside the two circles in this image, but the Very Large Array was able to pinpoint it as a dwarf galaxy within the square (shown at intersection of cross hairs in enlarged box)

  5. DARK MATTER HEATING AND EARLY CORE FORMATION IN DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madau, Piero; Shen, Sijing; Governato, Fabio

    2014-01-01

    We present more results from a fully cosmological ΛCDM simulation of a group of isolated dwarf galaxies that has been shown to reproduce the observed stellar mass and cold gas content, resolved star formation histories, and metallicities of dwarfs in the Local Volume. Here we investigate the energetics and timetable of the cusp-core transformation. As suggested by previous work, supernova-driven gas outflows remove dark matter (DM) cusps and create kiloparsec-size cores in all systems having a stellar mass M * > 10 6 M ☉ . The D M core mass removal efficiency — dark mass ejected per unit stellar mass—ranges today from a few to a dozen, and increases with decreasing host mass. Because dwarfs form the bulk of their stars prior to redshift 1 and the amount of work required for DM heating and core formation scales approximately as M vir 5/3 , the unbinding of the DM cusp starts early and the formation of cored profiles is not as energetically onerous as previously claimed. DM particles in the cusp typically migrate to 2-3 core radii after absorbing a few percent of the energy released by supernovae. The present-day slopes of the inner DM mass profiles, Γ ≡ dlog M/dlog R ≅ 2.5-3, of the simulated ''Bashful'' and ''Doc'' dwarfs are similar to those measured in the luminous Fornax and Sculptor dwarf spheroidals. None of the simulated galaxies has a circular velocity profile exceeding 20 km s –1 in the inner 1 kpc, implying that supernova feedback is key to solve the ''too-big-to-fail'' problem for Milky Way subhalos

  6. USING M DWARF SPECTRA TO MAP EXTINCTION IN THE LOCAL GALAXY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, David O.; West, Andrew A.; Foster, Jonathan B.

    2011-01-01

    We use spectra of more than 56,000 M dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to create a high-latitude extinction map of the local Galaxy. Our technique compares spectra from the stars in the SDSS Data Release 7 M dwarf sample in low-extinction lines of sight, as determined by Schlegel et al., to other SDSS M dwarf spectra in order to derive improved distance estimates and accurate line-of-sight extinctions. Unlike most previous studies, which have used a two-color method to determine extinction, we fit extinction curves to fluxes across the spectral range from 5700 to 9200 A for every star in our sample. Our result is an A V map that extends from a few tens of pc to approximately 2 kpc away from the Sun. We also use a similar technique to create a map of R V values within approximately 1 kpc of the Sun and find that they are consistent with the widely accepted diffuse interstellar medium value of 3.1. Using our extinction data, we derive a dust scale height for the local Galaxy of 119 ± 15 pc and find evidence for a local dust cavity.

  7. Star formation in globular clusters and dwarf galaxies and implications for the early evolution of galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Douglas N. C.; Murray, Stephen D.

    1991-01-01

    Based upon the observed properties of globular clusters and dwarf galaxies in the Local Group, we present important theoretical constraints on star formation in these systems. These constraints indicate that protoglobular cluster clouds had long dormant periods and a brief epoch of violent star formation. Collisions between protocluster clouds triggered fragmentation into individual stars. Most protocluster clouds dispersed into the Galactic halo during the star formation epoch. In contrast, the large spread in stellar metallicity in dwarf galaxies suggests that star formation in their pregenitors was self-regulated: we propose the protocluster clouds formed from thermal instability in the protogalactic clouds and show that a population of massive stars is needed to provide sufficient UV flux to prevent the collapsing protogalactic clouds from fragmenting into individual stars. Based upon these constraints, we propose a unified scenario to describe the early epochs of star formation in the Galactic halo as well as the thick and thin components of the Galactic disk.

  8. Indirect research of dark matter toward dwarf galaxies with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dumas, Alexis

    2014-01-01

    The first part of this document summarizes the astrophysical arguments to suppose the existence of dark matter. The cosmological model γCDM is presented as well as the concept of cross section of dark matter self-annihilation. Dwarf galaxies satellites of the Milky Way, the sources of our study are introduced into a second chapter. After recalling the large structures that make up the universe, the issues related to dwarf galaxies are addressed: missing satellites problem, distribution of dark matter density within them and tidal forces due to the Milky Way. The second part discusses the modeling of the dark matter density in dwarf galaxies. The methodology, using the Jeans equation and dispersion of projected stars velocities, is presented. Three dark matter profiles are retained: NFW, Burkert and Einasto and fifteen dwarf galaxies. Neutrino production during the self-annihilation of dark matter is then addressed. The energy spectra of neutrinos are generated with PYTHIA software and compared with other results for the galactic center. Twenty-three assumptions of mass dark matter candidates are chosen, ranging from 25 GeV/c 2 100 TeV/c 2 . Five self-annihilation channels are selected for analysis: b - b, W + W - T + T - μ + μ - νμ νμ. The third part includes a presentation of the detector used for the study, the ANTARES neutrino telescope. Three reconstruction algorithms developed and used in collaboration are also detailed: AAFIT, BBFit and GridFit. The analysis of data ANTARES aimed to find a neutrinos excess characteristic of dark matter self-annihilation is summarized in the sixth and final chapter. No excess was observed, a limit on the cross section of dark matter self-annihilation was determined. (author)

  9. Structure of the Draco Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Piatek, Slawomir; Pryor, Carlton; Armandroff, Taft E.; Olszewski, Edward W.

    2002-01-01

    This article studies the structure of the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy with an emphasis on the question of whether the spatial distribution of its stars has been affected by the tidal interaction with the Milky Way, using R- and V-band CCD photometry for eleven fields. The article reports coordinates for the center, a position angle of the major axis, and the ellipticity. It also reports the results of searches for asymmetries in the structure of Draco. These results, and searches for a ``br...

  10. Stellar properties of dwarf galaxies and their connections with the Milky Way halo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Revaz, Yves; Pascale Jablonka

    2018-06-01

    In this talk, relying on recent chemo-dynamical simulations, I will describe the stellar properties and in particular the abundances ratios of dwarf galaxies emerging from a LCDM framework. Faint systems quenched by the UV-background as well as luminous ones exhibiting an extended star formation history nicely reproduce observations, without necessary requiring a strong interaction with the Milky Way. However, dwarf galaxies with complex star formation histories like Carina and Fornax are much more difficult to reproduce. Those systems are often believed to result from an interaction with the Milky Way. I will show that when such interaction is taken into account in our high resolution simulations through ram pressure stripping, a much more complex reality appears.

  11. Gravitational wave radiation from a double white dwarf system inside our galaxy: a potential method for seeking strange dwarfs

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhan-Kui Lü; Shi-Wei Wu; Zhi-Cheng Zeng

    2009-01-01

    Like the investigation of double white dwarf (DWD) systems, strange dwarf (SD) - white dwarf (WD) system evolution in Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)'s absolute amplitude-frequency diagram is investigated. Since there is a strange quark core inside an SD, SDs' radii are significantly smaller than the value predicted by the standard WD model, which may strongly affect the gravitational wave (GW) signal in the mass-transferring phases of binary systems. We study how an SD-WD binary evolves across LISA's absolute amplitude-frequency diagram. In principle, we provide an executable way to detect SDs in the Galaxy's DWD systems by radically new windows offered by GW detectors.

  12. The Star-forming Main Sequence of Dwarf Low Surface Brightness Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGaugh, Stacy S.; Schombert, James M.; Lelli, Federico

    2017-12-01

    We explore the star-forming properties of late-type, low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. The star-forming main sequence ({SFR}-{M}* ) of LSB dwarfs has a steep slope, indistinguishable from unity (1.04 ± 0.06). They form a distinct sequence from more massive spirals, which exhibit a shallower slope. The break occurs around {M}* ≈ {10}10 {M}⊙ , and can also be seen in the gas mass—stellar mass plane. The global Kennicutt-Schmidt law ({SFR}-{M}g) has a slope of 1.47 ± 0.11 without the break seen in the main sequence. There is an ample supply of gas in LSB galaxies, which have gas depletion times well in excess of a Hubble time, and often tens of Hubble times. Only ˜ 3 % of this cold gas needs be in the form of molecular gas to sustain the observed star formation. In analogy with the faint, long-lived stars of the lower stellar main sequence, it may be appropriate to consider the main sequence of star-forming galaxies to be defined by thriving dwarfs (with {M}* {10}10 {M}⊙ ) are weary giants that constitute more of a turn-off population.

  13. Environmental effects on star formation in dwarf galaxies and star clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasetto, Stefano; Cropper, Mark; fujita, Yutaka; Chiosi, Cesare; Grebel, Eva K.

    2015-08-01

    We investigate the competitive role of the different dissipative phenomena acting on the onset of star formation history of gravitationally bound system in an external environment.Ram pressure, Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, Rayleigh-Taylor, and tidal forces are accounted separately in an analytical framework and compared in their role in influencing the star forming regions. The two-fluids instability at the interface between a stellar system and its surrounding hotter and less dense environment is related to the star formation processes through a set of differential equations. We present an analytical criterion to elucidate the dependence of star formation in a spherical stellar system on its surrounding environment useful in theoretical interpretations of numerical results as well as observational applications. We show how spherical coordinates naturally enlighten the interpretation of the two-fluids instability in a geometry that directly applies to astrophysical case. Finally, we consider the different signatures of these phenomena in synthetically realized colour-magnitude diagrams of the orbiting system thus investigating the detectability limits of these different effects for future observational projects and their relevance.The theoretical framework developed has direct applications to the cases of dwarf galaxies in galaxy clusters and dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way system, as well as any primordial gas-rich cluster of stars orbiting within its host galaxy.

  14. Dark Matter Profiles in Dwarf Galaxies: A Statistical Sample Using High-Resolution Hα Velocity Fields from PCWI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Relatores, Nicole C.; Newman, Andrew B.; Simon, Joshua D.; Ellis, Richard; Truong, Phuongmai N.; Blitz, Leo

    2018-01-01

    We present high quality Hα velocity fields for a sample of nearby dwarf galaxies (log M/M⊙ = 8.4-9.8) obtained as part of the Dark Matter in Dwarf Galaxies survey. The purpose of the survey is to investigate the cusp-core discrepancy by quantifying the variation of the inner slope of the dark matter distributions of 26 dwarf galaxies, which were selected as likely to have regular kinematics. The data were obtained with the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager, located on the Hale 5m telescope. We extract rotation curves from the velocity fields and use optical and infrared photometry to model the stellar mass distribution. We model the total mass distribution as the sum of a generalized Navarro-Frenk-White dark matter halo along with the stellar and gaseous components. We present the distribution of inner dark matter density profile slopes derived from this analysis. For a subset of galaxies, we compare our results to an independent analysis based on CO observations. In future work, we will compare the scatter in inner density slopes, as well as their correlations with galaxy properties, to theoretical predictions for dark matter core creation via supernovae feedback.

  15. White dwarf-red dwarf binaries in the Galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Besselaar, E.J.M. van den

    2007-01-01

    This PhD thesis shows several studies on white dwarf - red dwarf binaries. White dwarfs are the end products of most stars and red dwarfs are normal hydrogen burning low-mass stars. White dwarf - red dwarf binaries are both blue (white dwarf) and red (red dwarf). Together with the fact that they are

  16. Detection of CO (J=1-0) in the dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 185

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiklind, Tommy; Rydbeck, Gustaf

    1987-01-01

    The detection of CO (J = 1-0) emission in the dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 185 is reported. The presence of massive molecular clouds in this early-type galaxy supports the idea of recent or ongoing stellar formation indicated by the population of blue stars in the center. The CO was detected in two positions in the galaxy, the center, and a prominent dustcloud. The emission profile has two peaks, roughly centered around the systemic velocity. It is found that NGC 185 is overluminous in blue light for its CO luminosity compared with Sc galaxies. This might indicate a higher star-formation efficiency for NGC 185 than for the late-type galaxies.

  17. Study of the boxlike dark matter signals from dwarf spheroidal galaxies with Fermi-LAT data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shang; Liang, Yun-Feng; Xia, Zi-Qing; Zu, Lei; Duan, Kai-Kai; Shen, Zhao-Qiang; Feng, Lei; Yuan, Qiang; Fan, Yi-Zhong

    2018-04-01

    The observation of a special spectral feature in the gamma-ray data would be one of the best ways to identify dark matter (DM). The box-shaped gamma-ray spectra could be generated by the decay of intermediate particles produced by DM annihilation or decay. It provides another kind of signal that can be relatively easily distinguished from astrophysical backgrounds besides the linelike signals. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are expected to be dominated by DM and may be one of the most promising targets for indirect DM searches. In this paper, we study the box-shaped DM signals with Fermi-LAT observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We analyze 106 months of Fermi-LAT data to derive the upper limits on the annihilation cross section or the decay timescale of DM. In addition, we compare the results for different sample selections and DM density distributions. We expect that more dwarf spheroidal galaxies will be found and the sensitivity of box-shaped gamma-ray signal searches will be significantly improved in the future.

  18. Complexity on dwarf galaxy scales : A bimodal distributionfFunction in sculptor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Breddels, Maarten A.; Helmi, Amina

    2014-01-01

    In our previous work, we presented Schwarzschild models of the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy demonstrating that this system could be embedded in dark matter halos that are either cusped or cored. Here, we show that the non-parametric distribution function recovered through Schwarzschild's method

  19. Nucleosynthesis and the Inhomogeneous Chemical Evolution of the Carina Dwarf Galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Venn, Kim A.; Shetrone, Matthew D.; Irwin, Mike J.; Hill, Vanessa; Jablonka, Pascale; Tolstoy, Eline; Lemasle, Bertrand; Divell, Mike; Starkenburg, Else; Letarte, Bruno; Baldner, Charles; Battaglia, Giuseppina; Helmi, Amina; Kaufer, Andreas; Primas, Francesca

    2012-01-01

    The detailed abundances of 23 chemical elements in nine bright red giant branch stars in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy are presented based on high-resolution spectra gathered at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Magellan telescopes. A spherical model atmospheres analysis is applied using

  20. Can physical stellar collisions explain the blue stragglers in the dwarf spheroidal galaxies?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonard, P.J.T.

    1993-01-01

    The hypothesis that the blue stragglers in the dwarf spheroidal galaxie have a collisional origin is considered. If all of the dark matter in these galaxies is in the form of low-mass stars and the binary frequency is ≅ 50%, then it is quite possible that ≅ 10% to 20% of their blue stragglers have been produced by physical stellar collisions

  1. A Survey for Low Surface Brightness Dwarf Galaxies Around M31

    OpenAIRE

    Armandroff, Taft E.; Davies, James E.; Jacoby, George H.

    1998-01-01

    By applying a digital filtering technique to 1550 square degrees of the POSS-II in the vicinity of M31, we found two previously unidentified very low surface brightness dwarf galaxies which we designate And V and VI. Follow-up imaging with the KPNO 4-m telescope resolved these into stars easily. The V- and I- band images of And V indicate a distance similar to that of M31, and approximately -1.5. All evidence strongly supports its classification as a dwarf spheroidal companion to M31. Data f...

  2. The chemical composition and age of the blue compact dwarf galaxy Haro 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davidge, T.J.

    1989-01-01

    Spectroscopic observations are presented of the central star-forming nebula in the blue compact dwarf galaxy Haro 2 (MrK 33). Using the strengths of various emission lines, it is found that the electron temperature is roughly 9250 K and that the O abundance is comparable with that of the LMC. Weak Mg b 5175-A and Fe I 5335-A absorption lines have also been identified. An effort has been made to investigate the origin of these lines using synthetic spectra. It is concluded that, contrary to the findings of Loose and Thuan (1986), Haro 2 probably contains an old stellar substrate. Finally, it is suggested that Haro 2 may eventually evolve into a nucleated dwarf elliptical galaxy. 44 refs

  3. Multiwavelength Observations of the Dwarf Seyfert 1 Galaxy POX 52

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thornton, Carol E.; Barth, A. J.; Ho, L. C.; Rutledge, R. E.; Greene, J. E.

    2006-12-01

    POX 52 is an unusual narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy, having an estimated black hole mass of order 105 solar masses and a dwarf host galaxy with an absolute magnitude of only MV = -17.6, which gives us a unique opportunity to study black hole-bulge relations in the low-mass regime. We present new observations from a multiwavelength campaign to study its active nucleus and host galaxy. The data include observations from the Chandra and XMM-Newton Observatories, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Very Large Array. Chandra data show a highly variable point source with a 2.0 10.0 keV luminosity of 0.7 * 1042 ergs/s. We will also describe the X-ray spectral shape, the structure of the host galaxy as determined from GALFIT modeling of the HST ACS/HRC images, and the spectral energy distribution of the active nucleus.

  4. Why type 2 supernovae do not explode in irregular galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shklovskij, I.S.

    1984-01-01

    The conclusion is drawn that reason for an absence of type 2 supernovae explosions in irregular galaxies is their peculiar chemical composition. The observed lack of stellar wind from massive hot giants is due to relatively low heavy element abundance. For this reason evolving massive stars do not form an extended dense envelopes that is a necessary condition for the type 2 supernova phenomenon

  5. Nuclei of dwarf spheroidal galaxies KKs3 and ESO269-66 and their counterparts in our Galaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Sharina, M. E.; Shimansky, V. V.; Kniazev, A. Y.

    2017-01-01

    We present the analysis of medium-resolution spectra obtained at the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) for nuclear globular clusters (GCs) in two dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). The galaxies have similar star formation histories, but they are situated in completely different environments. ESO269-66 is a close neighbour of the giant S0 NGC5128. KKs3 is one of the few truly isolated dSphs within 10 Mpc. We estimate the helium abundance $Y=0.3$, $\\rm age=12.6\\pm1$ Gyr, $[Fe/H]=-1.5,-1.5...

  6. Detection of a Population of Carbon-enhanced Metal-poor Stars in the Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiti, Anirudh; Simon, Joshua D.; Frebel, Anna; Thompson, Ian B.; Shectman, Stephen A.; Mateo, Mario; Bailey, John I., III; Crane, Jeffrey D.; Walker, Matthew

    2018-04-01

    The study of the chemical abundances of metal-poor stars in dwarf galaxies provides a venue to constrain paradigms of chemical enrichment and galaxy formation. Here we present metallicity and carbon abundance measurements of 100 stars in Sculptor from medium-resolution (R ∼ 2000) spectra taken with the Magellan/Michigan Fiber System mounted on the Magellan-Clay 6.5 m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We identify 24 extremely metal-poor star candidates ([Fe/H] 1.0). The existence of a large number of CEMP stars both in the halo and in Sculptor suggests that some halo CEMP stars may have originated from accreted early analogs of dwarf galaxies. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

  7. Cleaning spectroscopic samples of stars in nearby dwarf galaxies : The use of the nIR Mg I line to weed out Milky Way contaminants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Battaglia, G.; Starkenburg, E.

    Dwarf galaxies provide insight into the processes of star formation and chemical enrichment at the low end of the galaxy mass function, as well as into the clustering of dark matter on small scales. In studies of Local Group dwarf galaxies, spectroscopic samples of individual stars are used to

  8. THE COSMOLOGICAL IMPACT OF LUMINOUS TeV BLAZARS. III. IMPLICATIONS FOR GALAXY CLUSTERS AND THE FORMATION OF DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pfrommer, Christoph; Chang, Philip; Broderick, Avery E.

    2012-01-01

    spectrum, σ 8 , and may reconcile SZ-inferred values with those by other cosmological probes even after allowing for a contribution due to patchy reionization. (3) Our redshift-dependent entropy floor increases the characteristic halo mass below which dwarf galaxies cannot form by a factor of approximately 10 (50) at mean density (in voids) over that found in models that include photoionization alone. This prevents the formation of late-forming dwarf galaxies (z ∼ 10 to 10 11 M ☉ for redshifts z ∼ 2 to 0, respectively. This may help resolve the 'missing satellite problem' in the Milky Way of the low observed abundances of dwarf satellites compared to cold dark matter simulations and may bring the observed early star formation histories into agreement with galaxy formation models. At the same time, it explains the 'void phenomenon' by suppressing the formation of galaxies within existing dwarf halos of masses 10 M ☉ with a maximum circular velocity –1 for z ∼< 2, hence reconciling the number of dwarfs in low-density regions in simulations and the paucity of those in observations.

  9. EVIDENCE THAT GAMMA-RAY BURST 130702A EXPLODED IN A DWARF SATELLITE OF A MASSIVE GALAXY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelly, Patrick L.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Fox, Ori D.; Zheng Weikang; Clubb, Kelsey I.

    2013-01-01

    GRB 130702A is a nearby long-duration gamma-ray burst (LGRB) discovered by the Fermi satellite whose associated afterglow was detected by the Palomar Transient Factory. Subsequent photometric and spectroscopic monitoring has identified a coincident broad-lined Type Ic supernova (SN), and nebular emission detected near the explosion site is consistent with a redshift of z = 0.145. The SN-GRB exploded at an offset of ∼7.''6 from the center of an inclined r = 18.1 mag red disk-dominated galaxy, and ∼0.''6 from the center of a much fainter r = 23 mag object. We obtained Keck-II DEIMOS spectra of the two objects and find a 2σ upper limit on their line-of-sight velocity offset of ∼ –1 . If we calculate the inclination angle of the massive red galaxy from its axis ratio and assume that its light is dominated by a very thin disk, the explosion would have a ∼60 kpc central offset, or ∼9 times the galaxy's half-light radius. A significant bulge or a thicker disk would imply a higher inclination angle and greater central offset. The substantial offset suggests that the faint source is a separate dwarf galaxy. The star-formation rate of the dwarf galaxy is ∼0.05 M ☉ yr –1 , and we place an upper limit on its oxygen abundance of 12 + log(O/H) < 8.16 dex. The identification of an LGRB in a dwarf satellite of a massive, metal-rich primary galaxy suggests that recent detections of LGRBs spatially coincident with metal-rich galaxies may be, in some cases, superpositions

  10. CHEMICAL ENRICHMENT IN THE FAINTEST GALAXIES: THE CARBON AND IRON ABUNDANCE SPREADS IN THE BOOeTES I DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY AND THE SEGUE 1 SYSTEM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norris, John E.; Yong, David; Wyse, Rosemary F. G.; Gilmore, Gerard; Belokurov, V.; Zucker, Daniel B.; Frebel, Anna; Wilkinson, Mark I.

    2010-01-01

    We present an AAOmega spectroscopic study of red giants in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Booetes I (M V ∼ -6) and the Segue 1 system (M V ∼ -1.5), either an extremely low luminosity dwarf galaxy or an unusually extended globular cluster. Both Booetes I and Segue 1 have significant abundance dispersions in iron and carbon. Booetes I has a mean abundance of [Fe/H] = -2.55 ± 0.11 with an [Fe/H] dispersion of σ = 0.37 ± 0.08, and abundance spreads of Δ[Fe/H] = 1.7 and Δ[C/H] = 1.5. Segue 1 has a mean of [Fe/H] = -2.7 ± 0.4 with [Fe/H] dispersion of σ = 0.7 ± 0.3, and abundances spreads of Δ[Fe/H] = 1.6 and Δ[C/H] = 1.2. Moreover, Segue 1 has a radial-velocity member at four half-light radii that is extremely metal-poor and carbon-rich, with [Fe/H] = -3.5, and [C/Fe] = +2.3. Modulo an unlikely non-member contamination, the [Fe/H] abundance dispersion confirms Segue 1 as the least-luminous ultra-faint dwarf galaxy known. For [Fe/H] V = -5. The very low mean iron abundances and the high carbon and iron abundance dispersions in Segue 1 and Booetes I are consistent with highly inhomogeneous chemical evolution starting in near zero-abundance gas. These ultra-faint dwarf galaxies are apparently surviving examples of the very first bound systems.

  11. PERSEUS I: A DISTANT SATELLITE DWARF GALAXY OF ANDROMEDA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Nicolas F.; Laevens, Benjamin P. M.; Schlafly, Edward F.; Rix, Hans-Walter; Slater, Colin T.; Bell, Eric F.; Bernard, Edouard J.; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Finkbeiner, Douglas P.; Burgett, William S.; Chambers, Kenneth C.; Hodapp, Klaus W.; Kaiser, Nicholas; Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Magnier, Eugene A.; Morgan, Jeffrey S.; Tonry, John L.; Draper, Peter W.; Metcalfe, Nigel; Price, Paul A.

    2013-01-01

    We present the discovery of a new dwarf galaxy, Perseus I/Andromeda XXXIII, found in the vicinity of Andromeda (M31) in stacked imaging data from the Pan-STARRS1 3π survey. Located 27.°9 away from M31, Perseus I has a heliocentric distance of 785 ± 65 kpc, compatible with it being a satellite of M31 at 374 −10 +14 kpc from its host. The properties of Perseus I are typical for a reasonably bright dwarf galaxy (M V = –10.3 ± 0.7), with an exponential half-light radius of r h = 1.7 ± 0.4 arcmin or r h =400 −85 +105 pc at this distance, and a moderate ellipticity (ϵ=0.43 −0.17 +0.15 ). The late discovery of Perseus I is due to its fairly low surface brightness (μ 0 =25.7 −0.9 +1.0  mag arcsec –2 ), and to the previous lack of deep, high quality photometric data in this region. If confirmed to be a companion of M31, the location of Perseus I, far east from its host, could place interesting constraints on the bulk motion of the satellite system of M31

  12. Distinguishing CDM dwarfs from SIDM dwarfs in baryonic simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strickland, Emily; Fitts, Alex B.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael

    2017-06-01

    Dwarf galaxies in the nearby Universe are the most dark-matter-dominated systems known. They are therefore natural probes of the nature of dark matter, which remains unknown. Our collaboration has performed several high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations of isolated dwarf galaxies. We simulate each galaxy in standard cold dark matter (ΛCDM) as well as self-interacting dark matter (SIDM, with a cross section of σ/m ~ 1 cm2/g), both with and without baryons, in order to identify distinguishing characteristics between the two. The simulations are run using GIZMO, a meshless-finite-mass hydrodynamical code, and are part of the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project. By analyzing both the global properties and inner structure of the dwarfs in varying dark matter prescriptions, we provide a side-by-side comparison of isolated, dark-matter-dominated galaxies at the mass scale where differences in the two models of dark matter are thought to be the most obvious. We find that the edge of classical dwarfs and ultra-faint dwarfs (at stellar masses of ~105 solar masses) provides the clearest window for distinguishing between the two theories. At these low masses, our SIDM galaxies have a cored inner density profile, while their CDM counterparts have “cuspy” centers. The SIDM versions of each galaxy also have measurably lower stellar velocity dispersions than their CDM counterparts. Future observations of ultra faint dwarfs with JWST and 30-m telescopes will be able to discern whether such alternate theories of dark matter are viable.

  13. THE CONVERSION OF LATE-TYPE INTO EARLY-TYPE DWARF GALAXIES BY RAM-PRESSURE STRIPPING IN THE FORNAX CLUSTER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Rijcke, S.; Van Hese, E.; Buyle, P.

    2010-01-01

    We put to the test the hypothesis that the Fornax cluster dwarf galaxies are mostly a relatively recently acquired population, of which the star-forming, late-type members are converted into quiescent, early-type ones by ram-pressure stripping while being on orbits that plunge inside the inner few hundred kiloparsecs of the cluster. We construct dynamical models with different anisotropy profiles for the dwarf galaxy population and show that only extremely radially anisotropic orbital distributions are in agreement with the available morphological, positional, and kinematical data, especially with the radially increasing late-to-early-type ratio. This corroborates the idea that the Fornax cluster dwarfs are an infall population and that environmental factors, in this case ram-pressure stripping, play a prominent role in converting late-type dwarfs into early-type ones.

  14. Dark matter identification with gamma rays from dwarf galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perelstein, Maxim; Shakya, Bibhushan

    2010-01-01

    If the positron fraction and combined electron-positron flux excesses recently observed by PAMELA, Fermi and HESS are due to dark matter annihilation into lepton-rich final states, the accompanying final state radiation (FSR) photons may be detected by ground-based atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (ACTs). Satellite dwarf galaxies in the vicinity of the Milky Way are particularly promising targets for this search. We find that current and near-future ACTs have an excellent potential for discovering the FSR photons from dwarfs, although a discovery cannot be guaranteed due to large uncertainties in the fluxes resulting from lack of precise knowledge of dark matter distribution within the dwarfs. We also investigate the possibility of discriminating between different dark matter models based on the measured FSR photon spectrum. For typical parameters, we find that the ACTs can reliably distinguish models predicting dark matter annihilation into two-lepton final states from those favoring four-lepton final states (as in, for example, ''axion portal'' models). In addition, we find that the dark matter particle mass can also be determined from the FSR spectrum

  15. Escape of ionizing radiation from high redshift dwarf galaxies: role of AGN feedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trebitsch, Maxime; Volonteri, Marta; Dubois, Yohan; Madau, Piero

    2018-05-01

    While low mass, star forming galaxies are often considered as the primary driver of reionization, their actual contribution to the cosmic ultraviolet background is still uncertain, mostly because the escape fraction of ionizing photons is only poorly constrained. Theoretical studies have shown that efficient supernova feedback is a necessary condition to create paths through which ionizing radiation can escape into the intergalactic medium. We investigate the possibility that accreting supermassive black holes in early dwarf galaxies may provide additional feedback and enhance the leakage of ionizing radiation. We use a series of high resolution cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulations where we isolate the different sources of feedback. We find that supernova feedback prevents the growth of the black hole, thus quenching its associated feedback. Even in cases where the black hole can grow, the structure of the interstellar medium is strongly dominated by supernova feedback. We conclude that, in the dwarf galaxy regime, supermassive black holes do not appear to play a significant role in enhancing the escape fraction and in contributing to the early UV background.

  16. Implications of Stellar Feedback for Dynamical Modeling of the Milky Way and Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetzel, Andrew

    2018-04-01

    I will present recent results on dynamical modeling of stellar populations from the FIRE cosmological zoom-in baryonic simulations of Milky Way-like and dwarf galaxies. First, I will discuss the dynamical formation of the Milky Way, including the origin of thin+thick stellar disk morphology. I also will discuss the curious origin of metal-rich stars on halo-like orbits near the Sun, as recently measured by Gaia, with new insights from FIRE simulations on stellar radial migration/heating. Next, I will discuss role of stellar feedback in generating non-equilibrium fluctuations of the gravitational potential in low-mass 'dwarf' galaxies, which can explain the origin of cores in their dark-matter density profiles. In particular, we predict significant observable effects on stellar dynamics, including radial migration, size fluctuations, and population gradients, which can provide observational tests of feedback-driven core formation. Finally, this scenario can explain the formation of newly discovered 'ultra-diffuse' galaxies.

  17. THE MOST METAL-POOR DAMPED Lyα SYSTEMS: AN INSIGHT INTO DWARF GALAXIES AT HIGH-REDSHIFT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooke, Ryan J.; Pettini, Max; Jorgenson, Regina A.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we analyze the kinematics, chemistry, and physical properties of a sample of the most metal-poor damped Lyα systems (DLAs), to uncover their links to modern-day galaxies. We present evidence that the DLA population as a whole exhibits a ''knee'' in the relative abundances of the α-capture and Fe-peak elements when the metallicity is [Fe/H] ≅ –2.0, assuming that Zn traces the buildup of Fe-peak elements. In this respect, the chemical evolution of DLAs is clearly different from that experienced by Milky Way halo stars, but resembles that of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group. We also find a close correspondence between the kinematics of Local Group dwarf galaxies and of high-redshift metal-poor DLAs, which further strengthens this connection. On the basis of such similarities, we propose that the most metal-poor DLAs provide us with a unique opportunity to directly study the dwarf galaxy population more than ten billion years in the past, at a time when many dwarf galaxies were forming the bulk of their stars. To this end, we have measured some of the key physical properties of the DLA gas, including their neutral gas mass, size, kinetic temperature, density, and turbulence. We find that metal-poor DLAs contain a warm neutral medium with T gas ≅ 9600 K predominantly held up by thermal pressure. Furthermore, all of the DLAs in our sample exhibit a subsonic turbulent Mach number, implying that the gas distribution is largely smooth. These results are among the first empirical descriptions of the environments where the first few generations of stars may have formed in the universe

  18. TOO MANY, TOO FEW, OR JUST RIGHT? THE PREDICTED NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF MILKY WAY DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hargis, Jonathan R.; Willman, Beth; Peter, Annika H. G.

    2014-01-01

    We predict the spatial distribution and number of Milky Way dwarf galaxies to be discovered in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) surveys, by completeness correcting the observed Sloan Digital Sky Survey dwarf population. We apply most massive in the past, earliest forming, and earliest infall toy models to a set of dark matter-only simulated Milky Way/M31 halo pairs from the Exploring the Local Volume In Simulations project. Inclusive of all toy models and simulations, at 90% confidence we predict a total of 37-114 L ≳ 10 3 L ☉ dwarfs and 131-782 L ≲ 10 3 L ☉ dwarfs within 300 kpc. These numbers of L ≳ 10 3 L ☉ dwarfs are dramatically lower than previous predictions, owing primarily to our use of updated detection limits and the decreasing number of SDSS dwarfs discovered per sky area. For an effective r limit of 25.8 mag, we predict 3-13 L ≳ 10 3 L ☉ and 9-99 L ≲ 10 3 L ☉ dwarfs for DES, and 18-53 L ≳ 10 3 L ☉ and 53-307 L ≲ 10 3 L ☉ dwarfs for LSST. We also show that the observed spatial distribution of Milky Way dwarfs in the LSST-era will discriminate between the earliest infall and other simplified models for how dwarf galaxies populate dark matter subhalos

  19. Dwarfs and Giants in the local flows of galaxies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chernin, A. D.; Emelyanov, N. V.; Karachentsev, I. D.

    We use recent Hubble Space Telescope data on nearby dwarf and giant galaxies to study the dynamical structure and evolutionary trends of the local expansion flows of galaxies. It is found that antigravity of dark energy dominates the force field of the flows and makes them expand with acceleration. It also cools the flows and introduces to them the nearly linear velocity-distance relation with the time-rate close to the global Hubble's factor. There are grounds to expect that this is the universal physical regularity that is common not only for the nearby flows we studied here, but also for all the expansion flows of various spatial scales from the 1 Mpc scale and up to the scale of the global cosmological expansion.

  20. Reconciling Dwarf Galaxies with ΛCDM Cosmology: Simulating A Realistic Population of Satellites Around a Milky Way-Mass Galaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Wetzel, Andrew R.; Hopkins, Philip F.; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Kereš, Dušan; Quataert, Eliot

    2016-01-01

    � 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Low-mass "dwarf" galaxies represent the most significant challenges to the cold dark matter (CDM) model of cosmological structure formation. Because these faint galaxies are (best) observed within the Local Group (LG) of the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M31), understanding their formation in such an environment is critical. We present first results from the Latte Project: the Milky Way on Feedback in Realistic Environments (FI...

  1. Alfalfa discovery of the nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxy LEO P. V. Neutral gas dynamics and kinematics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernstein-Cooper, Elijah Z.; Pardy, Stephen A.; Cannon, John M.

    2014-01-01

    We present new H I spectral line imaging of the extremely metal-poor, star-forming dwarf irregular galaxy Leo P. Our H I images probe the global neutral gas properties and the local conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM). The H I morphology is slightly elongated along the optical major axis. We do not find obvious signatures of interaction or infalling gas at large spatial scales. The neutral gas disk shows obvious rotation, although the velocity dispersion is comparable to the rotation velocity. The rotation amplitude is estimated to be V c =15 ± 5 km s –1 . Within the H I radius probed by these observations, the mass ratio of gas to stars is roughly 2:1, while the ratio of the total mass to the baryonic mass is ≳15:1. We use this information to place Leo P on the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation, testing the baryonic content of cosmic structures in a sparsely populated portion of parameter space that has hitherto been occupied primarily by dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We detect the signature of two temperature components in the neutral ISM of Leo P; the cold and warm components have characteristic velocity widths of 4.2 ± 0.9 km s –1 and 10.1 ± 1.2 km s –1 , corresponding to kinetic temperature upper limits of ∼1100 K and ∼6200 K, respectively. The cold H I component is unresolved at a physical resolution of 200 pc. The highest H I surface densities are observed in close physical proximity to the single H II region. A comparison of the neutral gas properties of Leo P with other extremely metal-deficient (XMD) galaxies reveals that Leo P has the lowest neutral gas mass of any known XMD, and that the dynamical mass of Leo P is more than two orders of magnitude smaller than any known XMD with comparable metallicity.

  2. Alfalfa discovery of the nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxy LEO P. V. Neutral gas dynamics and kinematics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bernstein-Cooper, Elijah Z.; Pardy, Stephen A. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, 475 N Charter Street, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Cannon, John M., E-mail: ezbc@astro.wisc.edu, E-mail: spardy@astro.wisc.edu, E-mail: jcannon@macalester.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); and others

    2014-08-01

    We present new H I spectral line imaging of the extremely metal-poor, star-forming dwarf irregular galaxy Leo P. Our H I images probe the global neutral gas properties and the local conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM). The H I morphology is slightly elongated along the optical major axis. We do not find obvious signatures of interaction or infalling gas at large spatial scales. The neutral gas disk shows obvious rotation, although the velocity dispersion is comparable to the rotation velocity. The rotation amplitude is estimated to be V {sub c} =15 ± 5 km s{sup –1}. Within the H I radius probed by these observations, the mass ratio of gas to stars is roughly 2:1, while the ratio of the total mass to the baryonic mass is ≳15:1. We use this information to place Leo P on the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation, testing the baryonic content of cosmic structures in a sparsely populated portion of parameter space that has hitherto been occupied primarily by dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We detect the signature of two temperature components in the neutral ISM of Leo P; the cold and warm components have characteristic velocity widths of 4.2 ± 0.9 km s{sup –1} and 10.1 ± 1.2 km s{sup –1}, corresponding to kinetic temperature upper limits of ∼1100 K and ∼6200 K, respectively. The cold H I component is unresolved at a physical resolution of 200 pc. The highest H I surface densities are observed in close physical proximity to the single H II region. A comparison of the neutral gas properties of Leo P with other extremely metal-deficient (XMD) galaxies reveals that Leo P has the lowest neutral gas mass of any known XMD, and that the dynamical mass of Leo P is more than two orders of magnitude smaller than any known XMD with comparable metallicity.

  3. Two micron spectroscopy of the Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxy Haro 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davidge, T.J.; Maillard, J.P.

    1990-01-01

    This paper discusses the results of 2-micron spectroscopic observations of the Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxy (BCDG) Haro 2, obtained with the 3.6-m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The spectrum contains emission lines of H I, He I, Fe II, and H2 and strong absorption originating from Delta-v = 2 transitions of CO. The strengths of the various features are discussed and the extinction in the 2-micron region is estimated. The spectrum of Haro 2 is compared with those of other BCDGs and the starburst galaxies NGC 253 and M82. It is found that, in many respects, Haro 2 is a typical starburst galaxy and that its blue near-IR colors are not necessarily a sign of youth. 35 refs

  4. Magnetic field evolution in dwarf and Magellanic-type galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siejkowski, H.; Soida, M.; Chyży, K. T.

    2018-03-01

    Aims: Low-mass galaxies radio observations show in many cases surprisingly high levels of magnetic field. The mass and kinematics of such objects do not favour the development of effective large-scale dynamo action. We attempted to check if the cosmic-ray-driven dynamo can be responsible for measured magnetization in this class of poorly investigated objects. We investigated how starburst events on the whole, as well as when part of the galactic disk, influence the magnetic field evolution. Methods: We created a model of a dwarf/Magellanic-type galaxy described by gravitational potential constituted from two components: the stars and the dark-matter halo. The model is evolved by solving a three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic equation with an additional cosmic-ray component, which is approximated as a fluid. The turbulence is generated in the system via supernova explosions manifested by the injection of cosmic-rays. Results: The cosmic-ray-driven dynamo works efficiently enough to amplify the magnetic field even in low-mass dwarf/Magellanic-type galaxies. The e-folding times of magnetic energy growth are 0.50 and 0.25 Gyr for the slow (50 km s-1) and fast (100 km s-1) rotators, respectively. The amplification is being suppressed as the system reaches the equipartition level between kinetic, magnetic, and cosmic-ray energies. An episode of star formation burst amplifies the magnetic field but only for a short time while increased star formation activity holds. We find that a substantial amount of gas is expelled from the galactic disk, and that the starburst events increase the efficiency of this process.

  5. A new study of stellar substructures in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, T. J. L.; Tolstoy, E.; Saha, A.; Olszewski, E. W.

    Using deep V, B - V wide-field photometry, we have conducted a new study of stellar over-densities in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy by determining detailed star formation histories from colour-magnitude diagram analysis. We have concentrated on the relatively young stellar component ( We have

  6. EVIDENCE THAT GAMMA-RAY BURST 130702A EXPLODED IN A DWARF SATELLITE OF A MASSIVE GALAXY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelly, Patrick L.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Fox, Ori D.; Zheng Weikang; Clubb, Kelsey I., E-mail: pkelly@astro.berkeley.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

    2013-09-20

    GRB 130702A is a nearby long-duration gamma-ray burst (LGRB) discovered by the Fermi satellite whose associated afterglow was detected by the Palomar Transient Factory. Subsequent photometric and spectroscopic monitoring has identified a coincident broad-lined Type Ic supernova (SN), and nebular emission detected near the explosion site is consistent with a redshift of z = 0.145. The SN-GRB exploded at an offset of {approx}7.''6 from the center of an inclined r = 18.1 mag red disk-dominated galaxy, and {approx}0.''6 from the center of a much fainter r = 23 mag object. We obtained Keck-II DEIMOS spectra of the two objects and find a 2{sigma} upper limit on their line-of-sight velocity offset of {approx}<60 km s{sup -1}. If we calculate the inclination angle of the massive red galaxy from its axis ratio and assume that its light is dominated by a very thin disk, the explosion would have a {approx}60 kpc central offset, or {approx}9 times the galaxy's half-light radius. A significant bulge or a thicker disk would imply a higher inclination angle and greater central offset. The substantial offset suggests that the faint source is a separate dwarf galaxy. The star-formation rate of the dwarf galaxy is {approx}0.05 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}, and we place an upper limit on its oxygen abundance of 12 + log(O/H) < 8.16 dex. The identification of an LGRB in a dwarf satellite of a massive, metal-rich primary galaxy suggests that recent detections of LGRBs spatially coincident with metal-rich galaxies may be, in some cases, superpositions.

  7. ULTRA-COMPACT HIGH VELOCITY CLOUDS AS MINIHALOS AND DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faerman, Yakov; Sternberg, Amiel [Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978 (Israel); McKee, Christopher F., E-mail: yakovfae@post.tau.ac.il [Department of Physics and Department of Astronomy, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

    2013-11-10

    We present dark matter minihalo models for the Ultra-Compact, High-Velocity H I Clouds (UCHVCs) recently discovered in the 21 cm ALFALFA survey. We assume gravitational confinement of 10{sup 4} K H I gas by flat-cored dark-matter subhalos within the Local Group. We show that for flat cores, typical (median) tidally stripped cosmological subhalos at redshift z = 0 have dark-matter masses of ∼10{sup 7} M{sub ☉} within the central 300 pc (independent of total halo mass), consistent with the 'Strigari mass scale' observed in low-luminosity dwarf galaxies. Flat-cored subhalos also resolve the mass discrepancy between simulated and observed satellites around the Milky Way. For the UCHVCs, we calculate the photoionization-limited hydrostatic gas profiles for any distance-dependent total observed H I mass and predict the associated (projected) H I half-mass radii, assuming the clouds are embedded in distant (d ∼> 300 kpc) and unstripped subhalos. For a typical UCHVC (0.9 Jy km s{sup –1}), we predict physical H I half-mass radii of 0.18 to 0.35 kpc (or angular sizes of 0.'6 to 2.'1) for distances ranging from 300 kpc to 2 Mpc. As a consistency check, we model the gas-rich dwarf galaxy Leo T, for which there is a well-resolved H I column density profile and a known distance (420 kpc). For Leo T, we find that a subhalo with M{sub 300} = 8 (± 0.2) × 10{sup 6} M{sub ☉} best fits the observed H I profile. We derive an upper limit of P{sub HIM} ∼< 150 cm{sup –3} K for the pressure of any enveloping hot intergalactic medium gas at the distance of Leo T. Our analysis suggests that some of the UCHVCs may in fact constitute a population of 21 cm-selected but optically faint dwarf galaxies in the Local Group.

  8. POX 186: A Dwarf Galaxy in the Process of Formation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbin, Michael R.; Vacca, William D.

    2002-12-01

    We present deep U-, V-, and I-band images of the ``ultracompact'' blue dwarf galaxy POX 186 obtained with the Planetary Camera 2 of the Hubble Space Telescope. We have also obtained a near-ultraviolet spectrum of the object with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and combine this with a new ground-based optical spectrum. The images confirm the galaxy to be extremely small, with a maximum extent of only 300 pc, a luminosity of ~10-4L*, and an estimated mass of ~107 Msolar. Its morphology is highly asymmetric, with a tail of material on its western side that may be tidal in origin. The U-band image shows this tail to be part of a stream of material in which stars have recently formed. Most of the star formation in the galaxy is, however, concentrated in a central, compact (d~10-15 pc) star cluster. We estimate this cluster to have a total mass of ~105 Msolar, to be forming stars at a rate of less than 0.05 yr-1, and to have a maximum age of a few million years. The outer regions of the galaxy are significantly redder than the cluster, with V-I colors consistent with a population dominated by K and M stars. From our analysis of the optical spectrum we find the galaxy to have a metallicity Z~=0.06 Zsolar and to contain a significant amount of internal dust [E(B-V)~=0.28] both values agree with previous estimates. While these results rule out earlier speculation that POX 186 is a protogalaxy, its morphology, mass, and active star formation suggest that it represents a recent (within ~108 yr) collision between two clumps of stars of subgalactic size (~100 pc). POX 186 may thus be a very small dwarf galaxy that, dynamically speaking, is still in the process of formation. This interpretation is supported by the fact that it resides in a void, so its morphology cannot be explained as the result of an encounter with a more massive galaxy. Clumps of stars this small may represent the building blocks required by hierarchical models of galaxy formation, and these results

  9. Cool carbon stars in the halo and in dwarf galaxies: Hα, colours, and variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauron, N.; Gigoyan, K. S.; Berlioz-Arthaud, P.; Klotz, A.

    2014-02-01

    The population of cool carbon (C) stars located far from the galactic plane is probably made of debris of small galaxies such as the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Sgr), which are disrupted by the gravitational field of the Galaxy. We aim to know this population better through spectroscopy, 2MASS photometric colours, and variability data. When possible, we compared the halo results to C star populations in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy, Sgr, and the solar neighbourhood. We first present a few new discoveries of C stars in the halo and in Fornax. The number of spectra of halo C stars is now 125. Forty percent show Hα in emission. The narrow location in the JHK diagram of the halo C stars is found to differ from that of similar C stars in the above galaxies. The light curves of the Catalina and LINEAR variability databases were exploited to derive the pulsation periods of 66 halo C stars. A few supplementary periods were obtained with the TAROT telescopes. We confirm that the period distribution of the halo strongly resembles that of Fornax, and we found that it is very different from the C stars in the solar neighbourhood. There is a larger proportion of short-period Mira/SRa variables in the halo than in Sgr, but the survey for C stars in this dwarf galaxy is not complete, and the study of their variability needs to be continued to investigate the link between Sgr and the cool halo C stars. Based on observations made with the NTT and 3.6 m telescope at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla, Chile; programs 084.D-0302 and 070.D-0203), with the TAROT telescopes at La Silla and at Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (France), and on the exploitation of the Catalina Sky Survey and the LINEAR variability databases.Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

  10. HI-bearing Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in the ALFALFA Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leisman, Lukas; Janowiecki, Steven; Jones, Michael G.; ALFALFA Almost Darks Team

    2018-01-01

    The Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (Arecibo L-band Feed Array) extragalactic HI survey, with over 30,000 high significance extragalactic sources, is well positioned to locate gas-bearing, low surface brightness sources missed by optical detection algorithms. We investigate the nature of a population of HI-bearing sources in ALFALFA with properties similar to "ultra-diffuse" galaxies (UDGs): galaxies with stellar masses of dwarf galaxies, but radii of L* galaxies. These "HI-bearing ultra-diffuse" sources (HUDS) constitute a small, but pertinent, fraction of the dwarf-mass galaxies in ALFALFA. They are bluer and have more irregular morphologies than the optically-selected UDGs found in clusters, and they appear to be gas-rich for their stellar mass, indicating low star formation efficiency. To illuminate potential explanations for the extreme properties of these sources we explore their environments and estimate their halo properties. We conclude that environmental mechanism are unlikely the cause of HUDS' properties, as they exist in environments equivalent to that of the other ALFALFA sources of similar HI-masses, however, we do find some suggestion that these HUDS may reside in high spin parameter halos, a potential explanation for their "ultra-diffuse" nature.

  11. Identification of old tidal dwarfs near early-type galaxies from deep imaging and H I observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duc, Pierre-Alain; Paudel, Sanjaya; McDermid, Richard M.; Cuillandre, Jean-Charles; Serra, Paolo; Bournaud, Frédéric; Cappellari, Michele; Emsellem, Eric

    2014-05-01

    It has recently been proposed that the dwarf spheroidal galaxies located in the Local Group discs of satellites (DoSs) may be tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) born in a major merger at least 5 Gyr ago. Whether TDGs can live that long is still poorly constrained by observations. As part of deep optical and H I surveys with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) MegaCam camera and Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope made within the ATLAS3D project, and follow-up spectroscopic observations with the Gemini-North telescope, we have discovered old TDG candidates around several early-type galaxies. At least one of them has an oxygen abundance close to solar, as expected for a tidal origin. This confirmed pre-enriched object is located within the gigantic, but very low surface brightness, tidal tail that emanates from the elliptical galaxy, NGC 5557. An age of 4 Gyr estimated from its SED fitting makes it the oldest securely identified TDG ever found so far. We investigated the structural and gaseous properties of the TDG and of a companion located in the same collisional debris, and thus most likely of tidal origin as well. Despite several Gyr of evolution close to their parent galaxies, they kept a large gas reservoir. Their central surface brightness is low and their effective radius much larger than that of typical dwarf galaxies of the same mass. This possibly provides us with criteria to identify tidal objects which can be more easily checked than the traditional ones requiring deep spectroscopic observations. In view of the above, we discuss the survival time of TDGs and question the tidal origin of the DoSs.

  12. What drives the evolution of Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies in Clusters vs. the Field?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirth, Gregory D.; Bershady, Matthew A.; Crawford, Steven M.; Hunt, Lucas; Pisano, Daniel J.; Randriamampandry, Solohery M.

    2018-06-01

    Low-mass dwarf ellipticals are the most numerous members of present-day galaxy clusters, but the progenitors of this dominant population remain unclear. A prime candidate is the class of objects known as Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs), common in intermediate-redshift clusters but virtually extinct today. Recent cosmological simulations suggest that present-day dwarf galaxies begin as irregular field galaxies, undergo an environmentally-driven starburst phase as they enter the cluster, and stop forming stars earlier than their counterparts in the field. This model predicts that cluster dwarfs should have lower stellar mass per unit dynamical mass than their counterparts in the field. We are undertaking a two-pronged archival research program to test this key prediction using the combination of precision photometry from space and high-quality spectroscopy. First, we are combining optical HST/ACS imaging of five z=0.55 clusters (including two HST Frontier Fields) with Spitzer IR imaging and publicly-released Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy to measure stellar-to-dynamical-mass ratios for a large sample of cluster LCBGs. Second, we are exploiting a new catalog of LCBGs in the COSMOS field to gather corresponding data for a significant sample of field LCBGs. By comparing mass ratios from these datasets, we aim to test theoretical predictions and determine the primary physical driver of cluster dwarf-galaxy evolution.

  13. TOO MANY, TOO FEW, OR JUST RIGHT? THE PREDICTED NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF MILKY WAY DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hargis, Jonathan R.; Willman, Beth [Department of Astronomy, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041 (United States); Peter, Annika H. G., E-mail: jhargis@haverford.edu [CCAPP and Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, 191 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

    2014-11-01

    We predict the spatial distribution and number of Milky Way dwarf galaxies to be discovered in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) surveys, by completeness correcting the observed Sloan Digital Sky Survey dwarf population. We apply most massive in the past, earliest forming, and earliest infall toy models to a set of dark matter-only simulated Milky Way/M31 halo pairs from the Exploring the Local Volume In Simulations project. Inclusive of all toy models and simulations, at 90% confidence we predict a total of 37-114 L ≳ 10{sup 3} L {sub ☉} dwarfs and 131-782 L ≲ 10{sup 3} L {sub ☉} dwarfs within 300 kpc. These numbers of L ≳ 10{sup 3} L {sub ☉} dwarfs are dramatically lower than previous predictions, owing primarily to our use of updated detection limits and the decreasing number of SDSS dwarfs discovered per sky area. For an effective r {sub limit} of 25.8 mag, we predict 3-13 L ≳ 10{sup 3} L {sub ☉} and 9-99 L ≲ 10{sup 3} L {sub ☉} dwarfs for DES, and 18-53 L ≳ 10{sup 3} L {sub ☉} and 53-307 L ≲ 10{sup 3} L {sub ☉} dwarfs for LSST. We also show that the observed spatial distribution of Milky Way dwarfs in the LSST-era will discriminate between the earliest infall and other simplified models for how dwarf galaxies populate dark matter subhalos.

  14. Chemical Abundance Measurements of Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies Discovered by the Dark Energy Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagasawa, Daniel; Marshall, Jennifer L.; Simon, Joshua D.; Hansen, Terese; Li, Ting; Bernstein, Rebecca; Balbinot, Eduardo; Drlica-Wagner, Alex; Pace, Andrew; Strigari, Louis; Pellegrino, Craig; DePoy, Darren L.; Suntzeff, Nicholas; Bechtol, Keith; Dark Energy Suvey

    2018-01-01

    We present chemical abundance analysis results derived from high-resolution spectroscopy of ultra-faint dwarfs discovered by the Dark Energy Survey. Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies preserve a fossil record of the chemical abundance patterns imprinted by the first stars in the Universe. High-resolution spectroscopic observations of member stars in several recently discovered Milky Way satellites reveal a range of abundance patterns among ultra-faint dwarfs suggesting that star formation processes in the early Universe were quite diverse. The chemical content provides a glimpse not only of the varied nucleosynthetic processes and chemical history of the dwarfs themselves, but also the environment in which they were formed. We present the chemical abundance analysis of these objects and discuss possible explanations for the observed abundance patterns.

  15. What can Gaia proper motions tell us about Milky Way dwarf galaxies?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jin, S.; Helmi, A.; Breddels, M.

    We present a proper-motion study on models of the dwarf spheroidal galaxy Sculptor, based on the predicted proper-motion accuracy of Gaia measurements. Gaia will measure proper motions of several hundreds of stars for a Sculptor-like system. Even with an uncertainty on the proper motion of order 1.5

  16. From Globular Clusters to Tidal Dwarfs: Structure Formation in the Tidal Tails of Merging Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knierman, Karen A.; Gallagher, Sarah C.; Charlton, Jane C.; Hunsberger, Sally D.; Whitmore, Bradley; Kundu, Arunav; Hibbard, J. E.; Zaritsky, Dennis

    2003-09-01

    Using V and I images obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) of the Hubble Space Telescope, we investigate compact stellar structures within tidal tails. Six regions of tidal debris in the four classic ``Toomre sequence'' mergers: NGC 4038/39 (``Antennae''), NGC 3256, NGC 3921, and NGC 7252 (``Atoms for Peace'') have been studied in order to explore how the star formation depends on the local and global physical conditions. These mergers sample a range of stages in the evolutionary sequence and tails with and without embedded tidal dwarf galaxies. The six tails are found to contain a variety of stellar structures, with sizes ranging from those of globular clusters up to those of dwarf galaxies. From V and I WFPC2 images, we measure the luminosities and colors of the star clusters. NGC 3256 is found to have a large population of blue clusters (0.2<~V-I<~0.9), particularly in its western tail, similar to those found in the inner region of the merger. In contrast, NGC 4038/39 has no clusters in the observed region of the tail, only less luminous point sources likely to be individual stars. NGC 3921 and NGC 7252 have small populations of clusters along their tails. A significant cluster population is clearly associated with the prominent tidal dwarf candidates in the eastern and western tails of NGC 7252. The cluster-rich western tail of NGC 3256 is not distinguished from the others by its dynamical age or by its total H I mass. However, the mergers that have few clusters in the tail all have tidal dwarf galaxies, while NGC 3256 does not have prominent tidal dwarfs. We speculate that star formation in tidal tails may manifest itself either in small structures like clusters along the tail or in large structures such as dwarf galaxies, but not in both. Also, NGC 3256 has the highest star formation rate of the four mergers studied, which may contribute to the high number of star clusters in its tidal tails. Based in part on observations obtained with the

  17. Two distinct ancient components in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy : First results from the dwarf abundances and radial velocities team

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tolstoy, E; Irwin, MJ; Helmi, A; Battaglia, G; Jablonka, P; Hill, [No Value; Venn, KA; Shetrone, MD; Letarte, B; Cole, AA; Primas, F; Francois, P; Arimoto, N; Sadakane, K; Kaufer, A; Szeifert, T; Abel, T

    2004-01-01

    We have found evidence for the presence of two distinct ancient stellar components (bothgreater than or equal to10 Gyr old) in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We used the ESO Wide Field Imager in conjunction with the Very Large Telescope/FLAMES spectrograph to study the properties of the

  18. UNCOVERING THE FORMATION OF ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES BY MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chattopadhyay, Tanuka; Sharina, Margarita; Davoust, Emmanuel; De, Tuli; Chattopadhyay, Asis Kumar

    2012-01-01

    We present a statistical analysis of the properties of a large sample of dynamically hot old stellar systems, from globular clusters (GCs) to giant ellipticals, which was performed in order to investigate the origin of ultracompact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). The data were mostly drawn from Forbes et al. We recalculated some of the effective radii, computed mean surface brightnesses and mass-to-light ratios, and estimated ages and metallicities. We completed the sample with GCs of M31. We used a multivariate statistical technique (K-Means clustering), together with a new algorithm (Gap Statistics) for finding the optimum number of homogeneous sub-groups in the sample, using a total of six parameters (absolute magnitude, effective radius, virial mass-to-light ratio, stellar mass-to-light ratio, and metallicity). We found six groups. FK1 and FK5 are composed of high- and low-mass elliptical galaxies, respectively. FK3 and FK6 are composed of high-metallicity and low-metallicity objects, respectively, and both include GCs and UCDs. Two very small groups, FK2 and FK4, are composed of Local Group dwarf spheroidals. Our groups differ in their mean masses and virial mass-to-light ratios. The relations between these two parameters are also different for the various groups. The probability density distributions of metallicity for the four groups of galaxies are similar to those of the GCs and UCDs. The brightest low-metallicity GCs and UCDs tend to follow the mass-metallicity relation like elliptical galaxies. The objects of FK3 are more metal-rich per unit effective luminosity density than high-mass ellipticals.

  19. UNCOVERING THE FORMATION OF ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES BY MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chattopadhyay, Tanuka [Department of Applied Mathematics, Calcutta University, 92 A.P.C. Road, Calcutta 700009 (India); Sharina, Margarita [Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences, N. Arkhyz, KCh R 369167 (Russian Federation); Davoust, Emmanuel [IRAP, Universite de Toulouse, CNRS, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France); De, Tuli; Chattopadhyay, Asis Kumar, E-mail: tanuka@iucaa.ernet.in, E-mail: sme@sao.ru, E-mail: davoust@ast.obs-mip.fr, E-mail: akcstat@caluniv.ac.in [Department of Statistics, Calcutta University, 35 B.C. Road, Calcutta 700019 (India)

    2012-05-10

    We present a statistical analysis of the properties of a large sample of dynamically hot old stellar systems, from globular clusters (GCs) to giant ellipticals, which was performed in order to investigate the origin of ultracompact dwarf galaxies (UCDs). The data were mostly drawn from Forbes et al. We recalculated some of the effective radii, computed mean surface brightnesses and mass-to-light ratios, and estimated ages and metallicities. We completed the sample with GCs of M31. We used a multivariate statistical technique (K-Means clustering), together with a new algorithm (Gap Statistics) for finding the optimum number of homogeneous sub-groups in the sample, using a total of six parameters (absolute magnitude, effective radius, virial mass-to-light ratio, stellar mass-to-light ratio, and metallicity). We found six groups. FK1 and FK5 are composed of high- and low-mass elliptical galaxies, respectively. FK3 and FK6 are composed of high-metallicity and low-metallicity objects, respectively, and both include GCs and UCDs. Two very small groups, FK2 and FK4, are composed of Local Group dwarf spheroidals. Our groups differ in their mean masses and virial mass-to-light ratios. The relations between these two parameters are also different for the various groups. The probability density distributions of metallicity for the four groups of galaxies are similar to those of the GCs and UCDs. The brightest low-metallicity GCs and UCDs tend to follow the mass-metallicity relation like elliptical galaxies. The objects of FK3 are more metal-rich per unit effective luminosity density than high-mass ellipticals.

  20. On the Scatter of the Present-day Stellar Metallicity–Mass Relation of Cluster Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engler, Christoph; Lisker, Thorsten; Pillepich, Annalisa

    2018-04-01

    We examine the scatter of the relation between stellar mass and stellar metallicity for cluster dwarf galaxies in the cosmological simulation Illustris. The mass-metallicity relation exhibits the smallest intrinsic scatter at the galaxies' times of peak stellar mass, suggesting stellar mass stripping to be the primary effect responsible for the rather broad relation at present. However, for about 40% of galaxies in the high-metallicity tail of the relation, we find mass stripping to coincide with an increased enrichment of stellar metallicity, possibly caused by the stripping of low-metallicity stars in the galaxy outskirts.

  1. The kinematic properties of dwarf early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toloba, E.; Boselli, A.; Peletier, R. F.; Gorgas, J.; Zapatero Osorio, M.R.; Gorgas, J.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Pardo, J.R.; Gil de Paz, A.

    We present new medium resolution kinematic data for a sample of 21 dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) mainly in the Virgo cluster. These data are used to study the origin of dEs inhabiting clusters. Within them we detect two populations: half of the sample (52%) are rotationally supported and the other

  2. The kinematic properties of dwarf early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toloba, E.; Boselli, A.; Peletier, R. F.; Gorgas, J.; Zapatero Osorio, M.R.; Gorgas, J.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Pardo, J.R.; Gil de Paz, A.

    2011-01-01

    We present new medium resolution kinematic data for a sample of 21 dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) mainly in the Virgo cluster. These data are used to study the origin of dEs inhabiting clusters. Within them we detect two populations: half of the sample (52%) are rotationally supported and the other

  3. Cold Gas in Quenched Dwarf Galaxies using HI-MaNGA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonilla, Alaina

    2017-01-01

    MaNGA (Mapping of Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory) is a 6-year Sloan Digital Sky Survey fourth generation (SDSS-IV) project that will obtain integral field spectroscopy of a catalogue of 10,000 nearby galaxies. In this study, we explore the properties of the passive dwarf galaxy sample presented in Penny et al. 2016, making use of MaNGA IFU (Integral Field Unit) data to plot gas emission, stellar velocity, and flux maps. In addition, HI-MaNGA, a legacy radio-survey of MaNGA, collects single dish HI data retrieved from the GBT (Green Bank Telescope), which we use to study the the 21cm emission lines present in HI detections. Studying the HI content of passive dwarves will help us reveal the processes that are preventing star formation, such as possible AGN feedback. This work was supported by the SDSS Research Experience for Undergraduates program, which is funded by a grant from the Sloan Foundation to the Astrophysical Research Consortium.

  4. The formation of Dwarf Spheroidal galaxies by the dissolving star cluster model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alarcon, Alex; Theory and Star Formation Group

    2018-01-01

    Dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies are regarded as key object in the formation of larger galaxies and are believed to be the most dark matter dominated systems known. There are several model that attempt to explain their formation, but they have problems to model the formation of isolated dSph. Here we will explain a possible formation scenario in which star clusters form in the dark matter halo of a dSph. these cluster suffer from low star formation efficiency and dissolve while orbiting inside the halo. Thereby they build the faint luminous components that we observe in dSph galaxies. Here we will show the main results of this simulations and how they would be corroborated using observational data.

  5. Difference in Dwarf Galaxy Surface Brightness Profiles as a Function of Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Youngdae; Park, Hong Soo; Kim, Sang Chul; Moon, Dae-Sik; Lee, Jae-Joon; Kim, Dong-Jin; Cha, Sang-Mok

    2018-05-01

    We investigate surface brightness profiles (SBPs) of dwarf galaxies in field, group, and cluster environments. With deep BV I images from the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network Supernova Program, SBPs of 38 dwarfs in the NGC 2784 group are fitted by a single-exponential or double-exponential model. We find that 53% of the dwarfs are fitted with single-exponential profiles (“Type I”), while 47% of the dwarfs show double-exponential profiles; 37% of all dwarfs have smaller sizes for the outer part than the inner part (“Type II”), while 10% have a larger outer than inner part (“Type III”). We compare these results with those in the field and in the Virgo cluster, where the SBP types of 102 field dwarfs are compiled from a previous study and the SBP types of 375 cluster dwarfs are measured using SDSS r-band images. As a result, the distributions of SBP types are different in the three environments. Common SBP types for the field, the NGC 2784 group, and the Virgo cluster are Type II, Type I and II, and Type I and III profiles, respectively. After comparing the sizes of dwarfs in different environments, we suggest that since the sizes of some dwarfs are changed due to environmental effects, SBP types are capable of being transformed and the distributions of SBP types in the three environments are different. We discuss possible environmental mechanisms for the transformation of SBP types. Based on data collected at KMTNet Telescopes and SDSS.

  6. Constraining the Distribution of L and T Dwarfs in the Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, R. E., Jr.; Hathi, N. P.; Cohen, S. H.; Windhorst, R. A.

    2005-10-01

    We estimate the thin-disk scale height of the Galactic population of L and T dwarfs based on star counts from 15 deep parallel fields from the Hubble Space Telescope. From these observations, we have identified 28 candidate L and T dwarfs based on their i'-z' color and morphology. By comparing these star counts with a simple Galactic model, we estimate the scale height to be 350+/-50 pc, which is consistent with the increase in vertical scale with decreasing stellar mass and is independent of reddening, color-magnitude limits, and other Galactic parameters. With this refined measure, we predict that less than 109 Msolar of the Milky Way can be in the form of L and T dwarfs and confirm that high-latitude, z~=6 galaxy surveys that use the i'-band dropout technique are 97%-100% free of L and T dwarf interlopers. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the Data Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

  7. BIMA CO (1-0) Observations of the Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy NGC 404

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, C. L.; Petitpas, G. R.

    2004-12-01

    We present high resolution observations of the CO emission in NGC 404, a nearby dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxy (D = 3.3 Mpc). NGC 404 is only the third dwarf elliptical to have its CO emission mapped by interferometric observations, and is the first outside the Local Group. Our observations show a very concentrated, marginally resolved structure about 9 × 9 arcseconds in diameter. This corresponds to a very small cloud at the center of a much larger distribution of stars. NGC 404 is surrounded by a doughnut shaped distribution of HI gas centered on the stellar component. The CO and HI appear to be kinematically distinct components, suggesting that the HI may be part of the galaxy's original gas distribution, while the CO may be recycled from the products of stellar evolution. C.L.T. has been supported by CSU Sacramento via a Research and Creative Activity Award. G.R.P. has been supported by the Laboratory for Millimeter-Wave Astronomy through NSF grant AST 99-81289

  8. ULTRA-FAINT DWARF GALAXIES AS A TEST OF EARLY ENRICHMENT AND METALLICITY-DEPENDENT STAR FORMATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tassis, Konstantinos; Gnedin, Nickolay Y.; Kravtsov, Andrey V.

    2012-01-01

    The close relation of star formation with molecular gas indicated by observations and assumed in recent models implies that the efficiency with which galaxies convert their gas into stars depends on gas metallicity. This is because abundance of molecular hydrogen is sensitive to abundance of dust, which catalyzes formation of H 2 and helps to shield it from dissociating radiation. In this study, we point out that in the absence of significant pre-enrichment by Population III stars forming out of zero metallicity gas, such H 2 -based star formation is expected to leave an imprint in the form of bi-modality in the metallicity distribution among dwarf galaxies and in the metallicity distribution of stars within individual galaxies. The bi-modality arises because when gas metallicity (and dust abundance) is low, formation of molecular gas is inefficient, the gas consumption timescale is long, and star formation and metal enrichment proceed slowly. When metallicity reaches a critical threshold value star formation and enrichment accelerate, which leads to rapid increase in both stellar mass and metallicity of galaxies. We demonstrate this process both using a simple analytical model and full cosmological simulations. In contrast, the observed metallicity distributions of dwarf galaxies or stars within them are not bi-modal. We argue that this discrepancy points to substantial early stochastic pre-enrichment by Population III stars to levels Z ∼ 10 –2 Z ☉ in dense, star-forming regions of early galaxies.

  9. Teaching the Thrill of Discovery: Student Exploration of Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies with the NOAO Data Lab

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Knut; Walker, Constance E.; Smith, Blake; NOAO Data Lab Team

    2018-01-01

    We describe an activity aimed at teaching students how ultra-faint Milky Way dwarf galaxies are typically discovered: through filtering of optical photometric catalogs and cross-examination with deep images. The activity, which was developed as part of the Teen Astronomy Café program (https://teensciencecafe.org/cafes/az-teen-astronomy-cafe-tucson/), uses the NOAO Data Lab (http://datalab.noao.edu) and other professional-grade tools to lead high school students through exploration of the object catalog and images from the Survey of the Magellanic Stellar History (SMASH). The students are taught how to use images and color-magnitude diagrams to analyze and interpret stellar populations of increasing complexity, including those of star clusters and the Magellanic Clouds, and culminating with the discovery of the Hydra II ultra-faint dwarf galaxy. The tools and datasets presented allow the students to explore and discover other known stellar systems, as well as unknown candidate star clusters and dwarf galaxies. The ultimate goal of the activity is to give students insight into the methods of modern astronomical research and to allow them to participate in the thrill of discovery.

  10. A Young Star Cluster in the Leo a Galaxy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stonkutė R.

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available We report a serendipitous discovery of a star cluster in the dwarf irregular galaxy Leo A. Young age (~28 Myr and low mass (~510 M⊙ estimates are based on the isochrone fit assuming a metallicity derived for HII regions (Z = 0.0007. The color-magnitude diagrams of the stars, located in and around the cluster area, and the results of aperture photometry of the cluster itself are presented.

  11. Variable Stars in the M31 Dwarf Spheroidal Companion Cassiopeia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pritzl, Barton J.; Armandroff, T. E.; Jacoby, G. H.; Da Costa, G. S.

    2007-12-01

    Dwarf spheroidal galaxies show very diverse star formation histories. For the Galactic dwarf spheroidal galaxies, a correlation exists between Galactocentric distance and the prominence of intermediate-age ( 2 - 10 Gyr) populations. To test whether this correlation exists for the M31 dwarf spheroidal galaxies, we observed the Cassiopeia (And VII) dwarf galaxy, which is one of the most distant M31 dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We will present the results of a variable star search using HST/ACS data, along with a preliminary color-magnitude diagram. From the RR Lyrae stars we can obtain an independent distance and metallicity estimate for the dwarf galaxy. These results will be compared to those found for the other M31 dwarf spheroidal galaxies.This research is supported in part by NASA through grant number GO-11081.11 from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

  12. Mass Modelling of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies: the Effect of Unbound Stars From Tidal Tails And the Milky Way

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klimentowski, Jaroslaw; Lokas, Ewa L.; /Warsaw, Copernicus Astron. Ctr.; Kazantzidis, Stelios; /KIPAC, Menlo Park; Prada, Francisco; /IAA, Granada; Mayer, Lucio; /Zurich,; Mamon, Gary A.; /Paris, Inst. Astrophys. /Meudon Observ.

    2006-11-14

    We study the origin and properties of the population of unbound stars in the kinematic samples of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. For this purpose we have run a high resolution N- body simulation of a two-component dwarf galaxy orbiting in a Milky Way potential. In agreement with the tidal stirring scenario of Mayer et al., the dwarf is placed on a highly eccentric orbit, its initial stellar component is in the form of an exponential disk and it has a NFW-like dark matter halo. After 10 Gyrs of evolution the dwarf produces a spheroidal stellar component and is strongly tidally stripped so that mass follows light and the stars are on almost isotropic orbits. From this final state, we create mock kinematic data sets for 200 stars by observing the dwarf in different directions.We find that when the dwarf is observed along the tidal tails the kinematic samples are strongly contaminated by unbound stars from the tails.We also study another source of possible contamination by adding stars from the Milky Way. We demonstrate that most of the unbound stars can be removed by the method of interloper rejection proposed by den Hartog & Katgert and recently tested on simulated dark matter haloes. We model the cleaned up kinematic samples using solutions of the Jeans equation with constant mass-to-light ratio and velocity anisotropy parameter. We show that even for such strongly stripped dwarf the Jeans analysis, when applied to cleaned samples, allows us to reproduce the mass and mass-to-light ratio of the dwarf with accuracy typically better than 25 percent and almost exactly in the case when the line of sight is perpendicular to the tidal tails. The analysis was applied to the new data for the Fornax dSph galaxy for which we find a mass-to-light ratio of 11 solar units and isotropic orbits. We demonstrate that most of the contamination in the kinematic sample of Fornax probably originates from the Milky Way.

  13. The ACS LCID project. IX. Imprints of the early universe in the radial variation of the star formation history of dwarf galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hidalgo, Sebastian L.; Monelli, Matteo; Aparicio, Antonio; Gallart, Carme

    2013-01-01

    Based on Hubble Space Telescope observations from the Local Cosmology from Isolated Dwarfs project, we present the star formation histories, as a function of galactocentric radius, of four isolated Local Group dwarf galaxies: two dSph galaxies, Cetus and Tucana, and two transition galaxies (dTrs), LGS-3 and Phoenix. The oldest stellar populations of the dSphs and dTrs are, within the uncertainties, coeval (∼13 Gyr) at all galactocentric radii. We find that there are no significative differences between the four galaxies in the fundamental properties (such as the normalized star formation rate or age-metallicity relation) of their outer regions (radii greater than four exponential scale lengths); at large radii, these galaxies consist exclusively of old (≳ 10.5 Gyr) metal-poor stars. The duration of star formation in the inner regions varies from galaxy to galaxy, and the extended central star formation in the dTrs produces the dichotomy between dSph and dTr galaxy types. The dTr galaxies show prominent radial stellar population gradients: The centers of these galaxies host young (≲ 1 Gyr) populations, while the age of the last formation event increases smoothly with increasing radius. This contrasts with the two dSph galaxies. Tucana shows a similar, but milder, gradient, but no gradient in age is detected Cetus. For the three galaxies with significant stellar population gradients, the exponential scale length decreases with time. These results are in agreement with outside-in scenarios of dwarf galaxy evolution, in which a quenching of the star formation toward the center occurs as the galaxy runs out of gas in the outskirts.

  14. The ACS LCID project. IX. Imprints of the early universe in the radial variation of the star formation history of dwarf galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hidalgo, Sebastian L.; Monelli, Matteo; Aparicio, Antonio; Gallart, Carme, E-mail: shidalgo@iac.es, E-mail: monelli@iac.es, E-mail: aparicio@iac.es, E-mail: carme@iac.es [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Vía Láctea s/n, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain); and others

    2013-12-01

    Based on Hubble Space Telescope observations from the Local Cosmology from Isolated Dwarfs project, we present the star formation histories, as a function of galactocentric radius, of four isolated Local Group dwarf galaxies: two dSph galaxies, Cetus and Tucana, and two transition galaxies (dTrs), LGS-3 and Phoenix. The oldest stellar populations of the dSphs and dTrs are, within the uncertainties, coeval (∼13 Gyr) at all galactocentric radii. We find that there are no significative differences between the four galaxies in the fundamental properties (such as the normalized star formation rate or age-metallicity relation) of their outer regions (radii greater than four exponential scale lengths); at large radii, these galaxies consist exclusively of old (≳ 10.5 Gyr) metal-poor stars. The duration of star formation in the inner regions varies from galaxy to galaxy, and the extended central star formation in the dTrs produces the dichotomy between dSph and dTr galaxy types. The dTr galaxies show prominent radial stellar population gradients: The centers of these galaxies host young (≲ 1 Gyr) populations, while the age of the last formation event increases smoothly with increasing radius. This contrasts with the two dSph galaxies. Tucana shows a similar, but milder, gradient, but no gradient in age is detected Cetus. For the three galaxies with significant stellar population gradients, the exponential scale length decreases with time. These results are in agreement with outside-in scenarios of dwarf galaxy evolution, in which a quenching of the star formation toward the center occurs as the galaxy runs out of gas in the outskirts.

  15. CEMP Stars in the Halo and Their Origin in Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beers, Timothy C.

    2018-06-01

    The very metal-poor (VMP; [Fe/H] 3.0) stars provide a direct view of Galactic chemical and dynamical evolution; detailed spectroscopic studies of these objects are the best way to identify and distinguish between various scenarios for the enrichment of early star-forming gas clouds soon after the Big Bang. It has been recognized that a large fraction of VMP (15-20%) and EMP stars (30-40%) possess significant over-abundances of carbon relative to iron, [C/Fe] > +0.7. This fraction rises to at least 80% for stars with [Fe/H] 3.0 belong to the CEMP-no sub-class, characterized by the lack of strong enhancements in the neutron-capture elements (e.g., [Ba/Fe] < 0.0). The CEMP-no abundance signature is commonly observed among stars ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxies such as SEGUE-1. In addition, kinematic studies of CEMP-no stars strongly suggest an association with the outer-halo population of the Galaxy, which was likely formed from the accretion of low-mass mini-halos. These observations, and other lines of evidence, indicate that the CEMP-no stars of the Milky Way were born in low-mass dwarf galaxies, and later subsumed into the halo.

  16. Dark matter and galaxy formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umemura, Masayuki

    1987-01-01

    We propose a hybrid model of universe for galaxy formation, that is, an Einstein- de Sitter universe dominated by two-component dark matter: massive neutrinos and cold dark matter. In this hybrid model, the first luminous objects are dwarf galaxies. The neutrino density fluctuations produce large-scale high density and low density regions, which consequently evolve to superclusters of galaxies and voids, respectively. Dwarf galaxies are formed preferentially in supercluster regions. In voids, the formation of dwarf galaxies is fairly suppressed by diffuse UV flux from QSOs, and instead a number of expanding clouds are born, which produce Lyα forest as seen in QSO spectra. Ordinary galaxies are expected to form as aggregations of dwarf galaxies. In this model, some galaxies are born also in voids, and they tend to evolve to spiral galaxies. Additionally, if the same number of globular clusters are formed in a dwarf, the specific globular cluster frequencies are expected to be much larger in ellipticals than in spirals. (author)

  17. Hydra II: A Faint and Compact Milky Way Dwarf Galaxy Found in the Survey of the Magellanic Stellar History

    OpenAIRE

    Martin, NF; Nidever, DL; Besla, G; Olsen, K; Walker, AR; Vivas, AK; Gruendl, RA; Kaleida, CC; Muñoz, RR; Blum, RD; Saha, A; Conn, BC; Bell, EF; Chu, YH; Cioni, MRL

    2015-01-01

    © 2015. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.We present the discovery of a new dwarf galaxy, Hydra II, found serendipitously within the data from the ongoing Survey of the Magellanic Stellar History conducted with the Dark Energy Camera on the Blanco 4 m Telescope. The new satellite is compact (rh = 68 ± 11 pc) and faint (MV = -4.8 ± 0.3), but well within the realm of dwarf galaxies. The stellar distribution of Hydra II in the color-magnitude diagram is well-described by a m...

  18. Disk and dwarf spheroidal galaxies kinematics from general relativity with infrared renormalization group effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodrigues, Davi C.; Oliveira, Paulo L.C. de; Fabris, Julio C.; Shapiro, Ilya L.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: The running of coupling constants is a well known phenomenon within Quantum Field Theory. It is also known that the renormalization group method can be extended to quantum field theory on curved space time. Nonetheless, although we know that the beta function of QED go to zero in the infrared limit fast enough to lead to constant charge at the classical level (in conformity with both the Appelquist-Carazzone theorem and experimental data), no analogous proof exists for General Relativity. Some authors have proposed that the infrared beta function of General Relativity is not trivial, and as such certain small running of the gravitational coupling might take place at astrophysical scales, leading in particular to changes on the role of dark matter in galaxies. We review and extend our contribution to infrared Renormalization Group (RG) effects to General Relativity in the context of galaxies, an approach we call RGGR. We extend our previous results by analyzing a larger sample of galaxies, now also including elliptical and dwarf spheroidal galaxies, besides disk galaxies (both LSB and HSB). We compare our RGGR results to both standard dark matter profiles (NFW, Isothermal, Burkert) and alternative models of gravity (MOND, MSTG), showing that the RGGR results are similar in quality to the best dark matter profiles (the cored ones, e.g., Isothermal and Burkert), while displaying a better fitting to the data than NFW, MOND or MSTG. To the latter, we evaluated both the shape of the rotation curve and the expected stellar mass-to-light ratios. Dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies are small galaxies believed to be dominated by dark matter, with the highest fraction do dark matter per baryonic matter. These galaxies provide a strong test to any theory that mimics either all or part of the dark matter behavior. In particular, this is the only type of galaxy that MOND seems incapable of fitting the data. (author)

  19. GLOBULAR CLUSTERS INDICATE THAT ULTRA-DIFFUSE GALAXIES ARE DWARFS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beasley, Michael A.; Trujillo, Ignacio, E-mail: beasley@iac.es [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Calle Via Láctea, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

    2016-10-10

    We present an analysis of archival HST /ACS imaging in the F475W ( g {sub 475}), F606W ( V {sub 606}), and F814W ( I {sub 814}) bands of the globular cluster (GC) system of a large (3.4 kpc effective radius) ultra-diffuse galaxy (DF17) believed to be located in the Coma Cluster of galaxies. We detect 11 GCs down to the 5 σ completeness limit of the imaging ( I {sub 814} = 27 mag). Correcting for background and our detection limits yields a total population of GCs in this galaxy of 27 ± 5 and a V -band specific frequency S {sub N} = 28 ± 5. Based on comparisons to the GC systems of local galaxies, we show that both the absolute number and the colors of the GC system of DF17 are consistent with the GC system of a dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy with virial mass ∼9.0 × 10{sup 10} M {sub ⊙} and a dark-to-stellar mass ratio M {sub vir}/ M {sub star} ∼ 1000. Based on the stellar mass growth of the Milky Way, we show that DF17 cannot be understood as a failed Milky-Way-like system, but is more similar to quenched Large-Magellanic-Cloud-like systems. We find that the mean color of the GC population, g {sub 475}– I {sub 814} = 0.91 ± 0.05 mag, coincides with the peak of the color distribution of intracluster GCs and is also similar to those of the blue GCs in the outer regions of massive galaxies. We suggest that both the intracluster GC population in Coma and the blue peak in the GC populations of massive galaxies may be fed—at least in part—by the disrupted equivalents of systems such as DF17.

  20. Flames High Resolution Spectroscopy of RGB Stars in the Carina Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lemasle, B.; Hill, V.; Tolstoy, E.; Venn, K.; Koleva, M; Prugniel, P; Vauglin,

    Carina is a small and faint classical dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the halo of the Milky Way with a highly episodic star formation history (e.g., Hurley-Keller et al. 1998). Using VLT/FLAMES in high resolution mode, we significantly increase the sample of stars with abundance determinations in Carina,

  1. Stellar Kinematics and Metallicities in the Draco and Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies from WHT/AF2-WYFFOS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jin, S.; Irwin, M.; Tolstoy, E.; Lewis, J.; Hartke, J.; Skillen, I.; Barcells, M.; Trager, S.

    2016-01-01

    We present preliminary results from our chemo-dynamical survey of two Milky Way dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies, Draco and Ursa Minor. The two galaxies have similar radial velocities and reside in close proximity in the outskirts of the Milky Way halo, yet exhibit noteworthy differences in their

  2. The Eating Habits of Giants and Dwarfs: Chemo-dynamics of Halo Assembly in Nearby Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanowsky, Aaron J.; SAGES Team

    2012-01-01

    I will present novel results on the halo assembly of nearby galaxies, from dwarfs to the most massive ellipticals, using Subaru imaging and Keck spectroscopy. Field stars, globular clusters, and planetary nebulae are used as wide-field chemo-dynamical tracers, mapping out halo substructures that were previously known and unknown. Comparisons are made with simulations of galaxy formation. Supported by the National Science Foundation Grants AST-0808099, AST-0909237, and AST-1109878.

  3. CHEMICAL ABUNDANCE PATTERNS AND THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT OF DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corlies, Lauren; Johnston, Kathryn V.; Bryan, Greg; Tumlinson, Jason

    2013-01-01

    Recent observations suggest that abundance pattern differences exist between low metallicity stars in the Milky Way stellar halo and those in the dwarf satellite galaxies. This paper takes a first look at what role the early environment for pre-galactic star formation might have played in shaping these stellar populations. In particular, we consider whether differences in cross-pollution between the progenitors of the stellar halo and the satellites could help to explain the differences in abundance patterns. Using an N-body simulation, we find that the progenitor halos of the main halo are primarily clustered together at z = 10 while the progenitors of the satellite galaxies remain on the outskirts of this cluster. Next, analytically modeled supernova-driven winds show that main halo progenitors cross-pollute each other more effectively while satellite galaxy progenitors remain more isolated. Thus, inhomogeneous cross-pollution as a result of different high-z spatial locations of each system's progenitors can help to explain observed differences in abundance patterns today. Conversely, these differences are a signature of the inhomogeneity of metal enrichment at early times

  4. The Magellanic Analog Dwarf Companions and Stellar Halos (MADCASH) Survey: Near-Field Cosmology with Resolved Stellar Populations Around Local Volume LMC Stellar-Mass Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Sand, David J.; Willman, Beth; Brodie, Jean P.; Crnojevic, Denija; Peter, Annika; Price, Paul A.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Spekkens, Kristine; Strader, Jay

    2017-01-01

    We discuss the first results of our observational program to comprehensively map nearly the entire virial volumes of roughly LMC stellar mass galaxies at distances of ~2-4 Mpc. The MADCASH (Magellanic Analog Dwarf Companions And Stellar Halos) survey will deliver the first census of the dwarf satellite populations and stellar halo properties within LMC-like environments in the Local Volume. These will inform our understanding of the recent DES discoveries of dwarf satellites tentatively affiliated with the LMC/SMC system. We will detail our discovery of the faintest known dwarf galaxy satellite of an LMC stellar-mass host beyond the Local Group, based on deep Subaru+HyperSuprimeCam imaging reaching ~2 magnitudes below its TRGB. We will summarize the survey results and status to date, highlighting some challenges encountered and lessons learned as we process the data for this program through a prototype LSST pipeline. Our program will examine whether LMC stellar mass dwarfs have extended stellar halos, allowing us to assess the relative contributions of in-situ stars vs. merger debris to their stellar populations and halo density profiles. We outline the constraints on galaxy formation models that will be provided by our observations of low-mass galaxy halos and their satellites.

  5. H I observations of two new dwarf galaxies: Pisces A and B with the SKA Pathfinder KAT-7

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Carignan, C.; Libert, Y.; Lucero, D. M.; Randriamampandry, T. H.; Jarrett, T. H.; Oosterloo, T. A.; Tollerud, E. J.

    2016-01-01

    Context. Pisces A and Pisces B are the only two galaxies found via optical imaging and spectroscopy out of 22 Hi clouds identified in the GALFAHI survey as dwarf galaxy candidates. Aims: We derive the Hi content and kinematics of Pisces A and B. Methods: Our aperture synthesis Hi observations used

  6. Star Formation in Dwarf-Dwarf Mergers: Fueling Hierarchical Assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stierwalt, Sabrina; Johnson, K. E.; Kallivayalil, N.; Patton, D. R.; Putman, M. E.; Besla, G.; Geha, M. C.

    2014-01-01

    We present early results from the first systematic study a sample of isolated interacting dwarf pairs and the mechanisms governing their star formation. Low mass dwarf galaxies are ubiquitous in the local universe, yet the efficiency of gas removal and the enhancement of star formation in dwarfs via pre-processing (i.e. dwarf-dwarf interactions occurring before the accretion by a massive host) are currently unconstrained. Studies of Local Group dwarfs credit stochastic internal processes for their complicated star formation histories, but a few intriguing examples suggest interactions among dwarfs may produce enhanced star formation. We combine archival UV imaging from GALEX with deep optical broad- and narrow-band (Halpha) imaging taken with the pre- One Degree Imager (pODI) on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope and with the 2.3-m Bok telescope at Steward Observatory to confirm the presence of stellar bridges and tidal tails and to determine whether dwarf-dwarf interactions alone can trigger significant levels of star formation. We investigate star formation rates and global galaxy colors as a function of dwarf pair separation (i.e. the dwarf merger sequence) and dwarf-dwarf mass ratio. This project is a precursor to an ongoing effort to obtain high spatial resolution HI imaging to assess the importance of sequential triggering caused by dwarf-dwarf interactions and the subsequent affect on the more massive hosts that later accrete the low mass systems.

  7. SPATIALLY RESOLVED SPECTROSCOPY AND CHEMICAL HISTORY OF STAR-FORMING GALAXIES IN THE HERCULES CLUSTER: THE EFFECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petropoulou, V.; Vilchez, J.; Iglesias-Paramo, J.; Cedres, B.; Papaderos, P.; Magrini, L.; Reverte, D.

    2011-01-01

    Spatially resolved spectroscopy has been obtained for a sample of 27 star-forming (SF) galaxies selected from our deep Hα survey of the Hercules cluster. We have applied spectral synthesis models to all emission-line spectra of this sample using the population synthesis code STARLIGHT and have obtained fundamental parameters of stellar components such as mean metallicity and age. The emission-line spectra were corrected for underlying stellar absorption using these spectral synthesis models. Line fluxes were measured and O/H and N/O gas chemical abundances were obtained using the latest empirical calibrations. We have derived the masses and total luminosities of the galaxies using available Sloan Digital Sky Survey broadband photometry. The effects of cluster environment on the chemical evolution of galaxies and on their mass-metallicity (MZ) and luminosity-metallicity (LZ) relations were studied by combining the derived gas metallicities, the mean stellar metallicities and ages, the masses and luminosities of the galaxies, and their existing H I data. Our Hercules SF galaxies are divided into three main subgroups: (1) chemically evolved spirals with truncated ionized-gas disks and nearly flat oxygen gradients, demonstrating the effect of ram-pressure stripping; (2) chemically evolved dwarfs/irregulars populating the highest local densities, possible products of tidal interactions in preprocessing events; and (3) less metallic dwarf galaxies that appear to be 'newcomers' to the cluster and are experiencing pressure-triggered star formation. Most Hercules SF galaxies follow well-defined MZ and LZ sequences (for both O/H and N/O), though the dwarf/irregular galaxies located at the densest regions appear to be outliers to these global relations, suggesting a physical reason for the dispersion in these fundamental relations. The Hercules cluster appears to be currently assembling via the merger of smaller substructures, providing an ideal laboratory where the local

  8. Comparing Chemical Compositions of Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies and Globular Clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Jason; Sparkman, Lea; Toloba, Elisa; Guhathakurta, Puragra

    2015-01-01

    Because of their abundance in cluster environments and fragility due to their low mass, dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) are excellent specimens for studying the physical processes that occur inside galaxy clusters. These studies can be used to expand our understanding of the process of galaxy (specifically dE) formation and the role of dark matter in the Universe. To move closer to better understanding these topics, we present a study of the relationship between dEs and globular clusters (GCs) by using the largest sample of dEs and GC satellites to date. We focus on comparing the ages and chemical compositions of dE nuclei with those of satellite GCs by analyzing absorption lines in their spectra. To better view the spectral features of these relatively dim objects, we employ a spectral co-addition process, where we add the fluxes of several objects to produce a single spectrum with high signal-to-noise ratio. Our finding that dE nuclei are younger and more metal rich than globular clusters establishes important benchmarks that future dE formation theories will consider. We also establish a means to identify GCs whose parent galaxies are uncertain, which allows us to make comparisons between this GC group and the satellite GCs.

  9. A FAST RADIO BURST IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CARINA DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ravi, V.; Shannon, R. M.; Jameson, A.

    2015-01-01

    We report the real-time discovery of a fast radio burst (FRB 131104) with the Parkes radio telescope in a targeted observation of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The dispersion measure of the burst is 779 cm –3  pc, exceeding predictions for the maximum line-of-sight Galactic contribution by a factor of 11. The temporal structure of the burst is characterized by an exponential scattering tail with a timescale of 2.0 −0.5 +0.8  ms at 1582 MHz that scales as frequency to the power –4.4 −1.8 +1.6 (all uncertainties represent 95% confidence intervals). We bound the intrinsic pulse width to be <0.64 ms due to dispersion smearing across a single spectrometer channel. Searches in 78 hr of follow-up observations with the Parkes telescope reveal no additional sporadic emission and no evidence for associated periodic radio emission. We hypothesize that the burst is associated with the Carina dwarf galaxy. Follow-up observations at other wavelengths are necessary to test this hypothesis

  10. EXTREMELY METAL-POOR GALAXIES: THE ENVIRONMENT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Filho, M. E. [Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria–Universidad de La Laguna, CIE Canarias: Tri-Continental Atlantic Campus, Canary Islands (Spain); Almeida, J. Sánchez; Muñoz-Tuñón, C. [Instituto Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Nuza, S. E.; Kitaura, F.; Heß, S., E-mail: mfilho@astro.up.pt [Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, D-14482 Potsdam (Germany)

    2015-04-01

    We have analyzed bibliographical observational data and theoretical predictions, in order to probe the environment in which extremely metal-poor dwarf galaxies (XMPs) reside. We have assessed the H i component and its relation to the optical galaxy, the cosmic web type (voids, sheets, filaments and knots), the overdensity parameter and analyzed the nearest galaxy neighbors. The aim is to understand the role of interactions and cosmological accretion flows in the XMP observational properties, particularly the triggering and feeding of the star formation. We find that XMPs behave similarly to Blue Compact Dwarfs; they preferably populate low-density environments in the local universe: ∼60% occupy underdense regions, and ∼75% reside in voids and sheets. This is more extreme than the distribution of irregular galaxies, and in contrast to those regions preferred by elliptical galaxies (knots and filaments). We further find results consistent with previous observations; while the environment does determine the fraction of a certain galaxy type, it does not determine the overall observational properties. With the exception of five documented cases (four sources with companions and one recent merger), XMPs do not generally show signatures of major mergers and interactions; we find only one XMP with a companion galaxy within a distance of 100 kpc, and the H i gas in XMPs is typically well-behaved, demonstrating asymmetries mostly in the outskirts. We conclude that metal-poor accretion flows may be driving the XMP evolution. Such cosmological accretion could explain all the major XMP observational properties: isolation, lack of interaction/merger signatures, asymmetric optical morphology, large amounts of unsettled, metal-poor H i gas, metallicity inhomogeneities, and large specific star formation.

  11. THE WHIQII SURVEY: METALLICITIES AND SPECTROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF LUMINOUS COMPACT BLUE GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tollerud, Erik J.; Barton, Elizabeth J.; Cooke, Jeff; Van Zee, Liese

    2010-01-01

    As part of the WIYN High Image Quality Indiana-Irvine (WHIQII) survey, we present 123 spectra of faint emission-line galaxies, selected to focus on intermediate redshift (0.4 ∼ 23 -O 32 plane that differs from luminous local galaxies and is more consistent with dwarf irregulars at the present epoch, suggesting that cosmic 'downsizing' is observable in even the most fundamental parameters that describe star formation. These properties for our sample are also generally consistent with lying between local galaxies and those at high redshift, as expected by this scenario. Surprisingly, our sample exhibits no detectable correlation between compactness and metallicity, strongly suggesting that at these epochs of rapid star formation, the morphology of compact star-forming galaxies is largely transient.

  12. VLT/FLAMES spectroscopy of red giant branch stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lemasle, B.; de Boer, T.J.L.; Hill, V.; Tolstoy, E.; Irwin, M.J.; Jablonka, P.; Venn, K.; Battaglia, G.; Starkenburg, E.; Shetrone, M.; Letarte, B.; François, P.; Helmi, A.; Primas, F.; Kaufer, A.; Szeifert, T.

    2014-01-01

    Context. Fornax is one of the most massive dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group. The Fornax field star population is dominated by intermediate age stars but star formation was going on over almost its entire history. It has been proposed that Fornax experienced a minor merger event. Aims.

  13. A COMPREHENSIVE, WIDE-FIELD STUDY OF PULSATING STARS IN THE CARINA DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vivas, A. Katherina [Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía (CIDA), Apartado Postal 264, Mérida 5101-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Mateo, Mario, E-mail: akvivas@cida.ve, E-mail: mmateo@umich.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

    2013-12-01

    We report the detection of 388 pulsating variable stars (and some additional miscellaneous variables) in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy over an area covering the full visible extent of the galaxy and extending a few times beyond its photometric (King) tidal radius along the direction of its major axis. Included in this total are 340 newly discovered dwarf Cepheids (DCs), which are mostly located ∼2.5 mag below the horizontal branch and have very short periods (<0.1 days), typical of their class and consistent with their location on the upper part of the extended main sequence of the younger populations of the galaxy. Several extra-tidal DCs were found in our survey up to a distance of ∼1° from the center of Carina. Our sample also includes RR Lyrae stars and anomalous Cepheids, some of which were found outside the galaxy's tidal radius as well. This supports past works that suggest that Carina is undergoing tidal disruption. We use the period-luminosity relationship for DCs to estimate a distance modulus of μ{sub 0} = 20.17 ± 0.10 mag, in very good agreement with the estimate from RR Lyrae stars. We find some important differences in the properties of the DCs of Carina and those in Fornax and the LMC, the only extragalactic samples of DCs currently known. These differences may reflect a metallicity spread, depth along the line of sight, and/or different evolutionary paths of the DC stars.

  14. Quark nugget dark matter: no contradiction with 511 keV line emission from dwarf galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawson, Kyle; Zhitnitsky, Ariel, E-mail: klawson@phas.ubc.ca, E-mail: arz@phas.ubc.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z1 (Canada)

    2017-02-01

    The observed galactic 511 keV line has been interpreted in a number of papers as a possible signal of dark matter annihilation within the galactic bulge. If this is the case then it is possible that a similar spectral feature may be observed in association with nearby dwarf galaxies. These objects are believed to be strongly dark matter dominated and present a relatively clean observational target. Recently INTEGRAL observations have provided new constraints on the 511 keV flux from nearby dwarf galaxies [1] motivating further investigation into the mechanism by which this radiation may arise. In the model presented here dark matter in the form of heavy quark nuggets produces the galactic 511 keV emission line through interactions with the visible matter. It is argued that this type of interaction is not strongly constrained by the flux limits reported in [2].

  15. Simulations of isolated dwarf galaxies formed in dark matter halos with different mass assembly histories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    González-Samaniego, A.; Avila-Reese, V.; Rodríguez-Puebla, A.; Valenzuela, O.; Colín, P.

    2014-01-01

    We present zoom-in N-body/hydrodynamics resimulations of dwarf galaxies formed in isolated cold dark matter (CDM) halos with the same virial mass (M v ≈ 2.5 × 10 10 M ☉ ) at redshift z = 0. Our goals are to (1) study the mass assembly histories (MAHs) of the halo, stellar, and gaseous components; and (2) explore the effects of the halo MAHs on the stellar/baryonic assembly of simulated dwarfs. Overall, the dwarfs are roughly consistent with observations. More specific results include: (1) the stellar-to-halo mass ratio remains roughly constant since z ∼ 1, i.e., the stellar MAHs closely follow halo MAHs. (2) The evolution of the galaxy gas fractions, f g , are episodic, showing that the supernova-driven outflows play an important role in regulating f g —and hence, the star formation rate (SFR)—however, in most cases, a large fraction of the gas is ejected from the halo. (3) The star formation histories are episodic with changes in the SFRs, measured every 100 Myr, of factors of 2-10 on average. (4) Although the dwarfs formed in late assembled halos show more extended SF histories, their z = 0 specific SFRs are still below observations. (5) The inclusion of baryons most of the time reduces the virial mass by 10%-20% with respect to pure N-body simulations. Our results suggest that rather than increasing the strength of the supernova-driven outflows, processes that reduce the star formation efficiency could help to solve the potential issues faced by CDM-based simulations of dwarfs, such as low values of the specific SFR and high stellar masses.

  16. Simulations of isolated dwarf galaxies formed in dark matter halos with different mass assembly histories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    González-Samaniego, A.; Avila-Reese, V.; Rodríguez-Puebla, A.; Valenzuela, O. [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-264, 04510 México D. F. (Mexico); Colín, P. [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 72-3 (Xangari), Morelia, Michoacán 58089 (Mexico)

    2014-04-10

    We present zoom-in N-body/hydrodynamics resimulations of dwarf galaxies formed in isolated cold dark matter (CDM) halos with the same virial mass (M{sub v} ≈ 2.5 × 10{sup 10} M {sub ☉}) at redshift z = 0. Our goals are to (1) study the mass assembly histories (MAHs) of the halo, stellar, and gaseous components; and (2) explore the effects of the halo MAHs on the stellar/baryonic assembly of simulated dwarfs. Overall, the dwarfs are roughly consistent with observations. More specific results include: (1) the stellar-to-halo mass ratio remains roughly constant since z ∼ 1, i.e., the stellar MAHs closely follow halo MAHs. (2) The evolution of the galaxy gas fractions, f{sub g} , are episodic, showing that the supernova-driven outflows play an important role in regulating f{sub g} —and hence, the star formation rate (SFR)—however, in most cases, a large fraction of the gas is ejected from the halo. (3) The star formation histories are episodic with changes in the SFRs, measured every 100 Myr, of factors of 2-10 on average. (4) Although the dwarfs formed in late assembled halos show more extended SF histories, their z = 0 specific SFRs are still below observations. (5) The inclusion of baryons most of the time reduces the virial mass by 10%-20% with respect to pure N-body simulations. Our results suggest that rather than increasing the strength of the supernova-driven outflows, processes that reduce the star formation efficiency could help to solve the potential issues faced by CDM-based simulations of dwarfs, such as low values of the specific SFR and high stellar masses.

  17. CHARACTERIZING THE STAR FORMATION OF THE LOW-MASS SHIELD GALAXIES FROM HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGING

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Simones, Jacob E. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Cannon, John M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo [Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Salzer, John J. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Adams, Elizabeth A. K. [Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), Postbus 2, 7900 AA Dwingeloo (Netherlands); Elson, Ed C. [Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre (ACGC), Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Ott, Jürgen, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States)

    2015-03-20

    The Survey of Hi in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs is an on-going multi-wavelength program to characterize the gas, star formation, and evolution in gas-rich, very low-mass galaxies that populate the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function. The galaxies were selected from the first ∼10% of the Hi Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey based on their low Hi mass and low baryonic mass. Here, we measure the star formation properties from optically resolved stellar populations for 12 galaxies using a color–magnitude diagram fitting technique. We derive lifetime average star formation rates (SFRs), recent SFRs, stellar masses, and gas fractions. Overall, the recent SFRs are comparable to the lifetime SFRs with mean birthrate parameter of 1.4, with a surprisingly narrow standard deviation of 0.7. Two galaxies are classified as dwarf transition galaxies (dTrans). These dTrans systems have star formation and gas properties consistent with the rest of the sample, in agreement with previous results that some dTrans galaxies may simply be low-luminosity dwarf irregulars. We do not find a correlation between the recent star formation activity and the distance to the nearest neighboring galaxy, suggesting that the star formation process is not driven by gravitational interactions, but regulated internally. Further, we find a broadening in the star formation and gas properties (i.e., specific SFRs, stellar masses, and gas fractions) compared to the generally tight correlation found in more massive galaxies. Overall, the star formation and gas properties indicate these very low-mass galaxies host a fluctuating, non-deterministic, and inefficient star formation process.

  18. Chemical Abundances of New Member Stars in the Tucana II Dwarf Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiti, Anirudh; Frebel, Anna; Ji, Alexander P.; Jerjen, Helmut; Kim, Dongwon; Norris, John E.

    2018-04-01

    We present chemical abundance measurements for seven stars with metallicities ranging from Fe/H] = ‑3.3 to [Fe/H] = ‑2.4 in the Tucana II ultra-faint dwarf galaxy (UFD), based on high-resolution spectra obtained with the MIKE spectrograph on the 6.5 m Magellan-Clay Telescope. For three stars, we present detailed chemical abundances for the first time. Of those, two stars are newly discovered members of Tucana II and were selected as probable members from deep narrowband photometry of the Tucana II UFD taken with the SkyMapper telescope. This result demonstrates the potential for photometrically identifying members of dwarf galaxy systems based on chemical composition. One new star was selected from the membership catalog of Walker et al. The other four stars in our sample have been reanalyzed, following additional observations. Overall, six stars have chemical abundances that are characteristic of the UFD stellar population. The seventh star shows chemical abundances that are discrepant from the other Tucana II members and an atypical, higher strontium abundance than what is expected for typical UFD stars. While unlikely, its strontium abundance raises the possibility that it may be a foreground metal-poor halo star with the same systemic velocity as Tucana II. If we were to exclude this star, Tucana II would satisfy the criteria to be a surviving first galaxy. Otherwise, this star implies that Tucana II has likely experienced somewhat extended chemical evolution. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

  19. Gas clump formation via thermal instability in high-redshift dwarf galaxy mergers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arata, Shohei; Yajima, Hidenobu; Nagamine, Kentaro

    2018-04-01

    Star formation in high-redshift dwarf galaxies is a key to understand early galaxy evolution in the early Universe. Using the three-dimensional hydrodynamics code GIZMO, we study the formation mechanism of cold, high-density gas clouds in interacting dwarf galaxies with halo masses of ˜3 × 107 M⊙, which are likely to be the formation sites of early star clusters. Our simulations can resolve both the structure of interstellar medium on small scales of ≲ 0.1 pc and the galactic disc simultaneously. We find that the cold gas clouds form in the post-shock region via thermal instability due to metal-line cooling, when the cooling time is shorter than the galactic dynamical time. The mass function of cold clouds shows almost a power-law initially with an upper limit of thermally unstable scale. We find that some clouds merge into more massive ones with ≳104 M⊙ within ˜ 2 Myr. Only the massive cold clouds with ≳ 103 M⊙ can keep collapsing due to gravitational instability, resulting in the formation of star clusters. We find that the clump formation is more efficient in the prograde-prograde merger than the prograde-retrograde case due to the difference in the degree of shear flow. In addition, we investigate the dependence of cloud mass function on metallicity and H2 abundance, and show that the cases with low metallicities (≲10-2 Z⊙) or high H2 abundance (≳10-3) cannot form massive cold clouds with ≳103 M⊙.

  20. THE FATE OF DWARF GALAXIES IN CLUSTERS AND THE ORIGIN OF INTRACLUSTER STARS. II. COSMOLOGICAL SIMULATIONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martel, Hugo; Barai, Paramita; Brito, William

    2012-01-01

    We combine an N-body simulation algorithm with a subgrid treatment of galaxy formation, mergers, and tidal destruction, and an observed conditional luminosity function Φ(L|M), to study the origin and evolution of galactic and extragalactic light inside a cosmological volume of size (100 Mpc) 3 , in a concordance ΛCDM model. This algorithm simulates the growth of large-scale structures and the formation of clusters, the evolution of the galaxy population in clusters, the destruction of galaxies by mergers and tides, and the evolution of the intracluster light (ICL). We find that destruction of galaxies by mergers dominates over destruction by tides by about an order of magnitude at all redshifts. However, tidal destruction is sufficient to produce ICL fractions f ICL that are sufficiently high to match observations. Our simulation produces 18 massive clusters (M cl > 10 14 M ☉ ) with values of f ICL ranging from 1% to 58% at z = 0. There is a weak trend of f ICL to increase with cluster mass. The bulk of the ICL (∼60%) is provided by intermediate galaxies of total masses 10 11 -10 12 M ☉ and stellar masses 6 × 10 8 M ☉ to 3 × 10 10 M ☉ that were tidally destroyed by even more massive galaxies. The contribution of low-mass galaxies to the ICL is small and the contribution of dwarf galaxies is negligible, even though, by numbers, most galaxies that are tidally destroyed are dwarfs. Tracking clusters back in time, we find that their values of f ICL tend to increase over time, but can experience sudden changes that are sometimes non-monotonic. These changes occur during major mergers involving clusters of comparable masses but very different intracluster luminosities. Most of the tidal destruction events take place in the central regions of clusters. As a result, the ICL is more centrally concentrated than the galactic light. Our results support tidal destruction of intermediate-mass galaxies as a plausible scenario for the origin of the ICL.

  1. CHEMICAL DIVERSITY IN THE ULTRA-FAINT DWARF GALAXY TUCANA II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ji, Alexander P.; Frebel, Anna; Ezzeddine, Rana [Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Casey, Andrew R., E-mail: alexji@mit.edu [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)

    2016-11-20

    We present the first detailed chemical abundance study of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Tucana II, based on high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectra of four red giant stars. The metallicities of these stars range from [Fe/H] = −3.2 to −2.6, and all stars are low in neutron-capture abundances ([Sr/Fe] and [Ba/Fe] < −1). However, a number of anomalous chemical signatures are present. One star is relatively metal-rich ([Fe/H] = −2.6) and shows [Na, α , Sc/Fe] < 0, suggesting an extended star formation history with contributions from AGB stars and SNe Ia. Two stars with [Fe/H] < −3 are mildly carbon-enhanced ([C/Fe] ∼ 0.7) and may be consistent with enrichment by faint supernovae, if such supernovae can produce neutron-capture elements. A fourth star with [Fe/H] = −3 is carbon-normal, and exhibits distinct light element abundance ratios from the carbon-enhanced stars. This carbon-normal star implies that at least two distinct nucleosynthesis sources, both possibly associated with Population III stars, contributed to the early chemical enrichment of this galaxy. Despite its very low luminosity, Tucana II shows a diversity of chemical signatures that preclude it from being a simple “one-shot” first galaxy yet still provide a window into star and galaxy formation in the early universe.

  2. CHEMICAL DIVERSITY IN THE ULTRA-FAINT DWARF GALAXY TUCANA II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ji, Alexander P.; Frebel, Anna; Ezzeddine, Rana; Casey, Andrew R.

    2016-01-01

    We present the first detailed chemical abundance study of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Tucana II, based on high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectra of four red giant stars. The metallicities of these stars range from [Fe/H] = −3.2 to −2.6, and all stars are low in neutron-capture abundances ([Sr/Fe] and [Ba/Fe] < −1). However, a number of anomalous chemical signatures are present. One star is relatively metal-rich ([Fe/H] = −2.6) and shows [Na, α , Sc/Fe] < 0, suggesting an extended star formation history with contributions from AGB stars and SNe Ia. Two stars with [Fe/H] < −3 are mildly carbon-enhanced ([C/Fe] ∼ 0.7) and may be consistent with enrichment by faint supernovae, if such supernovae can produce neutron-capture elements. A fourth star with [Fe/H] = −3 is carbon-normal, and exhibits distinct light element abundance ratios from the carbon-enhanced stars. This carbon-normal star implies that at least two distinct nucleosynthesis sources, both possibly associated with Population III stars, contributed to the early chemical enrichment of this galaxy. Despite its very low luminosity, Tucana II shows a diversity of chemical signatures that preclude it from being a simple “one-shot” first galaxy yet still provide a window into star and galaxy formation in the early universe.

  3. A STELLAR MASS THRESHOLD FOR QUENCHING OF FIELD GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geha, M.; Blanton, M. R.; Yan, R.; Tinker, J. L.

    2012-01-01

    We demonstrate that dwarf galaxies (10 7 stellar 9 M ☉ , –12 > M r > –18) with no active star formation are extremely rare ( Hα stellar 9 M ☉ below which quenched galaxies do not exist in the field. Below this threshold, we find that none of the 2951 field dwarf galaxies are quenched; all field dwarf galaxies show evidence for recent star formation. Correcting for volume effects, this corresponds to a 1σ upper limit on the quenched fraction of 0.06%. In more dense environments, quenched galaxies account for 23% of the dwarf population over the same stellar mass range. The majority of quenched dwarf galaxies (often classified as dwarf elliptical galaxies) are within 2 virial radii of a massive galaxy, and only a few percent of quenched dwarf galaxies exist beyond 4 virial radii. Thus, for galaxies with stellar mass less than 1.0 × 10 9 M ☉ , ending star formation requires the presence of a more massive neighbor, providing a stringent constraint on models of star formation feedback.

  4. Nature vs. nurture in the low-density environment: structure and evolution of early-type dwarf galaxies in poor groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annibali, F.; Grützbauch, R.; Rampazzo, R.; Bressan, A.; Zeilinger, W. W.

    2011-04-01

    We present the stellar population properties of 13 dwarf galaxies residing in poor groups (low-density environment, LDE) observed with VIMOS at VLT. Ages, metallicities, and [α/Fe] ratios were derived within an r < re/2 aperture from the Lick indices Hβ, Mgb, Fe5270, and Fe5335 through comparison with our simple stellar population (SSP) models that account for variable [α/Fe] ratios. For a fiducial subsample of 10 early-type dwarfs, we derived median values and scatters around the medians of 5.7 ± 4.4 Gyr, -0.26 ± 0.28, and -0.04 ± 0.33 for age, log Z/Z⊙, and [α/Fe] , respectively. For a selection of bright early-type galaxies (ETGs) from an earlier sample residing in a comparable environment, we derive median values of 9.8 ± 4.1 Gyr, 0.06 ± 0.16, and 0.18 ± 0.13 for the same stellar population parameters. It follows that dwarfs are on average younger, less metal rich, and less enhanced in the α-elements than giants, in agreement with the extrapolation to the low-mass regime of the scaling relations derived for giant ETGs. From the total (dwarf + giant) sample, we find that age ∝ σ0.39 ± 0.22, Z ∝ σ0.80 ± 0.16, and α/Fe ∝ σ0.42 ± 0.22. We also find correlations with morphology, in the sense that the metallicity and the [α/Fe] ratio increase with the Sersic index n or with the bulge-to-total light fraction B/T. The presence of a strong morphology-[α/Fe] relation appears to contradict the possible evolution along the Hubble sequence from low B/T (low n) to high B/T (high n) galaxies. We also investigate the role played by environment by comparing the properties of our LDE dwarfs with those of Coma red passive dwarfs from the literature. We find possible evidence that LDE dwarfs experienced more prolonged star formations than Coma dwarfs, however larger data samples are needed to draw firmer conclusions. Based on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile.

  5. A FAST RADIO BURST IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CARINA DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ravi, V. [School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 (Australia); Shannon, R. M. [CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Australia Telescope National Facility, P.O. Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710 (Australia); Jameson, A., E-mail: v.vikram.ravi@gmail.com [Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Mail H39, P.O. Box 218, VIC 3122 (Australia)

    2015-01-20

    We report the real-time discovery of a fast radio burst (FRB 131104) with the Parkes radio telescope in a targeted observation of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The dispersion measure of the burst is 779 cm{sup –3} pc, exceeding predictions for the maximum line-of-sight Galactic contribution by a factor of 11. The temporal structure of the burst is characterized by an exponential scattering tail with a timescale of 2.0{sub −0.5}{sup +0.8} ms at 1582 MHz that scales as frequency to the power –4.4{sub −1.8}{sup +1.6} (all uncertainties represent 95% confidence intervals). We bound the intrinsic pulse width to be <0.64 ms due to dispersion smearing across a single spectrometer channel. Searches in 78 hr of follow-up observations with the Parkes telescope reveal no additional sporadic emission and no evidence for associated periodic radio emission. We hypothesize that the burst is associated with the Carina dwarf galaxy. Follow-up observations at other wavelengths are necessary to test this hypothesis.

  6. Tidal Dwarf Galaxies: Disc Formation at \\(z\\simeq0\\

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federico Lelli

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Collisional debris around interacting and post-interacting galaxies often display condensations of gas and young stars that can potentially form gravitationally bound objects: Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs. We summarise recent results on TDGs, which are originally published in Lelli et al. (2015, A&A.We study a sample of six TDGs around three different interacting systems, using high-resolution HI observations from the Very Large Array. We find that the HI emission associated to TDGs can be described by rotating disc models. These discs, however, would have undergone less than one orbit since the time of the TDG formation, raising the question of whether they are in dynamical equilibrium. Assuming that TDGs are in dynamical equilibrium, we find that the ratio of dynamical mass to baryonic mass is consistent with one, implying that TDGs are devoid of dark matter. This is in line with the results of numerical simulations where tidal forces effectively segregate dark matter in the halo from baryonic matter in the disc, which ends up forming tidal tails and TDGs.

  7. Dissipative dark matter and the rotation curves of dwarf galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foot, R.

    2016-01-01

    There is ample evidence from rotation curves that dark matter halos around disk galaxies have nontrivial dynamics. Of particular significance are: a) the cored dark matter profile of disk galaxies, b) correlations of the shape of rotation curves with baryonic properties, and c) Tully-Fisher relations. Dark matter halos around disk galaxies may have nontrivial dynamics if dark matter is strongly self interacting and dissipative. Multicomponent hidden sector dark matter featuring a massless 'dark photon' (from an unbroken dark U(1) gauge interaction) which kinetically mixes with the ordinary photon provides a concrete example of such dark matter. The kinetic mixing interaction facilitates halo heating by enabling ordinary supernovae to be a source of these 'dark photons'. Dark matter halos can expand and contract in response to the heating and cooling processes, but for a sufficiently isolated halo could have evolved to a steady state or 'equilibrium' configuration where heating and cooling rates locally balance. This dynamics allows the dark matter density profile to be related to the distribution of ordinary supernovae in the disk of a given galaxy. In a previous paper a simple and predictive formula was derived encoding this relation. Here we improve on previous work by modelling the supernovae distribution via the measured UV and H α fluxes, and compare the resulting dark matter halo profiles with the rotation curve data for each dwarf galaxy in the LITTLE THINGS sample. The dissipative dark matter concept is further developed and some conclusions drawn.

  8. Dissipative dark matter and the rotation curves of dwarf galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foot, R., E-mail: rfoot@unimelb.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 (Australia)

    2016-07-01

    There is ample evidence from rotation curves that dark matter halos around disk galaxies have nontrivial dynamics. Of particular significance are: a) the cored dark matter profile of disk galaxies, b) correlations of the shape of rotation curves with baryonic properties, and c) Tully-Fisher relations. Dark matter halos around disk galaxies may have nontrivial dynamics if dark matter is strongly self interacting and dissipative. Multicomponent hidden sector dark matter featuring a massless 'dark photon' (from an unbroken dark U(1) gauge interaction) which kinetically mixes with the ordinary photon provides a concrete example of such dark matter. The kinetic mixing interaction facilitates halo heating by enabling ordinary supernovae to be a source of these 'dark photons'. Dark matter halos can expand and contract in response to the heating and cooling processes, but for a sufficiently isolated halo could have evolved to a steady state or 'equilibrium' configuration where heating and cooling rates locally balance. This dynamics allows the dark matter density profile to be related to the distribution of ordinary supernovae in the disk of a given galaxy. In a previous paper a simple and predictive formula was derived encoding this relation. Here we improve on previous work by modelling the supernovae distribution via the measured UV and H α fluxes, and compare the resulting dark matter halo profiles with the rotation curve data for each dwarf galaxy in the LITTLE THINGS sample. The dissipative dark matter concept is further developed and some conclusions drawn.

  9. NO EVIDENCE FOR CLASSICAL CEPHEIDS AND A NEW DWARF GALAXY BEHIND THE GALACTIC DISK

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pietrukowicz, P.; Udalski, A.; Szymański, M. K.; Soszyński, I.; Pietrzyński, G.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.; Poleski, R.; Ulaczyk, K.; Skowron, J.; Mróz, P.; Pawlak, M.; Kozłowski, S. [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa (Poland)

    2015-11-10

    Based on data from the ongoing OGLE Galaxy Variability Survey (OGLE GVS), we have verified observed properties of stars detected by the near-infrared VVV survey in a direction near the Galactic plane at longitude l ≈ −27° and recently tentatively classified as classical Cepheids belonging to, hence claimed, a dwarf galaxy at a distance of about 90 kpc from the Galactic Center. Three of four stars are detected in the OGLE GVS I-band images. We show that two of the objects are not variable at all, and the third one with a period of 5.695 days and a nearly sinusoidal light curve of an amplitude of 0.5 mag cannot be a classical Cepheid and is very likely a spotted object. These results together with a very unusual shape of the K{sub s}-band light curve of the fourth star indicate that it is very likely that none of them is a Cepheid and, thus there is no evidence for a background dwarf galaxy. Our observations show that great care must be taken when classifying objects by their low-amplitude close-to-sinusoidal near-infrared light curves, especially with a small number of measurements. We also provide a sample of high-amplitude spotted stars with periods of a few days that can mimic pulsations and even eclipses.

  10. THE ORIGIN OF THE HEAVIEST METALS IN MOST ULTRA-FAINT DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roederer, Ian U., E-mail: iur@umich.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 1085 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

    2017-01-20

    The heaviest metals found in stars in most ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies in the Milky Way halo are generally underabundant by an order of magnitude or more when compared with stars in the halo field. Among the heavy elements produced by n -capture reactions, only Sr and Ba can be detected in red giant stars in most UFD galaxies. This limited chemical information is unable to identify the nucleosynthesis process(es) responsible for producing the heavy elements in UFD galaxies. Similar [Sr/Ba] and [Ba/Fe] ratios are found in three bright halo field stars, BD−18°5550, CS 22185–007, and CS 22891–200. Previous studies of high-quality spectra of these stars report detections of additional n -capture elements, including Eu. The [Eu/Ba] ratios in these stars span +0.41 to +0.86. These ratios and others among elements in the rare Earth domain indicate an r -process origin. These stars have some of the lowest levels of r -process enhancement known, with [Eu/H] spanning −3.95 to −3.32, and they may be considered nearby proxies for faint stars in UFD galaxies. Direct confirmation, however, must await future observations of additional heavy elements in stars in the UFD galaxies themselves.

  11. COMPARISON OF Hα AND UV STAR FORMATION RATES IN THE LOCAL VOLUME: SYSTEMATIC DISCREPANCIES FOR DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Janice C.; Gil de Paz, Armando; Tremonti, Christy; Walter, Fabian; Kennicutt, Robert C.; Bothwell, Matthew; Johnson, Benjamin; Salim, Samir; Calzetti, Daniela; Dalcanton, Julianne; Dale, Daniel; Engelbracht, Chad; Funes, S. J. Jose G.; Sakai, Shoko; Skillman, Evan; Weisz, Daniel; Van Zee, Liese

    2009-01-01

    Using a complete sample of ∼300 star-forming galaxies within 11 Mpc of the Milky Way, we evaluate the consistency between star formation rates (SFRs) inferred from the far ultraviolet (FUV) non-ionizing continuum and Hα nebular emission, assuming standard conversion recipes in which the SFR scales linearly with luminosity at a given wavelength. Our analysis probes SFRs over 5 orders of magnitude, down to ultra-low activities on the order of ∼10 -4 M sun yr -1 . The data are drawn from the 11 Mpc Hα and Ultraviolet Galaxy Survey (11HUGS), which has obtained Hα fluxes from ground-based narrowband imaging, and UV fluxes from imaging with GALEX. For normal spiral galaxies (SFR ∼ 1 M sun yr -1 ), our results are consistent with previous work which has shown that FUV SFRs tend to be lower than Hα SFRs before accounting for internal dust attenuation, but that there is relative consistency between the two tracers after proper corrections are applied. However, a puzzle is encountered at the faint end of the luminosity function. As lower luminosity dwarf galaxies, roughly less active than the Small Magellanic Cloud, are examined, Hα tends to increasingly underpredict the total SFR relative to the FUV. The trend is evident prior to corrections for dust attenuation, which affects the FUV more than the nebular Hα emission, so this general conclusion is robust to the effects of dust. Although past studies have suggested similar trends, this is the first time this effect is probed with a statistical sample for galaxies with SFR ∼ sun yr -1 . By SFR ∼ 0.003 M sun yr -1 , the average Hα-to-FUV flux ratio is lower than expected by a factor of two, and at the lowest SFRs probed, the ratio exhibits an order of magnitude discrepancy for the handful of galaxies that remain in the sample. A range of standard explanations does not appear to be able to fully account for the magnitude of the systematic. Some recent work has argued for a stellar initial mass function which

  12. A challenge to dSph formation models: are the most isolated Local Group dSph galaxies truly old?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monelli, Matteo

    2017-08-01

    What is the origin of the different dwarf galaxy types? The classification into dwarf irregular (dIrr), spheroidal (dSph), and transition (dT) types is based on their present-day properties. However, star formation histories (SFHs) reconstructed from deep color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) provide details on the early evolution of galaxies of all these types, and indicate only two basic evolutionary paths. One is characterized by a vigorous but brief initial star-forming event, and little or no star formation thereafter (fast evolution), and the other one by roughly continuous star formation until (nearly) the present time (slow evolution). These two paths do not map directly onto the dIrr, dT and dSph types. Thus, the present galaxy properties do not reflect their lifetime evolution. Since there are some indications that slow dwarfs were assembled in lower-density environments than fast dwarfs, Gallart et al (2015) proposed that the distinction between fast and slow dwarfs reflects the characteristic density of the environment where they formed. This scenario, and more generally scenarios where dSph galaxies formed through the interaction with a massive galaxy, are challenged by a small sample of extremely isolated dSph/dT in the outer fringes of the Local Group. This proposal targets two of these objects (VV124, KKR25) for which we will infer their SFH - through a novel technique that combines the information from their RR Lyrae stars and deep CMDs sampling the intermediate-age population - in order to test these scenarios. This is much less demanding on observing time than classical SFH derivation using full depth CMDs.

  13. Variable stars in the Leo A dwarf galaxy (DDO 69)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoessel, John G.; Saha, A.; Krist, John; Danielson, G. Edward

    1994-01-01

    Observations of the Leo A dwarf galaxy, obtained over the period from 1980 to 1991 are reported. Forty two separate Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) frames were searched for variable stars. A total of 14 suspected variables were found, 9 had sufficient coverage for period determination, and 5 had Cepheid light curves. Four of these stars fit well on a P-L relation and yield a distance modulus, after correction for Galactic foreground extinction, of m-M = 26.74. This corresponds to a distance of 2.2 Mpc, placing Leo A near the Local Group zero-velocity surface.

  14. Effect of increasing helium content and disk dwarfs evolution on the chemical enrichment of the galaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caimmi, R [Padua Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Astronomia

    1979-07-01

    The author deals with two main effects: First the empirical metal abundance distribution in Main Sequence disk dwarfs of the solar neighbourhood, and second, the theoretical possibility of (i) an increased helium content as the Galaxy evolves, and (ii) the presence of evolutionary effects in disk dwarfs (i.e., the age of some or all stars considered up to the subgiant phase is not necessarily longer than the age of the galactic disk). Account is taken of a linear increase of helium content with metal content, and some constraints are imposed relative to initial, solar and present-day observed values of Y and Z, and to observed relative helium to heavy element enrichment, ..delta..Y/..delta..Z. In this way, little influence is found on the empirical metal abundance distribution in the range 0<=..delta..Y/..delta..Z<=3, while larger values of ..delta..Y/..delta..Zwould lead to a more significant influence. 'Evolved' and 'unevolved' theoretical metal abundance distributions are derived by accounting for a two-phase model of chemical evolution of galaxies and for a linear mass dependence of star lifetimes in the spectral range G2V-G8V and are compared with the empirical distribution. All are in satisfactory agreement due to systematic shift data by different observations; several values of collapse time Tsub(c) and age of the Galaxy T are also considered. Finally, models of chemical evolution invoking homogeneous collapse without infall and inhomogeneous collapse with infall, are briefly discussed relative to the empirical metal abundance distribution in Main Sequence disk dwarfs of the solar neighbourhood.

  15. THE GAS PHASE MASS METALLICITY RELATION FOR DWARF GALAXIES: DEPENDENCE ON STAR FORMATION RATE AND HI GAS MASS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jimmy; Tran, Kim-Vy [George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Saintonge, Amélie; Accurso, Gioacchino [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Place, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Brough, Sarah; Oliva-Altamirano, Paola [Australian Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box 915, North Ryde, NSW 1670 (Australia)

    2015-10-20

    Using a sample of dwarf galaxies observed using the VIMOS IFU on the Very Large Telescope, we investigate the mass–metallicity relation (MZR) as a function of star formation rate (FMR{sub SFR}) as well as HI-gas mass (FMR{sub HI}). We combine our IFU data with a subsample of galaxies from the ALFALFA HI survey crossmatched to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to study the FMR{sub SFR} and FMR{sub HI} across the stellar mass range 10{sup 6.6}–10{sup 8.8} M{sub ⊙}, with metallicities as low as 12 + log(O/H) = 7.67. We find the 1σ mean scatter in the MZR to be 0.05 dex. The 1σ mean scatter in the FMR{sub SFR} (0.02 dex) is significantly lower than that of the MZR. The FMR{sub SFR} is not consistent between the IFU observed galaxies and the ALFALFA/SDSS galaxies for SFRs lower than 10{sup −2.4} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}, however, this could be the result of limitations of our measurements in that regime. The lowest mean scatter (0.01 dex) is found in the FMR{sub HI}. We also find that the FMR{sub HI} is consistent between the IFU observed dwarf galaxies and the ALFALFA/SDSS crossmatched sample. We introduce the fundamental metallicity luminosity counterpart to the FMR, again characterized in terms of SFR (FML{sub SFR}) and HI-gas mass (FML{sub HI}). We find that the FML{sub HI} relation is consistent between the IFU observed dwarf galaxy sample and the larger ALFALFA/SDSS sample. However, the 1σ scatter for the FML{sub HI} relation is not improved over the FMR{sub HI} scenario. This leads us to conclude that the FMR{sub HI} is the best candidate for a physically motivated fundamental metallicity relation.

  16. Ultra faint dwarf galaxies: an arena for testing dark matter versus modified gravity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Weikang; Ishak, Mustapha, E-mail: wxl123830@utdallas.edu, E-mail: mishak@utdallas.edu [Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States)

    2016-10-01

    The scenario consistent with a wealth of observations for the missing mass problem is that of weakly interacting dark matter particles. However, arguments or proposals for a Newtonian or relativistic modified gravity scenario continue to be made. A distinguishing characteristic between the two scenarios is that dark matter particles can produce a gravitational effect, in principle, without the need of baryons while this is not the case for the modified gravity scenario where such an effect must be correlated with the amount of baryonic matter. We consider here ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies as a promising arena to test the two scenarios based on the above assertion. We compare the correlation of the luminosity with the velocity dispersion between samples of UFD and non-UFD galaxies, finding a significant loss of correlation for UFD galaxies. For example, we find for 28 non-UFD galaxies a strong correlation coefficient of −0.688 which drops to −0.077 for the 23 UFD galaxies. Incoming and future data will determine whether the observed stochasticity for UFD galaxies is physical or due to systematics in the data. Such a loss of correlation (if it is to persist) is possible and consistent with the dark matter scenario for UFD galaxies but would constitute a new challenge for the modified gravity scenario.

  17. Does the dwarf galaxy system of the Milky Way originate from Andromeda?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fouquet, Sylvain; Hammer, François; Yang, Yanbin; Puech, Mathieu; Flores, Hector

    2012-12-01

    The Local Group is often seen to be a quiescent environment without significant merger events. However, an ancient major merger may have occurred in the most massive galaxy as suggested by the M31 classical bulge and its halo haunted by numerous stellar streams. Numerical simulations have shown that tidal tails formed during gas-rich major mergers are long-lived and could be responsible for old stellar streams and likely induce the formation of tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs). Using several hydrodynamical simulations we have investigated the most prominent tidal tail formed during the first passage, which is gas rich and contains old and metal-poor stars. We discovered several striking coincidences after comparing its location and motion to those of the Milky Way (MW) and of the Magellanic Clouds (MCs). First, the tidal tail is sweeping a relatively small volume in which the MW precisely lies. Because the geometry of the merger is somehow fixed by the anisotropic properties of the giant stream (GS), we evaluate the chance of the MW to be at such a rendezvous with this gigantic tidal tail to be 5 per cent. Secondly, the velocity of the tidal tail matches the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) proper motion, and reproduces quite well the geometrical and angular momentum properties of the MW dwarfs, that is, the so-called disc of satellites, also known as the vast polar structure (VPOS). Thirdly, the simulation of the tidal tail reveals one of the formed TDGs with the mass and location almost comparable to those of the LMC. Our present modelling is, however, too limited to study the detailed interaction of gas-rich TDGs with the potential of the MW, and a complementary study is required to test whether the dwarf intrinsic properties can be accounted for by our scenario. Nevertheless this study suggests a causal link between an expected event, an ancient, gas-rich major merger at the M31 location, and several enigmas in the Local Group, namely the GS in the M31 outskirts, the

  18. ALFALFA DISCOVERY OF THE NEARBY GAS-RICH DWARF GALAXY LEO P. II. OPTICAL IMAGING OBSERVATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John J.; Haurberg, Nathalie C.; Van Sistine, Angela; Young, Michael D. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Adams, Elizabeth A. K. [Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Cannon, John M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Skillman, Evan D.; McQuinn, Kristen B. W., E-mail: rhode@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: slaz@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: riccardo@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: haynes@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: betsey@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: jcannon@macalester.edu, E-mail: skillman@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)

    2013-06-15

    We present results from ground-based optical imaging of a low-mass dwarf galaxy discovered by the ALFALFA 21 cm H I survey. Broadband (BVR) data obtained with the WIYN 3.5 m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) are used to construct color-magnitude diagrams of the galaxy's stellar population down to V{sub o} {approx} 25. We also use narrowband H{alpha} imaging from the KPNO 2.1 m telescope to identify a H II region in the galaxy. We use these data to constrain the distance to the galaxy to be between 1.5 and 2.0 Mpc. This places Leo P within the Local Volume but beyond the Local Group. Its properties are extreme: it is the lowest-mass system known that contains significant amounts of gas and is currently forming stars.

  19. Clusters of Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huchtmeier, W. K.; Richter, O. G.; Materne, J.

    1981-09-01

    The large-scale structure of the universe is dominated by clustering. Most galaxies seem to be members of pairs, groups, clusters, and superclusters. To that degree we are able to recognize a hierarchical structure of the universe. Our local group of galaxies (LG) is centred on two large spiral galaxies: the Andromeda nebula and our own galaxy. Three sr:naller galaxies - like M 33 - and at least 23 dwarf galaxies (KraanKorteweg and Tammann, 1979, Astronomische Nachrichten, 300, 181) can be found in the evironment of these two large galaxies. Neighbouring groups have comparable sizes (about 1 Mpc in extent) and comparable numbers of bright members. Small dwarf galaxies cannot at present be observed at great distances.

  20. THE METALLICITIES OF LOW STELLAR MASS GALAXIES AND THE SCATTER IN THE MASS-METALLICITY RELATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zahid, H. J.; Bresolin, F.; Kewley, L. J.; Coil, A. L.; Davé, R.

    2012-01-01

    In this investigation, we quantify the metallicities of low-mass galaxies by constructing the most comprehensive census to date. We use galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and DEEP2 survey and estimate metallicities from their optical emission lines. We also use two smaller samples from the literature that have metallicities determined by the direct method using the temperature sensitive [O III]λ4363 line. We examine the scatter in the local mass-metallicity (MZ) relation determined from ∼20,000 star-forming galaxies in the SDSS and show that it is larger at lower stellar masses, consistent with the theoretical scatter in the MZ relation determined from hydrodynamical simulations. We determine a lower limit for the scatter in metallicities of galaxies down to stellar masses of ∼10 7 M ☉ which is only slightly smaller than the expected scatter inferred from the SDSS MZ relation and significantly larger than what has been previously established in the literature. The average metallicity of star-forming galaxies increases with stellar mass. By examining the scatter in the SDSS MZ relation, we show that this is mostly due to the lowest metallicity galaxies. The population of low-mass, metal-rich galaxies have properties that are consistent with previously identified galaxies that may be transitional objects between gas-rich dwarf irregulars and gas-poor dwarf spheroidals and ellipticals.

  1. VARIABILITY AND STAR FORMATION IN LEO T, THE LOWEST LUMINOSITY STAR-FORMING GALAXY KNOWN TODAY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clementini, Gisella; Cignoni, Michele; Ramos, Rodrigo Contreras; Federici, Luciana; Tosi, Monica [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Ripepi, Vincenzo; Marconi, Marcella; Musella, Ilaria, E-mail: gisella.clementini@oabo.inaf.it, E-mail: rodrigo.contreras@oabo.inaf.it, E-mail: luciana.federici@oabo.inaf.it, E-mail: monica.tosi@oabo.inaf.it, E-mail: michele.cignoni@unibo.it, E-mail: ripepi@na.astro.it, E-mail: marcella@na.astro.it, E-mail: ilaria@na.astro.it [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, I-80131 Napoli (Italy)

    2012-09-10

    We present results from the first combined study of variable stars and star formation history (SFH) of the Milky Way 'ultra-faint' dwarf (UFD) galaxy Leo T, based on F606W and F814W multi-epoch archive observations obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We have detected 14 variable stars in the galaxy. They include one fundamental-mode RR Lyrae star and 11 Anomalous Cepheids with periods shorter than 1 day, thus suggesting the occurrence of multiple star formation episodes in this UFD, of which one about 10 Gyr ago produced the RR Lyrae star. A new estimate of the distance to Leo T of 409{sup +29}{sub -27} kpc (distance modulus of 23.06 {+-} 0.15 mag) was derived from the galaxy's RR Lyrae star. Our V, V - I color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of Leo T reaches V {approx} 29 mag and shows features typical of a galaxy in transition between dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal types. A quantitative analysis of the SFH, based on the comparison of the observed V, V - I CMD with the expected distribution of stars for different evolutionary scenarios, confirms that Leo T has a complex SFH dominated by two enhanced periods about 1.5 and 9 Gyr ago, respectively. The distribution of stars and gas shows that the galaxy has a fairly asymmetric structure.

  2. Quantitative spectroscopy of blue supergiants in metal-poor dwarf galaxy NGC 3109

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosek, Matthew W. Jr.; Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Bresolin, Fabio; Urbaneja, Miguel A.; Przybilla, Norbert; Evans, Christopher J.; Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Gieren, Wolfgang; Carraro, Giovanni

    2014-01-01

    We present a quantitative analysis of the low-resolution (∼4.5 Å) spectra of 12 late-B and early-A blue supergiants (BSGs) in the metal-poor dwarf galaxy NGC 3109. A modified method of analysis is presented which does not require use of the Balmer jump as an independent T eff indicator, as used in previous studies. We determine stellar effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, reddening, and luminosities, and combine our sample with the early-B-type BSGs analyzed by Evans et al. to derive the distance to NGC 3109 using the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relation (FGLR). Using primarily Fe-group elements, we find an average metallicity of [ Z-bar ] = –0.67 ± 0.13, and no evidence of a metallicity gradient in the galaxy. Our metallicities are higher than those found by Evans et al. based on the oxygen abundances of early-B supergiants ([ Z-bar ] = –0.93 ± 0.07), suggesting a low α/Fe ratio for the galaxy. We adjust the position of NGC 3109 on the BSG-determined galaxy mass-metallicity relation accordingly and compare it to metallicity studies of H II regions in star-forming galaxies. We derive an FGLR distance modulus of 25.55 ± 0.09 (1.27 Mpc) that compares well with Cepheid and tip of the red giant branch distances. The FGLR itself is consistent with those found in other galaxies, demonstrating the reliability of this method as a measure of extragalactic distances.

  3. Quantitative spectroscopy of blue supergiants in metal-poor dwarf galaxy NGC 3109

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hosek, Matthew W. Jr.; Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Bresolin, Fabio [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Urbaneja, Miguel A.; Przybilla, Norbert [Institute for Astro and Particle Physics, A-6020 Innsbruck University (Austria); Evans, Christopher J. [UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Gieren, Wolfgang [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Carraro, Giovanni, E-mail: mwhosek@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: kud@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: bresolin@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: Miguel.Urbaneja-Perez@uibk.ac.at, E-mail: Norbert.Przybilla@uibk.ac.at, E-mail: chris.evans@stfc.ac.uk, E-mail: pietrzyn@astrouw.edu.pl, E-mail: wgieren@astro-udec.cl, E-mail: gcarraro@eso.org [European Southern Observatory, La Silla Paranal Observatory (Chile)

    2014-04-20

    We present a quantitative analysis of the low-resolution (∼4.5 Å) spectra of 12 late-B and early-A blue supergiants (BSGs) in the metal-poor dwarf galaxy NGC 3109. A modified method of analysis is presented which does not require use of the Balmer jump as an independent T {sub eff} indicator, as used in previous studies. We determine stellar effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, reddening, and luminosities, and combine our sample with the early-B-type BSGs analyzed by Evans et al. to derive the distance to NGC 3109 using the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relation (FGLR). Using primarily Fe-group elements, we find an average metallicity of [ Z-bar ] = –0.67 ± 0.13, and no evidence of a metallicity gradient in the galaxy. Our metallicities are higher than those found by Evans et al. based on the oxygen abundances of early-B supergiants ([ Z-bar ] = –0.93 ± 0.07), suggesting a low α/Fe ratio for the galaxy. We adjust the position of NGC 3109 on the BSG-determined galaxy mass-metallicity relation accordingly and compare it to metallicity studies of H II regions in star-forming galaxies. We derive an FGLR distance modulus of 25.55 ± 0.09 (1.27 Mpc) that compares well with Cepheid and tip of the red giant branch distances. The FGLR itself is consistent with those found in other galaxies, demonstrating the reliability of this method as a measure of extragalactic distances.

  4. THE FATE OF DWARF GALAXIES IN CLUSTERS AND THE ORIGIN OF INTRACLUSTER STARS. II. COSMOLOGICAL SIMULATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martel, Hugo [Departement de physique, de genie physique et d' optique, Universite Laval, Quebec, QC (Canada); Barai, Paramita [Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, I-34143 Trieste (Italy); Brito, William [Centre de Recherche en Astrophysique du Quebec, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC (Canada)

    2012-09-20

    We combine an N-body simulation algorithm with a subgrid treatment of galaxy formation, mergers, and tidal destruction, and an observed conditional luminosity function {Phi}(L|M), to study the origin and evolution of galactic and extragalactic light inside a cosmological volume of size (100 Mpc){sup 3}, in a concordance {Lambda}CDM model. This algorithm simulates the growth of large-scale structures and the formation of clusters, the evolution of the galaxy population in clusters, the destruction of galaxies by mergers and tides, and the evolution of the intracluster light (ICL). We find that destruction of galaxies by mergers dominates over destruction by tides by about an order of magnitude at all redshifts. However, tidal destruction is sufficient to produce ICL fractions f{sub ICL} that are sufficiently high to match observations. Our simulation produces 18 massive clusters (M{sub cl} > 10{sup 14} M{sub Sun }) with values of f{sub ICL} ranging from 1% to 58% at z = 0. There is a weak trend of f{sub ICL} to increase with cluster mass. The bulk of the ICL ({approx}60%) is provided by intermediate galaxies of total masses 10{sup 11}-10{sup 12} M{sub Sun} and stellar masses 6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun} to 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun} that were tidally destroyed by even more massive galaxies. The contribution of low-mass galaxies to the ICL is small and the contribution of dwarf galaxies is negligible, even though, by numbers, most galaxies that are tidally destroyed are dwarfs. Tracking clusters back in time, we find that their values of f{sub ICL} tend to increase over time, but can experience sudden changes that are sometimes non-monotonic. These changes occur during major mergers involving clusters of comparable masses but very different intracluster luminosities. Most of the tidal destruction events take place in the central regions of clusters. As a result, the ICL is more centrally concentrated than the galactic light. Our results

  5. A Multiwavelength Study of POX 52, a Dwarf Seyfert Galaxy with an Intermediate Mass Black Hole

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, Aaron

    2004-09-01

    POX 52 is a Seyfert 1 galaxy with unprecedented properties: its host galaxy is a dwarf elliptical, and its stellar velocity dispersion is only 36 km/s. The stellar velocity dispersion and the broad emission-line widths both suggest a black hole mass of order 10^5 solar masses. We request HST ACS/HRC imaging to perform a definitive measurement of the host galaxy structure; STIS UV and optical spectroscopy to study the nonstellar continuum and the structure of the broad-line region; and Chandra ACIS imaging to investigate the spectral and variability properties of the X-ray emission. The results of this program will give a detailed understanding of the host galaxy and accretion properties of one of the very few known black holes in the mass range around 10^5 solar masses.

  6. (Almost) Dark Galaxies in the ALFALFA Survey: Isolated H i-bearing Ultra-diffuse Galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leisman, Lukas; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo [Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Janowiecki, Steven [International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Hallenbeck, Gregory [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308 (United States); Józsa, Gyula [SKA South Africa Radio Astronomy Research Group, 3rd Floor, The Park, Park Road, Pinelands 7405 (South Africa); Adams, Elizabeth A. K. [ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA, Dwingeloo (Netherlands); Neira, David Bernal [Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Cra. 1 No. 18A-10, Edificio Ip, Bogotá (Colombia); Cannon, John M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Janesh, William F.; Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John J. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States)

    2017-06-20

    We present a sample of 115 very low optical surface brightness, highly extended, H i-rich galaxies carefully selected from the ALFALFA survey that have similar optical absolute magnitudes, surface brightnesses, and radii to recently discovered “ultra-diffuse” galaxies (UDGs). However, these systems are bluer and have more irregular morphologies than other UDGs, are isolated, and contain significant reservoirs of H i. We find that while these sources have normal star formation rates for H i-selected galaxies of similar stellar mass, they have very low star formation efficiencies. We further present deep optical and H i-synthesis follow-up imaging of three of these H i-bearing ultra-diffuse sources. We measure H i diameters extending to ∼40 kpc, but note that while all three sources have large H i diameters for their stellar mass, they are consistent with the H i mass–H i radius relation. We further analyze the H i velocity widths and rotation velocities for the unresolved and resolved sources, respectively, and find that the sources appear to inhabit halos of dwarf galaxies. We estimate spin parameters, and suggest that these sources may exist in high spin parameter halos, and as such may be potential H i-rich progenitors to the ultra-diffuse galaxies observed in cluster environments.

  7. First Characterization of the Neutral ISM in Two Local Volume Dwarf Galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bralts-Kelly, Lilly; Bulatek, Alyssa M.; Chinski, Sarah; Ford, Robert N.; Gilbonio, Hannah E.; Helmel, Greta; McGlasson, Riley; Mizener, Andrew; Cannon, John M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Kaisin, Serafim; Karachentsev, Igor [Special Astrophysical Observatory of RAS, Nizhnij Arkhyz, KChR, 369167 (Russian Federation); Denn, Grant, E-mail: jcannon@macalester.edu, E-mail: skai@sao.ru, E-mail: ikar@sao.ru, E-mail: gdenn@msudenver.edu [Department of Physics, Metropolitan State University of Denver, P.O. Box 173362, Denver, CO 80217 (United States)

    2017-10-10

    We present the first H i spectral-line images of the nearby, star-forming dwarf galaxies UGC 11411 and UGC 8245, acquired as part of the “Observing for University Classes” program with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). These low-resolution images localize the H i gas and reveal the bulk kinematics of each system. Comparing with Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) broadband and ground-based H α imaging, we find that the ongoing star formation in each galaxy is associated with the highest H i mass surface density regions. UGC 8245 has a much lower current star formation rate than UGC 11411, which harbors very high surface brightness H α emission in the inner disk and diffuse, lower surface brightness nebular gas that extends well beyond the stellar disk as traced by HST . We measure the dynamical masses of each galaxy and find that the halo of UGC 11411 is more than an order of magnitude more massive than the halo of UGC 8245, even though the H i and stellar masses of the sources are similar. We show that UGC 8245 shares similar physical properties with other well-studied low-mass galaxies, while UGC 11411 is more highly dark matter dominated. Both systems have negative peculiar velocities that are associated with a coherent flow of nearby galaxies at high supergalactic latitude.

  8. The Importance of Preventive Feedback: Inference from Observations of the Stellar Masses and Metallicities of Milky Way Dwarf Galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Yu; Benson, Andrew; Wetzel, Andrew; Tonnesen, Stephanie [The Observatories, The Carnegie Institution for Science, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Mao, Yao-Yuan [Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Pittsburgh Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology Center (PITT PACC), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States); Peter, Annika H. G. [CCAPP and Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, 191 W. Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Boylan-Kolchin, Michael [Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712-1205 (United States); Wechsler, Risa H. [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)

    2017-09-01

    Dwarf galaxies are known to have remarkably low star formation efficiency due to strong feedback. Adopting the dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way (MW) as a laboratory, we explore a flexible semi-analytic galaxy formation model to understand how the feedback processes shape the satellite galaxies of the MW. Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo, we exhaustively search a large parameter space of the model and rigorously show that the general wisdom of strong outflows as the primary feedback mechanism cannot simultaneously explain the stellar mass function and the mass–metallicity relation of the MW satellites. An extended model that assumes that a fraction of baryons is prevented from collapsing into low-mass halos in the first place can be accurately constrained to simultaneously reproduce those observations. The inference suggests that two different physical mechanisms are needed to explain the two different data sets. In particular, moderate outflows with weak halo mass dependence are needed to explain the mass–metallicity relation, and prevention of baryons falling into shallow gravitational potentials of low-mass halos (e.g., “pre-heating”) is needed to explain the low stellar mass fraction for a given subhalo mass.

  9. Macho project photometry of RR Lyrae stars in the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alcock, C. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)]|[Center for Particle Astrophysics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Allsman, R.A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)]|[Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories, Australian National University, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Alves, D.R. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)]|[Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, California 95616 (United States); Axelrod, T.S. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)]|[Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories, Australian National University, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Becker, A.C. [Center for Particle Astrophysics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)]|[Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); Bennett, D.P.; Cook, K.H. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)]|[Center for Particle Astrophysics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Freeman, K.C. [Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories, Australian National University, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Griest, K. [Center for Particle Astrophysics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)]|[Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, California 92093 (United States); Guern, J.A.; Lehner, M.J. [Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, California 92093 (United States); Marshall, S.L.; Minniti, D. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Peterson, B.A. [Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories, Australian National University, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Pratt, M.R.

    1997-01-01

    We report the discovery of 30 type a, b RR Lyrae (RRab) stars that are likely members of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (Sgr). Accurate positions, periods, amplitudes, and magnitudes are presented. Their distances are determined with respect to RRab stars in the Galactic bulge found also in the MACHO 1993 data. For R{sub {circle_dot}}=8kpc, the mean distance to these stars is D=22{plus_minus}1kpc, smaller than previous determinations for this galaxy. This indicates that Sgr has an elongated main body extending for more than 10 kpc, which is inclined along the line of sight, with its northern part (in Galactic coordinates) closer to us. The size and shape of Sgr give clues about the past history of this galaxy. If the shape of Sgr follows the direction of its orbit, the observed spatial orientation suggests that Sgr is moving away from the Galactic plane. Also, Sgr stars may be the sources of some of the microlensing events seen toward the bulge. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Astronomical Society}

  10. Stellar Archeology: What White Dwarf Stars Tell Us About the History of the Galaxy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terry D. Oswalt

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available White dwarf stars have played important roles in rather diverse areas of astrophysics. This paper outlines how these stellar remnants, especially those in widely separated “fragile” binaries, have provided unique leverage on difficult astrophysical problems such as the ages of stars, the structure and evolution of the Galaxy, the nature of dark matter and even the discovery of dark energy.

  11. WEAK GALACTIC HALO-DWARF SPHEROIDAL CONNECTION FROM RR LYRAE STARS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fiorentino, Giuliana [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Bono, Giuseppe [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Monelli, Matteo; Gallart, Carme; Martínez-Vásquez, Clara E. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Calle Via Lactea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Stetson, Peter B. [National Research Council, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada); Tolstoy, Eline [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Postbus 800, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands); Salaris, Maurizio [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University IC2, Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L35RF (United Kingdom); Bernard, Edouard J., E-mail: giuliana.fiorentino@oabo.inaf.it [SUPA, Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom)

    2015-01-01

    We discuss the role that dwarf galaxies may have played in the formation of the Galactic halo (Halo) using RR Lyrae stars (RRL) as tracers of their ancient stellar component. The comparison is performed using two observables (periods, luminosity amplitudes) that are reddening and distance independent. Fundamental mode RRL in 6 dwarf spheroidals (dSphs) and 11 ultra faint dwarf galaxies (∼1300) show a Gaussian period distribution well peaked around a mean period of (Pab) = 0.610 ± 0.001 days (σ = 0.03). The Halo RRL (∼15,000) are characterized by a broader period distribution. The fundamental mode RRL in all the dSphs apart from Sagittarius are completely lacking in High Amplitude Short Period (HASP) variables, defined as those having P ≲ 0.48 days and A{sub V} ≥ 0.75 mag. Such variables are not uncommon in the Halo and among the globular clusters and massive dwarf irregulars. To further interpret this evidence, we considered 18 globulars covering a broad range in metallicity (–2.3 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ –1.1) and hosting more than 35 RRL each. The metallicity turns out to be the main parameter, since only globulars more metal-rich than [Fe/H] ∼ –1.5 host RRL in the HASP region. This finding suggests that dSphs similar to the surviving ones do not appear to be the major building-blocks of the Halo. Leading physical arguments suggest an extreme upper limit of ∼50% to their contribution. On the other hand, massive dwarfs hosting an old population with a broad metallicity distribution (Large Magellanic Cloud, Sagittarius) may have played a primary role in the formation of the Halo.

  12. VLT/UVES spectroscopy of individual stars in three globular clusters in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Letarte, B; Hill, [No Value; Jablonka, P; Tolstoy, E; Francois, P; Meylan, G

    We present a high resolution ( R similar to 43 000) abundance analysis of a total of nine stars in three of the five globular clusters associated with the nearby Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. These three clusters ( 1, 2 and 3) trace the oldest, most metal-poor stellar populations in Fornax. We

  13. THE KENNICUTT–SCHMIDT RELATION IN EXTREMELY METAL-POOR DWARF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Filho, M. E.; Almeida, J. Sánchez; Muñoz-Tuñón, C. [Instituto Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Amorín, R. [National Institute for Astrophysics, Astronomical Observatory of Rome, Via Frascati 33, I-00040 Monteporzio Catone (Rome) (Italy); Elmegreen, B. G. [IBM, T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Elmegreen, D. M., E-mail: mfilho@astro.up.pt [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604 (United States)

    2016-04-01

    The Kennicutt–Schmidt (KS) relation between the gas mass and star formation rate (SFR) describes the star formation regulation in disk galaxies. It is a function of gas metallicity, but the low-metallicity regime of the KS diagram is poorly sampled. We have analyzed data for a representative set of extremely metal-poor galaxies (XMPs), as well as auxiliary data, and compared these to empirical and theoretical predictions. The majority of the XMPs possess high specific SFRs, similar to high-redshift star-forming galaxies. On the KS plot, the XMP H i data occupy the same region as dwarfs and extend the relation for low surface brightness galaxies. Considering the H i gas alone, a considerable fraction of the XMPs already fall off the KS law. Significant quantities of “dark” H{sub 2} mass (i.e., not traced by CO) would imply that XMPs possess low star formation efficiencies (SFE{sub gas}). Low SFE{sub gas} in XMPs may be the result of the metal-poor nature of the H i gas. Alternatively, the H i reservoir may be largely inert, the star formation being dominated by cosmological accretion. Time lags between gas accretion and star formation may also reduce the apparent SFE{sub gas}, as may galaxy winds, which can expel most of the gas into the intergalactic medium. Hence, on global scales, XMPs could be H i-dominated, high-specific-SFR (≳10{sup −10} yr{sup −1}), low-SFE{sub gas} (≲10{sup −9} yr{sup −1}) systems, in which the total H i mass is likely not a good predictor of the total H{sub 2} mass, nor of the SFR.

  14. Stellar Populations in Compact Galaxy Groups: a Multi-wavelength Study of HCGs 16, 22, and 42, Their Star Clusters, and Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Maybhate, A.; Charlton, J. C.; Fedotov, K.; Durrell, P. R.; Mulchaey, J. S.; English, J.; Desjardins, T. D.; Gallagher, S. C.; Walker, L. M.; hide

    2013-01-01

    We present a multi-wavelength analysis of three compact galaxy groups, Hickson compact groups (HCGs) 16, 22, and 42, which describe a sequence in terms of gas richness, from space- (Swift, Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and Spitzer) and ground-based (Las Campanas Observatory and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory) imaging and spectroscopy.We study various signs of past interactions including a faint, dusty tidal feature about HCG 16A, which we tentatively age-date at what were thought to be double nuclei in HCG 16C and D into multiple, distinct sources, likely to be star clusters. Beyond our phenomenological treatment, we focus primarily on contrasting the stellar populations across these three groups. The star clusters show a remarkable intermediate-age population in HCG 22, and identify the time at which star formation was quenched in HCG 42. We also search for dwarf galaxies at accordant redshifts. The inclusion of 33 members and 27 "associates" (possible members) radically changes group dynamical masses, which in turn may affect previous evolutionary classifications. The extended membership paints a picture of relative isolation in HCGs 16 and 22, but shows HCG 42 to be part of a larger structure, following a dichotomy expected from recent studies. We conclude that (1) star cluster populations provide an excellent metric of evolutionary state, as they can age-date the past epochs of star formation; and (2) the extended dwarf galaxy population must be considered in assessing the dynamical state of a compact group.

  15. THE ACS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY. VII. THE NGC 4214 STARBURST AND THE EFFECTS OF STAR FORMATION HISTORY ON DWARF MORPHOLOGY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Benjamin F.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Weisz, Daniel R.; Seth, Anil C.; Skillman, Evan D.; Dolphin, Andrew E.

    2011-01-01

    We present deep Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 optical observations obtained as part of the ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury as well as early release Wide Field Camera 3 ultraviolet and infrared observations of the nearby dwarf starbursting galaxy NGC 4214. Our data provide a detailed example of how covering such a broad range in wavelength provides a powerful tool for constraining the physical properties of stellar populations. The deepest data reach the ancient red clump at M F814W ∼ - 0.2. All of the optical data reach the main-sequence turnoff for stars younger than ∼300 Myr and the blue He-burning sequence for stars younger than 500 Myr. The full color-magnitude diagram (CMD) fitting analysis shows that all three fields in our data set are consistent with ∼75% of the stellar mass being older than 8 Gyr, in spite of showing a wide range in star formation rates at present. Thus, our results suggest that the scale length of NGC 4214 has remained relatively constant for many gigayears. As previously noted by others, we also find the galaxy has recently ramped up production consistent with its bright UV luminosity and its population of UV-bright massive stars. In the central field we find UV point sources with F336W magnitudes as bright as -9.9. These are as bright as stars with masses of at least 52-56 M sun and ages near 4 Myr in stellar evolution models. Assuming a standard initial mass function, our CMD is well fitted by an increase in star formation rate beginning 100 Myr ago. The stellar populations of this late-type dwarf are compared with those of NGC 404, an early-type dwarf that is also the most massive galaxy in its local environment. The late-type dwarf appears to have a similar high fraction of ancient stars, suggesting that these dominant galaxies may form at early epochs even if they have low total mass and very different present-day morphologies.

  16. Stars of the Draco Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy Beyond its Measured Tidal Boundary

    OpenAIRE

    Piatek, Slawomir; Pryor, Carlton; Armandroff, Taft E.; Olszewski, Edward W.

    2000-01-01

    We report R- and V-band photometry derived from CCD imaging for objects in nine fields in and around the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The most distant fields are about 1.3 degrees from the center. We use these data to search for Draco stars outside of its measured tidal boundary. The search involves three methods: 1) Plotting color-magnitude diagrams for individual fields, for sections of fields, and for combined fields and sections. A color-magnitude diagram can reveal a population of Drac...

  17. The Universe Going Green: Extraordinarily Strong [OIII]5007 in Typical Dwarf Galaxies at z~3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malkan, Matthew Arnold; Cohen, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    We constructed the average SEDs of U-dropout galaxies in the Subaru Deep Field. This sample contains more than 5000 Lyman-break galaxies at z~3. Their average near- and mid-IR colors were obtained by stacking JHK and IRAC imaging, in bins of stellar mass. At the lowest mass bins an increasingly strong excess flux is seen in the K filter. This excess can reach 1 magnitude in the broadband filter, and we attribute it to strong \\OIII $\\lambda{5007}$ line emission. The equivalent width is extraordinarily high, reaching almost 1000\\Ang\\ for the average z=3 galaxy at an i magnitude of 27. Such extreme [OIII] emission is very rare in the current epoch, only seen in a handful of metal-deficient dwarf starbursts sometimes referred to as ''Green Peas". In contrast, extreme [OIII]--strong enough to dominate the entire broad-band SED--was evidently the norm for faint galaxies at high redshift. We present evidence that these small but numerous galaxies were primarily responsible for the reionization of the Universe.

  18. On the Nature and History of Blue Amorphous Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marlowe, Amanda True

    1998-07-01

    Dwarf galaxies play an important role in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. We have embarked on a systematic study of 12 blue amorphous galaxies (BAGs) whose properties suggest that they are dwarf galaxies in a starburst or post-burst state. It seems likely that BAGs are related to other 'starburst' dwarfs such as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) and HII galaxies. The BAGs in our sample, however, are considerably closer than BCDs and HII galaxies in other samples, and therefore easier to study. These galaxies may offer important insights into dwarf galaxy evolution. In an effort to clarify the role of BAGs in evolutionary scenarios for dwarf galaxies, we present and analyze Hα and UBVI data for our sample. BAGs, like BCDs and HII galaxies, have surface brightness profiles that are exponential in the outer regions but have a predominantly blue central blue excess, suggesting a young burst in an older, redder galaxy. Seven of the galaxies have the bubble or filamentary Hα morphology and double peaked emission lines that are the signature of superbubbles or superwind activity. These galaxies are typically the ones with the strongest central excesses. The starbursting regions are young events compared to the older underlying galaxy, which follow an exponential surface brightness law. Not all of the galaxies develop superwinds: the appearance of superwinds is most sensitive to the concentration and rate of star formation in the starbursting core. The underlying exponential galaxies are very similar to those found in BCDs and HII galaxies, though the 'burst' colors are slightly redder than those found in HII galaxies. BAGs are structurally similar to BCDs and HII galaxies. How BAGs fit into the dwarf galaxy evolutionary debate is less clear. While some compact dIs have properties similar to those of the underlying exponential galaxy in our sample, issues such as mass loss from superwinds, the impact of the starbursting core on the underlying galaxy, and

  19. LACERTA I AND CASSIOPEIA III. TWO LUMINOUS AND DISTANT ANDROMEDA SATELLITE DWARF GALAXIES FOUND IN THE 3π PAN-STARRS1 SURVEY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Nicolas F.; Laevens, Benjamin P. M.; Slater, Colin T.; Bell, Eric F.; Schlafly, Edward F.; Morganson, Eric; Rix, Hans-Walter; Bernard, Edouard J.; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Finkbeiner, Douglas P.; Burgett, William S.; Chambers, Kenneth C.; Hodapp, Klaus W.; Kaiser, Nicholas; Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Magnier, Eugene A.; Morgan, Jeffrey S.; Tonry, John L.; Wainscoat, Richard J.; Price, Paul A.

    2013-01-01

    We report the discovery of two new dwarf galaxies, Lacerta I/Andromeda XXXI (Lac I/And XXXI) and Cassiopeia III/Andromeda XXXII (Cas III/And XXXII), in stacked Pan-STARRS1 r P1 - and i P1 -band imaging data. Both are luminous systems (M V ∼ –12) located at projected distances of 20.°3 and 10.°5 from M31. Lac I and Cas III are likely satellites of the Andromeda galaxy with heliocentric distances of 756 +44 -28 kpc and 772 +61 -56 kpc, respectively, and corresponding M31-centric distances of 275 ± 7 kpc and 144 +6 -4 kpc. The brightest of recent Local Group member discoveries, these two new dwarf galaxies owe their late discovery to their large sizes (r h = 4.2 +0.4 -0.5 arcmin or 912 +124 -93 pc for Lac I; r h = 6.5 +1.2 -1.0 arcmin or 1456 ± 267 pc for Cas III) and consequently low surface brightness (μ 0 ∼ 26.0 mag arcsec –2 ), as well as to the lack of a systematic survey of regions at large radii from M31, close to the Galactic plane. This latter limitation is now alleviated by the 3π Pan-STARRS1 survey, which could lead to the discovery of other distant Andromeda satellite dwarf galaxies.

  20. On order and chaos in the mergers of galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vandervoort, Peter O.

    2018-03-01

    This paper describes a low-dimensional model of the merger of two galaxies. The governing equations are the complete sets of moment equations of the first and second orders derived from the collisionless Boltzmann equations representing the galaxies. The moment equations reduce to an equation governing the relative motion of the galaxies, tensor virial equations, and equations governing the kinetic energy tensors. We represent the galaxies as heterogeneous ellipsoids with Gaussian stratifications of their densities, and we represent the mean stellar motions in terms of velocity fields that sustain those densities consistently with the equation of continuity. We reduce and solve the governing equations for a head-on encounter of a dwarf galaxy with a giant galaxy. That reduction includes the effect of dynamical friction on the relative motion of the galaxies. Our criterion for chaotic behaviour is sensitivity of the motion to small changes in the initial conditions. In a survey of encounters and mergers of a dwarf galaxy with a giant galaxy, chaotic behaviour arises mainly in non-linear oscillations of the dwarf galaxy. The encounter disrupts the dwarf, excites chaotic oscillations of the dwarf, or excites regular oscillations. Dynamical friction can drive a merger to completion within a Hubble time only if the dwarf is sufficiently massive. The survey of encounters and mergers is the basis for a simple model of the evolution of a `Local Group' consisting of a giant galaxy and a population of dwarf galaxies bound to the giant as satellites on radial orbits.

  1. The Mass-to-Light Ratios of the Draco and Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies. II. The Binary Population and Its Effect in the Measured Velocity Dispersions of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Olszewski, E.; Pryor, C.; Armandroff, T.

    1995-01-01

    We use a large set of radial velocities in the Ursa Minor and Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxies to search for binary stars and to infer the binary frequency. Of the 118 stars in our sample with multiple observations, six are velocity variables with $\\chi^2$ probabilities below 0.001. We use Monte Carlo simulations that mimic our observations to determine the efficiency with which our observations find binary stars. Our best, though significantly uncertain, estimate of the binary frequency for s...

  2. VizieR Online Data Catalog: Star formation histories of LG dwarf galaxies (Weisz+, 2014)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisz, D. R.; Dolphin, A. E.; Skillman, E. D.; Holtzman, J.; Gilbert, K. M.; Dalcanton, J. J.; Williams, B. F.

    2017-03-01

    For this paper, we have selected only dwarf galaxies that are located within the zero surface velocity of the LG (~1 Mpc; e.g., van den Bergh 2000, The Galaxies of the Local Group (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press) ; McConnachie 2012, J/AJ/144/4). This definition excludes some dwarfs that have been historically associated with the LG, such as GR8 and IC 5152, but which are located well beyond 1 Mpc. We have chosen to include two galaxies with WFPC2 imaging that are located on the periphery of the LG (Sex A and Sex B), because of their ambiguous association with the LG, the NGC 3109 sub-group, or perhaps neither (although see Bellazzini et al. 2013A&A...559L..11B for discussion of the possible association of these systems). We measured the SFH of each field using the maximum likelihood CMD fitting routine, MATCH (Dolphin 2002MNRAS.332...91D). Briefly, MATCH works as follows: it accepts a range of input parameters (e.g., initial mass function (IMF) slope, binary fraction, age and metallicity bin widths, etc.), uses these parameters to construct synthetic CMDs of simple stellar populations (SSPs), and then linearly combines them with a model foreground CMD to form a composite model CMD with a complex SFH. The composite model CMD is then convolved with the noise model from the artificial star tests (i.e., completeness, photometric uncertainties, and color/magnitude biases). The resulting model CMD is then compared to the observed CMD using a Poisson likelihood statistic. (3 data files).

  3. Stellar Kinematics and Structural Properties of Virgo Cluster Dwarf Early-Type Galaxies from the SMAKCED Project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toloba, Elisa; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Peletier, Reynier; Boselli, Alessandro; Lisker, Thorsten; Emsellem, Eric; Simon, Joshua D.; van de Ven, Glenn; Smakced Collaboration, [Unknown

    2015-01-01

    We analyze the stellar kinematics of 39 dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) in the Virgo cluster. This is the largest survey conducted so far on spatially resolved kinematics of dEs. This sample is representative of the early-type population in the absolute magnitude range -19.0

  4. Simulating the UV escape fractions from molecular cloud populations in star-forming dwarf and spiral galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Corey S.; Pudritz, Ralph E.; Harris, William E.; Klessen, Ralf S.

    2018-04-01

    The escape of ultraviolet photons from the densest regions of the interstellar medium (ISM) - giant molecular clouds (GMCs) - is a poorly constrained parameter which is vital to understanding the ionization of the ISM and the intergalactic medium. We characterize the escape fraction, fesc,GMC, from a suite of individual GMC simulations with masses in the range 104-6 M⊙ using the adaptive-mesh refinement code FLASH. We find significantly different fesc,GMC depending on the GMC mass that can reach >90 per cent in the evolution of 5 × 104 and 105 M⊙ clouds or remain low at ˜5 per cent for most of the lifetime of more massive GMCs. All clouds show fluctuations over short, sub-Myr time-scales produced by flickering H II regions. We combine our results to calculate the total escape fraction (fesc,tot) from GMC populations in dwarf starburst and spiral galaxies by randomly drawing clouds from a GMC mass distribution (dN/dM ∝ Mα, where α is either -1.5 or -2.5) over fixed time intervals. We find typical fesc,tot values of 8 per cent for both the dwarf and spiral models. The fluctuations of fesc,tot, however, are much larger for the dwarf models with values as high as 90 per cent. The photons escaping from the 5 × 104 and 105 M⊙ GMCs are the dominant contributors to fesc,tot in all cases. We also show that the accompanying star formation rates (SFRs) of our model (˜2 × 10-2 and 0.73 M⊙yr-1) are consistent with observations of SFRs in dwarf starburst and spiral galaxies, respectively.

  5. Indirect dark matter searches in the dwarf satellite galaxy Ursa Major II with the MAGIC telescopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahnen, M. L.; Ansoldi, S.; Antonelli, L. A.; Arcaro, C.; Baack, D.; Babić, A.; Banerjee, B.; Bangale, P.; Barres de Almeida, U.; Barrio, J. A.; Becerra González, J.; Bednarek, W.; Bernardini, E.; Berse, R. Ch.; Berti, A.; Bhattacharyya, W.; Biland, A.; Blanch, O.; Bonnoli, G.; Carosi, R.; Carosi, A.; Ceribella, G.; Chatterjee, A.; Colak, S. M.; Colin, P.; Colombo, E.; Contreras, J. L.; Cortina, J.; Covino, S.; Cumani, P.; Da Vela, P.; Dazzi, F.; De Angelis, A.; De Lotto, B.; Delfino, M.; Delgado, J.; Di Pierro, F.; Domínguez, A.; Dominis Prester, D.; Dorner, D.; Doro, M.; Einecke, S.; Elsaesser, D.; Fallah Ramazani, V.; Fernández-Barral, A.; Fidalgo, D.; Fonseca, M. V.; Font, L.; Fruck, C.; Galindo, D.; García López, R. J.; Garczarczyk, M.; Gaug, M.; Giammaria, P.; Godinović, N.; Gora, D.; Guberman, D.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, A.; Hassan, T.; Hayashida, M.; Herrera, J.; Hose, J.; Hrupec, D.; Ishio, K.; Konno, Y.; Kubo, H.; Kushida, J.; Kuveždić, D.; Lelas, D.; Lindfors, E.; Lombardi, S.; Longo, F.; López, M.; Maggio, C.; Majumdar, P.; Makariev, M.; Maneva, G.; Manganaro, M.; Mannheim, K.; Maraschi, L.; Mariotti, M.; Martínez, M.; Masuda, S.; Mazin, D.; Mielke, K.; Minev, M.; Miranda, J. M.; Mirzoyan, R.; Moralejo, A.; Moreno, V.; Moretti, E.; Nagayoshi, T.; Neustroev, V.; Niedzwiecki, A.; Nievas Rosillo, M.; Nigro, C.; Nilsson, K.; Ninci, D.; Nishijima, K.; Noda, K.; Nogués, L.; Paiano, S.; Palacio, J.; Paneque, D.; Paoletti, R.; Paredes, J. M.; Pedaletti, G.; Peresano, M.; Persic, M.; Prada Moroni, P. G.; Prandini, E.; Puljak, I.; Garcia, J. R.; Reichardt, I.; Rhode, W.; Ribó, M.; Rico, J.; Righi, C.; Rugliancich, A.; Saito, T.; Satalecka, K.; Schweizer, T.; Sitarek, J.; Šnidarić, I.; Sobczynska, D.; Stamerra, A.; Strzys, M.; Surić, T.; Takahashi, M.; Takalo, L.; Tavecchio, F.; Temnikov, P.; Terzić, T.; Teshima, M.; Torres-Albà, N.; Treves, A.; Tsujimoto, S.; Vanzo, G.; Vazquez Acosta, M.; Vovk, I.; Ward, J. E.; Will, M.; Zarić, D.

    2018-03-01

    The dwarf spheroidal galaxy Ursa Major II (UMaII) is believed to be one of the most dark-matter dominated systems among the Milky Way satellites and represents a suitable target for indirect dark matter (DM) searches. The MAGIC telescopes carried out a deep observation campaign on UMaII between 2014 and 2016, collecting almost one hundred hours of good-quality data. This campaign enlarges the pool of DM targets observed at very high energy (E gtrsim 50 GeV) in search for signatures of DM annihilation in the wide mass range between ~100 GeV and ~100 TeV. To this end, the data are analyzed with the full likelihood analysis, a method based on the exploitation of the spectral information of the recorded events for an optimal sensitivity to the explored DM models. We obtain constraints on the annihilation cross-section for different channels that are among the most robust and stringent achieved so far at the TeV mass scale from observations of dwarf satellite galaxies.

  6. Surface brightness and color distributions in blue compact dwarf galaxies. I. Haro 2, an extreme example of a star-forming young elliptical galaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loose, H.H.; Thuan, T.X.; Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA)

    1986-01-01

    The first results of a large-scale program to study the morphology and structure of blue compact dwarf galaxies from CCD observations are presented. The observations and reduction procedures are described, and surface brightness and color profiles are shown. The results are used to discuss the morphological type of Haro 2 and its stellar populations. It is found that Haro 2 appears to be an extreme example of an elliptical galaxy undergoing intense star formation in its central regions, and that the oldest stars it contains were made only about four million yr ago. The missing mass problem of Haro 2 is also discussed. 28 references

  7. The post-infall evolution of a satellite galaxy

    OpenAIRE

    {Nichols} M.; {Revaz} Y.; {Jablonka} P.

    2015-01-01

    As galaxy simulations increase in resolution more attention is being paid towards the evolution of dwarf galaxies and how the simulations compare to observations. Despite this increasing resolution we are however, far away from resolving the interactions of satellite dwarf galaxies and the hot coronae which surround host galaxies. We describe a new method which focuses only on the local region surrounding an infalling dwarf in an effort to understand how the hot baryonic halo will alter the c...

  8. Environmental Mechanisms Shaping the Nature of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies: The View of Computer Simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucio Mayer

    2010-01-01

    cosmic ultraviolet ionizing flux was much higher than today, and was thus able to keep the gas in the dwarfs warm and diffuse, were rapidly stripped of their baryons via ram pressure and tidal forces, producing very dark-matter-dominated objects with truncated star-formation histories, such as the Draco dSph. The low star-formation efficiency expected in such low-metallicity objects prior to their infall was crucial for keeping their disks gas dominated until stripping took over. Therefore gas stripping along with inefficient star-formation provides a new feedback mechanism, alternative to photoevaporation or supernovae feedback, playing a crucial role in dwarf galaxy formation and evolution. We also discuss how the ultra-faint dSphs belong to a different population of lower-mass dwarf satellites that were mostly shaped by reionization rather than by environmental mechanisms (“reionization fossils”. Finally, we scrutinize the various caveats in the current understanding of environmental effects as well as other recent ideas on the origin of Local Group dSphs.

  9. J0811+4730: the most metal-poor star-forming dwarf galaxy known

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izotov, Y. I.; Thuan, T. X.; Guseva, N. G.; Liss, S. E.

    2018-01-01

    We report the discovery of the most metal-poor dwarf star-forming galaxy (SFG) known to date, J0811+4730. This galaxy, at a redshift z = 0.04444, has a Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g-band absolute magnitude Mg = -15.41 mag. It was selected by inspecting the spectroscopic data base in the Data Release 13 (DR13) of the SDSS. Large Binocular Telescope/Multi-Object Double spectrograph (LBT/MODS) spectroscopic observations reveal its oxygen abundance to be 12 + log O/H = 6.98 ± 0.02, the lowest ever observed for an SFG. J0811+4730 strongly deviates from the main sequence defined by SFGs in the emission line diagnostic diagrams and the metallicity-luminosity diagram. These differences are caused mainly by the extremely low oxygen abundance in J0811+4730, which is ∼10 times lower than that in main-sequence SFGs with similar luminosities. By fitting the spectral energy distributions of the SDSS and LBT spectra, we derive a stellar mass of M⋆ = 106.24-106.29 M⊙, and we find that a considerable fraction of the galaxy stellar mass was formed during the most recent burst of star formation.

  10. Study of the Milky Way's hot coronal gas with its dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasetto, Stefano; Cropper, Mark; Fujita, Yutaka; Chiosi, Cesare; Grebel, Eva K.

    2016-08-01

    A large amount (5 × 1010 M⊙) of hot gas is thought to exist in an extended (~ 200 kpc) hot diffuse halo around the Milky Way. We investigate the competitive role of the different dissipative phenomena acting on the onset of star formation of this gravitationally bound systems in this external environment. Ram pressure, Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh- Taylor instabilities, and tidal forces are accounted for separately in an analytical framework and compared in their role in influencing the star forming regions. We present an analytical criterion to elucidate the dependence of star formation in a spherical stellar system on its surrounding environment, useful in observational applications as well as theoretical interpretations of numerical results. We consider the different signatures of these phenomena in synthetically realized colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the orbiting system, thus investigating the detectability limits and relevance of these different effects for future observational projects. The theoretical framework developed has direct applications to the cases of our MW system as well as dwarf galaxies in galaxy clusters or any primordial gas-rich star cluster of stars orbiting within its host galaxy.

  11. The binary fraction of stars in dwarf galaxies: the case of Leo II

    OpenAIRE

    Spencer, Meghin; Mateo, Mario; Walker, Matthew; Olszewski, Edward; McConnachie, Alan; Kirby, Evan; Koch, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    We combine precision radial velocity data from four different published works of the stars in the Leo II dwarf spheroidal galaxy. This yields a data set that spans 19 years, has 14 different epochs of observation, and contains 372 unique red giant branch stars, 196 of which have repeat observations. Using this multi-epoch data set, we constrain the binary fraction for Leo II. We generate a suite of Monte Carlo simulations that test different binary fractions using Bayesian analysis and determ...

  12. THE LEO IV DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY: COLOR-MAGNITUDE DIAGRAM AND PULSATING STARS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moretti, Maria Ida; Dall'Ora, Massimo; Ripepi, Vincenzo

    2009-01-01

    We present the first V, B - V color-magnitude diagram of the Leo IV dwarf spheroidal galaxy, a faint Milky Way satellite recently discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have obtained B, V time-series photometry reaching about half a magnitude below the Leo IV turnoff, which we detect at V = 24.7 mag, and have performed the first study of the variable star population. We have identified three RR Lyrae stars (all fundamental-mode pulsators, RRab) and one SX Phoenicis variable in the galaxy. In the period-amplitude diagram the Leo IV RR Lyrae stars are located close to the loci of Oosterhoff type I systems and the evolved fundamental-mode RR Lyrae stars in the Galactic globular cluster M3. However, their mean pulsation period, (Pab) = 0.655 days, would suggest an Oosterhoff type II classification for this galaxy. The RR Lyrae stars trace very well the galaxy's horizontal branch, setting its average magnitude at (V RR ) = 21.48 ± 0.03 mag (standard deviation of the mean). This leads to a distance modulus of μ 0 = 20.94 ± 0.07 mag, corresponding to a distance of 154 ± 5 kpc, by adopting for the Leo IV dSph a reddening E(B - V) = 0.04 ± 0.01 mag and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -2.31 ± 0.10.

  13. Indications of M-Dwarf Deficits in the Halo and Thick Disk of the Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konishi, Mihoko; Shibai, Hiroshi; Sumi, Takahiro; Fukagawa, Misato; Matsuo, Taro; Samland, Matthias S.; Yamamoto, Kodai; Sudo, Jun; Itoh, Yoichi; Arimoto, Nobuo; hide

    2014-01-01

    We compared the number of faint stars detected in deep survey fields with the current stellar distribution model of the Galaxy and found that the detected number in the H band is significantly smaller than the predicted number. This indicates that M-dwarfs, the major component, are fewer in the halo and the thick disk. We used archived data of several surveys in both the north and south field of GOODS (Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey), MODS in GOODS-N, and ERS and CANDELS in GOODS-S. The number density of M-dwarfs in the halo has to be 20+/-13% relative to that in the solar vicinity, in order for the detected number of stars fainter than 20.5 mag in the H band to match with the predicted value from the model. In the thick disk, the number density of M-dwarfs must be reduced (52+/-13%) or the scale height must be decreased ( approx. 600 pc). Alternatively, overall fractions of the halo and thick disks can be significantly reduced to achieve the same effect, because our sample mainly consists of faint M-dwarfs. Our results imply that the M-dwarf population in regions distant from the Galactic plane is significantly smaller than previously thought. We then discussed the implications this has on the suitability of the model predictions for the prediction of non-companion faint stars in direct imaging extrasolar planet surveys by using the best-fit number densities.

  14. Tidal interaction, star formation and chemical evolution in blue compact dwarf galaxy Mrk 22

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paswan, A.; Omar, A.; Jaiswal, S.

    2018-02-01

    The optical spectroscopic and radio interferometric H I 21 cm-line observations of the blue compact dwarf galaxy Mrk 22 are presented. The Wolf-Rayet (WR) emission-line features corresponding to high ionization lines of He II λ4686 and C IV λ5808 from young massive stars are detected. The ages of two prominent star-forming regions in the galaxy are estimated as ∼10 and ∼ 4 Myr. The galaxy has non-thermal radio deficiency, which also indicates a young starburst and lack of supernovae events from the current star formation activities, consistent with the detection of WR emission-line features. A significant N/O enrichment is seen in the fainter star-forming region. The gas-phase metallicities [12 + log(O/H)] for the bright and faint regions are estimated as 7.98±0.07 and 7.46±0.09, respectively. The galaxy has a large diffuse H I envelop. The H I images reveal disturbed gas kinematics and H I clouds outside the optical extent of the galaxy, indicating recent tidal interaction or merger in the system. The results strongly indicate that Mrk 22 is undergoing a chemical and morphological evolution due to ongoing star formation, most likely triggered by a merger.

  15. Constraining the Nature of Dark Matter with the Star-formation History of the Faintest Local Group Dwarf Galaxy Satellites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chau, Alice; Mayer, Lucio; Governato, Fabio

    2017-01-01

    Λ warm dark matter (ΛWDM), realized by collisionless particles of 1–3 keV, has been proposed as an alternative scenario to Λ-Cold-Dark Matter (ΛCDM) for the dwarf galaxy scale discrepancies. We present an approach to test the viability of such WDM models using star-formation histories (SFHs) of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) in the Local Group. We compare their high-time-resolution SFHs with the collapse redshift of their dark halos in CDM and WDM. Collapse redshift is inferred after determining the subhalo infall mass. This is based on the dwarf current mass inferred from stellar kinematics, combined with cosmological simulation results on subhalo evolution. WDM subhalos close to the filtering mass scale, forming significantly later than CDM, are the most difficult to reconcile with early truncation of star formation ( z ≥ 3). The ultra-faint dwarfs (UFDs) provide the most stringent constraints. Using six UFDs and eight classical dSphs, we show that a 1 keV particle is strongly disfavored, consistently with other reported methods. Excluding other models is only hinted for a few UFDs. Other UFDs for which the lack of robust constraints on halo mass prevents us from carrying out our analysis rigorously, show a very early onset of star formation that will strengthen the constraints delivered by our method in the future. We discuss the various caveats, notably the low number of dwarfs with accurately determined SFHs and the uncertainties when determining the subhalo infall mass, most notably the baryonic physics. Our preliminary analysis may serve as a pathfinder for future investigations that will combine accurate SFHs for local dwarfs with direct analysis of WDM simulations with baryons.

  16. Constraining the Nature of Dark Matter with the Star-formation History of the Faintest Local Group Dwarf Galaxy Satellites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chau, Alice; Mayer, Lucio [Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich (Switzerland); Governato, Fabio [Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195-1580 (United States)

    2017-08-10

    Λ warm dark matter (ΛWDM), realized by collisionless particles of 1–3 keV, has been proposed as an alternative scenario to Λ-Cold-Dark Matter (ΛCDM) for the dwarf galaxy scale discrepancies. We present an approach to test the viability of such WDM models using star-formation histories (SFHs) of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) in the Local Group. We compare their high-time-resolution SFHs with the collapse redshift of their dark halos in CDM and WDM. Collapse redshift is inferred after determining the subhalo infall mass. This is based on the dwarf current mass inferred from stellar kinematics, combined with cosmological simulation results on subhalo evolution. WDM subhalos close to the filtering mass scale, forming significantly later than CDM, are the most difficult to reconcile with early truncation of star formation ( z ≥ 3). The ultra-faint dwarfs (UFDs) provide the most stringent constraints. Using six UFDs and eight classical dSphs, we show that a 1 keV particle is strongly disfavored, consistently with other reported methods. Excluding other models is only hinted for a few UFDs. Other UFDs for which the lack of robust constraints on halo mass prevents us from carrying out our analysis rigorously, show a very early onset of star formation that will strengthen the constraints delivered by our method in the future. We discuss the various caveats, notably the low number of dwarfs with accurately determined SFHs and the uncertainties when determining the subhalo infall mass, most notably the baryonic physics. Our preliminary analysis may serve as a pathfinder for future investigations that will combine accurate SFHs for local dwarfs with direct analysis of WDM simulations with baryons.

  17. Spitzer Photometry of WISE-Selected Brown Dwarf and Hyper-Lumninous Infrared Galaxy Candidates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffith, Roger L.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Eisenhardt, Peter R. M.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Cushing, Michael C.; Benford, Dominic; Blain, Andrew; Bridge, Carrie R.; Cohen, Martin; Cutri, Roc M.; hide

    2012-01-01

    We present Spitzer 3.6 and 4.5 micrometer photometry and positions for a sample of 1510 brown dwarf candidates identified by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) all-sky survey. Of these, 166 have been spectroscopically classified as objects with spectral types M(1), L(7), T(146), and Y(12). Sixteen other objects are non-(sub)stellar in nature. The remainder are most likely distant L and T dwarfs lacking spectroscopic verification, other Y dwarf candidates still awaiting follow-up, and assorted other objects whose Spitzer photometry reveals them to be background sources. We present a catalog of Spitzer photometry for all astrophysical sources identified in these fields and use this catalog to identify seven fainter (4.5 m to approximately 17.0 mag) brown dwarf candidates, which are possibly wide-field companions to the original WISE sources. To test this hypothesis, we use a sample of 919 Spitzer observations around WISE-selected high-redshift hyper-luminous infrared galaxy candidates. For this control sample, we find another six brown dwarf candidates, suggesting that the seven companion candidates are not physically associated. In fact, only one of these seven Spitzer brown dwarf candidates has a photometric distance estimate consistent with being a companion to the WISE brown dwarf candidate. Other than this, there is no evidence for any widely separated (greater than 20 AU) ultra-cool binaries. As an adjunct to this paper, we make available a source catalog of 7.33 x 10(exp 5) objects detected in all of these Spitzer follow-up fields for use by the astronomical community. The complete catalog includes the Spitzer 3.6 and 4.5 m photometry, along with positionally matched B and R photometry from USNO-B; J, H, and Ks photometry from Two Micron All-Sky Survey; and W1, W2, W3, and W4 photometry from the WISE all-sky catalog.

  18. A Multiwavelength Study of POX 52, a Dwarf Seyfert Galaxy with an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, Aaron

    2004-07-01

    We propose a comprehensive optical, UV, and X-ray investigation of the unique galaxy POX 52. POX 52 is a Seyfert 1 galaxy with unprecedented properties: its host galaxy appears to be a dwarf elliptical, and its stellar velocity dispersion is only 36 km/s. The stellar velocity dispersion and the broad emission-line widths both suggest a black hole mass of order 10^5 solar masses, placing POX 52 in a region of AGN parameter space that is almost completely unexplored at present. We request ACS/HRC imaging to perform a definitive measurement of the host galaxy structure; STIS UV and optical spectroscopy to study the nonstellar continuum and the structure of the broad-line region; and Chandra ACS imaging to detect the X-ray emission from the nucleus and investigate its spectral and variability properties. The results of this program will give a detailed understanding of the host galaxy and accretion properties of one of the very few known black holes in the mass range around 10^5 solar masses.

  19. Field #3 of the Palomar-Groningen Survey; 1, Variable stars at the edge of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schultheis, M.

    1996-01-01

    Submitted to: Astron. Astrophys. Abstract: A catalogue is presented with variable (RR Lyrae, semiregular and Mira) stars located inside field #3 of the Palomar-Groningen Survey, at the outer edge of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. One of the semiregular variables is a carbon star, comparable with

  20. Detecting metal-poor gas accretion in the star-forming dwarf galaxies UM 461 and Mrk 600

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagos, P.; Scott, T. C.; Nigoche-Netro, A.; Demarco, R.; Humphrey, A.; Papaderos, P.

    2018-03-01

    Using VIMOS-IFU observations, we study the interstellar medium (ISM) of two star-forming dwarf galaxies, UM 461 and Mrk 600. Our aim was to search for the existence of metallicity inhomogeneities that might arise from infall of nearly pristine gas feeding ongoing localized star-formation. The IFU data allowed us to study the impact of external gas accretion on the chemical evolution as well as the ionised gas kinematics and morphologies of these galaxies. Both systems show signs of morphological distortions, including cometary-like morphologies. We analysed the spatial variation of 12 + log(O/H) abundances within both galaxies using the direct method (Te), the widely applied HII-CHI-mistry code, as well as by employing different standard calibrations. For UM 461 our results show that the ISM is fairly well mixed, at large scales, however we find an off-centre and low-metallicity region with 12 + log(O/H) ISM in our analysed galaxies are consistent with these systems being at different evolutionary stages.

  1. The radial velocity, velocity dispersion, and mass-to-light ratio of the Sculptor dwarf galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armandroff, T. E.; Da Costa, G. S.

    1986-01-01

    The radial velocity, velocity dispersion, and mass-to-light ratio for 16 K giants in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy are calculated. Spectra at the Ca II triplet are analyzed using cross-correlation techniques in order to obtain the mean velocity of + 107.4 + or - 2.0 km/s. The dimensional velocity dispersion estimated as 6.3 (+1.1, -1.3) km/s is combined with the calculated core radius and observed central surface brightness to produce a mass-to-light ratio of 6.0 in solar units. It is noted that the data indicate that the Sculptor contains a large amount of mass not found in globular clusters, and the mass is either in the form of remnant stars or low-mass dwarfs.

  2. The star formation history of the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy: a true fossil of the pre-reionization era

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bettinelli, M.; Hidalgo, S. L.; Cassisi, S.; Aparicio, A.; Piotto, G.

    2018-05-01

    We present the star formation history (SFH) of the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy based on deep archive B, I photometry taken with Suprime-Cam at Subaru telescope focusing our analysis on the inner region of the galaxy, fully located within the core radius. Within the errors of our SFH, we have not detected any metallicity gradient along the considered radial distance interval. As a main result of this work, we can state that the Sextans dwarf spheroidal stopped forming stars less than ˜1.3 Gyr after big bang in correspondence to the end of the reionization epoch. We have been able to constrain the duration of the main burst of star formation to ˜0.6 Gyr. From the calculation of the mechanical luminosity released from supernovae (SNe) during the brief episode of star formation, there are strong indications that SNe could have played an important role in the fate of Sextans, by removing almost completely the gas component, so preventing a prolonged star formation.

  3. APOGEE Chemical Abundances of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasselquist, Sten; Holtzman, Jon; Shetrone, Matthew; Smith, Verne; Nidever, David L.; McWilliam, Andrew; Fernández-Trincado, J. G.; Tang, Baitian; Beers, Timothy C.; Majewski, Steven R.; Anguiano, Borja; Tissera, Patricia B.; Alvar, Emma Fernández; Carigi, Leticia; Delgado Inglada, Gloria; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Battaglia, Giuseppina; García-Hernández, D. A.; Almeida, Andres; Frinchaboy, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment provides the opportunity of measuring elemental abundances for C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni in vast numbers of stars. We analyze thechemical-abundance patterns of these elements for 158 red giant stars belonging to the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (Sgr). This is the largest sample of Sgr stars with detailed chemical abundances, and it is the first time that C, N, P, K, V, Cr, Co, and Ni have been studied at high resolution in this galaxy. We find that the Sgr stars with [Fe/H] ≳ −0.8 are deficient in all elemental abundance ratios (expressed as [X/Fe]) relative to the Milky Way, suggesting that the Sgr stars observed today were formed from gas that was less enriched by Type II SNe than stars formed in the Milky Way. By examining the relative deficiencies of the hydrostatic (O, Na, Mg, and Al) and explosive (Si, P, K, and Mn) elements, our analysis supports the argument that previous generations of Sgr stars were formed with a top-light initial mass function, one lacking the most massive stars that would normally pollute the interstellar medium with the hydrostatic elements. We use a simple chemical-evolution model, flexCE, to further support our claim and conclude that recent stellar generations of Fornax and the Large Magellanic Cloud could also have formed according to a top-light initial mass function.

  4. APOGEE Chemical Abundances of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hasselquist, Sten; Holtzman, Jon [New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Shetrone, Matthew [University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, TX 79734 (United States); Smith, Verne; Nidever, David L. [National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); McWilliam, Andrew [The Observatories of the Carnegie Institute of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Fernández-Trincado, J. G.; Tang, Baitian [Departamento de Astronomía, Casilla 160-C, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción (Chile); Beers, Timothy C. [Department of Physics and JINA Center for the Evolution of the Elements, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Majewski, Steven R.; Anguiano, Borja [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4325 (United States); Tissera, Patricia B. [Department of Physics, Universidad Andres Bello, 700 Fernandez Concha (Chile); Alvar, Emma Fernández; Carigi, Leticia; Delgado Inglada, Gloria [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70264, Ciudad de México, 04510 (Mexico); Allende Prieto, Carlos; Battaglia, Giuseppina; García-Hernández, D. A. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Almeida, Andres [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Cisternas 1200, La Serena (Chile); Frinchaboy, Peter, E-mail: sten@nmsu.edu, E-mail: holtz@nmsu.edu, E-mail: shetrone@astro.as.utexas.edu, E-mail: vsmith@email.noao.edu [Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129 (United States); and others

    2017-08-20

    The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment provides the opportunity of measuring elemental abundances for C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni in vast numbers of stars. We analyze thechemical-abundance patterns of these elements for 158 red giant stars belonging to the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (Sgr). This is the largest sample of Sgr stars with detailed chemical abundances, and it is the first time that C, N, P, K, V, Cr, Co, and Ni have been studied at high resolution in this galaxy. We find that the Sgr stars with [Fe/H] ≳ −0.8 are deficient in all elemental abundance ratios (expressed as [X/Fe]) relative to the Milky Way, suggesting that the Sgr stars observed today were formed from gas that was less enriched by Type II SNe than stars formed in the Milky Way. By examining the relative deficiencies of the hydrostatic (O, Na, Mg, and Al) and explosive (Si, P, K, and Mn) elements, our analysis supports the argument that previous generations of Sgr stars were formed with a top-light initial mass function, one lacking the most massive stars that would normally pollute the interstellar medium with the hydrostatic elements. We use a simple chemical-evolution model, flexCE, to further support our claim and conclude that recent stellar generations of Fornax and the Large Magellanic Cloud could also have formed according to a top-light initial mass function.

  5. The Host Galaxy and Central Engine of the Dwarf Active Galactic Nucleus POX 52

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thornton, Carol E.; Barth, Aaron J.; Ho, Luis C.; Rutledge, Robert E.; Greene, Jenny E.

    2008-10-01

    We present new multiwavelength observations of the dwarf Seyfert 1 galaxy POX 52 in order to investigate the properties of the host galaxy and the active nucleus and to examine the mass of its black hole, previously estimated to be ~105 M⊙. HST ACS HRC images show that the host galaxy has a dwarf elliptical morphology (MI = - 18.4 mag, Sérsic index n = 4.3) with no detected disk component or spiral structure, confirming previous results from ground-based imaging. X-ray observations from both Chandra and XMM-Newton show strong (factor of 2) variability over timescales as short as 500 s, as well as a dramatic decrease in the absorbing column density over a 9 month period. We attribute this change to a partial covering absorber, with a 94% covering fraction and NH = 58+ 8.4-9.2 × 1021 cm -2, that moved out of the line of sight in between the XMM-Newton and Chandra observations. Combining these data with observations from the VLA, Spitzer, and archival data from 2MASS and GALEX, we examine the SED of the active nucleus. Its shape is broadly similar to typical radio-quiet quasar SEDs, despite the very low bolometric luminosity of Lbol = 1.3 × 1043 ergs s-1. Finally, we compare black hole mass estimators, including methods based on X-ray variability, and optical scaling relations using the broad Hβ line width and AGN continuum luminosity, finding a range of black hole mass from all methods to be MBH = (2.2-4.2) × 105 M⊙, with an Eddington ratio of Lbol/LEdd ≈ 0.2-0.5.

  6. Exploring the Dust Content of Galactic Winds with Herschel. II. Nearby Dwarf Galaxies*

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormick, Alexander; Veilleux, Sylvain; Meléndez, Marcio; Martin, Crystal L.; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Cecil, Gerald; Heitsch, Fabian; Müller, Thomas; Rupke, David S. N.; Engelbracht, Chad

    2018-03-01

    We present results from analysis of deep Herschel Space Observatory observations of six nearby dwarf galaxies known to host galactic-scale winds. The superior far-infrared sensitivity and angular resolution of Herschel have allowed detection of cold circumgalactic dust features beyond the stellar components of the host galaxies traced by Spitzer 4.5 μm images. Comparisons of these cold dust features with ancillary data reveal an imperfect spatial correlation with the ionized gas and warm dust wind components. We find that typically ˜10-20% of the total dust mass in these galaxies resides outside of their stellar disks, but this fraction reaches ˜60% in the case of NGC 1569. This galaxy also has the largest metallicity (O/H) deficit in our sample for its stellar mass. Overall, the small number of objects in our sample precludes drawing strong conclusions on the origin of the circumgalactic dust. We detect no statistically significant trends with star formation properties of the host galaxies, as might be expected if the dust were lifted above the disk by energy inputs from on-going star formation activity. Although a case for dust entrained in a galactic wind is seen in NGC 1569, in all cases, we cannot rule out the possibility that some of the circumgalactic dust might be associated instead with gas accreted or removed from the disk by recent galaxy interaction events, or that it is part of the outer gas-rich portion of the disk that lies below the sensitivity limit of the Spitzer 4.5 μm data.

  7. Multi-spectral study of a new sample of blue compact dwarf galaxies

    CERN Document Server

    Doublier, V; Comte, G

    1999-01-01

    For pt.I see ibid., vol.124, no.3, p.405-24 (1997). We present the results of surface photometry on a new sample of blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDGs), in continuation to a previous paper (Doublier et al. 1997). The 22 galaxies $9 (plus two companions) discussed in the present paper have been selected in the Southern Hemisphere, from several lists. An atlas containing isophotal maps, surface brightnesses and B-R color profiles of the sample is given, together $9 with the tables containing the photometric parameters. The results are consistent with those for objects selected from the Byurakan surveys in the Northern Hemisphere. Similarly, we find about one fourth of the BCDGs showing a $9 dominant r/sup 1/4/ brightness distribution component, one fourth of the BCDGs showing a dominant exponential surface brightness profile, and about half of them show composite brightness distributions. Integrated properties, colors, $9 mean surface brightnesses and luminosity-radius relations are investigated and discussed f...

  8. Ultracompact Blue Dwarf Galaxies: Hubble Space Telescope Imaging and Stellar Population Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbin, Michael R.; Vacca, William D.; Cid Fernandes, Roberto; Hibbard, John E.; Somerville, Rachel S.; Windhorst, Rogier A.

    2006-11-01

    We present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys/High Resolution Channel U-, narrow-V-, and I-band images of nine ``ultracompact'' blue dwarf galaxies (UCBDs) selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We define UCBDs as local (zPOX 186, but the structure of several of them suggests that their current star formation has been triggered by the collisions/mergers of smaller clumps of stars. In one case, HS 0822+3542, the images resolve what may be two small (~100 pc) components that have recently collided, supporting this interpretation. In six of the objects much of the star formation is concentrated in young massive clusters, contributing to their compactness in ground-based images. The evidence that the galaxies consist mainly of ~10 Gyr old stars establishes that they are not protogalaxies, forming their first generation of stars. Their low metallicities are more likely to be the result of the escape of supernova ejecta, rather than youth.

  9. The galactic population of white dwarfs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Napiwotzki, Ralf

    2009-01-01

    The contribution of white dwarfs of the different Galactic populations to the stellar content of our Galaxy is only poorly known. Some authors claim a vast population of halo white dwarfs, which would be in accordance with some investigations of the early phases of Galaxy formation claiming a top-heavy initial- mass- function. Here, I present a model of the population of white dwarfs in the Milky Way based on observations of the local white dwarf sample and a standard model of Galactic structure. This model will be used to estimate the space densities of thin disc, thick disc and halo white dwarfs and their contribution to the baryonic mass budget of the Milky Way. One result of this investigation is that white dwarfs of the halo population contribute a large fraction of the Galactic white dwarf number count, but they are not responsible for the lion's share of stellar mass in the Milky Way. Another important result is the substantial contribution of the - often neglected - population of thick disc white dwarfs. Misclassification of thick disc white dwarfs is responsible for overestimates of the halo population in previous investigations.

  10. THE ACS LCID PROJECT. I. SHORT-PERIOD VARIABLES IN THE ISOLATED DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXIES CETUS AND TUCANA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bernard, Edouard J.; Monelli, Matteo; Gallart, Carme; Drozdovsky, Igor; Stetson, Peter B.; Aparicio, Antonio; Cassisi, Santi; Mayer, Lucio; Cole, Andrew A.; Hidalgo, Sebastian L.; Skillman, Evan D.; Tolstoy, Eline

    2009-01-01

    We present the first study of the variable star populations in the isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) Cetus and Tucana. Based on Hubble Space Telescope images obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in the F475W and F814W bands, we identified 180 and 371 variables in Cetus and Tucana,

  11. Modelling the gas kinematics of an atypical Ly α emitting compact dwarf galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forero-Romero, Jaime E.; Gronke, Max; Remolina-Gutiérrez, Maria Camila; Garavito-Camargo, Nicolás; Dijkstra, Mark

    2018-02-01

    Star-forming compact dwarf galaxies (CDGs) resemble the expected pristine conditions of the first galaxies in the Universe and are the best systems to test models on primordial galaxy formation and evolution. Here, we report on one of such CDGs, Tololo 1214-277, which presents a broad, single peaked, highly symmetric Ly α emission line that had evaded theoretical interpretation so far. In this paper, we reproduce for the first time these line features with two different physically motivated kinematic models: an interstellar medium composed by outflowing clumps with random motions and an homogeneous gaseous sphere undergoing solid body rotation. The multiphase model requires a clump velocity dispersion of 54.3 ± 0.6 km s-1 with outflows of 54.3 ± 5.1 km s-1 , while the bulk rotation velocity is constrained to be 348^{+75}_{-48} km s-1. We argue that the results from the multiphase model provide a correct interpretation of the data. In that case, the clump velocity dispersion implies a dynamical mass of 2 × 109 M⊙, 10 times its baryonic mass. If future kinematic maps of Tololo 1214-277 confirm the velocities suggested by the multiphase model, it would provide additional support to expect such kinematic state in primordial galaxies, opening the opportunity to use the models and methods presented in this paper to constrain the physics of star formation and feedback in the early generation of Ly α -emitting galaxies.

  12. WHERE ARE THE FOSSILS OF THE FIRST GALAXIES? I. LOCAL VOLUME MAPS AND PROPERTIES OF THE UNDETECTED DWARFS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bovill, Mia S.; Ricotti, Massimo

    2011-01-01

    We present a new method for generating initial conditions for ΛCDM N-body simulations which provides the dynamical range necessary to follow the evolution and distribution of the fossils of the first galaxies on Local Volume, 5-10 Mpc, scales. The initial distribution of particles represents the position, velocity, and mass distribution of the dark and luminous halos extracted from pre-reionization simulations. We confirm previous results that ultra-faint dwarfs have properties compatible with being well-preserved fossils of the first galaxies. However, because the brightest pre-reionization dwarfs form preferentially in biased regions, they most likely merge into non-fossil halos with circular velocities >20-30 km s -1 . Hence, we find that the maximum luminosity of true fossils in the Milky Way is L V 6 L sun , casting doubts on the interpretation that some classical dSphs are true fossils. In addition, we argue that most ultra-faints at small galactocentric distance, R V ) 50 (∼400 kpc) up to 1 Mpc from the Milky Way contains about a hundred true fossils of the first galaxies with V-band luminosity 10 3 -10 5 L sun and half-light radii, r hl ∼ 100-1000 pc.

  13. A fast radio burst in the direction of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Ravi, V.; Shannon, R. M.; Jameson, A.

    2014-01-01

    We report the real-time discovery of a fast radio burst (FRB 131104) with the Parkes radio telescope in a targeted observation of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The dispersion measure of the burst is 779 cm$^{-3}$ pc, exceeding predictions for the maximum line-of-sight Galactic contribution by a factor of 11. The temporal structure of the burst is characterized by an exponential scattering tail with a timescale of 2.0$^{+0.8}_{-0.5}$ ms at 1582 MHz that scales as frequency to the power $...

  14. A high-resolution VLT/FLAMES study of individual stars in the centre of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Letarte, B.; Hill, V.; Tolstoy, E.; Jablonka, P.; Shetrone, M.; Venn, K. A.; Spite, M.; Irwin, M. J.; Battaglia, G.; Helmi, A.; Primas, F.; François, P.; Kaufer, A.; Szeifert, T.; Arimoto, N.; Sadakane, K.

    2010-01-01

    For the first time we show the detailed, late-stage, chemical evolution history of a small nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the Local Group. We present the results of a high-resolution (R similar to 20 000, lambda = 5340-5620; 6120-6701) FLAMES/GIRAFFE abundance study at ESO/VLT of 81

  15. STELLAR POPULATIONS IN COMPACT GALAXY GROUPS: A MULTI-WAVELENGTH STUDY OF HCGs 16, 22, AND 42, THEIR STAR CLUSTERS, AND DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Maybhate, A.; Charlton, J. C.; Gronwall, C.; Fedotov, K.; Desjardins, T. D.; Gallagher, S. C.; Durrell, P. R.; Mulchaey, J. S.; English, J.; Walker, L. M.; Johnson, K. E.; Tzanavaris, P.

    2013-01-01

    We present a multi-wavelength analysis of three compact galaxy groups, Hickson compact groups (HCGs) 16, 22, and 42, which describe a sequence in terms of gas richness, from space- (Swift, Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and Spitzer) and ground-based (Las Campanas Observatory and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory) imaging and spectroscopy. We study various signs of past interactions including a faint, dusty tidal feature about HCG 16A, which we tentatively age-date at <1 Gyr. This represents the possible detection of a tidal feature at the end of its phase of optical observability. Our HST images also resolve what were thought to be double nuclei in HCG 16C and D into multiple, distinct sources, likely to be star clusters. Beyond our phenomenological treatment, we focus primarily on contrasting the stellar populations across these three groups. The star clusters show a remarkable intermediate-age population in HCG 22, and identify the time at which star formation was quenched in HCG 42. We also search for dwarf galaxies at accordant redshifts. The inclusion of 33 members and 27 ''associates'' (possible members) radically changes group dynamical masses, which in turn may affect previous evolutionary classifications. The extended membership paints a picture of relative isolation in HCGs 16 and 22, but shows HCG 42 to be part of a larger structure, following a dichotomy expected from recent studies. We conclude that (1) star cluster populations provide an excellent metric of evolutionary state, as they can age-date the past epochs of star formation; and (2) the extended dwarf galaxy population must be considered in assessing the dynamical state of a compact group.

  16. CHEMICAL SIGNATURES OF THE FIRST SUPERNOVAE IN THE SCULPTOR DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, Joshua D.; Thompson, Ian B.; Shectman, Stephen A.; Jacobson, Heather R.; Frebel, Anna; Adams, Joshua J.

    2015-01-01

    We present a homogeneous chemical abundance analysis of five of the most metal-poor stars in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We analyze new and archival high resolution spectroscopy from Magellan/MIKE and VLT/UVES and determine stellar parameters and abundances in a consistent way for each star. Two of the stars in our sample, at [Fe/H] = −3.5 and [Fe/H] = −3.8, are new discoveries from our Ca K survey of Sculptor, while the other three were known in the literature. We confirm that Scl 07-50 is the lowest metallicity star identified in an external galaxy, at [Fe/H] = −4.1. The two most metal-poor stars both have very unusual abundance patterns, with striking deficiencies of the α elements, while the other three stars resemble typical extremely metal-poor Milky Way halo stars. We show that the star-to-star scatter for several elements in Sculptor is larger than that for halo stars in the same metallicity range. This scatter and the uncommon abundance patterns of the lowest metallicity stars indicate that the oldest surviving Sculptor stars were enriched by a small number of earlier supernovae, perhaps weighted toward high-mass progenitors from the first generation of stars the galaxy formed

  17. Updated 34-band Photometry for the SINGS/KINGFISH Samples of Nearby Galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dale, D. A.; Turner, J. A.; Cook, D. O.; Roussel, H.; Armus, L.; Helou, G.; Bolatto, A. D.; Boquien, M.; Brown, M. J. I.; Calzetti, D.; Looze, I. De; Galametz, M.; Gordon, K. D.; Groves, B. A.; Jarrett, T. H.; Herrera-Camus, R.; Hinz, J. L.; Hunt, L. K.; Kennicutt, R. C.; Murphy, E. J.

    2017-01-01

    We present an update to the ultraviolet-to-radio database of global broadband photometry for the 79 nearby galaxies that comprise the union of the KINGFISH (Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: A Far-Infrared Survey with Herschel ) and SINGS ( Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey) samples. The 34-band data set presented here includes contributions from observational work carried out with a variety of facilities including GALEX , SDSS, Pan-STARRS1, NOAO , 2MASS, Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer , Spitzer , Herschel , Planck , JCMT , and the VLA. Improvements of note include recalibrations of previously published SINGS BVR C I C and KINGFISH far-infrared/submillimeter photometry. Similar to previous results in the literature, an excess of submillimeter emission above model predictions is seen primarily for low-metallicity dwarf or irregular galaxies. This 33-band photometric data set for the combined KINGFISH+SINGS sample serves as an important multiwavelength reference for the variety of galaxies observed at low redshift. A thorough analysis of the observed spectral energy distributions is carried out in a companion paper.

  18. Updated 34-band Photometry for the SINGS/KINGFISH Samples of Nearby Galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dale, D. A.; Turner, J. A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie WY (United States); Cook, D. O. [Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena CA (United States); Roussel, H. [Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, Sorbonne Universités, Paris (France); Armus, L.; Helou, G. [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Bolatto, A. D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Boquien, M. [Unidad de Astronomía, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta (Chile); Brown, M. J. I. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Calzetti, D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA (United States); Looze, I. De [Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Gent (Belgium); Galametz, M. [European Southern Observatory, Garching (Germany); Gordon, K. D. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore MD (United States); Groves, B. A. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Jarrett, T. H. [Astronomy Department, University of Capetown, Rondebosch (South Africa); Herrera-Camus, R. [Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Garching (Germany); Hinz, J. L. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ (United States); Hunt, L. K. [INAF—Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze (Italy); Kennicutt, R. C. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Murphy, E. J., E-mail: ddale@uwyo.edu [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA (United States); and others

    2017-03-01

    We present an update to the ultraviolet-to-radio database of global broadband photometry for the 79 nearby galaxies that comprise the union of the KINGFISH (Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: A Far-Infrared Survey with Herschel ) and SINGS ( Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey) samples. The 34-band data set presented here includes contributions from observational work carried out with a variety of facilities including GALEX , SDSS, Pan-STARRS1, NOAO , 2MASS, Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer , Spitzer , Herschel , Planck , JCMT , and the VLA. Improvements of note include recalibrations of previously published SINGS BVR {sub C} I {sub C} and KINGFISH far-infrared/submillimeter photometry. Similar to previous results in the literature, an excess of submillimeter emission above model predictions is seen primarily for low-metallicity dwarf or irregular galaxies. This 33-band photometric data set for the combined KINGFISH+SINGS sample serves as an important multiwavelength reference for the variety of galaxies observed at low redshift. A thorough analysis of the observed spectral energy distributions is carried out in a companion paper.

  19. Dark matter in dwarf spheroidal galaxies and indirect detection: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strigari, Louis E

    2018-05-01

    Indirect dark matter searches targeting dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) have matured rapidly during the past decade. This has been because of the substantial increase in kinematic data sets from the dSphs, the new dSphs that have been discovered, and the operation of the Fermi-LAT and many ground-based gamma-ray experiments. Here we review the analysis methods that have been used to determine the dSph dark matter distributions, in particular the 'J-factors', comparing and contrasting them, and detailing the underlying systematics that still affect the analysis. We discuss prospects for improving measurements of dark matter distributions, and how these interplay with future indirect dark matter searches.

  20. Dark matter in dwarf spheroidal galaxies and indirect detection: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strigari, Louis E.

    2018-05-01

    Indirect dark matter searches targeting dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) have matured rapidly during the past decade. This has been because of the substantial increase in kinematic data sets from the dSphs, the new dSphs that have been discovered, and the operation of the Fermi-LAT and many ground-based gamma-ray experiments. Here we review the analysis methods that have been used to determine the dSph dark matter distributions, in particular the ‘J-factors’, comparing and contrasting them, and detailing the underlying systematics that still affect the analysis. We discuss prospects for improving measurements of dark matter distributions, and how these interplay with future indirect dark matter searches.

  1. Metal-poor dwarf galaxies in the SIGRID galaxy sample. II. The electron temperature-abundance calibration and the parameters that affect it

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicholls, David C.; Dopita, Michael A.; Sutherland, Ralph S.; Jerjen, Helmut; Kewley, Lisa J., E-mail: David.Nicholls@anu.edu.au [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Cotter Rd., Weston ACT 2611 (Australia)

    2014-07-20

    In this paper, we use the Mappings photoionization code to explore the physical parameters that impact on the measurement of electron temperature and abundance in H II regions. In our previous paper, we presented observations and measurements of physical properties from the spectra of 17 H II regions in 14 isolated dwarf irregular galaxies from the SIGRID sample. Here, we analyze these observations further, together with three additional published data sets. We explore the effects of optical thickness, electron density, ionization parameter, ionization source, and non-equilibrium effects on the relation between electron temperature and metallicity. We present a standard model that fits the observed data remarkably well at metallicities between one-tenth and 1 solar. We investigate the effects of optically thin H II regions, and show that they can have a considerable effect on the measured electron temperature, and that there is evidence that some of the observed objects are optically thin. We look at the role of the ionization parameter and find that lower ionization parameter values give better fits at higher oxygen abundance. We show that higher pressures combined with low optical depth, and also κ electron energy distributions at low κ values, can generate the apparent high electron temperatures in low-metallicity H II regions, and that the former provides the better fit to observations. We examine the effects of these parameters on the strong line diagnostic methods. We extend this to three-dimensional diagnostic grids to confirm how well the observations are described by the grids.

  2. Exploring the dust content of galactic winds with Herschel - II. Nearby dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormick, Alexander; Veilleux, Sylvain; Meléndez, Marcio; Martin, Crystal L.; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Cecil, Gerald; Heitsch, Fabian; Müller, Thomas; Rupke, David S. N.; Engelbracht, Chad

    2018-06-01

    We present the results from an analysis of deep Herschel Space Observatory observations of six nearby dwarf galaxies known to host galactic-scale winds. The superior far-infrared sensitivity and angular resolution of Herschel have allowed detection of cold circumgalactic dust features beyond the stellar components of the host galaxies traced by Spitzer 4.5 μm images. Comparisons of these cold dust features with ancillary data reveal an imperfect spatial correlation with the ionized gas and warm dust wind components. We find that typically ˜10-20 per cent of the total dust mass in these galaxies resides outside of their stellar discs, but this fraction reaches ˜60 per cent in the case of NGC 1569. This galaxy also has the largest metallicity (O/H) deficit in our sample for its stellar mass. Overall, the small number of objects in our sample precludes drawing strong conclusions on the origin of the circumgalactic dust. We detect no statistically significant trends with star formation properties of the host galaxies, as might be expected if the dust were lifted above the disc by energy inputs from ongoing star formation activity. Although a case for dust entrained in a galactic wind is seen in NGC 1569, in all cases, we cannot rule out the possibility that some of the circumgalactic dust might be associated instead with gas accreted or removed from the disc by recent galaxy interaction events, or that it is part of the outer gas-rich portion of the disc that lies below the sensitivity limit of the Spitzer 4.5 μm data.

  3. High resolution spectroscopy of Red Giant Branch stars and the chemical evolution of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lemasle, B.; de Boer, T. J. L.; Hill, V.; Tolstoy, E.; Irwin, M. J.; Jablonka, P.; Venn, K.; Battaglia, G.; Starkenburg, E.; Shetrone, M.; Letarte, B.; Francois, P.; Helmi, A.; Primas, F.; Kaufer, A.; Szeifert, T.; Ballet, J.; Martins, F.; Bournaud, F.; Monier, R.; Reylé, C.

    2014-01-01

    From VLT-FLAMES high-resolution spectra, we determine the abundances of several α, iron-peak and neutron-capture elements in 47 Red Giant Branch stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We confirm that SNe Ia started to contribute to the chemical enrichment of Fornax at [Fe/H] between --2.0 and

  4. THE NATURE OF STARBURSTS. I. THE STAR FORMATION HISTORIES OF EIGHTEEN NEARBY STARBURST DWARF GALAXIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Stark, David; Weisz, Daniel; Cannon, John M.; Dalcanton, Julianne; Williams, Benjamin; Dolphin, Andrew; Hidalgo-RodrIguez, Sebastian; Holtzman, Jon

    2010-01-01

    We use archival Hubble Space Telescope observations of resolved stellar populations to derive the star formation histories (SFHs) of 18 nearby starburst dwarf galaxies. In this first paper, we present the observations, color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), and the SFHs of the 18 starburst galaxies, based on a homogeneous approach to the data reduction, differential extinction, and treatment of photometric completeness. We adopt a star formation rate (SFR) threshold normalized to the average SFR of the individual system as a metric for classifying starbursts in SFHs derived from resolved stellar populations. This choice facilitates finding not only the currently bursting galaxies but also 'fossil' bursts increasing the sample size of starburst galaxies in the nearby (D 100 Myr temporal baseline is thus fundamental to any starburst definition or identification method. The longer lived bursts rule out rapid 'self-quenching' of starbursts on global scales. The bursting galaxies' gas consumption timescales are shorter than the Hubble time for all but one galaxy confirming the short-lived nature of starbursts based on fuel limitations. Additionally, we find that the strength of the Hα emission usually correlates with the CMD-based SFR during the last 4-10 Myr. However, in four cases, the Hα emission is significantly less than what is expected for models of starbursts; the discrepancy is due to the SFR changing on timescales of a few Myr. The inherently short timescale of the Hα emission limits identifying galaxies as starbursts based on the current characteristics which may or may not be representative of the recent SFH of a galaxy.

  5. Dark Matter Searches with the Fermi-LAT in the Direction of Dwarf Spheroidals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wood, Matthew; Anderson, Brandon; Drlica-Wagner, Alex; Cohen-Tanugi, Johann; Conrad, Jan

    2015-07-13

    The dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are some of the most dark-matter-dominated objects known. Due to their proximity, high dark matter content, and lack of astrophysical backgrounds, dwarf spheroidal galaxies are widely considered to be among the most promising targets for the indirect detection of dark matter via gamma rays. Here we report on gamma-ray observations of Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies based on 6 years of Fermi Large Area Telescope data processed with the new Pass 8 reconstruction and event-level analysis. None of the dwarf galaxies are significantly detected in gamma rays, and we present upper limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section from a combined analysis of the 15 most promising dwarf galaxies. The constraints derived are among the strongest to date using gamma rays, and lie below the canonical thermal relic cross section for WIMPs of mass ≲ 100GeV annihilating via the bb-bar and τ⁺τ⁻ channels.

  6. GHASP: an Hα kinematical survey of spiral galaxies - XI. Distribution of luminous and dark matter in spiral and irregular nearby galaxies using WISE photometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korsaga, M.; Carignan, C.; Amram, P.; Epinat, B.; Jarrett, T. H.

    2018-04-01

    We present the mass distribution of a sample of 121 nearby galaxies with high quality optical velocity fields and available infra-red WISE 3.4 μm data. Contrary to previous studies, this sample covers all morphological types and is not biased toward late-type galaxies. These galaxies are part of the Fabry-Perot kinematical GHASP survey of spirals and irregular nearby galaxies. Combining the kinematical data to the WISE surface brightness data probing the emission from the old stellar population, we derive mass models allowing us to compare the luminous to the dark matter halo mass distribution in the optical regions of those galaxies. Dark matter (DM) models are constructed using the isothermal core profile and the Navarro-Frenk-White cuspy profile. We allow the M/L of the baryonic disc to vary or we keep it fixed, constrained by stellar evolutionary models (WISE W1-W2 color) and we carry out best fit (BFM) and pseudo-isothermal maximum disc (MDM) models. We found that the MDM provides M/L values four times higher than the BFM, suggesting that disc components, on average, tend to be maximal. The main results are: (i) the rotation curves of most galaxies are better fitted with core rather than cuspy profiles; (ii) the relation between the parameters of the DM and of the luminous matter components mostly depends on morphological types. More precisely, the distribution of the DM inside galaxies depends on whether or not the galaxy has a bulge.

  7. The Systemic Velocity and Internal Kinematics of the Dwarf Galaxy LGS 3: An Optical Foray beyond the Milky Way

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, K.H.; Mateo, M.; Olszewski, E.W.; Vogt, S.S.; Stubbs, C.; Diercks, A.

    1999-01-01

    We have obtained radial velocities of three K giants and one faint carbon star in LGS 3, a dwarf companion of M31, based on 12 individual spectra obtained with the HIRES spectrograph on the Keck I telescope. The mean precision of these measurements is 3.8 km s -1 . The mean systemic velocity of LGS 3 is -282.2±3.5 km s -1 . Monte Carlo simulations that take into account the individual velocity uncertainties and the maximum observed velocity difference reveal that the central velocity dispersion of LGS 3 is in the range 2.6 - 30.5 km s -1 , with 95% confidence; the most likely value for the central dispersion is 7.9 +5.3 -2.9 km s -1 . These results agree with the kinematics of H i gas in LGS 3. This contrasts with the tendency for the gas and stars in other low-luminosity Local Group dwarfs to exhibit distinct spatial and kinematic properties. Taking into account the relative youth of LGS 3, we conclude that the 'asymptotic' M/L ratio the value the galaxy would exhibit if it were composed only of ancient stars is M/L V,LGS3 ≥11 (at a 97.5% confidence level), with a most probable value of 95 +175 -56 . These values are consistent with the M/L V ratios observed in other well-studied early-type dwarfs of the Local Group. We have also estimated the mass of LGS 3 using modified Newtonian dynamics. These data represent the first moderately high precision optical spectra of giants in a dwarf system beyond the Galactic halo. We suggest future studies that are now feasible to study the dynamics of dwarf galaxies throughout the Local Group and beyond. copyright copyright 1999. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific

  8. Are We Really Missing Small Galaxies?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2018-02-01

    One long-standing astrophysical puzzle is that of so-called missing dwarf galaxies: the number of small dwarf galaxies that we observe is far fewer than that predicted by theory. New simulations, however, suggest that perhaps theres no mystery after all.Missing DwarfsDark-matter cosmological simulations predict many small galaxy halos for every large halo that forms. [The Via Lactea project]Models of a lambda-cold-dark-matter (CDM) universe predict the distribution of galaxy halo sizes throughout the universe, suggesting there should be many more small galaxies than large ones. In what has become known as the missing dwarf problem, however, we find that while we observe the expected numbers of galaxies at the larger end of the scale, we dont see nearly enough small galaxies to match the predictions.Are these galaxies actually missing? Are our predictions wrong? Or are the galaxies there and were just not spotting them? A recent study led by Alyson Brooks (Rutgers University) uses new simulations to explore whatscausing the difference between theory and observation.The fraction of detectable halos as a function of velocity, according to the authors simulations. Below 35 km/s, the detectability of the galaxies drops precipitously. [Brooks et al. 2017]Simulating Galactic VelocitiesBecause we cant weigh a galaxy directly, one proxy used for galaxy mass is its circular velocity; the more massive a galaxy, the faster gas and stars rotate around its center. The discrepancy between models and observations lies in whats known as the galaxy velocity function, which describes the number density of galaxies for a given circular velocity. While theory and observations agree for galaxies with circular velocities above 100 km/s, theory predicts far more dwarfs below this velocity than we observe.To investigate this problem, Brooks and collaborators ran a series of cosmological simulations based on our understanding of a CDM universe. Instead of exploring the result using only

  9. The dwarfs beyond: The stellar-to-halo mass relation for a new sample of intermediate redshift low-mass galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miller, Sarah H.; Ellis, Richard S.; Newman, Andrew B. [California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Benson, Andrew, E-mail: smiller@astro.caltech.edu [Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara St, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)

    2014-02-20

    A number of recent challenges to the standard ΛCDM paradigm relate to discrepancies that arise in comparing the abundance and kinematics of local dwarf galaxies with the predictions of numerical simulations. Such arguments rely heavily on the assumption that the Local Volume's dwarf and satellite galaxies form a representative distribution in terms of their stellar-to-halo mass ratios. To address this question, we present new, deep spectroscopy using DEIMOS on Keck for 82 low-mass (10{sup 7}-10{sup 9} M {sub ☉}), star-forming galaxies at intermediate redshift (0.2 < z < 1). For 50% of these we are able to determine resolved rotation curves using nebular emission lines and thereby construct the stellar mass Tully-Fisher relation to masses as low as 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉}. Using scaling relations determined from weak lensing data, we convert this to a stellar-to-halo mass relation for comparison with abundance matching predictions. We find a discrepancy between our observations and the predictions from abundance matching in the sense that we observe 3-12 times more stellar mass at a given halo mass. We suggest possible reasons for this discrepancy, as well as improved tests for the future.

  10. An intermediate-mass black hole in the darf galaxy Pox 52

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, Aaron

    2005-01-01

    Do dwarf elliptical and dwarf spiral galaxies contain central black holes with masses below 106 solar masses? Beyond the Local Group dynamical searches for black holes in this mass range are very difficult but the detection of accretion-powered nuclear activity could be used to infer the presence of a black hole. The nearby dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 4395 hosts a faint Seyfert 1 nucleus with a likely black hole mass in the range 104-105 solar masses and for more than a decade it has been the only known example of a Seyfert 1 nucleus in a dwarf galaxy. I will present new Keck spectra of the dwarf galaxy POX 52 which demonstrate that it has a Seyfert 1 spectrum nearly identical to that of NGC 4395. Its velocity dispersion is 37 km/s suggesting a possible black hole mass of order 105 solar masses. I will discuss the prospects for systematic searches for nuclear activity in dwarf galaxies and the implications for black hole demographics.

  11. Propagating star formation and irregular structure in spiral galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, M.W.; Arnett, W.D.

    1976-01-01

    A simple model is proposed which describes the irregular optical appearance often seen in late-type spiral galaxies. If high-mass stars produce spherical shock waves which induce star formation, new high-mass stars will be born which, in turn, produce new shock waves. When this process operates in a differentially rotating disk, our numerical model shows that large-scale spiral-shaped regions of star formation are built up. The structure is seen to be most sensitive to a parameter which governs how often a region of the interstellar medium can undergo star formation. For a proper choice of this parameter, large-scale features disappear before differential rotation winds them up. New spiral features continuously form, so some spiral structure is seen indefinitely. The structure is not the classical two-armed symmetric spiral pattern which the density-wave theory attempts to explain, but it is asymmetric and disorderly.The mechanism of propagating star formation used in our model is consistent with observations which connect young OB associations with expanding shells of gas. We discuss the possible interaction of this mechanism with density waves

  12. ON THE EFFICIENCY OF THE TIDAL STIRRING MECHANISM FOR THE ORIGIN OF DWARF SPHEROIDALS: DEPENDENCE ON THE ORBITAL AND STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF THE PROGENITOR DISKY DWARFS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazantzidis, Stelios; Lokas, Ewa L.; Callegari, Simone; Mayer, Lucio; Moustakas, Leonidas A.

    2011-01-01

    The tidal stirring model posits the formation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) via the tidal interactions between late-type, rotationally supported dwarfs and Milky-Way-sized host galaxies. Using a comprehensive set of collisionless N-body simulations, we investigate the efficiency of the tidal stirring mechanism for the origin of dSphs. In particular, we examine the degree to which the tidal field of the primary galaxy affects the sizes, masses, shapes, and kinematics of the disky dwarfs for a range of dwarf orbital and structural parameters. Our study is the first to employ self-consistent, equilibrium models for the progenitor dwarf galaxies constructed from a composite distribution function and consisting of exponential stellar disks embedded in massive, cosmologically motivated dark matter halos. Exploring a wide variety of dwarf orbital configurations and initial structures, we demonstrate that in the majority of cases the disky dwarfs experience significant mass loss and their stellar distributions undergo a dramatic morphological, as well as dynamical, transformation. Specifically, the stellar components evolve from disks to bars and finally to pressure-supported, spheroidal systems with kinematic and structural properties akin to those of the classic dSphs in the Local Group (LG) and similar environments. The self-consistency of the adopted dwarf models is crucial for confirming this complex transformation process via tidally induced dynamical instabilities and impulsive tidal heating of the stellar distribution. Our results suggest that such tidal transformations should be common occurrences within the currently favored cosmological paradigm and highlight the key factor responsible for an effective metamorphosis to be the strength of the tidal shocks at the pericenters of the orbit. We also demonstrate that the combination of short orbital times and small pericentric distances, characteristic of dwarfs being accreted by their hosts at high redshift

  13. Simulating neutron star mergers as r-process sources in ultrafaint dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safarzadeh, Mohammadtaher; Scannapieco, Evan

    2017-10-01

    To explain the high observed abundances of r-process elements in local ultrafaint dwarf (UFD) galaxies, we perform cosmological zoom simulations that include r-process production from neutron star mergers (NSMs). We model star formation stochastically and simulate two different haloes with total masses ≈108 M⊙ at z = 6. We find that the final distribution of [Eu/H] versus [Fe/H] is relatively insensitive to the energy by which the r-process material is ejected into the interstellar medium, but strongly sensitive to the environment in which the NSM event occurs. In one halo, the NSM event takes place at the centre of the stellar distribution, leading to high levels of r-process enrichment such as seen in a local UFD, Reticulum II (Ret II). In a second halo, the NSM event takes place outside of the densest part of the galaxy, leading to a more extended r-process distribution. The subsequent star formation occurs in an interstellar medium with shallow levels of r-process enrichment that results in stars with low levels of [Eu/H] compared to Ret II stars even when the maximum possible r-process mass is assumed to be ejected. This suggests that the natal kicks of neutron stars may also play an important role in determining the r-process abundances in UFD galaxies, a topic that warrants further theoretical investigation.

  14. DID THE MILKY WAY DWARF SATELLITES ENTER THE HALO AS A GROUP?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metz, Manuel; Kroupa, Pavel; Theis, Christian; Hensler, Gerhard; Jerjen, Helmut

    2009-01-01

    The dwarf satellite galaxies in the Local Group are generally considered to be hosted in dark matter subhalos that survived the disruptive processes during infall onto their host halos. It has recently been argued that if the majority of satellites entered the Milky Way (MW) halo in a group rather than individually, this could explain the spatial and dynamical peculiarities of its satellite distribution. Such groups were identified as dwarf galaxy associations that are found in the nearby universe. In this paper, we address the question whether galaxies in such associations can be the progenitors of the MW satellite galaxies. We find that the dwarf associations are much more extended than would be required to explain the disklike distribution of the MW and Andromeda satellite galaxies. We further identify a possible minor filamentary structure, perpendicular to the supergalactic plane, in which the dwarf associations are located, that might be related to the direction of infall of a progenitor galaxy of the MW satellites, if they are of tidal origin.

  15. The ACS LCID project : RR Lyrae stars as tracers of old population gradients in the isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxy tucana

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bernard, Edouard J.; Gallart, Carme; Monelli, Matteo; Aparicio, Antonio; Cassisi, Santi; Skillman, Evan D.; Stetson, Peter B.; Cole, Andrew A.; Drozdovsky, Igor; Hidalgo, Sebastian L.; Mateo, Mario; Tolstoy, Eline

    2008-01-01

    We present a study of the radial distribution of RR Lyrae variables, which present a range of photometric and pulsational properties, in the dwarf spheroidal galaxy Tucana. We find that the fainter RR Lyrae stars, having a shorter period, are more centrally concentrated than the more luminous,

  16. Spectroscopy of superluminous supernova host galaxies. A preference of hydrogen-poor events for extreme emission line galaxies

    OpenAIRE

    Leloudas, G.; Schulze, S.; Kruehler, T.; Gorosabel, J.; Christensen, L.; Mehner, A.; Postigo, A. de Ugarte; Amorin, R.; Thoene, C. C.; Anderson, J. P.; Bauer, F. E.; Gallazzi, A.; Helminiak, K. G.; Hjorth, J.; Ibar, E.

    2014-01-01

    Superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) are very bright explosions that were only discovered recently and that show a preference for occurring in faint dwarf galaxies. Understanding why stellar evolution yields different types of stellar explosions in these environments is fundamental in order to both uncover the elusive progenitors of SLSNe and to study star formation in dwarf galaxies. In this paper, we present the first results of our project to study SUperluminous Supernova Host galaxIES, focusi...

  17. Gas dynamics in tidal dwarf galaxies: Disc formation at z = 0

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lelli, Federico; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Brinks, Elias; Bournaud, Frédéric; McGaugh, Stacy S.; Lisenfeld, Ute; Weilbacher, Peter M.; Boquien, Médéric; Revaz, Yves; Braine, Jonathan; Koribalski, Bärbel S.; Belles, Pierre-Emmanuel

    2015-12-01

    Tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) are recycled objects that form within the collisional debris of interacting and merging galaxies. They are expected to be devoid of non-baryonic dark matter, since they can only form from dissipative material ejected from the discs of the progenitor galaxies. We investigate the gas dynamics in a sample of six bona fide TDGs around three interacting and post-interacting systems: NGC 4694, NGC 5291, and NGC 7252 ("Atoms for Peace"). For NGC 4694 and NGC 5291, we analyse existing H I data from the Very Large Array (VLA), while for NGC 7252 we present new H I observations from the Jansky VLA, together with long-slit and integral-field optical spectroscopy. For all six TDGs, the H I emission can be described by rotating disc models. These H I discs, however, have undergone less than a full rotation since the time of the interaction/merger event, raising the question of whether they are in dynamical equilibrium. Assuming that these discs are in equilibrium, the inferred dynamical masses are consistent with the observed baryonic masses, implying that TDGs are devoid of dark matter. This puts constraints on putative "dark discs" (either baryonic or non-baryonic) in the progenitor galaxies. Moreover, TDGs seem to systematically deviate from the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation. These results provide a challenging test for alternative theories like MOND. Based on observations made with ESO telescopes at Paranal Observatory under programmes 65.O-0563, 67.B-0049, and 083.B-0647.Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgThe reduced data cubes are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/584/A113

  18. AN INITIAL MASS FUNCTION STUDY OF THE DWARF STARBURST GALAXY NGC 4214

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andrews, J. E.; Calzetti, D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Chandar, R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Lee, J. C.; Whitmore, B. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Elmegreen, B. G. [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY (United States); Kennicutt, R. C. [Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge University, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Kissel, J. S. [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Da Silva, Robert L.; Krumholz, Mark R. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); O' Connell, R. W. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 3818, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Dopita, M. A. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Cotter Road, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Frogel, Jay A. [Galaxies Unlimited, 1 Tremblant Court, Lutherville, MD (United States); Kim, Hwihyun, E-mail: jandrews@astro.umass.edu, E-mail: callzetti@astro.umass.edu [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1404 (United States)

    2013-04-10

    The production rate of ionizing photons in young ({<=}8 Myr), unresolved stellar clusters in the nearby irregular galaxy NGC 4214 is probed using multi-wavelength Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 data. We normalize the ionizing photon rate by the cluster mass to investigate the upper end of the stellar initial mass function (IMF). We have found that within the uncertainties the upper end of the stellar IMF appears to be universal in this galaxy, and that deviations from a universal IMF can be attributed to stochastic sampling of stars in clusters with masses {approx}<10{sup 3} M{sub Sun }. Furthermore, we have found that there does not seem to be a dependence of the maximum stellar mass on the cluster mass. We have also found that for massive clusters, feedback may cause an underrepresentation in H{alpha} luminosities, which needs to be taken into account when conducting this type of analysis.

  19. The Oldest Stars of the Extremely Metal-Poor Local Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxy Leo A

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulte-Ladbeck, Regina E.; Hopp, Ulrich; Drozdovsky, Igor O.; Greggio, Laura; Crone, Mary M.

    2002-08-01

    We present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) single-star photometry of Leo A in B, V, and I. Our new field of view is offset from the centrally located field observed by Tolstoy et al. in order to expose the halo population of this galaxy. We report the detection of metal-poor red horizontal branch stars, which demonstrate that Leo A is not a young galaxy. In fact, Leo A is as least as old as metal-poor Galactic Globular Clusters that exhibit red horizontal branches and are considered to have a minimum age of about 9 Gyr. We discuss the distance to Leo A and perform an extensive comparison of the data with stellar isochrones. For a distance modulus of 24.5, the data are better than 50% complete down to absolute magnitudes of 2 or more. We can easily identify stars with metallicities between 0.0001 and 0.0004, and ages between about 5 and 10 Gyr, in their post-main-sequence phases, but we lack the detection of main-sequence turnoffs that would provide unambiguous proof of ancient (>10 Gyr) stellar generations. Blue horizontal branch stars are above the detection limits but difficult to distinguish from young stars with similar colors and magnitudes. Synthetic color-magnitude diagrams show it is possible to populate the blue horizontal branch in the halo of Leo A. The models also suggest ~50% of the total astrated mass in our pointing to be attributed to an ancient (>10 Gyr) stellar population. We conclude that Leo A started to form stars at least about 9 Gyr ago. Leo A exhibits an extremely low oxygen abundance, only 3% of solar, in its ionized interstellar medium. The existence of old stars in this very oxygen-deficient galaxy illustrates that a low oxygen abundance does not preclude a history of early star formation. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

  20. The red and blue galaxy populations in the GOODS field: evidence for an excess of red dwarfs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salimbeni, S.; Giallongo, E.; Menci, N.; Castellano, M.; Fontana, A.; Grazian, A.; Pentericci, L.; Trevese, D.; Cristiani, S.; Nonino, M.; Vanzella, E.

    2008-01-01

    Aims: We study the evolution of the galaxy population up to z˜ 3 as a function of its colour properties. In particular, luminosity functions and luminosity densities were derived as a function of redshift for the blue/late and red/early populations. Methods: We use data from the GOODS-MUSIC catalogue, which have typical magnitude limits z850≤ 26 and K_s≤ 23.5 for most of the sample. About 8% of the galaxies have spectroscopic redshifts; the remaining have well calibrated photometric redshifts derived from the extremely wide multi-wavelength coverage in 14 bands (from the U band to the Spitzer 8~ μm band). We have derived a catalogue of galaxies complete in the rest-frame B-band, which has been divided into two subsamples according to their rest-frame U-V colour (or derived specific star formation rate) properties. Results: We confirm a bimodality in the U-V colour and specific star formation rate of the galaxy sample up to z˜ 3. This bimodality is used to compute the luminosity functions of the blue/late and red/early subsamples. The luminosity functions of the blue/late and total samples are well represented by steep Schechter functions evolving in luminosity with increasing redshifts. The volume density of the luminosity functions of the red/early populations decreases with increasing redshift. The shape of the red/early luminosity functions shows an excess of faint red dwarfs with respect to the extrapolation of a flat Schechter function and can be represented by the sum of two Schechter functions. Our model for galaxy formation in the hierarchical clustering scenario, which also includes external feedback due to a diffuse UV background, shows a general broad agreement with the luminosity functions of both populations, the larger discrepancies being present at the faint end for the red population. Hints on the nature of the red dwarf population are given on the basis of their stellar mass and spatial distributions.

  1. The star formation histories of local group dwarf galaxies. II. Searching for signatures of reionization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weisz, Daniel R. [Department of Astronomy, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 East Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Holtzman, Jon [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Box 30001, 1320 Frenger Street, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Gilbert, Karoline M.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Williams, Benjamin F., E-mail: drw@ucsc.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)

    2014-07-10

    We search for signatures of reionization in the star formation histories (SFHs) of 38 Local Group dwarf galaxies (10{sup 4} < M{sub *} < 10{sup 9} M{sub ☉}). The SFHs are derived from color-magnitude diagrams using archival Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 imaging. Only five quenched galaxies (And V, And VI, And XIII, Leo IV, and Hercules) are consistent with forming the bulk of their stars before reionization, when full uncertainties are considered. Observations of 13 of the predicted 'true fossils' identified by Bovill and Ricotti show that only two (Hercules and Leo IV) indicate star formation quenched by reionization. However, both are within the virial radius of the Milky Way and evidence of tidal disturbance complicates this interpretation. We argue that the late-time gas capture scenario posited by Ricotti for the low mass, gas-rich, and star-forming fossil candidate Leo T is observationally indistinguishable from simple gas retention. Given the ambiguity between environmental effects and reionization, the best reionization fossil candidates are quenched low mass field galaxies (e.g., KKR 25).

  2. The masses of local group dwarf spheroidal galaxies: The death of the universal mass profile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collins, Michelle L. M.; Martin, Nicolas F.; Chapman, Scott C.; Irwin, Michael J.; Rich, R. M.; Ibata, Rodrigo A.; Bate, Nicholas F.; Lewis, Geraint F.; Peñarrubia, Jorge; Arimoto, Nobuo; Casey, Caitlin M.; Ferguson, Annette M. N.; Koch, Andreas; McConnachie, Alan W.; Tanvir, Nial

    2014-01-01

    We investigate the claim that all dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) reside within halos that share a common, universal mass profile as has been derived for dSphs of the galaxy. By folding in kinematic information for 25 Andromeda dSphs, more than doubling the previous sample size, we find that a singular mass profile cannot be found to fit all of the observations well. Further, the best-fit dark matter density profile measured solely for the Milky Way dSphs is marginally discrepant with that of the Andromeda dSphs (at just beyond the 1σ level), where a profile with lower maximum circular velocity, and hence mass, is preferred. The agreement is significantly better when three extreme Andromeda outliers, And XIX, XXI, and XXV, all of which have large half-light radii (≳ 600 pc) and low-velocity dispersions (σ v < 5 km s –1 ), are omitted from the sample. We argue that the unusual properties of these outliers are likely caused by tidal interactions with the host galaxy.

  3. The masses of local group dwarf spheroidal galaxies: The death of the universal mass profile

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Collins, Michelle L. M.; Martin, Nicolas F. [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Chapman, Scott C.; Irwin, Michael J. [Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Rise, Cambridge, CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Rich, R. M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States); Ibata, Rodrigo A. [Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l' Université, F-67000, Strasbourg (France); Bate, Nicholas F.; Lewis, Geraint F. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, A28, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Peñarrubia, Jorge [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucia-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008, Granada (Spain); Arimoto, Nobuo [Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 650 North A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Casey, Caitlin M. [Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822-1839 (United States); Ferguson, Annette M. N. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Koch, Andreas [Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Landessternwarte, Königstuhl 12, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); McConnachie, Alan W. [NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, British Columbia, Victoria V9E 2E7 (Canada); Tanvir, Nial [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)

    2014-03-01

    We investigate the claim that all dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) reside within halos that share a common, universal mass profile as has been derived for dSphs of the galaxy. By folding in kinematic information for 25 Andromeda dSphs, more than doubling the previous sample size, we find that a singular mass profile cannot be found to fit all of the observations well. Further, the best-fit dark matter density profile measured solely for the Milky Way dSphs is marginally discrepant with that of the Andromeda dSphs (at just beyond the 1σ level), where a profile with lower maximum circular velocity, and hence mass, is preferred. The agreement is significantly better when three extreme Andromeda outliers, And XIX, XXI, and XXV, all of which have large half-light radii (≳ 600 pc) and low-velocity dispersions (σ {sub v} < 5 km s{sup –1}), are omitted from the sample. We argue that the unusual properties of these outliers are likely caused by tidal interactions with the host galaxy.

  4. The dwarf galaxy population of nearby galaxy clusters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lisker, Thorsten; Wittmann, Carolin; Pak, Mina; Janz, Joachim; Bialas, Daniel; Peletier, Reynier; Grebel, Eva; Falcon Barroso, Jesus; Toloba, Elisa; Smakced Collaboration, Focus Collaboration

    The Fornax, Virgo, Ursa Major and Perseus galaxy clusters all have very different characteristics, in terms of their density, mass, and large-scale environment. We can regard these clusters as laboratories for studying environmental influence on galaxy evolution, using the sensitive low-mass

  5. SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION OF THE DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY d0994+71 AS A MEMBER OF THE M81 GROUP OF GALAXIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toloba, Elisa; Sand, David; Crnojević, Denija [Texas Tech University, Physics Department, Box 41051, Lubbock, TX 79409-1051 (United States); Guhathakurta, Puragra [UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Chiboucas, Kristin [Gemini Observatory, 670 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Simon, Joshua D., E-mail: toloba@ucolick.org [Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)

    2016-10-10

    We use Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy to measure the first velocity and metallicity of a dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy beyond the Local Group using resolved stars. Our target, d0944+71, is a faint dSph found in the halo of the massive spiral galaxy M81 by Chiboucas et al. We coadd the spectra of 27 individual stars and measure a heliocentric radial velocity of −38 ± 10 km s{sup −1}. This velocity is consistent with d0944+71 being gravitationally bound to M81. We coadd the spectra of the 23 stars that are consistent with being red giant branch stars and measure an overall metallicity of [Fe/H] = −1.3 ± 0.3 based on the calcium triplet lines. This metallicity is consistent with d0944+71 following the metallicity−luminosity relation for Local Group dSphs. We investigate several potential sources of observational bias but find that our sample of targeted stars is representative of the metallicity distribution function of d0944+71 and any stellar contamination due to seeing effects is negligible. The low ellipticity of the galaxy and its position in the metallicity−luminosity relation suggest that d0944+71 has not been affected by strong tidal stripping.

  6. The Sizes of Early-Type Galaxies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janz, Joachim; Lisker, Thorsten

    2008-01-01

    In this letter we present a study of the size luminosity relation of 475 early-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster with Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data. The analysis of our homogeneous, model-independent data set reveals that giant and dwarf early-type galaxies do not form one common sequence in this relation. The dwarfs seem to show weak or no dependence on luminosity, and do not fall on the extension of the rather steep relation of the giants. Under the assumption that the light profile shape varies continuously with magnitude, a curved relation of size and magnitude would be expected. While the galaxies do roughly follow this trend overall, we find that the dwarf galaxies are significantly larger and the low-luminosity giants are significantly smaller than what is predicted. We come to the conclusion that in this scaling relation there is not one common sequence from dwarfs to giants, but a dichotomy that cannot be resolved by varying profile shapes. The comparison of our data to a semianalytic model supports the idea of a physical origin for this dichotomy.

  7. Supernova-driven outflows and chemical evolution of dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Yong-Zhong; Wasserburg, G J

    2012-03-27

    We present a general phenomenological model for the metallicity distribution (MD) in terms of [Fe/H] for dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). These galaxies appear to have stopped accreting gas from the intergalactic medium and are fossilized systems with their stars undergoing slow internal evolution. For a wide variety of infall histories of unprocessed baryonic matter to feed star formation, most of the observed MDs can be well described by our model. The key requirement is that the fraction of the gas mass lost by supernova-driven outflows is close to unity. This model also predicts a relationship between the total stellar mass and the mean metallicity for dSphs in accord with properties of their dark matter halos. The model further predicts as a natural consequence that the abundance ratios [E/Fe] for elements such as O, Mg, and Si decrease for stellar populations at the higher end of the [Fe/H] range in a dSph. We show that, for infall rates far below the net rate of gas loss to star formation and outflows, the MD in our model is very sharply peaked at one [Fe/H] value, similar to what is observed in most globular clusters. This result suggests that globular clusters may be end members of the same family as dSphs.

  8. Leo A : A late-blooming survivor of the epoch of reionization in the local group

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cole, Andrew A.; Skillman, Evan D.; Tolstoy, Eline; Gallagher, John S.; Aparicio, Antonio; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Gallart, Carme; Hidalgo, Sebastian L.; Saha, Abhijit; Stetson, Peter B.; Weisz, Daniel R.

    2007-01-01

    As part of a major program to use isolated Local Group dwarf galaxies as near-field probes of cosmology, we have obtained deep images of the dwarf irregular galaxy Leo A with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. From these images we have constructed a color-magnitude

  9. Searches for dark matter self-annihilation signals from dwarf spheroidal galaxies and the Fornax galaxy cluster with imaging air Cherenkov telescopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Opitz, Bjoern Helmut Bastian

    2014-06-01

    Many astronomical observations indicate that dark matter pervades the universe and dominates the formation and dynamics of cosmic structures. Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with masses in the GeV to TeV range form a popular class of dark matter candidates. WIMP self-annihilation may lead to the production of γ-rays in the very high energy regime above 100 GeV, which is observable with imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). For this thesis, observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph) and the Fornax galaxy cluster with the Cherenkov telescope systems H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS were used to search for γ-ray signals of dark matter annihilations. The work consists of two parts: First, a likelihood-based statistical technique was introduced to combine published results of dSph observations with the different IACTs. The technique also accounts for uncertainties on the ''J factors'', which quantify the dark matter content of the dwarf galaxies. Secondly, H.E.S.S. observations of the Fornax cluster were analyzed. In this case, a collection of dark matter halo models was used for the J factor computation. In addition, possible signal enhancements from halo substructures were considered. None of the searches yielded a significant γ-ray signal. Therefore, the results were used to place upper limits on the thermally averaged dark matter self-annihilation cross-section left angle σν right angle. Different models for the final state of the annihilation process were considered. The cross-section limits range from left angle σν right angle UL ∝10 -19 cm 3 s -1 to left angle σν right angle UL ∝10 -25 cm 3 s -1 for dark matter particles masses between 100 GeV and 100 TeV. Some of the diverse model uncertainties causing this wide range of left angle σν right angle UL values were analyzed.

  10. Hydra II: A Faint and Compact Milky Way Dwarf Galaxy Found in the Survey of the Magellanic Stellar History

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martin, Nicolas F.; Nidever, David L.; Besla, Gurtina; Olsen, Knut; Walker, Alistair R.; Vivas, A. Katherina; Gruendl, Robert A.; Kaleida, Catherine C.; Muñoz, Ricardo R.; Blum, Robert D.; Saha, Abhijit; Conn, Blair C.; Bell, Eric F.; Chu, You-Hua; Cioni, Maria-Rosa L.; de Boer, Thomas J. L.; Gallart, Carme; Jin, Shoko; Kunder, Andrea; Majewski, Steven R.; Martinez-Delgado, David; Monachesi, Antonela; Monelli, Matteo; Monteagudo, Lara; Noël, Noelia E. D.; Olszewski, Edward W.; Stringfellow, Guy S.; van der Marel, Roeland P.; Zaritsky, Dennis

    We present the discovery of a new dwarf galaxy, Hydra II, found serendipitously within the data from the ongoing Survey of the Magellanic Stellar History conducted with the Dark Energy Camera on the Blanco 4 m Telescope. The new satellite is compact ({{r}h}=68 ± 11 pc) and faint ({{M}V}=-4.8 ± 0.3),

  11. CLASH: DISCOVERY OF A BRIGHT z {approx_equal} 6.2 DWARF GALAXY QUADRUPLY LENSED BY MACS J0329.6-0211

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zitrin, A. [Institut fuer Theoretische Astrophysik, Universitaet Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany); Moustakas, J. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA (United States); Bradley, L.; Coe, D.; Postman, M.; Koekemoer, A. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (United States); Moustakas, L. A. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Shu, X. [Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China); Zheng, W.; Ford, H. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States); Benitez, N. [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Granada (Spain); Bouwens, R. [Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden, Leiden (Netherlands); Broadhurst, T. [Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Basque Country, Bilbao (Spain); Host, O.; Jouvel, S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London (United Kingdom); Meneghetti, M. [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Rosati, P. [European Southern Observatory, Garching bei Muenchen (Germany); Donahue, M. [Physics and Astronomy Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States); Grillo, C. [Excellence Cluster Universe, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Muenchen (Germany); Kelson, D., E-mail: adizitrin@gmail.com [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Pasadena, CA (United States); and others

    2012-03-15

    We report the discovery of a z{sub phot} = 6.18{sup +0.05}{sub -0.07} (95% confidence level) dwarf galaxy, lensed into four images by the galaxy cluster MACS J0329.6-0211 (z{sub l} = 0.45). The galaxy is observed as a high-redshift dropout in HST/ACS/WFC3 CLASH and Spitzer/IRAC imaging. Its redshift is securely determined due to a clear detection of the Lyman break in the 18-band photometry, making this galaxy one of the highest-redshift multiply lensed objects known to date with an observed magnitude of F125W =24.00 {+-} 0.04 AB mag for its most magnified image. We also present the first strong-lensing analysis of this cluster uncovering 15 additional multiply imaged candidates of five lower-redshift sources spanning the range z{sub s} {approx_equal} 2-4. The mass model independently supports the high photometric redshift and reveals magnifications of 11.6{sup +8.9}{sub -4.1}, 17.6{sup +6.2}{sub -3.9}, 3.9{sup +3.0}{sub -1.7}, and 3.7{sup +1.3}{sub -0.2}, respectively, for the four images of the high-redshift galaxy. By delensing the most magnified image we construct an image of the source with a physical resolution of {approx}200 pc when the universe was {approx}0.9 Gyr old, where the z {approx_equal} 6.2 galaxy occupies a source-plane area of approximately 2.2 kpc{sup 2}. Modeling the observed spectral energy distribution using population synthesis models, we find a demagnified stellar mass of {approx}10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }, subsolar metallicity (Z/Z{sub Sun} {approx} 0.5), low dust content (A{sub V} {approx} 0.1 mag), a demagnified star formation rate (SFR) of {approx}3.2 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}, and a specific SFR of {approx}3.4 Gyr{sup -1}, all consistent with the properties of local dwarf galaxies.

  12. Illuminating Low Surface Brightness Galaxies with the Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greco, Johnny P.; Greene, Jenny E.; Strauss, Michael A.; Macarthur, Lauren A.; Flowers, Xzavier; Goulding, Andy D.; Huang, Song; Kim, Ji Hoon; Komiyama, Yutaka; Leauthaud, Alexie; Leisman, Lukas; Lupton, Robert H.; Sifón, Cristóbal; Wang, Shiang-Yu

    2018-04-01

    We present a catalog of extended low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) identified in the Wide layer of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP). Using the first ∼200 deg2 of the survey, we have uncovered 781 LSBGs, spanning red (g ‑ i ≥ 0.64) and blue (g ‑ i r eff = 2.″5–14″), our sample is likely dominated by low-redshift objects. We define LSBGs to have mean surface brightnesses {\\bar{μ }}eff}(g)> 24.3 mag arcsec‑2, which allows nucleated galaxies into our sample. As a result, the central surface brightness distribution spans a wide range of μ 0(g) = 18–27.4 mag arcsec‑2, with 50% and 95% of galaxies fainter than 24.3 and 22 mag arcsec‑2, respectively. Furthermore, the surface brightness distribution is a strong function of color, with the red distribution being much broader and generally fainter than that of the blue LSBGs, and this trend shows a clear correlation with galaxy morphology. Red LSBGs typically have smooth light profiles that are well characterized by single-component Sérsic functions. In contrast, blue LSBGs tend to have irregular morphologies and show evidence for ongoing star formation. We cross-match our sample with existing optical, H I, and ultraviolet catalogs to gain insight into the physical nature of the LSBGs. We find that our sample is diverse, ranging from dwarf spheroidals and ultradiffuse galaxies in nearby groups to gas-rich irregulars to giant LSB spirals, demonstrating the potential of the HSC-SSP to provide a truly unprecedented view of the LSBG population.

  13. In Pursuit of the Least Luminous Galaxies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beth Willman

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The dwarf galaxy companions to the Milky Way are unique cosmological laboratories. With luminosities as low as 10−7LMW, they inhabit the lowest mass dark matter halos known to host stars and are presently the most direct tracers of the distribution, mass spectrum, and clustering scale of dark matter. Their resolved stellar populations also facilitate detailed studies of their history and mass content. To fully exploit this potential requires a well-defined census of virtually invisible galaxies to the faintest possible limits and to the largest possible distances. I review the past and present impacts of survey astronomy on the census of Milky Way dwarf galaxy companions and discuss the future of finding ultra-faint dwarf galaxies around the Milky Way and beyond in wide-field survey data.

  14. Dark Matter in γ lines: Galactic Center vs. dwarf galaxies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lefranc, Valentin; Moulin, Emmanuel [DRF/Irfu, Service de Physique des Particules, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Panci, Paolo; Silk, Joseph [Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095 CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 98 bis Boulevard Arago, Paris 75014 (France); Sala, Filippo, E-mail: valentin.lefranc@cea.fr, E-mail: emmanuel.moulin@cea.fr, E-mail: panci@iap.fr, E-mail: fsala@lpthe.jussieu.fr, E-mail: silk@iap.fr [LPTHE, UMR 7589 CNRS, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75252, Paris (France)

    2016-09-01

    We provide CTA sensitivities to Dark Matter (DM) annihilation in γ-ray lines, from the observation of the Galactic Center (GC) as well as, for the first time, of dwarf Spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). We compare the GC reach with that of dSphs as a function of a putative core radius of the DM distribution, which is itself poorly known. We find that the currently best dSph candidates constitute a more promising target than the GC, for core radii of one to a few kpc. We use the most recent instrument response functions and background estimations by CTA, on top of which we add the diffuse photon component. Our analysis is of particular interest for TeV-scale electroweak multiplets as DM candidates, such as the supersymmetric Wino and the Minimal Dark Matter fiveplet, whose predictions we compare with our projected sensitivities.

  15. Near-IR TRGB Distance to Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy NGC 147

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Kang

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available We report the distance modulus of nearby dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 147 estimated from the Tip of Red-giant Branch (TRGB method applying to the color-magnitude diagrams and luminosity functions in the near-infrared JHK bands. Apparent magnitudes of TRGBs in each band are obtained by applying Savitzky-Golay filter to the luminosity functions, and the theoretical absolute magnitudes are estimated from Yonsei-Yale isochrones. The derived values of distance modulus to NGC 147 are (m-M=23.69±0.12, 23.78±0.17, and 23.85±0.22 for J, H, and K bands, respectively. Distance modulus in bolometric magnitude is also derived as (m-M=23.87±0.11. We compare the derived values of the TRGB distance modulus to NGC 147 in the near-infrared bands with the previous results in other bands.

  16. Active Galactic Nuclei in Dwarf Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hein, Megan; Secrest, N.; Satyapal, S.

    2014-01-01

    Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) one million to a few billion times the mass of our sun are thought to reside in the center of most, if not all, bulge-dominated galaxies. It has been observed that the mass of these SMBHs is strongly correlated with the mass of these bulges, leading to the popular view that these central black holes are formed by galaxy mergers, which induce the growth of the galaxy's bulge and provide matter with which to feed the black hole. Although these properties and their possible consequences have been studied extensively in high mass galaxies and galaxies with large bulges, there is very little research on the possible existence and subsequent properties of SMBHs in low mass galaxies or galaxies with small or no central bulges. This is a significant weakness in the research of these objects as the study of this population of galaxies would allow us to gain valuable insight into SMBH seeds, black holes thought to have formed in the early universe. Strong X-rays are a good indicator of an accreting black hole, because they require more energy to produce and SMBHs are highly energetic, as well as being easier to see due to their ability to penetrate matter more easily than other forms of radiation. In this poster, I will present the results from an X-ray investigation using data matched from the Chandra X-ray observatory to a sample of low mass galaxies (with a mass of log(M) < 9).

  17. The Metallicity of Void Dwarf Galaxies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kreckel, K.; Croxall, K.; Groves, B.; van de Weygaert, R.; Pogge, R. W.

    The current ΛCDM cosmological model predicts that galaxy evolution proceeds more slowly in lower density environments, suggesting that voids are a prime location to search for relatively pristine galaxies that are representative of the building blocks of early massive galaxies. To test the

  18. Early Gas Stripping as the Origin of the Darkest Galaxies in the Universe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mayer, Lucio; /Zurich, ETH /Zurich U.; Kazantzidis, Stelios; /KIPAC, Menlo Park /KICP, Chicago; Mastropietro, Chiara; /Munich U. Observ.; Wadsley, James; /McMaster U.

    2007-02-28

    The known galaxies most dominated by dark matter (Draco, Ursa Minor and Andromeda IX) are satellites of the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxies. They are members of a class of faint galaxies, devoid of gas, known as dwarf spheroidals, and have by far the highest ratio of dark to luminous matter. None of the models proposed to unravel their origin can simultaneously explain their exceptional dark matter content and their proximity to a much larger galaxy. Here we report simulations showing that the progenitors of these galaxies were probably gas-dominated dwarf galaxies that became satellites of a larger galaxy earlier than the other dwarf spheroidals. We find that a combination of tidal shocks and ram pressure swept away the entire gas content of such progenitors about ten billion years ago because heating by the cosmic ultraviolet background kept the gas loosely bound: a tiny stellar component embedded in a relatively massive dark halo survived until today. All luminous galaxies should be surrounded by a few extremely dark-matter-dominated dwarf spheroidal satellites, and these should have the shortest orbital periods among dwarf spheroidals because they were accreted early.

  19. A 3.5-million Solar Masses Black Hole in the Centre of the Ultracompact Dwarf Galaxy Fornax UCD3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afanasiev, Anton V.; Chilingarian, Igor V.; Mieske, Steffen; Voggel, Karina T.; Picotti, Arianna; Hilker, Michael; Seth, Anil; Neumayer, Nadine; Frank, Matthias; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Hau, George; Baumgardt, Holger; Ahn, Christopher; Strader, Jay; den Brok, Mark; McDermid, Richard; Spitler, Lee; Brodie, Jean; Walsh, Jonelle L.

    2018-04-01

    The origin of ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs), a class of compact stellar systems discovered two decades ago, still remains a matter of debate. Recent discoveries of central supermassive black holes in UCDs likely inherited from their massive progenitor galaxies provide support for the tidal stripping hypothesis. At the same time, on statistical grounds, some massive UCDs might be representatives of the high luminosity tail of the globular cluster luminosity function. Here we present a detection of a 3.3^{+1.4}_{-1.2}× 10^6 M_{⊙} black hole (1σ uncertainty) in the centre of the UCD3 galaxy in the Fornax cluster, that corresponds to 4 per cent of its stellar mass. We performed isotropic Jeans dynamical modelling of UCD3 using internal kinematics derived from adaptive optics assisted observations with the SINFONI spectrograph and seeing limited data collected with the FLAMES spectrograph at the ESO VLT. We rule out the zero black hole mass at the 3σ confidence level when adopting a mass-to-light ratio inferred from stellar populations. This is the fourth supermassive black hole found in a UCD and the first one in the Fornax cluster. Similarly to other known UCDs that harbour black holes, UCD3 hosts metal rich stars enhanced in α-elements that supports the tidal stripping of a massive progenitor as its likely formation scenario. We estimate that up to 80 per cent of luminous UCDs in galaxy clusters host central black holes. This fraction should be lower for UCDs in groups, because their progenitors are more likely to be dwarf galaxies, which do not tend to host central black holes.

  20. Stellar kinematics and structural properties of virgo cluster dwarf early-type galaxies from the SMAKCED project. I. Kinematically decoupled cores and implications for infallen groups in clusters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toloba, E.; Guhathakurta, P. [UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Van de Ven, G. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Boissier, S.; Boselli, A. [Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille-LAM, Université d' Aix-Marseille and CNRS, UMR 7326, 38 rue F. Joliot-Curie, F-13388 Marseille Cedex 13 (France); Den Brok, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Falcón-Barroso, J.; Ryś, A. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Vía Láctea s/n, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Hensler, G. [Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Türkenschanzstraße 17, 1180 Vienna (Austria); Janz, J.; Lisker, T. [Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Mönchhofstraße 12-14, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Laurikainen, E.; Salo, H. [Division of Astronomy, Department of Physics, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014 Oulu (Finland); Paudel, S. [Laboratoire AIM Paris-Saclay, CNRS/INSU, Université Paris Diderot, CEA/IRFU/SAp, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Peletier, R. F., E-mail: toloba@ucolick.org [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, Postbus 800, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands)

    2014-03-10

    We present evidence for kinematically decoupled cores (KDCs) in two dwarf early-type (dE) galaxies in the Virgo cluster, VCC 1183 and VCC 1453, studied as part of the SMAKCED stellar absorption-line spectroscopy and imaging survey. These KDCs have radii of 1.''8 (0.14 kpc) and 4.''2 (0.33 kpc), respectively. Each of these KDCs is distinct from the main body of its host galaxy in two ways: (1) inverted sense of rotation and (2) younger (and possibly more metal-rich) stellar population. The observed stellar population differences are probably associated with the KDC, although we cannot rule out the possibility of intrinsic radial gradients in the host galaxy. We describe a statistical analysis method to detect, quantify the significance of, and characterize KDCs in long-slit rotation curve data. We apply this method to the two dE galaxies presented in this paper and to five other dEs for which KDCs have been reported in the literature. Among these seven dEs, there are four significant KDC detections, two marginal KDC detections, and one dE with an unusual central kinematic anomaly that may be an asymmetric KDC. The frequency of occurrence of KDCs and their properties provide important constraints on the formation history of their host galaxies. We discuss different formation scenarios for these KDCs in cluster environments and find that dwarf-dwarf wet mergers or gas accretion can explain the properties of these KDCs. Both of these mechanisms require that the progenitor had a close companion with a low relative velocity. This suggests that KDCs were formed in galaxy pairs residing in a poor group environment or in isolation whose subsequent infall into the cluster quenched star formation.

  1. Particle dark matter constraints from the Draco dwarf galaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tyler, Craig

    2002-01-01

    It is widely thought that neutralinos, the lightest supersymmetric particles, could comprise most of the dark matter. If so, then dark halos will emit radio and gamma ray signals initiated by neutralino annihilation. A particularly promising place to look for these indicators is at the center of the local group dwarf spheroidal galaxy Draco, and recent measurements of the motion of its stars have revealed it to be an even better target for dark matter detection than previously thought. We compute limits on WIMP properties for various models of Draco's dark matter halo. We find that if the halo is nearly isothermal, as the new measurements indicate, then current gamma ray flux limits prohibit much of the neutralino parameter space. If Draco has a moderate magnetic field, then current radio limits can rule out more of it. These results are appreciably stronger than other current constraints, and so acquiring more detailed data on Draco's density profile may become one of the most promising avenues for identifying dark matter

  2. A Deep Study of the Dwarf Satellites Andromeda XXVIII & Andromeda XXIX

    OpenAIRE

    Slater, Colin T.; Bell, Eric F.; Martin, Nicolas F.; Tollerud, Erik J.; Ho, Nhung

    2015-01-01

    We present the results of a deep study of the isolated dwarf galaxies Andromeda XXVIII and Andromeda XXIX with Gemini/GMOS and Keck/DEIMOS. Both galaxies are shown to host old, metal-poor stellar populations with no detectable recent star formation, conclusively identifying both of them as dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). And XXVIII exhibits a complex horizontal branch morphology, which is suggestive of metallicity enrichment and thus an extended period of star formation in the past. Decomp...

  3. The role of the Milky Way hot coronal gas on its dwarf galaxies stellar population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasetto, Stefano; Cropper, Mark; fujita, Yutaka; Chiosi, Cesare; Grebel, Eva K.

    2015-08-01

    A large amount (˜5 ×1010 Msun) of hot gas is thought to exist in an extended (˜200 kpc) hot diffuse halo around the Milky Way (MW). We investigate the competitive role of the different dissipative phenomena acting on the onset of star formation history of gravitationally bound system in this external environment. Ram pressure, Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, Rayleigh-Taylor, and tidal forces are accounted separately in an analytical framework and compared in their role in influencing the star forming regions. We present an analytical criterion to elucidate the dependence of star formation in a spherical stellar system on its surrounding environment useful in observational applications as well as theoretical interpretations of numerical results.We consider the different signatures of these phenomena in synthetically realized colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the orbiting system thus investigating the detectability limits of these different effects for future observational projects and their relevance.The theoretical framework developed has direct applications to the cases of our MW system as well as dwarf galaxies in galaxy clusters or any primordial gas-rich cluster of stars orbiting within its host galaxy.

  4. Dark Galaxies and Lost Baryons (IAU S244)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Jonathan I.; Disney, Michael J.

    2008-05-01

    ; Numerical simulation of the dwarf companions of giant galaxies A. Nelson and P. Williams; Delayed galaxies C. Struck, M. Hancock, B. Smith, P. Appleton, V. Charmandaris and M. Giroux; Probe of dark galaxies via disturbed/lopsided isolated galaxies I. Karachentsev, V. Karachentseva, W. Huchtmeier, D. Makarov and S. Kaisin; Star formation thresholds J. Schaye; Scaling relations of dwarf galaxies without supernova-driven winds K. Tassis, A. Kravtsov and N. Gnedin; Star formation in massive low surface brightness galaxies K. O'Neil; Linking clustering properties and the evolution of low surface brightness galaxies D. Bomans and S. Rosenbaum; Too small to form a galaxy: how the UV background determines the baryon fraction M. Hoeft, G. Yepes and S. Gottlober; Star formation in damped Lyman selected galaxies L. Christensen; Dark-matter content of early-type galaxies with planetary nebulae N. Napolitano et al.; Hunting for ghosts: low surface brightnesses from pixels R. Scaramella and S. Sabatini; Baryonic properties of the darkest galaxies E. Grebel; The dwarf low surface brightness population in different environments of the local universe S. Sabatini, J. Davies, S. Roberts and R. Scaramella; Mass modelling of dwarf spheroidal galaxies J. Klimentowski et al.; Evolution of dwarf galaxies in the Centaurus A Group L. Makarova and D. Makarov; A flat faint end of the Fornax cluster galaxy luminosity function S. Mieske, M. Hilker, L. Infante and C. Mendes de Oliveira; Can massive dark halos destroy the discs of dwarf galaxies? B. Fuchs and O. Esquivel; 'Dark galaxies' and local very metal-poor gas-rich galaxies: possible interrelations S. Pustilnik; Morphology and environment of dwarf galaxies in the local universe H. Ann; Arecibo survey of HI emission from disk galaxies at redshift z 0.2 B. Catinella, M. Haynes, J. Gardner, A. Connolly and R. Giovanelli; AGES observations of

  5. White dwarfs, the galaxy and Dirac's cosmology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stothers, R.

    1976-01-01

    Reference is made to the apparent absence, or deficiency, of white dwarfs fainter than about 10 -4 L solar mass. An explanation is here proposed on the basis of Dirac's cosmological hypothesis that the gravitational constant, G, has varied with the time elapsed since the beginning of the expansion of the Universe as t -1 and the number of particles in the Universe has increases as t 2 , if the measurements are made in atomic units. For a white dwarf the Chandrasekhar mass limit is a collection of fundamental constants proportional to Gsup(-3/2) and therefore increases with time as tsup(3/2). In the 'additive' version of Dirac's theory the actual mass, M, of a relatively small object like a star remains essentially unchanged by the creation of new matter in the Universe and hence a white dwarf will become more stable with the course of time; but in the 'multiplicative' version of the theory, M increases as t 2 and may eventually exceed the Chandrasekhar limit, and if this happens, gravitational collapse of the white dwarf into an invisible black hole or neutron star will quickly occur. It is considered interesting to find whether the 'multiplicative' theory may have a bearing on the apparent deficiency of faint white dwarfs, and to consider whether there are any possible consequences for galactic evolution. This is here discussed. (U.K.)

  6. The Galaxy's Eating Habits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putman, M. E.; Thom, C.; Gibson, B. K.; Staveley-Smith, L.

    2004-06-01

    The possibility of a gaseous halo stream which was stripped from the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy is presented. The total mass of the neutral hydrogen along the orbit of the Sgr dwarf in the direction of the Galactic Anti-Center is 4 - 10 × 106 M⊙ (at 36 kpc, the distance to the stellar debris in this region). Both the stellar and gaseous components have negative velocities in this part of the sky, but the gaseous component extends to higher negative velocities. We suggest this gaseous stream was stripped from the main body of the dwarf 0.2 - 0.3 Gyr ago during its current orbit after a passage through a diffuse edge of the Galactic disk with a density > 10-4 cm-3. The gas would then represent the dwarf's last source of star formation fuel and explains how the galaxy was forming stars 0.5-2 Gyr ago.

  7. A systematic search for dwarf counterparts to ultra compact high velocity clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennet, Paul; Sand, David J.; Crnojevic, Denija; Strader, Jay

    2015-01-01

    Observations of the Universe on scales smaller than typical, massive galaxies challenge the standard Lambda Cold Dark Matter paradigm for structure formation. It is thus imperative to discover and characterize the faintest dwarf galaxy systems, not just within the Local Group, but in relatively isolated environments as well in order to properly connect them with models of structure formation. Here we report on a systematic search of public ultraviolet and optical archives for dwarf galaxy counterparts to so-called Ultra Compact High Velocity Clouds (UCHVCs), which are compact, isolated HI sources recently found in the Galactic Arecibo L-band Feed Array-HI (GALFA-HI) and Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA-HI) surveys. Our search has uncovered at least three strong dwarf galaxy candidates, and we present their inferred star formation rate and structural properties here.

  8. The metallicity evolution of blue compact dwarf galaxies from the intermediate redshift to the local Universe

    OpenAIRE

    Lian, Jianhui; Hu, Ning; Fang, Guanwen; Ye, Chengyun; Kong, Xu

    2016-01-01

    We present oxygen abundance measurements for 74 blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies in the redshift range in [0.2, 0.5] using the strong-line method. The spectra of these objects are taken using Hectospec on the Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT). More than half of these BCDs had dust attenuation corrected using the Balmer decrement method. For comparison, we also selected a sample of 2023 local BCDs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database. Based on the local and intermediate-z BCD sampl...

  9. Galaxy collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Combes, F.

    1987-01-01

    Galaxies are not isolated systems of stars and gas, ''independent universes'' as believed by astronomers about ten years ago, but galaxies are formed and evolve by interaction with their environment, and in particular with their nearest neighbors. Gravitational interactions produce enormous tides in the disk of spiral galaxies, generate spiral arms and trigger bursts of star formation. Around elliptical galaxies, the collision with a small companion produces a series of waves, or shells. A galaxy interaction leads, in most cases, to the coalescence of the two coliders; therefore all galaxies are not formed just after the Big-Bang, when matter recombines: second generation galaxies are still forming now by galaxy mergers, essentially elliptical galaxies, but also compact dwarfs. Collisions between galaxies could also trigger activity in nuclei for radiogalaxies and quasars [fr

  10. Static structure of chameleon dark matter as an explanation of dwarf spheroidal galaxy cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chanda, Prolay Krishna; Das, Subinoy

    2017-04-01

    We propose a novel mechanism that explains the cored dark matter density profile in recently observed dark matter rich dwarf spheroidal galaxies. In our scenario, dark matter particle mass decreases gradually as a function of distance towards the center of a dwarf galaxy due to its interaction with a chameleon scalar. At closer distance towards the Galactic center the strength of attractive scalar fifth force becomes much stronger than gravity and is balanced by the Fermi pressure of the dark matter cloud; thus, an equilibrium static configuration of the dark matter halo is obtained. Like the case of soliton star or fermion Q-star, the stability of the dark matter halo is obtained as the scalar achieves a static profile and reaches an asymptotic value away from the Galactic center. For simple scalar-dark matter interaction and quadratic scalar self-interaction potential, we show that dark matter behaves exactly like cold dark matter (CDM) beyond a few kpc away from the Galactic center but at closer distance it becomes lighter and Fermi pressure cannot be ignored anymore. Using Thomas-Fermi approximation, we numerically solve the radial static profile of the scalar field, fermion mass and dark matter energy density as a function of distance. We find that for fifth force mediated by an ultralight scalar, it is possible to obtain a flattened dark matter density profile towards the Galactic center. In our scenario, the fifth force can be neglected at distance r ≥1 kpc from the Galactic center and dark matter can be simply treated as heavy nonrelativistic particles beyond this distance, thus reproducing the success of CDM at large scales.

  11. Milky Way red dwarfs in the BoRG survey; galactic scale-height and the distribution of dwarf stars in WFC3 imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holwerda, B. W.; Bouwens, R.; Trenti, M.; Clarkson, W.; Sahu, K.; Bradley, L.; Stiavelli, M.; Pirzkal, N.; Ryan, R.; De Marchi, G.; Andersen, M.

    2014-01-01

    We present a tally of Milky Way late-type dwarf stars in 68 Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) pure-parallel fields (227 arcmin 2 ) from the Brightest of Reionizing Galaxies survey for high-redshift galaxies. Using spectroscopically identified M-dwarfs in two public surveys, the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey and the Early Release Science mosaics, we identify a morphological selection criterion using the half-light radius (r 50 ), a near-infrared J – H, G – J color region where M-dwarfs are found, and a V – J relation with M-dwarf subtype. We apply this morphological selection of stellar objects, color-color selection of M-dwarfs, and optical-near-infrared color subtyping to compile a catalog of 274 M-dwarfs belonging to the disk of the Milky Way with a limiting magnitude of m F125W < 24(AB). Based on the M-dwarf statistics, we conclude that (1) the previously identified north-south discrepancy in M-dwarf numbers persists in our sample; there are more M-dwarfs in the northern fields on average than in southern ones, (2) the Milky Way's single disk scale-height for M-dwarfs is 0.3-4 kpc, depending on subtype, (3) the scale-height depends on M-dwarf subtype with early types (M0-4) high scale-height (z 0 = 3-4 kpc) and later types M5 and above in the thin disk (z 0 = 0.3-0.5 kpc), (4) a second component is visible in the vertical distribution, with a different, much higher scale-height in the southern fields compared to the northern ones. We report the M-dwarf component of the Sagittarius stream in one of our fields with 11 confirmed M-dwarfs, seven of which are at the stream's distance. In addition to the M-dwarf catalog, we report the discovery of 1 T-dwarfs and 30 L-dwarfs from their near-infrared colors. The dwarf scale-height and the relative low incidence in our fields of L- and T-dwarfs in these fields makes it unlikely that these stars will be interlopers in great numbers in color-selected samples of high-redshift galaxies

  12. Milky Way red dwarfs in the BoRG survey; galactic scale-height and the distribution of dwarf stars in WFC3 imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holwerda, B. W.; Bouwens, R. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Trenti, M. [Kavli Institute for Cosmology and Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Clarkson, W. [Department of Natural Sciences College of Arts, Sciences and Letters, University of Michigan-Dearborn 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128 (United States); Sahu, K.; Bradley, L.; Stiavelli, M.; Pirzkal, N.; Ryan, R. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); De Marchi, G. [European Space Agency, ESA-ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2200 AG Noordwijk (Netherlands); Andersen, M., E-mail: holwerda@strw.leidenuniv.nl [UJF-Grenoble 1/CNRS-INSU, Institut de Planétologie et d' Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG) UMR 5274, F-38041 Grenoble (France)

    2014-06-10

    We present a tally of Milky Way late-type dwarf stars in 68 Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) pure-parallel fields (227 arcmin{sup 2}) from the Brightest of Reionizing Galaxies survey for high-redshift galaxies. Using spectroscopically identified M-dwarfs in two public surveys, the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey and the Early Release Science mosaics, we identify a morphological selection criterion using the half-light radius (r {sub 50}), a near-infrared J – H, G – J color region where M-dwarfs are found, and a V – J relation with M-dwarf subtype. We apply this morphological selection of stellar objects, color-color selection of M-dwarfs, and optical-near-infrared color subtyping to compile a catalog of 274 M-dwarfs belonging to the disk of the Milky Way with a limiting magnitude of m {sub F125W} < 24(AB). Based on the M-dwarf statistics, we conclude that (1) the previously identified north-south discrepancy in M-dwarf numbers persists in our sample; there are more M-dwarfs in the northern fields on average than in southern ones, (2) the Milky Way's single disk scale-height for M-dwarfs is 0.3-4 kpc, depending on subtype, (3) the scale-height depends on M-dwarf subtype with early types (M0-4) high scale-height (z {sub 0} = 3-4 kpc) and later types M5 and above in the thin disk (z {sub 0} = 0.3-0.5 kpc), (4) a second component is visible in the vertical distribution, with a different, much higher scale-height in the southern fields compared to the northern ones. We report the M-dwarf component of the Sagittarius stream in one of our fields with 11 confirmed M-dwarfs, seven of which are at the stream's distance. In addition to the M-dwarf catalog, we report the discovery of 1 T-dwarfs and 30 L-dwarfs from their near-infrared colors. The dwarf scale-height and the relative low incidence in our fields of L- and T-dwarfs in these fields makes it unlikely that these stars will be interlopers in great numbers in color-selected samples of

  13. APOGEE Chemical Abundances of the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasselquist, Sten; Shetrone, Matthew D.; Smith, Verne V.; Holtzman, Jon A.; McWilliam, Andrew; APOGEE Team

    2018-06-01

    The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment provides the opportunity of measuring elemental abundances for C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni in vast numbers of stars. We analyze the chemical-abundance patterns of these elements for 158 red giant stars belonging to the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (Sgr). This is the largest sample of Sgr stars with detailed chemical abundances, and it is the first time that C, N, P, K, V, Cr, Co, and Ni have been studied at high resolution in this galaxy. We find that the Sgr stars with [Fe/H] > -0.8 are deficient in all elemental abundance ratios (expressed as [X/Fe]) relative to the Milky Way, suggesting that the Sgr stars observed today were formed from gas that was less enriched by Type II SNe than stars formed in the Milky Way. By examining the relative deficiencies of the hydrostatic (O, Na, Mg, and Al) and explosive (Si, P, K, and Mn) elements, our analysis supports the argument that previous generations of Sgr stars were formed with a top-light initial mass function, one lacking the most massive stars that would normally pollute the interstellar medium with the hydrostatic elements. We use a simple chemical-evolution model, flexCE, to further support our claim and conclude that recent stellar generations of Fornax and the Large Magellanic Cloud could also have formed according to a top-light initial mass function. We then exploit the unique chemical abundance patters of the Sgr core to trace stars belonging to the Sgr tidal streams elsewhere in the Milky Way.

  14. Nuclei of dwarf spheroidal galaxies KKs 3 and ESO 269-66 and their counterparts in our Galaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharina, M. E.; Shimansky, V. V.; Kniazev, A. Y.

    2017-10-01

    We present the analysis of medium-resolution spectra obtained at the Southern African Large Telescope for nuclear globular clusters (GCs) in two dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). The galaxies have similar star formation histories, but they are situated in completely different environments. ESO 269-66 is a close neighbour of the giant S0 NGC 5128. KKs 3 is one of the few truly isolated dSphs within 10 Mpc. We estimate the helium abundance Y = 0.3, age = 12.6 ± 1 Gyr, [Fe/H] = -1.5, -1.55 ± 0.2 dex, and abundances of C, N, Mg, Ca, Ti, and Cr for the nuclei of ESO 269-66 and KKs 3. Our surface photometry results using Hubble Space Telescope images yield the half-light radius of the cluster in KKs 3, rh = 4.8 ± 0.2 pc. We demonstrate the similarities of medium-resolution spectra, ages, chemical compositions, and structure for GCs in ESO 269-66 and KKs 3 and for several massive Galactic GCs with [Fe/H] ∼ -1.6 dex. All Galactic GCs posses Extended Blue Horizontal Branches and multiple stellar populations. Five of the selected Galactic objects are iron-complex GCs. Our results indicate that the sample GCs observed now in different environments had similar conditions of their formation ∼1 Gyr after the Big Bang.

  15. INVESTIGATION OF THE PUZZLING ABUNDANCE PATTERN IN THE STARS OF THE FORNAX DWARF SPHEROIDAL GALAXY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Hongjie; Cui Wenyuan; Zhang Bo, E-mail: zhangbo@mail.hebtu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Hebei Normal University, No. 20 East of South 2nd Ring Road, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China)

    2013-09-20

    Many works have found unusual characteristics of elemental abundances in nearby dwarf galaxies. This implies that there is a key factor of galactic evolution that is different from that of the Milky Way (MW). The chemical abundances of the stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Fornax dSph) provide excellent information for setting constraints on the models of galactic chemical evolution. In this work, adopting the five-component approach, we fit the abundances of the Fornax dSph stars, including {alpha} elements, iron group elements, and neutron-capture elements. For most sample stars, the relative contributions from the various processes to the elemental abundances are not usually in the MW proportions. We find that the contributions from massive stars to the primary {alpha} elements and iron group elements increase monotonically with increasing [Fe/H]. This means that the effect of the galactic wind is not strong enough to halt star formation and the contributions from the massive stars to {alpha} elements did not halt for [Fe/H] {approx}< -0.5. The average contribution ratios of various processes between the dSph stars and the MW stars monotonically decrease with increasing progenitor mass. This is important evidence of a bottom-heavy initial mass function (IMF) for the Fornax dSph, compared to the MW. Considering a bottom-heavy IMF for the dSph, the observed relations of [{alpha}/Fe] versus [Fe/H], [iron group/Fe] versus [Fe/H], and [neutron-capture/Fe] versus [Fe/H] for the dSph stars can be explained.

  16. White dwarfs, the galaxy and Dirac's cosmology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stothers, R [National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, Md. (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center

    1976-08-05

    Reference is made to the apparent absence, or deficiency, of white dwarfs fainter than about 10/sup -4/L solar mass. An explanation is here proposed on the basis of Dirac's cosmological hypothesis that the gravitational constant, G, has varied with the time elapsed since the beginning of the expansion of the Universe as t/sup -1/ and the number of particles in the Universe has increases as t/sup 2/, if the measurements are made in atomic units. For a white dwarf the Chandrasekhar mass limit is a collection of fundamental constants proportional to Gsup(-3/2) and therefore increases with time as tsup(3/2). In the 'additive' version of Dirac's theory the actual mass, M, of a relatively small object like a star remains essentially unchanged by the creation of new matter in the Universe and hence a white dwarf will become more stable with the course of time; but in the 'multiplicative' version of the theory, M increases as t/sup 2/ and may eventually exceed the Chandrasekhar limit, and if this happens, gravitational collapse of the white dwarf into an invisible black hole or neutron star will quickly occur. It is considered interesting to find whether the 'multiplicative' theory may have a bearing on the apparent deficiency of faint white dwarfs, and to consider whether there are any possible consequences for galactic evolution. This is here discussed.

  17. Transformation of a Virgo Cluster Dwarf Irregular Galaxy by Ram Pressure Stripping: IC3418 and Its Fireballs

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kenney, J.D.P.; Geha, M.; Jáchym, Pavel; Crowl, H.H.; Dague, W.; Chung, A.; van Gorkom, J.; Vollmer, B.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 780, č. 2 (2014), 119/1-119/20 ISSN 0004-637X Grant - others:Rada Programu interní podpory projektů mezinárodní spolupráce AV ČR(CZ) M100031203 Program:M Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : galaxies * cluster * evolution Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 5.993, year: 2014

  18. Retainment of r-process material in dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beniamini, Paz; Dvorkin, Irina; Silk, Joe

    2018-04-01

    The synthesis of r-process elements is known to involve extremely energetic explosions. At the same time, recent observations find significant r-process enrichment even in extremely small ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies. This raises the question of retainment of those elements within their hosts. We estimate the retainment fraction and find that it is large ˜0.9, unless the r-process event is very energetic (≳ 1052erg) and / or the host has lost a large fraction of its gas prior to the event. We estimate the r-process mass per event and rate as implied by abundances in UFDs, taking into account imperfect retainment and different models of UFD evolution. The results are consistent with previous estimates (Beniamini et al. 2016b) and with the constraints from the recently detected macronova accompanying a neutron star merger (GW170817). We also estimate the distribution of abundances predicted by these models. We find that ˜0.07 of UFDs should have r-process enrichment. The results are consistent with both the mean values and the fluctuations of [Eu/Fe] in galactic metal poor stars, supporting the possibility that UFDs are the main 'building blocks' of the galactic halo population.

  19. Exploring simulated early star formation in the context of the ultrafaint dwarf galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corlies, Lauren; Johnston, Kathryn V.; Wise, John H.

    2018-04-01

    Ultrafaint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) are typically assumed to have simple, stellar populations with star formation ending at reionization. Yet as the observations of these galaxies continue to improve, their star formation histories (SFHs) are revealed to be more complicated than previously thought. In this paper, we study how star formation, chemical enrichment, and mixing proceed in small, dark matter haloes at early times using a high-resolution, cosmological, hydrodynamical simulation. The goals are to inform the future use of analytic models and to explore observable properties of the simulated haloes in the context of UFD data. Specifically, we look at analytic approaches that might inform metal enrichment within and beyond small galaxies in the early Universe. We find that simple assumptions for modelling the extent of supernova-driven winds agree with the simulation on average, whereas inhomogeneous mixing and gas flows have a large effect on the spread in simulated stellar metallicities. In the context of the UFDs, this work demonstrates that simulations can form haloes with a complex SFH and a large spread in the metallicity distribution function within a few hundred Myr in the early Universe. In particular, bursty and continuous star formation are seen in the simulation and both scenarios have been argued from the data. Spreads in the simulated metallicities, however, remain too narrow and too metal-rich when compared to the UFDs. Future work is needed to help reduce these discrepancies and advance our interpretation of the data.

  20. Stellar feedback in galaxies and the origin of galaxy-scale winds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, Philip F.; Quataert, Eliot; Murray, Norman

    2012-04-01

    Feedback from massive stars is believed to play a critical role in driving galactic super-winds that enrich the intergalactic medium and shape the galaxy mass function, mass-metallicity relation and other global galaxy properties. In previous papers, we have introduced new numerical methods for implementing stellar feedback on sub-giant molecular cloud (sub-GMC) through galactic scales in numerical simulations of galaxies; the key physical processes include radiation pressure in the ultraviolet through infrared, supernovae (Type I and Type II), stellar winds ('fast' O star through 'slow' asymptotic giant branch winds), and H II photoionization. Here, we show that these feedback mechanisms drive galactic winds with outflow rates as high as ˜10-20 times the galaxy star formation rate. The mass-loading efficiency (wind mass-loss rate divided by the star formation rate) scales roughly as ? (where Vc is the galaxy circular velocity), consistent with simple momentum-conservation expectations. We use our suite of simulations to study the relative contribution of each feedback mechanism to the generation of galactic winds in a range of galaxy models, from Small Magellanic Cloud like dwarfs and Milky Way (MW) analogues to z˜ 2 clumpy discs. In massive, gas-rich systems (local starbursts and high-z galaxies), radiation pressure dominates the wind generation. By contrast, for MW-like spirals and dwarf galaxies the gas densities are much lower and sources of shock-heated gas such as supernovae and stellar winds dominate the production of large-scale outflows. In all of our models, however, the winds have a complex multiphase structure that depends on the interaction between multiple feedback mechanisms operating on different spatial scales and time-scales: any single feedback mechanism fails to reproduce the winds observed. We use our simulations to provide fitting functions to the wind mass loading and velocities as a function of galaxy properties, for use in cosmological